Surf City Billiards Bar & Cafe

Specialties

Surf City Billiards in Santa Cruz, CA: 15 pool tables, 4 dart boards, a shuffleboard, great food and a full bar... all at a great price.

History

Established in 2008.
When you step into Santa Cruz's newest poolhall, you won't see the owner teaching a lesson on the table in the corner. He won't be giving a dissertation on the differences between back- and front-handed English. No, Doug Millan opened Surf City Billiards for an entirely different reason.
I'm not a good pool player at all, he said. But I always had fun going out for a beer with my buddies and shooting around. And those are the folks I'm really looking to attract into the hall.
Not that Millan ignored the more determined players. He has plans to get leagues set up and weekly tournaments on the schedule to make sure the 15 9-foot Brunswick Gold Crowns are in constant use.
But when making a substantial investment (Surf City cost $400,000, not including the cost of the building), Millan, along with his business partner Calvin Lee, did a little market research. He went to more than 30 poolhalls across the country to find out what worked and what didn't.

Owner

Doug M.
Surf City Billiards is on the top floor of a building originally constructed in 1894. The current structure has been in place since it was rebuilt after a fire in 1934, and Millan was quite familiar with it before making the purchase.
I came into this space four years ago when it was a live-music venue, he said. When I walked up the stairs, I just knew this place had to be a poolhall. I kept an eye on it, and it came up for sale last year.

Business info

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  Reservations

  No
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  Delivery

  No
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  Takeout

  No
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  Vegan Options

  Yes
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  Many Vegetarian Options

  Yes
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  Accepts Credit Cards

  Yes
• android
  Accepts Android Pay

  Yes
• tap_and_play
  Accepts Apple Pay

  No
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  Classy, Casual

  Yes
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  Loud

  Yes
• group
  Good for Groups

  Yes
• accessibility
  Good For Kids

  Yes
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  Good for Late Night

  Yes
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  Pool Table

  Yes
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  Garage Parking, Street Parking, Private Lot Parking

  Yes
• wifi
  Free Wi-Fi

  Yes
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  Best nights on Thursday, Friday, Saturday

  Yes
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  Full Bar

  Yes
• tv
  TV

  Yes
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  Gender-neutral restrooms

  Yes
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  Outdoor Seating

  No
• fastfood
  Offers Catering

  No
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  Bike Parking

  Yes

Last Reviews

• Author: Ari Newby

  3 October 2025

  Great staff. Tasty food and some good beers on tap. Nine pool tables, they charge hourly not per game. Ping pong tournaments on Thursday night. Only bar in Santa Cruz city with a pong table that I am aware of. Gets crowded for pong on Friday/Saturday nights. Good patrons as well.

• Author: Rob Richards

  3 October 2025

  Love the beer selection. Love the food. Love the atmosphere and Kelly always makes you feel welcomed.

• Author: Pablo Sevilla

  30 September 2025

  This place is so cool! The quality of the pool tables is perfect, as well as the bar!