The Silver Ballroom is my favorite place for pinball in St. Louis. Â The machine selection is great, with a collection of classic machines from the 1990's to now. Â 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. Â
The machines are all well-maintained, and it's uncommon to see a machine out of service for more than a day. Â
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. Â There is a large selection of beers, along with a full bar. Â 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. Â The selection includes various meat pies, including a slinger pie, and some seasonal variations. Â 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. Â 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. Â Highly recommended!
The silver ballroom is a punk rock dive bar with pinball.
The bartender didn't laugh at me too much when I ordered a Minor Threat (which is basically a Shirley Temple with muddled lime and maraschino cherry juice in lieu of grenadine). I know it's a fancy cocktail with no alcohol and bartenders don't know what to charge for it. but whatever, I'm sober, and that's what I drink. At one point they also had a vegan pizza called Hippies in Flames (maybe that's no more??)
The pinball rules.
This place is awesome, every time we go. Â Last night the bar was full so we spent the night meeting the most talented pinball players ever in the second room. Â Seriously, I think after witnessing the maneuvers on The Adams Family and Transformers games, I am ready to suggest this become a sport. Â I know everyone else was watching basketball (sorry KU:( fans) but pinball is simply marvelous to watch. Â Also, I have to say that these people are super friendly. Â Last time I was at the Silver Ballroom I overheard a guy using a curse word very loudly, and I just looked at him, not to be nasty, just because. Â He was dressed completely in leather and had more tattoos than the rest of us combined, but he mouthed "sorry" to us (a few girls) and seemed to mean it. Â I mean, I teach high school and I can't get that sort of response from some of the kids in our top ten. Â Last night we made friends with a pinball prodigy named Dennis who apparently programs computers by day. Â I think he should quit his day job and become the pinball poster boy. Â Highlight of the evening: Â deciding which guy in the place had the best hair to turn into a french braid.
Review Source:I've apparently been living in a void, because I didn't realize that Silver Ballroom was a pinball bar. Â In fact, until I walked through the bar & into the pinball mecca in the back room, I just thought it was a typical dive with an odd name. Â It's a smoking bar, so it's not for the faint of lung, but it didn't bother me - it really just added to the charm. Â The drinks are strong, the pinball machines are plentiful & they have all the fun ones (Addams Family, BOOM). Â Even on a Friday night, we were able to get in some games, although my game play was an abomination by then :) Â Definitely one of the most fun places I've been to in a long time!!
Review Source:Returned last week (another work trip) and it was as fantastic as I had remembered. Â This time, I got to meet the owner, Doc. Â I had to tell him what a fantastic place he's running. Â 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...
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Silver Ballroom, They have cheap canned 2x4's and Pinball, and the only place i know of that has decent music on the jukebox! Â The Meat pies are tasty, but honestly i don't go there for them. (Big Plus, Dr. Who pinball!)
The ONLY reason I'm not giving this place a 5 is because I can't stay in there for very long, they allow smoking in there, and OHHHH man it makes my eyes burn because they have like NO circulating air. I usually go by myself because my friends can not stand the smoke....
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!
Came here on a Saturday night a few weeks ago while visiting St. Louis. Â I'm not too up on the bars in STL, but this one seems hard to beat. Â The Silver Ballroom has everything you could want in a bar, pinball, cheap drinks, awesome jukebox (Sham, CockSparrer, The Specials) great bar staff and friendly patrons. Â My recommendation? Â A Stag tallboy and $5 on the jukebox.
Review Source: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."
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.
If you want to drink, and I mean properly drink, go to the Silver Ballroom.
The bar or Retox Center as they've dubbed it, serves stiff drinks at good prices. The bartenders are always friendly and happily tolerant of the people who have had a bit too much of some good things.
The jukebox is full of punk music. You can smoke to your hearts content. And then there's the pinball. Vintage classics, kitsch 90's machines, and some free machines thrown in for good measure.
For a complete night, get some pho at one of the local Vietnamese places, hit up The Royale for top quality drinks and music, go to the Silver Ballroom to have some great fun and end at Uncle Bill's for some potato pancakes and eggs to ease the pain of the morning after.
Ah....heaven.
