The best part about this place is the tap and bottle list. Probably the best in a 20 miles radius. But the pint cost was a little much for me. $6 for a pint of something from a brewery right down the road. Maybe I should have just bought the assorted 6-pack for $8 and had 36oz of beer in hand, ready to go. The bartender wasn't hip on giving me the Wi-Fi password unless I ordered, and then I couldn't connect anyway because the router needed to be rebooted. Tons of pool tables if I were looking for a game.
Review Source:Beer Stop 34
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Napa may be known for wine, but Billco's was the best part. Billco's has a lot of great beers on top and an even better bottle selection. FYI - you can consume the bottle selection on premise, huge plus.
I ended up going to the area in the back where they store bottles and tried quite a few rarities. The owner Brett keeps several for himself, but I was fortunate in that he allowed me to purchase his personal Cloak of St Martin quad.
Great beer with a lowkey vibe.
The worst experience ever! Â The 'manager' Johnny was a complete idiot and walked over to our group and just grabbed a drink out a young ladies hand without saying a word, dumped it out and gave us (who are all over 35+) a huge attitude like we were college kids that were sneaking in a drink from the Farmers Market event that was going on. Â We have been there for over two hours buying drinks and then out of the blue this character comes over and takes the drink like we are criminals. Â I had a great first experience in Napa....with the exception of this trip to Billco's. Â I would not recommend anyone spending any time or money in this establishment if this is the way they treat paying customers. Â He simply could have had an intelligent conversation with us and asked the story behind the small glass of wine and all would have been good, but NO he wanted to be somebody that night. Â Well now he can deal with the consequences.... do NOT go!!! Â I tried to tell you.
Review Source:Moved to napa a little bit ago decided to stop into this place. The amount of beers they had on tap was beyond enough but I kept it classy with my high life. The bartender was super chill and on top of it when it came time to gettin a new beer. The only down fall was they don't get the channel with sharks game. I'd hit it up again fersure. Good times had
Review Source:Came here Saturday night to get our pool-playing on. Got here around 9:30pm. Not really sure how the reserve system works here, we couldn't figure out what the bartender was trying to explain to us. All we could get was that on Saturdays (not sure if every Saturday or just this one) you can't put your name on a list for a table, you just have to swoop on one when someone leaves. Okay...
Turned out not go be a biggie because someone left right when we were finishing up ordering our beers. The first hour is free if you check-in on Yelp (DO IT!!!!) and then it's $5/pp per hour after that. Mehhh...I guess that's an okay price. Definitely better if you're just a couple playing, but at most places I've been its just a flat price for the table. Whatevs...after getting the first hour free we weren't complaining.
Love all the mixed-beer options! Everything I tasted was delicious. But this is definitely a bar for people who a) know what kind of beer they like, and b) are adventurous in trying new things. If you don't know what you like, and you're not up for trying new things, stick to the beer you know (Probably the ones in the bottles).
They play some pretty fun music - it's nice to get a break from Top40 in places. The music wasn't too loud either. And this place gets crackin'! The bar was packed until about 11 (they're only open until midnight).
All in all, I would definitely come back for some awesome freaking beer and some pool.
Lets be real about this place and its people. Two things come to my mind when writing this review. The first, lets look at the Big Picture and second, lets look at the overall ratings of this place and address few bad comments I noticed here.
The Big Picture. This place is unique among the many establishments in downtown Napa. It is one of the early establishments that was set up to cater to locals and educate the public on craft beers. On this note, the owners have been real craft beers crusaders. It was ahead of its time when it was created 12+ year ago. Back then, hardly anybody come into downtown Napa, b/c it wasn't cool then. Bill, the father made this place, so it's called Bill-Co's. It's a family run biz, not some fancy big corporation. Overall, it's an excellent place to unwind, without a lot of fou-fou, and you can have few drinks with friends; play some pool, or darts and be yourself without worrying about people being too judgmental. These are down home folks, not the over-the-top white table cloth places where you can expect to pay an average of $35/person at most other places nearby. Most bartenders and hospitality people come here after work, and can let their guards down and unbutton their collars. Have a smoke outside the deck, etc. And most of the times, it has 60 beers on tap, unless it ran out or doing a tap takeover event, plus 120 bottle beers.
