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10pin Bowling Lounge
Categories: Active Life Bowling Nightlife Bars Restaurants American (New) Bowling, Bars, American (New) [Edit]
330 N State StChicago, IL 60654
Neighborhood: Near North Side
(312) 644-0300
- Nearest Transit:
-
State/lake (Brown Line, Green Line, Orange Line, Pink Line, Purple Line)
Clark/lake (subway) (Blue Line)
Clark/lake (elevated) (Brown Line, Green Line, Orange Line, Pink Line, Purple Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 12 pm - 12 am
Fri-Sat 12 pm - 2 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Music:
- Music Videos, Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
171 reviews for 10pin Bowling Lounge
Review Highlights
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"I had a great time here and I am sure you will too." In 17 reviews -
"Fun music and videos, and love the over the top lighting." In 23 reviews -
"But it's an awesome bowling alley." In 46 reviews
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171 reviews in English
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Review from Elle B.
Myrtle, MS
1/16/2012
I'm a lil late for this review since, I visited it in the Summer of '09 (Thank Goodness for my very good memory). I, along with 2 of my culinary classmate, visited 10pin on our trip to the Chi from Mississippi. None of us had every been to a bowling alley like this every!!! It was like a club slash bar, and we were psyched that they had food and a bar.
I ordered Calamari and it was fried perfectly, no chewiness at all, and the portion was great. My friends had the buffalo wings and a grilled chicken sandwich, which had bacon, roasted red bell peppers, arugula and caper aioli on focaccia with waffle fries. Both were really good, but they stayed in my calamari..lol.
I had their house red sangria (my first time drinking homemade) that was on special for $5 and the 10pintini, their signature martini made with Svedka Razz Vodka and pomegranate juice, lemonade served with a twist.
We had fun bowling, it seemed to take second place to the food/drink/ambience though..lol. I dunno i think it was a mix between it taking so long for us to find the right bus stop because the CTA employee didn't want to help/didn't want to be interrupted during their conversation with a fellow co-worker that they gave the wrong directions so we had to find it ourselves. Also it was raining so it kinda messed up the enthusiasm. -
Review from Katharine A.
San Jose, CA
2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came here to bowl on a weekend afternoon with my nieces and nephew, my cousin and her hubs. It was an OK experience. It was more for adults than kids and the person at the desk told me so. They had bumpers for the kids, but they were not retractable so all of us had bumpers for our bowling. This is neither current or upscale. There is no separation between lanes either. Seating is bar-like tables.
We ordered sliders and chicken sandwiches. Sliders were OK; chicken was dry. They did go out of their way to get us chocolate milk for the kids.
We did have fun, but it was a very expensive afternoon.
It was also SWELTERING inside. We asked to have the heat turned down and were told that they didn't have control over the thermostat.Listed in: Chicago
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Review from Joel M.
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
If you're going to call yourself "10 pin bowling" don't have lanes that rack 7-9 pins all night. We played two games and almost never had a full set of 10 pins on the first rack.
Also, "upscale bowling" just seems like an oxymoron to me. It should be called "Dimly-lit expensive-drink bowling".
The service and food were alright, but this place just didn't do it for me. -
Review from Jamie B.
5/12/2012
I like 10pin but only 4 stars because it's kind of pricey for bowling. The food is standard bar fare but with a $15-$20 pricetag. It's more of a place for events or work functions that are on the company's buck instead of your own. TIP: Call ahead and make your reservation-- you can't just walk in and bowl.
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Review from Amanda C.
4/26/2012
I booked an event for 40 people here and everyone had a great time. In comparison to other places we were considering the service and attentiveness in booking the event was great and they were willing to work with us on budget and what we needed. Once at the event, some more direction for the group would have been nice in setting up the lanes, parking information etc. The servers were very nice and always kept everyone's drinks filled; however we ordered way too much food for the group, much of which was never brought out, and it would have been good to get more direction on what we actually should have ordered. This is a fun place and I would definitely go back here to bowl with friends- I saw in the RedEye they have a great deal for Sundays too.
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Review from Andrew C.
