Billiards and darts near Palo Alto

A game of pool or darts is the classic low-key night out. You can talk between shots, play with a beer in hand and keep score on a chalkboard. Palo Alto used to have more of this. The early Tresidder Union at Stanford had a pool hall alongside its long-gone bowling alley. Today the city is short on places to rack up.

When we checked in late October and early November 2026, we could not confirm a dedicated billiards hall inside Palo Alto with a current website. A few bars in town and in neighboring cities keep a pool table or a dartboard, but those change with remodels and we could not verify them, so we do not list them here. This guide covers places that posted their games, prices and hours on their own websites. Ask your favorite pub whether it has a table. Prices and hours change, so check before you go.

Where to play at a glance

Round1: billiards by the hour

Round1, the Japanese entertainment chain, rents billiards tables by the hour at both of its East Bay and South Bay centers within reach of Palo Alto. Each center also has bowling, private karaoke rooms, a large arcade and food. Both listed hours of 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day in late 2026, which makes Round1 one of the few places nearby where you can start a game after a late dinner. Our karaoke guide covers the private rooms and our bowling and arcades guide covers the lanes.

Round1 San Jose (Eastridge)

Round1 San Jose is inside Eastridge Shopping Center at 2200 Eastridge Loop. It rents both billiards and ping pong tables. Its posted price table was:

Prices are per table, not per player, so a group of four splits the cost. Club members save $1 an hour. Seniors and military members get 10 extra minutes.

Round1 Hayward (Southland Mall)

Round1 Hayward is in Southland Mall at 551 Southland Mall Drive. Its billiards price tier was the same as San Jose's for pool: $11 an hour before 4 p.m. on weekdays, $16 after 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday and $19 on Friday evenings and weekends. It does not list ping pong. From Palo Alto it is about 30 minutes across the Dumbarton or San Mateo bridge, both of which charge a toll on the westbound trip home.

Darts at Tee & Timber, Fremont

Tee & Timber at 40480 Albrae Street in Fremont is a bar and games hall with axe throwing lanes, a 10-hole tech mini golf course and a dart game it calls Krazy Darts. There is a full bar with rotating draft beers and cocktails plus pizza and burgers. It listed hours of 4:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, noon to 1 a.m. Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday. It is 21 and over after 8 p.m. every day. It did not post prices online when we checked. Our axe throwing guide and mini golf guide cover its other games.

Free pool for teens in Palo Alto

The one free pool table we can point to in town is for teenagers. The Drop, the city's teen center inside the Mitchell Park Library and Community Center at 3700 Middlefield Road, has pool, ping pong and foosball tables, video games and board games, with staff on hand. It is open weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m. during the school year. First-time visitors need a membership form signed by a parent. Our teens guide has the details.

A quick pool primer

Most casual tables in the US play one of two games.

• 8-ball: after the break, one player takes the solids (1 to 7) and the other takes the stripes (9 to 15). Clear your group, then call a pocket and sink the 8-ball to win. Pocketing the 8 early, or scratching the cue ball while shooting it, loses the game.
• 9-ball: only balls 1 to 9 are used. You must hit the lowest-numbered ball on the table first on every shot. Whoever legally pockets the 9 wins, even on the break.

Etiquette is simple. Do not walk in front of someone who is lining up a shot. Keep drinks off the rails. If there is a waitlist, play a single game rather than a long set.

A quick darts primer

A standard steel-tip dartboard hangs with the bullseye 5 feet 8 inches off the floor and the throwing line 7 feet 9.25 inches from the face of the board. Two games cover most nights:

• 501: each player starts at 501 and subtracts each turn's score. You must finish exactly on zero with a double.
• Cricket: close out the numbers 15 to 20 and the bullseye by hitting each three times, scoring points on numbers your opponent has not closed.

Soft-tip electronic boards, common in bars, keep score for you and use a slightly longer line.

A table at home

Plenty of Palo Alto garages hold a pool table. A standard 8-foot table needs a room roughly 13 by 17 feet so you can swing a full-length cue on every side, though shorter cues help in tight rooms. Slate tables are heavy and usually need professional installation and leveling. A dartboard needs much less space, plus a backboard to protect the wall. For gear, see our sporting goods guide.

Getting there

All three venues outside Palo Alto are easiest by car. Round1 San Jose is about 30 minutes via Highway 101 or Interstate 280 to the east side of San Jose. Round1 Hayward and Tee & Timber are across the bay. Our bridges and tolls guide explains how to pay the westbound toll. Visitors can compare rental cars for the day.

Frequently asked questions