We stopped by around 6pm on a Saturday and there was about 20 or so people. This is the type of place that would get packed quickly. The bar is towards the front with the billiards in the back. The prices were reasonable and they did a great job with my Dirty Shirley. Overall a locals vibe type place with nice staff. They do have a dress code so I would be aware of that. The main thing is men's shirts must have sleeves. The prices were great because our 1 beer and Dirty Shirley was only $8.50. read more

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Recreation Billiards has a couple of pool tables and a long bar, creating a lively atmosphere. Some friends recommended this spot, and while they love it, I found the experience just okay. The ambiance is decent, but it didn't quite match my expectations. It's a good place for a casual night out, but not my top choice. read more

Recreation Billards - Pool Halls Near Me - Winston Salem, North Carolina

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Service is certainly less than ideal. Myself and my two family members are in town for a family bereavement. We attempted to come into Recreation Billiards for a nightcap and were told to leave by a service member. He was *extremely* rude and refused to serve us, even though we were legitimately on the premises. Unfortunately, even though it looked like a fun establishment, I cannot recommend that anyone patronize this restaurant until there is a significant change in management. read more

Good spot for a few rounds of pool. Surprisingly busy on a Wednesday night but my friends and I had a good time. Interesting folks here, but that's part of the risk/allure of going out. We had some beer and wine, a couple other parties mingled with us, and overall had a good time. It's a pretty laid back and casual spot, come and play as you are! read more

Recreation Billards - Pool Halls Near Me - Winston Salem, North Carolina

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I came here around 11:05pm after leaving the Whisky Bar that's downstairs. My co worker and I ended up getting $6 sangrias that was on special. I also got some chips which was $1. I needed some food for all the alcohol I was drinking lol. I couldn't really judge the taste of the sangria because I was chewing a piece of gum prior to tasting it. Lol. After eating the chips and trying the sangria again, I really didn't like it lol. Neither of us finished the drinks. We paid and went to the bar next door. I will add that they automatically add gratuity to taps after 9pm on Fridays and Saturday nights. The bartender was friendly! They have pool tables in the back, that we didn't play. read more

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Great service Old fashioned bar Great ambiance Recommend highly Dog friendly People friendly read more

Great spot. Pool tables are cleaned regularly, staff is awesome the regulars very friendly for out of town visitors. Good selection on tap and reasonable prices. We ended up drinking and playing pool almost everyday we were in town. read more

I was refused service because of some archaic dress code for men. I had a sleeveless shirt on. There was a woman sitting at the bar with a sleeveless dress, low cut that showed a bit of cleavage. Yet SHE was fine. It's reverse discrimination I tell you. They should be ashamed. I took my business down the street to Tates where there was no problem. read more

It's 100 degrees this weekend and a friend in our group got denied entry for wearing a tank top. For a small, not even crowded bar on a Friday night, I'm not sure why they would deny anyone read more

Was told I could not come in because I was wearing a tank. It's almost 100 degrees!! Bulls Tavern thanks you since they got my business. Will NEVER give you a penny. Your establishment looks like trash anyways. read more

Heavy on the men who work here having small dock energy !! Last time I came her the told us we had to go through the back door to get downstairs, so today I just went to the back door (it was unlocked and I opened it) before I stepped in I asked can I come in this way or no? He didn't say anything he just shook his hand back and forth and walked aggressively to the door. I said oh okay and when I went to the front door they guy did even look my way he just said I can't let you in today. I asked was he serious and he said yeah they just said not to let you in. read more

My friends and I went out for his birthday, we show up at 11:15 and they say they are closing soon and tell us we can't play pool and they are calling last call soon. I know is Sunday but I am a bartender myself. I have never been more pissed off at how rude the bartenders were. I felt rushed and unwelcome by Julian and a fat white man. read more

Met some folks at Rec last night for the USMNT game versus Gaudaloupe (???). We hung out downstairs and played some darts for awhile. I just enjoy the chill feeling of Rec Billiards. Probably one of the least pretentious bars in Winston. Tuesday night was $2 Bud Light pints. I was pleased to get out of there for $10 (before tip) for 2 Bud Lights, an Original Sin, and a PBR. Solid Pricing IMHO. Sometimes you have a wait for awhile to get a drink upstairs. They have a great patio and are dog friendly inside and out. read more

Gotta love Rec. Friendly staff, great atmosphere and a fixture of downtown W-S. Well really you could just say its a lot of downtown residents' second living room. I always advise people new to town that it's the best place to met people. Great for watching games (though the sound is only going to be on for the biggest ones)... Preset in your own food and bring your dog. And, now they also have liquor. read more

Recreation Billards - Pool Halls Near Me - Winston Salem, North Carolina

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Ángela was great on it and so nice but the other bartender that was there.... She was so rude and full of herself. Knocked on the bathroom door to see if anyone was in there and she came out 2 seconds later telling me " I literally just walked in there" I said I just knocked and she proceeded to walk away and condescendingly saying "yeah sure, mhmmm" Over and over. Went to the bathroom and then immediately closed out. Also I suggest a chalkboard for names up for pool that way there's a system to keeping track on a Saturday night without snapping at people read more

