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! :)

Stopped while I was in town working, classic old-school formica topped bar, awesome salad and food,…read moreand a great bartender (Logan I'm talking to you). If you are in town looking for some great food and a drink definitely stop in.

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!

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!

By far one of my favorite places back home. My father was diagnosed with cancer and it was very…read moreaggressive so we threw him a surprise birthday party and they were absolutely amazing with accommodations. We had far more people than we thought we were going to have in the staff was great 14 days later my dad passed and I had to fly back from Arizona. We made sure we went back to first ward to celebrate him once again the food is amazing. The staff is great absolutely recommend and will for sure. Go back every time I go home.

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.

The service was amazing.very friendly vibe and great food. Would definitely encourage going here.read more

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.

A stop along the way through St. Joseph, Missouri brought us to this step back in time…read more Worth the stop for some great food, fantastic welcoming feeling and nostalgia from days gone by. Looks like a very popular music venue as well. Unfortunately, too early for that. It was hopping at 1:45 for lunch and filled with regulars. The fantastic bartender, Jerry, shouts out a greeting to everyone who walks in and hustles to make sure everyone is taken care of QUICKLY! The menu was perfect for a delicatessen with standard choices of turkey, pastrami, tuna salad, soups and specialty beef brisket sandwiches. The prices are more than fair with the delicious pastrami sandwich coming with a sufficient amount of meat and quality bread for the great price. You can add additional meat for a small charge. It's nice to have a sandwich that isn't is more than you can eat and twice the price. I had the homemade chicken and wildrice soup which was also delicious filled with chunks of white chicken meat. We topped it off with a slice of Magoons famous cheese cake which did not disappoint! The atmosphere is eclectic with booths that have heard many stories over the years, a great bar with plenty of seating and unique antiques. Whether stopping by to check out the Pony Express or Jesse James museum, or living in the area Magoons is definitely worth a stop.

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.

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.

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 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.

Pappys is another St Joe institution from what I understand though this building is not as old as…read morethe ones downtown Pappy himself died several years ago, and his wife sold the business to the new owner. I ordered an iced tea and it came in a mini pitcher as my glass. We shared an appetizer platter and I went with the blue moon burger with fries from my lunch. The appetizers were pretty standard and the fries were the showcase of my lunch crinkle cut and cooked to perfection. The burger was not too bad, but a little small and the flavor for having blue cheese definitely wasn't that big. All in all fun little place and have a big variety on their menu. Bumping them up to four stars just for the big ole iced tea pitcher.

Came here after training camp. Wanted a beer after being in the heat. They're no longer a pub, just…read morea restaurant with no alcohol. Had a chipotle burger & fries, burger topped with pulled pork, mashed potatoes and gravy. They have about 20 different kinds of burgers & lots of other options. Food was good. Waitress was great!