10/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Upscale bowling lounges seem to be the flavor of the last few years. 10 Pin is Chicago's khaki friendly version and was the setting for a Chicago Fire official viewing party. A bunch of soccer fans bowled while watching their team against Salt Lake on the large screens out above the lanes and at the HD TV's scattered throughout the lounge. Food looked like normal pub fare and cocktails ran $10 and upwards. On the high side, they were poured extremely strong, as in, mostly high end booze and little else.
I'm not much of a bowler so when I do it I try to do it on the cheap. That said, this would be a fine place for a corporate party of some sort for the downtown crowd.Listed in: Chicagoland
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Review from Lala S.
Chicago, IL
10/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Got a great deal through Poggled and checked this place out with some friends. It's a very nice bowling alley but IMHO I think Lucky Strike is a little fancier.
I liked that the rental shoes looked fairly clean and new. I used to hate wearing bowling shoes because they always looked icky.
The food here was pretty good too and they had good beer specials. Well worth the money. Parking is kind of a bitch around there so we parked in their lot, which was $26 for 2 hours. That kinda suck, but it's a lot cheaper than a parking ticket :/ -
Review from Nick O.
New York, NY
10/21/2011
Had a great night as a group of nine celebrating my wife's birthday. Used two Poggled coupons for two hours unlimited bowling. Ordered ~$200 of food and drinks as well - all of which were very good and significantly above average for a bowling alley or bar. Service was superb - allowed us to bring in a cake and they stored for us until surprise and also brought us plates and silverware. Also let us finish our last game of bowling that was going on after 2 HR limit expired for free.
All in all, great bowling, great service, great food A+++ -
Review from Melissa F.
Milwaukee, WI
9/5/2011
We had fun on a Sunday afternoon during their bowling special - $15 for up to 3 hours of bowling and shoes. It would be expensive if we bowled on a peak night. We had a few drinks the night before. Expensive martinis but very tasty, great bartenders and heavy pours.
Some technically problems a couple times on more than our lanes. I would hope that they would fix it or calibrate more often and we'd have a great time.
On a busy night this place is great! It's fun on a quiet afternoon too. It's nice to watch a game at the end of the lane on giant screens too! -
Review from Arlene A.
4/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
With all the Wii bowling I've been doing lately, I decided that it would be okay to do some actual real life bowling. Someone needs to tell me to cut that crap out next time. The bowling on my part was not great, but it certainly wasn't made any easier by the COMPLETELY, TOTALLY OVERHEATED BOWLING ALLEY. Get the air fixed guys. I don't know if that's to try and get people to drink more beer at a quicker pace, but it made for an uncomfortable experience that I wouldn't be in any rush to repeat.
That is, unless the air is fixed. -
Review from cathy o.
Chicago, IL
5/9/2011
I was excited to try this bowling lounge since I had a groupon type certificate. It was a change from the usual LuckyStrike. When I first approached the counter, I asked for 2 lanes for 9 people, and showed her my certificate. She gasped and complained outloud to me that there have been too many certificates. I thought to myself, "Shouldn't they be happy they are getting new business?" We still paid at least an extra $300 in food and drinks. It took 2 1/2 hours to get our lanes! That's ridiculous especially since I saw our name on the top of the list.
The atmosphere is nice, but I did not appreciate the attitude from the front desk gal. -
Review from Megan G.
3/16/2011
I came here with a date on a Friday night to use their recent Living Social (? - it was one of those Groupon-y type places) coupon. The most negative aspect of the whole experience came right off the bat. We went to sign up for a lane and were told there would be a 30 minute wait. No problem, we expected that. We moseyed over to the bar to grab a drink and were ignored for at least 10 minutes. After finally getting drinks and hearing our name called, we headed back to the front desk for lane assignment and shoes. The staff seemed totally unfamiliar with the deal and what was included. A woman at the desk tried to charge us for shoes, which was included in the coupon. When we pointed this out she literally rolled her eyes at us, spat out "fine", and took the coupon. That's some less than stellar customer service, 10pin, especially for the prices you're charging.
When we got to our lane, the bumpers were up. Though this would have improved my game significantly, it hardly seemed sporting. We pressed the service button and waited for someone to come over and put down the bumpers. That wound up being the lane server, who was actually very sweet and who came by often to see if we needed anything. As we were bowling, a piece of the lane next to us literally fell off (or fell from the ceiling) and landed in the middle of the lane, leaving those people unable to bowl until another staff member came over to fix it. Several times during our game the pins would get stuck and it would take forever to reset. At one point it got totally stuck and we, again, had to call someone over to service the lane. Again, for these really expensive games, I'd have expected maintenance to be better.
