Hello there. I enjoyed my visit here at the First Ward House. The wings here were recommended to me by another local business in downtown Saint Joseph. It was a good recommendation of some flavorful smoked wings. The place itself presented a cool atmosphere with an inside corner bar or sports bar vibe and a big patio with options to turn into a backyard bbq, sports party or chill hangout. Very cool versatility. The service was very typical of the friendly, chill vibe of the Midwest area. This place (and it's cat) makes happiness. read more

First Ward House - Mama - New American Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

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Excellent service! The Bloody Mary's are top notch (made with Clamato). Parmesan Garlic and Zombie wings are delicious! Great lunch special - 6 wings and a side for 10 bucks! Recommend the onion rings and baked beans for the side choice! read more

First Ward House - Bloody Mary (with Clamato) - New American Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

Wow! What a great bar! I wish I could remember the manager's name (a young woman). She was friendly and offered her honest thoughts on menu items. We both had burgers. read more

St Joseph's oldest bar is also home of the best pork tenderloin sandwich we have ever tasted and has an extensive selection of Boulevard beers on tap. If that's not enough, they specialize in wings and smoke their own meats. Many menu items are named after Jesse James The original brick wall still stands, as does the original bar. This space has survived multiple fires and continues on with an open heart, cheery staff and a persistent soul. A must-visit for history, for the yummy tastes, and the ambiance when in St Joseph read more

Came in on a cold Monday night and was treated as family. Bartender was attentive and fast! Food was also delicious! 10/10 would recommend!

Great dive bar with phenomenal atmosphere and service. Their food is always great, and they have by far the best wings in St Joe. They are also a great place to hang out for a drink, especially in the summer with their massive deck. I love sitting on their big deck. read more

Great dive bar! Service was great! Friendly and fast. Five starts for a dive bar? Well, yes, because they do it well - great service and great dive bar food. Had their house burger with a bacon add- $10 for the McWard burger and fries and $0.75 for bacon. Who has these prices anymore? Now, it is a dive bar- (did I mention that?) so it isn't the cleanest place. Windows dirty, menus not wiped down. Let's just say it isn't a place for a germaphobe. Huge deck on the back. Might have to put up with cigarette smoke- but hey, this is a dive bar. Decent music. I think they may have bands on some nights. Fries seemed fresh cut- not the typical fries you get. Definitely decent. The burger though- I don't know what they season it with, but it will bring me back. Tasty!!! A burger and fries, add bacon and a couple draft beers and I got out for just under $20 before tip. Wow. In 2022? I'll definitely return because I want to try the tenderloin. read more

First Ward House - McWard Burger with bacon and fries. The special sauce was delicious! - New American Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

We stopped here after Chiefs training camp with family. Definitely a pub. We picked this place for their BBQ but sadly they did not have any. My husband was looking forward to brisket. We ordered the sampler appetizer to share, fried pickle spears, fried green bean and spicy corn nuggets. They were all good but I think the green beans were the best. I ordered the tenderloin and fries. The fries were super yummy, good seasoning. Tenderloin was okay, barely as big as the bun. My husband ordered the spicy burger and sweet potato fries. The fries were very good. The burger had good flavor and crust but wasn't spicy at all. Just needed a kick to it. Others in our party had nitro wings and the tenderloin. The wings were said to be on point. Waitstaff were super nice and helpful on suggesting what to order. read more

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Came from out of town got the smoked wings, they were very good, the server was very nice & prices are fairly cheap

Delicious local place in St. Joseph, Missouri! I had the Jesse Jane which was a mix of BBQ and coleslaw for a low carb/keto option. Hands down some of the best food I've had in St. Joe! read more

First Ward House - The menu - New American Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

There wasn't a lot of options for lunch on a Sunday in the vicinity of downtown St. Joe, so I was pleased to find First Ward House open. FWH bills itself as the longest continually operating saloon West of the Mississippi, having opened in1878. Damn! That's 143 years (Rutherford B. Hayes was president) for slinging food and drink so that deserves a star just for longevity. The vibe is roadhouse / sports bar with a small stage area for bands and a deck out back for patio seating and cornhole. I ordered one of their signature sandwiches - The Bonnie - grilled pork tenderloin; as compared to The Clyde which is fried. They also have a lot of sandwiches named after Jesse James, they definitely play up the notorious history of the area. The Bonnie was $11 and for $3 for onion rings on the side. Nothing special, but nothing to complain about. Good service and a cool old building that's seen a lot. I would love to come here for a few cold ones and meet the locals someday. read more

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Great place. Stopped in on a Monday afternoon. Carryouts were steady the entire time we were there. Service was great, pinball was fun, and food was amazing. I had the wings with Zombie sauce. Very moist and lots of meat. Highly recommended. My husband had the pork tenderloin. Not too thin and not too thick and batter was crispy. Fried mushrooms for appetizer were hand battered . read more

Got some wings and beer the beer was cold and the wings slightly overdone my ding companion got a Caesars wrap which were pretty good. The cajun fries were good and seasoned well. read more

Second time there. Doesn't seem like a place I would want to eat. Not impressed with the bar maid. Good enough to drink and watch a game. Looks like there are some needed repairs like the cue rack is ready to fall off the wall. I can't recommend it. read more

Best wings I've ever eaten And the beer was cold. My service was top notch. The whole experience was positive.

