This past Saturday was my first time at Handle Bar. The first thing that caught my eye was the very thought out beer selection that they had on tap and in bottle. I was very impressed to see them carry on tap a selection of Six Row Brewery's Porter. The atmosphere was energetic and the decor of the place was true to the name of the bar. I ended up late in the evening ordering one of their pizza's. Though the menu was a little different than I'm used to the pizza was very yummy. read more

The Grove is an nice little neighborhood that has really taken off in the past decade. With bars and venues like the The Gramophone, Atomic Cowboy and even Novak's have given this neighborhood some of the best places in St. Louis to hang out at during evening hours. Enter Handle Bar (formerly The Church Key) which has a very unique niche as a bar that is bike-friendly as in they are encouraging you to bring in your bikes and have a drink or four. Not sure if drinking and riding is encouraged but it provides an interesting place to drink. The venue has a really nice size to it first off. It appears they kept some of the tables from the Church Key which is awesome. They also have a pool table which is always a plus. It's lit pretty well which is cool because they have a lot of art work using bikes surrounded on the inside which is nice to view while enjoying a brew. I recommend (weather permitting) to check out the patio! It's not the size of the Atomic Cowboy's but it's a nice medium size patio that's pretty wide open with art work all over the place. Plus I believe I saw a bike repair station outside as well. The drinks at this place are really neat for the clear fact they support local beers (Schafly, Six Row, etc.). The pricing was a bit high but if that's too much then you can always go with the always trusty PBR for a $1. And they had some mixed drinks as well. Also there was some food on the menu but I didn't try any out. In addition, there wasn't any smoking on the inside which was awesome but you could go out on the patio if needed to get your smoke on. I would say that the Handle Bar has a future ahead of it. I would say the other thing that might be a turn off for some is the pricing of the local brews but there is a pretty wide selection for those who are looking for an adult beverage. Also it pays a bit if you go on your bike (10% off your bill). If you are a bike rider who likes to have a drink or five then check out the Handle Bar. Even if your not a bike person, it's still a pretty cool spot to hang out at with friends. read more

This bar is truly unique. As the name suggests, it caters to bicyclists. If you arrive on your bike, they offer a discount and there are a couple of huge structures out where you can lock your bike up. Plus there is a bike repair shop across the street. Inside, the theme continues. One wall is littered with bike parts, while another is covered with a huge outdoor mural... I think by local artist Craig Downs. There's a pool table which doesn't look like it gets played all that much and a bunch of booths. The space is much bigger inside than it seems when looking in from the street. The reasoning behind the bicycle themed bar is found on the first page of the menu. From what I remember, the owner was an immigrant from Russia. Upon arriving to STL, she found herself traversing the city often via bicycle. She found the experience liberating, and it has shaped her whole outlook on life. Thus... a bicycle themed bar that served authentic Russian dishes. Our tatted up bartender was very cool and helpful. We weren't all the hungry so opted for something small. She chose the pretzel an sausage plate for us. The pretzels were home-cooked and good. The sausage was good... but it surprised me it was intentionally served cold. The plate was served with a milky white dipping substance which I avoided since it looked like... well... nevermind. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with my experience at this themed bar in the heart of rainbow country. read more

This bar was founded by Tatyana Telnikova, a Russian expatriate and cycling enthusiast. She also opened Propaganda bar on Cherokee. I actually gave that place a positive review. I think she did a much better job there. It's great. I'm giving Handlebar a somewhat negative review, but she has no need to worry. Handlebar is thriving and will continue to thrive. It's a St. Louis powerhouse. Have you been to it yet? You will eventually. I've been to it so many times. It's simultaneously the Grove's resident Russian restaurant as well as the local hipster bar. Every bar hop in the Grove must inevitably pass through Handlebar. As a Russian restaurant, it's decent. It's watered down by pub fare, though, and most dishes come with goat cheese in some form. St. Louis actually has a large Bosnian community, y'know. So if you're looking for Eastern European food, you can do better (and get a shot of slivovitz while you're at it). Telnikova's other bar, Propaganda, does Russian food better. Most people who eat at Handlebar order pizza. As a hipster bar, well, it's not Tower Grove's CBGB's. Which is to say, you can expect it to be *a lot* more crowded on the weekends, and you can expect to find the kind of people who generally avoid dive seedy dive bars like CBGB's getting white-boy wasted from the tops of their Polo shirts to the bottoms of their Sperries here. There's an outdoor patio area (which, if you're here on the weekend, is the only place there will be room to breathe) where people will be vaping and smoking cigarettes next to bonfires. Needless to say, the bartenders are often overwhelmed and already sick of your poseur sh*t. It doesn't matter. On busy nights, there's really only time to order a Pabst and a shot of rail whiskey, anyway. This is all a roundabout way of saying that if you're 22, this is *the* place to be. It's a great place to take shots, do bar trivia, and grind on the crowded dance floor on the weekends. If you're 22, though, you aren't reading Yelp. If you're reading Yelp, you're probably looking for a delicious Russian restaurant. This ain't it. Honestly, St. Louis ain't it. Go back up to the search bar and search "Bosnian". If you're looking for a Russian bar, try Telnikova's other bar, Propaganda. It's great. If you're looking to chug Pabsts on a Saturday night--well, you're probably already here. read more

