So you’re making your first trip to Columbia? Perhaps you’ve been coached up by some of your more well-traveled brethren, but you’ve likely only scratched the surface of what our town has to offer. That’s why we’ve put together this handy dandy guide to navigating our idyllic little college town for all the moments not spent huddled around Faurot Field. Basically, you’re welcome.
First of all, let’s get something out of the way. At some point in your stay, you’re going to hear someone say the word "CoMo". Yes, it’s quite obviously a combination of the first two letters of "Columbia" and the abbreviation for "Missouri". They happen to rhyme so that’s quite a blessing for us, I guess. I’m perfectly satisfied using this little nickname but you’ll find it is quite a topic of debate amongst locals. Old timers seem to cringe the hardest when they hear it, and youngsters seem to use it exclusively when referring to our town. Employ the term at your own risk.
Lodging
Let’s face it. You’re too late. If you don’t have a hotel room by now, you’re not likely to find one anywhere near the stadium. We’ve heard many horror stories about away fans being forced to stay in Jefferson City. Sure it’s only a thirty-minute drive to Columbia, but you cannot imagine a more bland and unappealing capitol city. It’s simply the worst thing east of Kansas.
So let’s imagine a world where hotel rooms are available, and dig in to the best places to stay. For many years Columbia was criminally underserved in the hotel department. There were a few clean places dotted along I-70 but nothing boutique and NOTHING near campus. That is beginning to change.
Tiger Hotel - 23 S 8th St, Columbia, MO 65201
First of all, the beautiful historic Tiger Hotel has recently been restored and offers every modern amenity from the atmosphere of 1920s grandeur. Plus it’s easy to find. The iconic neon "TIGER" sign can be seen from anywhere in downtown Columbia.
Broadway Doubletree - 1111 E Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201
Also in the heart of downtown sits the new Broadway Doubletree Hotel. As a Hilton property, the chic brick structure is spacious and features a restaurant and rooftop bar where you can take in a sweeping view of the city.
Hampton Inn & Suites - 1225 Fellows Pl, Columbia, MO 65201
If access to the game is your primary concern, the Hampton Inn & Suites are an easy walk to and from Memorial Stadium. Sitting right on Stadium Boulevard, one of Columbia’s main drags, the Hampton is easy to find. It also has a nearby restaurant and is a short drive from downtown.
Stoney Creek Inn - 2601 S Providence Rd, Columbia, MO 65203
What can be said about the Stoney Creek Inn that hasn’t already been said about a delusional Montana gun-nut bunker? Don’t get me wrong, the rooms are spacious and comfortable but the ambiance is in a word…bizarre. If you love to wake up to stuffed dead moose and bears, this is definitely the place for you. What does the log cabin/wilderness/wildlife theme have to do with Columbia? Hell if I know.
So those are the places that are all booked up and you can’t afford. Beyond that Columbia features all the usual hotel chains that encircle everytown, USA and you may have better luck booking a night with them. But like we said, at this point…enjoy Jefferson Shitty.
Restaurants
Oh restaurants…this is why you came to this page. You don’t care about our town so much as you care about the football, and all of that college sports action can work up an appetite. So where to go? Well pal, you’re in luck. Columbia offers a little bit of everything. Because of the diversity of offerings, narrowing the selections down presents quite a challenge. I’ve chosen to categorize them by….Iconic places which locals will tell you that "You have to go to!", fancy places, comfort food, breakfast, and ethnic food options and outskirts haunts. We’ll get into bars later, though I admit there’s quite an overlap with this category.
Icons
Booches - 110 S 9th St, Columbia, MO 65201
Booches gets the top spot for sheer staying power and college town vibe. This pool hall has been slinging cheeseburgers on wax paper since 1884 and has had very few upgrades since then. It is a place trapped in time and Columbianites wouldn’t have it any other way. The walls surrounding the billiards tables provide a virtual museum of Mizzou sports, featuring team photos from as far back as the late nineteenth century. This place keeps it simple. If you go there and order any food other than a burger, you’re doing it wrong. Also the beer is nice and cold.
