Restaurants in Columbia

Ashland Pizza and Pub's unassuming redbrick building holds in bold aromas of bubbling cheese, garlic, tomato sauce, and crisping dough. Chefs can stretch their thin-crust pies to diameters of 8 inches, 12 inches, and 16 inches, although a bounty of topping options—including pepperoni, mushrooms, ground beef, black olives, bacon, and pineapple—enables patrons to control the exact height of their pizza. Specialty pizzas include The Eagle Supreme, a hearty creation that incorporates four styles of meat, and are served alongside customizable subs. The pizzeria also makes life a little easier for the busy lunch crowd by having hot slices ready to go from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For diners with time to spare or a physics of baseball exam to study for, Ashland Pizza and Pub hypes a 150-inch projection screen, as well as many other large-screen TVs in the casual sports bar area. Live music is also offered every Friday night starting at 8 p.m.

Seated among framed photos and wood wainscoting, visitors to The Gathering Place Café munch on hearty servings of daily specials that range from beef burritos to chicken-fried steaks. Serving up kansas city strip steaks every Saturday night and biscuits and gravy each morning, The Gathering Place continuously satiates diners with all local beef and farm-fresh, free-range eggs that wander into the kitchen.