Pinball machines (with varying levels of kitsch and hilarity), hipsters with awesome tattoos on display for your viewing pleasure, amaaaazing music, fancy bathroom with free Bath & Body works lotion to make you smell pretty after you pee, and cheap PBR tallboys! What's not to love? The smoke, that's what. Â After two hours I am pretty sure I developed lung cancer and my hair smelled so awful the next day. grr. Smoking is so cool! not.
Review Source:The place was kinda cool with a definite hipster vibe. Â Smoking is allowed here, so it's a bit smoky, which may or may not bother you.
There are 2 sections. Â First, there is a bar with a jukebox in the back. Â Walk through near the jukebox into the 2nd section where you find some tables and chairs and all the pinball machines. Â There's a good variety here and they run on regular quarters.
The drinks are decently priced, but I didn't get to try a lot of what they had.
What can you really say about a bar with pinball machines that hasn't already been said? Here's to trying. Â This may be one of the best ideas ever. Â And I can't believe I was never here before. Â Nothing better to test your reflexes than pinball. Â
There are maybe 15 pinball machines? Â And a change machine. Â So if you don't have quarters, just dollars will do. Â The range in age of these things is pretty awesome. Â Some of them are likely from the invention of pinball... or at least the 1960s. Â
The bar has a range of beer, the bottom including PBR and Stag cans. Â Also the night I was there, the bartender had $2 mystery shots. Â A questionable practice, but it worked out ok for us by the end of the night. Â
The place probably never gets crowded. Â But the people here are pretty friendly. Â As soon as we walked in some random guy came up and started talking to us. Â I mean, hands down, this guy was wasted. Â But he played some mean pinball, and seemed to either know or just be okay talking to exactly every single person in the bar. Â
This is not exactly the place I am going to frequent, but it is exactly the kind of place I am going to recommend everyone go. Â So chances are, if you are coming to see me in St Louis anytime soon, plan for this night out. Â And pack a jacket you don't mind having out of commission for a while because of the smoke.
This place is a great time. I want to go back here with a roll of quarters. Â So I came up here with a few friends after my excursion at the Schlafly Bottleworks to top the night off. Â Any place that serves PBR and Stag in a 16oz can just has awesome written all over it. Â You can still smoke in the place so if you have any qualms about that look else where, but I had a great time here even if I had to stand in the shower a few extra minutes the next morning. Â
I bought a round for my friends and I think two more drinks for myself and it came to like $30 (There were 7 of us I think so that ain't bad at all). Â The Bartenders were awesome and really nice. Â The place wasn't too crowded either which made the experience all the more enjoyable since we could hang out with one another and just have a good time. Â
Definitely going to go back here.
I really dig  this place.  I have been away for a little bit and this place opened just before I left.  I finally got to check it out. Â
Pinball is fun, combined with beer it is even better. Â This place has something like 14 pinball machines. Â Really cool atmosphere out here. Â My only complaint is that the smoke is a bit overwhelming, but it is far from a deal breaker. Â
This place kind of reminds me of a bar named "Shorty's" Â in Seattle, WA I used to hang out at while I lived around there. Â The Silver Ballroom is almost as good as Shorty's. Â
I was drinking PBR, but rumor is they have a pretty good mixed drink selection. Â
One of my favorite aspects of this bar is the juke box. Â I think they beat out The Bleading Deacon for the best Juke Box in St. Louis. Â The juke box is full of Punk and Indie. Â Tons of great bands like Rancid, The Ramones, Stiff Little Fingers, The Pixies, Agent Orange.
I will definitely be coming around this place when I move back to St. Louis.
Great divey bar/drinking hole. Â The "Retox Center" up front has some good, stiff, cheap drinks and the pinball in back is fun if you like pinball. Â I like the crowd, a mix of punk, hipster, normal South City people, and whatever. Â Haven't eaten there, their menu looks horrifyingly gross and tasty at the same time. Â Some of the shot names may offend you if you are easily offended, but then I doubt that is the target audience of this place. Â It can get hot and crowded. Â But, as far as south city bars go, it's pretty sweet, I think. Â And there's no crappy music in the jukebox so it always sounds good.
