44 Canteen

44 Canteen is, simply put, fantastic. Don’t miss out on some of the best tacos in town. The disco fries are incredible. Don’t sleep on the nachos. The bar is well stocked with tasty drinks on tap, friendly faces, and well-made handcrafted cocktails.

44 Canteen is a gem in downtown Columbia, MO. They have artisan tacos that really take your tastebuds on a euphoric journey. Then they have traditional sandwiches with their uniquely delicious spins, such as the grilled cheese that has a poblano pepper on it mixed with several cheeses that really make eating it a memorable experience. The drink menu is extensive with several unique cocktails and they even offer several mocktails. The interior is pleasing to dine at too with exposed brick walls and wood tables with simple but comfortable chairs. The kitchen is open to the dining area which adds to the whole experience. The service is always good too. I can’t think of anything bad to say about this place.

Food was 10/10 delicious and flavorful. Service was good. The vegetarian tacos were some of the best ive ever had! Restaurant could have you a good deep clean (dusty light fixtures, needs new paint) but it wasn't dirty by any means.

My recent visit to 44 Canteen was a delightful experience, particularly for those with a taste for unique and flavorful fusions. I ordered the Korean BBQ Burger, a dish that masterfully blends the smoky, savory flavors of Korean barbecue with the comforting familiarity of a classic American burger. The patty was juicy and perfectly cooked, but what truly elevated the dish was the Korean mayonnaise. Its creamy texture and subtle, tangy notes complemented the rich meat and sweet BBQ sauce, creating a harmonious and memorable flavor profile. While the main course was a resounding success, I found the fries to be a slight disappointment. They were a bit greasy and lacked the crispy texture I was hoping for. Despite this, the quality of the burger more than made up for it. The exceptional service also deserves a special mention. From the moment I walked in, the staff was attentive, friendly, and efficient, ensuring a pleasant dining experience from start to finish. The server was knowledgeable about the menu and provided prompt service without being intrusive. Overall, 44 Canteen is a fantastic spot for anyone looking to try a creative twist on a classic. While the fries could use some improvement, the Korean BBQ Burger and the excellent service make this restaurant well worth a visit.

I ordered the steak tacos. The description sounded tasty. They were just average. Flavor really didn’t stick out. The hand cut french were the best thing we ordered. The iced tea was good. Tables seemed too close together. We were rubbing elbows with the couple next to us. The floor looks like it was undercoated. It’s dark black and, while it was probably clean, it was distracting. The rubber base molding needs replaced as it looks badly stained. The silverware is nice and heavy. I will probably go back, but I’ll order a burger and see how that is. 2nd Visit We walked into the restaurant and it was about half full—which, honestly, is perfect. Enough people to know it’s not a health hazard, but not so many that we’d need to shout over a birthday party. There were big tables, little tables, and a bar area. They asked if we wanted a seat with “full bar service,” which sounded a little too Vegas for a Wednesday, so we said no and sat in the back. There’s a window back there. You can see out of it, but there’s nothing particularly scenic unless you’re really into parking lots. Our server? Fantastic. Friendly, fast, and genuinely seemed to care that we didn’t hate our lives. I got an iced tea, which was surprisingly great. I mean, it’s iced tea—but it had that “someone actually brewed this” taste, not the usual brown water from a syrup gun. Then came the main event: I ordered the Korean burger with kimchi and added an egg on top. This thing was no joke—two patties, cheese, kimchi, and a fried egg oozing all over like a delicious landslide. Was it messy? Extremely. Did I regret it? Absolutely not. Napkin count: seven, minimum. My wife ordered the fried chicken sandwich with fries, and she got some sort of mystery dip. It was white, ranch-adjacent, but with a flavor twist that said, “I’m not like other dips.” We don’t know what it was, but we’d both be willing to fight someone to get more of it. Now, onto the not-so-delicious part: the cleanliness. The bathroom faucet looked like it had given up on life sometime in 2019, and the artificial sweetener container? Let’s just say it was dirty enough to have its own ecosystem. The walls may have been going for “industrial chic,” but landed closer to “we forgot to wipe them since opening day.” And look—I’ve seen the inside of enough restaurant kitchens to know that if the bathroom looks like that, the back of house might be a full-blown biology experiment. Hopefully I’m wrong, because the food really was great. Despite the questionable hygiene, I’ll probably be back. Next time I’ll just order something stronger to drink—preferably with enough alcohol content to kill 99.9% of germs, just in case.

