Elizabeth, NJ Pool Room - Forgot the name

DJSTEVEZ

DJSTEVEZ

Professor of Human Moves
Silver Member
A buddy of mine and I went to a serious Pool Room in Elizabeth, NJ back in the 90's. It was a serious player's room somewhere between old school & upscale. It had countless pictures of Pros around the room, some of which were taken in the actual Pool Hall. If memory serves me correctly it had a separate tournament room. Billie Billings was there and engaged in serious play the night we were there.

For the life of me I can't remember the name of the room. I was told it was one of the top Player/Actions rooms in the country. Can anybody help me out ;). Is the room still around?
 
DJSTEVEZ said:
A buddy of mine and I went to a serious Pool Room in Elizabeth, NJ back in the 90's. It was a serious player's room somewhere between old school & upscale. It had countless pictures of Pros around the room, some of which were taken in the actual Pool Hall. If memory serves me correctly it had a separate tournament room. Billie Billings was there and engaged in serious play the night we were there.

For the life of me I can't remember the name of the room. I was told it was one of the top Player/Actions rooms in the country. Can anybody help me


Hi cue pool room on st George ave in Elizabeth this room was owned by steve Mizerak father who is a retired baseball player was a great room but before my time or west end pool room on westfield ave this was a rough money pool room but a great 1
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Back in the day Hi Cue was much more famous than West End. It was where all the champions played. Jean Balukas's father also had a famous room in NJ that's still open. She runs it now, and can be seen there most days. :D

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
 
Scott Lee said:
Back in the day Hi Cue was much more famous than West End. It was where all the champions played. Jean Balukas's father also had a famous room in NJ that's still open. She runs it now, and can be seen there most days. :D

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

Jean Balukas? Wow, that's Pool royalty right there. I thought she had a room in Brooklyn. You'll have to forgive me, I've been out of the scene for along time now.
 
Fastrockyf said:
Hi cue pool room on st George ave in Elizabeth this room was owned by steve Mizerak father who is a retired baseball player was a great room but before my time or west end pool room on westfield ave this was a rough money pool room but a great 1
Click to expand...

Not sure when Mizerak Sr owned the room, but I always knew it as "Mike Asch's Hi Cue Billiards."
 
nj pool rooms

don't forget the four seasons in Metuchen nj. I was a kid when the room was in its prime but my dad always told me on any given night there was a world champion or 3 banging balls around.
 
West End Billiards was a great place to go.
They had Tourneys on Tues and Thursday.
On Tuesday night you could have a dozen champions playing.
The likes of Mizerak, Martin, Hopkins, Parica, Callivita, Ervolino, Reyes, and a ton of others would be there for a weekly Tourney.

I remember the 1st time I played. My first match I draw someone called ERV. Yes, It was Johnny Ervolino. I spend many a night there till 6am.
Remember seeing Jennette Lee hanging there when she was very young and just starting out.

Jean Balukas' room is Hall of Fame Billiards on Ovington ave in Brklyn.
 
Scott Lee said:
... Jean Balukas's father also had a famous room in NJ that's still open. She runs it now, and can be seen there most days. ...
Click to expand...

Hall of Fame Billiards in the Bay Ridge part of Brooklyn, NY. The room originally had a different name.

Edit -- Sorry, I didn't see HighEndCues' response on this (or Scott's follow-up) before I responded.
 
Last edited:
Scott Lee said:
Back in the day Hi Cue was much more famous than West End. It was where all the champions played. Jean Balukas's father also had a famous room in NJ that's still open. She runs it now, and can be seen there most days. :D

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

Always *this* close, Scott, lol! :wink:

Mizerak's dad had a room in Perth Amboy (not Hi Cue, in Elizabeth).

Jean Baluka's dad owned Hall Of Fame on Ovington, in Brooklyn, NY. She runs it now.


Eric
 
HighEndCues said:
West End Billiards was a great place to go.
They had Tourneys on Tues and Thursday.
On Tuesday night you could have a dozen champions playing.
The likes of Mizerak, Martin, Hopkins, Parica, Callivita, Ervolino, Reyes, and a ton of others would be there for a weekly Tourney.

I remember the 1st time I played. My first match I draw someone called ERV. Yes, It was Johnny Ervolino. I spend many a night there till 6am.
Remember seeing Jennette Lee hanging there when she was very young and just starting out.

Jean Balukas' room is Hall of Fame Billiards on Ovington ave in Brklyn.
Click to expand...

I went there one night to play in the tournament. Took one look around and realized it would be better to watch then play. I will add Jimmy and Petey Fusco, Neptune Joe Frady,Jean Balukas and Tom Storm to the above list.
Not exactly your normal banger tournament.
More like a mini US Open. And this went on every week !
 
When they reminisce over you..my GOD!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiOcVWQY2bc

picture.php


picture.php



Wutang
 
HighEndCues said:
West End Billiards was a great place to go.
They had Tourneys on Tues and Thursday.
On Tuesday night you could have a dozen champions playing.
The likes of Mizerak, Martin, Hopkins, Parica, Callivita, Ervolino, Reyes, and a ton of others would be there for a weekly Tourney.

I remember the 1st time I played. My first match I draw someone called ERV. Yes, It was Johnny Ervolino. I spend many a night there till 6am.
Remember seeing Jennette Lee hanging there when she was very young and just starting out.

Jean Balukas' room is Hall of Fame Billiards on Ovington ave in Brklyn.
Click to expand...
It was at West End where I met Pete Tascarella for the first time . He also played in the Tuesday night 9 ball tournaments . Another great was Jack Calavito. I would watch him and Ray Martin play straight pool all the time ! What an incredible place with the best players playing in every other table
 
I was a regular at West End I still have my discount card lol. Played the tourney upstairs in the pit countless times. There was no shortage of straight pool, 9 ball,1Pkt and 3 cushion downstairs. I loved the 3C tables.
There were plenty of Szams, Bushkas, Paradise and Palmer cues. Palmer was next door.
Always plenty action big and small.
You could sit on the rail with Miz, Hopkins.
Colavita, Martin, Fusco while eating a BLT,
bullcrapping about nothing and watching a 5k one pocket match.
Good times and some good friends.
 
SmoothStroke said:
I was a regular at West End I still have my discount card lol. Played the tourney upstairs in the pit countless times. There was no shortage of straight pool, 9 ball,1Pkt and 3 cushion downstairs. I loved the 3C tables.
There were plenty of Szams, Bushkas, Paradise and Palmer cues. Palmer was next door.
Always plenty action big and small.
You could sit on the rail with Miz, Hopkins.
Colavita, Martin, Fusco while eating a BLT,
bullcrapping about nothing and watching a 5k one pocket match.
Good times and some good friends.
Click to expand...
This is for sure. My uncle won a tournament on a Tuesday, and weas leaving at 2 AM... someone jacked the battery out of his 71 Monte Carlo. He called me to come get him... we hung out at a diner on 22 till the Autopart store opened.
JV
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top