Hunter Gatherer, 900 Main Street: 28 December 2024 7 comments
I never made it to this building in any of its other incarnations besides Swensen's, but I did make it to Hunter Gatherer a few times. As I recall, I had pizza and some sort of porter or stout, both of which were pretty good, but not enough so to become a regular and deal with driving down there and parking.
I have been pretty skeptical about the ongoing work on South Main which sounded to me like it was designed to make the street even less convenient to drive and park on, and the news that Hunter Gatherer lost their lease, presumably due to plans for the area does not make me any less so. (And also makes me worry a bit about Cool Beans which is in a similar situation).
(Hat tip to commenter Mr. BO)
As I go to add this to the Alphabetical Closings, I notice I did a post on HG before, when it shut down for the Pandemic. I think this final closing is newsworthy enough that I'm not going to merge it into that earlier post.
UPDATE 22 January 2025:
7 Responses to 'Hunter Gatherer, 900 Main Street: 28 December 2024'
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Payne
11 Dec 24 at 4:13 pm
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Definitely sad to see this one go too. My wife and I enjoyed many, many meals there over the last 20+ years. Always great service and food.
Justin
20 Dec 24 at 1:36 pm
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This was my favorite weekly stop after work before I retired. I agree with Payne about their hamburgers. Their menu was hit or miss though. When you went there long enough you figured out the good items over time. Tofu marsala, salads and lamb stew were some good ones. I started going there when they opened and their beer kept me coming back. The staff was friendly & helpful. I also loved the decor with local art rotating out every so often and the wild dog in the front window. Parking was the worst thing about getting there. The creaky floors and rough shod tables made the place unique and always had an interesting mix of people to watch. I hope the building survives.
JohnR
20 Dec 24 at 3:14 pm
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This one hurts. When I was in graduate school in the late '90s, some of my friends and I would meet up there every week, get the same table upstairs, and hold court for two or three hours. It also became my go-to place when I wanted to meet friends for dinner or had friends in from out of town. The pizzas back then were incredible (the Bad Trip was a particular favorite). I do remember having to be very careful about parking, especially if you got there early, and one night my car got boxed in and I was almost late for my night class at Swearingen.
After I left Columbia I had fewer occasions to visit there, though I'd drop in when I could. I think the last time I was there was December 2014. The pizzas seemed a little bit smaller and it seemed like they had gone to ready-made crusts, and that amped up the "it ain't like it used to be" vibe. Be that as it may, that place holds a lot of fond memories and I'm sad about this.
I hope the building gets to stay, at least. Too much of the Columbia I used to know has been plowed under already, and too much of the city's character has been bulldozed to make way for things that make Columbia feel that much more interchangeable with anywhere else.
Jodie Peeler
1 Jan 25 at 10:31 am
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Great post, Jodie! Lots of great times there. That ESB was always delicious. Herbeckersman Select (?). Liked their IPA as well. Used to get to-go growlers when I worked near the State House. Many meals before movies at The Nick, pre-Vista Lights, and Banff Film Festival. Those were great times!.
Jonathan
2 Jan 25 at 7:22 pm
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Thanks, Jonathan - and you knocked loose a few more memories, including the nights when my friends and I would have dinner at the Hunter-Gatherer, then go across the street to the Nick and catch a movie. Ah...truly, that was the high country.
Jodie Peeler
3 Jan 25 at 8:37 pm
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Aw man, what a bummer. I had not been to H&G in a long time but spent much time there in late 90s and 2000s. And before that, I was there a lot in its prior incarnation as Muldoon's. I hope it becomes something cool and they don't just tear it down.
ColaGal
6 Feb 25 at 1:04 pm
I certainly hate to see this one close. Enjoyed many a meal and beer there. Could always count on good food and good service. In my book, their burgers are amongst the best in Columbia.