The Way Out Club

Cute venue, decent place. But bartenders asked me if I needed a drink, I said yes, they started walking towards me, then as soon as someone else came to the bar they got their order. This went on three separate times. The last time I had to wait until every single person left the bar, even one bartender, before the other one got my order. Maybe I’m ugly or not worthy of spending my money here… Lol Kinda sucks when I was planning on spending a lot on drinks here while in town.

Don’t claim to «get it». Hate that arrogant cliché. I have kids now so don’t get over there. Way out club is what bars on Cherokee strive to be. Hands down the coolest, most organically og bar I’ve been to in STL.

Pretty cool dive bar with live music and very friendly owners. Lots of funky decorations on the walls, TV playing cult classic movies, old-​school Super Nintendo by the booths, etc. The only big drawback is the cleanliness. Bathrooms need to be cleaned in the worst way – probably by a team of guys in hazmat suits – the mens’ smelled like a state park outhouse in August, and I had the pleasure of watching a few hairy «Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”-like centipedes crawling around the windowpanes watching me take a leak. My date told me the trash was overflowing onto the floor in the ladies’ as well, and also that there was what looked like a lot of blood in the sink? METAL! I get the gritty rock & roll vibe, I hope I DON’T get hepatitis. The sound system does leave a bit to be desired, as the other reviews mention – the sound guy was having difficulty getting the band hooked up right, which messed with the continuity of the shows. REALLY hope they get somebody to clean the restrooms. It’s worth checking out if you have a band you want to go see, or stop in for a few laid back drinks, but if you have to hit the john I’d airmail it, if I were you.

This place is weeeeeird. Clowns on the walls. Cheap beer. Live music. Nice bartender. Pretty much wins all around.

A great place to go for a great experience. Cool décor, awesome friendly owners, good pizza, and AWSOME bands! I love the place. It’s always a good time for me there when I go there.

There’s clown art and paint –by-​numbers hanging on the walls the prices are average. The woman that owns it, Sherry Danger, teaches zumba there for $ 3 on Tuesdays and THursdays and it’s a whole lotta fun to zumba in a bar! There’s also an awesome cat that lives there. I give it 5 stars for being funky and crazy. This is in a transitional part of town that is great to visit and party in unless you are the type of person that mostly likes Applebees and shopping at malls.

I think its name couldn’t be ampler.
Last night we were invited to take part in a monthly film festival at the Way Out Club. However, there’s a catch to these films. Each film was shown on an actual reel and, don’t lose me here, edited down to eighteen minutes. The theme for the evening was airplanes, so we watched Airplane!, Airport ’77, and Airport ’79, all trimmed down to the eighteen minute mark.
However, the night peaked at the beginning when we were shown Hardcore, an erotic crime drama with George C. Scott and Peter Boyle. They didn’t have an English copy; theirs was in French. Oddly enough, Hardcore wasn’t originally in French. Therefore, they had a translator, an old woman, and she read the dialogue in a fairly emotionless voice. After that, the trimmed movies weren’t nearly as entertaining.
As for the bar, I kind of like the odd, off-​kilter appearance. It’s as if the owner, Bob, lives in an Ed Wood film. It teeters between classy and strange. Like Pee Wee Herman in a tuxedo.
What I don’t like is the location. Way Out Club is just enough off the beaten path to put me on edge. Parking is an issue. The place had a decent crowd for the festival, so we had to park about a block down the street near Shameless Grounds, not exactly the walk that I wanted to take at midnight.
When we ordered our drinks, an unusual man introduced himself, appearing harmless, but followed us into the screening room. After we settled in, he hovered around our group and then asked me for one of my beers. I told him that I didn’t buy them, and he then said that he would buy one from me. «The bar’s over there, man.» Shortly after, he left us alone.
Also, the beer was a little pricey. The daily deal is twelve dollar PBR buckets, five to a bucket. I’m looking for something remotely better on a Tuesday night. As divey as this place is, I would think that they could do a little better on the drink specials.
Bob, the owner, seems like a cool guy. Ultimately, I like the place, but I’m not sure what incentive I have to patronize Way Out Club frequently.