So yeah, food and drinks are expensive, maintenance seems pretty shoddy, and several of the staff members were rude. So why three stars? We DID have a lot of fun. The music playing was heavily skewed towards the 80s and 90s, which made my old person ears happy. As previously mentioned, the server at our lane was great and in general it's hard to hate bowling. That said, I don't see myself making an effort to come to 10pin again. If I want to bowl, I'd far rather do it at a cheaper, more laid back place like Lincoln Lanes. -
Review from Ben B.
4/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
How did I not know this place existed?
I've walked past it a million times, but I thought it was just a club or restaurant or something. But it's an awesome bowling alley.
I grew up in Michigan, where bowling alleys look like bowling alleys. They are huge, cavernous places with sad,old bars filled with sad, old men and sometimes, sad, old karaoke.
But 10pin is the love child of a bowling alley and a semi-swanky lounge.
I showed up for a date at 6:45 on a Monday and we were told it would be an hour and a half wait for a lane. No matter. We had the fried calamari and some martinis. There's not a ton of seating, but we had a table.
When you get to the lane, you have to sit on bar stools around a tiny table. That's kinda lame. Why no awesome couches? The lanes are also very close to one another, so you don't have much privacy. I could have used some.
But we had a fun time and there wasn't really a significant negative to 10pin, so I will be back! -
Review from bob a.
Flushing, MI
5/11/2011
Way better than your average bowling alley. And better than your average lounge/bar - because there is bowling.
It is a little pricy, I guess, but it is downtown and it is awesome, so really worth it.
The Bowling part is fun - I'd say the environment is a little more relaxed, so if you are wroking your way up the ladder on the Professional Bowling Circuit this is not the place to get into the zone. If you are looking for a fun place to chill for the night this is it.
The Bar is great too. Very good drinks, good service, impressive.
The food is also above average.
They have a couple seperate areas where you could host a party with a bigger group. I'll probably be doing that next time I'm out there with a bigger group for work. This last time it was just 4 of us. -
Review from Simeen A.
Chicago, IL
3/7/2011
I'm glad I didn't see all the crummy reviews before going! I had a great time. My fiance and I got there Sunday at 5 pm-- until 6pm, they have a special: 3 hours of unlimited bowling, plus shoes, for $15 pp. Not bad if you're planning to play a few games.
As far as parking being pricey, I called ahead to find out the parking situation-- I was told if you park in the self-park lot on State and Kenzie, and you spend at least $35 at the bowling alley (easy to do between 2 people for sure), parking is free. So yeah, parking was free! Freeeeee! (they will validate your parking ticket)
The food was decent-- we had toasted ravioli, coconut shrimp, tater tots (who can resist a good tot?!?), and smores. They're not cheap, but they're pretty good and it's nice to have options other than pizza and burgers (but they do have those too).
I saw lots of complaints about the scoring system freezing or the pins getting stuck-- we didn't have any issues. Bonus points for halfway cute bowling shoes :)
All in all, yes it's not cheap but it is on the nicer side and we had a lot of fun. We'll be back! -
Review from Dana O.
Chicago, IL
12/11/2011
Went here for a friend's birthday on Friday night and I was less than impressed.
Upon my arrival one of the girls that was already bowling with my group was leaving, and she kindly gave me her shoes. I stood with her as she paid for the games she had played to make sure I wouldn't be charged for them at the end of the night. I made sure to confirm this with the guy at the counter. I played only one game, and with 6 players who were all more focused on drinking than bowling, it took over an hour to complete. By the time the game had ended the place was about to close. I went to the counter to pay for my one game and surprise surprise (which really wasn't surprising at all) I was charged for playing three games, not one, and at $7.00 per game this night quickly became the most expensive bowling experience of my entire life.
Well, I nicely explained to the boy at the counter (honestly, he couldn't have been over 18) that I only played one game, and that the girl who used the shoes before me had already paid for her games. In fact, he was the one who rang her up too, and the place was dead for a Friday night so it's not like he had such a high volume of customers he couldn't remember a transaction that took place an hour before. He proceeded to tell me, in the rudest possible way, that I was wrong and that I had played more than one game. When I, still calmly, explained to him that the previous games had already been paid for, he told me to "chill out" and "relax," and assured me that he would fix everything, all while never actually apologizing for his mistake.