Good drinks...good drink specials throughout the week. I don't play pool, but it seems like a cool place to play pool. There's 3 pool tables towards the back. They have a whiskey lounge downstairs that has this cool speakeasy vibe to it. There's dart boards in the whiskey lounge too. Definitely a good stop when you're bar hopping downtown. read more

Definitely the best bar downtown, yeah it can get crowed on weekends but that's when the panties start dropping too right? ;) great spot any day! Owner will sit & rap with you if you're lucky, quality pool tables...My only wish is that they would put two pool tables downstairs instead of the dart boards ugggh :( Great bar, GO! read more

Recreation Billards - Pool Halls Near Me - Winston Salem, North Carolina

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Won't be back. Came here with my brother for NYE, we played some pool, and the bartender tried to overcharge us for how long we played. She told us we had been there an hour and a half longer than we had, and if it hadn't been NYE, and we hadn't watched the ball drop at a different location, I probably would have just let it slide. Then she got rude, and told us not to come back, just because we wouldn't let her screw us out of money. Terrible customer service, better places to hang out in downtown Winston now. read more

I always have a good time at my favorite watering hole, Recreation Billiards, affectionately referred to just as "Rec". You can find me there most Thursday ($3 Pint Night!) and Saturday (because, Saturday) nights. And Tuesday nights have live music. I don't go there to play pool; I hate geometry. I go there to drink and hangout with my friends. Since 1947, this place has been serving only beer, wine and local history. It's like a home away home from and serves as a pseudo living room and front porch to everyone who goes there. Privy to some of the best people-watching in all of Downtown, you get front row seats whether you're sitting outside or popping a squat at the bar. In late 2013, the basement of Rec (named Pete's Cellar, after the late owner) opened up a speakeasy-like bar called Whiskybox. The focus is whiskey (my liquor of choice) and my favorite drink is called Mister Gingerson. Bitters, ginger and whiskey help make up the best cocktail I've EVER had. It's sweet, spicy, garnished with ginger candy and if you're not careful, finished in an instant! The perfect place to meet up with friends, send out of town guests or have a solo beverage at the bar, it's a true gem. read more

This is a review not for the billiards and bar up top but rather for the Whisky bar that is down stairs. I never realized how crowded it gets done there! But if you are looking for a good drink (or like me a couple fingers of neat scotch or bourbon) this is the place to be. My lady ordered a caipirinha and I had a Laphroaig 10, the latter a brilliant smoky work in a bottle begging to be partaken by a connoisseur or someone thirsty! We only stayed here for the one drink but it was priced reasonably and worth visiting if your downtown in Winston and want a nice drink. read more

This downtown bar is pretty solid. There's a nice little sidewalk patio which is good for chilling out and peoplewatching. Inside there is an upstairs and a downstairs. There's a long bar with a decent beer selection (tap and bottled) upstairs. There are also pool tables upstairs. I feel this place is a bit misnamed though since there are only 3 tables. I mean, it's not really much of a pool hall - it's really just a regular bar with a few pool tables. There's also a downstairs bar which has a lot of bottled craft and foreign beers. Initially, I thought it was going to be beers on tap so I was a little disappointed when I found out that it's all bottles but it's still a pretty good variety and probably one of the only places that serves beer of this calibre in town. It seems a bit like they just decided to pick up a bunch of stuff from City Beverage and just sell it at a typical bar markup though. The bar downstairs has a few sizeable HDTVs which is cool and there are a few dartboards as well. They do not have any liquor at the downstairs bar (just beer and wine). Anyway, pretty good spot but you might not want to plan on playing pool here unless you're interested in waiting for a table for a while. 3.5 read more

Not sure why we don't hang out here more- very cool place. Pool tables and a great "cellar" downstairs with darts and a bar. tremendous beer selection for the size of the place. Friendly quick bar service and a couple of big old TVs too! Note: does not serve food but you can order delivery from the restaurants on 4th...they have take out menus for you to look at :) Got to hit this place more often..... read more

A bar for the local University students with a some pool tables upstairs and darts and a foosball table downstairs. A good selection of draft beer on tap. I was here for my daughter's graduation and ended up re-living my college years playing some foosball and playing pool. Unfortunately, some WFU grad students limited me to only a few goals on the foosball table that night. We parked at the main downtown parking lot used by both the Marriott and the Embassy Suites. read more

Staff is friendly, atmosphere is nice. Wish they had more room for more Billards tables. Prices are great. Just a little cramped.