I get it… it’s in a super sketchy area… and you’re unsure if your car will be where you left it. Nearby you can get a tattoo, a cash advance, you hair braided, and a prepaid phone. Maybe just take a cab…
… but do go in. This place is a gem. It’s filled with all kinds of items… a la Venice Café. Service is good, drinks are very cheap… and at 10pm on a Saturday, the place was empty. Oh, and there was a band playing cool alternative rock music… no cover charge.
I see myself frequenting this place often. If you like punk rock places like the Ballroom, Heavy Anchor, Bleading Deacon, or CBGB this place is right in your wheelhouse.

I love absolutely everything about the way out club, I just wish I could come here more often.
The inside is decorated with a massive amount of beer memorabilia, tiki bar items, kitsch, weird clown paintings, retro items, and more. I wish I could live inside.
The first time I ever went was on the most recent Friday the 13^th after getting a tattoo at Trader Bob’s next door. The Way Out Club was showing a Troma double feature, how could I pass it up?
The drinks are reasonably priced, and the owners will talk to you forever and will always have something interesting to say.
One time I went they were showing retro sexploitation movies on the bar tv, which was cool as well.
Also there is a bar cat! Angus is super nice and will sit in your lap and just want to be pet forever. He’s pretty old so he might drool on you but his adorableness makes up for it.
I really wish this place had more patrons, as both times I’ve been there it’s been fairly empty. It’s definitely my favorite bar in the city.

The Way Out club sucks… on paper, that is.
It’s not exactly in the best part of town. The sound is pretty awful. The bands that play there are often times just starting out and therefore more likely to be awful. The decorum is, frankly, hideous. Why would anyone come here?
Well, it’s a strange, «greater than the sum of its parts,» situation. Run by a friendly old couple (themselves music lovers), Way Out is a microcosm of the bands hosted there. It’s rough, and not at all pretty. It’s energetic, and loud. It’s barely held together, and even then, threatens to fall apart for no reason. Despite all that, it’s worth going. Seeing shows at The Way Out is like being in the hospital newborn ward. There they are, barely able to move, some of them crying their heads off, and yet… the most beautiful things in the world. Young music is like that. You’ll see plenty of awful, awful music, but you’ll also see rare glimpses of pure talent. Everybody’s gotta start somewhere, and if you like seeing the first steps of a music infant, you’ll like the Way Out. It also doesn’t hurt that the drinks are strong and cheap.
*CAVEAT*
In this same hospital metaphor: be aware that the wing full of feeble old folks is also at this place. You’ll see a few dad bands and dusty old rockers.

I visited The Way Out Club for the first time this month. I went with a group of friends that swore the $ 3 movie madness was amazing. I don’t watch old films, but I could pretty much have fun in a cardboard box, so I decided to give it a try.
I actually had a blast. The movies were so crazy back then and funny. I can’t believe our grandparents/​parents watched that stuff! I had a PBR bucket and pizza which was yummy and inexpensive.
Then at intermission they gave out free gifts! I got a beach ball and floaty for my pool. HOLLER! And I got a free movie pass for a sneak preview at Ronnie’s (tonight). I loved the place.
Oh and they have a glass container filled with everything New Kids on the Block. Check, check, check it out!

We come here ALL THE TIME!
I can’t believe that I haven’t gotten around to writing this review sooner.
This is truly a hidden gem… dive bar, oasis, art gallery… a place of many names.
Bob and Sherri are the owners and are here every night I think.
The place is decorated w/​all sorts of B Movie memorabilia, old burlesque, you name it…
We’ve seen many great bands and acts here along with some not-so-great…but we always have a good night.
On the 2^nd Tuesday of every month, they have $ 3 — 8 MM Movie Madness where you can hang out and watch movies and eat pizza that Bob makes.
If you live in St. Louis and haven’t checked this place out yet… what the Hell is wrong with you?!

If you believe in rock ‘n’ roll, then this bar will make you swell. The husband and wife owners (Bob and Sherri, I believe) are sincere believers and that’s reflected in their booking of all kinds of local acts and experiences, from surf to punk to thrash to even some emo. The walls are littered with scattered art and tchochkes from times past, but guaranteed to raise a smile. The stage is a stripped down affair, so expect close contact on rockin’ nights.
Thanks to Abby S (
), I found myself the recipient of a Birthday Drink, a neon blue concoction whose sweetness underscores a serious potency. It’s served in a huge goblet and you can feel the ice as you draw closer. To this day, I have no idea of what’s in it. I feel honored to have claim this joint as my last watering hole on the way out of St. Louis. Until the next time we say goodbye…

Go to The Way Out for the birthday drink! It’s this giant goblet full of blue something — cold and slushy, too! Came here last night with some out of town guests and I made them drink it. All of it!
According to Bob himself, the drink has been around for over 16 years! He said it’s changed over the years, but it’s still a giant blue birthday drink and how can you go wrong with that?

