BRENNAN’S
In the fall of 2003, my brother Mark and I opened a small storefront on Maryland Avenue in the Central West End neighborhood of Saint Louis. The space housed a couple of large tables and a wall of wine shelving. We intended to be a retail wine, liquor and cigar shop exclusively, but people began opening bottles inside the shop, not taking them home. Brennan’s soon became a neighborhood hangout.
The original Brennan’s storefront, June 2005
As Brennan’s customer base grew over the years, so did our offerings and spaces. From 2005 to 2016, we gradually changed things up and expanded within Brennan’s original home at 4659 - 4461 Maryland Ave to offer three unique bar spaces on three floors, including a neighborhood haunt, a private cigar club, a ping pong parlor, and eventually an event space.
The message board above the main bar (pictured below) has become synonymous with Brennan’s and has remained a constant since its installation in 2006. We change the message board every week and a half or so to keep it topical and fresh. The creative process behind keeping things interesting and giving people new reasons to return to Brennan’s has always been my favorite part of the job.
The original Brennan’s ground floor bar at 4659 Maryland Avenue, Photo by Sauce Magazine
The Maryland House, 2nd Floor of the Original Brennan’s, Photo by R.J. Hartbeck
The Dead Wax Record Room inside the original Brennan’s (part of the cigar club), Photo by R.J. Hartbeck
The Sneaker Room inside Durango Cigar Lounge at the original Brennan’s, Photo by R.J. Hartbeck
The B Hive workspace and event space at the original Brennan’s, Photo by R.J. Hartbeck
Over the years, Brennan’s has won numerous local awards, including Best Bar, Best Wine Bar, Best Patio, Best Place to While An Evening, Best Place for A Nightcap, Best Bartender, Best Unexpected Comedy Spot, and — one of our favorites — Best Place to Lose Yourself in Time. It’s difficult to put our place in any one category. Our focus has always been to provide a good atmosphere for drinks and conversation, with a quality selection on the menu.
In early 2020, after 17 years on Maryland Ave, we made a big decision to move Brennan’s from its original space to a new location, around the corner, at 316 N Euclid Ave. The original Brennan’s space treated us well for so many years, but its layout limited our abilities as a bar and restaurant.
For the next ten months, we tried to make the new Brennan’s on Euclid feel old and familiar, yet new and original. A devastating fire on one of the first days back open set us back a bit, but soot happens.
We’re back. See you on the other side of the bar sometime soon.
- Kevin Brennan
The main bar at the new Brennan’s, Photo By R.J. Hartbeck
The main bar at the new Brennan’s, Photo By R.J. Hartbeck
The Green Room at the new Brennan’s, Photo By R.J. Hartbeck