Photos
Trolly Pavilion
Having four different names in under a year, this bar was (and remains) recognizable by its replica of an actual trolley car. The bar open as the Trolley Pavilion, but was subsequently named the Underground Railway, Rosa's Trolley Car, and The Trolley Car. The red and yellow trolley car greeted patrons at the entrance, and a wooden dance floor opened up next to it so patrons could swing to their favorite band or disc jockey. There is also a pavilion next to the dance floor, and nautically themed bathrooms labeled Gull's and Bouy's.
Boiler Room
The Boiler Room was a dimly lit upscale restaurant with an early industrial and chic “steampunk” atmosphere known for serving steak and potatoes. A former hostess at the restaurant said it was different from the other places in Down Under, catering to an upscale business clientele. Note the massive dumbwaiter and the winding brick entrance to the restaurant.
Scarlet Pumpernickel
The State newspaper describes the Scarlet Pumpernickel as "the coziest spot in Columbia" with some of the best live entertainment in the city. The club had a weekly lineup of regular musicians and bands that would play for the small venue. The medieval themed restaurant/bar would serve deli food with a play on its name Pumpernickel, which is a type of bread. The name is also a play on the book and film, “The Scarlet Pimpernel.” Having a small kitchen, they were unable to serve full meals, but they did, apparently, make great sandwiches.
Soho Place Ltd.
The largest bar in Down Under Columbia was full of tables covered with a red table cloth and a British themed table setting. Biscuits were a big deal here. They came out piping hot and ready, courtesy of the biscuit makers for their special sandwich (Note: an English “biscuit” is a cookie, but a former cook at Soho said the biscuits there were American-style). Sir George Duke of the Disc would spin tunes in the evening. Time has not been kind to SoHo Place Ltd. Over the years, the bar has been turned into three storage units with little preservation of the restaurant. The arched brick entrance remains, as do the bathrooms---and their wallpaper graffiti. Be sure to scroll through the pictures of the wallpaper and the creative…um…writing preserved on it.
Pizano's
Home of chef Malcolm Hudson's pizza and calzones. Pizano's was rumored by restaurant employees at the time to be one of the first (and maybe the first) restaurants to bring the calzone to Columbia. Chef Hudson would stand in the corner window of Pizano's, in view of most of the Down Under Columbia hallway, and throw the pizza dough in the air for all to watch.
Jim's Place
Covered in a red textured wallpaper, Jim's Place was a quaint and warm bar with a regular crowd. A lit-up stain glass sign reading "Jim's Place" hung behind the stage portraying a sun-filled window from outside giving the bar a lively daytime feel. Having the reputation of the "world's smallest bathrooms," Jim's had newspapers from the 1940's and 50's lining the walls of the bathrooms: You can read about Finland repelling a Soviet invasion during World War II. You can see an early Love’s Chevrolet advertisement. When Jim’s wife saw the bar for the first time, she said the wallpaper made the place look like a bordello. In 1977, Jim's Place was the last bar in Down Under to close.
Grandma's Attic
A taxidermy themed nightclub decorated with anything you might find in Grandma's attic. The ceiling was filled with colored lights for dancing to your favorite funk and disco tracks.
The "VIP Room"
Was it for sex, drugs or gambling? The "VIP Room," nicknamed by staff throughout Down Under, was a back stairwell people would go to hangout. The spot was low key and discrete, as many of the employees didn't even know it existed.
