SGFSPRINGFIELD · THE 417After Dark

The Best Bars in Springfield, Missouri

By SGF After Dark Editorial DeskPublished Last reviewed Methodology

Summary

The best bars in Springfield, Missouri run from rooftop cocktail rooms above the downtown hotels to brewery taprooms and unfussy neighbourhood bars. Our highest-ranked is Vantage Rooftop Lounge & Conservatory, with 14 bars in this list drawn from our overall ranking.

This page covers bars rather than clubs: rooms where the drinks list, the taps or the setting are the reason you chose the venue, not the dance floor. Nightclubs and dedicated live-music rooms are ranked separately. Every venue here is scored on the same 100-point rubric as everything else we publish, and every fact carries a source and a verification date.

What we looked for

  • A drinks programme with a defined point of view — a specialism, a serious tap list, or a setting that does the work
  • Evening hours that support an actual night out
  • Verified current operation, with at least one primary and one corroborating source
  • Published information a guest can act on before leaving the house

These sit on top of the 100-point rubric applied to every venue in this publication.

The ranking

The Best Bars in Springfield, Missouri — quick reference
Overall #VenueScoreBest for
5Vantage Rooftop Lounge & Conservatory80A date night or a small group who want a genuinely designed room, a serious cocktail list and a view over downtown.
6Hold Fast Brewing80A Tuesday night with live jazz, no cover and no obligation to shout over the room.
7The Golden Girl Rum Club78A drinks-led evening on the square where the cocktail list is the reason you came.
13Eyrie Rooftop Bar & Kitchen71A rooftop drink with a downtown view, and a Thursday night with live music above the street.
15Scratch & Co.69A rooftop drink where the kitchen behind it is the actual draw, and a group who want to eat properly before moving on.
18Hour House69Nightly karaoke downtown, plus drag bingo and trivia, in an explicitly LGBTQ+-inclusive room.
19Mumbles188868Watching football properly, with Springfield Brewing Company beer and Ty Iechyd Da spirits behind the bar.
20Mother's Brewing Company68An early-evening taproom session with the widest tap list in the ranking.
21Sweet Boy's Neighborhood Bar68A downtown cocktail that does not cost a fortune, in a room with pinball in the back and no pretension.
22Best of Luck Beer Hall67A group night built around bocce, bags and washers with 40 taps to work through.
23Where House Bar67A serious cocktail on the west side, with food-truck options a few steps away and no need to dress up.
24Springfield Brewing Company66Beer, spirits and food in one place, with the option of live music downstairs in The Cellar.
25Moon City Pub65A low-key C-Street night with live music, open mic or trivia, and food that goes beyond crisps.
26The Flea62An unfussy, inexpensive night with pool, games and a patio, seven days a week.
Ranked number 5

Vantage Rooftop Lounge & Conservatory

305 E Walnut St, Springfield, MO 65806·80 / 100

Vantage is the rooftop lounge and conservatory above Hotel Vandivort, combining European art-deco styling and live greenery indoors with open-air seating and semi-private cabanas outside. It runs a craft cocktail list alongside a raw bar, charcuterie programme and small plates.

Why it ranks

  • The physical setting has no close equivalent in Springfield: a glass conservatory and an open-air rooftop operating as one venue, with cabanas seating up to ten.
  • It is one of the few venues in this ranking that publishes everything a guest needs in advance — hours, age policy and menu — which earns full marks in Information Quality.
  • The food programme is unusually serious for a bar, with a raw bar described by the venue as the freshest in southwest Missouri, plus a charcuterie and cheese programme.

What to know

  • Open Tuesday and Wednesday 4:00 p.m. to midnight, and Thursday to Saturday 4:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
  • All guests must be at least 21 years of age — stated by the venue.
  • Semi-private open-air cabanas seat groups of up to ten.

Hours

Opening hours for Vantage Rooftop Lounge & Conservatory
MondayClosed
Tuesday4 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Wednesday4 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Thursday4 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Friday4 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Saturday4 p.m. – 1 a.m.
SundayClosed

Hours verified August 13, 2026 from the venue's own published information. Always check before travelling.