The Complaints. Yes, I see few complaints here. Bret is the son who is the GM/partner and runs the place. He is expecting his third baby soon and it will be a boy this time, he said. I know Bret for more than five year (5) and generally speaking, he is a very pleasant man and exuberant, and kind man. This guy puts in a lot of hours like most hospitality people. If you run restaurants, you know it takes a gut of steel, b/c putting in 50-60 hours a week is the norm for these folks. Bret is very local conscious and he has been an incredible beer ambassador to many local brewers. He is very passionate about craft beers and donated much money to charities over the course of the year. And yes, he does have a bad day from time to time, but this is not the norm, not the Bret I know. I think he's very stress out about the upcoming birth of his newborn. And if you meet him or people in the early morning or noon, chances are they're cranky. These guys work into the wee hours and early mornings. However, this is not an excuse, just a reality. Bret is a fair guy, and he will gladly apologize and make up his mistakes. He does work hard to improve the place, so if you have a beef w/him, take it up w/him personally at the right time, and you'll see the good side of this man.
Conclusion. Overall this is a great place. It's not perfect; however, no places are.
I just want to write an honest and balance review. The average ratings should be what you look for if you want an impartial view (I'd give it 4.5 stars). Cheers!
Well, once again I see crappy reviews from snobby out-of-town tourists that apparently expect every establishment in Napa to have their noses as high in the air as their over-expectant patrons.....so here's a real review from a local you can rely on.
I've lived in Napa for almost 2 years and Billco's is within walking distance from my apartment, and last night was the first time I decided to try them out. Â If you go in here with inflated expectations, you'll be disappointed. Â If you go here realizing it's a local microbrew pool pub, you'll most likely have a good time.
Very good beer selection whether you want an old fave like Guinness or want to try a new brew with a funky name. Â The menu of course is your typical bar fare, but the cook (at least the one who was on last night) Â did a hell of a job with the French Dip and Turkey panini, they were great!! Â And those were by far THE best garlic fries I've had since moving to the Bay Area. Â The gals at the bar were friendly, service was prompt, and the pool table prices are just what you'd expect - $5 per player per hour. Â For two people to have good beer, good food, and play a little pool on a Saturday night in overpriced, touristy downtown Napa for $60 (that includes the tip) is a deal in my book. Â It's hard to find affordable things to do as a local in this town that caters to rich tourists. Â So ignore the snobs on here with astronomical expectations about local, blue-collar Napa establishments and give Billco's a try.
We used to go here often but hadn't been back in a year or so because I had a baby. Â We were excited to get out of the house and have some adult time but were shocked by the change in the place. Â The service has always been a bit rude, but this time it was horrible. Â The music was so loud, it must have been hurting most people's ears and they refused to turn it down. Â The weirdest thing, however, was when we walked in, we noticed an especially loud group. Â There was a woman with them that they were all cheering on while she chugged her pint. Â It was 3 in the afternoon, so I joked with my husband that it was going to be an early evening for her... Â An hour later, we were shocked to see her head behind the bar and start her work shift! Â She was one of the bartenders! Â It kind of explained the rude service if that's what is allowed there. Â Last, we were really disappointed to see that, while they advertise having 60 beers on tap, maybe half were actually available. Â So, selection was not nearly as good as they try to play up. Â I used to love this place even with the rude service, but I don't think I will continue to waste my time. Â Not a fun afternoon.
Review Source:After patronizing this place for nearly two solid years I politely inquired about how to get in on their once a year Pliny The Younger keg day. The person I spoke to on the phone sounded severely annoyed that I was asking, and more or less refused to give me any information. I already knew what day it was so I just showed up when the doors opened.
As I walked in and sat down the scowling bartender snarled at me and reluctantly asked what I wanted. When I enquired about the Pliny I immediately realized that he was the same kindly soul whom I'd spoken to on the phone. He snarled again "that doesn't start til 5... and you need a ticket!" Â -blank stare- Â "ok" I said "how do I get a ticket?". This seemed to infuriate the large foul beast who then proceeded to lecture me "you know you're lucky that you get any Pliny at all, it's my keg and I could keep it all for myself if I wanted to!"
Is this guy a 1st grader stuck in a hungover 50 year old body? I thought to myself. Having no tolerance for this kind of unprovoked A-hole-ism I got up and walked towards the door. "What a d#^k" I muttered under my breath, to which he replied "well, you get to be when you own your own business."  This guy's the owner?!? Ha   Congratulations Dbag!
This place has a great beer selection but that's about where the pros end.
