Jeremy S.
Yelp
Capsule review: The Grand is a really nice little niche pool hall for North Loopers and Hyde Parkers who want a reasonable evening out without the hassle and expense of Downtown. Full review below.
Sometimes you just want a chill night out: no shots with seven ingredients, no night buses full of open containers back from East Sixth, no frills, and no bullsh*t. The Grand is one of the better options around for this, either as a solo option of part of an Airport/North Loop crawl.
For starters, the place is huge. You won't wait for a pool table, and you even get to pick your flavor: coin ops for casual, single-serving games, or by the hour on either regulation or bar-sized tables, depending on your skill and BAC. Tables and sticks are well-maintained and hourly rates are affordable.
Setup is full bar and cocktail service, with nightly specials even on weekends (e.g. cheap beer and a well shot for $5 on Fridays, $3.50 craft pints on Saturday). Prices are super grad-budget friendly like that, although the sheer size of the place makes the cocktail service a little slow. If you like to drink fast, skip it and order from the bar. There's an even cheaper happy hour every day until seven, but I'm never organized enough for that.
The Grand is a dive, but not in dangerous way, and people mind their pool etiquette pretty well. Well, not dangerous except for the bathrooms. I could see terrible things happening in there. Google "worst toilet in Scotland" and you'll get the idea.
Some crappy bar food is available if, like me, you're annoyed that In and Out Burger is the last chain on earth not to have heard of a veggie burger. But I digress. There's also a seating area away from the pool tables if you just want to booze/play electro-darts and some pinball. I must confess that I also find these charms worth exploring. So, especially given the relative paucity of neighborhood options with a 2AM license in this part o' town, I say the Grand is a keeper.