The Nickel Mine

The clamor of beer-chugging students from a block away should immediately signal that this isn't going to be a mellow night out—stepping inside the Nickel Mine is like walking into a well-maintained frat house. There's free WiFi, a bookshelf chock-full of novels no one is reading, communal tables covered in board games and 20 mounted flat-screen TVs beaming nonstop NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA, NHL and UFC. Muster up the willpower of a freshly legal-to-drink and scour the packed-to-the-gills space for a place to plant yourself for the evening.