Get on the stick

Rack 'em up at these pool halls

By Ellen Fox

2/2/03

Tired of waiting out the weather at your corner bar? Here's a cue: shoot over to a pool hall. Think of it as the most exercise you can get while drinking. (And, confidential to the ladies, women who shoot pool well are like women who drink whiskey: dangerously sexy.)

The Lucky Strike - Hyde Park. This new South Side outpost of the Lincoln Avenue favorite offers eight Italian-crafted pool tables. The crowd's a blend of U of C folks and locals. Don't like pool? They've got eight bowling lanes, a hearty bar menu and plenty of suds. Hourly rate: $10. 1055 E. 55th St. 773-347-2695.

City Pool Hall. Tucked away across the river from the East Bank Club, this long, clean and low-ceilinged hall has all the masculine appeal of a sports bar. (There's even a Golden Tee in the video game room.) There are twelve tables, and a bar menu of burgers and sandwiches named after pool greats. Hourly rate: $8-$14.

Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery. Looking to play hooky or stretch your lunch hour? Stop in at this spacious River North brewpub where you can shoot stick for free from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. if you buy lunch. In the evening, you'll have to cough up $10 an hour.

The Corner Pocket. February is Customer Appreciation Month at this Lincoln Park mainstay. Shoot pool for free from 4-8 p.m. Mondays. Otherwise, if you want a shot at one of the nine tables, head in early because they fill up quickly. Hourly rate: $10-$12.

Chris's Billiards. Maybe the most famous pool hall in Chicago. How famous? Director Martin Scorsese filmed key scenes of his movie "The Color of Money" here with Tom Cruise and Paul Newman. This pool mecca boasts 50 tables, a couple of which are heated (the heat keeps the felt dry, reducing friction so the balls roll faster). Chris's packs 'em in, so good thing you can make reservations. Hourly rate: $6-$8.

Ellen Fox is a Chicago freelance writer.

Originally published Feb. 3, 2003.