I've been here at least a dozen times. A bunch of us come here for the pinball, I come for the food and drinks.... And a little pinball. They have a fully stocked bar and always have a great pinball lineup. The food (Tiny Chef) inside the bar is hands down a hidden gem in St. Louis. The food is on another level. read more

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Great dive bar! They've got an interesting cocktail menu and LOTS of pinball machines in the back room. An awesome place to hang out. read more

The Silver Ballroom - Wait for the Blackout Lemonade - Dive Bars Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Some of the best punk rock pinball I've ever played in my life. I loved the decor and the ambience. I can't really say much about the service as I didn't really order much of anything other than I drink for my partner and a Red Bull for myself. I guess the service was your standard. Nothing to complain about. However, I did accidentally spill and they were great about cleaning it up for us. read more

The drinks were delicious and on Mondays pinball is free! What a cool place to meet up with friends or a unique date. read more

The Silver Ballroom - Drink Menu - Dive Bars Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

2nd time here and this place is cleaned up well since last time. I like their new red ceiling lamps, place feels divey and cozy. Came here on a saturday afternoon and wasn't busy. We enjoyed playing all the pins inside. I like their pinball selection as well as their sister bar the Waiting Room in St.Ann. There is a giant jukebox inside and some songs are free! Haven't gotten a chance to try their food but will definitely come back for that. read more

Cool dive bar with lots of pin ball machines . Monday is free pinball night . Great ambience and friendly staff . Strong cocktails . Very quirky. Great place ! read more

The Silver Ballroom - Dive Bars Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

We happened upon this bar after brunch one Sunday and what a great find it was! Such a quirky little place with great reasonable drinks and a friendly bartender. The back room has pinball machines which is always fun. Nothing fancy but a great place to hang out with friends for a while. There is a food area inside but it wasn't open so I'm not sure how it is but we will be back to give it a try. If you like a dive bar atmosphere this is for you! read more

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Laid back old-school pinball spot with a decidedly punk vibe. Old school jukebox filled with punk tunes. Gotta try the food from Tiny Chef, which is housed there--very tasty, fresh food with a Korean vibe! read more

First off, this place has the best juke box in STL. The main attraction of course is the pinball and Tiny Chef for the food. Lots of pinball machines to choose from. There's even a league to join for those who want more pinball action. Rough around the edges, but the elegance of the women's restroom is lovely: a dispenser of Bath and Body Works lotion. I couldn't decide which one to use! Great crowd and a fun atmosphere. read more

The Silver Ballroom - a row of pinball machines - Dive Bars Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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We went last night with intent to check out Tiny Chef. I wasn't expecting to be blown away by the bar. We had a blast playing the pinball machines. It's 50 cents a game but many of the games were very generous with the number of balls. The lights and sounds from the pinball machines also create a fun atmosphere. The bartender yesterday around 4pm was awesome. Our four drinks were a total of 16$- finally a real dive bar. They were simple- just rail tequila for my partner and vodka tonics for me. We will definitely be back. We probably blew about 10$ on the pinball machines. It's easy to run through quarters but that's just cause you're having too much fun. Highly recommend for date night or chilling with some friends. read more

Free pinball on a Monday night and good service for drinks. It made for a fun night out. We also ate at Tiny Chef and enjoyed it a lot

Finally made it to my neighborhood punk rock and pinball dive bar! Very welcoming place even though my group had never been. Loved the playlist and the bartenders were open to our suggestions. Laid back atmosphere. The back room has a large and fun collection of pinball machines. Very unique space - not your average dive bar. Looking forward to going back! read more

The Silver Ballroom - Gender neutral bathroom - Dive Bars Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Punk rock dive bar with great music and pinball! What else could you want. They even have a in house Korean taco and pizza joint. The bulgogi tacos with kimchi where amazing. I recommend that and the Sopranos pinball machine. With a ice cold City Wide. read more

The Silver Ballroom - Punkrock bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Rock bar with retro vibes, good beer selection, great food by Tiny Chef, and good people.

