Corner Post restaurant review —
Flat Branch provides fun atmosphere, food to satisfy your cravings

by Kristy Tiesing, posted April 26, 2010
Flat Branch Pub & Brewery is a staple of Columbia. On any given Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, you can find Columbia residents and students pouring inside. The pub provides an accommodating atmosphere. Whether you are dining with friends, family, business colleagues or your favorite social partner, you are sure to feel comfortable.

Flat Branch opened April 18, 1994, in its current location in downtown Columbia. It gets its name from the nearby creek that was the water source for Columbia’s first settlers. But, Flat Branch has been Columbia’s first brewery since 1841.

When walking into the pub, you’re immediately hit with the aroma of enticing grilled burgers, brick oven pizza and freshly brewed beer. Your senses are put on edge as soon as you are seated as you catch glimpses of other diner’s generously portioned sandwiches and appetizers. The Flat Branch menu offers something for every taste from sandwiches and salads to pizzas, burgers, steaks and even Shepherd’s Pie. Because they are known for their great-tasting pizza, I ordered a new addition to their menu, the Little Italy Veggie Pizza.

Up to this point, if I had any complaints about my experience, it would have to be with the serving staff. Our server was blunt and all business compared to the rest of the pub when it came to taking our order and checking on our table. I expected her to be friendly and laid back. But, I noted as maybe an off day for her and continued to glance around as I anxiously awaited my meal.

When first seeing the list of beers, I was a little overwhelmed. As I am under 21, I stuck to the literature provided to get a feel for the options. There were more than 50 beers listed with an additional list of seasonal beers! They had everything from a classic blonde ale to something called Oil Change Oatmeal Stout. With so many options, they do give the opportunity to order a beer sampler that is $1.50 for 5 ounces of your choice of brew to sample. Another unique aspect of the Flat Branch Brewery experience is their growler. A growler is a half-gallon glass to be purchased and filled with your choice of beer, and it is available for take-out. It is an environmentally friendly way to purchase beer for home consumption. Growlers then may be brought back to Flat Branch to be refilled for multiple uses.

As you can imagine, it took a long time to get through the beer list, and the food had then arrived. The presentation was impressive. The pizza, thank goodness, looked good enough to eat! At first bite, I noticed the perfect temperature of the cheese to melt in your mouth and the zesty kick the whole artichokes added. I am a big mushroom fan, and these were the perfect amount of tangy and tasty. The perfect piece was then followed with a crunchy and crisp crust. I am proud to say, I cleared my plate. After finishing mine, I did sample some fries from others meals, and they were just as delicious, crunchy, salty and steaming hot.

“I will definitely be coming back,” said Kerry Schlick, junior MU student. “The food is awesome, and I’ve just had a good time being here.”

Bring friends, family or just yourself and an empty stomach, and enjoy an evening at this unique and tasty little gift to Columbia!

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