Sources

Directions to Vantage Rooftop Lounge & ConservatoryFull profile and score breakdown
Ranked number 6

Hold Fast Brewing

235 N Kimbrough Ave, Springfield, MO 65806·80 / 100

Hold Fast Brewing is a downtown brewery whose Tuesday jazz night has become an institution: live jazz from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., every week, with no cover. The rest of the calendar carries trivia, music bingo, rotating live music and daily food trucks.

Why it ranks

  • Weekly, reliable, free live music is rarer than it sounds. The Tuesday jazz residency runs to a fixed rotation of local bands and has built its own following.
  • No cover, ever, for the jazz night, combined with rotating food trucks on site, puts it among the highest value scores in this ranking.
  • The wider calendar is genuinely varied — books and brews, music bingo, trivia — rather than one event repeated.

What to know

  • Taproom hours are Monday to Thursday 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 11:00 p.m., and Sunday noon to 6:00 p.m.
  • Jazz night runs Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with no cover.
  • Food comes from rotating food trucks rather than an in-house kitchen.

Hours

Opening hours for Hold Fast Brewing
Monday3 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Tuesday3 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Wednesday3 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Thursday3 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday12 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Saturday12 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Sunday12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Hours verified August 13, 2026 from the venue's own published information. Always check before travelling.

Sources

Directions to Hold Fast BrewingFull profile and score breakdown
Ranked number 7

The Golden Girl Rum Club

137 Park Central Square, Springfield, MO 65806·78 / 100

The Golden Girl Rum Club is a tropical-inspired bar and kitchen on Park Central Square, built around scratch cocktails and a deep rum selection. It has a kitchen of its own and a patio opening directly onto the square.

Why it ranks

  • It is a specialist. Building a bar around rum and committing to scratch-made cocktails gives it a clear identity in a market where most bars are generalists.
  • Its position on Park Central Square makes it the most naturally walkable venue in this ranking — it is the obvious first or last stop on a downtown night.
  • Having its own kitchen alongside the bar programme means a full evening works here without leaving.

What to know

  • Open Tuesday to Thursday 5:00 p.m. to midnight, and Friday and Saturday 5:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
  • The venue states it is not a tiki bar, despite what several directories say. Expect a rum-forward cocktail programme rather than a tiki theme.
  • No age policy is published.

Hours

Opening hours for The Golden Girl Rum Club
MondayClosed
Tuesday5 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Wednesday5 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Thursday5 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Friday5 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Saturday5 p.m. – 1 a.m.
SundayClosed

Hours verified August 13, 2026 from the venue's own published information. Always check before travelling.

Sources

Directions to The Golden Girl Rum ClubFull profile and score breakdown
Ranked number 13

Eyrie Rooftop Bar & Kitchen

430 South Ave, Springfield, MO 65806·71 / 100

Eyrie is the rooftop bar and kitchen atop the Moxy Springfield Downtown on South Avenue, serving cocktails and food with an aerial view over the city. It runs a daily happy hour and live music on Thursday evenings.

Why it ranks

  • Springfield has very few genuine rooftops, and Eyrie is one of only three in this ranking — the setting alone is a differentiator.
  • A weekly live music slot on Thursday evenings gives it more of a calendar than most hotel bars maintain.
  • A daily happy hour makes it more approachable than its hotel-bar pricing would otherwise suggest.

What to know

  • Listed hours are Monday to Thursday 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 3:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
  • Hours are weather-dependent. Call ahead before making the trip.
  • Happy hour runs daily, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Hours

Opening hours for Eyrie Rooftop Bar & Kitchen
Monday5 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Tuesday5 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Wednesday5 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Thursday5 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Friday3 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Saturday3 p.m. – 1 a.m.
SundayClosed

Hours verified August 13, 2026 from the venue's own published information. Rooftop hours are weather-dependent. Call ahead to confirm. Always check before travelling.

Directions to Eyrie Rooftop Bar & KitchenFull profile and score breakdown
Ranked number 15

Scratch & Co.