A an awesome S. City dive with cheap drinks, a random Korean kitchen, and plenty of pinball (hence the name). Expect a punk rock vibe and a "what do you want?" attitude from the bar tenders. Give them a little love (tip well) and they'll start talking to you. Heard great things about the food but haven't tried yet. Not place for the masses, but that's not what this place is about. You want a local dive with rock music playing, this is your spot. read more

Oh dear, the quarter snatcher game is a new favorite. But the $100 bill will probably be hanging out there for a while to keep me hooked. Kudos to the bartenders for fully engaging in a St Louis-style pizza conversation with my out of town guest. They couldn't quite talk her out of Imos that fateful night, but sure gave it a valiant effort. They were very cool. There is almost always an available game to.play and the last few times I've been, it was abundant. not overcrowded at all. read more

My girl and I got vodka sunrises and played the pinball games. Spent only $20 for the two of us to have a great time. Bartender was very nice and patient, music was awesome, and the people there were friendly. Will absolutely be going back. read more

It's too bad I don't go to South City that often, but when I do - I always suggest (if I'm with my pals) that we stop at the Silver Ballroom. I've been here a few times in the last seven years. The first time was when the band Seether was hanging out there (apparently the owner has a good connection to plenty of big-name bands). When I first heard about this place, I actually thought it was a ballroom (think 1930's)! Needless to say, the name threw me off! The Silver Ballroom is a great dive bar, and it proudly represents the 3 P's: pinball, PBR and punk-rock. Let's start with pinball. Yes, its got a room full of pinball machines. Some that you probably don't know that existed! Its like a museum, looking at all the retro platforms. But, at the same time, you feel tempted to feed the machine with the change in your pocket! The beer selection is not so bad, and sometimes I get a craft brew when I'm there. And then there's punk-rock. Its very obvious the owner is an old-school punk fan, because the old-fashioned CD jukebox has nothing but that genre in there. No, I'm not talking about Green Day. I'm talking about Black Flag, Bad Religion and plenty of others. The bartenders say that the Dead Milkmen's "Bitchin' Camaro" is the most overplayed song in the bar. So if you want to make them happy, spare them. (laughs) Overall, its a nice place. Great atmosphere, especially on what would be busy weekend nights. You'll find a decent amount of people there, but not a big crowd. You must try the Australian meat pies, if you haven't. The flavors change, but I usually get the Ham/Mac and Cheese one. The staff is friendly, and its a chill place. And, there's no smoking in there anymore. Check it out! read more

The Silver Ballroom - The sign - Dive Bars Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

He stands like a statue, becomes part of the machine Feelin' all the bumpers, always plays 'em clean Plays by intuition, the digit counters fall That Eric S from Oak Park, still plays a mean pinball..... On my way through greater Saint Louis, I found this divey pinball bar on a game map and was glad I stopped in. Maybe it's just me, but it looked to be located in a quasi-sketchy part of town. I can't say I'd feel super safe just walking around the vicinity, especially at night. But then again, I'd drive straight into Compton if they had a decent selection of pinball tables. #nofear Their game room is damn cool, I counted something like 20 pins, all at 50¢ per game. However, there were 3 tables that were shut off when I visited (Dr Dude, Revenge From Mars, and Whitewater, a personal favorite of mine). The tables in operation were in fine condition, and a few were in fantastic shape. I absolutely kicked ass on Lord of the Rings, winning several score-based replays in a row cuz yeah I'm a pinball wizard y'all. Their Creature From the Black Lagoon was gorgeous, but it (like it always does) 0wn3d my n00b ass. Some pins, man. They have plenty of beers in cans and bottles, and the bartender was very knowledgeable about their tables. I chatted with him about random pinball news and he informed me about a soon-to-emerge Big Lebowski pin in the market. Awesome! They also feature a league here and advertise lots of bands from the area. Worth a stop if pinball is your ish. read more

The Silver Ballroom - Cool thing near the entrance - Dive Bars Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Pinball, pinball, pinball! This place is dope,... I had been living out of a hotel for a few weeks after moving back to STL and this other cat I met staying there were driving around Dutch town looking for a chill place to grab a bite and a drink. Cheap drinks great selection, and delicious meat pies for cheap. Did I mention Pinball? Cheap plays and an incredible selection of machines from different eras,... I took a panoramic shot of the game room, and it is still one of my fav pics I took over the last six months. If you like the flippers and the beers, check this place out. read more