Drink prices are a travesty, small pub food menu is a comedy, and the food itself is a tragedy. There is nowhere to sit other than the bar where you're likely to find yourself snuggled next to some creepy 40 something (owner's buddy no doubt) who stares at the scantily clad young bartender and thinks she's his friend because she smiles when he tips her.
The owner is a jerk plain and simple, and I think that explains a lot about his business. I would expect a little better treatment for locals who spend good money and bring in business on a regular basis.
Yes, they get Pliny the Younger and are one of the only accounts in Napa to do so. While this is great, they charge $10 per half pint. This costs $4.50 an hour away at the brewery.
It's a great way to alienate regular customers so they can gouge a few dollars more out of each glass from the people that are after the hype more than anything. A regular like myself, who likes to sit down and enjoy a few pints of "regular" craft beer, however, can take my business elsewhere.
The owner also claimed to a fellow Yelper "you know you're lucky that you get any Pliny at all, it's my keg and I could keep it all for myself if I wanted to!" This seems totally in his character and I bet Natalie and Vinnie (Cilurzo) wouldn't be too thrilled with you talking like that and I'll beg to differ that you could keep it all for yourself. I'll be sure to email them your comment and maybe you won't be so lucky in receiving any next year.
Edit: I made good on my promise to email Natalie and Vince, emailing them these reviews and especially the owner's comment about it being his keg and he could do as he pleased, and they weren't too pleased.
Checked this place out during our last night in Napa - cool, laid-back spot with an impressive selection on tap and a pretty large, clean pool table area. Â Beer prices were actually pretty reasonable even for some of the high-ABV varieties.
Yelp Tip: Don't forget to check in for a free hour of pool!
I used to come here in high school to play pool and ended up back again the other night. What I really enjoy about this place is that for a pool hall, it's well lit, open, and generally has a great crowd of people. I feel safe playing darts or pool and thus far have not had a bad experience.
That said, this place is a popular late night spot, so prepare to wait for a table or dart board. They serve great beer and alright wine, and the prices aren't too bad.
The parking lot is small so be ready to street park.
It's gotten to the point where we just go to Pancha's and risk reeking of cigarette smoke (dive bar in Yountville) instead of going to Bilco's - This place consistently closes 1-2 hours earlier than what they state; they make up their own schedule which is frustrating. Don't bother going for late night pool; you won't be given a table. At least you can depend on the same closing time at Pancha's every night.
Other than that, the beer selection is solid and the tables are great - Just isn't dependable, nor are the gentlemen working here very friendly - Try staying for last call one night (which is typically 45min-90min before closing time) , you'll know exactly what I mean - It's like a toy monkey with extremely large symbols.
Sometimes you need low brow .... And it's so good. That's billco's. Its nothin' fancy, but it has 60 brews on tap and its open late when all else is closed. Cover bands, pool tables, friendly staff and patrons. What more do you need?! When you need to chill, it's the best place to go.
Review Source:(Sigh.) It really pains me to do this, but Billco's just breaks my heart. Yeah, they have a great beer selection. (And this girl LOVES her beer.) Yeah, it's usually a pretty cool crowd...some nights and patrons being rowdier than others, but I've been there a dozen times and been able to enjoy the company I was with. But, seriously... $7 for a pint of Guinness!? What a bummer...yeah, there are deals to be had on Pint Night, and I might stop in for that from time to time. But for a regular spot, I just can't justify spending almost TEN DOLLARS (with tip) for a  mass-produced, widely distributed product. Try Downtown Joe's for a great selection of brewery originals or Grace's Table for a small but oft-revolving selection of craft and small production beers.
Review Source:I mean....at 6 p.m. in Napa there aren't too many options! Â ha! Â On a recommendation from a local, we ended up here after our day of wine tasting. Â They have an impressive and welcomed selection of beers. Â I can't remember what I drank but I know it was good. Â
They have some dart boards and tons of pool tables. Â We played darts. Â It was a decent end to our day... Â Just was hoping to find somewhere with more atmosphere and less windows!
A friend of mine took me here after a late dinner and honestly, my initial reaction was something along the lines of "Holy crap, get me out of here." Well, I was being judgey and I was totally wrong.
Low-key, no fuss. Get your beer, rent a pool table and enjoy yourself without being bothered. Â Everybody is there to do their own thing and couldn't give a crap about what anyone else is up to. Â The tables were in great shape and the prices were super low. Â The best part for me though was the awesome, crazy loud music...AC/DC, Def Leppard...the part of me that's just a little trashy was done for. Â Love this place!
