Today, Aug. 9, is National Billiards Day. Here is a rundown of the game’s origin and the best bars to play it in the Bronx.
By definition, billiards is a game played on a table with a cloth and hard balls that are driven with a cue stick. Its origins are hazy, but popular theories state it started as a lawn game in Europe sometime during the 1400s, hence the green felt meant to mimic grass. The game has several variations, including tables with and without pockets, like snooker and pool, the latter being the most popular way to play in the U.S.
According to “The History of Billiards in the United States” written by Mike Shamos for the Billiards Congress of America, the term “pool” derived from the betting pools that surrounded the game and still do to this day. Shamos also wrote that pool was brought to America in the mid-19th Century by Michael Phelan, an Irish immigrant credited with writing the first American book on the game, “Billiards Without A Master,” co-authored with D.D. Winant and published in 1850, which perhaps explains the game’s pervasiveness in Irish bars.
I’ve been playing pool in New York City since you could smoke in bars, since Amsterdam Billiards was actually on Amsterdam Avenue— starting off as a crazy teenager barhopping across Manhattan, trying to give people a run for their money. The number of sports bars and venues where I can play the game has been slowly dwindling from the scene as spots shutter due to increasing rents, like the former Fieldston Billiards in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx; or as some joints get rid of their tables altogether, like La Jefa at 237 Willis Ave. and Keenan’s Bar at 5588 Broadway, who placed a giant cover over their pool table during the COVID-19 pandemic and never took it off.
Much like the origins of pool, it isn’t clear who declared Aug. 9 National Billiards Day, but in celebration, here is an unranked list of the 10 best bars to play pool in the Bronx, accounting for space, ambiance and general pool attitude. Note that most places are cash only and require that you put your name up and wait your turn. At these joints, it’s usually winner-takes-the-table, so expect to play some strangers (which is my favorite part of the game.) Remember to establish your rules before the break, as not everyone plays the game the same and miscommunication can lead to fiery arguments. Be polite, be friendly and don’t be a sore loser. Shake hands and good luck!
The Punch Bowl
5820 Broadway
Bronx, NY 10463
A personal favorite, the Punch Bowl is where I keep my game sharp. The building, which sits under the 1 train on the northeast corner of 238th Street and Broadway, has housed a bar for more than 100 years. A framed archival photo dated 1914 hangs on the wall inside, depicting the former Buckeye’s that sat on the same corner. It became the Punch Bowl when it was purchased by the Barry family in the late ’70s.
The venue draws a competitive group of regulars who do bank shots for fun and quickly draw a crowd. They have two teams that play on a Wednesday night bar league, one of which is their all-women squad, Chicks with Sticks. On Sundays, they have a karaoke night starting at 10 p.m., with a following almost as strong as their pool game. Many wonderful people have passed through the Punch Bowl’s doors and arrived at the pearly gates, like former bartenders Walter Demaio and Jake Ryan who both loved karaoke. Demaio loved to sing and Ryan loved to listen. R.I.P. guys.
Coconut Palm
2407 Westchester Ave.
Bronx, NY 10461
At this Guyanese-owned spot, there are sharks on the table and there’s shark on your plate. A bar sits on the left, hi-top dining tables line the walls and a pool table sits smack-dab in the middle. In addition to being a hot spot for dynamite players, this location serves up some tasty cuisine. Familiar dishes include jerk chicken, fried rice and Guyanese curry. Others are more obscure to the layman eater, like the gray snapper and pholuorie — balls of fried split pea batter seasoned with spices and peppers. The food is so good— customers often order large to-go plates for house parties. There is a roofed seating area in the back built during the pandemic, giving the laid-back vibes of a typical Caribbean island joint.
“I’m here 90% of the time,” said owner Bobby Mohamed, whose name you can find speckled across the menu, like the Bobby special chicken and who was sitting in the corner on a Tuesday night with workers/family members. Mohamed was born in Guyana, but grew up in the Westchester Square neighborhood, where he has owned the bar for more than 20 years.
The Avenue
435 Katonah Ave.
Bronx, NY 10470
In the northwest section of the Bronx is a small Irish enclave called Woodlawn Heights. Katonah Avenue serves as its main strip, peppered with bars and small businesses, all donning a green, white and orange flag or two or three. There is an old school familiarity about the neighborhood and there’s always someone trying to pull your leg. Along the avenue sits The Avenue bar, obscured by an unassuming outdoor shack composed of aluminum siding. Enter the shanty, and you are faced with a stone façade and wooden threshold that has what looks like wrought-iron bars across a small window in the door. This makes you feel like you’re about to walk into a medieval Irish pub.
Inside, the red walls and columns give the place a classy charm. When asked why so many Irish bars have pool tables, the captain of The Avenue’s pool team, known as “The Butcher,” replied with a smile, “misspent youth.” On weekends, the pool table is covered and pushed aside to allow for more seating and live music, but if you’re shooting during the week, be prepared to be watched as the space is not as large as others, and locals say the competition is fierce.
Behan’s Public House
4299 Katonah Ave.
Bronx, NY 10470
The deep, burgundy wood at Behan’s seems to glow and sing when you open the door to an almost 360-degree bar that stands atop a white and black ceramic floor with two bartenders at the helm. The male bartender was charming and armed with a smile. When asked about pool, he pointed at a guy named PJ sitting at the bar and said, “He’s the shark, talk to him.” PJ was not impressed and a man of few words.