Maaaaan I had to crack open the Yelp app after years just to say how good the mf tacos I got last night were here. Absolutely fantastic! The person who took my order was v nice too. Taco Circus get rekt. Music was good. The pin ball machines (and the place in general) looked so friggin clean I didn't want to even touch them. Way to go! read more

Returned last week (another work trip) and it was as fantastic as I had remembered. This time, I got to meet the owner, Doc. I had to tell him what a fantastic place he's running. I can guarantee a return trip every time I head to St. Louis. Bring back the veggie (no) meat pies! Yet another blurry night at the Silver Ballroom... read more

I think we just went here on an off night - it was a Monday so maybe try going later in the week! The drinks were cheap and good. My boyfriend and I were visiting from LA and we were excited to check this place out because we love punk rock music. When we got there the bartender was literally drunk so that was a little strange but overall good vibes! Idk if we'd go again read more

One of STLs best pinball bars. Always a great time. The owner Doc and the staff are very fun people and a big part of the pinball community. It's a must visit place for pinball read more

This place fucking rips. I was on a work trip and got sick of the hotel bar, so decided to venture out. I was not disappointed. A couple highlights: 1. This place has a real jukebox; none of that Touchtunes business. I was blown away - The Cramps, 7 Seconds, Black Flag (the Keith Morris era stuff, not that Rollins bullshit), Adolescents, Face to Face, Devo....this was so fucking great. I felt like a kid again and also forgot that I forgot how to use a jukebox when I played the wrong Dead Milkmen song, but nobody cared. 2. Cheap beer and Aussie meat pies. Where do you go wrong with this combo? I had just come from a bar that charged $6 a beer, so the ROI from my $6 Uber ride was paying insane dividends. 3. Pinball. I didn't play any, and I was apparently there on the league night (Wednesday), but nobody cared. They let me take pictures, play any music I wanted, and it was really cool just watching a league I never even knew existed. 4. The staff, especially the owner. The staff is cool, but the owner is awesome. I went to throw some money in the jukebox and the owner grabbed me before I got there and said, "I just threw a ton of credits in there, play whatever you want." That is fucking cool, I don't care who you are. I preemptively apologized for the stuff I was about to play, and holy shit, the bar was singing along to Gorilla Biscuits in no time. In closing, this place can't be touched. I'm actually bummed that I don't live in St. Louis because of this place. read more

The Silver Ballroom - League Night - Dive Bars Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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I visited this place last Friday after reading a review of it on the river front times website. I was intrigued because while it's name promised something fancy and upscale, I knew that it was just a south city watering hole and I appreciated this juxtaposition by the owners. Nestled in the "Bevo" area of Gravios, TSB was close to what I expected. I think it bills itself as a pinball bar, but I only saw one pinball machine from where I was sitting. All of the bartenders were nice and attentive. Food is served there, and is as one bartender told me, "Gourmet Street Food" which from the menu looked like hyped up hot dogs and hot beef sandwiches and the like. From what I saw other people eating it didn't look that bad. My first drink was the Slutbucket because the reviewer for TRFT wrote about it in her article. While it tasted fine, I unlike her would not drink two, it's much too sugary with not enough alcohol to live up to its namesake. I also ordered a shot that was on special, which didn't pack a punch either. It wasn't until I ordered a Manhattan that I was satisfied. The bartender claimed not to have made one in two years, but she actually made it very well. One thing to note is that this place is heavy on the dudes. At one point I think I was one of maybe 3 girls in the whole place. Dudes were everywhere, and every type of dude was representing. Hipster dudes, I'm with the band dudes, dorky dudes, sports dudes, regular ol south city dudes, they were all there. So ladies, if you're looking to find a dude, take your other single friends and head out to the Silver Ballroom where the PBR's, Stag, and Weach in a Can are aplenty, and you'll be sure to find someone nice to talk to over the full color Hustler matchboxes you'll find at the bar! read more

