Pitchers, pool and plenty of history: 5 Springfield dive bars with lots of personality
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Under dim lights, a hodge-podge of vintage advertisements, sports pennants and neon beer signs decorate the wood-paneled walls. Live music or a sports broadcaster's voice can just be heard over the din of conversation. This a dive bar, where folks connect around a game of pool or across a table scarred with carved initials.
Modern definitions of a "dive bar" tend to include adjectives like "unglamorous," "eclectic" and "inexpensive" when describing such spaces. For some the term may be derogatory. For others, dive bars are a second home.
"There's a lot of stigma around dive bars that they're filthy and they're trashy or dangerous," said Angela Milton, co-owner of Archie's Lounge, a dive bar in Springfield. "That's not the case. You won't find a better group of people than what you find of the regulars at a dive bar. They'll do anything in the world for you, for your other customers, for each other."
The News-Leader connected with the owners of Archie's Lounge, W.F. Cody's, The Flea, Foxhole Bar & Grill and Dugout Bar & Grill to discuss the dive bars' histories.
Archie's Lounge
Tucked just off Glenstone Avenue, Archie's Lounge is celebrating a monumental anniversary: 50 years of service at its current location.
Archie Oaf opened the original Archie's Lounge in 1971 at 1851 E. Bennett St., now a driveway of the Walmart Neighborhood Market on Glenstone Avenue. He then moved the bar to 1817 E. Grand St., where it stands now, in 1973.
In 1987, the late Ted Whitaker purchased the bar, which he owned until 1993. Caitlin Garrett, current co-owner of the bar, said another individual owned the business between Oaf and Whitaker but she does not have record of who this was. Bruce Ballantyne took over the bar the 1990s before selling it to Garrett and her mother Angela Milton in March 2022.
The mother-daughter duo took over ownership last year, but they've been a part of Archie's history for longer. Milton began bartending at Archie's about 25 years ago and Garrett has been waiting tables there for the past 15 years.
Perhaps as much as the cold beer and local live music, Archie's is known for its annual Christmas charity auction. Archie's has held the event for about 30 years, raising money for two local organizations. In recent years, the auction has benefited Haven of the Ozarks Animal Sanctuary and Easy Living, an organization that provides resources for disabled individuals.
Along with the holiday auction, Archie's hosts a variety of events year-round that benefit the selected charities, including a parking lot yard sale, chili cook-off and summer dunk tank. In 2022, Archie's raised more than $25,000 for Haven of the Ozarks and Easy Living, Garrett said.
"At the end of the day, our goal here is just to make a difference in the community; it truly is," Garrett added. "We feel like we've succeeded in that."
Garrett and Milton stay busy managing Archie's. On Wednesday nights, the bar hosts free games of pool from 7 p.m. to close and a movie is projected out on the back patio. Motorcyclists are encouraged to show off their rides for Thursday night Bike Nights, and every Sunday customers may enjoy happy hour prices all day long. Archie's is open everyday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
W.F. Cody's
W.F. Cody's holds a lot of memories for Tanya Iverson and her family, who have been involved with the business for nearly 25 years.
Before it was W.F. Cody's, the bar and grill was Sweetwater Inn, opened by Ed McClung in 1975, Iverson said. McClung officially changed the name to W.F. Cody's in 1979 and it has remained the same since.
In 1999, McClung sold the bar to Iverson's father, Larry Iverson. This is when Tanya Iverson got involved, helping manage the kitchen. Her father operated the bar until his unexpected death in 2013 and Tanya Iverson purchased it a year later, in 2014.
"We try to keep it the same, keep dad's memory going," she said of the bar.
Since taking over ownership, Tanya Iverson's daughter Natalie has also worked at the bar. Family ties, both behind and in front of the bar, are important at W.F. Cody's.
"We've got regulars, they've been coming here as kids with their parents and now they're bringing their kids and saying, 'Oh, I was here 35 years ago, the burgers are still the same, the mushrooms are still the same,'" Iverson said.
The hamburgers at W.F. Cody's are also a multi-generational staple. Tanya said the bar and grill's one-pound burgers are made with Harter House beef delivered fresh everyday. Her father's recipe, "Cody's Mayo," a spicy mustard mayonnaise with a hint of garlic, is also a popular menu item.
Like many businesses, W.F. Cody's struggled during the pandemic. Tanya recalled working 47 days in 2020 with only the help of her mother and husband, filling to-go orders for loyal customers.
When it comes to the bar's name, "W.F. Cody's" honors William Frederick Cody, popularly known as Buffalo Bill. Born in 1847, Cody was a buffalo hunter, Army scout, Pony Express rider and actor, who toured the west with his "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" show. A painted portrait of Cody overlooks the bar.
W.F. Cody's is located at 3138 E. Sunshine St. and is open everyday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
The Flea
Located just west of Missouri State University's campus, The Flea is known for its eclectic wall décor and never-ending list of puns. Last summer, The Flea celebrated its 10th "anniversaflea," but the downtown dive bar has been serving customers, in some capacity, for longer.
