This place really taught me how to play pool. There is no place with better competition. You want to improve your game? Go here. Period. Want to have fun? Come here. What else could be said?
Staff is awesome and people are friendly.. You want to test your game, there are plenty of people willing to play. Home of Hustlin and Playthegame clothing
When I was a teenager my sister worked at Hard Times and I was in there all the time. I hadn't been back in over a decade until recently. Besides the obvious pool hall aspect (which is always good for some laid-back fun) I was delighted by another aspect: a fellow nerd girl working there!
Our friend who works near Hard Times was on his lunch break, so we all went there for a beer. He introduced us to the girl behind the bar, who quickly joined in our random movie conversation. I was digging talking with her so much that even after our friend had to get back to work, we stayed another hour just shooting the breeze with her about movies, anime, manga, pop culture and random geekdom.
So grab some greasy delicious bar food (try the nachos!), play a round of pool/an arcade game/a song on the jukebox, and chat up that cool bartendress while you're grabbing a drink. BOOM, a good time shall be had by all!
Pool is not one of my strengths by far, but I really enjoy coming here to grab a beer and  couple games of pool. My first time was on a casual first ond last date which ill give hinm credit was a really good idea, and ive been back about 2 more times with friends. Its really spread out and there's tons of tables. The crowd isn't really my favorite honestly. . I can only handle Journeys "don't stop believing" once a night, which means I can only stay for two rounds of pool. Fries are delcious here though and prices are very fair.
Review Source:The new jukebox is awesome!
Went with mom and g/f last Sat. night. Pool prices are reasonable, plenty of ques, tables are in good condition, lots of security. The place was packed but we only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. Had a good time, no issues. had fun playing metal on the juke, not normally an option.
The first thing I noticed about hard time billiards is that there are not many people under 30 years old hanging out there. So if you are over thirty be prepared to be one of the oldest people in the room! The second thing I noticed is that they only serve beer! Not cool! I like to drink when I play pool but I don't really like beer. The tables are clean and the cues are mostly straight which is great! Tables are rented by the hour which is cool too! You can play anyway you want! There are lots of tables in the room too so getting one should never be to difficult! The food is standard bar food! Nothing special! Burgers, dogs, sandwiches, fries ect ect......... What more can be said? It's a cool place to kill some time!
Review Source:I have mixed feeling on this place. :(
I tried to order a drink here for 15 minutes straight with cash visibly displayed in hand. The bartender just stared at me and refused to talk to me. I asked if I could order a drink and was ignored. Of course, he helped other people in the poolroom as they came up...regulars no doubt. It wasn't busy. The bar wasn't crowded. He just stared at me and my money in my hand and looked angrily indifferent. Was it the conspicuous lack of tattoos? My freshly showered and deodorized physique? I will never know. I eventually gave up and left in THIRSTY frustration.
As a lifetime pool player, I only expect a very very tiny bit of customer service from ANY poolroom. I KNOW that it is hard to make a buck charging people for pool long term. I really respect people who try to make poolrooms work. So I have to say that alienating professional customers who actually have money and want to spend it in your poolroom is a bad idea!
On the plus side, they have a very nice tournament room with a generous amount elevated seating for better viewing. There is Simonis cloth tightly stretched over plenty of well maintained and well lit Brunswick tables. This is truly great for players and tournaments.
They also have lots of tables in the main room which is great for people who aren't as serious about the game.
This looks like a great room overall...even though some people in here look and act a bit gangsta. Don't forget to watch your back outside if you look like you have more than a single twenty dollar bill in your pocket!
I'll update this review later after I give them a few more chances to win my business.
I didn't know what to expect when I was stepping into a pool hall, but I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this place. Â
Some friends warned me that the place was full of rednecks, but I thought it was awesome and no one really bothered me. Â I guess it was weird being in the back with the few tables, but it worked out.
The bartender was really nice and it was cool talking to him. Â
I hope to go back again, cause it seemed really reasonable too. Â :)
I wasn't a big pool fan before coming here but since I've starting going to Hard Times, I've enjoyed the experience. It's spacious and the place has a jukebox, nothing like playing pool to Metallica or The Ramones. Seeing as I'm a teenager, you'd think they'd have a careful eye on us and be douches to us, not the case, they definitely treat you as if your a regular.
Review Source:This seedy spot on Garfield doesn't measure up in my opinion.
It's almost always packed with 20something white trash and wannabe gangstas trying to prove themselves with their "ill" pool skills. Instead of hogging the tables, let someone else have some fun.
The tables could use some TLC but they're adequate for non-competition play. The food sucks, and the bouncers are even worse. Dude, we're at a billiards hall, not a crazy awesome night club. Get your hand off of me.
I wouldn't return if it wasn't for some of my friends.