Shakespeare's Pizza - 225 S. 9th St, Columbia, MO 65201
Shakespeare’s presents a bit of a problem. It is most definitely the quintessential college pizza joint, but this Columbia staple is in the midst of a shakeup. The business remains in place and the pizza tastes the same but a mild controversy surrounds the ninth street icon. The run-down old building that held Shakespeare’s has recently been demolished so the pizza ovens have temporarily been moved to a location about a half a block away until a lavish new student apartment building is constructed on the restaurant’s old location. We’ve all been assured that every vestige of the original location has been salvaged and will be reinstalled on the ground floor of the new building but several folks are still nervous as to whether the pizza place’s soul can also be reinstalled into the fresh drywall. Time will tell.
Flat Branch Pub & Brewing - 115 S 5th St, Columbia, MO 65201
Flat Branch Brew Pub is Columbia’s original microbrewer. This converted industrial warehouse features a stellar patio and the beer is quite good. Their high quality food keeps them in the restaurant category rather than bar, but it would be quite at home under either descriptor. Though bigger than Booches or Shakespeare’s, the place is always packed. So show up early, hungry, and sober. You’ll likely leave late, full, and drunk, which translates into happy.
Glenn's Cafe - 29 S 8th St, Columbia, MO 65201
Glenn’s is an old icon made new again. The first incarnation of Glenn’s in Columbia came about in 1939. The restaurant has evolved from a roadside diner into a fine dining establishment featuring New Orleans Cajon/creole cuisine with a decade-long departure from Columbia somewhere in between. Glenn’s is easy to spot due to it’s historic sign hanging from the side of the equally historic Tiger Hotel. Laissez le bon temps rouler.
Fancier Joints
Sycamore - 800 E Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201
Sycamore offers some of the finest cuisine in town. Located right smack dab in the middle of downtown, this higher end joint has never left me disappointed. They feature mostly local and fresh ingredients so the menu changes often. They also have a great wine selection. Check them out and enjoy yourself, fancy-pants.
Bleu - 811 E Walnut St, Columbia, MO 65201
Bleu is another must-see. Located in a historic restaurant location right next to city hall and the town’s less famous columns, Bleu is a great place to enjoy high and low end delicacies with its diverse and sometimes experimental menu. They also feature a great patio scene and have by far the most space of any restaurant on this list.
Wine Cellar & Bistro - 505 Cherry St, Columbia, MO 65201
The Wine Cellar & Bistro has a great menu but let’s be honest, this place is for wine lovers. The Wine Cellar is not just a clever name. You feel like you’re in the Monopoly man’s basement at this place. Consider it a fail if you leave here having only polished off one bottle.
Comfort Food
Billiards on Broadway - 514 E Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201
Billiards on Broadway is a hidden gem. The place is hidden in plain sight, right in on Broadway (as the name clearly states) but I don’t hear nearly enough people talking about this pool hall. I know this is heresy in CoMo/Columbia, but I’m going to go for it anyway. I like Billiards burgers better than Booches. That’s right, I said it. Plus the homemade hand cut fries. Oh sweet baby Jesus, those fries…
Shotgun Pete's BBQ Shack - 28 N 9th St, Columbia, MO 65201
Shotgun Pete’s is Columbia’s place to get BBQ downtown. The barbecue nachos offers a week’s worth of calories in a meal but I help myself feel slightly less guilty when ordering them knowing that I’ve yet to ever actually finish a plate. Also, the tiny patio tucked away in the back near the smoker is a cool little hideaway to marinade yourself in BBQ smoke.
Pizza Tree - 909 Cherry St, Columbia, MO 65201
Pizza Tree is a new addition to the college pizza joint crowd. Offering a rotating menu of pizza by the slice and craft beers, this hobbit hole of a restaurant is really quite good. After my controversial Booches/Billiards statement, I’m going to steer clear of any Shakespeare’s comparisons. Let’s just say there’s always time for more than one pizza stop.
Sub Shop - 209 S 8th St, Columbia, MO 65201
Sub Shop could easily fit under the Icon category. They offer a variety of great sandwich options but I can rarely tear myself away from the toasted Italian Sausage sub. It’s just so damn good. Plus, you have to respect the pithy straightforward name. You definitely know what you’re getting. Take a playing card and settle in.
