There’s something special about a truly late night in St. Louis.
In a different era of my life, I’d walk from my Dogtown apartment to Par Lounge, under the glow of the giant Amoco sign on Clayton Avenue. Hi-Pointe Theatre staff would haul in a garbage bag of popcorn as the movie theater closed down, and things would get weirder (and tipsier) as the night wore into the early hours. Later still, and after the bartenders got tired of us, we’d head to Courtesy Diner on Hampton Avenue.
Par and that Courtesy location are still open. But so many late-night hangs and bars with 3 a.m. liquor licenses are closing shop earlier — if they’re still open at all — and a recent decision by the Alton City Council means that at least 13 more bars in the Metro East won’t be serving past 1 a.m. soon.
So here’s a list of where you can still throw one back in the wee hours of the night. But first a disclaimer: Many St. Louisans call them 3 o’clock bars because that’s the late-night liquor license in the city. But Metro East towns all do licenses their own way. In other words, every establishment on this list serves until at least 2 a.m. and some, especially in East St. Louis, far later. (Or is it earlier?)
Either way, get out while you still can.
St. Louis
- Bar 101 STL, Kosciusko, 1724 S. Broadway
- Barney's Sports Pub, Lindenwood Park, 6027 Chippewa St.
- Crack Fox, Downtown, 1114 Olive St.
- Cusumano's Bar, Franz Park, 7147 Manchester Ave.
- HandleBar, the Grove, 4127 Manchester Ave.
- Hair of the Dog, Downtown West, 1212 Washington Ave.
- Sports Bar Horseshoe St. Louis, Downtown, 999 N. 2nd St.
- Jack Patrick’s Bar & Grill, Downtown, 1000 Olive St.
- Just John’s, the Grove, 4112 Manchester Ave.
- Nick’s Irish Pub, Dogtown, 6001 Manchester Ave.
- Par Lounge, Dogtown, 1001 McCausland Ave.
- PBR St. Louis, Downtown, 601 Clark Ave. #202
- Pin-Up Bowl, the Loop, 6191 Delmar Blvd.
- Rehab St. Louis, the Grove, 4054 Chouteau Ave.
- Tin Roof St. Louis, Downtown, 1000 Clark Ave.
- Trophy Room, Southwest Garden, 5099 Arsenal St.
- The Wheelhouse, Downtown, 1000 Spruce St.
East St. Louis
- DraftKings at Casino Queen, 200 S. Front St.
- Club Illusion, 526 E. Broadway
Sauget
- Oz Nightclub, 300 Monsanto Ave.
- Pops, 1403 Mississippi Ave.
Edwardsville
- Backstage Bar & Patio, 228 N. Main St.
- Big Daddy’s, 132 N. Main St.
- Foundry Public House, 126 N. Main St.
- Hotshots Sports Bar & Grill, 2511 Illinois Route 157
- Stagger Inn, 104 E. Vandalia St.
Elsewhere
- Copper Fire, Belleville, 200 E. Main St.
- Elgato’s Tavern, Granite City, 1800 Delmar Ave.
- Teddy’s Juke Joint, Cahokia Heights, 7400 Old Missouri Ave.
We probably missed one. Let me know what it is at jrogen@stlpr.org.