With 60 beers on tap, plenty of pool tables and reportedly 150 more bottled choices, Billco's can please even the pickiest beer nerd.
The long bar looks like it was built for some heavy drinking. Â Lucky for me, the bartender was quick to recommend some great beer and was very knowledgeable about the local beer scene.
Some California choices included Russian River, Moonlight, Lost Abbey, Stone, Lagunitas, Lost Coast etc. etc.. Most were year round offerings but there were a couple rotational and one-off gems in the bunch.
Looks like a great place to get blitzed, taste delicious, interesting beer and lose some money playing pool.
If you want an incredible craft beer selection while in Napa, Bilco's is your place!! Â Went here upon recommendation from our waitress at a different restaurant when we said we wanted to go to a beer bar. Â You would never guess looking at this billiards bar from the outside that they have 50 amazing beers on tap!! Â I couldn't believe my eyes when I walked in! Â Not only do they have amazing beer, but they have April, the best bartender ever!! Â April is also the assistant brewer at Blue Frog Grog in Fairfield and I had no clue she also worked here. Â She is so much fun and knows her brews! Â So this place is an awesome place to just chill, play some darts, and drink some amazing brews.
The best part is that they have the Russian River bottles and were selling them for only $6.50!!! Â That is half the price that you will find them anywhere else people!!!! Â I cleaned them out of their Temptation, Consecration, and Supplication so maybe after this they won't have them but seriously down the street they were selling them for $13 so it was a steal! Â See you next time Bilco's and I can only hope that you have restocked your Russian River selection!
I'm a local and have to agree that, though we are very friendly, tourists will have to make an effort to fit in if they want to enjoy this place. Â They just introduced a NEW MENU so give the eats a second chance.
This is a great neighborhood pub. Â Good folks, good brews (SIXTY on tap), good lighting, and, day or night, Â a great place to just chill. Â Check out the Pint Nite Special ($3.25) every Thursday.
Billcos is a favorite - as a local. I can see how it may not serve everyone and their taste. The crowd can get a bit too local
The beers on tap are by far the highlight! They're often changing and the staff knows enough about them to always introduce the new ones.
There can be quite a wait for a pool table or darts, I'm not any good anyway so I tend to not complain.
Always a fail safe for a "first date/hangout/get away from dinner" situations.
Good ... make that GREAT selection of beer on tap and even more available in the bottle. Bartenders are generally cool and the establishment is one of the few that operate with locals in mind. That being said, Billcos can attract an abnoxious set of locals that harass and annoy the patrons that are there trying to have a good time. And the food ... don't bother. Not bar, not pub, not middle school lunch line quality.
Go for the fantastic beer selection and the pool tables. Just steer clear of the kitchen and the obnoxious regulars.
Great little spot to get my pool on. I am a horrible horrible pool player, but I do enjoy anything that has sticks and balls to shoot into holes. There are plenty of tables and a few dart boards.
50+ Beers on Tap, that are in constant rotation...I'm a fan!
They do have a small appetizer menu of fried bar food, but I did notice that they are going to add a few tables and a larger menu to include Tri-Tip sandwiches, and such.
They also have different "nights"....Monday is Industry Night 2 for 1 pool. Tuesday is Ladies Night 2 for 1 pool. Well, you get the idea.
The bartenders are always somewhat friendly and willing to help you made up your mind on which beer to get, you can even mix two together for a black & tan but better! I had an apricot ale mixed with Guinness. Ok I lied, I had 4.
It's more than a pool hall. Â It's more than the 50+ beers on tap. Â Well, maybe it's just that. Â The patrons are like kids in a candy store! Â I was relaying old stories with new friends and they just waited for the words to stop coming out of my mouth so that they could jump in with their stories. Â The next day no one remembers each other's names, each other's stories. Â It all dies in a great beer haze. Â It's no beer garden by any stretch of the imagination, but go there yourself and order the Pliny. Â It's the staff favorite, but they'll share if you order it by name.
