Humphrey's

[BigMouthBilliken]

Nowadays everyone goes to soulard (mcgurks, Molly's, johnnys, Hammerstone's) or Ball park village (howl at the moon, pbr, etc)

[wgstl]

I thought the grove was also popular for SLU kids?

[Pistol]

We went to Soulard sometimes, and actually went to the Landing a fair amount. There was some dumb place there (Buca Lounge, maybe?) that did an all-you-can-drink extended happy hour and if you went, you put your name in for the following week and could be eligible to 'win' the privilege again. So if you brought a group, you could get this dirt-cheap drunk fest every week, pretty much. And by the time it started turning into a dance club with full-price drinks for the night, we'd split.

Driving is the problem. There's no substitute for getting shitfaced at Humphrey's and Laclede's and walking across the street to get home. No one wants to be the DD. AND WE DIDN'T HAVE UBER IN MY DAY, EITHER.

[Taj79]

I see from Google maps they are building something across from Humphrey's where the old Friday's/Clark's was. What's going in there?

As an undergrad when dinosaurs roamed the earth, we had Free Advice (Humphrey's) where it is now. Directly across was Friday's(later named Clarks because TGIFridays came to town) and the second floor was a pizza Joint "Pie-in-the-Sky." We also had the Pub, located in the Busch Student Center (where SLU student IDs counted more than actual driver's licenses) . Going west on Laclede from Hump's, we had The Fifth House, Caleco's (where the Shack was), and Pastori's. Down on North Vandeventer, we had 20 North and then Bogart's towards Lindell. Down from Vandy and West Pine on West Pine was Harpo's. Across from Tegler Hall was Ballhooters. There was another place on Olive that opened when we were seniors but I forget the name. Stood in the shadows just west of the Continental Life Building. Plus we had Rossino's on Sarah. We also had one of the Garavelli's over by the Fox. Spring Avenue spanned the old railroad yards and Billy Goat Hill was over there, on Chouteau I think. And everybody's fall back was way outside the friendly confines down on Newstead - Jimmy and Andy's (J&A's). And back then,. there was a floor party at least one day every weekend -- some ridiculous cover charge off the elevator and onto the floor with 10 to 15 kegs going with what seemed to be constant taps. The biggets dorm meeting each semester was the one that dolled out which floor got which night on what weekend ..... George's Cherry Chiller on 14G for Valentines/President Day in February. Some killer apple concoction for Halloween weekend in October. Grain alcohol seemed the poison of choice most times.

[brianstl]

The mid-late 90's were not bad in that area. Humps, 20 North, Billiken Bench Club, Caleco's, Kearby's.

[bonwich]

In the 90s, we had:

Humphrey's

Caleco's (Later known as Laclede's)

Billiken Bench Club (Later known by a bunch of names; since demolished for a Jimmy John's)

20 North (Hippie bar on Vandeventer; since demolished by SLU)

Bullfeathers (Corner of Grand and Lindell - my favorite bar; since demolished by SLU for no real reason)

The original Vito's in the basement of the Bullfeather's building

Clark's - just across Laclede from Humphrey's - closed right before my freshman year. Later became The Grind (a coffee shop) and eventually demolished by SLU.

The Fifth House building on Laclede has been vacant since well before my freshman year.

And going back further...

Billiken Bench Club was Pastori's and would serve virtually anyone with a pulse (as long as they were accompanied by someone who had already been there. Otherwise: "Card 'em, George!")

Did "The Pub" in Busch Center still exist in the '90s? They ID'd a lot, but it was also quite easy to obtain a replacement SLU ID with a modified birthdate. (There was also, for a while, a campus-run pub in what's now the basement restaurant space of the Coronado.)

Rossino's.

Wasn't there another dive on Vandeventer on the same side of the street as 20 North? (There was also always Mag's, but you had to play on the correct team to be welcome to drink there.)

The old house next to Cafe Ventana was, briefly, a bar called Harpo's.

You could also usually get served in El Serape if you bought a tamale.

[bonwich]

I see from Google maps they are building something across from Humphrey's where the old Friday's/Clark's was. What's going in there?