1736 E Sunshine St, Suite 109, Springfield, MO 65804·69 / 100

Scratch & Co. opened at Plaza Towers on East Sunshine Street in the first quarter of 2026, pairing a scratch-cooking restaurant on the main level with a rooftop bar and patio above it. The two are connected by a dumbwaiter, so the rooftop serves the kitchen's food rather than a reduced bar menu.

Why it ranks

  • It is one of only three genuine rooftops we can verify in Springfield, and the only one that is not attached to a hotel.
  • The dumbwaiter detail matters more than it sounds: it means the rooftop is a full service level rather than a terrace with a beer fridge.
  • It opened in the first quarter of 2026, which makes it one of three venues in this guide that qualify under our new-venue rule.

What to know

  • Hours are Monday to Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  • The rooftop is open-air, so weather shapes the experience.
  • No age policy is published.

Hours

Opening hours for Scratch & Co.
Monday11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Tuesday11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Wednesday11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Thursday11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Friday11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Saturday11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Sunday11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Hours verified August 14, 2026 from the venue's own published information. Rooftop availability is weather-dependent. Always check before travelling.

Directions to Scratch & Co.Full profile and score breakdown
Ranked number 18

Hour House

326 South Ave, Springfield, MO 65806·69 / 100

Hour House is downtown Springfield's dedicated karaoke bar on South Avenue, running karaoke nightly from around 9:00 p.m. alongside drag bingo, trivia and themed drag shows. It is an explicitly LGBTQ+-inclusive venue with a game room and pool tables.

Why it ranks

  • Nightly karaoke is a genuine commitment — most bars run it once a week. Hour House builds its entire calendar around it and adds bingo, trivia and themed drag shows on top.
  • It is one of three venues in this ranking that operates as an explicitly LGBTQ+-inclusive space, and the only one of those in the South Avenue walking core.
  • A game room with pool tables gives the venue something to do between songs, which matters in a participation-led room.

What to know

  • Third-party listings show the venue open Tuesday to Sunday, with doors around 8:00 p.m. and karaoke from about 9:00 p.m. Not confirmed by the venue.
  • Programming beyond karaoke includes drag bingo, trivia and themed drag shows.
  • There is a game room with two pool tables.

Hours

Hours come from third-party listings and are not confirmed by the venue. Check the venue's social channel before visiting.

Check Hour House’s official page

Sources

Directions to Hour HouseFull profile and score breakdown
Ranked number 19

Mumbles1888

504 E Commercial St, Springfield, MO 65803·68 / 100

Mumbles1888 opened on Historic Commercial Street in early February 2026 as Springfield Brewing Company's football pub, run with its sister distillery Ty Iechyd Da. It shows every Premier League match live, alongside a deep pour list of Springfield Brewing beers and small-batch spirits.

Why it ranks

  • A dedicated football pub is a genuinely new category for Springfield, and committing to every Premier League fixture live is a real, checkable schedule rather than a vague promise of sport on TV.
  • The drinks list is unusually strong for a sports bar: Springfield Brewing Company's beers plus Ty Iechyd Da's small-batch spirits, both made by the operator.
  • The building is part of the appeal — it first opened in 1888 and spent more than sixty years as the Frisco Taproom.

What to know

  • Hours are Monday to Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  • The pub opens early for significant Premier League fixtures, so check before an early kick-off.
  • It is on Commercial Street, a separate district from downtown.

Hours

Opening hours for Mumbles1888
Monday11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Tuesday11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Wednesday11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Thursday11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Saturday11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Hours verified August 14, 2026 from the venue's own published information. The pub opens earlier for significant fixtures. Always check before travelling.

Directions to Mumbles1888Full profile and score breakdown
Ranked number 20

Mother's Brewing Company

215 S Grant Ave, Springfield, MO 65806·68 / 100

Mother's Brewing Company runs a large taproom on South Grant Avenue with more than 21 taps, rotating kegged cocktails and brewery tours. It is an established fixture of the Springfield beer scene and opens seven days a week.

