The Heavy Anchor

The Heavy Anchor is THE best spot for local live music. We love it here. Josh & Jodie have created a comfortable safe environment for everyone. The sound & lights ( in venue side ) is professionally run. Shows run on time and great care is taken that the vocals and instruments sit right in the mix. Drinks are reasonably priced and the selection is wide with local craft beer & Spirits and an occasional shot special. Go Here !

I would like to stress that I was super hesitant to only rate the Heavy Anchor at 4 stars. Overall it was a very enjoyable evening. The vibe of the joint is great and the acoustics are just fine for punk rock. Staff were friendly and the crowd was great. My only issue is with the bathroom situation. They have 2 bathrooms but neither are gender specific and not to be old fashioned but this is a little off putting. I'm just not comfortable with men using a bathroom that is currently occupied by a female. Also if you've ever been to a punk show you know that 3 bands in and 6 PBRs deep that bathroom is going to be covered in pee from one end to the other.

What a cool bar! Saw a few local bands, a few regional bands and tried every cocktail they offered and then some. Somehow they bagged the dive bar feel but managed to keep the bathrooms clean!

Great drinks, good crispy pizza, nice music scene. The owner, Josh, and his wife were good bartenders and kind people. Worth a stop if you're in town, and I'll definitely be back!

This place is fantastic! From the staff to the patrons everything about this place is exactly what you’d look for in a good neighborhood bar. Great drinks, great live music and a great patio make this a must stop on any night of the week. Cheers!

this place is great, no real complaints. I wish they booked heavy music more often. i dont come here very regularly because im not always into the shows they have.

Great Bar & venue.We love the Heavy Anchor and here's why. The owners Josh & Jodie are great people that are friendly and helpful and always a pleasure to see.The venue side has a good sound system that is run professionally and there are always quality acts booked.The shows run on time and the lighting is good.The bar is well stocked with domestic & craft beer as well as quality liqueurs. There is always a friendly vibe here.We have made many friends here as well. We always recommend touring bands play here when we meet them out of town. Go here,its cool and there is plenty of parking in the big lot at the end of the block..

Drinks were awesome and they are super welcoming!

Fun place! It's been a while since I have been in a divey bar. Nice selection of local beers and some featured cocktails. We just stopped in for a drink, but the booths were cozy (lamps and chargers included) and you could easily stay a while. It wasn't very busy on a Thursday, and we got our drinks and closed our tab quickly. I hear they do trivia and concerts and I'm sure that's a good time. Loved the festive 12-foot skeleton dressed for the season (like a pilgrim). The quirky decor makes it a fun place to start or end a night out in South City.

When your friend is in a band and they have a gig- you go. When that gig is at the heavy anchor- you know it will be an intimate gig! The bar in the front has great options and cute snacks - think bar pizza and chips. The service is great and I love the space. Live music venues are always a good time!

Just a nice dive bar atmosphere with an adequate beer menu. Blah blah blah dupey dupey doo. And furthermore this is a direct reflection of our educational system.

Great selection of beers & cocktails at very reasonable price. Bartenders are friendly and efficient. Comfortable & unpretentious. Would definitely go back for a show, or just to hang out at the bar and have a Dogtown pizza.

Cool bar. Can't quite call it a dive bar, but a fun bar with good cheap drinks and "locals" atmosphere. I would definitely go back again.

I always had a good time, at the bar, open mic for comedy nights and shows... I am planning to go back soon.

Maybe considered a dive, but honestly so much more. Darts, Foosball, Star Wars Pinball, back patio lounge, and a huge show area. I strolled in on a Saturday night on my way home. Bartenders were chill, beers were cold (and diverse), cocktails were tasty (more than Jack n Coke). Expect rock on the juke box and good time. Great place to drop anchor.

Stopped by the Heavy Anchor for the first time last week after being invited by a friend to their Monday night comedy show. It's a cool spot, that I honestly didn't know was so close to where I stay. Conveniently located off of Gravois in South City, the Heavy Anchor is kinda divey, but also pretty updated. Nice bar, clean bathrooms, comfortable tables and chairs. Seems like they host a lot! Whether it's a trivia night or a comedy show or band in the back venue area, you will for sure have a good time. They have a ton of local beers and all of their drinks are super affordable. Not to mention, they have darts, an area where you can play video games, and a patio out back! So glad I found this gem!

