Naperville pool hall transitions into Last Call Sports Bar

Before you turn 21, it can be tough to find entertainment in the suburbs. You can only hang out at the mall, sit around in your friend's basement or go to a movie so many times. Enter the long-lost relic of pool halls. Pool halls were akin to going to a bar, albeit one without alcohol. Still, these places had some of the aspects of an establishment that the 21-and-up crowd were lucky enough to partake in.

Times have changed, and straight-up pool halls are few and far in between. Just look at Breaktime Billiards in Naperville. The pool hall began serving alcohol just under three years ago and has now been revamped and refocused as Last Call Sports Bar and Grill.

"The smoking ban destroyed the billiard business," says Mark Zayed, owner of Last Call.

Thus, the former pool hall has been transitioned into Last Call.

Motif: For those who remember the interior of Breaktime, things have changed at Last Call. Where the interior used to be broken up into two separate spaces, the bar is now one big open space. The pool tables are still around, but there are only 10, instead of 19. Regardless, that's still much more than you are going to find at any typical sports bar. Besides pool, you can entertain yourself with Ping-Pong tables, indoor bags, darts, pinball and Golden Tee.

Other additions to the building include eight 10-foot projection screens, two 6-foot screens and more televisions which all broadcast in high-definition. Football lovers, take note: The bar will be showing the NFL Sunday ticket.

And how could I forget to mention the actual bar? The L-shaped bar is huge with tons of seating. Next to the bar are tables for patrons to sit at while enjoying the projection screens or the bar's weekly Tuesday night trivia at 9 p.m.

Another new addition is the lounge area, which will feature comfy furniture, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.

Crowd: Last Call is a unique bar which easily affords you the opportunity to mingle with a variety of people. You could have hard-core sports fans sitting at the bar, pool sharks shooting on the tables, people who have shown up for some live music and others who just want to relax in the lounge area.

Service: The service at Last Call is right on the money. The employees never hover, but they are readily available when it's time for that much-needed refill. It's clear that Zayed and his staff are passionate about the updated Last Call.

Food: With the new name comes new menu items, including pulled barbecue pork sandwiches, the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich (three cheeses on Texas toast), mini-burgers and loaded potato skins. Other mainstays include chicken wings, rib-eye steak, Philly cheesesteak, burgers, chicken and pizza. Also, if your stomach is still growling into the wee hours of the evening, Last Call has a late-night menu with chicken tenders, hot dogs, fries, mozzarella sticks, onion rings and more.

Liquid consumption: Last Call has a large, full bar. Some brews that can be currently found on draft include 312, Shock Top, Guinness, Sam Adams, Miller Lite, Coors Light, Two Brothers and more. Last Call also has some excellent weekly specials: Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays have 23-ounce drafts at $3.75, Tuesday is Pint Night with $2 pints of draft beer, Thursdays feature $1.50 domestic bottles and Sundays offer $12 domestic buckets.

Sounds: The sounds at Last Call can vary by the night that you visit. During the week, you can talk and hear the play-by-play of whatever sporting event may be on television. Expect live music every Saturday (unless it's a UFC fight night) on Last Call's newly expanded stage.

Parking: Last Call is located in a large strip mall which features a plethora of parking spots for visitors.

Overall: While pool still remains at Last Call, it's obvious that Zayed realized that the bar needed a new identity. Breaktime Billiards had been around for 10-plus years, and Last Call is the evolution that the excellent location deserved. Whether you're looking for a sports bar, pool tables, live music or a place to lounge around and grab a drink, Last Call has you covered.

<p class="News">1550 N Route 59, Naperville, (630) 305-3606, <a href="http://www.lastcallnaper.com" target="new">www.lastcallnaper.com</a></p> <p class="News">Hours: 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, noon to 2 a.m. Saturday, noon to 1 a.m. Sunday except during football season when the bar opens at 11:30 a.m.</p>