St. Louis Venues

AJ's Inside The Adams-Mark Hotel - 241-7100
4th Str at Chestnut - Downtown
25 yrs. & older...Drinks = 6
Not that "hot" anymore...brothas got they own spots now, and that's where most folks are going. Friday offers a nice Happy Hour, hosted by the adult radio staion for the mature crowd, but it's not what it once was.

*previous - Folks must have been waitin' for the settlement with the NAACP, cause it seems like as soon as everything was squashed, AJ's has been "off the hook". Fridays and Saturdays are packed...and I really don't know why? They try to cater to US, but the music ain't the best and they don't really provide anything else. Anyway, it's been poppin', so get there before 11pm or you'll be waiting in line.

Backstreet Jazz & Blues Club - 878-5800
610 Westport Plaza
This place is upscale, and mostly a 'special events' venue for, of course, live jazz shows and other small performances.

Blueberry Hill - 727-0880
U. City (In the "Loop")
Everybody, 18 yrs and up...Drinks = 6
The crowd here is very diverse. From white "yuppies" to Hip Hop "heads", to foreign college students, this spot is sort of a sportsbar/restaurant/music venue. Service is O.K., but it's very crowded on weekends. They have Hip Hop on Friday nights and Reggae on Saturdays. Parking is always a headache in the "Loop".

Churchill's Cigar Bar - 361-2377
408 N. Euclid Ave. 63108 (Central West End)
23 yrs. & older...Drinks = 8
I'm usually not feeling this spot; I find it a little "snobby", but everybody else seems to love it! It's kind of small, but some would call it intimate. It's an upscale spot, with a wide selection of cigars for purchase. Parking is terrible. The best (Black) night to go is Thursday or Friday.

Club Viva - 361-0322 website
408 N. Euclid Ave. 63108 (next to Churchill's)
21 & over...Drinks = 8
Club Viva is a very diverse spot; all nationalities socialize in harmony here! (I can't believe I used the word harmony?) Wednesdays pump Reggae and Fridays give you an authentic Latin flavor with Latin Spin. It's kind of cramped, but I don't seem to mind, plus the Latin Ladies are a lovely change of pace. Uh, Red Stripes are $2.50 on Wednesday nights, so drink up!

Gary's Fine Dining Restaurant - 531-0111
601 N. Grand Blvd. 63103 (next to the Fox Theatre)
30 yrs & older...Drinks = 7
This is predominately a restaurant, but they always have a live jazz band during the evening hours. The atmosphere is sophisticated and upscale. The food is superior. A great place for a dinner date.

Hadley's Restaurant & Lounge - 725-6244
7828 Olive Str Rd. 63130 (U. City)
27 yrs. & older...Drinks = 10 (2 for 1's on most nights)
This is my favorite spot on Fridays right after work! 2-for-1's last til 8pm and there's not a place in the city where you can get as drunk as you can here for the money. They pour'em REAL stiff. The atmosphere is down-to-earth and you can even party a little around 9pm or so. The food is superior - you just have to wait an hour to get it. This is also the birthday, afterwork, divorce, etc. party spot on Fridays. Oh, one more thing, don't make Ms. Hadley mad cause she will toss your ass out! Plenty of parking.

Club Isis - 436-0600 website
1204 Washington (Downtown)
25 yrs. & older...Drinks = 8
Now, Isis is one of the more established clubs in town! The atmosphere is still upscale, but the professionals aren't the only ones in here. Friday nights are "off-the-chain" and you can find almost anybody up in there - if there's enough room to look. When celebrities come to town, this is where they go to hang-out; just check the" wall of fame". It can get hotterdenamuthaphuqa though, so be prepared. Saturdays are less crowded, but still populated.

*previous - Isis is more of an upscale venue that caters to a more, "professional" clientele. This is where your college degree carriers go. They have leather couches and chairs, some art...that kinda vibe. It just opened a couple of months ago, but it'll start poppin' shorthly. Right now, Saturday is the best night to go. Parking is scarce due to the other clubs on the block. Dress code strictly enforced.

Janae's - 355-1021
2324 Bellefontaine Rd. (North County)
30 yrs. & older. . . Drinks = 7
I don't know if this spot is still open? The phone just rang and rang. I'll gte to you on this one.

*previous - Janae's is usually a slightly older spot, except on "Sista Girl" Tuesdays when the atmosphere is a little younger. It's pretty nice, it's just completeley out the way. Actually, I haven't been on any other night besides Tuesdays, which has a nice turn out. Make sure you get there before 10pm because they charge $10 after that (too much for a Tuesday)...the fellas will have plenty of ladies to choose from. They also have pretty good food there; parking is free and plentiful. Oh, they have pool tables and a big screen TV too.

