Last October, CoMo’s first authentic British pub, Ye Olde Lady & Pint, opened in east Columbia. The restaurant’s menu includes traditional English cuisine like the ever-popular fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and other classic pub eats like burgers and sandwiches.
Owner Doug Marsden is an experienced vet of the restaurant biz and decided to form Ye Olde Lady & Pint when he saw that Columbia was in need of something a little different. Marsden’s English heritage made it clear from the start what the restaurant would be.
“I’d say we’re a gathering place,” Marsden says. “Traditionally in England, pubs are where people meet after work to bitch about work and have a pint before they go home. They’re a part of the community; that’s what we want.”
The eatery’s menu aims to be as authentic as possible, something which seems to come easily to Marsden, whose knowledge of all-things-Britain has been passed down for generations.
Marsden says the restaurant’s fare isn’t just bar food, but comfort food. Its array of offerings include some lesser known British fare like cornish pasties (a mixture of ground beef, potatoes and veggies served in a pastry shell) and traditional burgers and pies made with lamb. You can also try out Marsden’s personal favorite, the onion gravy, which is served with bangers and mash (an English favorite comprised of pub sausage served atop a bed of garlic mashed potatoes).
Like the traditional pub it is, the restaurant is also home to a pretty extensive beer list, including local brewing options as well as English beers like Newcastle.
“I take a lot of pride in our food,” employee Karl Anstine says. “I think Doug has come up with a fantastic menu and almost everything is done here in-house. We try to do things as authentic as we can.”
Anstine advises anyone tempted to try Ye Olde Lady & Pint to save room for dessert. Their everyday menu includes bread pudding and deep-fried candy bars, along with housemade daily specials. Marsden’s wife makes all the desserts, which have consisted of white chocolate cheesecake and raspberry-filled chocolate cupcakes, to just name a couple.
Beyond their food, Ye Olde Lady & Pint takes pride in their atmosphere. The restaurant aims to bring an authentic, pub style to Columbia as a place where people can just come and hang out. The bar is separate from the restaurant, surrounded by royal blue walls and lined with English knick-knacks.
“We want people to come and hangout, turn off their cell phones… we don’t have a stereo system,” Marsden says. “British pubs don’t; they’re not sports bars. It’s a place where people come and meet and talk, and if they don’t talk to each other we want them to talk to us.”