COLUMBIA, S.C. – Two days prior to National Cheese Day on June 4, Experience Columbia SC will be re-launching it’s highly-successful Pimento Cheese Passport. The refreshed passport features 17 dishes highlighting the iconic Southern staple along with a new, easy-to-use mobile experience. Visitors and residents can get started planning their pimento cheese journey by visiting the Experience Columbia SC Pimento Cheese webpage and downloading their passports.
“Pimento cheese in Columbia dates back to 1912, when one of the first recipes was published in a local cookbook, and we feel honored to continue its legacy with the re-launch of the passport,” said Charlene Slaughter, APR, director of communications for Experience Columbia SC. “This passport includes a dozen returning locations from our debut pimento cheese passport in 2019, and five new spots for this year all found throughout our beautiful city. We encourage visitors and residents alike to experience pimento cheese in its best form – crafted alongside Southern favorites by restaurants in our backyard, but also to take a moment and appreciate our city’s scenery, arts, and rich history along the way!”
Featured dishes range from a classic pimento cheese dip with pita chips to a Southern egg roll made with pimento cheese and pulled pork, to chipotle pimento cheese and sausage biscuits, and even a vegan pimento cheese dip. Simply visit the Experience Columbia SC Pimento Cheese webpage to download your passport, check in to the restaurant upon arrival and order the featured pimento cheese dish to collect a digital passport stamp. Prizes will be offered to participants in three tiers: first at five restaurants, second at 10 restaurants, and lastly, after visiting all 17 participating restaurants.
Any participant who visits five restaurants from the passport will receive a Pimento Cheese Passport mug or pint glass, alternating with each winner. In the second tier, each participant who visits 10 restaurants will receive a Pimento Cheese Passport t-shirt. For the final tier and grand prize, any participant who visits all 17 participating locations will receive a mug, pint glass, t-shirt, and $50 gift card to their favorite Pimento Cheese Passport restaurant.
“We are thrilled to be a new stop in Columbia SC’s Pimento Cheese Passport,” said Chris Williams, chef at Roy’s Grille and a 2022 South Carolina Chef Ambassador. “It’s so exciting to recognize the creativity and quality of pimento cheese dishes available throughout Soda City.”
Participating establishments in this year’s Columbia SC Pimento Cheese Passport include:
- Bourbon
- Café Strudel, Lexington
- Café Strudel, West Columbia
- DiPrato’s Delicatessen
- Good Life Café
- Midwood Smokehouse
- Mr. Friendly’s New Southern Café
- Rambo’s Fat Cat Biscuits
- River Rat Brewery
- Rockaway Athletic Club
- Roy’s Grille
- Sandwich Depot
- Spotted Salamander
- Terra
- The Root Cellar
- The War Mouth
- The Whig
And don’t forget to (Pimento) “Cheese” for the camera! Share your favorite pimento cheese pictures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #RealColumbiaSC.About Experience Columbia SC
Experience Columbia SC is the region’s destination marketing organization. We’re responsible for all marketing efforts intended to help more visitors discover all that makes Columbia the real Southern hot spot. Think of us as the biggest cheerleader for the heart of South Carolina. For more information, please visit www.experiencecolumbiasc.com.
