International Tap House

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.28/5  rDev -4.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

iTAP (as it is known by the locals) is a major beer bar in St. Louis, with 45 taps and all styles across the board from fruit beer to imperial stouts, as well as many locals (Six row, O'Fallon, Schafly) and regionals (Boulevard).

Also represented when I visited where Colorado (SKA, New Belgium), California (Stone, North Coast, Firestone), Idaho (Grand Teton Pursuit of Hoppiness), Belgium (Lindeman's, Chimay, Delirium)...good selection overall that satisfies, but nothing super crazy (outside of Southern Tier oak-aged Unearthly and Hoppe and Bell's Consecrator).

I like their beer menu, a veritable bible! And their cheekiness: "Drink Bud? Try this. Blue Moon? Choose this instead". This bar could easily push BMC-drinkers into the brink of craft beerdom!

I would love to hang out here if I were a local, but the lack of food+big beers+summer heat+having to drive makes this a two-beer stop (they do allow you to order food from any spot around the neighborhood, though)

Service is fantastic. Super knowledgeable servers, both at the bars and on the floor, on top of things and with a smile. Nice, friendly and efficient, what else can you ask for?

The atmosphere and interior are also cool- spacious, airy, industrial... lots of brick. Not your typical St. Louis joint, I assume!

If anything, and even beyond the lack of food (which actually caused two patrons to leave the bar, believe it or not), the only problem I see at iTAP is the price. 4 beers ran us $24! Granted they were big beers, but still.. this is more East Coast price than Missouri. Also the lack of serving choices: no half-pints or 4-oz tasters or anything else but a full glass.

Still, there is no denying this is a great spot. I would choose Bridge Tap House in Downtown as my favorite beer joint in St. Louis, but this comes second.

07-29-2011 02:23:27 | More by DoubleSimcoe

DCon

Missouri

4.56/5  rDev +1.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$

Visiting this place now 3 times, each time was a completely different. Knowing this, all of these categories for Rating this place will vary...

The atmosphere is always great! First time it was fulled with students studying and library geeks. Almost every person had a book in their hands! This was right when they first opened the place. Then, two weeks ago, I went to their Sunday Grand Opening and they tapped both a Schlafly and Urban Chestnut Cask. This event was insane and filled with party people. Great vibe everytime with live music and great people!

Service is always good but if busy, can take quite a while to get your next beer. I suggest sitting out on the patio or at a bar table because the servers are VERY prompt. Nothing against the bartenders/managers on-duty, but they have people drooling at their tap handles with questions about each one usually.

Like the Chesterfield location, their Tap List and bottles continually rotate and always offer multiples of each style!

Pick up a Passport and get started! You get discounts on beer throughout the week and can earn prizes while simply enjoying different beers.

07-05-2011 21:45:07 | More by DCon

Chincino

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev -4.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This place is located in the Soulard section of Saint Louis which is a great part of town in my opinion. This place was very lively and bustling with people and live music.

International Tap House or ITAP had an excellent beer selection and I would recommend this place to any beer lover if you're in Saint Louis. There is a beer selection of over 500 bottles and there are over 50 beers on tap. I got a sampler which included beers from Bells including Oarsmen, Oberon, and Two Hearted Ale, Urban Chestnut Brewing Company, and Goose Island. It was very difficult to choose which beers to try because there were so many to choose from. I had to sit and sift through the beer menu before making my selection.

The service here was good despite it being very crowded and a weekend night.

I would definitely recommend ITAP as a great beer bar!

08-31-2011 23:18:16 | More by Chincino

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.06/5  rDev -9.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Have been wanting to go to this place since it opened in Soulard.

Finally went to catch some football and some beers on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010.

The inside is basically all brick 'cuz it is housed in this historic building in Soulard. As you walk in the room is a rectangular elongated space that is quite open and easy to move through. The bar area is in the middle of the room and it does kind off create a bottleneck around that area. The bar is a nice dark wood and is obviously quite new. This place has been open only a couple of months. The back of the bar has two cooler areas that are divided by the wall of 40 taps. Very nice and clean look. There are enough TVS around to keep one entertained.

The quality of brew is good for St. Louis. You can get pretty much anything that is available at the bottle shops and some nice surprises on draft (some Arcadia ales). The bottle selection is great with most of the Belgians that are available in the area.

Service was good as well. The servers don't seem to be to knowledgable but they are friendly enough. I guess with experience they will get a bit more knowledgable.

Overall I was way excited about coming to this place because of the extensive draft selection. I was not disappointed and I am excited because this place is on my way home from work.

09-12-2010 15:31:25 | More by JoEBoBpr

TheSarge

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev -1.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I was pleased to see this place was close to the AB brewery after taking their tour for a third time, it was nice to cleanse my palate with some good brew.

When I stopped in, the place was packed with the after work crowd. I'm 32, and I believe I was the second youngest person in the bar, which a mature crowd is my cup of tea I wouldn't dare bring my kids in, which I feel would ruin the coziness of the place.

