The Famous Bar

Met my husband here in 1999. We’d walk up here for drinks on the nights before snow days. Haven’t visited in quite awhile. It’s just as we remembered it: retro décor, blues, pool, and excellent cocktails. And now, no smoking!

Nice neighborhood bar. Used to be able to smoke until 1.1.16. I like it a lot better now that you can’t. Definite stop if you are around the area

Didn’t actually partake here but I appreciated that when my confused family entered expecting food they were not only not rude but had recommendation for a place to eat.

I came here for the bloody Marys and I couldn’t have been happier. First of all, you can smoke in here. Just like God intended when he made bars on the 4^th day. Their house bloody has a pickled quail egg and beef jerky. The jerky is so good! We bought some to take home to Colombia. Anyways, what can I say? Spicy, salty, beefy, bloody Marys. New fave.

Watch your charges here… One of the bartender men charged me for my friends drinks… Even though he told me he voided it… It still got charged to my card, and I had to file a claim with my credit card company (ps I live right in the neighborhood and he still screwed me when I always tip more than he deserves) … So watch what you spend here… Otherwise most of my experiences here have been ok… The owner is really nice

Most underrated bar in south city. Only complaint– get rid of the smoking, smoke is thicker the Stan Kroenke’s stache. I just think that some stl bars that allow heaters (par bar comes to mind) act like their badasses or bold because they allow smoking, but in reality it’s totally counterproductive for them and the city. Go to any progressive city in the country and smoking has been banned for 10+ years. This place is better than this.

The Famous Bar is a lot of things: neighborhood joint, occasional live music venue, legit martini bar, and smoky dive. These things appeal to me very much. The bartenders are usually as quick as they can be, but those martinis do take a minute to concoct, so expect to wait a moment. Lively place, but smoky, so keep that in mind if you don’t go to smoking bars.

This really is my favorite bar. It’s a «classic» joint that you don’t have to dress for. It’s kind’ve a throwback bar; a reminder of the good ol’ days. Smoking IS allowed. The bartenders have always been some of the best; extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Willing to truly serve you; they’ll pack your cigarettes for you and can recommend anything for anyone. Never too loud, not too crowded when I’ve ever been… a fine selection of everything. You can play pool, darts, or just have a conversation. I mean, what is missing here?! For me, nothing.

Best Bloody Mary ever!!! Flynn is the man!!! Great bartender and great atmosphere! In the mood to play pool, darts, or jut wanna hang out this is the place

The Famous Bar is a nice little spot on Chippewa. It doesn’t look very interesting from the outside, but when you walk inside the door — you are in for a nice surprise (if you aren’t a smoker — stop going to smoking bars for the next year). There are two pool tables and I believe there are a couple of games in the back as well. The bathroom (ladies, obviously) is much cleaner than most.
I never use a credit or debit card here because they act like a rental car place and automatically run it for $ 25, which is a tad annoying. The drinks are a wee bit expensive for the neighborhood, but I didn’t mind when they had my favorite Irish cider on tap. Now, it’s just not worth it. The music is always loud, even when there are only 4 or 5 people in the bar.
The bar used to be a once a week spot, but the drink prices, not so nice bartenders, and no more Magners — now make it a once a month spot for me. Maybe…

Smoking is allowed at The Famous Bar and you’ll know that the moment you enter the door. The smell of smoke immediately hits your sense of smell. However, it doesn’t take long for your to realize the smell of smoke is really the smell of fun. Okay, it is a smokey smell and your clothes will smell like smoke when you get home, but all of that can be overlooked because of all the fun you will have while drinking in this classic dive bar.
The bartenders know their craft and produce some amazing cocktails in a comfortable, unpretentious atmosphere. The original tin ceiling is a you must see for its beauty. Let your hair down, be adventurous and come have some fun in a smoke filled dive bar.

This place has a really cool vibe! The bartenders a great and really know their stuff! I really love it when you can take a seat at the bar, not have a clue what you want to drink… you take a leap of faith and place your palate in the hands of a man you’ve just barely met and he wows you with an amazing drink you’ve never heard of before! That’s this kind of place!!! These guys have never let me down, real talk folks! If Flynn is there he has the best playlist you’ve ever heard… the guy has everything!
They could easily rest on their laurels and just be a solid go to neighborhood bar, but they are always trying something new and doing something a little bit different… for God’s sake they served me a cocktail made with aloe water, gin (I’m more of a vodka girl, but this drink was so freaking smooth!) St. Germaine, probably some other stuff and garnished with a lemon cherry, the drink was so light, refreshing and just all around delicious!
Really dig this place!