In the early 1980s, Tim Harlow opened his bar, Harlow's, where The Flea currently sits in the Kimbrough Corners strip mall. The bar was known for its local live music, drinks specials and laid-back atmosphere. It would serve the community until it closed in February 2012.
A few months later, Grady Wisdom opened The Flea's doors but not without some contention.
"We had our logo up on the windows blocking in, not really saying what (it was going to be)," Wisdom told the News-Leader last year. "I remember one of the regulars, now who we really love, put a sticky note on the door and said, 'Hate the name. Try again.' We were like, 'Okay, well, we are going to do it anyway.' (Harlow's regulars) were worried about somebody coming in and losing their home."
Though the bar has a new name, Wisdom prioritizes keeping the spirit of Harlow's alive. He also enjoys having fun.
Puns flow like beer from the taps at The Flea. Some of Wisdom's favorites include "drink responsi-flea," "power to the flea-ple" and "the best things in life are flea." Puns aren't limited to The Flea's merchandise though. Some of The Flea's staff, including Wisdom, bare a "Flea-minati" tattoo, which depicts a flea within an Illuminati triangle.
The Flea is located at 637 S. Kimbrough Ave. and is open Monday through Saturday from noon to 1:30 a.m. and Sunday from 4 p.m. to midnight.
Foxhole Bar & Grill
To the surprise of some, Foxhole Bar & Grill, attached to American Legion Post 676, serves cold drinks and fried food to any member of the general public — not just veterans. However, all of the bar's proceeds, after necessary payments for the space and to staff are made, benefit the post.
Foxhole bartender Cliffton Boone said the bar and grill hosts a "myriad" of events throughout the week. The bar features live music at least three nights a week, a local motorcycle club hosts gatherings at the bar on the weekends and Thursday nights are dedicated to country music dancing. Dart and pool leagues also host competitions at the bar.
"It's a dive bar a lot of the time, but it's also a listening room and intimate place for concerts," Boone said.
Between rounds at the pool table or while enjoying a local act on stage, folks can get a bite to eat, too. Foxhole General Manager Ann Humphreys said popular menu items include the pork tenderloin, hamburger and fried bologna sandwich, the latter added to the menu by Boone.
Originally, the Foxhole opened on West Sunshine Street in 1974. The bar relocated to its current space at 2350 N. Clifton Ave. in 2016.
The Foxhole is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Saturday from noon to 11:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. The bar's kitchen is open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Dugout Bar & Grill
The building that houses the Dugout Bar & Grill, popularly frequented by college students and Springfield Cardinals fans, has a somewhat mysterious history.
Matt Netzer and Chris Lisle opened the Dugout in June 2012. The dive bar is known for its smoked menu items, specifically the wings, which have taken home the Wingapalooza first-prize title several times.
Prior to the Dugout, the building at 1218 E. Trafficway St. was home to a string of bars, including JC O'Malley's Irish Pub from 2007-2009, Road House Saloon from 2009-2010, Bleachers Sports Bar & Grill from March to October 2010 and Gameday Smokehouse from 2010-2012.
Geraldine "Jerry" and Levon "Tom" VanHooser opened the first business in the location, Twilight Inn, with construction of the building beginning in August 1958, according to a Springfield Leader and Press story. The VanHoosers owned the bar for 24 years.
Netzer said since owning the bar, he's heard that the building was actually moved to its current location from the old O'Reilly General Army Hospital, which is now where Evangel University is. There doesn't appear to be any evidence of this though.
One News-Leader story printed in 1990 indicates that the building, which at the time was home to Twilight Inn, was "uprooted" from the corner of National Avenue and Chestnut Expressway in 1957, but it seems like the term was used figuratively. Prior to its opening on Trafficway Street, the Twilight Inn was located at 638 N. National Ave., which is at the intersection of National Avenue and Chestnut Expressway.
No matter the name out front, Netzer said the bars at 1218 E. Trafficway St. have been an "inclusive joint" for all guests.
Dugout Bar and Grill is open Monday from 5 p.m. to midnight, Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to midnight, Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. and Sunday from noon to midnight.
Other Springfield dive bars to check out
Crazy Hats Lounge at 166 N. Campbell Ave.
Drunken Monkey Bar & Grill at 1816 W. Division St.
Dive Bar and Lounge at 2826 E. Division St.
Gunny's Mill at 1414 W. Farm Road 102
Carrie's Bar at 1906 E. Meadowmere St.
Dennis' Place at 921 W. Sunshine St.
Skinny Slim's Public House at 323 S. Patton Ave.
The Dive on Patton at 313 S. Patton Ave.
Grumpy's Lounge at 3455 S. Campbell Ave.
KJ Brewskies at 2216 N. Packer Road
Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Check out 5 Springfield dive bars with history, community ties