As a cyclist and a fan of all things bikes, I can't believe it took me so long to make it into Handle Bar. And I'm thrilled I finally did. What a great bar. The decor gives you plenty of cool stuff to look at and poke around in. Great beers on tap and good variety of bottled beers. I love that the bartender offers a $2 blind reach into the beer cooler for canned beer b/c hey, who hasn't said "surprise me" once or twice when asked what they're having? The food was delicious and the chef even brought it out to our table (it was a slow Tuesday night) and then came back to check on us a couple of times, which was just really friendly. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by how friendly and cool the staff are b/c it is a bike bar after all. And the cyclists that hang in the Grove are just good people. I will definitely go back again and again, and can't wait for the weather to clear so I can ride in. read more

This is a great hipster/LGBTQ hangout, with very friendly bartenders (shoutout to Roy and Lily!) I go every week for the Geeks Who Drink trivia on Thursday's, when they have tall boys on special on a price that can't be beat. I love the consistency and it's always a blast (except when other teams cheat, but the host is pretty good at catching cheaters and he handles them well, in a way that doesn't disrupt the night.) If you're looking for an entertaining excursion to shake up the doldrums of the work week, I recommend the Handlebar. My only complaint is they recently replaced some of their dining tables and seating with plywood bench seats affixed to the wall and picnic-like tables, and the wall-affixed bench is very high set to the tables (so when you sit across from friends you feel like you are looking down on them) and it is deep, so you can't lean back against the wall for a backrest. It's a little less comfortable than their previous seating but it's by far not the worse situation I've ever been in. ***Update August 2018: they've replaced the regular trivia with a guy who writes his own questions. It's awful, so only go if you want the tall boys and to sit outside. read more

I really like this place and was surprised by it. I have wanted to visit it for awhile and took advantage of an instant deal as I was downtown for work and hungry. It was a good choice. I ended up ordering the Frank blinchiki and the Yummy Pelmeni. The Frank was a hot dog (2?) wrapped in a thin pancake with tomato, lettuce and onion, "Chicago" style. Excellent. The Pelmeni are meat filled noodles that were so full of flavor (and slightly spicy) with a nice broth and topped with seasonal greens (also excellent). While I only had water to drink they do have a focus on craft beers I believe. The space here is the kind of place I would like to meet up at, really liked the interior and it felt very roomy. The food (Russian influence) was not what I expected at all and was very unique and it is hard to surprise me. I will be looking forward to going back and it will be hard not to order the same thing, it was that good. The menu has something for everyone. I heard someone asking about a trivia nigh but not sure of the details. They also have board games handy I am sure for anyone that wants to play one. Definitely check this place out. Friendly service also. read more

We came here for trivia night. First time to attend here. Easily the worst trivia night I have ever been to in my 30+ years of going to these events. Sound is awful in this place. The terrible Emcee speeds through repeating the questions so you can't understand what he's saying.. Horrible questions that are not really trivia in nature. They should rethink their contract with their trivia provider. If you're serious about trivia, don't come here. Food was just OK. read more

So you may say 5$ cover on a Friday night! Say what?!!! However it was the best 5 dollars you can spend in the grove if you wanna have space, dance, and jam to really good music. The crowd was great, the music was on fire, and overall a really fun experience. We just moved to the area and it's nice to know that when you want to shake it you can hop over to Handlebar! Really great place!! We went on a Wednesday night for drag bingo and that was so much fun. No cover that night so don't worry that it's every night! read more

