Let other cities have their flashy clubs and mixology meccas. Here in St. Louis, we're happy with a bar stool, good company and a stiff drink. In short: Give us a dive bar and we're as happy as a pig in a bathtub of gin.
Now, in lesser cities, the "dive" label might connote something dirty or depressing. Not so St. Louis. In this hard-drinking metropolis, a dive bar is simply a place where the booze comes first. The patrons may be professionals or derelicts, but they're there to drink no gimmicks, no games.
We had a great time exploring the myriad bars across the metro area that fit this description, from Carondelet to St. Charles, from the north Riverfront to Lemay Ferry. Use our comprehensive guide to plan your next day of drinking or just get a good reminder to visit an old favorite.
- Research and development by Doyle Murphy, Joseph Hess, Daniel Hill, Ben Westhoff, Kelly Glueck, Cheryl Baehr, Sarah Fenske, Kavahn Mansouri, Danny Wicentowski, Kevin Korinek and Jaime Lees.