Hangar Kitchen and Bar takes the dining scene in Rock Hill to new heights

The aeronautically themed restaurant boasts a sprawling patio, eye-catching interior, and creative menu.

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In the run-up to the opening of Hangar Kitchen + Bar in Rock Hill, husband-and-wife owners Chris and Courtney Sedlak, did not start with any particular style of food, type of cuisine, or chef. Instead, they mined their memories and settled on about two dozen dishes—very distinct iterations of them. This might seem straightforward and logical, but it proved an unconventional way to open the aeronautically themed restaurant. 

“It was simple for us: We wanted to serve the items that we loved and that we wanted to eat,” says Chris. “Hiring a chef wasn’t easy. We started with someone, and it didn’t work out, because executive chefs are not used to being told to make specific dishes with specific flavors and specific ingredients.”

The resulting menu is a sort of mixtape, with “dishes we’ve had sometime, somewhere in the past,” says Chris. It’s divided into four categories. The Farmers Market section consists of salads, such as the roasted beet with strawberries, arugula, pickled red onion, honey-yogurt dressing, and a bit of toasted quinoa. Next come Sushi (five offerings) and Tacos (three options, notably the short rib taco, with adobo, avocado lime crema, cotija cheese, creamy citrus slaw, jalapeño, and fried avocado in a flour tortilla). The For the Table section is the largest part of the menu. 

Starter-style plates include two crostini options, one with goat cheese and a spicy tomato sauce, the other with tiger shrimp and arrabbiata. It also includes more traditional main course options, such as a tempura lobster tail, chicken amandine, short ribs, and seared scallops with wasabi cream, asparagus, shiitake, and smoky unagi. A rich lobster mac and cheese is made gratin-style, with a velvety four-cheese mornay sauce and friable Ritz cracker–crumb crust. (The dinner menu is also available for takeout, with a contactless curbside option.)

Courtney, who’s owned and operated bars and clubs—among them Shiver Vodka Bar & Champagne Lounge on Washington—developed and manages the bar program. Bottled and draft beer is available, as is an eclectic 20-bottle wine list that includes multiple Champagnes. But the real sparkle is provided by the specialty cocktails.

“Courtney’s cocktail list has been extremely popular,” says Chris. The Paper Plane is a refreshing perfumed mix of Suntory Whisky Toki, lime juice, hibiscus flower, and ginger beer. The combination of Tres Agaves Blanco, lime juice, and agave nectar in the Test Pilot plays perfectly with the pork belly tacos. (Beer, wine, and cocktails are also available for curbside and takeout.)

The Sedlaks crafted almost every element, including the tables, of the interior, which Courtney designed. “There are so many additional things we could have done,” says Chris, “but we’re really happy with the few we chose. There are just enough to justify the theme.”

The atmosphere is as imaginative as the menu. Six impressive booths in the center of the dining room are covered with wooden hoops, like a cross-section of a giant whiskey barrel. A riveted steel bar and vintage jet engine parts–turned–wall décor create a sort of industrial warmth. Above the bar is an old wooden propeller.

On a side wall are sections of upcycled airplane windows that shine as brightly as the bartop. Another wall was faced with refurbished factory windows meant to conjure the clerestory windows in an old hangar. Edison bulbs, placed at various heights, sway gently above. Even the existing Big Ass Fan (that’s the brand name) looks at home in the space.

Hangar’s most obvious focal point, particularly on pleasant evenings, is the sprawling patio, one of the most versatile in the metro region. Partially obscured from nearby Manchester Avenue by plants and a fountain, its 72 seats are situated slightly above grade, appealing to passersby. A windowed garage door opens onto a covered portion, while the remainder of the tables are divided by large palms and tall planters. There’s even a lush green space. This fall, firepits will help warm the space, and there is discussion of converting the covered patio area to all-season dining.

“We knew that for the next couple months, the majority of the action was going to be outdoors, which is fine with us,” Courtney told SLM shortly before opening the restaurant, in early August. “We were lucky to have such a naturally beautiful space to make our own.”

Since opening, the couple say, they’ve received a warm reception. 

“I have been overwhelmed with how delighted patrons have responded thus far,” says Chris. “Their reactions to the cocktails and the food have been genuinely amazing.”

Hangar Kitchen & Bar

9528 Manchester, St Louis, Missouri 63119

314-473-1221

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Mon-Thu: 4 - 10 p.m.; Fri-Sat: 4 - 11 p.m. (Lunch service and happy hour TBA)

Moderate

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