Went to Columbia for a downtown show that had the section in front of the restaurant closed off. Put our name down for a table for 2 and waited nearly an hour (which was understandable given the time and the show) but still a long wait. They least had a text service for the table so we could wander around and not just have to sit inside and wait. We were seated and ordered pretty quickly. There were some cool cocktails on the menu and we ordered them. Ordered chips n guac and the chips were sort of stale, definitely not fresh cooked. Guac used fresh avocados but was a very small portion and didn’t have too much flavor. Ordered the shrimp tacos and the fish tacos (2 tacos per order) you can’t switch tacos so we shared one each. They were both good and tortillas were tasty. Fresh ingredients in the tacos and they were good with a good portion of avocado on each. Also there is only 1 bathroom for the restaurant and I waited a while to use the restroom when it was busy. Overall was a good option for the area.

44 canteen is really nice. Their burgers and Fish tacos are fantastic the service there is kind. I would've given the fifth star, but they definitely brought us some overcooked or re-heated/dipped french fries that were really not edible. But again their service is fantastic so all you have to do is say something and they will make it right on the spot which they did. I'm only docking for the one star because those fries should've never been put on the plate by the chef and it should've been quality checked by the server, bringing it out if they would've looked at them.

This used to be one of my favorite places to go to as a vegetarian. They completely removed their bean patty/veggie burger, which was the only vegetarian entree option. This place was actually so so delicious, so it makes me really disappointed that I literally can’t come back anymore. You lost SO MANY of customers. There are so many vegetarians in downtown como!!! PLEASE bring back the bean patty!!!!! :(

Sat at the bar in the back and had dinner and drinks. Still had fantastic service and good cocktails! Ordered the fish tacos (excellent!) and a Mojo salad. The salad was so fresh and flavorful. I was actually surprised at how large it was for the price. I ended up boxing up half to take home. Hubby ordered the Valentina fried chicken tacos and he couldn't have been happier with the flavor. This place is still a 5 star for us and we will be back next time we are in town!

Fun college town pub with refreshing cocktails and good food. I had already had lunch, so I just went along with a couple of cousins who had arrived for a family wedding. Even though I enjoyed my earlier lunch, reading the menu for 44 Canteen made me wish I had waited. I was impressed by their cocktail menu, they all sounded delicious. Being a fan of whiskey, I had to go with their, Irish Lemonade. It was made with, Jameson Whiskey, Gosling's Ginger Beer, house-made sour and garnished with fresh mint leaves. So, refreshing. So I could have something to munch on, while my cousins chowed down, I ordered the Chips and Dips. They were fresh fried white corn tortilla chips, served with my choice of two dips. The chips were Mexican restaurant quality. I paid to upgrade one of my dips to guacamole and it was worth it. Our server was attentive and witty. She made our short visit at 44 Canteen, a fun-filled experience. Next time I am in COMO, I will come back and experience a full meal.

This place is amazing! Everything from the location, ambiance, price, and service was perfect! We were seated quickly and our server was so friendly and attentive the entire time! The food here is so fairly priced and located in downtown Columbia it is the perfect hangout spot with affordable and delicious food! Our food came out quickly after ordering and it was delicious! The Korean BBQ bacon burger was filling and the sauce went well with the burger! I also got the fries with two dipping sauces and the portion was HUGE and I ended up taking leftovers home. The fries were thin and crispy and the seasoning was garlicky, delicious, and went well with the two sauces I tried. 100% recommend to everyone!

This place is a hidden gem in Columbia Missouri. At first, I was confused about the man behind the bar. I thought that maybe he was stand-off ish because he was annoyed with me asking him questions, but I think he was just shy because once we got to talking and he gave me recommendations, he opened right up. The tiger blood margarita was my "appetizer" and it was fabulous! It was sweet but not too sweet but the perfect twist on a classic margarita. Then I ordered a house margarita to compare, and it was just as good! To eat, I ordered the fish tacos with a side of queso and French fries. I truly cannot believe these came from a small bar in Columbia MO. They were so flavorful and filling- I would 100% recommend to anyone who likes seafood. Definitely would recommend to anyone in the area looking for a homey-feel, good meal, and great cocktails!

