Bowling & Pool in Chicago
August 16, 2010 6:55 PM Subscribe
Tell me about all the bowling alleys and places to shoot pool in Chicago, both good and bad. If they have a pool table or a bowling lane, I want to know about it.
POOL:
Does the table eat your quarters?
Do the patrons expect to play the winner?
Is there always a dollar worth of quarters resting on the edge of the table?
How embarrassing is it if you're really, really bad at pool?
BOWLING:
What are the prices like?
Is it awesome-divey or kind of depressing-divey?
Paper or electronic scoring?
EITHER/OR:
How crowded does it get?
What kind of people hang out there?
What's the beer selection/pricing like?
Don't feel like you have to answer every single question, darlings, I just want to give you an idea of the kind of information I'm looking for. I'm the world's least coordinated dumbass and I just want to get sloppy and have some fun.
POOL:
Does the table eat your quarters?
Do the patrons expect to play the winner?
Is there always a dollar worth of quarters resting on the edge of the table?
How embarrassing is it if you're really, really bad at pool?
BOWLING:
What are the prices like?
Is it awesome-divey or kind of depressing-divey?
Paper or electronic scoring?
EITHER/OR:
How crowded does it get?
What kind of people hang out there?
What's the beer selection/pricing like?
Don't feel like you have to answer every single question, darlings, I just want to give you an idea of the kind of information I'm looking for. I'm the world's least coordinated dumbass and I just want to get sloppy and have some fun.
Can't really help you out with the pool, but there are 2 bowling alleys that I loved when I lived in Chicago.
Timber Lanes - 1851 W. Irving
I don't remember what the prices were, but I don't remember them being outrageous at all. I had many a first date at Timber Lanes. It was a good measure of character. Awesome divey, paper scoring, real wood lanes (not laminate). The house ball selection is pretty lousy, and so was the air conditioning.
Fireside Bowl - 2648 W. Fullerton
I spent much less time at Fireside. There's a whole bunch of folks who lament the loss of the live music stage, but I was happy to get an old school bowling alley back. Again, not a lot of details, but awesome divey.
posted by hwyengr at 7:25 PM on August 16, 2010
Timber Lanes - 1851 W. Irving
I don't remember what the prices were, but I don't remember them being outrageous at all. I had many a first date at Timber Lanes. It was a good measure of character. Awesome divey, paper scoring, real wood lanes (not laminate). The house ball selection is pretty lousy, and so was the air conditioning.
Fireside Bowl - 2648 W. Fullerton
I spent much less time at Fireside. There's a whole bunch of folks who lament the loss of the live music stage, but I was happy to get an old school bowling alley back. Again, not a lot of details, but awesome divey.
posted by hwyengr at 7:25 PM on August 16, 2010
Lincoln Square Lanes is so awesome-divey that I don't find it divey at all, just awesome (though I haven't been there for 5 years, despite it being down the street, and if as someone who grew up in rural Illinois, my divey-radar may be set to a different level than others)
Seconding it, in other words.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 7:45 PM on August 16, 2010
Seconding it, in other words.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 7:45 PM on August 16, 2010
Chris's Billards in Portage Park (4637 Milwaukee). Lots of tables. Serious players, but the few times I went in there with Ms. Ricketts 10 or so years ago was enjoyable. Not just because it was where The Color of Money was shot.
Pressure Cafe in Rogers Park (6318 N Clark St). I've walked past it but not been in it. Looks clean and jazzy and young crowd (like college age and below?) but is open late. I'm not sure if they have booze, definitely coffee and food. They have 12 or so nice looking tables and comedy on some nights. I checked out their website, they charge by the hour. http://www.pressurebilliards.com/ It looks well populated when I go past.
The Ten Cat is also swell. Very divey. More Bar with some Pool...unlike the two I mention which is Pool first.
For Bowling, seconding and thirding Lincoln Square Lanes. Fabulous place. Above a (now defunct?) hardware store. A mix of old locals and young hipsters. (at least it was 8 years ago)
I've also played at Habelter Bowl in Jefferson Park (5250 N Northwest Hwy). Pretty standard bowling alley. Has drinks, electronic scoring. A local place, for local people.
Diversey Bowl (2211 Diversey) is pretty stellar bowling alley. Has a great neon sign. Lots of lanes, a good arcade, nicely crappy food, and a divey bowl bar for drinks. I recall that it has gotten rather expensive lately. Its where the pretty people bowl.
There's also Waveland Bowling Alley on Western (3700 Western Avenue). I've not been in it, but based on what I've heard, and from driving past it, they're heavily geared towards being the Family Bowling Center. Lots of youth events. They have neon Space Bowling (With the lights and the fog machines and the bumpers instead of gutters) on some nights.
posted by Wink Ricketts at 8:00 PM on August 16, 2010
Pressure Cafe in Rogers Park (6318 N Clark St). I've walked past it but not been in it. Looks clean and jazzy and young crowd (like college age and below?) but is open late. I'm not sure if they have booze, definitely coffee and food. They have 12 or so nice looking tables and comedy on some nights. I checked out their website, they charge by the hour. http://www.pressurebilliards.com/ It looks well populated when I go past.