What was the point of asking me how many games I had played if he was going to completely disregard that information, only to have to fix his mistake two seconds later? He managed to simultaneously waste my time and put a hold on my debit card in the amount of $14.00 (the cost of the two games that he voided) all in a very short 5 minute span.
On top of the snobby, stuck-up, and sour-faced counter guy, the DJ was terrible. All of the songs he played were absolutely atrocious (Maybe this explains the lack of bowlers that night). I am talking bad 80s music that died with the decade--definitely not the kind of music that trendy bowlers in River North want to listen to. I requested my friend's favorite song because it was his birthday, and the DJ looked confused, but said he'd play it. He still had not played the song about 45 minutes later, so I went up and asked him again if he could play it because we would be leaving soon. This time he said he'd play it within the next few songs. We left about 45 minutes later. The song was never played.
Aren't DJs are SUPPOSED to take requests, or am I crazy? Sorry 10Pin, but hiring novice DJs that are completely unaware of modern pop-culture songs is not a great way to increase your business on Friday nights.
Unless I am forced to attend a party for a friend or for work, I definitely will not be going back to this place. The drinks are overpriced too! -
Review from Patrick M.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2012
I used to live in Marina City, so the place was in the same complex as the buildings so it was convenient entertainment. Fun atmosphere, good music, cool lights. Good place to take a date. Would recommend to anyone who is looking for something to do downtown.
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Review from Christina G.
Oak Park, IL
12/12/2011
I am not sure what I was expecting, maybe a really upscale bowling alley because of the location? This was definitely cleaner and more modern than most alleys I have been to, but nothing special. We had a 2-hour rental and it was unclear when our time would be up (it just completely freezes after 2 hrs, just not very clear but okay). We did order some food, typical bar food, with waiter service at your lane. We were there on a Sunday night and there was a good amount of what appeared to be tourists and kids, not totally surprising. The price was okay, definitely made up for a bit by free parking (validated) across the street.
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Review from Ali W.
Chicago, IL
2/17/2011
This is a great place for a large group. I recently hosted a happy hour here and worked with Randy the event coordinator. It was super easy to set things up and he provided some really great recommendations on food. Overall the service was great and everyone had a great time.
The inside is very clean and nice. There are huge projection screens everywhere and the food is delish. This is a great place for those who like to bowl or those that just like to hang out with everyone while they bowl. -
Review from Keith O.
Naperville, IL
1/2/2012
Went there Monday afternoon. Obviously no trouble getting a lane and the "$15 per person all you can bowl in three hours including shoes" deal was pretty good. That's where the good part ends. The bowling experience was a joke. We had to switch lanes three times since the pin setting and scoring were both a mess. We had to reset the pins repeatedly as well as enter our own pin counts. All in all very frustrating. On top of it, the food was fair at best, as was the service. Not at all the experience we were hoping for at an expensive downtown facility. Lot of better places to spend my money
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Review from Cara B.
Chicago, IL
1/4/2011
Ooh, boy. Where do I begin?
My friends were all dragging their heels about New Year's Eve this year, so when I saw 10pin's deal--$89 ($96 with fees) for 5 hours for bowling, premium open bar, food, dancing, and bowling/shoes--I thought it'd be perfect. Of course it sounded too good to be true because it was.
Doors were supposed to be at 7:00; my friends and I were outside around 7:30-7:40 and didn't get in until probably 8:00 (we're just lucky it was unseasonably warm this NYE), when the open bar and food was supposed to be ready. They said they were "setting up," but I have no idea what exactly they were setting up because there was NO food out, and it didn't show up until 9:30. Asked numerous people about it, and half of the ladies were beyond snide in telling me that they were waiting for more people to arrive so it would be fresh. Well, that certainly wasn't in the description.
Also of note was that the bowling and shoes were a total clusterf*&# and we only got to bowl ONCE all night. You couldn't put all your party together unless you all arrived at the same time (they neglected to mention this on the phone when I asked how it worked before purchasing tickets); you had to go back and return your shoes after each game; and oh yeah--the bowling capacity was 144, and they sold 300 tickets. SMART, right? No wonder it was completely disorganized, not to mention "understaffed," as nearly every employee told me when I had a question or concern. Not sure how that's my problem or why you didn't anticipate doubling your staff when you doubled your capacity!