Food was ok (we each had fried tenderloin, plus we had an appetizer sampler). Service on the other hand was pretty terrible. We sat for over 10 min waiting to order, and that was an indication of the rest of the meal's service. Server only came near when we would call her from other areas of restaurant. Overall we probably won't return anytime soon. Pretty disappointed with the history of this place. read more

Barbecue sandwiches were good. Wings were good, but odd that the Memphis Wings were heavily sauced. Fries were undercooked, limp and lifeless. The server was very good and food came out quickly. read more

Definitely RECOMMEND this original hometown dive bar!! Friendly knowledgeable bar staff recommended the Mcward Burger and smoked wings! Great tasting and quality ingredients in the food! Clean, fun atmosphere! read more

I can't comment on the menu. Aside from french fries and fried pickles, I'm not sure if anything (even those) are vegan-friendly. But I had a fabulous night of karaoke here. A few of us stopped by on a Sunday night and were pleasantly surprised when they began setting up for karaoke! Their sound system is of great quality and the host (can't remember her name) was awesome! She even got up and did a Bohemian Rhapsody duet with me (at my request). The song selection was great, as was the audience. I had a great time. The service was good and they guys in my group loved their wings and bottlenecks. They wouldn't stop ordering them. lol We had come by here a couple of nights prior (I think it was a Thursday night) and it was packed. There was some drama with a racist patron (no surprise here) who wouldn't leave us alone, but that situation was diffused. We mentioned this incident when we returned and was told that we should've let the staff know. She (DJ hostess with the mostest!) said that they don't play that. That statement made me happy. The next time we're in St. Joe, my crew and I will be back. Me, for the karaoke. The boys, for the booze and babes. read more

Dive bar...but if you love dive bars, you will enjoy. Drinks are solid, wings were ok. Bartender took a bit to warm up. We'd come back if we were in town again. read more

Always a good place to eat the tenderloin is the best anywhere so stop in and try one. Service is always good. Ambiance it's a cool old old bar ish place that was almost lost to a fire read more

This place is pretty great, I don't even come here for drinks I usually come for the food! Whoever made the menu is a genius and knows what people want! The drinks have never disappointed me either lol On my list of favorite places to visit when I'm in town! Would recommend anytime, the bartenders are great! read more

First review I wrote was in 2018, definitely liked the place. This last Sunday we ordered thru door dash. Had the SJFD burger with slaw and the hot balls. No description on door dash as to what "hot balls" are, so we were just curious and didn't know what sauce to request. It is like fried cheese curds only with jalapeno cheese. $7.70 for not very many balls. Biggest complaint is the SJFD burgers - we ordered both medium rare. One arrived medium and the other was definitely well done, not even a trace of pink. The patties appeared to be some premade frozen patties perfectly round and with the odd little taste the premade patties have. If I recall correctly they did not use premade patties previously. Worst offense? There was a hair on my burger, eww! read more

First time there so awesome. So good. Good service and told everyone to go. Went the very next day and we'll... not so much. Day one wings naked with chips. Prob some of the best I have ever had. Second day. Tenderloin sandwich that taste just like a chicken that McDonald's does it better so idk. I don't live in st joe and will prob never return so I'll never have an average so. Roll the dice. And good luck is all I can really offer. read more

We love it at First Ward. The Menu is large and the food is always prompt and hot. The atmosphere is just awesome every time we're there and the service is the best of our experience. Our server was name Lindsey and she was super cordial and knowledgeable about all the drinks and I items on the menu. We've been back several times since and we always ask for Lindsey. Highly recommend this place for its food, drinks, atmosphere and service!! Ask for Lindsey!! read more

Oh. My. God!!! The wings!!! I've had a few bar wings in my day of all type and variety...these are by far the best!! I ordered the teriyaki...I didn't expect much. What I got was the flavor equivalent of a roundhouse kick from Van Damme. Wow! Smoked wings with the flavor smoked on! So so good! They have good food...not just bar good...actually good. Go there...sit on the huge patio and see for yourself! Today, go today!!! read more

