The Thirsty Hippo was established in 2000 and located at 211-1/2 Main Street in Downtown Hattiesburg. It began as a quaint beer pub with a lush courtyard as a place for downtown-ites to hang out after work. In a very short time however, it became a destination for musicians and music-philes alike and in 2006 was named the state’s Best Live Music Venue by Mississippi Magazine. The Hippo has always been known for booking unique, interesting, and original acts of nearly all musical genres. In 2012, the Thirsty Hippo relocated to 309 McLeod Street (still in downtown Hattiesburg) to a larger building that could house the necessities of a full service bar, including a full service kitchen offering high quality pub fare. The menu, comprised of apps, burgers, dogs, sandwiches, and salads, is a nice compliment to the underlying theme of creativity and originality. The Hippo is also home to the most delicious and popular house-made veggie burger in town. The new Hippo has two performance areas, each with its own bar, to accommodate both small and large acts. Since reopening, the Hippo has booked some amazing talent including the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Sturgill Simpson, Comedian Doug Stanhope, Heartless Bastards, Grupo Fantasma, Brownout, St. Paul and Broken Bones, EMEFE, and Ester Rada to name a few.
