The Best Neighborhood Bars in St. Louis

The Geyer Inn

If you picked up a south-city dive bar and dumped it in Kirkwood, you'd have the Geyer Inn (220 South Geyer Road, Kirkwood; 314-814-9402). This old stone bar looks more like Grandma's cottage than a dive bar. Inside, the cozy interior sports a loose hockey theme, with a mish-mash of Blues memorabilia, a hockey foosball game and a jukebox. Originally built as a gas station in 1904, the property was converted to a tavern in the 1930s and updated again in 2010. It offers a full bar, a handful of taps and a minimal beer selection dominated by AB products. If you show up at this watering hole with more than three friends, you'll feel as if you rented out the whole place. The crowd is all local and mainly in their 50s or older; eavesdroppers should expect to overhear plenty about their glory days at Kirkwood High.


Photo credit: Tom Hellauer

The Royale

The Royale (3132 South Kingshighway Boulevard, 314-772-3600) may well be the ultimate neighborhood bar. Conceived and designed as a place for those living near Tower Grove Park to gather together, this place will feed you, get you drunk, provide you with debate fodder or put you in a position to take a new friend home — pick your poison. The decidedly (and openly) lefty bar often hosts political rallies, debates and fundraisers in an effort to motivate neighbors to engage and be active in their community. The booze works as the perfect social lubricant, the patio is great, the cocktails are tasty and after a night at the Royale, you're likely go home satisfied in one way or another. Or maybe you'll get in a political debate and go home frustrated. In any case, you'll be back soon enough. When it comes to a community gathering point like the Royale, none of the neighbors can stay away for long.


Photo credit: Monica Mileur

Southtown Pub

The drinks are strong and the food is good; what else does a neighborhood bar need? Southtown Pub (3707 South Kingshighway Boulevard, 314-833-3999) has that, but it also has more. Though it takes up prime real estate right across from the Starbucks on South Kingshighway, it's usually full of people who can walk there. And why not? The bar offers a comfortable spot to grab dinner in or just drinks, with speedy and attentive table service. And a recent revamping of the huge back patio took things up a notch — it now has dedicated zones for outdoor games, grabbing shots at the outdoor bar or hiding out in the shaded and chill lounge section.


Photo credit: Jaime Lees

Rosie's Place

One of the truly great gin joints in the city, Rosie's Place (4573 Laclede Avenue, 314-361-6423) has managed to weather not only great change in the Central West End but also the passage of the city's smoking ban, an achievement that surely felt unfathomable back when it was one of the smokiest spots in the central city. But this no-frills bar isn't just surviving, it's thriving, with hordes of fun lovers packing its narrow confines and, generally, drinking with the kind of enthusiastic devotion associated with a bygone era. You don't have to look far to figure out where the smokers went: Those big picnic tables just outside the front door fill up on warm nights, and you'll have to shoulder your way past a literal cloud of nicotine to go home. Why not stay and have a piping hot TJ's pizza and another beer instead?


Photo credit: Sarah Fenske

Speakeasy

Speakeasy (5532 West Florissant Avenue, no phone number) lives up to its name via its irregular hours (closed Sundays and Tuesdays) and lack of an exterior marker bearing its name (just look for the old-school Budweiser sign). Inside, it's not much to look at, with wood-paneled walls and a backbar that's basically just bottles sitting on a table next to some chips. But the place has spirit. It hosts dart tournaments, boasts a kitchen serving everything from tacos to turkey burgers and plays music louder than any other bar we've visited. With a DJ spinning on a laptop on a recent Friday night, the decibel level was more akin to a nightclub. The patrons tended to be black women in their 30s, but everyone was getting in on the act. They put down their plastic shot glasses and belted out lyrics to an old-school Milira R&B jam: Why must I feel so lonely without you here? The bartender set down the knife she was using to cut limes and threw back her head: That's why I wanna go outside in the rain. A couple who had been annoying each other by flirting with others set aside their differences to sing in unison: So no one, no one, no one, knows that I'm crying. Celebrating life's sorrows together: That's the Speakeasy way.


