Chris’s Billiards

Got in a huge brawl here because Purple Steve made a ridiculous 4 rail bank shot. That dude is so good at pool, its crazy. He’s going to Vegas with the Chris’s APA (American Pool Associaton) team.
They let you BYOB here, so we each had our own fifth of John Daniels, which made the night super affordable, or as Tito call it, «A frugal night with the fellas.»
Olaf was supposed to show up, but wandered into the liquor store next door at some point and we didn’t hear from him again.
They have a cash payout tournament here every Saturday and even Sunday’s sometimes its great.
They have every kind of table size and shape here, whenever the gang is in town, you will find us here on running racks and breakin backs.

A classic place to hang out with friends, shoot some pool, watch others at a game of billards. Everyone is friendly and its very relaxing to come and just chill.

If I could give this place negative stars I would. First time going in, the man in the front started giving us attitude and talking shit for asking questions. I never wanted to punch anyone more in the face than that a*******

A friendly place to shoot a few games of pool. The place reeks of atmosphere, that’s a good thing. It’s well lit, a comfortable place to play. Some of my favorite memories are playing my father and my uncle here. A great way to kick back before your work week.

It’s been under new management for a while now, and they’ve re-​clothed and repaired the tables in the front room & the back tournament room. They’ve started hosting more tournaments now, too. Probably the best place to shoot in the city.

I’ve lived in Jefferson Park for around 18 years and let me tell you that Chris Billiards is a must see. If you blink on milwaukee you’ll miss it, and i drove pass it for years and finally stopped in about 4 months ago. Its awesome, comfortable, relaxed, and classic atmosphere. Its good to see that there are still places like this striving. Me and my friends are regulars there, not that we can play pool well either!
Its doesnt serve alcohol which is good for older teens looking for a place to hang out. Nice people, sox fan –Eric the owner is a very nice guy and quite personable. Its old but its nice. I love this place and it doesnt make you blow a whole paycheck. Me personally i would love to buy in to this place and fix it up a little but this place rocks!

First off, if you’re not a pool player you shouldn’t be in the front room. Chances are, you’re doing whatever with your liquor and other in the back room anyway.
Now, if you are a pool player, then this is the place to get schooled. They watch you shoot for a bit and then see if you’re game for some action… but mind you, they’re not really looking to take you for a lot… a few $ 20s here and there… and yes… you get schooled… meaning, they don’t teach you how to shoot… they teach you not to come back looking for action.
As far as ambiance, it smells crusty and stale. The food I’m afraid to try… a million things in here need to get fixed… like the roof (leaks on rainy days), the walls… lights… someone needs to repaint the place… and put some coloring on the windows or something (like yellowish tint so it doesn’t screw up the play during the day.
I’m an avid shot myself, but there are other places I’d rather frequent than this now. Sure — they’ve got history… but at least clean the place up a bit…

I haven’t been back to Chris’ in the 18 months I’ve been gone from Chicago, but I can only second what most of the other commenters have observed. This place is the real deal.
It does one thing and it does it better than anyplace else.
First, it keeps REAL hours, so if you just want to practice alone for 2 hours, head over in the middle of the day or any time really, and you’ll have time to work on your massés. It’s hugely affordable for practice time, and you don’t have to worry about a group of drunk folks falling all over you.
Second, it’s the last of it’s breed. When I used to play seriously, there were half a dozen great halls in Chicago that we toured, including St. Paul’s on Fullerton and a rickety old place with a bowling alley upstairs on Damen and Irving. Not surprisingly, it’s now a Starbucks and sterile condo development.
So, go here to see a real institution. Don’t expect a mixologist with a DJ to entertain you. Entertain yourself in an amazing throw-​back which is (mercifully) still amazingly well maintained.

I love this place! BYOB.
TONS of tables.
Really laid back staff.
Cool music — affordable prices for the amount of songs played.

Okay hangout if you’re going out with a group of friends. They have plenty of pool tables to go around, but it seems like the non-​regulars are easily spotted. The entrance (you have to walk up the stairs) is kind of awkward for me. Overall, the place in not visually appealing, but I wouldn’t expect cozy couches and plush carpets from a pool hall anyway.

If I can give this place half a star I would.
Definitely not a place to take your girlfriend, date, or any girls.
If you’re a guy this place is fine. My girlfriends and I went here after a long night out and saw it on the way home.
The place looks closed from the outside, probably the first warning sign that yelled «don’t come here!»
Anyways you go upstairs to a quite «seedy» big room and have the regulars (bunch of guys) around and almost gawk at us females.
So to cut things short of this review, an okay place to hang out with your guys for pool. Great for people who care about the game more than their surroundings. And if you’re a female, better go somewhere else like in Lincoln Park’s Southport Lanes or Seven Ten Lounge.

One of the best pool halls I have ever seen. This place is a classic. If they ever make a movie about pool this would be the place to film. It has like four diferent sections and I was surprised how late it stays open. I happened to wander over after the bars and the place was still opened. The food selection leaves questions to be answered. I would’nt let the alley rats eat anything from this place. The place has forty or more pool tables and is the best pool hall you will find in the Midwest.

Nothing special about this place. It looks pretty run-​down, the staff isn’t too pleasant, and the crowd is pretty… well, nothing to look at but this place is HUGE so you likely won’t need to deal with «the others». :) It’s a pool hall, can’t really expect too much. They have sticks, balls, and tables. Score.

