A kid can be a kid at Chuck. E. Cheese’s.

But when a dozen 35-year-olds show up for a harmless after-work Skee-Ball marathon, it suddenly becomes a “security issue.”

A grown-up looking to play a raucous round of ping-pong or air hockey might be hard pressed these days to find a place to live out their table-top dreams — aside from Grandpa’s basement, which is no place for a proud paddle carrier.

The world says such games are for kids. Society rolls its eyes at the over-age Connect Four players, and public pressure causes old-school gamers to relinquish their Milton Bradley aspirations.

For a while, it wasn’t much better at many local watering holes, where customers were limited to rounds of coaster Frisbee and “guess the stain” before their brains fell into happy-hour dormancy.

But sometimes bargoers want to stretch their brains as well as their drinking arms. Or at least volley a ping-pong ball across a table without having to apologize.

Plenty of southern Maine establishments have hopped on the bar-game bandwagon.

In Portland, classic board games are sometimes tucked behind the bar and revealed for those who ask. At Brian Boru (57 Center St.), there’s usually a few close at hand, and the Great Lost Bear (540 Forest Ave.) has Connect Four, according to a regular who says it may be missing a few pieces but that fact doesn’t bother her any.

Larger-than-life versions of Connect Four and Jenga have found their way into libation-centric establishments such as Oasis (42 Wharf St.). Players can feel like kids again, partly because the games harken back to their unblemished childhood and partly because the games are so oversized, it makes even the tallest player feel shrunken by comparison.

There’s Skee-Ball at Bayside Bowl (58 Alder St.) in case the lines at Chuck. E. Cheese’s become too long to bear. Nosh (551 Congress St.) has Ms. Pac-Man, and Fore Play (436 Fore St.) has classic air hockey.

Folks in pursuit of table tennis (or ping-pong, if you prefer) can head to Port City Sports Bar at Yankee Lanes (867 Riverside St.). It is an Olympic sport, after all, and deserves some respect and attention.

Not quite an Olympic sport as of this writing, beer pong has also made its way into local bars. Granted, liquor laws restrict the sport’s natural form and the cups are filled with water, not beer. Flask Lounge (117 Spring St.) is a free “water pong” venue open to the game whenever the desire strikes a patron.

In Auburn, Club Texas (150 Center St.) offers a regular, competitive environment for the more-serious beer pong player every Thursday as part of its Action Packed Thursdays lineup. Call 784-7785 for more information on signing up and team entry fees.

Action Packed Thursdays also include karaoke and line dancing, so there are amusements to occupy people who don’t play beer pong or who get disqualified because they keep throwing ping-pong balls at the karaoke singers.

Smarty-pants locals can flash their wits at a multitude of weekly trivia nights, including the popular Tuesday night trivia at 8 p.m. at Ri Ra (72 Commercial St., Portland).

Other places to show off your brain power include 8 p.m. Wednesdays at Margaritas Mexican Restaurant (11 Brown St., Portland), 7 p.m. Mondays at Run of the Mill Public House and Brewery (100 Main St., Saco) and 7 p.m. Wednesdays at Brian Boru (57 Center St., Portland). Check www.portlandtaps.com for more trivia nights.

And while bingo had been relegated to the world of octogenarians, bingo at Geno’s Rock Club (625 Congress St., Portland) has brought the game back to the young whippersnappers.

Unfortunately, the reign is coming to an end, and Jan. 16 marks the bingo finale. Interested folks are invited to the last bingo night, which is free, starts at about 9 p.m., and includes prizes that might make your bingo-loving grandma blush.

And finally, JJ’s Eatery Too (12B Old Orchard St., Old Orchard Beach) hosts a Wednesday night of trivia and blind taste testing that they like to call Survivor Night. It had been loosely tied in with the reality show of the same name, but has apparently taken on a life of its own.

In past weeks, participants have been asked to name certain cheeses after a blind sampling, and there even occurred a round of marshmallow mini-golf, according to an employee. Their “Friendly Feud” night runs 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays.

So say goodbye to barstool boredom. No more origami birds made from dirty napkins to keep yourself entertained. There’s plenty of amusement at area bars.

And remember, you may be old enough to drink, but you’re never too old for marshmallow mini-golf. Or too young for bingo.

Staff Writer Shannon Bryan can be contacted at 791-6333 or at:

sbryan@mainetoday.com

 

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