Oldest bar/grill west of the Mississippi!! Wait staff very friendly and kept checking on you . Good food and cold beer. Building has a lot of history, several tv's and one very large TV to watch sports. Will return when I can . read more

Super cool atmosphere! Bar, seating, stage for music, pool table, and a station with a Super Nintendo! Got the mozzarella sticks for an app- I'd pass on those. Maybe something else would be good? Not sure. I got a sandwich from the 'Jesse' list of sandwiches, per the waitress recommendation. I got the uncle Jesse. Don't waste your time- GET THE UNCLE JESSEE. Turkey, pork, brisket, bacon, and cheese. Choice of fries or chips. Both made fresh in house. Can't go wrong with either. PRO TIP: Parking in the back, not along the street. read more

I haven't eaten here for years, but occasionally have had a drink here. They have an awesome outdoor space that's covered. The inside is nice too nothing special, but for sure a cool vibe. So some friends invited us to eat here and I went hesitantly. Wow! It was excellent. The wife loved the burger. The tenderloin was good...mind you I've had better, but this was for sure tastier than the other bars in town. What set this place apart was the smoked food. The wings were wonderful. Not the trash wings from BWW or wingstop. These were smoked first and a bigger size. The French fries were amazing. The service was also top notch. Highly recommend. read more

Everything smelled good but I couldn't tell you how it tasted. We waited 15+ minutes for our waitress to come back when there were maybe 5-7 other tables in the place. We ended up leaving without ordering. read more

Went in shortly after noon on a Friday (today) Wasnt busy. Sat right down, ordered food, got our drinks. Watched a couple more people come in. Waited. Waited. Waited. 30 minutes went by. No food. Everyone around us had food including the people who came in after us. Waited 10 more minutes. We just left a few dollars on the table for our drinks and left. The waitress smiled and waved as we left. I don't even think she realized we never got our food. read more

It's a nice place, but they charge a cover during the weekend for their cover bands and there has been multiple nights that I have been here and there was no features to justify the cover charge! While I was trying to have a good time with a group of friends I haven't seen in a long time there was two men dancing on the stage one was shirtless. I paid a 10 dollar cover to watch two drunken fools dance on stage as the entertainment for the evening! Not cool first ward get a actual reason to charge a cover or don't have one at all. read more

Large portions and good food with a large variety. The staff were very kind and helpful!!

Great food, only had it a few times though. Only come in usually for drinks, which are good and reasonably priced. Only issue is the crowd thats in there often. It's a lot of drunken people in their early 20's always starting fights. I once sat in a chair that had dried blood all over it from a fight that hadn't been cleaned up. In addition to this they also often charge a cover for their cover bands that play there which are often a bit too loud for comfort, and sometimes there has been a cover for no event at all, just charging $5 at the door for random people who decided to dance on stage. Overall very fun atmosphere there and I'll certainly be back, however there always seems to be fighting in the summer, and the parking situation is garbage. Be sure to not park across the street sometimes the bar over there decides to tow those cars. read more

Amazing food, fun bartenders, and a great atmosphere. We always have a great time. They have live music or events most weekends and karaoke on Thursday's and sundays read more

Our son just moved to college in St Josep! so we were looking for something local and we found First Ward House. We were there before 5 and there was only one wait staff but he handles his lighter crowd fine. He recommended the smoked wings so we tried them and even our picky son like them. They were big and meaty so they passed our wing standards! We also ordered from the menu ordering a tenderloin, hamburger, pulled pork and buffalo chicken wrap. All was good with the exception of the wrap, it had too much sauce on it according to my son. Good fries and coleslaw. We will stop in again when visiting our college student. read more

First Ward House - New American Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

I can't comment on entire menu, but I had a tenderloin sandwich, slaw, and fries. Both the sandwich and fries were excellent, the slaw was very good. One of the best tenderloin sandwiches I have had this year. Service was great and the physical environment is quite inviting. I will definitely return. read more

It was delicious! My 82 ur old mother said it was the best melt patty she had ever had. Everything was good!

Cool place with a lot of history behind it. Would recommend you actually train or get some experienced bar tenders. Not just drink pourers. If you had better service and more attentive servers. You wouldn't need to charge a ridiculous cover charge read more

So when I first entered the restaurant I was not greeted or helped by any staff. I had to ask a waitress if there was anybody sitting at a table, she said no, so I went ahead and sat down. I sat there for awhile and no one came to take my order, or even acknowledge I was there. So then I got up, moved to the bar, asked for a menu, since I was still not given one, and the lady said she would be right back. I finally just asked a gentleman who appeared to be a manager to just get a sandwich to-go. He rang it up, then left without giving the cook the order. Thirty minutes go by and no one knows where my order is. I was refunded and then I left. What a waste of time! Really wish a nice food place would open up in the north end!!! read more