Please help: Poolhalls in San Jose

K

kingwang

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey guys,

I'm flying to San Jose to start a 10 week internship tomorrow. I am really hoping to make this my "Summer of Pool" but I need some help with finding a place to play. From the results of google maps, there are a ton of places near me, but I don't know which ones are good and a lot of them look pretty sketchy. I'm not really looking for action but I do want 9' tables and some competition. I'm also really looking for a league to play in.

Here is where I will be staying and the pool halls listed by Google:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=l&hl=en&geocode=&q=category:+Billiard+%26+Pool+Parlors&near=mabury+and+N+capitol&sll=37.379263,-121.852241&sspn=0.008423,0.020084&ie=UTF8&cd=1&ei=KqQ4SP2fBI2gjgGfoeTrCg&ll=37.394164,-121.860008&spn=0.134744,0.32135&z=12


I would really appreciate any advice on which places are good. Thanks!

Oh! I should mention that I don't have a car so I will be getting around by light rail/buses :(
 
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kingwang said:
Hey guys,

I'm flying to San Jose to start a 10 week internship tomorrow. I am really hoping to make this my "Summer of Pool" but I need some help with finding a place to play. From the results of google maps, there are a ton of places near me, but I don't know which ones are good and a lot of them look pretty sketchy. I'm not really looking for action but I do want 9' tables and some competition. I'm also really looking for a league to play in.

Here is where I will be staying and the pool halls listed by Google:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=l&hl=en&geocode=&q=category:+Billiard+%26+Pool+Parlors&near=mabury+and+N+capitol&sll=37.379263,-121.852241&sspn=0.008423,0.020084&ie=UTF8&cd=1&ei=KqQ4SP2fBI2gjgGfoeTrCg&ll=37.394164,-121.860008&spn=0.134744,0.32135&z=12


I would really appreciate any advice on which places are good. Thanks!

Oh! I should mention that I don't have a car so I will be getting around by light rail/buses :(
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The best place to play in the area is California Billiard Club in Mountain View. It is about 20 minutes or so from San Jose but is a nice room with great equipment and a ton of room in between tables.
 
thebigdog said:
The best place to play in the area is California Billiard Club in Mountain View. It is about 20 minutes or so from San Jose but is a nice room with great equipment and a ton of room in between tables.
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Great tables, great place and nice people. This is the place, for sure. Don't forget to come to Hard Times in Sacramento for the 1st of the Month 9 ball and 1p. Most of the players from Cal Billiards come up then also. They have nice tournaments there also in mid month. San Francisco has a couple of good places to play and see action also.

Mike
 
Of those on the map, Edgie's in Milpitas is by far the best one.

California Billiards is highly recommended. Going the other way toward Santa Cruz is Fast Eddie's in Capitola.
 
I would have to second or third the California Billiards Vote.
Good equipment, and Gilbert knows pretty much any player that has ever graced their felt........
Plenty of action.
And Hardtimes is about an hour and a half to two hours drive from San Jose depending upon which way you go.
Either way, good times, and great games
 
Shoreline Billiards in Mountain View is also a great place to play. It's smaller than California by a fair amount, but it's still got 24 pool tables, 2 snooker tables, and a 3 cushion table. There are also several large flat panel TV's scattered around the room, new Aramith balls for all tables, and all tables have recently been recovered in the Simonis tour blue color. It's a pleasant place to play that is right off the freeway, and not at all far from you. I live close to where you're staying, and it takes me roughly 15 mins. to get there.

California is also very nice...the main thing there for me is the vast amount of space, which is nice, and the fact that they have a full kitchen, so there are many things to eat/drink there.

I guess Edgie's is OK, and the closest to you in terms of actual "real" poolhalls, but look at it this way...I live 5 mins. from Edgie's and I don't play there.

Revising post: I just saw that you said you won't be driving, in which case, perhaps you should just stick with Edgie's. It might be a pain to get to any of the other places, or at the very least, it would take some time.
 
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You can't miss Shoreline Billiards as well in Mountain View and Edgie's. Email me your contact info at powerkites@gmail.com when you get here. I work in Morgan Hill I can take you to a couple of places.
 
If I could just transport you back in time about 35+ years, I would meet you at Circus Billiards (downtown San Jose), or Westside Billiards (close to downtown) and show you action as it was in the old days in San Jose ... Sadly, both are history ...

Now, back to reality ... California Billiards would be my very first choice for a classy, upscale, room in the S.J. area and BestKites offer to pick you up is a win-win ...

Have Fun !!!
 
I can't wait to get back there

Str8PoolPlayer said:
If I could just transport you back in time about 35+ years, I would meet you at Circus Billiards (downtown San Jose), or Westside Billiards (close to downtown) and show you action as it was in the old days in San Jose ... Sadly, both are history ...

Now, back to reality ... California Billiards would be my very first choice for a classy, upscale, room in the S.J. area and BestKites offer to pick you up is a win-win ...

Have Fun !!!
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This thread has got me pretty pumped up. I am moving to Mountain View next month and I am stoked that I will be living close to a great room. Currently I am at least 50 miles away from a nice room and I really don't play much at all since I've been in Texas for the last year.
 
suckershot said:
...

I guess Edgie's is OK, and the closest to you in terms of actual "real" poolhalls, but look at it this way...I live 5 mins. from Edgie's and I don't play there....
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I wonder why you don't go to Edgie's. I think Edgie's is a great poolroom. Tony couldn't be friendlier, the equiptment is very good, and the regulars are friendly, and there is never any problem getting paid when you win. The membership deal is better there than at California Billiards, too. The only real problem there is the condition of the snooker table.

By the way Kingwang, once you choose your spot I highly recommend that you buy a monthly membership there. If this is to be your summer of pool you will be saving a lot of money that way.
 
Wow thanks for all the replies guys!

I think I'm gonna stick with Edgies since it is very close to my workplace, but I'll be sure to check out California Billiards and Shoreline sometime too.
 
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