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City News

Take a "Break" at this Hot Local Billards Hall

Roger Brigham
Connection Staff
May 2008

The Broken Rack is that rarity of rarities: a safe, informal haven where adults can relax away from the kids while they pop a few brews, grab a bite, catch some sports on TV, or shoot a few games of pool.

“Besides being a pool hall,” Marilyn Boucher said, “We consider ourselves a neighborhood place where people come in for a cold beer, watch sports and have a casual meal.”

Mention the words “pool hall” and images of Professor Harold Hill warning about trouble-with-a-capital-T and Jackie Gleason trying to hustle Paul Newman in billowing smoke and sweat-stained shirts come to mind.

Clear your mind. This is nothing like that, although the pool playing is first rate. This is a clean, well lit place and more than welcoming to women. And a great chance to visit the Broken Rack to see its upgraded amenities will be when the Rack celebrates its 10th anniversary with a blowout party on Friday, May 16.

“It will be from noon until 4 p.m.,” Boucher said. “You must be 21 and over. We will have challenge matches in which players can challenge either one of the top two women players in the area – Eleanor Callado and Helen Gaughran – to a match. Money raised from the event will go to the Emeryville Community Action Program.”

The party will offer Happy Hour drink prices, free pool and free appetizers. To get ready for the event, the Rack has been undergoing a little bit of a facelift.

“It’s relatively minor,” Boucher said of the remodeling work. “Mostly we’ve been spiffing up for the next 10 years. We’ve repainted and replaced the carpeting. The private pool room has been opened to the main room to create a viewing area for a big screen TV and seating area.

Boucher said about 30 percent of the pool playing clientele are women.

“It’s quite popular,” she said. “When we first opened, we were lucky that we had the opportunity to have a women’s professional tournament here. We haven’t had another one, but since then we’ve been a stop on the Western Women’s Regional Pool Tour.

“It’s very rare that you come in here and not find women playing pool.”

Callado has done consulting work for the Broken Rack and serves as the house pro, available to give instruction to novice players. Boucher said Callado recently played in one of the tour stops, and finished in the 9-16th place group, beating three of the Top 20 pro players before losing to the No. 2 player.”

The menu offers a modest but complete selection of bar fare – everything from buffalo wings to burgers to fantail shrimp to quesadillas. There are a dozen changing varieties of beer on tap, a selection of bottle beers, and the bartenders can make 50 different cocktails.

All of that combines to make the broken Rack an ideal place in Emeryville to scarf down some fish and chips, throw back a beer, and check out the pool tables.

You break.

Roger Brigham is a writer for The Emeryville

Connection. If you have a question or comment, please contact him at ecocnews@gmail.com