44 Canteen's Tacos have stolen my heart. If you are looking for a unique dining experience with fantastic tacos and some awesome appetizers then this is the place for you. I have been going to 44 Canteen for a while and it is now a restaurant that I come to repeatedly whenever I come back up to Columbia. Their fish tacos are something out of heaven and their sloppy disco fries are so good they make you wanna dance! On top of their food their service is always perfect and the people working there are super nice! They also have really cool cocktails there and some good tap beer if you were looking for a good pregame meal sesh! Definitely try this place out the next time you come up to COMO!

We had excellent service. This were fabulous. Pinto/corn salsa was terrific. Sweet potato taco - the potato needed cooked a tad longer but flavors were great. Chicken tostadas ware good but a little messy. I'd love to go again and try something else.

Delicious "nice/upscale" Mexican-slanted place. All 4 of us enjoyed our food and the fancy nachos we shared. Glad we walked out of Campus Bar to eat here instead.

Wow! A hidden gem. This was my first time to Columbia and someone had mentioned 44 Cantina. The queso and salsa Fresca were delicious and so fresh. The chips seemed either over fried or stale BUT seasoned well. I had the Walking Steak taco and it was so good! I'd order again. My husband had the fish tacos and said it's the best fish taco he's ever had. Small but neat place. We will return!

My bestie brought us here on our way through town because it's consistently good and one of her favs. It's a super long but not a very wide space, as most old buildings in Como! We got a table right away and had great service! We got the Sloppy Disco Fries, the Green Chile Patty Melt and the Philly steak tacos. I would recommend the fries 10/0 and the tacos. The patty melt was great but I would get tacos next time. We would definitely come back!

Service was quick and the waitress was nice. We got the Canteen Nachos and the Nashville Chicken Sandwich. There were a lot of cold ingredients on the nachos, which then made all of the nachos cold, so it was not great, but the chicken was flavorful. The sandwich was good though.

Highly recommend - centrally located, always great service, so many menu options and amazing cocktails.

Consistently good food and service. Their chicken taco might be my favorite taco ever.

Food was amazing. Bartender not so much. His highly thought of self kinda ruined the experience for me. I'd read another nonfavorable review about him but there was a wait for a table and none for the bar. I recommend this spot for their food but wouldn't sit at the bar again.

Great taco selection. Very fresh. Quick service and drink options. Great location in the downtown area.

Good food. Nachos and chicken tostadas rocked. Beer on draft is a bit suspect. Will go back for a change up.

One of our favorite restaurants in Columbia! My fiancé and I love this place for date night, or for bringing friends just for a fun night. The ambiance is a hipster, tex-mex, gastro-pub feel, catering to the college students and young adults. The food is consistently delicious, and the drinks are unique as well. The service has always been great. - Fries (3.5/5): these are usually very crispy and cooked well, but this last time the fries were a bit soggy and not as good as usual. The queso is also just okay, but the other sauces esp the garlic have been amazing. - Steak burger (4/5): this was so yummy! Very flavorful, cooked and seasoned well. Big portion as well. - Shrimp tacos (4.5/5): I LOVE all the tacos here! Always delicious, and all the tacos have been cooked well. Definitely hit the spot! Always recommend this spot!

Service was amazing! Hubby and l had Walking Steak Tacos (seasonal) and Korean Tacos. The flavor was amazing you could tell they use fresh ingredients. Downtown COMO!!

Great pub grub near several night spots in Columbia... very affordable, great friendly staff

Favorite spot to visit in Columbia, the burgers, the fries, the fish tacos......you cannot go wrong. Graduated in 2018 and If I'm in town this is a must stop. Stop in ASAP and see for yourself.

Portions | Fries | Chicken Sandwich (COVID) Portions: The restaurant has HUGE portion sizes. You be hungry. We had the chips and salsa, which were more than enough for an appetizer for three people. We definitely had leftovers. Fries: The fries were pretty amazing. If you are one of the people who like fries that are slightly greasy and slightly salty, these are for you. I definitely had to run an extra mile after eating these. But, it was worth it! Chicken Sandwich: Great sandwich. The chicken was tender and the seasoning was well done. I would highly recommend it.