Breakfast
Café Berlin - 220 N 10th St, Columbia, MO 65201
Café Berlin’s breakfast menu is far beyond anything you’ll find elsewhere in town. There’s something for everyone and it’s all good. The downsides, first the name is ridiculous. The place has nothing to do with Berlin, Germany, or any of the Reichs. Second, the hippie waitstaff runs on hippie time, and they seem almost as confused as the out of town diners. Prepare to wait for a table. If you are a true breakfast aficionado, you should wait it out. If not, there are other places that sling eggs and coffee just fine.
Ernie's - 1005 E Walnut St, Columbia, MO 65201
Ernie’s is another joint that deserves icon status. The breakfast diner has been at it since 1934 and always draws big weekend crowds. The Ernie’s hippie staff seems to have their shit together compared to Café Berlin. It’s more cramped but they have outdoor seating and the more limited menu comes out faster so they turn tables. Plus you can see their original Dick Tracy comic drawing. Oooh…
Broadway Diner - 22 S 4th St, Columbia, MO 65201
Broadway Diner is not located on Broadway. Let’s just clear that up right away. It used to be until the corporate overlords at Walgreens bought their location and they moved their diner trailer into Flat Branch’s backyard. This is in fact a breakfast place but it’s known more for its 2am breakfasts if you know what I mean.
Lucy's Corner Cafe - 522 E Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201
Lucy’s sucks.
Ethnic Foods
Bangkok Gardens - 811 Cherry St, Columbia, MO 65201
Bangkok Gardens is Columbia’s staple Thai joint. Know-it-alls will tell you that it’s not as authentic as it could be. Tell that to my fat belly, because it thinks the food is just fine. Get the Phad Thai like every other rube entering his first Thai place or get adventurous. Everything’s good.
Taj Mahal - 500 E Walnut St #109, Columbia, MO 65201
Taj Mahal Indian Cuisine is located in the ground floor of the much maligned enormous parking garage on Walnut. While some have dubbed the hideous parking monstrosity "Garagezilla," with the addition of the Taj Mahal to the building, I prefer the much more clever "Garage-Mahal." What every you call it, don’t let the ugly building deter you from the delightful Indian buffet.
El Rancho - 1014 E Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201
El Rancho is in fact a Mexican restaurant, but it serves a much more important role to the community. It is where college kids pour grease and tortilla chips on top of the beer tank they call a stomach at 2am. They have good food but it really doesn’t come to life until the bars close. Then you can go at your own risk. I warned you.
Formosa - 913A E Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201
Formosa is a rare upstairs restaurant downtown. The place has been there as long as I can remember and I like the food a lot. I really like their out of the way location though. It neighbors the hippie public radio station that cranks out music for the kitchen staff of Café Berlin and Ernie’s and is rarely packed so it’s a nice getaway.
Cafe Poland - 807 Locust St, Columbia, MO 65201
Café Poland is a place for some down home eastern bloc food. The pierogies are great but I’ll be honest, it’s a little pricey for what you’re getting.
Kampai Sushi Bar - 907 Alley A, Columbia, MO 65201
Kampai Sushi is located in a back alley but don’t let that fool you. The place is chic and the food is great! Look for Alley A and be prepared for a fantastic meal. The eclectic setting only adds to the experience.
Outskirts
CC’s City Broiler - 1401 Forum Blvd, Columbia, MO 65203
CC’s City Broiler caters to Columbia’s pseudo-suburbanites south of town. While it may be a strip mall restaurant, it’s still the best steak in town and there’s always a place for that. Ignore the Everytown, USA sea of parking lots and step into a dining experience that will leave your arteries clogged with joy.
Murry's - 3107 Green Meadows Way, Columbia, MO 65203
Murry’s is equally strip-mally and equally far from downtown, but this is where old school Columbia folks flock to on the weekends. Live music, high end booze and great food combine to make this a must-try experience for those who want to venture out.