Review Source:You know what's better than being a block away from your home and drinking? Drinking at the pinball capital of Missouri and listening to "Just Like Heaven" by the Cure. The bartenders are amazing, I've never had such an easy time getting a drink. And their drinks were cheap, $20 for an entire night of drinking. I love the $2 Shelly Shots maybe because my name is Shelly or that I usually get to take them with "THE" Shelly. This is my favorite bar in STL hands down!!
Review Source:This place is a total throwback to the time when pinball was all the rage. With a fist-full of quarters one could get some serious playing time as the whole back wall is lined up with machines. The have a decent selection of beers but don't dare ask for a bud. They don't carry it or any likeness of it. If you're more in the mood for a fun cocktail they've got some doozies to pick from. My personal favorite is the "Sucker Punch" but they also have one called the "Southside Grapest" and a shot called "Sex on Morganford"...It's pretty delicious. Get a seat at the bar so you can talk with the bartenders too. They are really friendly and fun.
Review Source: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' Â 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.
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!
Everything I'd heard is true.
Punk? Check. The best jukebox in the city.
Pinball? Check. About a dozen machines, including a good variety and a few vintage freebies.
PBR? Check. In a tall boy, no less!
People? Check. Possibly the nicest bar staff you'll ever find at a self-professed dive bar. The place is clearly a labor of love for these people, and I love it. All of it.
I'm holding my review to 4 stars only because I wasn't able to try any of their food or signature drinks on my first visit, but I can't wait to go back and give them a shot. Based on my initial experience, I have NO doubt they taste like a fifth star.
Ok so I wasn't sure when I was walking up to it and I haven't been here late at night, but the happy hour to 9 crowd was pretty cool. Love the pinball machines and the drinks are quite delicious. Â We converged on the Silver Ballroom with other folks on Yelp for a meet and greet. Â
Probably my favorite part was that the staff (I believe the owners were running the bar) were all fantastic and friendly. Â I really enjoy great service. Â Hope to go check it out again sometime, and so should you!
Calling all "Pinball Wizards..." There's a new game in town and it's located just across the street from Bevo Mill.
This new South City dive features red walls, soda fountain tables/booths, a jukebox, a room full of pinball machines, a menu of chopped steak sandwiches and hotdogs, and all of the Schlitz, PBR, and Busch beer that a person can handle,
The two-room bar is crowded and hot, but they have a loyal following of colorful characters. Besides beer, they offer a full bar and they have plenty of semi-helpful tattoo'd/pierced staff on-hand who seem well intentioned, but are a little slow to help.
While the service may lack a bit, the Silver Ballroom is unique and worth checking out. Go on a cool day..
Hello new Hipster Bar. Mangia with some pinball machines anyone? Went here a couple weeks back and my friend commented that it had the feel of the old Creepy Crawl, which I felt was pretty accurate. The place is crawling with tight pants, trendy tattoos and beards, but I'm cool with that. PBR tall boys are served on the for serious, and they have a couple free pinballs in the back that will let you try out the game before hitting up the more serious paying machines :) As mentioned in other reviews, this place is hot! Very little ventilation, which is not so fun on these here humid ass days. However, the good company, good tunes, and good drinks are quite the reprieve from a hot, boring evening at home by yourself.
Review Source:Being a pinball junky and being quasi well traveled, at least within the US, I long ago lamented that there was not a pinball bar in St. Louis. Imagine my surprise and joy when this place opened in the heart of the southside 5 min from my house! Additionally, while very laid back, it has a kitchen. Perfect.
Review Source:I wish there were more businesses in St. Louis that captured what The Silver Ballroom has; there's something about a pinball bar that's unexpected in St. Louis, and unexpected is good.
If we had more places in St. Louis that were built from new ideas instead of traditional models, we'd see more smart, innovative people coming to and/or staying in St. Louis.
Fats Pierre, the chef at The Silver Ballroom serves up street-style foods that are absolutely fantastic. My boyfriend and I tried all five dishes on the menu that night (my boy has the metabolism of a 10 year old), and every single dish was great. Cheap, too!
For more on The Silver Ballroom: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsmalltowngirlsguide.com%2F2010%2Fsilver-ballroom-tweetup-the-recap%2F&s=3111393db0d1227f2ade14835dd92d47b041698c8af8bb29411bf12189f0d8bb" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://smalltowngirlsgui…</a>
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.
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!
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