The Silver Ballroom - Retox Center! - Dive Bars Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Pinball! Living in South City has it perks. One of those perks is the abundance of dive bars. Throw a rock in the air, and you're bound to hit one. However, a standout dive bar near Bevo Mill is The Silver Ballroom. It has all the features of a great dive bar: tattooed bartenders, bad beer, cheap comfort food, and old school games. The bartenders are definitely rough around the edges, but for the most part, they are pretty nice. You have your pick of crap beer, but SB actually has a nice array of craft beer options, too. Did someone say pinball? The back room is filled with machines to enjoy: from the old school to the more recent machines. Finally, if you're observant at the bar, you will find a case filled with Aussie Meat Pies. How to eat an Aussie Pie (from website): Step 1: Pick up pie with hands. Step 2: Put pie in face. No fork necessary. They had what they refer to as "traditional" meat pies, but then they also had some pies stuffed with Gioia's hot salami and Sugar Fire brisket. I won't lie; I was pretty stoked about my Gioia's meat pie! If you're in the neighborhood, check out Silver Ballroom! read more

The Silver Ballroom - Living the High Life with my meat pie! - Dive Bars Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Steve and his wife are two of the nicest folks in St. Louis! I enjoy coming in here and want to become a "regular" if that's possible :) It's a bummer that Fats Pierre is no longer serving food out of the kitchen, but I'm sure they will find a suitable replacement soon enough. Oh, and try the Slutbucket. Most definitely my favorite new drink! read more

The Silver Ballroom - Slutbucket! Yummy! - Dive Bars Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Pretty cool bar. The bartender seemed like she might've owned the place and was super friendly and informative. There weren't as many games as I was expecting and half of them weren't open til the next day. But overall, cheap drinks and fun times! read more

Hidden gem in the Bevo neighborhood. Parking is on the street, but you wont be parking more than a block away. Smoking is no longer allowed inside, so I'm willing to stop by more often. Bring a handful of quarters and you'll be set for the evening. There is always a special cocktail of the evening. There are fresh empanadas from the kitchen. They have been in cans. The pinball games are about 50 cents a pop, with some machines offering 3 plays for $1. My favorite this last time was a Wizard of Oz game... or there was a boxing game with a chance to "box" an opponent using the flippers. I loved it! Most of the machines have cup holders on the side, or there are tables in the pinball room, too. read more

Want to know what's hot in St. Louis right now? Pinballs. They've made their way from the hearts of many a hipster to the tallboy PBR slinging streets of Bevo Mill hood. I don't know how those St. Loutians do it, but with a cig in one hand and a Weach (peach wheat beer) in another, they ping those balls all over The Silver Ballroom. And there's no need to form a line because there is plenty a pinball machine to go around. Drinks are cheap, music is hand-picked by whomever is courageous enough to throw a couple bucks the juke's way and they even have a sausage menu in case you work up an appetite giving those digits of yours a serious sweat fest. It's smokey in there real, reeeaaaaaaallllll smokey smokesters. read more

I love pinball. I love beer. I love awesome jukeboxes. I love megatouch with boobies on it. Plus this place has Doctor Who pinball, and it's insanely hard. PLUS I CAN SMOKE HERE! Plus for me, minus for you non-smokers! Muahahaha. I hear they have pretty awesome Australian Meat Pies as well. But I've never partaken. Here is a sampling of how awesome the Jukebox is: X, Descendents, Tom Waits, and a bunch more good punk and stuff that I can't remember because honestly last time I was there I got pretty sloshed. They have giant cans of PBR for really cheap, bigger than tall boys I feel like. Whatever is bigger than tall cans, that's what they are. They also crack open the side of the top of the can that's open across from the mouth so you can throw the beers back even faster if you choose to do so. I also got this neon blue-ish midori monster of a drink called a Slutbucket. Because 1. it was pretty. 2. the name is hilarious. I'm not even a mixed drink kind of girl, but I went with it. As the bartender was giving me the drink, I say to my boyfriend "I only wanted it because it was pretty." While the bartender was walking away, he said "Story of my life." read more