As an undergrad when dinosaurs roamed the earth, we had Free Advice (Humphrey's) where it is now. Directly across was Friday's(later named Clarks because TGIFridays came to town) and the second floor was a pizza Joint "Pie-in-the-Sky." We also had the Pub, located in the Busch Student Center (where SLU student IDs counted more than actual driver's licenses) . Going west on Laclede from Hump's, we had The Fifth House, Caleco's (where the Shack was), and Pastori's. Down on North Vandeventer, we had 20 North and then Bogart's towards Lindell. Down from Vandy and West Pine on West Pine was Harpo's. Across from Tegler Hall was Ballhooters. There was another place on Olive that opened when we were seniors but I forget the name. Stood in the shadows just west of the Continental Life Building. Plus we had Rossino's on Sarah. We also had one of the Garavelli's over by the Fox. Spring Avenue spanned the old railroad yards and Billy Goat Hill was over there, on Chouteau I think. And everybody's fall back was way outside the friendly confines down on Newstead - Jimmy and Andy's (J&A's). And back then,. there was a floor party at least one day every weekend -- some ridiculous cover charge off the elevator and onto the floor with 10 to 15 kegs going with what seemed to be constant taps. The biggets dorm meeting each semester was the one that dolled out which floor got which night on what weekend ..... George's Cherry Chiller on 14G for Valentines/President Day in February. Some killer apple concoction for Halloween weekend in October. Grain alcohol seemed the poison of choice most times.

I don't believe anyone has ever seen Taj and me in the same room together. Draw your own conclusions. (Bogart's. Thank you, Taj. I was going to note that lots of folks went to J&A's, but only made the walk when accompanied by hockey players and/or large frat boys.)

[brianstl]

In the 90s, we had:

Humphrey's

Caleco's (Later known as Laclede's)

Billiken Bench Club (Later known by a bunch of names; since demolished for a Jimmy John's)

20 North (Hippie bar on Vandeventer; since demolished by SLU)

Bullfeathers (Corner of Grand and Lindell - my favorite bar; since demolished by SLU for no real reason)

The original Vito's in the basement of the Bullfeather's building

Clark's - just across Laclede from Humphrey's - closed right before my freshman year. Later became The Grind (a coffee shop) and eventually demolished by SLU.

The Fifth House building on Laclede has been vacant since well before my freshman year.

Forgot about Bullfeathers. Got into Clark's once my senior in high school.

[johnbj14]

In the restaurant space of Coronado now there is a place called Mi Caribe that has a Friday happy hour in the afternoon I believe. But other than that it is a restaurant and not much of a bar.

[TheChosenOne]

We went to Soulard sometimes, and actually went to the Landing a fair amount. There was some dumb place there (Buca Lounge, maybe?) that did an all-you-can-drink extended happy hour and if you went, you put your name in for the following week and could be eligible to 'win' the privilege again. So if you brought a group, you could get this dirt-cheap drunk fest every week, pretty much. And by the time it started turning into a dance club with full-price drinks for the night, we'd split.

Driving is the problem. There's no substitute for getting shitfaced at Humphrey's and Laclede's and walking across the street to get home. No one wants to be the DD. AND WE DIDN'T HAVE UBER IN MY DAY, EITHER.

Ah yes, CLUB BUCA! What a place that was. I remember going to MP O'Reilly's in the CWE on Thursday nights quite a bit our senior year. I also remember Dante's and a club opening up briefly in that church looking building adjacent to Urban Chestnut. There wasn't much within walking distance when we were upperclassmen.

[TheChosenOne]

I forgot about Boccardi's friday night all you can drink for whatever stupid amount it was. Some dude in a wheelchair tried to fight me there one night. I wasn't exactly sure how that was going to go.

I am curious when this would have been? Pistol and I likely have a good idea who this would have been...

[brianstl]

Ah yes, CLUB BUCA! What a place that was. I remember going to MP O'Reilly's in the CWE on Thursday nights quite a bit our senior year. I also remember Dante's and a club opening up briefly in that church looking building adjacent to Urban Chestnut. There wasn't much within walking distance when we were upperclassmen.