The good news: when the food finally arrived, it was really tasty. The drinks were good and strong, bartenders fast and on point. There was a small dance floor, and the DJ played decent music, but was he mixing music videos all night on their 128" video wall, like the description had said? No. Football was on. It's NYE, I think we can take a break from football for one night. There was also supposed to be "bowling for prizes" - there wasn't.
It took a ridiculous amount of talking and nagging to get the manager to come out. Front desk employee Charles was a COMPLETE jerk to my friend and me, talking to us as if we were incompetent, belligerent drunks (neither of us were), when we simply wanted to see what could be done for us since we were NOT getting what we paid for. He also told us he called our name when he didn't and would not stop talking to us like we were children.
After a lot of waiting, the manager finally came back and gave us a certificate for another party that included free bowling, food, and drinks for up to 12 people, and he also handed us 3 bottles of champagne. I think this is pretty decent, but unfortunately it doesn't help any of the out-of-town guests we had (and there were at least 5).
I plan on using the certificate, but I don't know that I'll be a returning customer after that, at least not for package deals like this where too many things can go awry. 10pin had good ideas but no follow-through, and everything was executed extremely poorly. If it had been what it was advertised as, it would've been pretty darn awesome. Instead: hugely disappointing. -
Review from Andrew R.
3/13/2011
Stopped by 10pin for a couple games of bowling on my night in the city. Parking was a pain in the ass, I'll start with that, but it's not their fault. It's however the parking garage is run. Was not a fan.
Ok, so the place was pretty fun! Decently priced games and shoe rentals. A very good selection of beer and alcohol. I had the Sam Adam's seasonal and it was nice and tasty. The food was really good too, we got a plate of cookies with shots of milk and a plate of smores....yes, that's right, smores! Graham crackers with some melted chocolate and a toasted marshmallow, served up all fancy and well-presented. I liked the perfect browning on the marshmallows, it made the dish look really good. And it tasted awesome, nice and homey!
The bowling was fun too with the big screens and black lights. My only complaint is that the bowling ball selection was very small. I could only use a 15 lb ball because that's the only size with finger holes big enough for my fingers, and I don't even have big hands/fingers. But on the other hand, the ball sizes were consistent - 2 balls minimum of each weight, per rack, so there's plenty of selection and you're not chasing balls all over the place.
The bartenders and servers were very fast and accurate with their orders too, that was a nice plus. Front desk staff was nice, and the door man kept the place classy. -
Review from Ashley C.
3/6/2011
I went to 10pin last night, on a date and while it was slightly overpriced (paid $57 for two $10 drinks, a $9 plate, a $12 plate, and two beers) and then another $47 for shoes, three games of bowling and then parking was $26 for valet and $19 for parking in a nearby lot...I had fun. I was a little weirded out by the music selections, but when I realized there was a jukebox and people in the place were why Aerosmith was being played after Nikki Minaj....it made a lot of sense. I bowled a record 80, had a great time with a great guy and it made me feel good knowing I'd run out in the snow for this.
I noticed that there were a lot of large groups, and the cost might not be as bad if there were a large group to split it up, however, I rather enjoyed having all of my guy's attention. I'm a bit weird that way. -
Review from Cindy M.
Chicago, IL
12/14/2011
Came here for our Company holiday get together and the place was just..."eh' ok. We ordered appetizers and drinks. I think the staff was more eager to clear our tables than actually checking to see if we were having a "fun time". I think that we ourselves made this nice a success. With a monotonous selection of videos in their jukebox we could could only work with what we can get, The Prices..TOO TOO pricey!! Heck go to Waveland Bowl for a better price. Not really in a rush to go back..
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Review from Nancy R.
