50 Best Bars near Swansea

“If you’re anywhere near 1428 Tap Haus, do yourself a favor and stop in. The atmosphere is exactly what a neighborhood spot should be...homey, welcoming, relaxed, and full of good people. You can tell right away this isn’t some cookie-cutter bar. It feels like the kind of place where strangers become regulars after one visit. Misty and her daughter Mystical were incredibly friendly and made all of us Missouri guys feel right at home. Great service, great drinks, live music, and just an all-around good vibe from the moment you walk in the door. You can tell a lot about a place by the people running it, and 1428 Tap Haus has the kind of warmth and personality that keeps you wanting to come back. Looking forward to many more nights there!“

“Best wings in this time zone.“

“The ladies and the men at the Shiloh location are always personable and will have my drink ready for me if they see me coming in the door. And the ladies at the Swansea location are great too! And both locations are always clean and smelling good! And last but not least you can win money there too!!“

“get the flour fried chips“

“A truly memorable dining experience from the time we stepped onto the walkway, until leaving. The staff were absolutely fantastic, friendly & welcoming - our server was attentive, personable and went out of their way to make our evening even more special, also with the help of other staff. The cuisine, service, atmosphere & entire experience was truly exceptional. Thank you all for everything! - Terry&Candace“

“My husband and I stopped in during the Pride event just looking for the first place we found with food, and not only was the music and atmosphere super cool, we got the chicken bacon ranch pizza, and I swear, it was THE BEST pizza 👏🏻 I’ve 👏🏻 ever 👏🏻 had. The service was great, the food was affordable. Can’t wait to go back!“

“We have been a few times and everything we have gotten, we have liked! The Trash Chicken is my fav though! YUM!“

“Big whiskey drinker. All I can say is holy crap best Old Fashion around. Super super great and friendly bartender.“

“Hands down the best burgers in the area!“

“Wow! Fun place with great ambiance, excellent drinks, relaxing and cozy corners! Listened to Gary John Gardner perform and had a great time! Very entertaining and fine musician! Will be back as was a very relaxing evening. Had the entire audience singing along!“

“Great place to just hang out. Especially after a rough day at work.“

“Come hang out! Extreme bingo Wednesday nights!“

“Love the food! Staff is always friendly!“

“Ice cold drinks (seriously, one of their beverage coolers is 24F), amazing food, awesome bartenders who are ON IT, and always a friendly crowd!“

“Great place to hang out and have a few drinks and play slot machines“

“Great lunch spot daily specials Clean restrooms Great karaoke nights Free Bingo nights Holiday drink menus“

“It all looks great, the vibes, the food, the service, the employees. Looks very welcoming and affordable. I think it's going to be 5 stars if you can read a book by the cover. Keep looking forward to coming here. And, I'm excited. To come by myself or with my husband. Can't wait. I'm excited just by the thought of what a wonderful time I'm going to have here. Excited to try the whole menu eventually. Very welcoming just by the looks from Google maps. Just want to drink coke, and try the food. Love a smash burger. And, I bet that grill is seasoned like a cast iron skillet.“

“Jill is a fun, fantastic bar tender! She made us feel like "regulars" on our first visit. I invited a group to come tonight and brought more friends. Jill remembered us immediately .“

“Great place for friends and good times..“

“great atmosphere and free pool on Wednesday“

“great place to hang out and have a good time“

“Great People! Fun place to play Pool. Always a good Time!“

“The Philly and the fried chips are 🤘🏼😛“

“We went to next up for the 1st time yesterday. We heard about the décor and wanted to check it out I Was expecting a normal sports bar but it was way more than that.. to say the least the décor was highly impressive . But the best thing overall was the food. We all agreed that was probably one of the best burgers we've ever had . It looked like it came straight off of a food commercial and tasted amazing ! We will definitely be back!“

“Wife and I stopped by while doing our own little bar hop visiting Belleville. First 2 places we visited we weren't impressed with. Saw Demos while looking for other options. Walked in and immediately felt a very welcoming vibe! The bartender (Sam) was great, and she overheard we were hungry for a pizza. She came over and gave us several recommendations, and we ended up going with her personal favorite (Bennie's). Sam, it was really good!!! Thanks for helping out a couple of strangers!! We will be back!!“

“Very friendly people. we welcome everyone age 21 and older. Come have a drink and enjoy free pool with a two drink minimum jukebox we have three gamble machines. So come enjoy yourself. We love meeting new faces. Trish and I work here so come see us aka I go by a bar name taylor.“

“One of the friendliest bars I have been to in a really long time, I absolutely adore the bartender with the British accent, she is a trip and always such a happy person“

“Great place with great people. Always friendly conversation. Never seen any conflict.“