Another bizarre night at the Way Out Club.
Last night was called Ninja night or something and featured a bunch of Japanese fetish types. People dressed up in goth/​geisha costumes and this one girl performed a belly dance number in an animé school girl outfit.
I felt like I was hanging out in some Jay and Silent Bob movie. Everyone was so nineties. Anyhoo– we only stayed for one drink as we were trying to find this other party we were looking for.

Some things I love about the Way Out Club: The pizza, the weird/​oddball décor, the jukebox (some killer rock’n’roll here), the patio (to escape the smoke or a horrible band on stage), the cheap beer (I usually order Miller High Life when I’m there… it’s just not the type of place I feel comfortable drinking craft beer, for some reason), the stage (nice and big), Angus the cat, the fact that they show old ‘50s and ‘60s stag films on the TVs above the bar, and the owners, Bob & Sherri. How can you NOT love Bob & Sherri?
Some things I don’t love about the Way Out Club: The sound system for live bands leaves a lot to be desired, and often the person running sound (if there is one) can’t get it to sound any better. It’s also very smoky, which, as I get older and have come to enjoy smoke-​free bars, is getting more and more irritating (although I will put up with it for a good lineup of bands). It can also take a long time to get served at the bar if there’s a crowd, and finally, I don’t like the fact that they don’t advertise and their entire Web presence seems to revolve ONLY around MySpace. OK, I did see a Facebook page recently, but they no longer have their own website, they don’t use Twitter, and I don’t think they have ever advertised their calendar in the Riverfront Times. It also appears they only book shows now Wednesdays thru Saturdays, which means there’s one less option to book a band on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. The neighborhood is also quite often pretty iffy, so be careful where you park your car.
When they first opened down on Cherokee back in the mid-​1990s, you could find me here several times a month, often both nights of the same weekend… that was when they only booked local bands, and had a great reputation for supporting the local scene. When they relocated to the Jefferson space, they changed all of that, and I think they suffered a bit because of it (even though I like the fact that they do book touring bands now). The Way Out could be a great bar/​venue for local and touring garage, punk and rock’n’roll, but there are just too many knocks against it which makes me tend to avoid the place both for booking and seeing live music here.

I went here for the first time a few weeks ago to see a band that a friend of a friend knew. That should have been my first hint. The atmosphere was cool. Lots of tchotchkes on the wall and the owners were bartending. However, as soon as we walked in I was immediately put off by the $ 7 cover. I thought there would be a cover, but not $ 7. Then, when I asked to add the cover to my tab, they charged another $ 1. So before I even get a drink, I’m down $ 15. We ordered a bucket of Bud Select from the bar and my friend ordered a bucket of PBR… same price. Bud Select and PBR are the SAME PRICE (around $ ¹⁵⁄₅ beers I think)? I know PBR is popular in South City, but come on, you probably get it from the distributor for $ 0.25. The Stag, however, was much cheaper.
Then we went in the other room to check out the opening act. They were horrible. I almost left right there but no, I paid $ 15 and was going to get my money’s worth. We stuck it out and left around midnight. Overall it was okay because our friends were there and it was a laid back bar, but I probably wouldn’t go back again.

If I lived in St. Louis, I would come here just to go to a bar. This place is really neat, such cool art and crazy cluster of junk.
It was nice meeting the very vocal Angus the cat, I believe he has a myspace.
The bartenders were very nice too, they even went along with a made up shot, the buttery slippery nipple. I can’t tell you what it is.