Everett, WA
9/12/2011
This place has gone DOWNHILL since the last time I was here. Where do I even begin? First, I decided to make a reservation for a friday nite. My party of 7 gets there at 10:30pm and was told there was "$70/hr for reservations" WTF?!!! THEN WHY NO ONE INFORMED ME OF SUCH THING WHEN I CALLED TO MAKE A RESERVATION? I don't appreciate being thrown off with that amount! I then ask the lady to take it off, she says "I can do that for you since we're not busy tonight" SO IF YOU WERE BUSY, I GET STUCK WITH A $70 TAB CUS YOUR INCOMPETENT EMPLOYEE FAILED TO INFORMED ME OF SUCH THING??? She made it seem like she was doing me a favor for removing the reservation, no apology, nada.
So then we get our shoes. We bowl. I had to use the restroom. I walk in and it smelled as an atomic bomb went off in there. ARE YOU F**KIN KIDDING ME?? DO YOUR EMPLOYEES CLEAN THE PLACE?!! I use the first stall, door doesn't even close all the way. I switch to the 2nd stall, door closes, but won't lock. Switch again, third stall, closes and locks, but i noticed too late that there weren't any toilet paper AND there were feces smeared on the seat. WHAT KIND OF DOWNTOWN ESTABLISHMENT IS THIS?? I mention the same thing to my guy friend and apparently same thing with the men's as well.
Then I go out there, the place is hot. I was sweating balls off. Thought it was just me until my friends started commenting on how warm the place is.
It was a Friday night, and the place was dead. So dead our server got sent home around 11ish. I'm not surprised considering what I went through. I will never go back to this establishment again even if you paid me. It's just not the same anymore.
I just can't understand how an establishment for such a prime downtown location get away with this stuff. The minimum is to keep the restroom clean at least! A whole in the wall food joint was cleaner than that.
When this place closes, I will laugh so hard because you deserve it. -
Review from El gee O.
Chicago, IL
12/6/2011
Horribly over priced. Rude service and their rental shoes smell awful.
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Review from Sandra J.
Chicago, IL
1/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was hoping to say great things about this place, but our experience was just awful. We came here for a family bowling day and warning be aware of the time you hand your ticket over to the valet/parking garage which is by House of Blues-- there are guys near the front of the 10 PIN, but they work for the Hotel. Trust me if you are a minute over you are NOT paying the discounted rate you actually pay much much more.
You have to go up a few flights of stairs and there is a check in. We were surprised to find a Sunday deal which was $15 all you can bowl with Shoe rental until 6pm. we thought this would be a great bargain but little did we know. Our shoes were given to us and they actually were nice bowling shoes. You have to pay first, but be aware.. Dan was charged 36.00 dollars but it should have been 30.00. We called and found out it should be 30 but they pre authorize the 6.00 for tip but if not signed for it will not be taken from your account. just be aware.
There are giant TVs in the background playing the football game. It was nice to watch some FB and bowl. There are different sized balls organized by color. We got to our lanes and one of the lanes was not working. It wouldn't take score or let the guys start, so we had to contact the hostess. This is not the only time we contact her. After 20 minutes, we had to move our lanes, thankfully our scores were transferred over. The score would not register a few more times (manual override) and the pins would not reset even in the new lanes. We were playing the unlimited bowling but with stalls in the time we felt we were overpaying for not being able to play at least 2 games. The hostess did extend our time for us to play 3 games.
Remember when I said check your time, we were 3 minutes late and the sticker shock made us upset. The 3 hour validation is 14.00 for parking, but if you go even one second over the time on your ticket.. kiss that discount Goodbye. We took two cars and our parking was 36.00 for each car because we were 3 minutes over. If we weren't stalled in our lanes and weren't waiting around we wouldn't have had to pay the outrageous parking fees. I highly recommend taking the Red-line to 10 PIN. -
Review from Smart TV S.
Chicago, IL
9/20/2011
10 Pin was a great place to have a party! The Crew had a great time, and 10 Pin made sure we were having fun! They gave us a little extra time on the lanes and the service was fantastic... We are sure to go back.
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Review from Kate P.
3/26/2009
Bored on a Sunday? Need something to do that's fun and most certainly amusing? Then bring your friends and come here. It's bowling with a twist. A martini twist, that is.
This isn't your average bowling alley, that's for sure. It's a bar and it's flashy too, with all it's neon lights and music videos. The best part is that the wait staff brings your libations to you, while you bowl. Excellent concept really. Oh and their Sunday special is 3 hours of unlimited bowling including shoes all for the low price of $15 per person.