“absolutely amazing food and great atmosphere!!! The owner is a great person who cares about her patrons. Definitely recommended stopping in for any of her items on the menu!“

“Nice little place. Locals seemed cool. Bartender was very tentative. And I do not know if it was a special but nattys were 150. The motel i stay at is 7 something for one beer.. coors light.. anyways cool place

Parking: It's on a little like side kiosk thing.. there is parking on the side streets as well“

“Erieon made our experience wonderful in Kankakee!“

“I've been there a few nights for the pool league on Wednesdays. It was pretty lively. It's a nice small bar with a beautiful patio out back. They have dart boards, slot machines, and an ok selection of beer and liquor. Good small bar vibe, cozy.“

“Hosted a party and it was so fun. The food was amazing. Especially the chicken wings. Jeff and Christy are very accommodating. Tara is a great bartender. Highly recommend this venue“

“Some lunches just show up…
and some take over the whole afternoon in the best possible way.

This was the latter.

We grabbed a table on the patio, soaked in that sun-drenched Belleville afternoon, and from the jump—it just felt right. Warm light, easy energy, that perfect mix of relaxed and lively where you instantly settle in and stay a little longer than planned.

And then the food hit.

The shrimp pizza? A total standout. Bold, creative, and perfectly balanced—one of those dishes that makes you pause mid-bite because you weren’t expecting it to be that good.

Then came the crunchy grouper… and wow. Crispy, golden, layered with flavor, and finished with just enough sweetness to elevate the whole thing. It’s the kind of dish that makes you rethink what you order next time… because now you want it again.

Now let’s talk drinks—because details matter.
The gin and tonic was spot on. Clean, crisp, beautifully balanced.

And here’s the twist—I didn’t even ask what tonic they used (which, if you know me, is borderline shocking). I trusted our waitress… and she absolutely delivered.

Speaking of her—she was fantastic. Warm, attentive, effortless. The kind of service that doesn’t interrupt the moment, it enhances it.

☀️ Final Take

Great patio. Great food. Great energy.

This wasn’t just lunch—it was one of those “let’s sit here a little longer” kind of afternoons. And honestly, that’s the magic.

Tavern On Main gets it right.“

“Hottest and friendliest staff and professional dancers in all of East St. Louis ,girls are Gorgeous , honest and love to make customers Cum back for more !! Seriously great place and great ladies“

“If you haven’t tried Terry’s tacos, you are missing out! They are awesome! Especially liked the chips.👍“

“Great people . Great food.“

“The Dutch Hollow Barn is a Great hideaway location with an atmosphere of friendliness, good food and they have Karaoke Thursday Nights. Stop by and enjoy yourself too cheap prices and real people to talk to.You can take my word for itI'm Buc Bergin“

“Under New owners! It's called Smitty's, the old (Centerfield) same owners as Smitty's in Troy,IL (old SunSet Inn) if you haven't been in to the location in Belleville yet, stop on in. Completely remodeled. New bartender line-up, new look, same fun time!“

“I LOVE this place! Always a lot of fun and make you feel at home! I go as much as I can, if I’m available, I’m there. They do fun stuff for the holidays too. I’ve never had the food but the guy is there on Sat nights for sure but I hear it amazing!“

“Went for dinner on a Sunday. Great food specials, quick service and cold beer. Almost all parties dinning had a kid with them so definitely a family friendly environment. Pizza is delicious!!“

“Always find a new beer to try“

“Absolutely amazing first time experience here. I was looking to go to a new bar and I definitely found my new go-to spot. Tim the owner is a very down to Earth guy, he introduced himself to us and told us a little history of the bar. Beer was ice cold and delicious! And we even made a few bucks on the slots. It's a very friendly atmosphere here, I would definitely recommend giving Hurricanes a shot.“

“Tom & Joe's has the best food!! We love to go to Tim & Joe's Wednesday for Chicken it is the Best Tim & Joe's has the Best Fish on Fridays. The waitress work hard to take orders, fill drinks and get anything anyone needs!!!! The beer is cool and drinks are so good. We Love Tim & Joe's and will keep going back for great food, waitress that care that everyone has what they need.“

“Phenomenal food and beer. My husband and I tried the potato wedges, garlic wings and the garlic chicken pizza and it was all great. 10/10.. we are mad at ourselves that we just now discovered this place. I wish we lived closer!“

“The lady working was really nice and it is just a good atmosphere very clean and inviting .I like going there after work and chilling down a little. I probably could have stayed all day! I would say Debbie's in Shiloh is a great local establishment and hangout.“

“😘💸🛎😍🖖😘💸🛎😍🖖😘💸🛎😍🖖“