9 LB Hammer

I've only been to 9 Pound Hammer a few times, but to me it's the prototypical Georgetown watering hole: it's a little dirty, poorly lit, and filled with a healthy cross section of area denizens.

There's a beer for every taste, including their signature 9 Pound Porter from Georgetown Brewing, and the bang for your buck on hard drinks is substantial.  The layout is open enough to allow you to circulate between the tables and booths, and around the full size shuffleboard table that's always in use.  And there's a selection of pinball games that instantly transport me back to the old arcade in the mall back in the day.

Service is no-nonsense, which keeps things moving quickly at the bar, but it's not like you feel like you're unwelcome if you take a few moments to put your change back in your pocket before heading back to your table.

Whether you start or finish your evening there, or drop in somewhere in between, any evening in Georgetown won't be complete without a visit.

I've been here about 3 or 4 times and really wanted to like it.  My friends like the beer selections and we've had fun with the board games or shuffleboard, but the SECONDHAND SMOKE in the place that place gave me a headache every time I've been there.

They allow smokers to sit at the front near the front door, which is practically outdoor seating, but still technically inside since it's only accessible from the inside.  I guess they think this somehow bypasses the law here of no smoking in restaurants and bars, but it certainly isn't the required 20 feet away from the front door.  You HAVE TO pass through a cloud of smoke to get in and out of the place.

And the smoke exposure doesn't stop there, it seems that the airflow or wind manages to blow the smoke IN to the bar instead of outside.  Last time I went there, we were playing shuffleboard and the smoke made me so sick that I had to leave my friends and go somewhere else. I probably tried to tough it out longer than I should've for fear of being the "Debbie Downer" of the group, but eventually I couldn't take it anymore.  It was bad enough to the point where I thought I was going to throw up.

This place is nuts....My kinda of Bar! Friendly staff, Great Booze,Awesome Games.