The site of Club Buca for years was Boomer's. Owned by the same guy that owned Clark's. It was actually a pretty cool place.

[Pistol]

Ah yes, CLUB BUCA! What a place that was. I remember going to MP O'Reilly's in the CWE on Thursday nights quite a bit our senior year. I also remember Dante's and a club opening up briefly in that church looking building adjacent to Urban Chestnut. There wasn't much within walking distance when we were upperclassmen.

I never went to Dante's (wasn't it the Firehouse before that?) because...I'm not sure I need to give a reason. According to Google Maps, it's still there. I would've bet against that.

That weird Spanish-style church building next to UCBC was a club for about 2 weeks, right? I remember it being vacant, then suddenly a bunch of people went there once, then it was vacant again.

I'm about 98% sure who the "dude in the wheelchair" was, as well. RIP.

[bonwich]

The site of Club Buca for years was Boomer's. Owned by the same guy that owned Clark's. It was actually a pretty cool place.

Whose name, ironically, is John Clark. Also owned Jake's Steaks. Might've had a piece of that Sinatra restaurant on Broadway downtown IIRC. I thought I heard he finally got out of the business.

The Landing was also a whole lot nicer in the Dark Ages. Good mix of rowdy bars, decent restaurants and combinations of both. (There was a Bogart's down there, too, but I don't remember if they were affiliated.)

[Taj79]

Yes -- even as co sports-editors of the Unews they never saw us together. Have I thanked you enough for that? Thanks! Again. Thanks.

By the way, not as up there as your progeny, youngest was just named "Baltimore's Hottest Bartender" by 98 Rock and Smirnoff's. So proud! It's what all those bars in my "yoot" led to!

[Pistol]

I forgot about the all-you-can-drink deal at Boccardi's; that didn't last long.

The BSC opened again our senior year after a two-year construction period, and was somehow no better than before. Anyway, I think the place in there served alcohol. It went through a couple different names the same year, unfortunately. Hadn't found its identity yet.

[brianstl]

Whose name, ironically, is John Clark. Also owned Jake's Steaks. Might've had a piece of that Sinatra restaurant on Broadway downtown IIRC. I thought I heard he finally got out of the business.

The Landing was also a whole lot nicer in the Dark Ages. Good mix of rowdy bars, decent restaurants and combinations of both. (There was a Bogart's down there, too, but I don't remember if they were affiliated.)

I think Clark still owns and lives on the top floor of Old Judge Coffee Building. Pretty sure he has been the only non homeless resident of Lacledes Landing for years.

[brianstl]

Think all the recent different bars in the old Boomers space have been operated by members of the Gianino family. They own Joey B's on the landing and about 8 other bars/restaraunts.

[TheChosenOne]

I forgot about the all-you-can-drink deal at Boccardi's; that didn't last long.

The BSC opened again our senior year after a two-year construction period, and was somehow no better than before. Anyway, I think the place in there served alcohol. It went through a couple different names the same year, unfortunately. Hadn't found its identity yet.

Yeah, the Boccardi's deal was bad news. Definitely don't need college kids drinking whiskey and Coke essentially for free in a restaurant setting.

I do remember going to Wackadoo's for food and I think I remember drinking beer there as well. I think they may have had live music a few times.

What was the name of the club near Lindell and Vandeventer? I think it used to be a Playboy Club or something.

[Pistol]

Yeah, the Boccardi's deal was bad news. Definitely don't need college kids drinking whiskey and Coke essentially for free in a restaurant setting.

I do remember going to Wackadoo's for food and I think I remember drinking beer there as well. I think they may have had live music a few times.

What was the name of the club near Lindell and Vandeventer? I think it used to be a Playboy Club or something.

I can't remember. I never went there; I think it closed the year I was turning 21. I'm pretty sure the same people who own Cathedral Square Brewery own it, although their beers are contract brewed elsewhere. They also own that Diablito's place, which was briefly a Pasta House late in our time there (and a coffee shop before that, also briefly).

[JMM28]

Yeah, the Boccardi's deal was bad news. Definitely don't need college kids drinking whiskey and Coke essentially for free in a restaurant setting.

