Whether you are looking for a real chef-inspired
dining experience or unique rooftop cocktails,
Hendrix Columbia has a table for you.
SUSTAINABLE, LOCAL, AND ETHICALLY-SOURCED SCRATCH KITCHEN
Reservations are for the dining room only. Rooftop seating is first come, first served.
Quick Bites
Smoked Nuts (v)
– pecans, cashews, pistachios, voodoo salt
Deviled Egg (1 egg)
– glazed pork belly, Gochujang
Smoked Salmon Rillettes
– house-smoked, trout roe, crispy wontons
Blue Crab Hushpuppies
– Calabrian chili aioli
Crispy Brussels Sprouts (v)
– honey garlic soy, lime, roasted cashews, green onions
Oysters on the Half-Shell*^(6)
– (served raw) pomegranate mignonette, horseradish, Fresno hot sauce
Roasted Broccoli (v)
– Sea Island red pea hummus, garlic oil, benne seeds, sumac
Fried Bradford Okra (v)
– roasted tomato remoulade
Small Plates and Shareables
Summer Salad (v)
–FGF mixed lettuce & arugula, watermelon, pickled red onions, shaved fennel, sunflower seeds, feta, basil viniagrette
Marinated Quail Caesar
– pan roasted quail breast, FGF Romaine, radicchio, buttered croutons, Forx Farm parmesan, classic Caesar dressing
BBQ Crusted Salmon Salad
– quinoa, heirloom cherry tomatoes, cucumber, arugula, kalamata olives, feta cheese, creamy Greek vinaigrette
Beef Kafta
– grass-fed beef, garlic oil, za’atar, tomato agrodolce
Burrata (v)
– heirloom cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, sour cherries, toasted pine nuts, basil, Calabrian chili oil, toasted bread
Beef Tartare*^
– (served raw) grass-fed beef, roasted garlic and basil aioli, quail egg, toasted bread
Artisanal Cheeses (v)
– Thomasville Tomme, Asher bleu, Fox Farm brie, Fox Farm gouda, seasonal jams and pickles, toasted bread
Steamed PEI Mussels
– Carolina Blonde Ale, Benton’s bacon, Asher Blue Cheese, toasted sourdough
Shimeji Mushroom Toast (v)
– toasted sourdough, black garlic mornay, reduced sherry
SC Shrimp
–roasted garlic, piquillo pepper cream, toasted bread
Heritage Pork Meatballs
– Asian pear soubise, sweet and spicy pickled peppers
Hendrix BLT
– thick cut bacon, FGF lettuce, SC heirloom tomatoes, sweet pickled squash, basil aioli, Joe’s white bread (limited quantity)
Shimeji Mushroom Burger
– grass-fed beef, black garlic mornay, sherried shallots, arugula, brioche
Spicy Lamb Naan
– ground lamb, spiced yogurt, FGF Romaine, gouda, chili crunch, mint, cilantro, house-made naan (limited quantity)
Blistered Shishito Peppers
– Bradford sweet corn puree, cotija cheese, tajin
Main
Grass-Fed NY Strip*^
– caramelized onion and gouda stone-ground grits, flash fried Brussels sprouts, giardiniera, salsa verde
Pan Seared Golden Tilefish
– blistered heirloom cherry tomatoes, roasted yellow squash, broccolini, spinach, Bradford sweet corn puree, tomato oil, basil oil, marigolds
Chicken-fried Quail
– “baked” Sea Island red peas, braised collard greens, Benton’s Bacon, dippin’ trio
Peri Peri Half Chicken
– patatas bravas, spinach, cotija cheese, lemon-garlic crema
Grass-fed Ribeye*^
– piquillo pepper cream, roasted cauliflower and broccoli, caramelized shallots, sunflower seeds, sumac, Espelette butter
Roasted Cauliflower (v)
– Carolina Gold brown rice, shitake mushrooms, cippolini onions, labneh, dukka, pomegranate reduction
Rooftop Menu
A DAILY SELECTION OF SMALLER PLATES ARE SERVED ON OUR ROOFTOP UNTIL 10PM
– for full-service dining, please plan to utilize a table in our dining room!
Dining room reservations are available through the link below.
We DO NOT take reservations for our rooftop bar – service is first come, first served.
Kitchen hours are 5:00p – 10:00p Tues – Saturday.
∗ items contain (or may contain) raw or undercooked ingredients
^ consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness
Comfortably Different
TREAT YOURSELF TO DELIGHTFUL DISHES AND FLAVORFUL COCKTAILS REFLECTING OUR VIBRANT CITY AND STATE. JOIN US IN OUR DINING ROOM OR ON OUR ROOFTOP TODAY!
Cocktails, sunsets and skylines.
Always On Top
HOUSE-MADE COCKTAILS AND INSTAGRAM-WORTHY VIEWS GO HAND IN HAND ATOP HISTORIC 1649 MAIN STREET. BRING YOUR FRIENDS AND SEE THE CITY ANEW.
Over 140 years of rich Main Street history.
The 1600 block of Main Street, 1967. Image courtesy of Russell Maxey Collection, Richland Library.
The first known visual record of the building is an 1872 illustration by C. Drie, drawn when Main Street was called Richardson Street. Drie depicts the building as the largest structure on the block, standing three stories tall with a flat roof and a large warehouse in the back, similar to other commercial spaces in that district at the time.
Originally home to a grocery, 1649 Main has gone through many changes in face and ownership since its original construction in the mid to late 19th century. The most complete description of its historic appearance is from a 1928 article in The State that announced the opening of Ruff Hardware Company. Significant renovation that year accommodated the shift from a grocery to a retail store – the 1928 renovation represented a $60,000 investment at the time, which would be nearly $900,000 in today’s dollars.
Ruff HardwareThe 1928 newspaper article described it as a three-story building with 26 feet fronting on Main Street and 150 feet fronting on Blanding Street. It was 11,000 square feet total with fireproof construction throughout. The Main Street side included the building’s “most attractive” entrance with three “tastefully finished” display windows that allowed the abundant natural light the National Retail Hardware Association recommended for store interiors. Photographs in the article depict a tall rectangular tile entablature topped by a stepped cornice, resembling a mantle. The building’s interior included a large wooden staircase in the center, pressed tin ceiling tiles, and display shelves lining the long walls.
By 1941, Tapp’s Department store, across the street, had become an icon for the “new Columbia” in the 20th century; its modern design pressured other retailers to stay visually relevant. Another renovation of 1649 Main began in 1941, and the building began to more closely resemble what we see today. The Main Street façade was covered in plaster and the tall cornice and entablature were removed. Metal lettering spelled out “Ruff Hardware” just below a large square window in the third level.
Businesses began to move away from Main Street with the rise of suburban shopping malls and big box retail stores in the mid to late 20th century. In keeping with this trend, Ruff Hardware shuttered its shop at 1649 Main Street after 70 years in the building. The property gained fame in the 1990s and 2000s as Hennessy’s, a restaurant and lounge beloved by many Main Street patrons. Despite several significant renovations throughout the 20th century, 1649 Main Street retains the open floor plan, pressed tin ceiling tiles, and expansive basement designed for retail in the earliest eras of Columbia’s Main Street retail district.
After several years of vacancy, the historic property will get new life again as Hendrix restaurant. Its name references E.T. Hendrix, the building’s historic grocer who occupied the space from 1906 to 1926.
Article courtesy of Historic Columbia.
 The 1100 block of Blanding Street, 1911. Image courtesy of South Carolinian Library, University of South Carolina. |
 The 1600 block of Main Street, 1967. Image courtesy of Richland Library. |