Set Your Location >>

Novak's Bar & Grill

Map

http://www.voiceplaces.com/locations/directions/locationId:2628640/ View on Large Map
Get Directions

4 people have posted a review, snapped a photo, checked in, or tipped this place. Use your voice!
  • JessicaG4
http://media.voiceplaces.com/5459859.1.jpg

00000 - 00000 of 00000

00,000 of 00,000

4121 Manchester Ave. St. Louis MO 63110

advertisement

  • American, Bar Food, Burgers, Deli, Salads, Sandwiches, Specialties, Traditional
    Sun, Sat 12pm-3am, Mon-Fri 11am-3am
  • Delivery, Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Smoking, Takeout
    Late Night
  • Live Entertainment, DJs
Description

Some say Novak's is a sister to Just John's -- and with its neighboring location and generous accommodations, we'd be hard-pressed to argue. Thanks to a more laid-back atmosphere, however, Novak's recalls a younger, hipper Cheers -- only a million times better because no one on Cheers was gay, and almost everyone here is. There's something for everyone at Novak's, be it washer tournaments when the weather is fine, bumping and grinding to DJs or ogling the sassy, magnificently plumaged drag queens that perform regularly. Straighties can occupy themselves at the bar playing Hot or Not with the soft-core imagery flashing on multiple TVs: boy, girl, girl in bathtub, boy-boy sandwich, beautiful alien Angelina Jolie. The space seems never-ending, with a large bar, roomy dance floor, an upstairs seating/game room and an outdoor patio that wends around the block. Novak's also features nightly entertainment, but with few consistent weekly events, it's important to check the calendar for karaoke (Novak Idol!), open-mic nights and drag shows.








Back to TopRiverfront Times Critic News & Reviews | Write a Review
  • The Ten Best Gay Bars in St. Louis

    The Ten Best Gay Bars in St. Louis

    Selecting Riverfront Times' Best of St. Louis 2011 was no picnic. Choosing the winner meant several worthy candidates would go unmentioned -- until now. In this RFT Music series, we're beeboping and s... More »

  • The Ten Best 3 a.m. Bars in St. Louis

    The Ten Best 3 a.m. Bars in St. Louis

    Selecting Riverfront Times' Best of St. Louis 2011 was no picnic. Choosing the winner meant several worthy candidates would go unmentioned -- until now. In this RFT Music series, we're beeboping and ... More »

  • Pet Neglect is a Drag

    Pet Neglect is a Drag

    It boggles the mind, and it can drain your spirit if you dwell on it, but the fact is that there are those in our community who blithely neglect and/or abuse dogs and other animals. It's a subhuman thing to do, yet they do it anyway. The... More »

  • Drag Your Ass Out Tonight

    Drag Your Ass Out Tonight

    So you ate all day and then fell asleep on the sofa before 5 p.m. Now you're awake and kinda restless. Is there any possible way you could cram more food down your gullet? Probably not. Can you stomach another football game? Unlikely. What about... More »

  • Treasure Hunters Seeking St. Louis LGBT History

    Treasure Hunters Seeking St. Louis LGBT History

    The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in St. Louis has a storied history -- are you holding on to any of it? The St. Louis Gay History Project wants to know.The project is brainchild of... More »

  • Loading More Critics Reviews
Back to Top Riverfront Times Awards | Visit the Best Of Website
  • 2012 | Best Gay Bar

    Yes, we know that Novak's is technically a lesbian bar. But it doesn't discriminate: There are gay men on dates, whispering in the corner, and frankly on most nights we can't tell who is gay, lesbian, straight or somewhere in between. This rainbow-flag-flying watering hole situated in the Grove is just a great a bar, period. It has a full game room equipped with pool table, dart boards and shuffle board. It has fire dancers and washers out back and sports on the TV. And the inside doubles as... More »

  • 2011 | Best Lesbian Bar

    The young man was gleaming, sweat coursing down his bare mahogany torso. His Pittsburgh Pirates cap was cocked at a jaunty angle and his hightop sneakers beat a tattoo on the bar. Lovely young women danced on the bar to his right and left, and folks lined up between the dancing feet to buy each other frou-frou shots before rejoining the pulsating mass on the dance floor. Sure, Novak's is a lesbian bar: The focus definitely is on ladies who love ladies. But sexy is as sexy does. And if you... More »

  • 2010 | Best 3 a.m. Bar

    Your mother may have warned you that nothing good can ever happen after 1 a.m., but we disagree. Late night (or is it early morning?) is a magical time when it's no longer today and not yet tomorrow, and here in St. Louis, no place embraces these thrilling hours better than Novak's Bar & Grill. Open every night of the week until 3 a.m., this intoxicating nightclub actually serves its full menu until 1 a.m. every night. Unlike so many other late-night bars, there's a strict... More »

  • 2009 | Best Lesbian Bar

    A ladies-lovin' kinda girl looking to frolic ought to head for the Grove. Should she desire a grown-up, cocktail-sipping (and smoke-free) crowd, she might duck into Nancy's Place. If she prefers a younger but relaxed and intimate ambiance, she might try the newly opened Bar 5. But if grinding to pop music under disco lights is what she craves, Novak's Bar & Grill is, simply, it. Grand matron Nancy Novak says she has been "throwing a party for a living" since the mid-'90s, and her... More »

  • 2007 | Best Lesbian Bar

    If it feels like everyone at Novak's knows everyone else, it's probably because they do -- the community atmosphere is unmistakable. The gals (and guys) at Novak's are always welcoming to newcomers -- gay, straight or bar-curious. The horseshoe bar provides ample opportunities for chatting, flirting and good old-fashioned drinking, and both the game room and sedate patio are great places to make new friends. If Novak's were just a great bar with a killer game room and relaxing patio,... More »

  • 2004 | Best Lesbian Bar

    When is a bar more than its building? When it's Novak's. Losing her original Manchester Road location didn't seem to faze the energetic Nancy Novak -- she just shifted business to the cozy upstairs bar at Magnolia's and started work on a new Novak's. Mag's upstairs bar is lean, smoky and stocked with an ample supply of whatever liquid you'd like to consume; the entertainment varies from an open-mic night (Tuesdays) to themed parties, all detailed on the bar's Web site, as is an amusing... More »

  • 2003 | Best Lesbian Bar

    Novak's Bar & Grill serves up cold beer, burgers and barmaids who double as dancers. Led by Becca, two nights a week the ladies shimmy, shake and hang from leather straps on the ceiling, and customers with a buck can steal a quick kiss. But it isn't just the barmaids who go out of their way to welcome the (mostly lesbian) clientele that ranges in age from early twenties to late fifties. Bouncer and door-greeter Micki gives newcomers a rundown of the night's events, which could include... More »

  • 2001 | Best Lesbian Bar

    This friendly neighborhood place features great half-pound burgers (served with fries and your choice of cheese for close to $7), good appetizers and a fun atmosphere. Although you'll probably see more women at Novak's, the bar and grill employs women and men, and both are welcome there. When you order food and drinks at the bar, watch the bartender attach a piece of paper with your order to a clip with a bell and slide it, by way of a suspended metal wire, over to the cook up front. Food is... More »

Back to TopUser Reviews & Comments | Write a Review
Back to Top Community

People Who Like Novak's Bar & Grill

Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places

    Voice Places

    Find everything you're looking for in your city

  • Happy Hour App

    Happy Hour App

    Find the best happy hour deals in your city

  • Daily Deals

    Daily Deals

    Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city