We knew we were in for a treat when we found this to be a neighborhood dive, surrounded by houses…read moreon all sides. We knew we were going to love this place when a neighbor came out to distract his pit bull as we walked by. And when we stepped in to head the bartender explaining to a couple of other customers how terrified she is of clowns, we somehow knew we were going to have more fun here than we'd had all day. It turned out that bartender's name was Becky, and she's 1/2 of the couple who owns the bar. The other half is her husband, Waylan, who showed up later at the end of our visit. "Having a name like Waylan is like having the biggest cock," she said. Or maybe it was B who said that, I don't remember and my notes aren't very clear. :) There is quite a collection of bras on the bar, a recent development. "A while back one of the customers just up and took her bra off, and said she wanted to hang it up. So we did. Then other ladies started doing it," Becky explained. "Now boxer shorts have even started to join the collection." We ended up spending out entire visit chatting with the bartender about their history with the bar. We really enjoyed our time here. In addition to the great personalities, this is a fun-looking bar all around and I'de love to visit again when it's busier. In fact, here's how good a time we had -- when we first arrived we noticed the Silver Strike machine and put a few dollars in it to play. But we never got around to actually doing so! :)

We've been to this bar and grill twice since moving to town. Both times we fully enjoyed…read moreeverything! Bartenders/waiters were pleasant. Food was really good! Lots of large screen TVs. Tator Tots and chips are great! We've had their fried tacos, BBQ sandwich, pizza, wings and jalapeño poppers. Will definitely go back there try other things on the menu!

This bar screams hometown and was full of people that matched the description. It was a packed…read morenight when my friends and I visited, and like any busy bar it took a minute to get to the front of the line. The music was loud and fun, I liked the variety of genres. Their selection of beers on tap was limited, but they had a variety of beers otherwise. We didn't get food so I can't speak to that but if you are looking for a bar, it's a great option in St Joe!

American Tavern is a beautifl, timeless, classic example of a dive bar all-around. It is rustic,…read moredirty, and charming. This was one of my favorite finds of the day. Though they have draft beer, we decided to go with bottles for this one. Our bartender, Jessie, was very friendly. The main room features a long L-shaped bar against a wall of brick and detailed woodwork. The men's room floor slopes to one side and features a toilet mounted so that the bowl is partly under the sink and must be approached from the side. There's also a big back room that takes up the ground floor of the neighboring building, that room has pool tables, Silver Strike, darts, and enough room for live entertainment. We spent most of our visit back here playing Silver Strike.

One of the better dive bars in this city. The crowd of regulars are welcoming, the service is quite…read morefriendly, and the atmosphere screams of Midwest hole-in-the-wall. This is a great spot for a beer, but I'm not sure about the mixed drinks. I've found that few dives can make a good martini, but that's not what we're here for, right? There's also a pool table; a relic of one, but in good condition.

There was a little bit of tension in the air when we first stepped inside, and I'm not really sure…read morewhy. I don't know if they were nervous about us or what it was, the first few moments were tense. But then a little dog named Rosie walked up to greet us, and after we petted her the ice was broken and we were welcomed into the fold. :) We soon learned that Rosie had a special talent, she liked to sit on the shoulders of a guy named Mike while he shot pool. Mike happened to be sitting nearby, so B challenged him to a round. And they weren't kidding, that little dog happily climbed up on his shoulders and sat there through the whole game! It's quirky little finds like this that make me love going to these off-the-beaten-path dive bars. You never know just what to expect!

Nice little neighborhood bar. Good folk new owners!! Have a patio for nice Missouri afternoons and…read morepool table!

Hello there. I enjoyed my visit here at the First Ward House. The wings here were recommended to…read moreme 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.

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

This place has a great bartender, but it's a younger crowd. Lots of 20 something's, but not a…read morerowdy bunch. The beer selection is ok, and it's nice to see a place that has a full bar. I'm told that the happy hour is better for people my age. Perhaps I'll check back in here again and see for myself.

This place is a joke I have been standing at the bar for the last 25 minutes. The servers only go…read moreto those they know.. when confronted they will get in your face and tell you "there are only two of us" after they have only gone to the same people time after time.. not a great set of bartenders... good luck gettin good service

Beautiful day for a ride country roads with This place as the destination. Lunch's are packed. We…read more got there about 1:20 that crowd had just left. Immediately seated by none other than Jerry who was real helpful with the menu. Simple single page with a lot of variations. Not a bar, food. Oh yeah thats why its called a delicatessen. Had a simple ham n cheese n chips with an iced tea. Perfectly good. Then good ol' Jerry strolls by and says ya want cheesecake. Well twist my arm. It too was perfect portion and had chocolate and Carmel drizzle. Carb overload for sure. Its a destination for sure.

Very good. Tried 1st time. It is restaurant week. Had the special that day. Good food, good…read moreconversation with owner

I love this pub! I came on a Thursday night. A female DJ hosted Karaoke, BEAUTIFUL gal with a…read morebeautiful voice. She was very quirky, motivational and funny! The bartender was also a lady, quick to serve and to the point. She served Cheap drinks too. The drinks were surprisingly loaded. They definitely do not cheat you on the alcohol. Bartender always checked on me which I loved. Very laid back, fun place to be at. Can't wait to come back next time I am in town.

This was an interesting spot to spend a Saturday night in downtown St. Joseph. First up: Cheap…read moredrinks. I tried to spend a lot of money. Had a few drinks for my wife and me plus a round for our group on my tab. Total was only $25. I've spent more on two drinks before. Second: The pool tables, shuffleboard, and jukebox. We enjoyed using them all. The shuffleboard needed a little TLC to get the pucks gliding right, but it was a good time. I didn't play pool, but our group had no complaints. The jukebox tended to eat a few quarters here or there, but whatever, we where having a good time. We rolled in at about 9pm and the place was practically empty. By the time we left a couple hours later, it was starting to fill up. Downtown St. Joseph has a lot of potential. Give it a few more years, and it'll be a great spot for dinner and drinks on the weekend.

Great place to go during the week & weekend, also on Sunday. Happy Hour 5pm - 7pm M-F. People are…read morefriendly, bartenders are great & very relaxing place to go for drinks & fun.

This bar is amazing! I visit back home every 3-4 months and the best part is getting to see Timmy !…read moreHe is such a nice guy , super patient and attentive . I notice a lot of people don't tip in saint joseph and it makes me sick! Timmy busts his butt all night serving drinks and dealing with the same people and there drama almost every night and he does it with a smile on his face! If you want great service and better drinks for a super low price come here, I would definitely recommend. Keep up the good work Timmy we love you!

When they're not closed due to violations, this is a fun locals spot. Super friendly and nice…read morebartenders. Nice, chill locals. Ok beer selection. A dive-y and nice spot to chill and drink during an afternoon. And they're open on Sundays, which seems to be a rarity in this town.