With the biggest bar night of the year, Drinksgiving, swiftly approaching, you may be wondering where to get your drink on this year. While it was hard to narrow it down to five establishments, the following places offer a snapshot of what it really means to be a neighborhood bar in St. Louis: cold drinks and community. Click here to read our full guide to 50 great nights out in St. Louis.
Iowa Buffet Credit: photo by Phuong BuiBlueberry Hill
University City gem Blueberry Hill is as synonymous with St. Louis music history – and Chuck Berry – as it is great drinks and food. The darts and onion rings are not to be missed, and don’t let the plethora of Wash U students stop you from hitting this spot; it’s their neighborhood, too.
6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.727.4444, blueberryhill.com Credit: photo by David KovalukThe Silver Ballroom
St. Louis has a lot of oddities in its bar scene, and The Silver Ballroom is a delightful example. South City pours in for the rotating selection of machines, cheap drinks from the bar (complete with sign above declaring it the “Retox Center”) and Korean food from Tiny Chef a.k.a. Melanie Meyer.
4701 Morgan Ford Rd., St. Louis, 314.832.9223, Instagram: @the_silver_ballroom_stl Credit: photo courtesy of The Silver BallroomCBGB
Perhaps the diviest dive of all the area’s neighborhood bars, cash-only CBGB offers dirt cheap and strong drinks, some of the friendliest bartenders in town and toilets that face each other in the graffitied bathrooms. Pinball and shuffleboard, occasional live music and a perpetual chilled-out crowd of regulars from the areas surrounding this South Grand spot make it one of the best.
3163 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, Facebook: CBGB Credit: photo courtesy of CBGBIowa Buffet
A South City institution, Iowa Buffet has been filling the niche for a family-run neighborhood bar since at least the 1940s. Despite the name, it does not have a buffet, but it does serve some of the best burgers in the city alongside some genuine St. Louis bar history.
2727 Winnebago St., St. Louis, 314.776.8000, Facebook: Iowa Buffet Credit: photo by Phuong BuiPlayboy Cappuccino Lounge
North City’s Playboy Cappuccino Lounge might be known as one of the best spots for shrimp in town, but don’t dare doubt its neighborhood bar bona fides. The food is made with love, the drinks are strong, and though the jukebox plays the blues, the atmosphere is joyous.
8500 N. Broadway St., St. Louis, 314.869.4098 Credit: photo courtesy of Google Maps
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