Photo credit: Ben Westhoff

BJ's Bar and Restaurant

Stroll past the corner of Washington and St. Ferdinand streets during Florissant's annual Valley of the Flowers celebration, and you just might think BJ's Bar and Restaurant (184 Washington Street, Florissant; 314-837-7783) is the epicenter of the festivities. That's because BJ's knows how to throw a party — but it's not limited to once a year. This Florissant institution has been serving thirsty bar-goers since 1955, since a time when the vintage Stag sign that graces the building was shiny and new. If you've never been, the building might look abandoned from the outside (even the window has been boarded over), but don't that fool you. Inside, BJ's is a lively good time with cheap beer, stiff cocktails in un-ironic Mason jars and some of the best St. Louis-style pizza you can get. Now that's something to celebrate all year long.


Photo credit: Tom Hellauer

Tick Tock Tavern

The term "public house" has become so overused in the douchebag marketing of bars that it barely registers at all. But Tick Tock Tavern (3459 Magnolia Avenue, no phone) is about the best example we know of the idea of local bar as community hub. The Tower Grove East spot fills up daily with neighbors out for a pint, local political party operatives strategizing new campaigns and those who simply appreciate the efficiency of drinking a beer under the owl-and-clock bric a brac while awaiting their dinner from the adjoining Steve's Hot Dogs. It's a place where less-than famous bands release their albums, charities hold fundraisers and the occasional market for music and movies sets up shop. It's hard to believe that this revival of the long-shuttered space opened just four years ago, because the Tick Tock is absolutely embedded in the neighborhood.


Photo credit: Mabel Suen

Zodiac Lounge

Zodiac Lounge (3517 North Grand Boulevard, 314-535-9800) has long had the coolest marquee in town — a mystical-looking circle chart of the astrological signs, including horoscope glyphs. Now it also has a cool owner, former mayor Freeman Bosley Jr. "Life's a lot easier since politics," St. Louis' first black mayor tells us from behind the bar, adding that since he took over this spot not long ago they've repainted the interior (a cool, dark blue) but maintained the retro décor. There have been other upgrades as well; a customer shares that Zodiac is finally stocking olives, meaning he no longer has to bring his own from home for his nearly-all-vodka martinis, served with lots of ice in a rounded tumbler ($8). What hasn't changed is the community feel. Even on a weekday afternoon the spot is jammed, and a desperate addict who arrives hoping to sell a discarded picture frame with the text "now I lay me down to sleep" somehow finds a buyer, a nurse in scrubs just off her shift who's hoping to encourage her children to say their prayers at night. Word to the wise: If you want to drink here, you should be at least 35, and don't expect to use the jukebox. "Who the fuck put this on?" asks beloved, despotic bartender Miss Shirley, as Frank Sinatra interrupts her string of Erykah Badu jams. Even with a mayor for a boss, she does things her way.


Photo credit: Steve Truesdell

Brennan's

It might seem a little too fancy to count as a true neighborhood bar, but Brennan's (4659 Maryland Avenue, 314-497-4449) is utterly at home within its cosmopolitan neighborhood — and for many denizens of the Central West End, this is indeed the place where everyone knows their name. Good enough for us. Kevin Brennan opened his storefront on Maryland fifteen years ago to sell wine, beer, liquor and cigars, but soon found the project morphing into a bar, one that also grew to include ping pong in the basement, a terrific assortment of sidewalk seating and a cigar club upstairs. Somehow, even with its enormous popularity and various expansions (a second outpost, a much different kind of project in Midtown involving coffee and coworking, is soon to open), Brennan's has kept a cozy feel, personalized service and a sense of a humor (witness the always changing and always pithy phrases behind the rows of Scotch and whiskey). Visit just one time on a laid-back weeknight, and you might find yourself contemplating the kind of move that would allow Brennan's to become your neighborhood bar, too.


Photo credit: Google Maps

Gregg's Bar & Grill

By the sweat of their brows. That's how most of the people in the industrial north riverfront get by. But when they get to Gregg's Bar and Grill (4400 North Broadway, 314-421-1152), the work stops, the dust on their boots settles and they'll settle in to partake of the fruits of that labor — except, of course, they're not ordering fruit at Gregg's. This is a realm of beer and burgers, of generous fish sandwiches and perfect onion rings. It's a place that attracts diverse characters and old friends, everyone from cops to construction workers to nearby neighborhood residents. Amid the area's industrial sprawl, some call this place an oasis, but the warmth within doesn't evoke a desert. There is a richness here, wealth measured in food and drink that remain consistent across years. It's more like a garden, an Eden where temptation comes from a bottle of whiskey — but the only sin is failing to partake.


