Bars offer entertainment for the underage
Josh Ray

Diversions Editor

Let's go play pool!

But wait, where can you go? Not everyone is 21, so not everyone can go to all the local places to just hang out. But if you're looking for someplace to just hang out and do not want to pay a cover charge, follow me and I'll show you a couple of places to go.

Our first option is J-Town. If you're of legal drinking age, then this is a pretty good place to go. They've got a bunch of pool tables, and if you catch it at the right time, it is never too hard to find one open. Not only that, but the food there is also rather good. It's not too expensive, and the portions are nice. You can get everything from chicken strips and fries to ribs. Naturally, they also serve alcohol. But if you don't care about playing pool, they have numerous TVs, playing different sports games, or on some nights you can play a trivia game that is really cool. There is a problem though.

If you're not 21, you can't get in after a certain time. This is some stupid rule that they started months ago. The time is either 8 or 10 p.m. I'm not sure because I've been told two different things the last couple of times I've been there. So if you're looking for a place to go after those times, J-Town isn't it. But that doesn't mean you have to just go home and play a video game. There are other options.

One of those is the OK Bar. Now, like you probably did, my first thought was that this would be a hang-out for every hick in the area. But I was wrong. It's actually an all right place. There are not as many pool tables as J-Town, and I'm not sure how the food is, but it's a nice place to just hang out. The people will treat you really well there also, unlike J-Town, where service is really hard to come by. Every time I've been to the OK Bar, my friends and I were practically met at the door by someone asking us if we needed anything, and then directing us to the open pool tables. It was great. Plus, you don't have to be any certain age to just come in and hang out. That's always a plus. Also, if you're lucky, there will be some good-looking girls to talk to or hit on. But if you're not really in the mood for someplace that sounds like a western saloon, there is one more choice.

That place is Shooters. Again, this is another place where you don't have to be a certain age to get in. There are a few pool tables, but I really don't know if they serve food there or not. Usually when I go, it's late. I just want to play pool, so I don't worry about the chow part of the night. But again, it's a nice, quaint little bar and a nice place to just chill for a while.

So, if you're 21 and want to go to J-Town, good for you. But if you're not, and don't have a fake, you might as well not even worry about trying. It's a waste of your time, trust me. They'll card you the second you order a water. At least, that's what they did to my friend and I (I'd never seen anyone carded for a water until then, but oh well). Go to Shooters or the OK Bar. They're never as crowded anyway.