SOULARD NEIGHBORHOOD OF ST. LOUIS
Several people have recommended the Soulard neighborhood (pronounced “Sulard”) as a place to check out, so I did some scouting for you. It is only about a mile south of the Enterprise Center/Ballpark Village. For people who want something other than the expensive franchise-type places downtown, Soulard is a fantastic alternative.
Each place below is in an original building dating to the early 20th Century. And all are within 1-2 minute walks of each other. To be honest, if you just go to the neighborhood and walk around, you will find something great. And all of these places are local treasures first, not tourist traps, but very welcoming for those who venture into their neighborhood. In nearly every place, I was warmly welcomed by locals who really like their neighborhood and its establishments.
Please note that some of the places have shuttles to the stadium (I didn’t ask everywhere, so my comments below are only for the ones that I know have shuttles).
The following is a list in the order I scouted them, not in order of my recommendations. I could find a reason to recommend almost all of them.
If you go to any of these places, please let them know that you are with Cyclone Fanatic, not just Iowa State. I'm looking forward to making another round on Saturday or Sunday to find out if we made an impression on them.
Hammerstone’s. This place is the place to go if you want to listen to blues music. They have two bands scheduled each night. I doubt if this is the place to go if you want to watch games, but it seems like a really good place to hear good local blues bands.
Bastille. I spotted a Busch Light sign in the window, so I thought this might be the place for us. Several guys were sitting at tables outside the bar, so I walked up and started talking. Very friendly guys. “Not that I’m gay” (channeling my inner Mike Williams). However, they told me that it is a gay bar. It’s not over-the-top, but it is definitely a gay bar.
McGurk’s. This is a classic Irish pub. However, don’t let the entrance fool you. In addition to the corner pub vibe when you walk in, they have a very large outdoor area too, including a coi pond. They also have big TV’s at the outside bar.
Duke’s. Their sign declares that they are a sports bar (and not a gay bar, despite what the name might imply). As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by a bunch of Illinois fans who have an AirBnB nearby. One of them had a daughter go to Iowa State. And one was actually a Hok fan, but his friends took the lead in trashing him for me. It isn’t very big, but it has a great sports bar vibe. They have a square bar in the middle with bar stools and tables all around it. And TV’s are on every wall. The food menu was very good. In fact, it was so good, that I think they must have additional dining rooms too.
Henry’s. They have a small corner bar inside, but a long narrow bar with tables outside. They had one TV outside, but this place seemed a little “clubby” and was mostly interested in its loud music (yes, I’m a Boomer).
Eat Crow. Again, I saw a Busch Light sign in the window and I thought this might be our place. However, there was almost no one inside. I noticed a long list of “Help Wanted” positions posted on the door which made me think the place is understaffed.
Pizzeoli’s. This place served authentic wood-fired pizza with an oven imported from Italy. They have a bar in one room and a small square dining area in another. It is the place to go for good pizza, but probably not game-watching.
Calypso – Closed.
The Great Grizzley Bear. They claim to be the oldest place in Soulard. It was very big, inside and outside. It is definitely a sports bar. They have TV’s every (with sound on). Lots of big tables for groups. And a better-than-average food menu. The server I talked to was really sharp and I felt like they would really take care of you there. Also, they were the first one to tell me that they have a shuttle to take people to the game.
Hi Hat. I didn’t stop here. It was located in the middle of a street, not on a corner, which was unusually, but probably not important. It had a few outside tables and may have had an outside area in back, but I don’t know for sure.
1860 Saloon. This is actually three places that are connected on the inside. The first is a full bar that has a saloon-vibe and has a corner set up for a band to play. The second is called their “game room,” both because of a big multi-part TV and because of a foosball table, etc. The third seemed like a simpler saloon with a bar on one side and the rest of the room fairly open. They also have a shuttle.
Molly’s. This is actually four spots. Two inside and two outside. It felt a little nicer than most of the others, but its food menu was surprising average.
Tucker’s. They probably had the best food menu, featuring lots of steaks and chops. However, they only had a few TV’s and no sound. Fortunately, they are right next door to Duke’s, so if you want a good steak and then watch games, you don’t have to go far.
One more note: This is a genuine neighborhood, so there is very little off-street parking. You may have to park a block or so away from your chosen venue.
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