Lowdown: Juliet Cafe in Poughkeepsie

(Credit: Chris Serico, Metromix)

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All Access: Juliet Cafe in Poughkeepsie

Pool hall with perks

Unlike pool hall dives where shady characters meet for billiards to settle some kind of score, Juliet Café in Poughkeepsie caters to a friendlier set.

With Bard, Vassar and Marist all nearby, recent alums and other pool enthusiasts make their way into the cavernous, clean building for friendly games and tournaments. Juliet's also got its share of versatility going for it. With air hockey, ping pong, TVs showing the game, a giant brick oven, a full snack bar and a solid selection of bottled beers and wireless Internet access, it's pretty tough to get bored.

Vibe: Dave and Buster's is great, but if you're looking for an adult, game-centric hangout that doesn't involve glorified Chuck E. Cheese tickets, superfluous flashing lights or incessant beeping noises, Juliet is right up your alley. Although the place is open to all ages, young adults tend to be the ones packing the place on Friday and Saturday nights. It's a big place, even by pool hall standards. Most people tend to hang out in the front, where are dozens of regulation-sized, green-felt tables.

Attire: If you can wear it outside and not get arrested, you're pretty much OK to show up at Juliet. But since the place is a bit more elevated than your typical pool hall, it'd probably be a good idea to step it up a shade or two above ratty t-shirt and about-to-fall-apart jeans.

Pick me up: While you wouldn't necessarily go to Juliet to find a date, it's a smart destination for taking one because of all the on-site games, beers and snacks.

Have in Hand: You're not going to find any fancy cosmos or mojitos here, but the fridge behind the snack bar has lots of options that go beyond the typical fare.

Entertainment: Sure, you can play pool and sling back a few beers while waiting for your next turn, but Juliet is more than that. Along the windowed wall near the entrance are tables and chairs for dining on brick-oven pizza, which you can watch being made in the back. In the less-popular but equally huge room in the back, there are even more pool tables, as well as set-ups for ping pong and air hockey. Classic arcade games are scattered throughout the place, and there's a digital jukebox to boot.

Want a look inside? Check out All Access: Juliet Cafe in Poughkeepsie

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