Photos by L.G. Patterson
This isn’t your average ballpark hot dog.
Right off the interchange of Route K and Old Plank Road, the building that used to be the Leatherwood Hills convenience store was given a new lease on life last November. Old Plank Tavern owners Margaret Moore and Kirk Utterback, two born-and-raised Columbia siblings, stripped away the tired remains of the store and made it their own. They cleared out old stock freezers and shelves before constructing a kitchen and designing a dining area so familiar and rustic that patrons would be surprised Old Plank Tavern hasn’t always been around.
“We want (the restaurant) to be nostalgic,” Moore says. “It feels very comfortable, like it’s been here forever.”
For over a year, Utterback had been collecting antiques in preparation for the tavern’s opening. Even the wooden booths are thrifted — their well-loved leather benches greet customers like an old friend.
Moore is a veteran of the restaurant industry, having owned and operated several establishments in Colorado and Wyoming. While the restaurant is still irrevocably Missourian, with its art of the Ozarks paneling the walls and a massive 9th Street Video billboard in the back of the dining area, she says an unintentional Western influence seeped into the design: mismatched and vintage in its unique style.
“Everything is used or antique,” Moore says. “I bought the furniture at Habitat for Humanity. My mother is an artist and framed most of these pieces. We wanted to reuse and recycle as much as we could, to give the place some life.”
They envision Old Plank Tavern as being both a summer hangout space and a stop on the way to and from nearby Cooper’s Landing. The southwest region of Columbia is underserved; while they scouted several locations for the bar, this spot’s walking proximity to the trails and neighborhood made for the perfect match.
What used to be a stop for lastminute groceries and beer runs is now a homey tavern — they still have the beers, though, and the general store’s original tile flooring — with a smorgasbord menu combining Mediterranean flavors with burgers, salads and hot dogs. Utterback’s partner is Greek and Lebanese, so the gyros, kebabs, shawarma and hummus at Old Plank Tavern mainly come from old family recipes.
On the more Midwestern side, the goober burger might ring a bell as a Missouri classic that originated at the Wheel Inn in Sedalia: a seasoned patty and cheese, smashed flat and smeared with peanut butter. Don’t knock it ’til you try it. Other hits like their smash burger, grilled chicken salad and onion stacked western burger appear the most frequently on tickets flying in and out of the kitchen.
It’s the hot dogs where Old Plank Tavern kicks into another gear entirely. Moore and Utterback sampled dozens of hot dogs from across the country and landed on Koegels, boiled then grilled and tucked in a toasted bun. Moore’s favorite dog is the Red Hot, which is a dog covered in melted beer cheese and crushed Old Vienna Red Hot chips from St. Louis.
The Kebab Dog is loaded with shawarma and garlic sauce or gyro meat, and tzatziki, with the standard Greek dressings of tomato, kalamata olives and onion. On the eccentric end, the Elvis Dog is dipped in peanut butter and bacon bits. The Seattle Dog is dressed in cream cheese and sauteed onions. The Como Dog is a savory-sweet take on Columbia barbecue: stuffed with homemade coleslaw and house barbecue sauce, topped with crumpled salt and vinegar chips for that extra crunch. For hot dog traditionalists, there’s still the classic Chicago-style dog, with its telltale vibrant green relish, accented with a pickle spear.
Outside the kitchen and over at the bar, Old Plank Tavern’s cocktail menu sticks to the classics. Their aperol spritz and paloma are popular for spring alongside a wide beer and liquor selection. The bartop itself is carved from a tree, matching the tavern’s woody, cozy aesthetic.
While the focus is on the food menu, Moore says the bar stays open beyond the kitchen’s hours, usually until midnight on weekends.
“We wanted to define ourselves as a food spot first before we started doing some late-night stuff,” Moore says. “But we’re doing live music now every Saturday from 8 to 10 p.m. We’re going to add some trivia, potentially some karaoke.”
In the future, Moore and Utterback are planning to add a patio, but for the spring, the goal is to keep up the momentum. Old Plank Tavern has kept up a popular social media presence in Columbia, posting food flicks and memes surrounding their raccoon mascot. Pop by the tavern at 1641 W. Route K from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weeknights and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends for your new favorite dog.
