Huntington’s newest restaurant features Appalachian comfort food at its finest.
By Amanda Larch Hinchman
HQ 134 | SUMMER 2026
With an emphasis on flavor and fresh ingredients, HÜCK Food & Spirits, Huntington’s newest restaurant, features Appalachian comfort food at its finest.
Pronounced “hook,” the restaurant pays homage to owner Nate Randolph’s family history and derives its name from his mother’s kin, who originally immigrated to the U.S. from Baden-Baden, Germany, in the 1840s.
When Randolph, an architect by trade, began distilling as a hobby 20 years ago, he was unwittingly carrying on a tradition. While liquidating the family homestead and farm in 2018, a copper still was discovered hidden behind a false wall. Today, it sits above the bar at HÜCK.
“That still goes back to the 1880s, so the people who immigrated were into illicit manufacturing, but it was a very closely held secret,” Randolph said. “It was interesting that I had a natural disposition toward distillation.”
Formerly a partner at Edward Tucker Architects with more than 30 years of professional experience, Randolph said he couldn’t help it when he began to daydream of other ventures, like distilling and taking the jump into the restaurant industry. Purchasing a building, he founded the NJ Randolph Distilling Company in 2022 as a distillery, restaurant and event space.
“This is one of those ideas that came to me, especially finding out there was a family history connected to it,” Randolph said. “I sold my interest in the firm, and I focused on this full time.”
Construction and renovations took almost three and a half years, with detail-oriented Randolph working meticulously while also letting the building itself guide him.
“My mantra has been that I’d rather it be right than rushed,” Randolph said. “I want it to be of a quality that is replicable and that I’m proud of.”
With a cohesive theme and color palette, the looping, spacious restaurant features one untouched wall of a former warehouse, as well as subtle flourishes showcasing Randolph’s architectural talent and eye for design.
“The character of what was existing was so beautiful that it didn’t warrant any kind of improvements or modifications,” Randolph said.
Every aspect of HÜCK, which opened in March, is connected. Personal photos adorn the walls and can be found on the menus, tying everything back to both sides of Randolph’s family tree.
“All this is trying to celebrate that history,” he said.
Randolph also created the entire menu on his own. Offering burgers, soups, sandwiches, all-day breakfast and more, the restaurant makes everything in house. That includes breakfast staples like omelets, biscuits and gravy and cinnamon buns hot off the griddle, as well as appetizers like charcuterie boards, pulled pork nachos, pork riblets and chicken wings with house-made sauce.
The menu is meant to be understandable and easy to navigate, Randolph said, with many selections named after relatives.
“The items themselves are fairly simple,” he said. “It’s pancakes or French toast, or it’s a hamburger or a bologna sandwich. These are items I know how to cook and recipes that I perfected myself.”
Randolph said HÜCK serves good food — not necessarily healthy food. But there are also healthy and even vegan options.
“We don’t send out bland food,” Randolph said. “That might not necessarily be to everyone’s palate, but we make food that is flavorful. Everything has seasoning. And by and large, I think the reception to that has been very positive.”
Still a work in progress, once the distillery opens, it will offer vodka, gin, rum, whiskey and bourbon.
“I’ll be providing the litany,” Randolph said.
In addition to the distillery and gift shop, which sells merchandise from other community establishments, Randolph is renovating an event space in the building. Future plans include building apartment-like units to allow people to stay overnight on the premises.
“I feel that we have the potential to be a destination spot for reunions and weddings,” Randolph said.
In addition to his family, blind faith is Randolph’s motivation and inspiration, he said.
“I give my parents all the credit for teaching me about the perseverance to see a task through to its completion,” he said.
Putting in 18 hours a day, Randolph greets and thanks customers as often as he can. He can hardly walk through the restaurant without hearing a compliment or two — one customer even said she ate the best breakfast she’s had since her grandmother passed away, words Randolph took to heart.
“I still have people ask me if I will come back out of retirement, but to be honest, I’m perfectly happy doing this now,” Randolph said. “This is a lot more work than what I ever anticipated it to be, but I’m enjoying it.”
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Located at 617 Fourth Ave., HÜCK is open from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