On a Saturday afternoon, a few guys from the neighborhood were having a couple of beers and playing a game where the table has a designated space with a flat-screen TV. The backyard, steps away from the table, seats about 20 people and is beautifully adorned with a trellised gazebo, stone floors and black, steel patio furniture. A big-screen TV turns this space into a bar of its own and can make you forget you’re even in the Bronx.
Keane’s Bar & Restaurant
4342 Katonah Ave.
Bronx, NY 10470
An L-shaped bar leaves plenty of room for the pool table, surrounded by a long leather, sectional couch that invites groups looking to hang out to sit and have a good time. People grumble over the pool scene being overtaken by twenty-somethings, seemingly forgetting that they were once young, too. As a result, the bar is divided into daytime older drinkers and a younger nighttime crowd. Seeing a woman behind the bar is always a welcome cameo in the overly male-dominated environment of pool and Irish bars. Despite having the word restaurant in its name, it does not serve food, although the bar serves up good company and conversation.
Hideout Tavern
143 E. 233rd St.
Bronx, NY 10470
Across from the illustrious Woodlawn Cemetery, where the famous are interred, like famed publisher Joseph Pulitzer, as well as Celia Cruz, the “Queen of Salsa,” lies Hideout Tavern, where there is a literal hole in the wall. Upon entry, what looks like a normal bar is actually two separate spaces united by a bar that sits comfortably in the middle, serving both sides. Two archways at each end allow for foot traffic in and out of the pool room.
The table is free with the twist of a lever and the sticks are some of the saddest I have ever seen, but there’s a secret, special cue if you’re worthy. The beers are cheap and the people are friendly and quick with a “hello.” The bartender said they are working on putting a pool team together, but for now, they just have some regulars that play. The homey feel of this place makes it worthy of its tavern title.
Bar 47
47 Bruckner Blvd.
Bronx, NY 10454
Perhaps the newest bar with a pool table on the scene in the Bronx is Bar 47, which opened three years ago in the up-and-coming Mott Haven section of the Bronx. What was once a desolate street overrun by warehouses has become a residential area with bustling bars and restaurants, with Bar 47 joining the ranks. The pool culture here is strong and definitely a spectator sport. Because of its modern aesthetic and youthful vibe, more women can be found playing pool here than arguably anywhere else in the Bronx.
On the last Thursday of every month, the bar hosts a pool competition with a $10 buy-in. The winner takes the pot and gets their name on a plaque, and in October, the bar hosts its annual tournament of the championship, which has a $20 buy-in. Not only does the winner take the pot and get their name on the plaque, but they also get a $250 bar tab. Talk about an incentive!
Shamrock Inn
1729 Crosby Ave.
Bronx, NY 10461
This bar sits on a quaint street surrounded by small businesses and one-too-many pizza joints. When you walk in, don’t get turned around by the mirror at the entrance, which, at first, makes the place feel like a funhouse. On the right is a long wooden bar with 15-20 seats, and on the left are tables for dining. One customer suggested its steak au jus sandwich.
“They made me feel like family from day one,” said George Ramos, who moved into the neighborhood about 15 years ago from Florida. He’s even played pool at the bar with his daughter. It’s a rough-and-tumble crowd of mostly middle-aged men who mind their own business or offer you some innocent banter with a smile.
Jay’s Tavern Beer Garden
1556 Williamsbridge Rd.
Bronx, NY 10461
Located at the same address as the former Williamsbridge Tavern, which shuttered its doors just a few years ago, the bold and modern facade is contradictory to the old Bronx bar vibes that wait inside. Open the door and you are immediately met with the tiniest vestibule, take two steps down to the left and the bar is on the right with lots of space for the red-felted table. A regular named Anthony said the bar has been around since before 1940, before he disappeared to the basement. He returned with an old photo on a stained sheet of copy paper of the tavern, before it was Jay’s.
Anthony said he’s been going to the bar since he was a little kid, while laughing. I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, but he seemed sincere. Anthony was an older man with glasses and a welcoming disposition, kind of like what you imagine a happy grandpa would be like. Despite the title “beer garden,” you won’t find any craft beer here or a long line of taps. And while images of crab legs pop up when you Google the bar, there is no kitchen. However, there is a large backyard with a lovely mural of a park with trees and a river running through it, and sometimes they light up the outdoor grill, throw some meat on it, and share it with the regulars.
Fella’s Bar & Grill
522 City Island Ave.
Bronx, NY 10464
City Island, the quaint, nautical annex of the Bronx, established in the 1600s, has barely changed in the last 400 years. With the exception of some inevitable modernization, the island feels like an old New England town. You look around and think, “I could live here,” and about 4,500 people do, although there’s only one pool table on the entire 1.5-mile stretch. Fella’s Bar & Grill — known for its great bar food —is the only bar where locals can play and the competition shows.
By the table in the back, you can find a framed collage photo of the team holding a trophy back in its hay-day, which included the mailman who didn’t even live on the island. He just delivered the mail and shot a mean game of pool. The bar is long and the passage is narrow, but the space in the back has ample room for seating and shooting, plus a large TV. What more could you ask for?
Reach ET Rodriguez at etrodriguez317@gmail.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
