Scooter's Bar Journal » Independence

3 Trails Brewing Company

scooterj — Sat, 11 May 2019 17:13:00 +0000

(Independence Square, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 1334th bar, first visited in 2019.

This brewery in downtown Independence sits under the watchful eye of President Harry S Truman (seen outside in one of the photos below). It’s a rather large and nicely-decorated tap room built into a flea market building.

They were out of a few of their beers when we arrived, but I found enough to make a flight out of. I had the Cali Rush 9American IPA), In Control (Session IPA), Kaimanawa (Kai) Express (lager), and What A Ride (Irish dry stout).

Give ‘em hell, Harry! (You can see him in the upper left corner.)

The restroom is quite a trek around back of the flea market, so don’t wait until you can’t hold it! If you are male, the journey is rewarded with a pair of delightful beer keg urinals.

111 N. Main St.
Independence, MO 64050
US
[launch map]
(816) 886-6256
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Apex Aleworks

scooterj — Sat, 11 May 2019 17:12:00 +0000

(Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 1333rd bar, first visited in 2019.

A newcomer to the area but the first brewery in Independence, Apex Aleworks is the result of an existing home brew supply store expanding into an adjacent retail space to start a brewery of their own.

Handy tip: Make sure you get a paper beer menu. On our visit it had a few more beers that were not on the wooden wall menu.

There’s a popcorn machine in the corner and a shuffleboard in the corridor between the tap room and the retail store.

I had their New Independence Pale Ale, Coconut Milk Stout, Tootsie Pop Porter (delicious), and English Mild.

4356 S Noland Rd
Independence, MO 64055
US
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(816) 642-2901
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Courthouse Exchange

scooterj — Sat, 30 Jun 2018 17:10:00 +0000

(Independence Square, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 1257th bar, first visited in 2018.

I never knew this was here, despite it having been around for about 120 years. A basement restaurant/bar, with outdoor seating in the alley.

To go along with some great fish & chips, I had a Guinness.

113 W Lexington Ave
Independence, MO 64050
US
[launch map]
(816) 252-0344
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Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 2414

scooterj — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 17:17:00 +0000

(Englewood, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 767th bar, first visited in 2010.

Private club. In addition to the bar the lounge features pool tables, multiple dart boards, MegaTouch machines, two claw machines, Keno, and a stage.

2537 Blue Ridge Blvd
Independence, MO 64129
US
[launch map]
(816) 254-7357
Visit Web Site

Damage Control

scooterj — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:16:00 +0000

(Independence, MO)
Formerly The Pig

Also formerly Nick’s, and then Neiner’s way back in the day.

Scooter’s 715th bar, first visited in 2010.

Waaaay back when I was a youth this was called Neiner’s and was THE place for all the metalheads to go hang out. At some point it became Nick’s, and then more recently was known as The Pig. It still catered to the heavy metal crowd throughout that time.

Now it’s called Damage Control. The crowds are more mellow than in the past, and they are diversifying the acts to cover all facets of rock instead of just metal. (There’s even an Acoustic Night.)

The bar is very old and run down. Some might even describe it as crappy. But it has potential. The bartenders were all very nice and friendly.

In addition to the music, there’s pool and darts. Monday night is dart league night, the bartender waffled on whether the bar is open to the general public that night or not.

There’s also a menu that is surprisingly interesting and diverse for a place like this. One appetizer that caught my eye was the Tube Screamers — cheese sticks that are wrapped in ham before being breaded and fried. Basically, ham & cheese sandwiches in stick form.

815 N. Noland Rd.
Independence, MO 64050
US
[launch map]
(816) 461-1117
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Cozy Inn

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:27:00 +0000

(Fairmount, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 452nd bar, first visited in 2008.

Re-backtracking back to where we were about to go when we realized we needed to backtrack, we came across this little dive near some railroad tracks.
We played the Bags game and made friends with this little guy sitting next to us:

10042 E Wilson Rd
Independence, MO 64053
US
[launch map]
(816) 461-9562

Tonahill’s South

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:26:00 +0000

(Maywood, Independence, MO)
Formerly Charlie’s

Scooter’s 451st bar, first visited in 2008.

Formerly Charlie’s, then Tonahill’s South, then a closed bar, it’s now Tonahill’s South once again, albeit leased out. Our bartender was a recent transplant from the west coast. This completed our tour of the Tonahill bars.

10817 E Truman Rd
Independence, MO 64052
US
[launch map]
(816) 252-2560

Bills Pappys Den

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:25:00 +0000

(Maywood, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 450th bar, first visited in 2008.

