i play a lot of pool. i live in southwest Cary, near apex...and not that close to places like Pantanas in Raleigh. however, for me, I go to a pool hall / bar bc I love to play pool, esp w my friends. I come back---to other phenomenal spots like High House Billiards in Cary (shout-out Meagan, Rachel, Cara, Juliana)...and now Pantanas in Raleigh---bc of elite, friendly, authentic, sharp, genuine, helpful, considerate, stone cold cool bartenders. i came here last night w my girl to meet a friend w his date...and was served and treated like an old friend by another bartender matching that type of description. believe her name was Anna :) hard recommend. I'm sure the pool is great here too ... read more

The wait for the table was sooo long at over an hour but it was a Friday night. I will say the bathrooms (especially the men's) could use some eyes on it bc my friend said it was pretty gross. Overall they had a fair number of drinks to choose from and stay open pretty late which is nice. Parking around the back was great because street parking is my worst nightmare. Overall, I do wish that the wait time wasn't as bad as it was, but thankfully, I had good company and some drinks so probably expect a wait if it isn't a week day read more

Pantana's Pool Hall & Saloon - Pool Halls Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This place has a great location! And everyone seems to be super friendly. The bar is also a plus! The prices are pretty cheap for the game too. read more

Pantana's Pool Hall & Saloon - people playing pool - Pool Halls Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I wished I knew about this place during my time in college at State. What an awesome bar/pool hall! I stopped in on Thursday night and met up with some family. It was such a chill night from start to finish. Traffic was flowing in but at a comfortable rate. The bartenders were attentive and kind. Can't beat that! The pool tables were clean and well-balanced. I look forward to going back to support this establishment. read more

Nice place to play pool and enjoy a beer or mix drinks. The felt on tables is new as of 12/12/21 and the tables are regularly cleaned. The downside is Friday and Saturday nights the college undergrads take over the place any other time finding a table should not be a problem. There's parking in back. read more

A couple of things made me irritated about this place. They selectively charge cover to some and not others (heard the bouncer bragging about it with a bartender), prioritize cash purchases by adding a surcharge to your bill, and have a minimum purchase amount. Also they keep your card when you open a tab, which I feel is not secure. This place is stuck in the 20th century. Probably won't go here again. read more

More for old people. Weird vibe. Good tables if your just trying to get a game in. I don't know how often they do open mic so maybe I just went on a bad day. If your tall be ready to feel claustrophobic because it has a basement feel. read more

Andy is the best! He made me feel so welcome. I would definitely recommend to some friends. Great spot!

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! read more

Great neighborhood spot! We went to play pool during covid and this was the only pool hall, as far as we could tell, that required masks and social distancing. We felt safe and were grateful to the staff who enforced the rules. Thanks! read more

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. read more

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. read more

Super chill place if you just want to have a few beers and play some pool. Staff was friendly and they have some good specials. I'll go back for sure! read more

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. read more

Great prices and most fun I've had at any bar in raleigh... let alone right on Hillsborough street. Close to campus, close to the suburban neighborhood, or u can hit it (PBs) before or after 24 hr ihop across the street. AND .. they have snacks. A must-go read more

Good place , bartender , drinks and pinball machines :)

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

This is a great spot. The drinks are reasonably priced, there are plenty of pool tables, the bathrooms are clean and the staff is great. Pantana's was willing to close down for three hours so I could have a celebration of life for my sister who passed. The bartenders Colton and Casey were awesome and the managers were great in helping coordinating the event. The fact that the owner was willing to close down to honor the life of one of their customers speaks volumes. This is one of the best pool halls in Raleigh. read more