Photograph by Katherine Bish
The name is Skybox—a dead-on perfect moniker for a sports bar. In the wake of venues whose names contain symbols, numbers and misplaced capital letters, we appreciate the simplicity. So we’ll shoot straight as well: This place is best-sports-bar-in-town cool. (No surprise, in that the owners are Nelly, Larry Hughes, Marshall Faulk and Darius Miles.) Most notable is the football-themed floor, dark wood interspersed with bands of lighter wood every 10 yards and numbered as such. From the 10, the football-shaped bar is hard to miss, with its odd-but-soothing orange glow. From the 20, catch a glimpse of the clubby cigar room, its chairs finished in football leather. Bob and weave downfield to the main bar, humorously studded with bits of broken beer bottles. HDTVs are everywhere, but strategically placed. Hardest to describe—but alone worth the visit—is the color scheme: transitional, nonprimary colors lifted right from a European palette, unusual for a sports bar. Master consulting chef John Griffiths oversees the intriguing “Southern with a sexy twist” menu. The name is Skybox, with one “x”—not two or three.
800 N. Third, 314-241-5100, skyboxstl.com. Hours: 11 a.m.–1:30 a.m. Mon–Fri, 4 p.m.–1:30 a.m. Sat–Sun.
