Pantana’s Pool Hall & Saloon

Has anyone seen my purple/​orange pashmina? I really miss it. Great service and good people.

I’ve been frequenting this pool hall for the past 7 years off and on, and most recently just started to go back after over a year absence, and the place has only gotten better! Wait a second… I don’t remember these pool tables being THIS nice (I’ll get to that.)
Even though I went on an APA night (American Poolplayers Association — league play), I was able to get a table quickly. They have a new manager who I met last night and he explained that they just finished reupholstering the tables, meaning new felt and new rubber for the rails. If you know billiards, you know how much of a godsend this is! If you want to play some good pool, this is your place. The balls glide across the felt better than any pool hall in town. If they keep routine maintenance going, these tables will be the best in downtown Raleigh for a long time.
If you haven’t been recently, go on a weeknight to check it out. As long as it isn’t an APA night, it won’t be too busy. If you’re looking to join a league, they have APA nights once a week. Also, if you do join the league, they offer a discounted hourly rate for league members (I believe it’s a $ 3 discount if I remember correctly). Their regular rates are affordable at about $ 10/​hour for two people. As far as other events go, management is planning on Ladies Night (ladies play for free) as well as a Wine Night. It will be interesting to see what events they come up with as the management is very enthusiastic about offering more to do on the weekdays.
I believe they are offering liquor drinks now, or plan to, as I was required to sign up for a membership (free) due to NC liquor laws. Their beer selection is decent with a limited tab but the tap selections are very nice. They featured NC breweries on tap (Hoppyum IPA from Foothills Brewing Company and Sweet Josie/​Shotgun Betty from Lonerider Brewing Company), which I’m always glad to support. The bartender was friendly, attentive, and engaged me in conversation, which is always a plus in my book. Their bathrooms were cleaner than I remember, too.
I was seriously impressed with the new management and the quality of the tables and will be back again. Next time I’ll remember to take pictures!

How many time I drove through Hillsborough Street, drove right past in front of Pantana; it wasn’t until without knowing this will turn out to be a really cool hangout for me.
If there is a definition of a dive bar /​pool hall, this is probably it. There is really nothing spectacular about it: decent pool tables, some arcade game machines, and a bar long enough to accommodate the packed house crowd on «$ 2 Draft Thursday.» Shooting a little pool, drinking a little beer, and especially in these few weeks, watching a little NCAA action.

Pantana’s is a nice, laid-​back place to play a few games of pool and have a beer or 10. When I lived near campus, this was my pool hall of choice — you’d find me here at least once or twice a week. Now that I’m a little farther away, I don’t get in as much, but I managed to stop in a few weeks ago, and not a thing had changed.
The place is well-​lit enough to play pool, but somehow also dim. Only a couple of tables were taken the night we went in, even though there was almost no parking in the lot out back. Occasionally, you’ll find a more packed house, with lots of undergrads cavorting and enjoying the inexpensive beer and pool prices, but I think these days that’s much more rare than it used to be.
If you’ve got a hankering to unwind over a bottle of brew and a felt-​lined table, Pantana’s is as good as anywhere to do it.

What’s not to like about this place. They’ve got tons of pool tables available for cheap, an endless supply of beer, and a great location in the heart of Wolfpack Country. Although I prefer both locations of Champion’s to this establishment, the only huge difference is that Champions features liquor, an internet jukebox, and foosball tables. Both pool halls offer darts.
I think the real reason for this place’s popularity is location, and you certainly can’t beat having a storefront right on Hillsborough St. There are enough pool tables that most likely you won’t have to wait to get an open one, which is another of the advantages that Pantana’s has over competitors. Of course, your mileage may vary, especially on weekends.

What a sneaky little pool hall. In a nondescript red building you will find lots of tables, some dart boards, a beer-​only bar and no kitchen apparatus. This is a streamlined establishment; play your game, drink your drinks, be on your merry way. It’s proximity to the school makes it reasonably popular, it’s simplicity keeps the big crowds at bay and makes it manageable (added to the fact that they hide the majority of their parking behind the building). It’s in my pool-​place repertoire but it’s no mainstay; good enough.