Quick Answer: The Hathaway Hustler (about $899, K-66 gum rubber cushions, internal ball return) is the best all-around bar pool table for a home game room — freestanding 7-ft construction with commercial-style cushions at a fraction of slate pricing. The EastPoint Dunhill (about $750, X-leg base, MDF) is the budget pick for the classic pub-table look. The Imperial Eliminator ($2,995, 3-piece 1” slate, K66 cushion rubber) is the premium choice for buyers who want genuine commercial-grade slate in a bar-size footprint. All three measure roughly 87 inches — the defining spec of “bar size.”
“Bar pool table” describes a 7-foot table — the size actually found in pubs and commercial game rooms — not a specific brand or build quality. That single spec covers everything from a $750 MDF table with an X-leg base styled to look like a dive-bar fixture, up to a $3,000 genuine-slate table built to the same standard as the commercial units it’s named after. Here’s how the three most-searched bar-size tables actually compare on construction, price, and who each one fits.
Bar pool tables by the numbers:
- 87 inches is the standard bar-size length, per EastPoint’s, Hathaway’s, and Imperial’s own product listings — all three tables in this guide share that footprint despite a roughly 4x price spread between the cheapest and most expensive.
- The Imperial Eliminator’s 7-ft slate model runs about $2,995, according to current retailer listings — about four times the EastPoint Dunhill’s ~$750, with the entire difference coming down to a genuine 3-piece slate bed versus MDF.
- Only one of the three includes an internal ball return — the Hathaway Hustler — while the Dunhill and Eliminator both rely on manual retrieval from drop pockets.
Bar pool tables at a glance
| Table | Best for | Size | Surface | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hathaway Hustler | Best overall | 7-ft (~87") | MDF, K-66 cushions | ~$899 | ★★★★½ |
| EastPoint Dunhill | Best budget / bar look | 87"x50"x31" | MDF, X-leg | ~$750 | ★★★★☆ |
| Imperial Eliminator | Best premium / slate | 87"x48"x31.5" | 3-piece 1" slate | ~$2,995 | ★★★★★ |
1. Hathaway Hustler — Best Overall
Hathaway Hustler 7-Ft Pool Table
- K-66 tournament-style gum rubber cushions, per Hathaway's spec sheet — the same cushion compound used on tables well above this price, for consistent, predictable rebounds instead of dead rails.
- Internal ball return funnels sunk balls out automatically — the only one of these three tables with that feature, so nobody's reaching into pockets after every rack.
- Freestanding 7-ft MDF frame built for a permanent spot in a rec room or basement, not folding storage.
The Hustler earns “best overall” by landing well under the Eliminator’s slate pricing while punching above the Dunhill on features — K-66 cushions and an internal ball return are the two upgrades that matter most once you’re past a bottom-tier folding table, and it’s the only table here with both. It’s still MDF, not slate, so it won’t match the Eliminator’s long-term dead-flat performance, but for a rec room that sees regular family or party use, it’s the most complete table for the money.
2. EastPoint Dunhill — Best Budget / Bar Look
EastPoint Sports Dunhill 7-Ft Pool Table
- X-leg base styled specifically to echo a commercial pub table — the most authentic "bar look" of the three at the lowest price.
- 87"x50"x31" MDF playing bed with K-66-style rubber bumpers; comes with a full accessory bundle including cues, balls, chalk, rack, brush, and a table cover.
- Cheapest way into a true 7-ft bar-size footprint — still under the Hustler's price and a fraction of the Eliminator's.
The Dunhill is the table to default to if “bar table” is specifically the look you’re after, not just the size — its X-leg design is built to read as a pub fixture, which the Hustler’s plainer freestanding frame doesn’t attempt. It gives up the Hustler’s internal ball return and K-66 cushion quality to get there, so treat it as a starter or family-room table rather than a long-term investment piece, as covered in more detail in our EastPoint brand roundup.
3. Imperial Eliminator — Best Premium / Slate
Imperial Eliminator 7-Ft Pool Table
- Genuine 3-piece, 1-inch K-pattern slate bed, per Imperial's own spec sheet — real commercial-grade construction in a 7-ft bar-size footprint, not a scaled-down home table.
- Full-profile Master Speed K66 cushion rubber and metal beam construction, the same cushion standard used on tournament and commercial tables.
- Metal corner caps, 6-inch rails, internal drop pockets with a ball storage compartment, and leg levelers for a stable, permanent installation.
The Eliminator costs roughly four times the Dunhill and more than three times the Hustler, and the reason is entirely the slate bed — a genuine 3-piece slate playfield is the same construction premium 8-ft home tables use, just built into a bar-size 7-ft frame instead. It’s the pick for buyers who want a table that plays like a real pool hall table and are willing to pay commercial-grade prices for it, not a budget or mid-tier upgrade decision. See our full Imperial lineup guide for how the Eliminator compares to Imperial’s indoor Shadow and Outdoor tables.
Bar-size vs. a standard 8-ft table
- Room size is the main reason to choose bar size. A 7-ft table needs meaningfully less clearance than an 8-ft table — see our pool table room size chart for the exact clearance math by table size.
- Construction, not size, drives price in this category. The gap between the Dunhill and Eliminator is almost entirely slate versus MDF — see slate vs. MDF for how that trade-off plays out on any table size.
- All three still play regulation 8-ball and 9-ball. Bar size is a footprint and styling choice, not a rules or gameplay compromise.
How to choose your bar pool table
- Pick the Hustler if you want the best all-around value — K-66 cushions and an internal ball return at a mid-range price.
- Pick the Dunhill if the authentic pub X-leg look matters most and you’re on a tight budget.
- Pick the Eliminator if you want genuine slate performance and the price doesn’t rule it out — it’s the only one of the three that plays like a commercial table long-term.
- Measure your room regardless of which you pick. Bar size still needs full clearance on all four sides for a complete cue stroke.
Want the genuine coin-op table these three are styled after, not just the look? Our Valley pool table lineup covers the actual bar-table brand, including real coin-operated models. Looking at other budget-friendly options? Our EastPoint brand roundup and Hathaway brand roundup cover each maker’s full lineup, and best pool table under $2,000 rounds up other budget-tier picks across brands. Once your table’s set up, round out the room with the best pool cues or a dartboard for the wall — a dart board cabinet keeps missed throws off the drywall if the room doubles as a hangout space. Building this table into a full man cave rather than a general game room? See our best pool table for a man cave guide for how the Dunhill’s pub look compares to a showpiece slate table.
The bottom line
“Bar size” means 7 feet — nothing more — which is why this category spans a $750 MDF table and a $3,000 slate table wearing the same size label. The Hathaway Hustler (about $899) is the best overall pick for most home buyers, pairing K-66 cushions and an internal ball return at a mid-range price. The EastPoint Dunhill (about $750) is the budget call if the authentic pub look matters most. The Imperial Eliminator ($2,995) is worth the premium only if genuine slate performance is the actual goal. Pick based on how you’ll use the table, not just the “bar size” label.
Updated August 2026: re-verified current pricing direct from retailer listings — both the Hathaway Hustler (was $650-$750, now about $899) and the EastPoint Dunhill (was about $500, now about $750) have risen since this guide first published; the Imperial Eliminator’s price near $2,995 held steady. No CPSC safety recalls found for any of the three.