The Silver Ballroom

Punk rock. Pinball. PBR. Pshhh. Go there already.

Love this place and the owners.  It's stumbling distance from my house.  They always have creative shot specials and a good variety of pinball.  Little too smokey for me at times.

The Silver Ballroom is my favorite place for pinball in St. Louis.  The machine selection is great, with a collection of classic machines from the 1990's to now.  There are several classics, like Addams Family, and Creature from the Black Lagoon, but there are also some off-the-beaten-path games that are a heck of a lot of fun to play, like Frankenstein, and NBA Fastbreak.  

The machines are all well-maintained, and it's uncommon to see a machine out of service for more than a day.  

Game pricing is fair at 50 cents a game, or 3 games for $1, certainly better than some of the other establishments in the area.

The bar is staffed by some of the friendliest barkeeps in the area, and you never find yourself waiting too long for someone to take your order.  There is a large selection of beers, along with a full bar.  There are daily shot and drink specials as well, usually with some funny or topical names that have nothing to do with what's actually in them.

Food selection is limited to a selection of Australian meat pies, which are like pot pies you eat with your hands.  The selection includes various meat pies, including a slinger pie, and some seasonal variations.  They are all fantastic, with the slinger being my personal favorite.

The music can get loud, the bar can get smoky, and the game room can sometimes get crowded, so if any of those offends, be warned.  That said, on Sundays, the bar is generally less crowded, making it a great time to play with a minimum of distractions.

There are other places to play pinball in the St. Louis area, but there are none quite like the Silver Ballroom.  Highly recommended!