I do remember going to Wackadoo's for food and I think I remember drinking beer there as well. I think they may have had live music a few times.

What was the name of the club near Lindell and Vandeventer? I think it used to be a Playboy Club or something.

Re: wheelchair guy, would have been 04-05 probably. Motorized kind.

Wackadoos had a killer buffalo chicken. I remember watching the ND-SLU NIT game there and being really angry about the whole thing.

Lindell and Vandeventer wasn't it called the city brewhaus or something to that effect? They had an all you can drink special for awhile, until some neighbors at the Vandeventer apartments totalled a car in the parking lot in between. They also had really terrible service, but did a nice job re-doing the inside.

[bonwich]

Well, that took me a while. The Playboy Club was the City Grille and Brewhouse -- for about five minutes, if I remember right. I was going to review it and it had already closed.

That space has weirdness. I think there's a very awkward parking garage in there somewhere. And the whole thing about Cathedral Square was a bit dicey -- they were brewing in there, they were actually brewing somewhere else but planned to brew in there, they decided to buy a space in the CWE (well, technically, the Playboy Club is still in the CWE, but at the very eastern edge) and brew there.

[johnbj14]

I can't remember. I never went there; I think it closed the year I was turning 21. I'm pretty sure the same people who own Cathedral Square Brewery own it, although their beers are contract brewed elsewhere. They also own that Diablito's place, which was briefly a Pasta House late in our time there (and a coffee shop before that, also briefly).

Yes the same group owns Cathedral Square, Diablitos, Cafe Ventana on forest park, Moonshine Blues Bar, Hendrick's BBQ, and Sanctuaria Wild Tapas according to the website. I only knew of the first three off the top of my head as Cafe Ventana or Diablitos has some coupon with the logos on it.

[BigMouthBilliken]

We went to Soulard sometimes, and actually went to the Landing a fair amount. There was some dumb place there (Buca Lounge, maybe?) that did an all-you-can-drink extended happy hour and if you went, you put your name in for the following week and could be eligible to 'win' the privilege again. So if you brought a group, you could get this dirt-cheap drunk fest every week, pretty much. And by the time it started turning into a dance club with full-price drinks for the night, we'd split.

Driving is the problem. There's no substitute for getting shitfaced at Humphrey's and Laclede's and walking across the street to get home. No one wants to be the DD. AND WE DIDN'T HAVE UBER IN MY DAY, EITHER.

Uber split fare to BPV for 5-7 people crammed in a sedan is like $1-$3 per person. Can't beat it

[Pistol]

Re: wheelchair guy, would have been 04-05 probably. Motorized kind.

Wackadoos had a killer buffalo chicken. I remember watching the ND-SLU NIT game there and being really angry about the whole thing.

Lindell and Vandeventer wasn't it called the city brewhaus or something to that effect? They had an all you can drink special for awhile, until some neighbors at the Vandeventer apartments totalled a car in the parking lot in between. They also had really terrible service, but did a nice job re-doing the inside.

I'm sure it was him. Did he also have cigarettes and a 'handler' of sorts? Because that other guy was my brother. He did his best to keep the guy in the wheelchair from starting fights, and was his caretaker back in his dorm room in Fusz. The guy in question lost almost all of his mobility due to a car accident in high school. Flipped his car on a highway ramp when it was rainy. His life was a struggle after that. He passed a couple years ago.

Well, that took me a while. The Playboy Club was the City Grille and Brewhouse -- for about five minutes, if I remember right. I was going to review it and it had already closed.

That space has weirdness. I think there's a very awkward parking garage in there somewhere. And the whole thing about Cathedral Square was a bit dicey -- they were brewing in there, they were actually brewing somewhere else but planned to brew in there, they decided to buy a space in the CWE (well, technically, the Playboy Club is still in the CWE, but at the very eastern edge) and brew there.

Didn't they buy that abandoned church on the corner of Kingshighway and McPherson (I might be wrong on the cross-street)? I'd heard they were going to renovate it and put their brewing operation there with a taproom or full brewpub, but that it had been taking a while to come up with the millions necessary to do so.

I never made it to the City Grille & Brewhouse; I've heard stories about it.