Why it ranks

  • More than 21 taps is the widest published draught selection in this ranking, and the rotating kegged cocktails extend it beyond beer.
  • It opens seven days a week with clearly published hours, which makes it one of the more dependable options on the list.
  • Brewery tours give it a daytime and early-evening proposition that most venues here do not have.

What to know

  • Open Monday to Thursday 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  • More than 21 taps, plus rotating kegged cocktails made by the bar staff.
  • Brewery tours are available.

Hours

Opening hours for Mother's Brewing Company
Monday2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Tuesday2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Wednesday2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Thursday2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday2 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Saturday2 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday2 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Hours verified August 13, 2026 from the venue's own published information. Always check before travelling.

Sources

Directions to Mother's Brewing CompanyFull profile and score breakdown
Ranked number 21

Sweet Boy's Neighborhood Bar

310 South Ave, Springfield, MO 65806·68 / 100

Sweet Boy's Neighborhood Bar occupies 310 South Avenue, the space that was Scotch & Soda until it was remodelled and rebranded. It is a Good Spirits & Co. and Fried Design Co. project running a rotating cocktail menu, draft beer, punches and a signature frozen Irish coffee, with pinball in the back.

Why it ranks

  • It publishes its prices. House cocktails at $8–$10 and shots at $4–$5 are on the menu before you walk in, and across this guide that is genuinely uncommon.
  • The rotating cocktail menu and frozen Irish coffee give it a specific identity rather than a generic bar list.
  • Its South Avenue address puts it in the densest part of the downtown walking route.

What to know

  • Open Tuesday to Sunday from 4:00 p.m. to bar close. Closed Monday.
  • House cocktails are published at $8–$10, shots at $4–$5.
  • There is pinball in the back.

Hours

Opening hours for Sweet Boy's Neighborhood Bar
MondayClosed
Tuesday4 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Wednesday4 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Thursday4 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Friday4 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Saturday4 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Sunday4 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Hours verified August 14, 2026 from the venue's own published information. The venue states 4:00 p.m. to bar close rather than a fixed closing time; 1:00 a.m. is shown here as the practical Missouri last call. Always check before travelling.

Sources

Directions to Sweet Boy's Neighborhood BarFull profile and score breakdown
Ranked number 22

Best of Luck Beer Hall

313-B S Jefferson Ave, Springfield, MO 65806·67 / 100

Best of Luck Beer Hall on South Jefferson Avenue is built around a central games court — bocce, bags, washers and arcade machines — surrounded by 40 rotating taps, punch-style cocktails and wine.

Why it ranks

  • The floor plan is the concept. Putting a games lawn in the middle of the room rather than shoving a dartboard in a corner produces a completely different social dynamic.
  • Forty rotating taps is a serious selection, and the punch-style cocktails and wine list widen it past beer drinkers.
  • It is downtown and walkable, which makes it easy to fold into a larger night.

What to know

  • Third-party listings show Wednesday and Thursday 5:00 p.m. to midnight, Friday 5:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., Saturday 2:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., and closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Not confirmed by the venue.
  • Yard games include bocce, bags and washers, alongside arcade machines.
  • Forty rotating taps, plus punch-style cocktails and wine.

Hours

Hours below come from third-party listings and are not confirmed by the venue. Check the official page before visiting.

Check Best of Luck Beer Hall’s official page

Sources

Directions to Best of Luck Beer HallFull profile and score breakdown
Ranked number 23

Where House Bar

2463 W Sunshine St, Suite 120, Springfield, MO 65807·67 / 100

Where House Bar sits inside the Metro Eats Farmers Market and Food Truck Park on West Sunshine Street, running a craft cocktail programme alongside regional draft beer and wine. Its bar is led by a Grand Marnier Caribbean Bartender of the Year winner.

Why it ranks

  • The cocktail credentials are documented rather than claimed — the bar is run by a bartender who won Grand Marnier's Caribbean Bartender of the Year.
  • Sitting inside a food-truck park is a genuinely different proposition: you get a proper cocktail programme without the venue needing a kitchen.
  • The draft list is deliberately regional, which gives it a local identity beyond the cocktail menu.