Photo credit: Ben Westhoff

Hessler's Pub & Grill

In south county, the traditional neighborhood bar found its home in the strip malls dotting the landscape of suburban sprawl. Hessler's Pub & Grill (11804 Tesson Ferry Road, 314-842-4050) staked out its spot in 1983 and hasn't let go since. Even with a change of ownership in 2009, the menu remains deep on choices, from barroom staples to a dish of 25 fried mini tacos (sharing optional). Many hungry eyes, however, alight on the house burger and never move past it ... and that works too. On the weekends, Hessler's boasts south county's longest-running karaoke scene, and with its neon bar lights and wood-paneled walls, the place feels like your dad's comfortably retro '70s basement, only with the addition of a full kitchen and happy hour with $2 bottles and $5 appetizers. Even better: Every month Hessler's spreads some joy and pulls an all-day happy hour. That's the kind of community spirit that should keep the place open at least another 35 years.


Photo credit: Danny Wicentowski

O'Connell's Pub

Known as one of the darkest bars in town, O'Connell's Pub (4652 Shaw Avenue, 314-773-6600) is best when you know how to work it. As soon as you slip past the green-glazed brick and into the place, you must get some food. Many food lovers swear the burgers are the best in town. Then once you've eaten, kick back and relax at the bar. Maybe order a whiskey; if you sit and sip silently, good things will surely come your way. The bar tends to be populated by older regulars and if you seem suitably cranky, they will invite you into their conversation and share all their hard-earned grumpy wisdom. If you need an opinion on anything, you can find it here. Complaining seems to be common — even encouraged — at this delightful bar for the moody and cantankerous. Old-school rules apply: Don't be a sloppy drunk and respect your elders. They won't have it any other way.


Photo credit: Jaime Lees

Riley's Pub

Riley's Pub (3458 Arsenal Street, 314-664-7474) has all the good parts of an Irish pub — heavy wood, friendly bartenders and a solid whiskey selection — without all the leprechauns-and-shamrocks garbage that makes so many bars feel like an Irish Applebee's. At heart, this Tower Grove East spot is just a good south-city bar with reasonable drinks, a mix of booths and bar seating and an inviting front patio. In the back room, you'll find pinball and darts along with a small kitchen serving St. Louis-style pizza that you order from the bar. For the occasional fundraiser, Riley's serves a weekend Irish brunch, and the bar often plays host to traditional Irish music. Have a Guinness — or a Schlafly. Either one feels authentic here.


Photo credit: RFT file photo

The Hideaway

The Hideaway (5900 Arsenal Street, 314-645-8822) is unsinkable. The south-city bar survived the death of longtime owner Al Coco in 2015 with the help of a patron, who stepped in to captain the ship for nearly a year before Coco's heir could complete its sale. It held onto its pack-a-day crowd — and even added newcomers — when the city banned smoking. Not even the retirement this summer of Mark Dew, the scene-defining piano player, could capsize the Hideaway. After all the changes, the place retains the enduring kitsch of an old-school lounge. It's cleaner, and the coasters are now more likely to be cardboard than crochet. But the drinks are still cheap, and the walls are still decorated with portraits of a mysterious brunette beauty who, like the Hideaway, continues to charm after all these years.br>

Photo credit: Doyle Murphy

The Haven

The Haven (6625 Morganford Road, 314-352-4283) is straight-up south city. Set in the Boulevard Heights neighborhood across the street from St. Louis Fire Engine House 19, the brick corner bar fits right in with the neighboring bungalows. You'll notice it only because it is a little bigger and has the added flourish of a gorgeous, vertical neon sign. Regulars roll in all afternoon for solid drinks and a comfort-food menu featuring plenty of Provel. There are fish dinners on Fridays, and it's the kind of place that effortlessly accommodates families with kids even as a tipsy mix of bullshitters keeps things lively at the bar. It's clean, the lighting is comfortably low without being too dark and a handful of TVs air the Cards game. Get there early in the evenings. It fills up fast.