When I lived downtown, this was the bar we always walked to to grab a few drinks. It's rather small around the bar but opens up towards the back where all the pool tables are. They also have a long bench outside for seating, which I've used a few times on nice warm days. They have specials nearly every day of the week. The bar is also dog friendly! read more

I didn't want to write this on a public forum but I was unable to get contact information for the owner. My daughter and her husband, family and friends decided to go to Rec after their wedding because my daughter used to go here often and wanted to share it with everyone. The bouncer that night would not let my niece in because she was wobbly and her dress was too short. She was not drunk since last call was an 1 1/2 hours earlier and we all cleaned the reception room. Her heels were high and they had just walked a few blocks. Her cousin decided they should leave and the bouncer said " muzzle your bitch!" She is actually a very sweet girl and a lawyer. Then the bouncer noticed when checking ID's that many of them were from Ohio and said "We will take care of these people from Ohio!" He frisked every one of them and when my daughter stated on the phone to those who were already downstairs that the place had gone downhill, the bouncer kicked her out. Apparently free speech is unwelcome. They all obviously left and were chased down the sidewalk by the bouncer as he tried to start a fight with them. He also told all the bars not to let them in. We just came from our wedding where all the staff commented on what a great group we were and how they enjoyed serving at our wedding. As a side note one member of our family is in special ops and another is a sniper for the military. One of the guys from Ohio is a negotiator for the Sherriff's department in one of the large cities. Regardless, the treatment of my family and friends was abhorrent. I was embarrassed that the city I live in treated them this way especially after such a beautiful event. read more

Easily one of the best bars in town. They always have a great tap and great drink specials. Multiple TV's for sports viewing and a very friendly atmosphere. Outside seating is great for the summer and its location at the heart of downtown is extremely convenient. Please stop by if you are in the area. read more

I won't be going back to this bar. The jerk checking IDs at the door told me that my real ID was fake and he was taking it (I'm 25). He then proceeded to tell me if I would wait he would call someone over to look at it and I agreed but he never called anyone over. He told me ALE was cracking down and I responded saying I completely understood and did not mind waiting for someone else to check it. But no one ever came over to check it. When my friends asked me why I was not in the bar and I told them, he responded with "well I was going to let you in but now you're telling all of your friends and stuff". Eventually he says we could go in but My friends and I had had enough at this point so we left. It was extremely frustrating and they could not have been more rude. read more

Stayed downstairs the entire time to enjoy the "Whiskybox". Drinks were somewhat weak. First bartender was ok, then it got busy and things fell apart. Waited over half an hour to cash out tab while second bartender consistently passed over customers to handle her friends Didn't help that her friends were equally clueless. Bartender ended up with no tip as a result. What the heck is this place like when WFU has a football game? read more

The place to relax any evening in Winston. Small outdoor seating area, but just a great feeling all around. Expect to make a friend or two. Go on Thursdays for $3 drafts and try the golden wheat. You will thank me later. read more

I love this place. Its so casual and all of the people you meet there are lots of fun. My only regret is that they don't have a full bar. Then I'd be there a whole lot more. read more

This is a nice little hangout downtown. It has a good selection of beers and if it's too crowded upstairs you might find a little more room downstairs. Their are only 3 pool tables, so you might have to wait awhile if you are there to play pool. Say hello to Pete who is 85 and whose father started the bar in 1947. read more

Great time at rec tonight!! Band was unreal! Unnamed group that was jamming. Had a great time.

Love this place!! I wish they didn't have liquor though...I miss just having beer and wine because the crowds were more my style. I love it though. read more

This is one of my favorite places downtown. I come here with friends often and one of the bartenders is really nice and always comes up with some different drinks for me. The outdoor space is nice when the weather is pretty and the security guys are very nice and respectful. My only complaint is that the place is quiet tight, specially as you walk in and when it fills up, it's really hard to even get to the bar and in and out of there. Other than that, really nice place. read more

Barely got in the door before we were asked to leave because my boyfriend didn't have sleeves on his shirt? But neither did myself or a friend.. thought it was ridiculous. read more

Asked stuck up bar tender to surprise me with a drink and she looked at me up and down and said with a terrible attitude that she didn't feel like serving me. Like really that's her job. Terrible experience. Rude and condensing. Needless to say I walked out. No way to treat a customer. read more

Stopped here on a visit from Ny. Was a bit crowded but enjoyed it regardless. Both the female bartender and bar back JR were friendly and provided great service. Def will be back next time. read more

Nice place to go. Sometimes a little crowded. Unlike the listing, neither the upstairs or downstairs serves liquor. The dart boards downstairs are fun, but the darts tend to go missing too often. read more

I usually like coming to this place, good service in general, UNTIL, I went sunday night for a beer with a couple of friends. The bartender was awful, I tried to get her attention a couple of times, and she just ignored me (the bar wasn't even full, she was not busy). Well after our one beer we decide to pay and leave, on the credit card slip I made sure she knew she lacked bartending skills. I got up to used the bathroom before leaving and she decided to follow me to the bathroom, open the door and tell me that i needed to leave, and that she was calling the cops if i didn't proceed to leave the bar... all because i told her she SUCKED!!! I Guess you're not allow to tell anyone in the service industry they didtn provide a good service, because they'll throw you out of the venue. Mr. Pete, I hope you hire better staff, people like your bartender gives a bad reputation to your bar. read more