300 San Jose
- Good for Kids: Yes
131 reviews
Cupertino, CA
"This is by far one of the coolest places in the South Bay! Since I moved up here after college, I have been bored to tears on the weekends…" read more »
45 Reviews for 300 San Jose
For you late nighters, I recommend chilling in the lounge until 1AM, after that bowling is half price or $3 per person, per game. It's a pretty good deal because you still get 2 hours of bowling, plus you can entertain yourself with a tall beer and enjoy the big screens. Within the last two years, they've really pimped it out nicely, but you pay the cost.
Don't forget! Bring your id, I know it sounds dumb but they card everyone and provide wristbands, otherwise we have to smuggle you beer!
This is hands down the NICEST bowling alley that I have ever been to. I was here for a very well organized fundraiser, so I can't comment on shoe rentals or service from the non-food staff.
This place is a mix of a trendy lounge & bowling alley. I love that the chairs are all comfortable and they have TV screens/projectors EVERWHERE! Just look down the lane and there's a gigantic projector playing music videos or whatever is programmed.
The bar was HELLA SLOW, but I'm not docking stars since the place was way above max capacity & full of people trying to get their drink on.
I would absolutely go back and I'm so excited to know such a cool bowling alley is less than 5 minutes from home. Hooray!
I think I liked this place before it got re-modeled when it was ghettoer and a good late-night option to do something vs. nothing since none of us were 21 back then. I have good memories of turkey's, bowling my P.R. here, and getting hooked up on games by my high school Java Programming teacher that used to work here. Like the good mix of music that they play at night during the Glow In The Dark Bowling hours. They could lose the music video screens and just add a Lap Top DJ at night. The new bar ambiance looks nice, but I don't think the South Side San Jose area around Oakridge will ever change the crowd at "Oakridge Lanes." They need to move those leather seats, music video screens, and fancy bar over to Cupertino at Strike and just cut the price per game of bowling and lower the price for shoe rentals.
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We had an UYE last night. (Unofficial Yahoo Event) Sorry..I had to copy!
We took our staff of techys out for an evening of wholesome fun! We arrived at 5:45 and waited for everyone to arrive in the comfy lounge area. Nice bar and TV's located along the walls. I had never stepped foot in this bowling alley but heard horror stories about how ghetto it was in the past.
It's totally remodeled and reminds me of Strike. Very cool. I think I might come back with friends for drinks and a round of bowling. I might do this really soon..before the balls and shoes get all gross from usage. hehe. The lanes are really nice and they all have big screen tv's above the pins playing 80's music video's. So not only can you bowl, you can bust a move if you feel like it.
Only star ding would be that the attendant undercharged me then had to track me down on my way out so he could charge me correctly. I was dying to go home at this point and didn't want to deal with any mishaps.
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* Open till 3:00 AM on the weekends!!
* Fast friendly service from the waitstaff but not sure how the bartenders were though. The bar was actually packed with 21-35 year olds.
* Pretty decent food for a bowling alley. We ordered the Team Extreme entree and it was plenty for the four of us to munch on. The plate came with spicy chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, garlic fries, eggrolls, and nacho cheese all for $18.00.
* The beers were brought out in LARGE glasses.
* Great selection in music with the music videos projecting over the lanes. The music ranges from hip-hop to rock to alternative. It was pretty funny to hear 30 Seconds to Mars once Britney Spears's voice faded away.
* HUGE screen TVs in the lounge area.
* Comfy lounge area with plenty of colorful loveseats and armchairs.
* A club atmosphere on the weekends.
Overall, a cool place to hang out with friends to bowl or to lounge at.
love the bartenders, but hate leaving to find my moms car that I borrowed for one night to be vandalized. Why would anyone pull back one windshield wiper so far that springs fall off? Dumb ghetto kids that hang out there I suppose. The cops patrol because of frequent fights that break out.
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First time I came in here i thought it was a night club. People outside all dressy i thought my name might have to be on the guest list or something... And when i came in it kinda looked like a night club dimmed lights and everything. I noticed that there would be empty beer bottles in the parking lot most of the times I've been here I'm assuming that's why the cops patrol this place Friday-Sunday nights.
Came here for a Valentine's Day date, and was pleasantly surprised. The stigma of bowling alleys -- seedy, 1970's decor with lots of unsavory types hanging around -- seems to evade this place. Pretty upscale and lively environment. I was disappointed that we were not allowed to choose a ball to use beyond weight and finger size, and the balls were in pretty bad shape, but I won't hold that against them, as the balls are always full of dings and scratches no matter which bowling alley you visit.