Favorite neighborhood bar in my new neighborhood. Always something fun and interesting happening: Farmers Market, trivia, comedy, music...and more! Delicious drink specials and one of these times I'm going to get the Dogtown pizza! Eclectic and divey in the best ways.

The decor is very cool and the venue space is intimate. Good drink prices with a full bar. Street parking. Idk it's a dive that's all you need to know.

Went to a private screening of a movie on the patio- so fun! Drink prices can't be beat.

The Heavy Anchor is a great divey neighborhood bar located on Gravois, just south of Bevo. Filled with local hand painted grafitti style murals, retro lounge furnitrue, ample hi-tops and a HUGE beer selection, they have no shortage of things drink or to look at. Take a few steps into the back room and you can either catch live music or watch movies and eat pocorn, depending on the night. Rocky Horror Picture Show was on the last time I was in. They have an awesome happy hour ($1 PBR, $2 Buds & wells). The crowd is a combination of hipster/neighborhood peeps. Everyone seems comfortable intermingling. Best of all, the place is immaculate (always a concern at a dive bar), the service is fast and friendly, and they work very hard to accomodate groups. I took a BIG group for happy hour and they were awesome. Pretzels and Dogtown/Tom's pizza are offered, as well. But, if you have a big group, they will let you order delivery food or bring food in. So, it is perfect for parties. I'll definitely be back!

I've been here for trivia and for a comedy show. The trivia was in the main bar, the comedy show was in the back room (actually a huge room with a stage, movie theater-like seating, and backstage area). The bathrooms are also located in this back room area. If you want to smoke, there is a patio out the back door, or you can always just smoke in front of the building, too. Great happy hour and nightly specials. On Mondays, the PBR bottles were only $1- ice cold and delicious! Can't remember the other specials, but there is a chalk board above the bar with the weekly/nightly specials. There is a pool table, some video games, and some board games to keep you occupied, as well. Street parking on Gravois is metered until 7, but the side street had ample parking if you can't find anything in front.

I've been to the Heavy Anchor for Horror Trivia many times, a few different movies, random trivia and all you can drink wine night and always had a really great time. Even though I'm not a regular, everyone is super nice and makes me feel welcome. Drinks are cheap and there's always some sort of special for the day, not to mention a great happy hour. Food is limited to pizza and a couple of other snacky type food, but it hits the spot. Can't wait to spend many more fun events here!

Heavy Anchor was the first stop of a recent pub crawl that I attended. This was a perfect opening bar for us. Beer & liquor selection are excellent. The guys that work here are very cool. They gave us all buttons and stickers which were all used for debauchery later on our crawl. Prices are fair, and they also offer pretzels and pizza. Plus for them having an ATM that helped with funds for the night.

I've been wanting to try this spot since I came across an RFT article calling it a nautical noir dive bar. So, when picking a spot for a an after-work happy hour, I was eager to choose this place. We arrived and parking is street so I paid a meter and inside I went. The decor is festive and plentiful. The place is notably dark. You especially notice this when you walk out hours later and shade your eyes! Drinks were cheap and I like the variety of their offerings (Schlafly summer on tap, yes please!). We didn't try the food so I plan on updating once I try it. I also see it's a concert venue and dig the multi-functional space and would love to come by to catch a show. When in search of directions and their menu, their website leaves a lot to be desired. Though I learned you can bring your own food so cool. All in all a cool spot to get a drink and mingle. And I'll be back!

What a cool bar!! Oh and it's a music venue in the back! I absolutely love that this place is owned by a woman and is a heavy metal/rock and roll bar!! Many many beers here and a full bar.

If you like comedy, the Heavy Anchor is the place! The Comedy Shipwreck open mic, 1st and 3rd Monday's of each month, have some of St Louis funniest comics! Also check out their event page for other comedy events.