I recommend the Cajun Bloody Mary if you like it spicy. It comes with a pickled green bean, too. This place is a little smoky, though.

I can’t believe I’ve been hearing about this place for so long and never stopped by to check it out! I really enjoyed this bar. The bartender kinda made me feel like an asshole, but that was probably deserving as I stopped by slightly intoxicated on a Tuesday night and probably was acting like one.
We liked the beer selection and that the bar was simultaneously classy and divey all at once. For a date night (with a smoker of course) this place is ideal. My hubby and I really enjoyed this place overall.

I live two blocks away from this establishment and it took a rft deal to get me into it. We went on a Wednesday after dinner. It wasn’t very crowded. I got a chocolate martini and it was good but didn’t look like chocolate like others I have had at other places. Its just a bar that is smoky. No entertainment of any kind. Not impressed at all. The bartender wasn’t very friendly either.

Awesome laid-​back place to get a drink… even though I don’t smoke and hate getting smoke on my clothes.
It’s dark, with tall ceilings, and a loooong stretch of bar stools. The bartender was friendly. They had a surprisingly large selection of bloody Marys with house-​infused vodka: spicy and flavorful just like it should be; bonus point for the old man sipping whiskey and smoking cigar next to us amongst the youngsters.
The only minor issue: The Old Fashioned.
I consider their version a «girly» interpretation of the recipe. The Old Fashioned is a simple drink, whiskey + simple syrup + bitters + lemon peel twist over the top. Their version was topped off with soda water and there was no twist of the peel over the top; it came with an orange wedge garnish. There is nothing wrong with this «modern» interpretation. In fact, most places in town do not serve the original recipe. But it’s something to keep in mind if you are a hard core traditional old fashioned drinker… you would probably be disappointed.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… If this bar were a dude, I’d, uh, do him.
Seriously. Suave. Sophisticated, but in a cigar and scotch kind of way. Sexy, but in a «the older man» kind of way. Fun, but in a sit in the dark corner and people watch kind of way.
Great bar to hit on an off night. On point bartenders, gorgeous décor and lighting. Can’t even remember what I drank, but it was good.
Definitely a bar to not be myself at.

This place makes the best Old Fashioned on earth. I didn’t even know I liked old fashioneds until I came here and had one. Now I’m a snob about it.
This is my favorite bar during the week. You couldn’t drag me in here on a weekend, though. The live music is just too much for such a small space.
The martinis and bloody mary’s are perfect every time. The bartenders are the best. I love when they create new recipes, and I’m always willing to be a guinea pig for their ideas. I’ve never had a bad drink here, and the price is right for the quality. I highly recommend the: Peach Penguin, Cajun Mary, and of course… the Old Fashioned.

Dude and I had popped in here a previous visit, so when we were after a quiet drink after doing some work we elected to pop in again last night. We were able to snag two tucked away seats at the bar, and quickly ordered our drinks.
My beer (5 Day) had obviously been well poured and cared for. Our bartender (whom we later discovered was owner/​manager Mark) was quick to make a whiskey recommendation for my companion that was spot on the mark (he ended up ordering a second, different whiskey cocktail with the same brand later.)
The bar was fairly uncrowded, but some of our fellow patrons had obviously been in it for the long haul that day. I would say they were the only downside of our visit, but who hasn’t been *that* person in a bar before. They really didn’t disturb us and hadn’t been over-​served.
When Mark had time he treated us to a blind whiskey tasting, which proved to be grand fun.
Big selling points: Solid Beer selection, incredible whiskey lineup, awesome staff, easy to hold a conversation, and nice vintage-​y atmosphere.
Overall, Mark’s hospitality made the night, and we’ll definitely be popping in again on another quiet night, or many.

This is, by far, my favorite St. Louis bar — primarily because you can get a perfect martini or a generous glass of good wine without pretentious environment that usually comes with it. The bartenders are the most knowledgeable that I’ve encountered. The martinis are always spot-​on (I’ve never had to request my dirty to get a little dirtier, like most places) and I love the seasonal martinis (especially the pumpkin in the fall).
I gave Famous 4 stars instead of 5 for one reason only — I wish it was larger. The narrowness of the bar makes it hard to not spill about $ 4 of your martini as people navigate around you and bands (although welcome) can make it pretty loud. Solve both problems by getting there early to grab a spot. You’ll have a place to rest your martini and, with the extra drinking time, you’ll welcome the live band by the time they go on!