Bowling was fun, the scoring is automatic so you don't have to worry about counting pins or remembering how to score spares and strikes -- the machine does it all for you. Music videos play on projector screens while you bowl, the standard fare of 90's punk/alternative/rock with some 80's classics mixed in. The seating within the lanes is better than expected, a moderately comfortable L-shaped couch rather than the standard plastic bench seats. Makes it easy to just chill and talk with the person you're with if you don't feel like rushing through your game. 300 charges for bowling are per person per game, so there's no pressure to finish as soon as possible if you're trying to save a dime.
After bowling, my lady friend and I headed elsewhere for food, but after realizing that everywhere was an hour and a half wait (yay V-Day), we resigned ourselves to eating at the bowling alley. Don't laugh just yet -- the food, while far from gourmet, was not terrible as far as bowling alley food goes. They have people who will come around to take your order and bring your food out to you, which is nice to avoid standing in line at the bar. The best way to describe the food? Won't knock your socks off, but won't give you stomach cramps afterwards either. That's better than most bowling alleys can claim...
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I love this place. I come here after a long day of work and school. I'm not a big fan of bowling. But the have tons of bowling lane. I don't ever have to wait to get a lane. They have tons of pool table!!! that i normal have to get to early to get a table on a Friday night. thats where you'll find me. I normal get a pincher and play 3 or 4 game. I don't like their pincher too much because they stick this metal thing in the middle thats full of ice that takes up all the space. It's a all ages place. Overall good place to hangout on Fridays and Saturday night, when i am not in the mood of dancing. Pretty chill place to hangout with a few friends.
I have been going to 300 for several years now. It used to be called Oakridge lanes. They remodeled and renovated the place to make it more upscale. This place is packed on weekends and has loud music and bowling in the dark. I talked to some of the employees and they told me that the owners renovated the place to make it have a club feel on the weekend. Good business idea for the late night crow, but I miss the old Oakridge lanes.
Place can get pricey on the weekend. Like I mentioned it is packed on Friday and Saturday night. The lounge area is really nice and they have some very nice touch screen score keepers. If you are just looking to go bowling, I don't really recommend this place because you are paying extra for the glitz and glam.
I hate the whole bowling in the dark thing and would honestly prefer to turn down the music a bit. Personally i don't get the club bowling thing but hey it seems to work. The lounge area is really nice and I think adds a really nice touch to the place.
Overall, I think this place is nice. I am not an avid bowler but enjoy going every once in a while. Overall, i would recommend this place and I go simply because it is so close to where I live.
My job involves holding events for people with developmental disabilities. I decided to have a bowling event, and I chose this place due to its proximity to public transportation and the fact that the lanes are wheelchair accessible.
When I called to make the reservation, I didn't think to ask whether or not they had bowling ball ramps for people with limited use of their hands, and that was a mistake. My clients in wheelchairs couldn't bowl. :(
Nevertheless, a good time was had by all. I'm not an avid bowler by any means, but I thought that the lanes were nice, and we liked the disco lighting. I ordered a bunch of pizzas, and I thought they looked pretty gross, but my clients seemed to enjoy them. :)
Next time, we're going to go to Moonlite Lanes because they have bowling ball ramps.
I will open with this: Expensive bowling joint on the honor system.
Me and a group of friends went the other day to this place to do the following:
1. Get Drunk
2. Throw heavy objects down a narrow lane at pins
Very simple plans made complicated at this overrated place. So we end up heading to the BACK 9 for $1 extra to avoid the estimated 2 hour wait. We do not find any bowling balls in our size so we are forced to huck light balls (which is pretty fun). Pretty standard affair with bowling here... just a tad expensive.
Avoid the bar here... they over charge for pints and bottles of beer, they make some weak ass drinks, and the bar tenders are lacking the refinement of gab (but have plenty of asshole skills).
This place is on the honor system for that fact that you tell the place your name, bowl, and pay after you are finished. They never ask for ID, they never ask for a card.
Suped up music and bar bowling pad, I bowled a strike first time out in many, many years. It just was so much fun and I liked the method of choosing a bowling ball. And they have pool tables!
As for the food, the pizza was very ChuckECheese but the salad was good..and I really don't go to bowling alleys to eat so what can you say, it's bowling food.
Fun when you do not care about bowling. Just to hang out with friends and such. Not for the average bear who wants to take bowling another step forward. This place is a teeny-bopper magnet. Kids running out on the lanes. I know, I used to work here. I literally grabbed a kid who was in the lanes, pulled him out of there and walked him to his mother who thought of no harm of them being so close to the pin spotter. She just thought they were having "Fun". So be prepared to deal with idiot parents next door too.
I belong to a bowling league which meets here every Wednesday. The alley was renovated a couple of times over the past few years, so it doesn't have that run-down, seedy feel that many other bowling alleys have. It's a big place (50 lanes), but in the evening all lanes are taken, especially on league nights. There is also a "private" bowling alley called the Back 9 which is pretty swank. You can rent this for parties, though I understand it's pretty expensive. There is a full bar and a kitchen but, for the moment, they do allow outside food to be brought in, at least for us leaguers. In the interest of brevity, here is a list of the pros and cons for this place:
Pros
* Updated decor
* Food and alcohol available (burgers are good. Pizza sucks).
