CREATE TABLE Table1 ( Col1 INT IDENTITY, Col2 VARCHAR(100) ) INSERT INTO Table1(Col2) SELECT 'Data 1' UNION ALL SELECT 'Data [2]' UNION ALL SELECT 'Data [3]' SELECT * FROM Table1 SELECT * FROM Table1 WHERE Col2 LIKE '%\[%' ESCAPE '\' SELECT * FROM Table1 WHERE CHARINDEX('[', Col2) > 0 DROP TABLE Table1