Photo credit: RFT file photo

Milo's Tavern

Two things will always reign supreme in the Hill neighborhood: food and bocce ball. Milo's Tavern (5201 Wilson Avenue, 314-776-0468) has both. With quick service and high turnout on both nights and weekends, Milo's can easily become the rowdiest bar in an otherwise quiet neighborhood. Its prime location diagonal from St. Ambrose Church has made Milo's an anchor for decades, hosting generations of the area's Italian families. A sports bar with vastly above-average bar food, Milo's main attraction still remains bocce ball. In the summer the courts are filled with old-timers who have been gathering in this neighborhood, in this exact spot, for their entire lives. On a hot summer night you can watch the clientele cycle from families eating dinner to groups of bocce-focused sportsmen to baseball-obsessed drinkers and on through the classic last-call rituals of "your place or mine" — all under one roof.


Photo credit: Jaime Lees

Novella Wine Bar

Tucked inside a tiny storefront in Princeton Heights, Novella (5510 South Kingshighway Boulevard, 314-680-4226) is a cozy little wine bar that is perfect for all of your love life's needs. Whether you're looking to set the mood for a romantic first date or just trying to remember the magic on your wedding anniversary, Novella has you covered. Drop in and enjoy top-notch suggestions from the attentive owner as you sample hard-to-find wines from across the world, including Romania's earthy finest. It's not a place to stop in to grab a glass on the way to your dinner reservation; it's a place you'll want to devote an evening to experiencing. The wide selection of quality tapas options will fill you up fast. These small plates? They're not so small. Don't forget to explore the enchanted garden out back. With its fountains and high fence, you'll think you fell right into a romance novel. But this isn't a work of fiction, it's just a delightfully low-key wine bar that's surely better than the one in your neighborhood. Enjoy.


Photo credit: Jaime Lees

SOHA Bar and Grill

Though it opened in 2012, Southampton's aptly named SOHA Bar and Grill (2605 Hampton Avenue, 314-802-7877) didn't really catch on until recently. But these days, instead of being just another option on the edge of an area crowded with them, SOHA has become a destination bar — a place folks from other neighborhoods visit to experience. It's almost like a more grown-up version of south-side institution Friendly's. There are TVs on every wall and screens in every direction, but the chill atmosphere keeps them from overwhelming the action. The bar feels like it was designed for customers in their 30s: dark and generally more subdued than the average sports bar, it's the perfect place to catch the game while grabbing a decent bite to eat.


Photo credit: Jaime Lees

The Silver Leaf

The Silver Leaf (3442 Hereford Street, 314-481-8040) is exactly what you want from your neighborhood bar. It's small, drinks are cheap ($2.25 domestics — and you'll save a quarter during happy hour) and the regulars are so reliable, the staff not only knows their names but even keeps their personal koozies behind the bar. The four high-tops are about as many as you could reasonably fit in this tiny watering hole, which feels lively with a crowd of ten. There was recently a bit of a shakeup in ownership when one of the partners bought out the other, leading to the following changes in one of the city's oldest bars: a new paint job and a freshly mopped ceiling. Other than that, it's the same old Leaf, decorated with firefighter memorabilia and a nearly life-size picture of Marilyn Monroe on the wall.


Photo credit: Jaime Lees

Nadine's Gin Joint

Known as the friendliest bar in Soulard, Nadine's Gin Joint (1931 South 12th Street, 314-436-3045) has something for everybody. This sprawling space is a favorite of locals, not just the drunken weekend tourists who flock to this picturesque neighborhood. Nadine's is a restaurant during the day, but the open, tented patio turns into a huge dog-friendly beer garden at night. Staffers are kind and welcoming, taking great care to make sure each patron feels welcome and remembered. This bar can go from pumping music, pouring gin down your throat and getting you good and drunk on a Saturday night to nursing your hangover with coffee and eggs on Sunday morning. In that, it proves to be not only a smart business model, but also a great neighbor to have looking out for you. Thanks, Nadine's.


Photo credit: Jaime Lees