Carpool

Pool, darts, shuffleboard, and SKEEBALL, how can you mess this one up?  The seating/standing area is large and there are tables for those interested in kickin it outside.  Great place to watch a game, although the volume isn't overpowering and the lights aren't dimmed to offer the mancave-like atmosphere many sports bars have succumbed to.  

The open interior layout offers room to roam without rubbing elbows, and if you take your eyes off your beer and think really hard you'll be understand why it's named CarPool.  In the spring and fall when the garage doors are opened the breezy interior is a sweet spot for a brew.  But really, how can you deny SKEEBALL?

HH or night-cap, we find ourselves at Carpool pretty frequently.  Being Ballston-ers who occasionally enjoy pool, darts, or shuffleboard, or even a sporting event, we will generally walk down the street to good ol' Carpool.  Some of the great things about this place:

1 - Large space.  Can fit a good number of people.
2 - Sit in or out.  They have a large door they open during the summertime.
3 - Games.  You'll never get bored with the number of games they have available.
4 - Specials.  They have pretty good HH drink/food specials.  

Recommend for a pretty chill evening.  No need to doll up, just relax and enjoy an evening out.

I am a man. A manly mannish man who knows bars...and white wine.

(See? See what I did there?)

No, seriously though, I do like my bars. And Carpool has entered the realm of..."hey, the game's on, let's go watch it at that place."

I think it's the ambiance. It's very chill and relaxed and I get a kick out of the fact the place used to be a gas station or a dealership. As a fan of architecture and historic preservation, this is one of the best cases of adaptive reuse you can find: turning a gas station into a sports bar. Think about it: gas guzzlers to beer, burgers, pool tables, and HD TVs.

Okay, enough about the adaptive reuse. ENOUGH! (It is pretty cool though, right?)

The bartenders are friendly and helpful. Good guys. The crowd is also a good mix of people who are social and conversational. It's a nice place to meet people and make new friends. I would recommend it for anyone new in town.

I noticed the focus of this review is the atmosphere--not the foodstuffs or beer. Let's get to that:

Beer is beer, and Carpool serves the basics. They need to take it up a notch or two. All I am saying is, add Dogfish Head 60 minute or Stella to the menu.

Because I go there for the burgers, they're good. Really good, actually. Fries are fresh, but not overly impressive. Not bad, but nothing that stands out.

Ultimately, I would say this is a great bar to hang out with friend and just relax for a Happy Hour and watch a game. It doesn't get as crazy as Hard Times or as packed as Whitlow's, so you can still carry a conversation and have a good time.