Limelight -
Chambers at Highway 367
16 yrs. to 21 yrs.
This spot will always be known as the Animal House, THE teenage club back in the 80's! It's under new management and they see that it will ALWAYS be a teenage spot. It's also used as a concert venue, sometimes. It has plenty of room (probably too much) and plenty of parking. It's the perfect spot for a Rap concert, but it lacks the class where, say, Badu or D'Angelo might perform.

The Living Room - new
1014 Locust Str - Downtown
21 yrs. & older. . .Drinks = 8
This joint has only been open for about 2 months and has quickly become THE Saturday night place to be! It's arguably the most luxurious (Black) venue in the city, and one of the few 2-story clubs. The Living Room has numerous intimate VIP sections upstairs and several reserved seating sections downstairs which overlook the dancefloor. The dancefloor is kinda small, but they have 3 bars (2 downstairs and 1 upstairs) so it usually doesn't take forever to get a drink. They've already hosted numerous celebrity functions and birthday parties, but the parking can get difficult if you don't want to pay. If they can get a lil' mo' strict on the dress code, they'll be OK.

Nik's Wine Bar - 454-0403
307 Belt Ave at Pershing
25 yrs. & older. . .Drinks = 7
Nik's is really intimate and kind of secluded, perfect for that "first date" drink/conversation - if everybody else ain't already there. They have pretty thorough drink knowledge, and hipped me to a very nice cognac that I can't remember the name of. The atmosphere is upscale with an artistic vibe. They serve food too, although I've never seen a piece of meat there. (no disrespect to you vegetarians). They say it's a lesbian spot, but hey, they cool with me.

Nymba's Lounge - 869-4640
10466 W. Florissant in Dellwood
30 yrs. & older . . .Drinks = 8
This is a nice little neighborhood spot that people are sleepin' on. They do a lot of birthday parties and reunion-type business, but it has major potential. The location is prime...in North County where everybody lives, there's plenty of secure, free parking and the drinks are generous. With a little more exposure, this could be the next Hadleys! I hear that Thursdays are gonna be HOT!

Red Sea - 863-0099
6511 Delmar 63130 (U.City - In "The Loop")
21 yrs. & up. . .Drinks = 5
The Red Sea is a very versatile spot and you'll find a very diverse crowd in here. Fridays are always bangin' with straight Hip Hop "heads" upstairs and Live Reggae with the Rastas downstairs. Sometimes it's too crowded, and parking is a headache...be prepared to walk a few blocks. Oh, fellas...don't wear shirts without sleeves (tank-tops), you won't get in.

SEVEN / The Art Bar - new
3221 Olive at Compton in Midtown
23yrs. & up. . .Drinks = 7 (depending on who your bartender is?)
After 5-plus years of "puttin' it down" as the St. Louis 1st Friday promoters, these 2 guys put their 2 quarters together and opened up their own venue.
They finally get to enjoy all that money off the bar that those other venues were raking in when they hosted 1st Fridays. The good thing about this venue is that it gives you the same atmosphere that 1st Fridays does. It's upscale and very contemporary, and it's one of the few places that's strict on the dress code. Some might call it "bougie", and they're right, but so be it. It's convenient when you can use your credit card to pay for drinks, unlike most of the other clubs. This place actually doubles as small "martini-style" bar on one side and a traditional nightclub on the other, with a large dancefloor and smaller VIP areas. The location is prime, as SEVEN doesn't have to compete with other clubs for available parking and traffic congestion. If you're looking for the upscale, professional crowd, this is the place for you.

The Spot! - 385-4545
8384 N. Broadway - in the Baden Shopping Center
21 yrs. & older. . .Drinks = 6
The Spot, really isn't, anymore. They tried to re-model and make it seem new, but that didn't work. People still go on Fridays and Saturdays, and the Ying Yang Twins or Eightball and MJG will "pop up" there for a show every now and then, but there's a lot of competition out there and The Spot is feelin' it. Plus, their customer service ain't the greatest. The Sunday night comedy shows are cool though.

*previous - Any and everybody steps up in the Spotlight and I have to say they pretty much have Saturdays on lock! Folks from 21yrs. to about 35yrs. party together on that huge dancefloor. This place is really a concert venue, but people party like it's a big club. They do everything from comedy shows to record release parties up in here. One thing though, they don't use glasswear to serve drinks...they use plastic cups - I hate that! Parking is no problem, but the customer service is.