Great bar, excellent variety of beer and booze, and the bartenders are fun and friendly.

You know that thing, of like, when you walk into a place and you and your Kitten Faced Friend look at each other as soon as you pass through the doors with faces that are like OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS PLACE! and then for every five steps you take, you do it again, and as you sum up the view of the bar and all the different beers you do it again, and as you walk thru the magic door into the OLD SKOOL BACKROOM THEATER, you do it again, and again at the Popcorn Machine, and again as you imagine the cold wintry nights cuddled up here with said Kitten Face watching cray cray movies and drinking whiskey drinks, and you do it again as you walk behind the theater, past the hologram framed painting, and out to the kick ass patio? That thing happened to me. That thing of when like every person in the bar was like a version of yourself, a cool version of cool people sitting in old gramma chairs by the windows having cool and thoughtful people conversations about funny shit, drinking varietal beers through and past their auburn beards, through and past their casually hip clothes, through and past some cool music floating through the high ceilings, through and past a memory that for the brief time I landed there, has been anchored in my city heart forever.

Had a pretty great time here the other night. The bar is a bit hipster but doesn't feel pretentious. The space is great. Half the bar opens up using a garage door. Hard to explain--you just need to see it. LOVE that they serve their drinks in mason jars. Don't judge...I love mason jars :-) The back half of the bar has movie seats, a stage, and a huge screen. And best of all.....drumroll.......cheap drinks!!! Go check it out. I think it's a husband and wife team who opened and run it. They were incredibly nice and kept the free popcorn coming. Good times.

When I get to a new city, I really like to find bars that I can fall in love with as soon as possible. I feel like the Heavy Anchor might be that bar. Now I love the dive-yest of dive bars, but this place is more than that. The place is super open and even has its own theater area where they show double features on Wednesday nights (FREE POPCORN). The beer selection is really nice, and reasonably priced. Oh, what's this, Anchor Steam for 3 bucks? Yes please! I really am not on the east coast anymore, I need to remember that. They also have Trivia on Tuesday nights at 9pm, which I'm a sucker for. Also! Pizza!!!!! Vegan(?) and Vegetarian options as well. We had the Annie Oakley one which had chorizo and corn and something else on it, it was really awesome. Basically when it comes down to it, I'm going to go here all the time.

I happened upon Heavy Anchor one late night when I had no business being out. My stamina was well rewarded when I walked into this great little place on Gravois in South City. The space itself is a nice combo of bar with another room for live music and movies. And Heavy Anchor does something that I wish other bars would do...you can come into the main bar for free, listen to the live music and if you want to SEE the live performance you can pay the cover at that entrance. I hate when I have to pay to see a band that I don't want to see. Nice. Drinks prices are reasonable with happy hour specials of $2 wells, $2 buds and $3 bottles. They have a small selection of food including vegan pizza but I was there a little too late to try any munchies. The back patio is great for fresh air or if you smoke there is plenty of space. I will definitely be back soon for the Wednesday movie nights or a happy hour.

Awesome new bar/venue with cool interior and a relaxed atmosphere!

I think that I'm gonna like it here . . . As a musician living in South City, it's hard to believe that it took me so long to visit The Heavy Anchor. There have been several opportunities for me to go and support fellow musicians, but I hadn't taken the trip until last Thursday. We were invited to check out Loser, a new game show that might become a monthly event. Local fast-talking wordsmith Allison B. was a contestant, and we wanted to show our support for something, frankly, that we didn't understand until we set eyes on it. Even after the show began, we still had no idea how this was going to go down. Altogether, the evening was fairly entertaing, despite a few obvious hitches in the presentation. More than anything, I was interested in the stage setup, something that I hope to explore as a perfomer in the near future. The bar is separated into two rooms: the front bar and the music room. This setup allows for multiple events at a time, which is kind of cool. The biggest concern with any South City dive is the location, which is smack dab on Gravois. We parked on the street, and I was immediately uncomfortable with the setting. Luckily, we were parked next to the door. Any further away and I might have been worried. By the end of the night, Allison was not a Loser but victorious! And I was sold on The Heavy Anchor. Another great dive bar in South City. Who'd have thought?!