Inside the place was mostly exposed brick, with a nice skylight to let some natural light in. The place was kind of small, but you could tell the customers and staff were friendly, so no macho bullshit was going on there.

The place was a bit understaffed for the size of the crowd, but the two (waitress and bartender) were doing the best they could. I only goy one beer, and it was only $5 for a 12oz glass of Hop Devil. I can't complain about the selection. It would take me a while to go through 500 beers. Apparently none of the beers come from the big guys either.

03-28-2012 17:15:21 | More by TheSarge

hooliganlife

Missouri

4.34/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$

decent size joint that really plays off the urban city look. lots of exposed brick, classic bar look, flat screen tv's, and tap handles.

proper glasses were used for pours. glasses are always rinsed pre-pour. place was clean up and down.

they have 500 beers, 40 on tap. if you knock the selection, you are an idiot.

prices are reasonable, they have specials and some that cost a bit more. overall, no complaints.

this is my favorite of the two locations although parking could suck. lots of food places around.

10-22-2010 21:28:53 | More by hooliganlife

tripelhops

Missouri

4.8/5  rDev +6.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$

ITAP as it's known is a beer bar. Make no mistake about it, no food, just beer. Incredible selection of taps that change often and if I'm not mistaken just about every bottle of beer distributed in MO can be found in thier coolers, purchased and drank on premises. They allow food to be ordered or brought in from nearby restuarants, if your hungry. They play host to many cool beer events. The Soulard location is in a cool, older part of town, just a few blocks from the AB brewery. The inside has a lot more character than Chesterfield, with a lounge area right when you walk in the front, and a really nice patio area with a fountain using tap handles as the water spickets. If you're visiting from out of town, and are staying closer to the city, I'd suggest this location over Chesterfield because of the atmosphere, plus, you're closer to many other brewpubs and bars, too.

06-03-2011 13:49:36 | More by tripelhops

Monkeyknife

Missouri

4.88/5  rDev +8.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

iTap in Soulard is one of my favorite places to drink in St. Louis. With 40+ beers on tap and 500 by the bottle, you'll have no trouble finding something to like.

It's a fairly large place with room to breathe and plenty of large screens filled with sports of the day.

The selection of beers? If it's available in Missouri you'll find it here...especially if it's rare and/or very good. I've found Lagunitas Sucks and Green Flash West Coast IPA from the cask and Deschutes Abyss and Black Butte XXIII on tap.. Incredible!

No food is available from the bar but Epic Pizza is right next store and Llewellyns Pub is across the street. Bring it in, they don't mind.

A must visit for visitors and St. Louisans.

01-24-2012 01:42:33 | More by Monkeyknife

phaleslu

Missouri

4.58/5  rDev +1.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$

International Tap House (iTap) is finally in the city. I am never out in Chesterfield, nor would I want to make the 35 minute drive out there just to try it and have to drive back drunk. The new place is a nice rehab of an old Soulard building with a modern interior and nice patio on the side. The tap list is ever-changing- 8 new ones were added the day I first visited- and the bottle selection is easily the best of any bar in the city. If you can legally sell any particular brewer’s stuff in Missouri, this place has it. The bartenders seemed friendly and knowledgeable. They don’t serve food here, which sucks, and they don’t have any wine or liquor, which doesn’t matter to beer drinkers here. You can order food from outside for delivery, though, so they keep some menus at the bar. Great place, and I will be visiting here a lot.

05-18-2011 20:22:54 | More by phaleslu

sprucetip

Alaska

4.66/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$

World class, in a nutshell. 40 taps, 500 bottles, and the bottles are available for consumption on site at bar prices or to go at retail prices. No food, but you can bring it in.

Spacious and comfortable with lots of exposed brick, and a long bar. Some high tables with chairs and booth like seating in some places, and some little corner hideaway coveys with booth like zones and low tables. A few larger oversized/overstuffed chairs in other places. Lots of flat screen TV's, but the sound was off earlier, and kept low during the football game so it wouldn't overwhelm those aren't into it.

The menu is in a thick binder with some suggestions "if you normally drink BMC, try this" etc, for folks who are disoriented by or unfamiliar with the awesome selection. There was also some basic beer education materials before the draft and bottle lists.

A 5 brew sampler paddle cost $13, and I think they were 4 oz samples, but the price was the same for Mikkeller and the Beast as it was for more readily available and less costly brews. That was the only price that could remotely be considered pricey, though I think it is fair for what you get. A 10oz Expedition or 12oz Oak Yeti were $6. Everything we had was good and clean, served in proper glassware and pretty close to proper temp. The selection was super solid across the board, with quite a few relatively rare or special brews. The night we were there (a Monday), half the taps were half priced after 8.

It would be silly not to check this place out if you had the chance.

12-22-2010 03:53:00 | More by sprucetip