The Jockey Club
Located in Riverside, The Jockey Club is one of the tiniest dive bars and oldest bars in Kansas City. Owner Tim Augspurg has remodeled The Jockey Club several times since it opened in 1967. He just added more space and a back patio for the enjoyment (aka smoking) of his patrons. Tim is adding barbecue to the menu by the end of 2021.
Now that DB Cooper’s is defunct, The Jockey Club is one of the only dive bars to open at 6 a.m. in Kansas City. So grab your Blood Mary money and go.
Jockey Club was named to keep the nostalgia of horse racing alive. In the 1930s, Tom Pendergast converted a dog racing park into a horse racing track called Riverside Park (aka Pendergast Park). Riverside Park earned the nickname of the Jockey Club or Riverside Downs.
The one-mile track had Thoroughbred racing throughout the week and drew crowds of 20,000 in a single day. The Jockey Club draws almost as many draft beers each year with its loyal dive bar patrons.
The little bar is open Monday – Saturday from 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. It’s closed on Sundays so you can rest your liver.