I love this place. I have been here for live shows, trivia and just because. It is a great divey type place with awesome decor, friendly people and a nice selection of drinks. The shuffleboard makes this place a huge A++ Also just scheduled an event here and cant wait to see how it goes!

I love their movie nights ( Wes Anderson FTW)! I LOVE the themed cocktails they come up with! Friendly staff and a pretty badass liquor selection, a few food options and of course the shuffleboard, this place is great as a destination or a starting point!

A charming dive-y bar with much more taste than you would expect from the label "hipster dive". I must say, the owners of this place have some great ideas and so far they seem to be working out really well. I love the idea of having the bar separate of the venue. If you're at the bar and you like what you hear on the other side of the wall, then you can pay cover and see the band. I also love the film club nights twice a month. The venue side has cinema seating and popcorn with a large projector. Every film club night is a double feature (usually two from the same director) and there is never a charge to watch or eat popcorn. I also love that they have games like chess in the lounge areas and shuffleboard. It wouldn't be a bar without beer and the beer at the Heavy Anchor is top notch. The owners do a great job of keeping the current seasonals and local craft beers. I should note that draft beer is currently unavailable so it's all bottles and cans. PBR is on happy hour for $1.00 a bottle. They have a great liquor selection as well. Very reasonable prices on both beer and liquor (or boxed wine if you want to take the Tour de Franzia). The food is good. All bar snacks. All St. Louis originals; Gus's pretzels, Billy Goat Chips, Dogtown Pizzas. Good stuff. The owners are in almost every day, and have a great taste in music, drinks, and film. They are obviously doing something right because I keep coming back. "Hipster Dive"? Sure you can call it that, but this place goes far beyond the usual hole in South City. The owners have a one-of-a-kind place here.

This was a really cool place, with even cooler people! The gig went great! Good sound, perfect stage, nice room... The crowd was a little scarce, but over all, it was a great night! The front bar is really great too! We played a round of legit darts - with sharp points, ya know? I tried a few local hoppy ales that I'd never heard of. Excellent! All around it was a super cool place, and I'd totes go back!

The first time I was here I was on a pub crawl up Gravois and I have to say it is a pretty interesting place. First off, I ordered my go-to, Bacardi and Coke, and they gave it to me in a mason jar. Yes. Sold. I will come back. There wasn't a show when we were there which was nice because I got to kind of wander around. The bar side was the only part really open but I did get to see the stage area which looked pretty neat. I can't wait to come back and see a show or just sit down and have a drink maybe and look at all the cool art on the walls.

A hidden gem of a music venue! My husband and I have been wanting to go there to listen to live music for some time but thought we might be too old to blend with the crowd. That was not the case when we visited this past Saturday night. We are in our late 40's and felt completely comfortable. There was a mixed crowd of all ages. The venue is a little gritty but in a good way. The room has terrific sound. We will definitely be back! Also the staff are so nice!

As of 1/13/2108 Just went here to see my cousins band play (Dodecad) - read reviews before to see what the place was like. The reviews are right, this place was great! Staff was friendly and fast, drinks are affordable, and venue is intimate. Had a great time all around.

Max chill. Owners are wonderful, and they've created a great bar to enjoy or a drink or sample the local music scene. The bar and venue area are smartly separated, which creates similarly distinct vibes. I love to enjoy a beer on the bar side, which has multiple seating options depending on your mood -- barside stool for a chat with the regulars; retro hangout with sofas and chairs for casual conversation; hightop table for yelling at friends while playing shuffleboard. Haven't been to venue side when there has been a performance, but the size is good, and there seems to be enough acts to accommodate a variety of tastes. Beer selection is commendable and rotates, which is a plus for any and all beer snobs. My only gripe would be the newness of the place, which causes the atmosphere to seem stiff at times with a lack of patrons that can consciously create the sensation of emptiness. I expect this to change with time, and should by no means act as a deterrent. If you're ever on South Gravois, be sure to stop by and help spread the word: The Heavy Anchor is a great dive.