So what if you're terrible at bowling, that's no excuse not to come here. Anyways, you couldn't be any worse or more comical than I was rolling one gutter ball after another in hopes of breaking 50, but I still managed to put down a few martini's and have a few laughs at my own expense, and that's what made it fun for me and my crew! -
Review from Caroline A.
Chicago, IL
12/22/2009
I am totally grossed out by bowling shoes, but took one for the team when we had our holiday bowling party here.
I really think they need a "changing shoes area" where people can actually sit down and put on their bowling shoes. Also, their bowling shoes run big, so get them in a half size smaller.
Overall, we had a good time here, mostly because I work with awesome people. I think the stool seating is uncomfortable and awkward though. And, the play music videos with half naked people, which can be awkward when you work with kind of a conservative group.
I had a high score of 35. Next time, it's bumper bowling for me. -
Review from Ryan L.
10/9/2008
If this is what the state of bowling has turned into, i am disappointed. The lanes stink and have no arrows on them...even non-bowlers sometimes use arrows to guide their ball. The ball selection was limited and thus not so good. The food was average, run-of-the mill bar food, and waaaay too many boy band music videos.
I understand that the concept is more bar than alley, so I see how it can attract multitaskers looking for a side project while drinking. Just not my style, i'll stick with Brunswick Zones. -
Review from Helen C.
4/7/2009
In a bid for style points, I accidentally lobbed the ball into the neighbouring gutter, where it bounced onto the light strip and back into my own gutter (so at least I didn't have to go grovelling for my ball back...).... we didn't get thrown out. later in the evening, my 'friends' screamed at me to put me off, at which point I let go of the ball at a somewhat backward angle.... we STILL didn't get thrown out.
This tells you 3 things:
1. on a monday, both beer and bowling is super cheap, which is dangerous
2. i'm really bad at bowling
3. 10Pin is pretty forgiving as bowling alleys go (in my experience)
Additional points of note:
The mens' bowling shoes are, apparently, 'fly' (I have less than no idea what this means).
The TV played two baseball games and the basketball game. Lots of sports.
Tater tots: yum! Cheese sauce that comes with tater tots: scarily similar to the 7 eleven mac n cheese i have previously described. It might have been alive.
$2 a game, $1 shoes and $3 beers = monday nights sorted for me (come on, I need the practice).
only 4 stars because I have an aversion to UV light, it reminds me of being 15 and in really bad clubs, and a gin and tonic should never glow. sorry 10pin. -
Review from becki s.
Chicago, IL
12/20/2007
OVERRATED!!!!!!!!!
This is just an overpriced bowling alley with a fancier bar. I was here for a work Christmas event...and had a good time, but lets be serious. $90 to rent a lane is just a little ridiculous. Not to mention, if you are not just being a drunk throwing a ball down the lane, and want to play a little more serious, you cant bc their balls are all dented and cracked!!
I will admit the drinks were a plenty, the bartenders were very good at what they did, and the rental shoes were cuter than the average rental shoe...but that's all this place had going for it. Id rather pay $4 in the burbs for a game and a better ball, and spend the big bux at a real bar. -
Review from Brett D.
11/27/2007
Why do I love bowling so much when I'm so friggin' terrible at it? Maybe it's my love for The Big Lebowski or just something about a throw back to a simpler time... but once you get me started I can roll that ball all night...
Unfortunately, 10Pin took an already difficult game for me and made it even harder. As previously mentioned, they've drilled the holes to their "ladies balls" impossibly small... I heard several girls near me commiserating about the same thing. The heavy balls with roomy holes were impossible to throw and the teensy weensy holes were just too hard to try and grip. I saw balls flying all over the place!!!!
The decor is nice... nontraditional bowling scene, done hipster 'Swingers' style. The clientele was a mix but I'm guessing they're catering to the adjacent House of Blues crowd. Leopard print, red leather, black light... yada yada. I didn't sample the food, but the menu looked good and the pizza delivered to the rollers next to me smelled of garlicky goodness.
If you're just looking to play around 10Pin can be cheesy, bowling fun, but if you're serious about balls...bring your own!! -
Review from Tina B.
9/28/2008
A bowling themed bar, not a bowling alley. Which sucks if you want to bowl.