A+ to Handle Bar. First, it has my favorite theme which is simple, a bicycle. I am a cyclist and really heart the racks inside so I can bring my bike in. It is my favorite place to drink beer in the Saint Louis area. They have an amazing beer selection, especially local MO beers. Also, they have a small meal selection but what they do offer is right on par. They have veggie tacos that have a perfect spice and taste. I must say Handle Bar does it all right...along with making you feel welcome every single time. I love you Handle Bar. read more

Went here on a Friday night on a whim and was refused entry by normal looking civilian smoking outside leaning against a wall. Turns out, this man was the bouncer despite all visual cues. This man claimed we were being rude when we asked for clarification on entry and turned us away because of a supposed "attitude". I had heard really great things about this bar from friends but am disappointed in the quality of service. At the very least the bouncer needs to dress in attire related to the establishment to avoid future confusion. I can't help but imagine other confused civilians this bouncer has turned away because of his short temper. Will never return. At the very least this bouncer needs to be talked to or fired. read more

I went here with a bunch of derby friends. I don't know why, but some guy came through the back while we were drinking and checked all of our IDs. It was weird. Also, they started, seemingly arbitrarily, charging a $10 cover at the door for what amounted to a weird rave-thing. (I'll admit, this was hearsay. I had some friends come in later and they had told me they got charged $10. That was probably collectively, not each. The owner tells me they never charge more than $5.) I like their selection of beverages. It's vast. Once a week (I think?) they have a trivia night. That was sorta fun. Whatever. This is a nice bar. Update: Besides the above clarification on the cover charge, the owner, when she got in touch with me, said that they come around and check IDs at 10pm because they can't allow minors in after that time. I didn't know they could let minors in at all! Anyway, if the staff member had been able to explain that at the time, we probably would have been less annoyed. read more

This is my go to bar for craft beer. They have plenty on tap and the selections are rotated regularly. It's a friendly place and its clientele is as diverse as its beer selection. The food is great as well. Not the usual style bar food. Served fresh and always plated nicely. read more

HandleBar - Pizza Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

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Love this place, just wish I could walk there! I go here sometimes for trivia were you'll run into plenty of cool people mostly with piercings and tattoos which is much more my scene than the now police guarded wash ave. Great beer selection with lots of local options. Good music playing but not crazy loud so you can still have convos. And I hear the food is good, and it smelled good but I just haven't tried it...yet Check it out if you like this kind of atmosphere! read more

We visited recently and really dig this bar. Pros: + Saturday Mule Specials (Mr. Fearless has a whiskey mule, pretty good) + Awesome cocktails (Seelbach was delicious and served up fancy!) + Solid variety of snacks and munchies. We split a sausage and pretzel board. Yum! + Good Service. We sat at the bar. Though she was kept pretty busy, the bartender was attentive and helped make sure we were pleased with our drinks/food/experience. We had a great experience for our first time and we'll definitely be back to explore the menu more! read more

The Handle Bar is quickly becoming one of my favorite bars in St. Louis. No cover, reasonably priced drinks, a strong selection of bottled beers plus some good local brews on tap, a friendly crowd and a house band with a penchant for Johnny Cash covers. What's not to like? One of the bartenders tonight seemed to be new to the job, but she made my Manhattan with a very generous dose of Maker's Mark and a smile, which was much appreciated. Let's face it: any bar that greets you with the spectacle of two flannel-clad young women playing chicken on tallbikes in the middle of the street is bound to provide you with an interesting Friday night. read more

What a great place! I've been hearing about it for a while, but never got around to going. I had a hot chicken sandwich - nice. The atmosphere was so chill. They made me a nice drink - a cinnamon rum something or other with hot cider. Great pick me up. They also have a pool table. read more

Handlebar is such a fun place to hang out and dance at! Unlike typical bars/clubs, Handlebar had DJs that play an eclectic set of music. No matter the tune, everyone is getting down and dancing their heart out. The drinks are decently priced. Fireball shots for $3.50 (vs $5 in Soulard), and well alcohol price is fair. Tonight there was no cover charge, though u have been there when it cost $5 to get in. The crowd is super fun. There are always people looking to dance with another group, and the dancers are always fun. Expect to see some new moves! The inside is a little dark, but it has been dressed up with bicycle paraphernalia. The back patio is GREAT. There is plenty of seating, an extra bar, and it has nice murals. Overall: Definitely a fun, cheap bar to go to if you're in to the hipster crowd and dancing. read more