I wish I could give this place a good review. It was a recommendation since we were to be in the area, but I was disappointed both by the service and the ambiance. It reminded me a bit of a Kriegers with a nice tall ceiling, but the bartender was literally screaming at us (and the three remaining patrons) to "go home" after last call. We didn't have 5 minutes to enjoy our drinks. I want to support businesses in this part of town, but I just can't with this one. If you are in south city, I'd suggest just sticking at Silver Ballroom.

If you're going for the music (which I did), then this place isn't going to offer much. They've got an underpowered PA that makes everything sound thin and weak. It's weird, because they've gone to the trouble of sound-treating the room, but then they've only got two tiny little speakers. If they just got a decent sound-system, this could be a 4-star joint. As it is, it's just a curious little hipster dive that hosts music.

Went here the other night for a roller derby gathering that basically took over the place. This is a cool space, nice owners and some decent drinks and they seemed to keep up pretty well making them all. Plus you got $1 off a drink for checking in on Yelp. I can't speak to how they are on a regular night but I do like the backroom space and as someone else made the point, it would be nice to come in for free and listen to the music and opt for seeing the band if you wanted to and pay. Being wheelchair accessible was nice (my best friend is in one) although the smoking area was not easily accessible, that's okay. They made the effort to make it easy to get around to it. Definitely worth checking out. Out of my way to go to very often but with the movie nights and other stuff, this place does stand out among the others in there area.

What a cool place?! It's a bar with a dive-y vibe minus dive-y decorations. The place was wonderfully and imaginatively-painted in bright colors. The music room in the back feels like your friend's garage back in high school days. Drinks were cheap. We didn't get food but ended up staying way longer than anticipated to check out the band and play shuffleboard.

Funky awesome dead seamen decor, good prices and live bands for $5! I love this joint seriously. They even have vegan pizza. yeah, it's frozen but I don't care...at least they have SOMETHING and I hear it's pretty good too.

Great new place with a laid back feeling. Friendly staff and a great set-up.

This place is A+!! Great venue. Great liquor selection. Good band deals! Pizza is delicious too. If you pass through this place is a must !

Agree with the other reviews--charming hipster dive bar with great beer & drink selection, good stage & sound, plenty loud. Small outdoor patio is a plus. Make sure you bring your beard and skinny jeans.

Fun hang out place. Nothing fancy, but good cheap drinks and friendly staff. We enjoyed a show in back, from our comfy old theater seats. Clean restrooms, too.

They show movies, bands performing live music there as well, too--a good place to have an "icebreaker" date. Their beer and liquor selection's decent, as well as the prices--it's a nice joint!

This place is the definition of "dive bar." The drinks are strong and, most importantly, CHEAP. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is laid back. Crowd is mixed and somewhat eclectic. If you're up for a dive, this place is for you.

Good drinks, cool atmosphere, chill music. What's not to like? They also have a pretty awesome trivia game on Tuesdays.

Update: because this is my favorite bar now. the bartenders are awesome and easy to talk to. the drinks are one hundred. this place is for reallzy the bomb.com. they even have dog town za for that drunk late night snack crave. music, comedy, game show, sega, dj's...EVERYTHING MAGICAL plus more happens here. you won't regret it.

Standard dive bar. Cheap beer, friendly staff, delicious dog town pizza and the nights I've gone there was live music.

Seriously one of my favorite places.....EVER. I love just chillin on the vintage couch with my mason jar full of 360 vodka watching people play shuffleboard. Writing on the bathroom walls is way more fun in chalk, and the theater/stage/gameroom area is awesome. I literally played Mortal Kombat on a Sega projected on to a big screen one night. I got my ass kicked, but still it was fun. I like that the spaces are separate if you just want to hang in the bar or come for a show. Best part is it's non-smoking!!!! They do have a back patio for the smokers which is quite spacious.

Great selection of beers from $1 PBR during happy hour to more pricy (and delicious) imported IPA's and Royal Stouts. They've also got great locally-made pizza and and popcorn for folks with the munchies. I haven't gotten to be there for a show yet, but I'm looking forward to the grand opening this Friday night, May 6!