Sweet potato wedges are so good! Smokey spicy and yummy. We also had the Sloppy Jose. A little sweet and love the cilantro and avocado on it. The sweet potatoes could of been my meal alone.

Our first time here but sure to become a regular dining spot when visiting our favorite OB-GYN kiddo in Columbia. Dr. E said all the cool kids love this place, and she was right! Delicious nachos and tacos that did not disappoint. Tacos. Beer. Two things they market themselves as doing well, and while we aren't beer drinkers, they certainly nailed the first! Like Arnie says, "I'll be back!"

Cool cocktails, good beer selection and incredible food. My new favorite place to eat in Columbia

On our way to St. Louis , found this on Yelp! The tacos are AMAZING! And the service was even better! Clean, and a great atmosphere! Definitely worth the stop!

The food was very delicious, wide menu with many different tacos to try. The service was quick and efficient as well.

This is my favorite date night spot in como! We always get the disco fries which are covered in cheese and chorizo, they are AMAZING. Their fish tacos are my favorite too, very fresh and the pickled onions and sauce that comes on them are the perfect touch. Love this place

Really great food, very attentive service. I found the ambiance to be poor. However, the great food and very fair pricing made up for it. Very satisfying meal. They just need to work on the ambiance...maybe something nice to look at on the walls at least.

Love the Tacos! One of my favorite dinner spots downtown! Wonderful atmosphere and great staff!

44 Canteen is one of our fav spots to bring friends who are visiting or new to town! They operate similarly to a gastropub that rotates dishes filled with so much flavor! They also rotate their cocktail menu with new and unique mixtures. I had the Cali-steak sandwhich and wow, my mouth exploded with flavor! Our service was also quick, attentive, and knew the menu well when I was deciding between options. We'll be back!

SLOPPY DISCO FRIES IS ALWAYS MY GO-TO MENU WHENEVER I VISIT THIS PLACE!! I've been here multiple times and I always eat sloppy disco fries no matter how many people I go there with; this is the perfect appetizer to share with if your group is okay with cilantro. I like their taco menus as well! I tried tostada for the first time when I visited there recently; it was hard to eat though since the shell is fried and crispy, but it tasted so good like other tacos! I like their shrimp and Korean Steak tacos as well. All the menus are perfect!!

the food was fine, the server as we were sitting down at our table im on my phone and he looks over and asks me "why are you on your phone" 1. why is it your business what im doing 2. do your own job and worry about yourself 3. why are you asking a 15 year old what she is doing. he then proceeds to ask me why im not having a good time because I am not smiling i dont reply because I have no reason to. he leaves the table comes back with a mocktail menu and places it on my food menu, first of all I don't want a mocktail, I've already been disturbed I don't need a cheer up I just want you to leave me alone. terrible experience wont be coming back.

Busy on Friday nights! We ended up sitting at the bar which was fine with us! Great selection of beers. We ordered the Korean bacon burger - the house made cucumber kimchi on top was awesome! We also got the chicken tacos which included PBR beer pulled chicken. You can sub corn tortillas at no charge. We heard that one of their signature items = the sloppy disco fries which sound like something to share with a bigger group! I'd love to try their sister restaurant 44 Stone first before going back to 44 Canteen.

Met here with friends for a happy hour. The apps were varied and very tasty. Great beer variety and excellent craft cocktails. Service was great and prices reasonable. Didn't have entrees but a couple folks with us had them on prior visit and said they are quite good. We'll be back soon!

Delicious food, and brilliant service. The restaurant is a bit dark inside but every time we've been there have been a lot of people which is a good sign!

i loved the many different kinds of tacos. i had the philly cheese taco and every bite was amazing! a quaint place downtown columbia. parking was really not a problem. the staff were so nice and helpful! the red sangria's were delicious with oranges added to it! will definitely go back!

