Goat Hollow: Same Name, New Vibe

Andy Shahan had worked as a bartender for 20 years, but he always knew deep down that he wanted his own place.

Eventually he teamed with Neil Campbell who owns the Race Street Café in Old City, and together they bought a building.

“I would follow anyone but Neil into this,” Shahan said.  “Together we have over 40 years of experience in the industry.”

Now that they had a building they were faced with a decision that haunts all restaurateurs—what to name the place.

Luckily, a name already existed—Goat Hollow.

“There had been a place here for years named Goat Hollow,” Shahan said.  “The original owners sold it, and then the people that took over weren’t as successful.”

Shahan added, “There was an overwhelming outcry that we bring back the old name.”

The new Goat Hollow, located at 300 W. Mt. Pleasant Ave., has been open since January, and Shahan is particularly proud of how quickly it’s become a neighborhood staple again.

“We get a lot of neighborhood people that walk in,” Shahan said.  “The neighborhood has been great, really supportive.” 

Shahan describes the food at Goat Hollow s American brasserie, and he’s also a fan of the beer selection.

“Our draft list is second to none,” Shahan said.  “We have more than 32 handcrafted beers on tap, and we have two English style hand pumps.”

Still, in the parlance of the restaurant business, Shahan as always been a front-end guy so getting used to managing a whole restaurant staff has had some difficulties.

“I know about making drinks and providing food,” Shahan said.  “Managing a whole place is it’s own thing.  Neil deals a lot with the kitchen.”

Shahan added the Goat Hollow has a lot to offer the neighborhood besides good food and drink.

“We have quizzo on Tuesday’s,“ Shahan said.  “There’s acoustic music on Wednesday and Thursdays, and by next spring we hope to have a 50 seat outdoor dining space open.”