A little over a month ago, we asked you to share your favorite service providers (dentists, mechanics, landscapers, etc.) for anyone who might be new in town. And y’all delivered!
We received 600+ responses, and today, we want to share the top recommendation for each category. (You can also view all the recommendations for each category on our website.) Thank you again for all your participation, and we’ll have to keep this list fresh and make it an annual thing.
Disclaimer: This was our first time ever conducting a crowdsourcing initiative like this, so if you have any feedback for the future, please let us know. These recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of COLAtoday or 6AMCity and were gathered via audience participation. COLAtoday did not place any restrictions on participation (i.e. some businesses might have offered discounts or deals to clients who submitted recommendations). Finally, for categories that have more than 1 top recommendation, we were unable to select a clear winner based on the entries we received.
Chiropractor
Flex Chiropractic Of Columbia - Dr. Angela Larson, DC, 1811 Bull St. | “The best, most personalized, friendliest care I could have asked for! I recommend them to anyone that needs a Chiropractor.”
Daycare (child)
Incarnation Lutheran Child Development Center, multiple locations | “Clean with a great staff. My kids love going to school, and it is lower priced than most daycares in the downtown area.”
Little People’s Learning Center, 4444 Bethel Church Rd. | “Workers are loving and nurturing while also being instructive.”
Dentist
Cottingham Family Dentistry, 3722 Devine St. | “Amazing staff, location, and office. Dr. Cottingham is fantastic!”
Dr. Elizabeth Beckner DDS (Drs. Smith & Robinson), 509 E Main St., Lexington | “Dr Elizabeth Beckner DDS at Smith & Robinson DMD in Lexington, SC is a superb, caring, knowledgeable professional, providing treatment in all areas of restorative dentistry, cosmetic, esthetic and general care for patients of all ages. The front office personnel promote a friendly non confrontational environment and my dental hygienist did an excellent job cleaning my teeth and taking X rays. Dr. Beckner discussed treatment plan options with me so that I am comfortable that I can get the best care available in the greater Lexington area at this office.”
Dr. Thomas C. Hoffman, DMD, 200 Gills Creek Pkwy. | “Dr. Hoffman spends more time with me than any dentist I’ve been to. He genuinely listens to my concerns and comes up with a plan to make sure everything is addressed. I love his hygienists too!”
Dermatologist
Carolinas Dermatology & Plastic Surgery, 1706 Saint Julian Place | “"Dr. Mark Blaskis is one of the best MOH surgeons in SC. He has given me excellent service for over 25 years. An efficient and professional staff that also has a plastic surgeon on staff.”
Dog Groomer
Mill Creek Pet Food Center, multiple locations | “Deb is the best!”
Doggie Daycare/Boarding
Camp Bow Wow, 655 Superior St. | “They have cameras so you can watch your pup play all day long, along with a nice indoor and outdoor set up. Nice staff, always helpful.”
Dry Cleaner
Ed Robinson Laundry & Dry Cleaning, 2551 Forest Dr. | “They have an amazing staff, family and locally owned, and can get out just about any stain on any fabric.”
Esthetician
Stacey O. Studio - Massage & Esthetics, 2911 Devine St. | “Stacey cares for skin so well! Carries great, science-proven lines and always puts the customer’s needs first. She’s a magician!”
General Physician
Lexington Family Practice, multiple locations | “best medical center in the midlands”
Hair Salons + Barber Shops
process. A Hair Salon, 3143 Forest Dr. | “Service is exceptional. My hair always looks amazing, I have referred over a dozen people here and they all have loved it! I recommend Garrett or Ashley, but all of the stylists are great.”
Mechanic
Complete Car Care, 1628 Gervais St. | “Just the best, knowledgeable, do good work, easy to work with, very personable.”
Nail Tech
Glowout, 1202 Park St. | “The staff are all so sweet and welcoming, and the decor in the studio is the perfect blend of adorable and glamorous. Getting a pedicure at Glowout always feels like a special treat. :)”
Lee Nails, 4711 Forest Dr. #25 | “Every tech is great, I’ve never had a bad mani, if you do, they’ll fix it. David runs a tight ship and never makes anyone wait around for hours.”
SC Nails, 701 Santee Ave. | “Great personal service, very clean and efficient.”
The Nail Barre, 3006 Devine St. | “The owner is super nice as well as the staff. It is the only place my wife will go to get her nails done.”
OB-GYN
Lexington Women’s Care - West Columbia, 222 E Medical Ln. Suite 300, West Columbia
Pediatrician
Sandhills Pediatric & Adolescent Clinic, multiple locations | “Not a bad doc in the group!”
Personal Trainer
Heather Stokes at Anytime Fitness + Stronghold Gym, 2808 Devine St. + 5910 Garners Ferry Rd. | “Heather is amazing because the workouts are never the same and she has a big heart, but also is going to push you to do your best.”
Jamie Scott Fitness, 702 Crosshill Rd. Suite 300-B | “I’ve tried a lot of gyms and trainers, and I’ve seen the best results here by far. You’ll actually have fun working out and challenging yourself, which makes going to the gym so much easier.”
Strong Foundation, 3135 Forest Dr. | “The SF team is flexible with time, group size, and experience level—trust me, I’ve gone through every option. Never felt stronger! Shoutout to owner Lori Lapin for sticking with me from the starting line.” — Emily T.
Shoe Repair
Five Points Shoe Repair, 2005 Devine St. | “They’ve been taking care of my shoes for fifteen years. Friendly and kind and fast!”
Tailors + Seamstresses
Jackie’s Tailoring & Alterations, multiple locations | “They do amazing work, and are super fair priced.”
Tattoo + Piercing Artist
Ophidian Tattoo, 1332 Main St. #115 | “Shannon did my first tattoo a few weeks ago and it is gorgeous! Her work is stunningly beautiful.”
Therapist
Thriveworks Counseling, 2805 Millwood Ave.
Veterinarian
Four Paws Animal Clinic, 4 Monckton Blvd. | “Great facility and staff. They always take great care of our pup!”
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