One of my favorite dinner spots in Columbia, Missouri! The atmosphere is great and I've never waited too long to be seated. Also, for the quality of the food, this place is priced fairly cheap. It is a must to start out with the sloppy disco fries as an appetizer (you will not regret it). My favorite entree is the fish tacos, but the Korean steak tacos is another favorite. As always, support local :)

Must Miss... Sat at the bar and waited 10 minutes for a glass of sweet & sour. I ordered a Patron Margarita, I couldn't drink it, waited another 15 minutes paid and left. I tried to give 0 stars but, it wouldn't let me. I don't know if the food is any good but, sitting at the back bar everything was so dirty...I didn't want to chance it. The girls sitting next to were also from out of town and were also waiting to ring out so the could go somewhere else.

My friend and I dined here for dinner on a Thursday night. There was no wait at around 6:30pm. We were greeted enthusiastically and seated without delay, at a window seat. Perfect for people watching/parallel parking. There was also a lot of interior seating (no patio seating, however). I ordered the chicken and cheese tostada. At $9.50, I didn't know what the portion size would be but was very pleasantly surprised (see photo). The toppings were piled high including several slices of avocado. The mole sauce was flavorful and made the well-seasoned chicken taste even more amazing. The cabbage, cheese, tomatoes, and other ingredients enhanced the flavor profile. I also had the war and pisco alcoholic beverage, which was reasonably priced and tasted excellent. Sweet and spicy at the same time. Not watered down. Presented with fresh fruit (a slice of orange). The wait staff was mostly attentive but toward the end of our service got slower because of the increase number of guests. I'd definitely return and definitely recommend this restaurant to others. Overall, a very pleasant dining experience with quality Mexican food.

Been here a couple of times and feel I have enough to say now. This place has good food and is just off the beaten path enough to not ever be busy. Tacos are the main attraction - Korean are very good - and specialty drinks are worth trying. Service over HC weekend was great. We'll be back whenever in COMO

It was great it was some very interesting food but nice to try new things very intriguing

Super casual and friendly spot. Outdoor and indoor seating. Food was delicious! I got the philly IPA steak tacos. Delicious aioli and fries in the tacos.

It was honestly yucky I tried the Korean steak and the ipa tacos and it was straight trash. Yacked after ate it. BLEH!

I can't even begin to rave enough about this place. The food was phenomenal, the waitress was very attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about menu and drink items. The atmosphere was great, the restaurant clean and just overall was very impressed with every single thing about this place. If you are looking for amazing food and drinks, try this place out because I can promise you, you will not regret it!

We came on a Thursday night in a group of 6, and were seated pretty much immediately. There was a constant flow of people through out the night, so it seems like they get good business! Our waitress was attentive and offered recommendations. We started with the fries on the apps, and it was LOADED and delicious! Definitely a fork and plate ordeal. Everyone got tacos, and I got the korean burger with the kimchi on the side. I'm glad I got the kim chi on the side, since it was very liquidy. It's not also made out of your traditional cabbage, but rather cucumbers. All the tacos looked great, and everyone seemed to enjoy their tacos very much. I will say, the one downside is their beer menu is either at the front of the store or at the bar, so I had to get up to find the menu.

Went there with some colleagues for drinks and tacos. The beer selection was good and the beer was nicely cold. The tacos were really good and we had a great time !

When they first opened I was excited about their proclamation of a "rotating menu". It caught my eye because their sister restaurant, 44 Stone, was good but the menu NEVER changes and their "daily specials" are as predictable as the sun riseing another day. For the first couple years the only rotation at 44 Canteen was removing stuff from the menu and it literally never changes. Now the menu has resolved to a bunch of heavy on the sauce tacos, a few heavy on the sauce burgers, some heavy on the sauce chicken sandwiches, and one (yes one) heavy on the sauce overpriced "salad". Everything on the menu should come with a side of Tums. I entertain quite a few people. Probably five to six business lunches a month and multiple dinners. We let them pick the location but this restaurant is going on the black list. I just can't do it anymore. We went there today (October 17) and had the pleasure of ordering from their tired and dirty "late summer menu". It's late October? Not that it changes but at least print some new ones. Mine had been dipped in some sauce; two months ago.

We stopped by and had a few drinks. Ordered some Food from next door. We are inside in the AC with our kids. Pretty friendly environment. Will come again

Great tacos, cool vibe. Carrie provided excellent service with a smile. The tacos were delish and the drinks were inventive and fun too. Will definitely be back.

Good Burgers Soggy Fries Sauces all taste the same I don't have much else to say... eat here!