I LOVE this place! About 18 machines, reasonably priced. I played Creature from the Black Lagoon the whole time I was there. I also noticed The Bride, which is related to Pinbot. It's a nice selection of machines. They all seem to be from the late '70's forward. It's true - it's frigging SMOKE FILLED in here. Being from the West Coast where you can't smoke near a public place let alone IN one, it was a literal blast (of smoke) from the past. But I would hang out here all the time if we lived in St. Louis. One thing about the smoke - it's a good tactic to keep away from certain types of folks. I'd rather be around this crowd than most... Nice, cheap big beers. $2 shot specials. Good music. No pretension. xoxoxo read more

Kansas City vs St. Louis....a rivalry for the ages. They hate us, we hate them, blah blah blah....1985, BITCHES!!WOOOOO! Whatever. I'm a KC boy thru and thru...and I love St. Louis....There! I said it! One of the many things I love about StL is it's plentiful corner drinking establishments. And on a recent trip to town, I took a couple of friends' advice went to check out the Silver Ballroom. Well let me tell ya...if I could have folded this bar up and brought it back to KC, I would have...because it's a friggin' paradise, Let's start with ye olde boozeroony, shall we? They don't have beer on tap. This doesn't bother me...why? because that have giant cans of STAG, that's why. Giant cheap beer that is cheap. This is what the kids call a "win". The patrons are quite a nice mix....lesbians, punk rockers, bikers...all fine people...even bought a round for the dude wearin' the El Forstero colors and his buds...buyin' a shot for the biggest dudes in a strange bar = smart thinking. Don't wanna sit at the bar? Fine then! Stumble over to the next room and feast your eyes on the line of pinball machines! (silver ball....Silver Ballroom....get it?) BUT what made me a true fan of this place (apart from some of the nicest bartenders I've ever encountered while traveling) is the jukebox. Bad Brains, Black Flag,Dictators, Sex Pistols, Iggy, Dropkick Murphys, Anti-Nowhere League...and a ton more of great punk...it was magical. "How could there be room for more awesome?!" I hear you cry!! Well, there's a thing called "The Stripper". The Stripper is a peanut butter and bacon sandwich served on grilled rye bread. And, frankly, it's fuggin' awesome! Now we all know Daddy drinks so Daddy's judgment can be off sometimes. But trust me on this...it is tasty. AND they scored points from The Girl for their selection of fragrant lotions on tap in the ladies room....because soft skin is important when you're hoisting a Busch Lite tallboy, my friends. So...if you like tall, cold, cheap beers and a mean game of pinball while listening to " I Against I" and smelling of lemon verbena or some such...go to Silver Ballroom. I know we'll be going there next time we're in town. read more

I was really debating three stars, I feel I need to say that right away. Anyway: I went there yesterday on a solo jaunt... having recently been to Orbit with a friend. Anyway, silver is definitely a lot different. First off, it's definitely more of a manly feeling place. Maybe that's due to the almost visible smoke cloud you see when you enter... and there weren't as many ladies hanging around. Mainly men in their 30s. No prob with that though. I should have known based on that, that asking for a cosmo at the seemingly well stocked bar was not a wise idea and I wound up having to switch to a vodka and cranberry because the bartender didn't know how to make it. I am sure she's quite good at serving up beer though (which really, I do not mean as any sort of diss because I imagine bartending at a mainly beer only establishment is difficult due to all the types there are these days) I went into the back room. It was definitely still incredibly smoky back there. However, the pinball machines were wonderful. They had a much older Rolling Stones game that was pretty much ace (and I "matched" at the end of maybe half the games I played - which is unheard of). They had The Sopranos and right next to that was the game that I was awful at... AC/DC. I got too distracted singing lyrics to hit the ball it seemed. My fave was definitely the Lord of the Rings game. I got into a great rhythm with it and had one "matching" game. I went to close out my tab that I wound up paying cash for as I only had one drink -- she hadn't been stingy on the vodka and that coupled with the smoke had an intoxicating effect... and it was only $3.50... unheard of cheap. I alternate between that and cosmo's and they usually (dive and upscale) average $6 a go. Considerably under average cost, while having more alcohol than most. read more