They wouldn't let me wear my own bowling shoes to bowl in here because the chick (concierge? hostess? ball bouncer?) said they looked too "old". Uh that's vintage.... And that's what happens when you wear them. You know, to bowl? Okay, I also wore them all the time to look cute, too, but strike her gutter ass, cause all of their bowling shit is only there to look cute, too. So spare me.
Their seizure inducing strobe lights, two hour waits and multiple, huge big screens showing N'Sync videos didn't hold a lot of drawing power - for me, but if you're wanting to wear rented shoes, listen to loud bad music and get sloppy drunk at a she she concept bar, you might have a good time. They do some cool charity events and also make some pretty decent food, so it's a two-er, but I'm probably not going back.Listed in: Downtown Chicago - The middle…
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Review from Moni K.
12/25/2010
Bowling is supposed to be one of those recession sports like pool or darts how 2 games of bowling with shoe rental bar food quality cheese fries margarhetta style pizza plus 4 drinks ( (2) 312 beers 1 house red wine 1 resling white wine) adds up to $100 is beyond me. Plus another $60 for bowling!!!!!
Extremely extremely overpriced hence lanes are easy to get. Probably any other place you pick for bowling will be less expensive. So check prices. Definitely NOT worth it!!!
This place double-dips charging per person and per game usually its one or the other. I know its downtown and thus somehow justifiably expensive but for a better experience for Chicago bowling, try timberlanes, where they bill per hour regardless of how many people you bring. Pitchers are around $11...and you keep score by hand instead of early 90's cheesy cosmic bowling effects and automated lanes that jam up.
Also zero customer service from a defensive lane manager. They must have complaints about their pricing frequently as the manager got in my face suggested I call competing lanes at the end of our night to compare pricing, ( as if this is what we wanted to do with our evening!!!) then proceeded to chase us all outside in a futile attempt to explain the double-dip rip off style pricing -
Review from J. B.
Champaign, IL
4/7/2007
Only 3 stars for 10pin.
They are too expensive any other day of the week. Sunday - Thursday BEFORE 5 pm it's $40/hour/lane. Ouch. Sunday - Thursday AFTER 5 pm it's $55/hour/lane. Double ouch! And where do you park! Good luck finding a meter or park your car with the lovely and tragically slow Marina City Valet service. It's pricey.
SO!
I'll tell you when you can come to this bowling alley and actually afford it: Sunday. On Sunday's.
Between 11 am til Close - you can go at $15 per person for 3 hours of bowling.
1- 6 people per lane with shoe rental included.
* The catch: They don't take reservations on Sundays. It can get a little overwhelming with all the children and noise.
Who can go bowling for three hours you say? Well I can, so if you need a partner... Ask me. -
Review from Janet E.
8/7/2009
This place would have gotten another star if they had let us reserve a group of 12 without having to order a food package. But they didnt.
We refused to order a food package. We just wanted to do some bowling! So we basically had to show up (without reservations) on one of their least busier days to play on two lanes. The food was overpriced and service was only ok. I ordered the spinach dip and it was bland. I expected something better, especially from a place with huge tvs and a rockin sound system.
Definitely a fun atmosphere and a great location downtown. Prices for the bowling were high but reasonable for being downtown. -
Review from Teri T.
Chicago, IL
4/20/2011
I went with Cara B. on New Years, and had the same cluster-f experience. I also got to go to the make-up party that 10-Pin comped her, and I will say that 2nd experience was much better.
A glutton for punishment, I also attended a bachelorette party here, and that experience was 5 stars. Polite staff, awesome waitress, functioning bowling lanes, music videos as promissed and solid food. We had a great time.
It's a bit pricey to bowl, but food and drinks are what you'd expect. The place is clean, including the shoes.
I would cautiously recommend it to people who have the money to spend--just not for special events like NYE. -
Review from An P.
Chicago, IL
1/2/2009
Bright lights, red felt, flashy bowling.
I would never venture into downtown tourist sites without a company party, birthday or fundraiser on the line. While playing on well-kept pool tables and having disco neon lights bowling is pretty cool, I don't think the juice is worth the squeeze. In a period of economic turmoil my money is better deployed in Wrigleyville or Lincoln Park. Being a northwest sider it is a hassle to go all the way down here, deal with tourists and the like and then cough up like $100.
