Recalling Meridian’s classic pilot hangout

Published 4:56 am Saturday, February 28, 2026

It might seem to carry no significance for military pilots stationed in or passing through Meridian, that closed lounge beside 14th Street. The one with a mural of a fat and seemingly angry cow, its ears flapping, surrounded by wildflowers.

The place with the weathered FOR SALE sign.

But the Hungry Heifer restaurant and bar, just east of the hospital sector, was once quite a magnet for Navy pilots and other military people (and their dates), along with a diverse mix of other professionals. It had comfort food, strong drinks and a comfortable vibe.

It’s been a decade since closure of the attraction sometimes dubbed “the cow” on the edge of downtown, but the place is certainly missed. The establishment built a long list of friends through a 25-year run, specializing in robust burgers and ribeye steak, live music, and fun events.

Wouldn’t it be cool, I’ve been thinking lately, if some bold entrepreneur bought this idle property (asking price is $150,000) and reopened in time for the mega Blue Angels Air Show at Meridian Naval Air Station, a month from now?

Today’s elite jet crews and their fans could then see one fine illustration of military and community interaction, the unofficial relationship.

Of course that’s unlikely on a quick turnaround. But no less an authority than Meridian NAS Commander Luke Davis said he would relish seeing the Hungry Heifer revived. He recalls going there for a crawfish boil decades ago when he was a student pilot at the air station north of town.

“Bring it back,” Capt. Davis said. “Get someone to buy it. Have a nice cheeseburger—and a beer. That’ll bring them in.”

Property owner Allison Cummings, who managed the establishment, recalled how she and friends settled on the Hungry Heifer name because it seemed more catchy than other options. The lounge built a following with “over-portioned” food and drinks, attentive service, and events that included a Hawaiian luau, a pajama party and even baby-pig races in the parking lot, she said. She cited private family reasons in the 2016 decision to close.

“We had fun,” Cummings said. “Everything we did was an experiment.”

Among a wide mix of customers, the military pilots were intelligent, colorful, and hailed from many places, she said.

The Hungry Heifer has a special connection to our family because in December 1992 that’s where my younger sister Elizabeth, at home during a break from college, met the man she would later marry. They crossed paths during a Monday Night Football gathering, and at the time she had no idea he was in the Navy, part of a jet pilot training program at Meridian NAS.

He didn’t need a uniform or flight suit to impress her.

“I fell in love at that bar,” she says, “and I only talked to him for three or four minutes.”

Even if this storied property never comes back as a bar, its legacy is secure, especially among Navy, Air Force and other veterans. Meanwhile, another bar and eatery downtown might be called a successor to the Hungry Heifer: the Threefoot Brewing pub near City Hall and the Threefoot Hotel, housed in a beautifully restored former bank building.

This microbrewery, open for several years, has comfort food and a welcoming vibe. Staff members say well over half their business volume is military-based, and these customers are well put together.

“They’re like a second family to us,” said assistant manager Skylar Hollingsworth. “They have been for years.”

Coleman Warner is a journalist and cultural historian, and can be contacted at legacypress.warner@gmail.com.