What to know

  • Hours are Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Monday and Tuesday 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to midnight.
  • It is inside Metro Eats Farmers Market and Food Truck Park, so food comes from the trucks rather than a house kitchen.
  • No age policy is published.

Hours

Opening hours for Where House Bar
Monday4 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Tuesday4 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Wednesday11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Thursday11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Friday11 a.m. – 12 a.m.
Saturday11 a.m. – 12 a.m.
Sunday11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Hours verified August 14, 2026 from the venue's own published information. Always check before travelling.

Sources

Directions to Where House BarFull profile and score breakdown
Ranked number 24

Springfield Brewing Company

305 S Market Ave, Springfield, MO 65806·66 / 100

Springfield Brewing Company has been brewing on South Market Avenue since 1997. The building houses the brewpub, an on-site distillery, and The Cellar — a live music sound lounge.

Why it ranks

  • Beer, spirits and food under one roof, from a brewery operating since 1997, is a durable proposition, and the on-site distillery genuinely extends what the venue can offer.
  • The Cellar is a purpose-built sound lounge rather than a corner with a PA, which puts SBC in a different category from taprooms that occasionally host a band.
  • Long opening hours seven days a week, starting in the morning at weekends, make it unusually flexible.

What to know

  • Brewpub hours are Monday to Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  • The Cellar is the venue's live music lounge. Its current schedule is not published on the venue's site — check with the venue directly.
  • There is an on-site distillery in addition to the brewery.

Hours

Opening hours for Springfield Brewing Company
Monday11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Tuesday11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Wednesday11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Thursday11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Saturday10:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Hours verified August 13, 2026 from the venue's own published information. Brewpub hours. The Cellar's music schedule is published separately, if at all. Always check before travelling.

Sources

Directions to Springfield Brewing CompanyFull profile and score breakdown
Ranked number 25

Moon City Pub

420 W Commercial St, Springfield, MO 65803·65 / 100

Moon City Pub is a small neighbourhood pub on historic Commercial Street, reopened in August 2024 by three former employees who bought the business. It runs live music, open mic nights and trivia from a compact stage, alongside a full pub menu.

Why it ranks

  • The reopening story is documented and specific: three former staff members bought the pub and reopened it on 6 August 2024, which is a real and verifiable commitment to the room.
  • For a venue this size, the programming is substantial — live music, open mic and trivia all recur.
  • The kitchen is a genuine part of the offer rather than an afterthought.

What to know

  • Third-party listings show Monday 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Tuesday to Thursday 11:00 a.m. to midnight, and Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Not confirmed by the venue.
  • The stage is small; this is intimate live music rather than a concert room.
  • It is on Commercial Street, a separate district from downtown.

Hours

Hours come from third-party listings and are not confirmed by the venue. Check the venue's social channel before visiting.

Check Moon City Pub’s official page

Directions to Moon City PubFull profile and score breakdown
Ranked number 26

The Flea

637 S Kimbrough Ave, Springfield, MO 65806·62 / 100

The Flea is an eclectic neighbourhood bar on South Kimbrough Avenue with indoor and outdoor seating, pool tables and games. It opens seven days a week and runs until 1:30 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays.

Why it ranks

  • It earns one of the highest value scores in this ranking: reasonable pricing, no cover, and open seven days a week including a full run to 1:30 a.m.
  • Pool tables, games and a mix of indoor and outdoor seating give it more to do than its size suggests.
  • It is close enough to downtown to work as a start or an end to a night without needing a plan.

What to know

  • Third-party listings show Monday to Saturday noon to 1:30 a.m., and Sunday 4:00 p.m. to midnight. Not confirmed by the venue.
  • There are pool tables and games, plus indoor and outdoor seating.
  • No age policy is published.

Hours

Hours come from third-party listings and are not confirmed by the venue. Check the venue's social channel before visiting.

Check The Flea’s official page

Sources

Directions to The FleaFull profile and score breakdown