The Ten Cat is also swell. Very divey. More Bar with some Pool...unlike the two I mention which is Pool first.
For Bowling, seconding and thirding Lincoln Square Lanes. Fabulous place. Above a (now defunct?) hardware store. A mix of old locals and young hipsters. (at least it was 8 years ago)
I've also played at Habelter Bowl in Jefferson Park (5250 N Northwest Hwy). Pretty standard bowling alley. Has drinks, electronic scoring. A local place, for local people.
Diversey Bowl (2211 Diversey) is pretty stellar bowling alley. Has a great neon sign. Lots of lanes, a good arcade, nicely crappy food, and a divey bowl bar for drinks. I recall that it has gotten rather expensive lately. Its where the pretty people bowl.
There's also Waveland Bowling Alley on Western (3700 Western Avenue). I've not been in it, but based on what I've heard, and from driving past it, they're heavily geared towards being the Family Bowling Center. Lots of youth events. They have neon Space Bowling (With the lights and the fog machines and the bumpers instead of gutters) on some nights.
posted by Wink Ricketts at 8:00 PM on August 16, 2010
Carol's on Clark and Leland has a pool table. I think it is 3/4 size. It is pretty severely tilted toward the southeast if I remember correctly, so you have to take that into account as you play. Also, it is in the back near the spent kegs, so there isn't enough room to make shots at the end. Sometimes impossible to get a spot Thurs.-Saturday, but there isn't really anyone there Monday through Wednesday.
In all, I wouldn't recommend it. But you did ask about all of the pool tables in Chicago.
posted by ohio at 8:08 PM on August 16, 2010
In all, I wouldn't recommend it. But you did ask about all of the pool tables in Chicago.
posted by ohio at 8:08 PM on August 16, 2010
Nthing Ten Cat Tavern. Totally divey, laid back, and awesome.
In Ukrainian Village, there's Innertown Pub on Thomas just east of Damen. It gets really crowded most nights. Lots of hipster cyclists. There's a good jukebox there, and live music some nights.
posted by smich at 9:09 PM on August 16, 2010
In Ukrainian Village, there's Innertown Pub on Thomas just east of Damen. It gets really crowded most nights. Lots of hipster cyclists. There's a good jukebox there, and live music some nights.
posted by smich at 9:09 PM on August 16, 2010
Warning about Innertown: every time I've played pool there, the people are actually good. So, if you're not good and don't want to get judged buy sort of cute hipster dudes for being crap at pool, I wouldn't suggest it. And the live music is REALLY hit or miss.
posted by betty botter at 10:24 AM on August 17, 2010
posted by betty botter at 10:24 AM on August 17, 2010
Cary's is a pool bar on Devon Avenue near Oakley. They only have one table, but it's free well maintained by the (apparently multiple?) teams in residence. Good beer selection, wifi, and karaoke on Friday or Saturday nights. If you go, let me know as it's just up the street from me.
posted by me3dia at 10:37 AM on August 17, 2010
posted by me3dia at 10:37 AM on August 17, 2010
The Whirlaway Lounge, 3224 W. Fullerton, has a pool table and the owner Maria is a total sweetheart.
posted by hydrophonic at 9:24 PM on August 17, 2010
posted by hydrophonic at 9:24 PM on August 17, 2010
Nthing Cary's. Andrew took me there and it's the nicest free table I've played. I would also be interested in an auxiliary meetup there.
posted by eamondaly at 3:38 PM on August 18, 2010
posted by eamondaly at 3:38 PM on August 18, 2010
Response by poster: Eamon: I knew the idea had come up and was wondering if it had already happened, but now that I know they have a rad pool table this auxiliary meetup is so happening.
posted by Juliet Banana at 7:12 PM on August 18, 2010
posted by Juliet Banana at 7:12 PM on August 18, 2010
Pressure Cafe in Rogers Park
Oh man, I was in there a couple years ago. Wicked expensive pool, if I remember right. Not very casual.
posted by Windigo at 6:48 PM on August 19, 2010
Oh man, I was in there a couple years ago. Wicked expensive pool, if I remember right. Not very casual.
posted by Windigo at 6:48 PM on August 19, 2010
Pretty sure the Whirlaway doesn't have a table (anymore?). I was there two nights ago.
posted by ism at 3:42 PM on November 29, 2010
posted by ism at 3:42 PM on November 29, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Lincoln Square Lanes, 4874 N. Lincoln, second floor, is awesome divey. Paper scoring. Cheap. Classic rock on the jukebox. Macrobrews.
posted by hydrophonic at 7:20 PM on August 16, 2010 [1 favorite]