We did some quick backtracking after the Calico Cat when we realized we were on the verge of missing a couple of spots on Truman Road. We weren’t 100% sure at first what place this was but we found identifying info inside. I believe we played some Silver Strike while we were here.

10805 E Truman Rd
Independence, MO 64052
US
[launch map]
(816) 461-9345

Calico Cat

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:24:00 +0000

(Fairmount, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 449th bar, first visited in 2008.

A customer at Down The Road had told us this morning about his lifelong ban from The Calico Cat, and I’ve heard from a number of sources about this being the filthiest, scummiest bar I’d ever see.

Well, when you’ve seen hundreds of bars, the odds are you’ve seen scummier. And I must have, because this place didn’t really seem all that bad to me.

10325 E Independence Ave
Independence, MO 64053
US
[launch map]
(816) 461-9643

Tonahill’s Three of A Kind

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:19:00 +0000

(Englewood, Independence, MO)
Formerly Cecil’s

Scooter’s 444th bar, first visited in 2008.

Formerly Cecil’s, the interior has been renovated to make this place the third Tonahill’s location.

On the way out we noticed this message on one of the tables:

11703 E 23rd St S
Independence, MO 64050
US
[launch map]
(816) 833-5021

Norm & Betty’s

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:18:00 +0000

(Englewood, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 443rd bar, first visited in 2008.

We met with Norm and/or Betty and learned how much the smoking ban has hurt their business as well. They’ve owned this place for decades and only now for the first time have ever worried about getting by.

11713 E 23rd St S
Independence, MO 64050
US
[launch map]
(816) 254-9823

Players Club Bar & Grill

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:17:00 +0000

(Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 442nd bar, first visited in 2008.

This former Mr. Steak restaurant was bought, gutted, and transformed into a bar last year by the current owner/bartender.

My beer was flat, but the bartender made it right by making me a mixed drink at no extra charge.

1501 S Noland Rd
Independence, MO 64055
US
[launch map]
(816) 836-9400

Tommy’s Tavern

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:16:00 +0000

(The Square, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 441st bar, first visited in 2008.

On the edge of the Independence Square. I missed the parking lot so we circled around the block and parked in the alley. We sat at the far end of the L-shaped bar and played some Mystery Phrase while trying to determine the purpose of a strange electrical device in one of the windows.

Scrawled just above the handle on the inside of the men’s room door was this message to anyone who dared not wash up:

217 S Main St
Independence, MO 64050
US
[launch map]
(816) 461-3000

Big John’s Corner Bar

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:15:00 +0000

(The Square, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 440th bar, first visited in 2008.

A very tiny, long-standing institution in the heart of downtown Independence. Since this was my first visit we were entitled to their free Virgin Shots… other than the alcohol-infused cherry to pop the ingredients remain a mystery.

The restrooms here were essentially closets, and this is the 4th bar I’ve been to where the sink is outside the restrooms. So everyone knows if you washed your hands!

213 W Maple Ave
Independence, MO 64050
US
[launch map]
(816) 461-9790

Wild Stallion Saloon

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:14:00 +0000

(Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 439th bar, first visited in 2008.

1016 N Doris Ave
Independence, MO 64050
US
[launch map]
(816) 836-0123

Down the Road Lounge

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:13:00 +0000

(Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 438th bar, first visited in 2008.

This is kind of cool… a former Mugs Up Root Beer restaurant that has been converted to a bar, and a pretty nice one on the inside at that! Over 30 years ago I likely had a root beer here, now I’ve had a real beer here.

1200 E US Highway 24
Independence, MO 64050
US
[launch map]
(816) 254-0550

Cosmo’s

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:12:00 +0000

(Ripley, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 437th bar, first visited in 2008.

This was the first of many bars we went to today where the bartender lamented that they have lost business due to Independence’s smoking ban. So many bartenders today wanted to know where all the nonsmokers were who supposedly would start going out once they got their ban.

However, at first, this place actually saw increased business last summer due to being one of the only places in the city with a patio. But with the weather cold, the business has dropped off.

15700 E US Highway 24
Independence, MO 64050
US
[launch map]
(816) 836-1000

Rack Daddy’s

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:11:00 +0000

(Ripley, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 436th bar, first visited in 2008.

We took a couple of seats at the bar populated by older, blue-collar men. B needed to break a large bill but was worried it might be too early. “Oh, it’s no problem,” the bartender laughed. “We opened at 6am and those guys have been slamming back beers all morning. I have plenty of change.”

We noticed that one customer had a metal claw for a hand. There was also a claw machine against one wall. Unfortunately the photo opp never happened.