I hadn’t been to the Way Out in a long time. I used to go there fairly often. At one point, I was in a band that played there pretty regularly. I’m not really sure why I stopped going. True, often the music that’s there is not exactly my cup o’ tea, but there’s not always music, and sometimes I would enjoy the bands. Why am I making a confessional?
Well, I did go last night after some friends had their last softball game of the season. It was a fun time. I ran into to some people I hadn’t seen in a while. Something makes me think they’ve been there all along.
Sherri and Bob (owners/​bartenders) were handing out free pizza, which was awesome because I was really craving pizza last night. I think they were handing it out because their team had just played softball. Don’t go in thinking you’ll be getting some free pizza, although I’m sure the prices are pretty cheap anyway. A lot of it was meaty, but a friend and I scouted out first a pizza with multi-​colored bell pepper on it and then a plain cheese pizza. It was St. Louis style, which is not my favorite kind (and by that, I generally mean my least favorite kind), but it was not bad. I enjoyed it in the way that I do sometimes enjoy St. Louis style pizza.
Enough about the pizza. There were really cheap beers as well. High Life. They do serve classier options as well, just to note.
If you haven’ been there, you should at least check it out for the décor. Lots of vintage stuff everywhere. Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots. There’s also a good jukebox and a patio.

The Way Out Club is one of my favorite places to sit back, drink some Pabst Blue Ribbon and watch a real live rock show. Well, the closest thing you can get to a real live rock show in St. Louis. I’m just kidding, local musicians!
There are cool knick-​knacks all over the walls at The Way Out, and I don’t mean in a TGIFridays type of way. I could spend nights (and have) looking at all the stuff, although they do have a lot of clown memorabilia (and this reviewer hates clowns). The venue itself is intimate, but the owners move chairs and tables out when there is a large show there so there is usually plenty of room to stand, and you can almost always see the stage. The Way Out always offers cheap domestic beer and has a back patio area in case you want to get away from the action.

I had never really been to the Way Out Club before the closure of Mississippi Nights. But now I have been there on multiple occasions because, it is one the venues that caters to smaller lesser-​known bands or the bands that don’t look to fill up a stadium. The Way Out Club is a fun place to see a show. The cover charge is never all that much, just a couple of dollars, and since it is for local music I never have a problem forking over the money to help support them.
Inside the front door you will see a bar with stools and booths, just like any regular bar, but walk down just a little bit and you will come upon another room to the right. In there you’ll see a stage and old tables and an assortment of chairs available to sit on. Along and on the walls are old vintage posters and televisions among other things. One such thing is a huge Jolly Green Giant, you know from the produce commercials.
The bar is great and pretty cheap as well. They know how to make their drinks there, but most of the time when I go there I tend to stick to beer. I don’t want any of my precious drink to spill. That would be a shame.
The Way Out Club is a fun place to see a show. The people who work there are laid back and they don’t take themselves seriously, so that makes for a fun experience just hanging out with them and talking to them between sets. The Way Out Club is also a great place to go with friends. After all, going to a concert by yourself is never fun, so bring friends along. The Way Club is a great place to spend the night listing to some fun small bands.

The Way Out is everything a good bar/​club should be:
— Nice bartenders
— Generous drinks
— A pinball machine
— large stage and decent acoustics
— rock-​em sock-​em robots
— great décor
Speaking of décor, lots of bars think they have great décor. Whatever. This place has them beat. They have a display case full of NKOTB memorabilia, which is horrifying, yet funny. There’s a display case behind the bar full of odd mugs and glasses. There are carved masks in the front window that are just creepy as hell once you’ve had a few drinks. There’s string art wall hangings and all sorts of strange things. Every time I’m there I see new stuff on the wall I never noticed.
The whole place is also hung with old lighted beer signs, almost all featuring African-​Americans. I’ve seen plenty of beer signs, but these are worth taking a look at, just to see what beer advertisers were trying to convey. (Lots of suave guys in 70’s suits, and Pam Greer-​ish women)
The room where the stage is seems to be decorated entirely in thrift store paintings, plus a large Jolly Green Giant. It’s kinda creepy, in a mostly good way. Mostly.
And the best part is, they book interesting bands. I’ve seen rock there, but I’ve also seen classic Egyptian music with dancing. (Speaking of which, if you ever have a chance to see a band called Final Veil, either here or anywhere else, go for it! They’re really cool and fun to watch) But they never have cheesy all-​covers bar bands. They’re really in touch with the local music scene, and a good venue for local music is a precious thing indeed.