Great tables: Check
Great atmosphere: Check
Decent House Sticks: Check
Jukebox: Check
BYOB: Check
Pool Sharks: Check, Check & Check
Under $ 4 per hour (Single player): Check
Overdone references to a certain famous Hollywood motion picture filmed here: Check
Ice Cream: Check!
Several 3-​Cushion billiard tables and a full snooker are on hand, along with the 40+ regulation tables, in this all-​serious — No BS warehouse-​type pool hall. From the moment you scale the steep stairs behind the rickety front door, the stench of high-​stakes/​money games is apparent. Pool sharks circle in every corner, waiting for their next meal ticket. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if a hit was ordered during a game on one of the tables in the back — the place has that type of feel.
But, I assure you, Chris’ Billiards is relatively safe. Most guys/​gals are very affable and easily engaged in pool-​related conversations. Tips here come cheap. Money games can get costly.
The place is segregated into 3 parts: front room (snooker/​3-​cushioned /​serious money games); backroom (younger and less serious games /​jukebox) and the side room (mostly serious players that would rather practice first, then gamble). However, the loose BYOB policy makes games in any room fun and enjoyable. Just don’t approach anyone with intentions of hustling — especially the fellas sportin’ the cowboy hats.
Take your girl (or guy) and/​or friends, and don’t forget to bring a 12-​pack with you. Tables are often readily available, with exceptions in the later hours on the weekend. Credit cards are welcome, but like the high stake games on table 1, cash is always king.

The draw is «They shot Color of Money here!» Once you get over that this place is a giant warehouse-​like building with no frills and pool tables. Occasionally you can see some elite games going on but for the most part, this place is a diehard pool junkie kinda place.
The place is definitely an upgrade from Nick’s but still has many of the same elements. It is usually more crowded and has some seriously people of all makes and models coming here to compete. This place is also not so friendly but that is what you expect when coming here.
Definitely has a aura upon stepping in here. You will feel like you are hustler. But really not when some punk in baggy jeans takes you for your bills.

I use to cut h.s. and hang out here… A LOT. 12 years later, Chris’s is still the same place. NO frills type of place. The pros hang out and play in the front room, the drinkers/​smokers (BYOB) are in the back room. Theres also another room but it always smells funky in there.
I haven’t been here in ages but the bf and I decided to get nostalgic and make a trip here last Friday night. Ron, who been here since our h.s. days, is still working behind the counter and remembered our faces. Walking into the backroom, I smelled cigarettes. I thought it was just a remnant smell of the past but NO, people were smoking in there. Mgmt doesn’t really walk around the place so I guess that’s how people get away with smoking. But after awhile I got lightheaded due to no circulation of fresh air and chain smokers.
The only thing that has changed is the BYOB policy and the new jukebox. The pool tables are cared for and the cue sticks aren’t all warped.

If you’re looking for glam, hot chicks, booze and atmosphere, this is definitely
«NOT»
your place (go to Lucky Strike or something of that sort), but if you’re a downright hardcore pool player, can play pool for hours on end without having a beer or smile, and constantly try to improve your skill, then join the club. There are a ton of tables here, and I’ve never needed to wait. There’s a jukebox, but I hardly see anyone actually pay to hear a song. There are all kinds of pool tables (although I’m extremely disappointed with their snooker table which seems to be dated back to the world fair), and awesome prices.
It was too bad I didn’t have a car long enough to come here more and it’s pretty out of the way if you live in the city, but if you nothing better to do and have another pool friend– definitely play here!

When I feel like playing pool, I’ll usually go to Chris’s.
Is it the nicest pool hall? No
Is the place clean? No
Is it cheap? No
What Chris’s does have is a feel for a real pool hall. This is the best place to play a serious game of pool as they have a ton of tables and space in between.
You can’t go wrong in a pool hall where they filmed Color of Money

This piece of history, having been a locale in the film Color of Money, is a trip to a working-​class, cozy, friendly place. The pool tables are pretty well maintained, considering the almost smokey haze hovering above. And the managers are very inviting.
Bring your own pool cue, though. The house cues are in mediocre to poor shape. And though the prices are fantastic, around 6 bucks/​hour in the afternoon, 55 cents for a cup of coffee. It would be nice if they served beer.
All in all, a great place to hang on a cool autumn afternoon.

As has already been mentioned, part of The Color of Money was shot here, giving you some indication that this is a Serious Pool Hall. Its not about hanging out, looking good, meeting people, eating, drinking (no liquor), music or anything else. Its just about the game.
A lot of gambling takes place at Chris’ and the hustling is so hardcore its easy to loose track of who’s getting hustled and who’s hustling. If you think you’re good, don’t go to Chris’ to pick up games or you might as well be jumping into a shark tank wearing a meat suit. My advice would be to go to one of their tournaments (I think Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoons) and scope out the competition in a controlled environment.
If you don’t want to get hustled, its easy… just politely decline if anyone asks you to play. And if you see other people playing for money, keep your mouth shut — they aren’t interested in your comments or questions. Chances are they don’t want spectators either, so if you want to watch, be casual about it.
The felt on the tables at Chris’ is worn but that just means the tables play fast and you can’t be shy with the English you put on the ball.
Generally, I’m much happier to have a casual night out shooting pool and having a few drinks up at Slate Street Billiards in Vernon Hills. I only go to Chris’ 2 or 3 times a year out of curiosity, hoping to spot some big-​money game between two top players.