Buckingham Smokehouse - 3804 Buttonwood Dr, Columbia, MO 65201
Buckingham is Columbia's oldest and probably best barbecue joint. Unfortunately, it's out in strip mall land. The food is good. The sauce is good. The place is nice. If you really want to get your mitts on some good KC style BBQ, check it out.
Bars
Like many college towns, Columbia has so many bars that it’s impossible to capture the options in any one list. Still there are those that rise above others. From dives to college hangouts to upscale boozeries, there’s bound to be a place for you
Harpo's - 29 S 10th St, Columbia, MO 65201
Harpos is high on any list because it quite simply oozes Mizzou Football fandom. This is the place generations of Tiger fans have gone to celebrate big wins or to drown their sorrows after wretched losses….We’re looking at you Colorado 5th down game. There’s even a tradition of tearing down goalposts and dragging the pieces to Harpos to be chopped up and given out as souvenirs to happy revelers.
Broadway Brewery - 816 E Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201
Broadway Brewery is a basement joint that brews its own beer and straddles the restaurant/bar line. It’s got a cool vibe and good food. The music and atmosphere are more sophisticated than many of the student bars so it’s a great place to try if you are not interested in body shots.
Shiloh Bar & Grill - 402 E Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201
Shiloh is frankly the better football bar than Harpos. It only lacks the history. Located in an old train depot, Shiloh has standard bar fare and how shall we say…bouncy waitstaff. There are TVs everywhere with all the games on and the patio is a fun rowdy place for fall Saturdays.
Campus Bar & Grill - 304 S 9th St #100, Columbia, MO 65201
Campus Bar and Grill is still known as "Big 12" to many but that is fading as it is primarily a student bar and fewer and fewer Mizzou students even remember the old dark Big 12 days. It looks like a sports bar but few are watching football. Hooking up takes precedence here.
Gunter Hans - 7 Hitt St, Columbia, MO 65201
Gunter Hans is a world all its own. Have a German pretzel or an Italian Gelatto. All of it goes with beer. This little European style watering hole is a real treat.
The Old Heidelberg - 410 S 9th St, Columbia, MO 65201
The Berg burned to the ground over a decade ago and like a phoenix rose from the ashes. This beloved bar is right on Mizzou's campus. It has a rooftop bar and cold beer. What else do you need?
Snapper's - 12 S 7th St, Columbia, MO 65201
Snappers is the quintessential American dive bar. Everything is dirty and old. Sometimes though, that’s just what you’re looking for. The crowd is always friendly and fun and the beer is always cheap.
Coffee
Forget about Starbucks. When you’re on the road, you want to get a feel for the local stuff. Columbia offers some great places to sit down, relax and have a strong hot cup of joe. Just try not to be a d-bag while you’re doing it. There are plenty of those to go around.
Lakota Coffee - 24 S 9th St, Columbia, MO 65201
Lakota is perhaps Columbia’s oldest coffee shop. It’s got a fun feel and is right in the middle of the action downtown. The coffee tastes a little burnt for my tastes however.
Coffee Zone - 11 N 9th St, Columbia, MO 65201
Coffee Zone is a professors’ café. Owned by a Palestinian immigrant, Coffee Zone has a true Mediterranean flare. The gyros are good but the Rocket Fuel coffee is better!
Kaldi's Coffee - 29 S 9th St #1, Columbia, MO 65201
Kaldi's is a St. Louis import but they have great food, lots of space and quality beans. It’s just across the street from Lakota so take your pick. You won’t go wrong.
Miscellaneous
Rather cook for yourself? Go to Lucky’s Grocery store right off of Providence. It’s like Whole Foods but without the attitude. They specialize in fresh and local food plus you can drink beer while you shop…so amazing.
Football and vegetarians don’t always go together but we don’t like to generalize. If you want a crazy good vegetarian meal, hit up Main Squeeze. They built themselves up on smoothies but they are so much more. You wouldn’t believe how good the food is.
Sparky’s is for the sweet tooth. The little ice cream shop made itself famous selling cicada ice cream during an especially locust-heavy summer but don’t worry. The bug phenomenon has long since passed and now it’s just good old fashioned ice cream.
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