Spruill's Restaurant & Lounge - 533-8050
2625 Stoddard at Jefferson 63106
23 yrs. & older. . .Drinks = 8 (plus your first drink is free)
Spruill's has gotten a little younger. Some still call it "ghetto", but others, including myself, would call it down-to-earth (but I'm about to change my mind). The dress code no longer exists, but the place is still packed on Thursday, Friday AND Saturday night. This is still a place you'd take your cousins from down south when they visit for the family reunion.

St. Louis Nites - 385-4545
8384 N. Broadway - in the Baden Shopping Center
30 yrs. & older. . .Drinks = 8
OK. For those of you who don't remember the "original" St. Louis Nites, downtown on Olive about 5 or 6 years ago - you need ginseng! Friday nights down there were crazy! Anyway, it's back...same name, same owners, and the same good time. They're supposed to have the greatest "hors d'oeurves" buffet St. Louis has seen; drink specials from 5 - 7pm; no cover til 8pm. Dress code strictly enforced, not even jeans. Even Wednesday nights are "off the hook"!

Two St. Louis Brothers - new
Natural Bridge Rd at Hwy 170
30 yrs. & older. . .Drinks = 7
This place consistently attracts the mature crowd. It's more of lounge and hosts a lot of small comedy shows and other "live" events. I haven't been in a while, but every time I drive by, the lot is packed - even on Tuesdays! The only things negative I can say about the place is that it's in a heavily "patrolled" area, so if you've had a few too many, someone else needs to drive - but you should be doing that anyway, right?

Waxx Factory - new
11836 W. Florissant at Halls Ferry
30 yrs & older. . .Drinks = 7
For those who don't know, this is the old Brioni Nights that used to be HOT back in the day. Now, The Waxx Factory is still holdin' it down - especially on Friday nights where all the "working" women are! Tuesday night hosts Sista Girl Tuesdays which attracts a slightly younger crowd. This venue has the classic nightclub atmosphere with mirrors and neon lights, with the dancefloor "smack-dab" in the middle of the club. It also as a VIP section that overlooks the ground floor where everybody has their birthday party. There's plenty of free parking and the "pik-cha man" is always on duty. Huh, they need to do something about that bigass, half-empty fishtank though.

Eastside Venues

Affirmation East - (618) 271-9678
25 yrs. & older. . .Drinks = 7
This spot is cool...the "Eastside" doesn't have the appeal it used to, but Affirmation East is the only club on "the strip" that has managed to stay open. Saturday nights are better than Friday nights, and you can still "kick it" if the right people happen to have a birthday party. Oh, and uh ladies, Body Blast (male strippers) is still there on the second Sunday of every month. I said it's 25 and over, but don't be surprised if a few younger people slide up in there. Oh, the food is incredible...they even have a drive-thru, so even if you don't feel like partying, you can go get your "grub" on. That shrimp and wing platter is what's happenin'...but leave your car running, it's still the Eastside.

Club Illusions - (618) 537-6769
Collinsville Ave.
25 yrs. & older...Drinks = 8
Illusions is a little more upscale than Affirmation (if you want to call it 'upscale') and the party don't start 'til about 2am. This place is ridiculously packed by 3 to where you can barley walk around, and forget about dancing! If you like cramped, but hype party spots, Illusions is for you. The food is pretty good, and fellas, you might just come up on some "take home" ( if you know what I mean ).

Club Rio - (618) 271-1500 click here
901 Baugh Ave. - right off Highway 64 East
25 yrs. & older...Drinks = 7
I was rather surprised when I stepped in this spot - it was pretty nice! I think a lot of the time, we automatically assume that since it's on the "Eastside", it's gonna either be a "thugged out" hole-in-the-wall, or some kind of dopeman/chickenhead free-for-all...but this club is far from that. This place has plenty of room, on and off the dancefloor, with a very nice ambiance. They have a "fly" VIP section upstairs and check this out - they have an outdoor pool! Imagine that. Saturdays are "off the hee-zey" for shee-zey! If you haven't been - go! Oh, the food is pretty good too.

G-Spot Night Club - (314) 907-1456
326 Collinsville Ave.
21yrs. & older...Drinks = 7
From what I hear, the G-Spot is the first black alternative club on the East Side; but it isn't just for lesbians, bi-sexuals and gays. Management tells me there are more and more "straight" people coming out each week. Friday nights are cool with Q95.5's DJ Boogie in the house. And, Saturday nights are "off the hook" with a wet t-shirt contest and male/female exotic dancers. Nightly music provided by DJ Nasty Nino. I went and just chilled out. If you're open-minded, non-judgmental, or even a little curious, this is a spot to check out.