Congratulations Handle Bar! Bike themed bar on my way home from work that has amazing hand crafted pizza's (and other nosh), well selected local beers (at reasonable prices - that's all relative isn't it?), indoor bike parking, happy hour specials, 10% cycle-in discount, $2 mystery beers, nice patio (with fire pits), and friendly staff? Yes, please! My unsolicited suggestions: Going to need more bike hooks if the place takes off (which I hope it does). A little too clean and sportsbar-ish (but I'll chalk that up to the newness). A little too well-lit in my opinion (perhaps fewer, more intentionally placed lights.) A little heavy on the tie-died-esque decor for my tastes (not just hippies that ride bikes). Lastly, Blues Traveler came up on the juke box. This shouldn't happen (otherwise the juke box seemed okay, albeit a little on the tame side.) This would be a great spot for a rotating cast of guest dj's providing background music. I like! read more

This was my first visit to this establishment. Being vegan I'm always on the hunt for new places that offer vegan options and the HandleBar did not let me down. They had a very yummy vegan pizza and fresh cilantro hummus that was very flavorful. Great infused drinks & a very nice bartender. I will be retuning. read more

Limited menu but the food was good and it offers a break from the usual bar food. You can just go with a pizza if you want but they have some more unique options than most bars you go to. The different food options pushed a 3 star review to a 4 star, respect has to be given when a place does something a little different Trivia night was fun, a group cheated but it's free trivia so no need to let that ruin the fun night. The drinks were good pours, not watered down and priced very reasonably...Might have had a few more than I should because it was such an affordable night The service is a drawback, it's pretty slow, it's not awful, but it's a bit slower than I'm accustomed too. The noise level was horrible, there's hardwood floors, no accoustic tile on the ceiling and not much on the walls so a level of noise that may be a low hum in many bars was a roaring mess in this bar. Please put up some ceiling tile or something to attempt an improvement with the noise levels, it was much louder than it needed to be due to logistic issues with the room. Fun night, I'd go back for sure, it's worthy of the 4 star for the affordable grub and drinks but the noise level and slow service is a concern depending on what your tolerance is for such things. read more

I think I've found my new go-to spot when I just wanna dance. Cool place with exposed brick and good ambiance, nice DJing and reasonably priced drinks. Like my friend promised, this was a great place to go dancing with other people who like to dance but without getting hassled or humped on. This place is about as anti meat market as you can get. Also, I enjoyed the yummy smelling bonfire on the patio out back. Very chill. read more

HandleBar - "Riding" the bike out front - Pizza Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

The bartender Megan was really friendly and had great suggestions on the food as well as the beer. The food was amazing we had the pierogi and the flaming chicken pizza thin crust with an amazing crunch went perfectly with the half wit! read more

HandleBar - Flaming chicken pizza goes great with siracha sauce - Pizza Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

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Enjoy coming to this place during swing dancing . Everyone there is friendly and there is a mixed crowd from age to ethnicity.. and everyone is smiling and having a good time .. great drinks too read more

I love Handlebar. I have lived in the area for 2 years and consider myself, somewhat of a regular here... the first thing I'll say is the staff is top notch: each and every one of them have their own quirks, but one thing stays the same, they all genuinely care about Handlebar and it shows... Their flatbreads are my go-to (half price on Tuesdays) and Sean makes THE BEST salsa I've ever had in St. Louis. Handlebar is a "must stop in" for your Grove adventures. read more

My first yelp ever, well deserved. We all had a blast! Went for a friends birthday and had a great time, they were so accomodating, even bringing out a round of shots for our group after noticing our cake. London Calling hosted an awesome dance party in one room and a photo shoot in the other, the fire pit in back was burning, the pierogis were awesome and we' ll definitely be back when we're in town! read more

Absolutely horrible bar service on my visit today. The service was so bad people were ordering multiple drinks when they finally got a chance to order because the wait was so long. Our office will no longer come back here for happy hours. After half an hour of waiting some in our group just gave up on getting anything. Once I was able to order my drinks the cocktail I ordered was very poorly made. If I hadn't already closed my tab and the wait wouldn't take forever I would've asked for another drink or my money back. read more

Food is surprisingly GREAT for this first timer! Bartender was funny but possibly partaking in the libations as well? Either way, attentive once we got her attention and the drinks were top notch! Would give 4.5 stars if I could! read more