305 N State Route 291
Independence, MO 64056
US
[launch map]
(816) 257-1529

R G’s

scooterj — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:29:00 +0000

(40 Hwy, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 414th bar, first visited in 2007.

This was confusing because the marquee sign had me convinced this was a Chinese restaurant, but inside it was all bar. We played darts, surprisingly well for after 20 beers. A case of the hiccups frustrated me early in the game but I overcame them shortly.

D noticed this claw machine and we realized we had seen about 4 of them during the day. Kind of an odd thing to see in a bar.

9100 E 35th St S
Independence, MO 64052
US
[launch map]
(816) 358-5777

Sandbar

scooterj — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:28:00 +0000

(40 Hwy, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 413th bar, first visited in 2007.

We took turns playing pool and hanging out with the stuffed-and-mounted residents.

After I sent the cue ball flying across the room I decided to let D take over for me in the game I was playing against B.

9807 E Us Highway 40
Independence, MO 64055
US
[launch map]
(816) 313-2091

Bamboo Hut

scooterj — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:27:00 +0000

(40 Hwy, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 412th bar, first visited in 2007.

Serves up stek & fried chicken

A quick walk from Harvey’s. Our bartender didn’t seem veery receptive to us at first but quickly warmed up to us a few minutes later after the only other customers in the place had left.

Independence’s ban on smoking in bars
sure is great for Friday night business!

10111 E US Highway 40
Independence, MO 64055
US
[launch map]
(816) 353-9472

Harvey’s Tavern

scooterj — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:26:00 +0000

(40 Hwy, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 411th bar, first visited in 2007.

The place with a fireplace and stuffed deer heads in the back room. After enjoying the warmth of the fire for a while we played some more Silver Strike.

10129 E US Highway 40
Independence, MO 64055
US
[launch map]
(816) 358-1002

Time Out Lounge

scooterj — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:25:00 +0000

(40 Hwy, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 410th bar, first visited in 2007.

I believe we played some Silver Strike here. I think this was also the place with an interesting men’s room. A toilet and urinal were positioned side-by-side, which isn’t unusual in dive bars. Was was unusual, though, was the bar stool positioned in the corner behind them, as if offering a place to wait and watch for an opening.

B decided that this stool was actually a challenge to see if your stream could reach the bowl from the chair. It’s almost unfortunate that I wasn’t present to record the semi-successful effort.

10215 E US Highway 40 # A
Independence, MO 64055
US
[launch map]
(816) 358-3302

Secrets Lounge

scooterj — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:24:00 +0000

(40 Hwy, Independence, MO)
Formerly Pizza Hut

Scooter’s 409th bar, first visited in 2007.

Several minutes after our arrival, the architecturally-observant D noted that he thought this place might have formerly been a Pizza Hut.

12949 E US Highway 40
Independence, MO 64055
US
[launch map]
(816) 356-5477

Hot Shots

scooterj — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:23:00 +0000

(Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 408th bar, first visited in 2007.

This bar was just a few hundred feet west of Doc Holliday’s but located in Independence. If laws prohibiting smoking in bars is good for business it wasn’t apparent here — this was a big place but the three of us made up half the patrons present. We played the trivia box (which D complained wasn’t as cool looking as the one back at Night Shades) and considered another appetizer but didn’t see anything on the menu we wanted.

13520 E US Highway 40
Independence, MO 64055
US
[launch map]
(816) 478-3183

Dr Pikl’s

scooterj — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 17:22:00 +0000

(Ripley, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 389th bar, first visited in 2007.

We finished the evening relaxing at a table covered in photos before finally calling it a night.

UPDATE Revisted on June 30, 2018 and got a couple of indoor pics. The photo-covered tables appear to be gone.

16606 E US-24
Independence, MO 64056
US
[launch map]
(816) 257-5653
Visit Web Site

Jersey’s Sports Cafe

scooterj — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 17:21:00 +0000

(Ripley, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 388th bar, first visited in 2007.

We grabbed some Guinness and played a few games of Silver Strike. I was way off my game. Just like I have been with bowling in real life.

17307 E US Highway 24
Independence, MO 64056
US
[launch map]
(816) 257-1771

Bogart’s

scooterj — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 17:21:00 +0000

(Independence, MO)

Closed, but a new bar has opened in the same location.
Now Erin’s Pub

Scooter’s 188th bar, first visited in 2006.

When we visited it a cool stained glass ceiling over the bar. But later when business dropped after the smoking ban, the owner destroyed it in a fit of rage. She later sold the bar and after some repairs it re-opened as Erin’s Pub.

Here’s some pictures from a more recent visit in June 2010:

3010 S State Route 291
Independence, MO 64057
US
[launch map]
(816) 350-8110