Gold Star Bar

It's no mixology haven, but when it comes to relaxed weeknight drinking in Polk Gulch, Gold Star Bar gets an A+. Themed like a schoolhouse, this low-key neighborhood spot has two things that your third-grade classroom lacked-- a pool table and booze. Drinkers can sip an Anchor Steam at a vintage school desk, solve a geometry proof or two on the chalkboard-covered walls, or order a Manhattan from a cocktail menu that's tucked inside an old Sweet Valley High book cover. They've also got a full complement of board games, and the last Wednesday night of each month packs 'em in for an organized game of "Drunktionary" (that would be drunk Pictionary).