We stopped in for lunch on Sunday and were pleasantly surprised by the unique menu. The pizzas were great, and we also tried the blinchikis, the white fish bahn mi, and the pimento cheese dip. Everything was delicious! I have come to HandleBar to drink before, but now I will definitely return for the food! Side note: yes, this is a bar, but we brought our 2-year-old for lunch and she had lots of space to dance around while we waited for our food. The staff and other customers were gracious and didn't seem to mind. read more

I've been a fan of the little crew that runs Handle Bar since the opened the Cabin Inn at City Museum. While it's too bad they had to part ways with CM, I'm glad they finally got a bigger venue, they deserve it. The concept behind Handle Bar is great, and fills a unique niche in STL. It's also nice to see yet another awesome bar in the Grove. The place is pretty spacious, but the stairwell in the middle is a bit unfortunate and leaves the bands sectioned off in the back corner. Oh well, can't fault old architecture. Out back they have what appeared to be a pretty spacious patio, but it was covered in snow and ice when I was there. The beer selection is pretty extensive and includes lots of micro brews. They have various drink specials though out the week, trivia, a pool table, and lots of live music. We got there around 9pm on a Friday and there was a decent crowd, and by the time we left several hours later the place was packed... glad to see they're doing well!! read more

Fantastic bar with decent Russian inspired bar inspired food. The drinks are priced well and the environment was unique. The best element is the staff. They're quirky, efficient, if not a little bit green to the bar scene. Still, handlebar is my favorite spot in the Grove and it deserves a lot more attention than it gets. Try the mig fuel and borscht read more

After reading some of the previous reviews on this establishment... I have to say that I'm relevantly shocked by some of the "mixed reviews". Let's face facts ladies and gentlemen -- 1.)The Handlebar (on avg) is rated 4 stars. ( And if I'm not mistaken - was 5 stars for quite sometime). 2.)The Handlebar is generally VERY busy on weekends because it is so popular; thus, we can conclude it's a fun place! 3.)The Handlebar causes Atomic Cowboy to softly weep at night. 4.) It's ONE OF A KIND in STL. 5.) It serves amazing Russian food, that cannot be found anywhere else in the city. Don't get thrown off by such negative reviews! The place is fun. The food is good. The beer selection rocks. AND the owner and her employees actually care about being a wonderful watering hole for the inebriated or the inspiring inebriates. =] read more

I do love this joint. Fun patio in the summer, great DJ on the dance floor and a good selection of beers.

My first time here wjth my fiance we had fun we wanted to try somthing new the people here were awesome

The dedication to domestic beer is appreciated, however the selection of Irish whiskey and scotch whiskey should be expanded - perhaps a Tullamore Dew and a Talisker or Ledaig Excellent St. Louis microbrew selection both on tap and in bottles -well done Tatyana read more

Mislead drink. Thought I was getting an IPA and got a sour. Asked if I can change it out and was told "no". Not coming back.

Awesome Russian food in a hipster bar. The chicken Kev was very good but not particularly authentic vs. the ones I've had in Brooklyn. First time having pelmini (think: peirogis) and they were filled with broccoli and cheese to the brim. The place was empty on a Sunday night, but that's probably the norm. read more

This place has seriously legit Russian food. You must try the Yummy Pelmeni if nothing else. We also got the large Zakuska plate. While the offerings were typical Eastern European appetizers, the portions were disappointing for a hefty $22 (the option with vodka, of course, why would you get it without). You'll probably get more food if you order $22 of vodka and appetizers separately. Service was iffy...two guys at the bar were pretty oblivious to empty plates and glasses. Once we moved to a table, no one came to check on us and get drink orders...a pity as the place wasn't super busy and not having a server "hover" definitely loses money for the joint. I think they need to train their bar-tending folks better...or they could just be family members and not give a crap. Regardless, I'd go back. On a somewhat unrelated note, Orbit Pinball Lounge in Maplewood almost has the exact same layout as this place, plus a back room. I had serious deja vu when I walked in their door. read more

Pretty good place to chill and dance. There is a decent size open space in the back. There is a bar in the front and other at the back. Dance floor can be slippery as many dancers spill their drinks hike dancing. Overall a chilling place. read more

This review is in regards to their trivia night. On the night I went, the bartenders were good, the drinks were cheap, but holy crap the guy who runs the trivia night is an asshole. Made the whole experience horrible. Apparently he's not a one off trivia guy either. He's there every week, so you can be sure that I won't be back for trivia. read more