"Oh, hey! Â Oh, we met here before?" Â I feel like Guy Pearce in Memento. Â "It's not that I don't care. Â I don't mean to come off as a prick. Â I.. I don't remember things." Â Sorry that I'm veering this off into the way wrong direction. Â It's funny (in a sad way) when you forget what you're yelping about. Â Oh, and the beer is phenomenal here. Â One sip of Blind Pig and I'm floating on the breeze.. Â again happy, happy about life. Â File this under: "My love of beer". Â File this under: "Billco's , Napa, 3rd Street". Â I saw a punk band here and the singer was howling about something that obviously pissed him off and it was taking me off the beer buzz a bit. Â The next day, I saw him shopping with his wife at Wal-Mart, a 24-pack of toilet paper in his cart. Â He wasn't so much pushing the shopping cart as it was dragging him along. Â The song he screamed the night before suddenly made sense. Â And what the hell was I doing in Wal-Mart buying frozen lasagna? Â I'll get back to this review. Â Promise promise. Â I'll return here with a clear head and some more great anecdotes to share about the happiest pool hall in Napa County. Â Cheers.
When I walked into Billco's and saw 60 beers on tap... I just smiled. Having almost all of the northern California breweries on tap in one location was basically heaven. I didn't know what to try first so I just went for the Smithwicks, couldn't go wrong there.
We stayed for a few hours, shot some pool, tried more then five other taps and called it a night. I think my favs had the be the IPAs, I loved the range of flavors. I don't live in Napa, but I do live about 30 minutes away. Even though Billco's isn't exactly the kind of bar that you'd see me in on a regular basis, it's one of the coolest dive bars I've been around the North Bay area just because they have all of the local beers you'd want. Oh yes... I'll be back.
For the ladies: beware. There were a few skeezy guys in the bar, but nothing you couldn't handle on our own ;) Just a fun place to hangout, shoot some pool with friends and chat it up.
This is the place in Napa to get a beer! And they're inexpensive, too!
They have something like 68 beers on tap, and others in bottle! Amazing beer selection, knowledgeable and friendly bartenders, and did I mention their BEER??? They have a dozen or so pool tables and four or so dart boards. I didn't play any games while I was there. I simply stared at the impressive board of taps and chatted with my friends over a couple pints. PURE BLISS!!!
Yay... one of my favorite places to go waste time. Â I go here w/my friends when we can't decide what else to do. Â They have a good beer selection, and I must be lucky- because I have never had to wait for a pool table. Â I have mostly encountered the same guy working the bar, with an occasional alternate bar tender, but regardless have always been met with friendly service... even when I'm standing there like a dumbass trying to choose a beer.. uh, maybe that, Â no... how about... uh.... you get the point. Â Anyhow, the live music that they have there sometimes can be kinda corny... I wouldn't say it's bad, but I also wouldn't say it's good. Â Whenever they just pipe music in, like over the speakers or whatever, they usually choose good music. Â But hey... some people like that little band, so whatever! Â Anyhow, a cool, laid-back little hang out of mine. Â Cheers!
Review Source:What a great place this is. Endless pool tables, weird and scary looking two man band who looked like ZZ Top rejects but man did they rock! LOL!!! They actually played "Learning to Fly" by TP and the Heartbreakers yay babay!
Anyhow, FANTASTIC taps that would almost rival Tom Nickels from O'Briens place down here in sunny San Diego. I have to honestly admit that I DEARLY love Lagunitas IPA... why oh why can't we get more of their beers on draft in San Diego? Â
A special shout out to the bartender who gave me a free pint when he saw me almost wet myself after I drank the first Lagunitas IPA... Fantastic! Â
(BTW, play "mix that pint". They will make a mix and match pint for you if you say:  Pint Roulette!!!! )  We'll be back  here in November!
It's like the short bus stopped here and unloaded...
Great beers on tap and HUNDRED(s) to choose from (on tap). Â Nice tables, darts and all that...but the clientel leave something to be desired. Â I thought goth was dead? Â Isn't it all about Emo now? Â Apparently they didn't get the memo. Â Go rock out with your bad selves!
Super townie bar. Went here after a bartender at our resort told us it was a good local bar. Well the characters that were in the bar were interesting, that's for sure.
Besides that, they only serve beer, only accept cash, and you have to wait over an hour for a pool table. Not really my idea of a good time.
So many great memories at this place!
I used to come pretty regularly when I was a young pup attending Napa Valley College in 2000. My visits have slowed down since then, but I still love Billco's. I took a billiards class from a scary ex-hells angel through NVC once, and vowed that I would always shout out my love to this establishment.
The bar style food is pretty darn finger lickin'...there are something like 15 pool tables, 5 dart boards and I think 40 beers on tap.
AMAZING!!!
There is usually a crowd, so expect a wait for a table. Grab a beer while you're waiting and meet some neat Napa locals.
Enjoy!
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