Ever since High School I've always felt a little uneasy at pool halls... Whether it was because I felt like it was a waste of time to ditch school and end up at a place where I have no interest or the fact that being at a pool hall meant that we didn't have girls to hang out with, who knows. But over the last few years I've come to love darts as a drinking pastime. I have no idea whether the tables or rates are good, what I can say is that they have a nice smoking area, cheap food, many dart machines and good hours. They have decently friendly staff and they'll stay open as long as there are enough customers. A little sad they stopped selling cigarettes but it was nice going here for the first time since high school. nostalgic to say the least.
On a side note, just imagine how awkward I am at a pool hall... A nerdy looking Asian guy who is NOT gangster in any way.... amongst a sea of older biker gentlemen, Asian gangsters, and the normal billiard crowd.
Oh, btw - there is a game there that says "win money" but my friends collectively spent about 30$ on it trying to win the big bucks but never even got to the 2$ payout point. Those gamblars got taken for a ride but kept wanting to spend more.
This is where I normally shoot when I play pool in the Sacramento area. The tables and equipment are very well maintained. However, I can't say much for the house cues since I use my own. There are some arcade games and darts to play as well.
The food isn't the greatest quality but for the low prices it definitely isn't bad. There's a decent selection of beer in bottle and on tap too.
At night it is $8/hour for a table in the front room or $9/hour for a table in the tournament room. For a dollar more you get nice tight pocket tables, more space, and less noise. But if you like to really hear the music as loud as can be and you want to mingle with a larger crowd, I suggest you stay in the front room. The front room has tables with larger pockets and a few tight pocket tables.
On Friday and Saturday nights there is a $1 cover charge at the door.
If tournaments interest you there's an 8-ball tournament ($10 entry) on Tuesdays and a 9-ball B tournament ($5 entry) on Wednesdays. Sign ups start at 7pm. On Sundays there's an open 9-ball tournament. Every first Saturday of the month is a 1-pocket tournament.
I love this place! I came here after a bike night BBQ. This place is for real pool players. A plethora of pool tables for practicing or playing. There is also a separate tournament room. The staff are very helpful and courteous. The pool table rates are reasonable. (quick note there is a $1.00 cover) Most of the house cues were great for playing. They also sell books, cues, and other gadgets all aimed at improving your game. Overall, I really enjoyed this place and I will definitely return here.
Review Source:The bf & ii come out here Monday nights w/ a group of ppl - place is great for shooting pool :) price is pretty cheap! Staffs are friendly & back area for schmoking! They have darts, and air hockey too! They also have this punching bagg machine & all the guys love it ( lol )
Ps TRY THE WINGS =) ITS YUMMMMMAY!
This place is decent. Â I like how they have a lot of pool tables and most people are mature. They have a little bar where you can order your drinks and food. Â When you first step into the place, there's a weird smell of carpet, food, and musk...but I guess you get used to it once you stay inside long enough. haha
Review Source:Well if you are looking for a world class billiard establishment look no further. This place is known to all serious pool players. World class players frequent the large tournaments and top notch players I'm sure will gamble a buck or two day or night.
The tables all play good but aren't easy for the average player. The prices are competitive and it's easy to get to off the freeway.
nice place. but the tables are a little bit closer than I'm accustomed to but otherwise it's good. they have a baby powder ready by the side =0) did not got the chance to taste the food maybe next time when i drop by.
Place is also well lit compared to Santa Clara Billiards.
i just hate being "stared" at since i sucked at playing i guess it's the folks who comes around and the time you get there affects on how the place is.
overall it's a fun place to hang out with.
note that I only went there in the afternoon not during the night. the vibe of the place depends on what are the majority of the people who hang out there, at certain time of the day/night.
Well the negative first....I ordered a hot ham and cheese and the cheese was pretty saucy not the nice melted strings of cheese as you bite and pull sand which apart kind of cheese so that was disappointing plus i wasn't that into the taste. The skinny fries were good but I asked for cheese on em and didn't think they'd put a spicy nacho cheese, such a disappointment. But Pool, plenty of tables this place looks like it hasn't changed in forever but there is a clean fresh coat of paint on the walls and enough lighting so that made me happy. The dart boards were pretty packed so my date and I skipped doing that, partly due to the fact that I didn't feel like embarrassing myself :). But I liked the pool hall the area seems somewhat sketchy but not scary, I left my car there in the lot for a few hours and didnt have any problems. I'd say go and play some pool.
Review Source:Nice place to go shoot some pool. I met two of my guy friends here. One creepy thing though, lots of guys trying to hit on you. As soon as I got there and was walking towards the door, this car pulls up next to me and the driver tries to get me over to talk to him. There were about 4 other dudes in there, hell no was I about to get snatched! I just waved him off and went inside. I was enjoying my game with the friends when some short Asian dude walks up to our table and asks my friends if I were taken by any of them. He starts talking to me, being nice, I talked back. Lets just say...he stood around for a while...I thought that was plain rude.
I would have given it more stars, but, the people are not so cool. Lots of skanky lookin' chicks and horn dogs there.