Very cool pinball, punk bar. Great for those who don't want to be surrounded by pretentious people and have a good time. Tried to get the bartender to tell us what was in the mystery shot but for only $2 who really cares? Haha read more

This is a pinball bar. Like, there are 2 rooms, one is the actual bar and the other is filled with pinball machines. Probably 20-25, that apparently are changed out periodically. There's also one of those money sucking games where you drop a quarter in and try to push the other quarters (+ one $100 bill in this case) into the slot.... but you never actually do & just end up spending all of your money. But it's still somehow fun. The drinks were super cheap and good, the bartenders were very friendly and helpful with pinball suggestions. Highly recommend! read more

For a woman from California, which has plenty of dive bars, but just kind of crappy dive bars with lots of old drinkers dominating them, the Silver Ballroom was such a treat. We don't really have gimmicky bars out here, which is a damn shame. If I could drink $3 beers and play (South Park--my fave!) pinball all night back home, I surely would. And, while pinball might be the hook, the Silver Ballroom has a lot more going for it. It's got a huge beer selection at great prices, a killer jukebox (and music is is played loud, but not too loud), and plenty of place to stand or sit, whether you're playing the machines or not. The smoking is a bit of a drag, if you're a non-smoker (or just want to avoid your clothes and hair reeking of cigarettes after you leave), but it's a small price to pay for such a fun bar. Heck, the bass player from Flogging Molly even stopped by after their show at the Pageant. I'd pick up this place and move it back to California with me if I could (just like McGurk's in Soulard). Hurray for St. Louis bars! read more

Ooookay.... I really wanted to like this place for sentimental reasons. My husband and I used to play pinball in college when we were dating and I had very fond memories of it, so we gave this place a try. 1st-I know, I know...I was already forewarned about the smoking in this place, but geez laweez...it is downright awful for someone who doesn't smoke and is from a state that smoking in establishments is outlawed. When we left we smelled like the bottom of a 30 year old ashtray that has never been cleaned. We rode with the windows down at 9pm in late December our whole ride. For this one reason, we will never go back even if the overall experience was amazing. 2nd-I can't get past the memory of the smell to even give you a reason two. But, I will try to focus....The pinball machines were cool enough, but I didn't find a machine that was that addicting enough to just move on until I realized they all felt the same. We left very prematurely because the pinball machines weren't that fun. You do get enough play for your money, so luckily it wasn't a complete waste. I don't want to hate on this place, it just wasn't for me. They had good beer prices, which I can appreciate. Good luck breathing if you do decide to try this place out. Cheers. read more

If the Silver Ballroom went smokefree, I'd easily give it five stars. EASILY. I visited the Silver Ballroom only once, but I fell in love instantly. Check that. I fell in love with that bad boy who hangs out on the corner across from the high school that I really, really wanted but I knew I couldn't handle. He was just too metal for me, like my mama always said.* That bad boy opened the door for me and smirked as I walked in to find my friend's birthday group. He wooed me with decoupage surfaces featuring photos and album covers from my favorite bands. He showcased pretty girls in 50s-style dresses that I craved (I craved the dresses, not the girls). He showed me his really, really cute friends who wore spiked hair, leather jackets and Clash t-shirts. He blasted Dropkick Murphys and Ramones and Operation Ivy into my ears. And then he said, "Allison, let me show you my special room." And lo, did I my knees quiver when I saw the room with a billion (Ok, maybe 30?) pinball and arcade games. I began to imagine naughty things happening upon those glass surfaces. But there was a condition to his love - I had to deal with constricted breathing and runny eyes as his friends fired up their cigarettes en masse. Even as my body began shutting down, I debated embracing him for about 10 minutes before I realized that no, he was just asking for too much. And I'm not that kind of girl. I bid my birthday friend adieu and ran away from the Silver Ballroom nearly in tears, so sad to have found everything I was looking for but realizing that none of it was truly meant for me. * My mama didn't actually use the term "metal" when discussing boys with me, but I knew she was thinking it. read more