* Large projection screens in lounge area that broadcast sports events (like Sharks games - yay!)
* Party-like atmosphere later in the evening (blacklights, music videos on drop-down screens, running lights along the lanes, etc.)
Cons
* Wait staff is SSSSLLOOOOWWW. If you bowl in the evening, try to get a lane that is serviced by Judy, an older woman who's really got her act together. The rest of the wait staff is less than half her age and not even close to half as good.
* Mixed drinks are weak and wine selection is poor. I once brought a drink back because it was weak and the young female bartender got a little attitudinal. Tough beans, bitch. Learn to make a REAL drink.
* Parking can be a hassle on league nights. Try to go late afternoon/early evening during the week or early afternoon on the weekends.
* It is definitely a majority opinion that the lanes don't bowl as well as in Cambrian Bowl on Camden. The people I've talked to who've bowled both places almost universally say that they bowl much better at Cambrian, probably because their lane quality is better. However, Cambrian is definitely dumpier.
* 300 SJ does not have a pro shop. What is up with that??
In short, 300 SJ is a lot of fun, but they need to increase staff levels and/or training.
I'm not an avid bowler. Went here the other night for my wife's sister's kid's b-day. Kid's love bowling, remember that.
Appetizers were pretty good, I guess you can't get nachos, cheesesticks and the like wrong.
Place is clean, no visible fungus on the bowling shoes. However, the place does look a little old, a little used and the bowling balls, some of them or maybe just the one I had was kinda beat up. But I didn't completely embarass myself trying to knock over pins, so I can't complain.
What counts against this place is the fact that Strike popped up at Vallco in Cupertino and makes 300 look like an old folks home. Strike makes you feel like you stepped into a sports bar, night club... just way more high tech, with projection screens, music, neon lights, which all screams fun when you walk in.
I guess hardcore bowling enthusiasts who are trying to make the PBA tour hate that kinda atmosphere in a bowling alley, but personally I think it's cool for kids who want to have a good time.
300 does have a bar, and I there is music playing, but it's just your run of the mill bowling alley compared to Strikes.
It sounds like there will be 300 spartans here having a little r&r, but no, 300 is the perfect bowling score. Bowling, beer, pool, great music selection on the playlist, and video projectors playing erotically charged (?) videos with britney, madonna, christina, justin, and jessica. Bartender makes a mean manhattan too. I was here on a work teambuilding event and I had forgotten how much fun bowling is.
As I got more and more toasted, my bowling got better and better. To a point. I got strangely addicted to getting it right, and I wouldn't miss a frame. Never got over 100 but got real real close. Pool was good fun too - I played the boss and let him win - yeah, right. If there were air hockey, it would be 5 stars. I was looking for a rematch with one of the guys from last year. All in all, a great upscale bowing alley.
PPS: Two days later, my left ass cheek hurts. As in, the leg on which you stand when you release, and swing the other leg behind. Watch your ass if you're a bowling n00b. And in other things as well.
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Wow, this place is looking SNAZZY! I came here after 9:00PM with some friends for drinks and bowling. The drinks were yummy and the bowling was fun. I bowled my BEST game ever... and I had a couple too many drinks! Go figure. Just one complaint, the server we had basically ignored us (even though we were a large party spending far too much money for a bowling alley) and we had to literally flag him down whenever we needed another round. Besides that, it was GREAT. We're going back tonight for my hubby's birthday.
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I've been here a few times just got the excitement of drunken bowling. They have a fair selection of good beers, its a fun atmosphere, and a nice deviation from the dance club and other such tomfoolery.
Then why 3 stars? Each time I come here, it just feels understaffed. Maybe the GM doesn't know what he/she is doing but there is the feeling that madness and anarchy is a bowling ball away at all times.
The managers seem to do their best, but they know they are up against it. This place, on a Saturday night, has 50 lanes going full bore all night long. You need more than 5 waitresses and two guys giving out shoes and balls.
Overall a fun time, but not one I make a habit of.
The worst bowling alley I've ever been to. Er, I guess it's not much of a bowling alley at all. Don't get me wrong, there are lanes and balls, but it's still the midlife crisis of bowling alleys, sticking to its roots by keeping the lanes, but attempting to attract a young, hep demographic.
I used to be a serious bowler, and my first (and last) visit to the newly renovated Oakridge Lanes was an abomination. My average was a 190, but with Britney Spears shaking her ass on the lanes, I scored a whopping 103. My apologies if you like this idea, but TV screens showing music videos over the lanes, and having the oil on the lanes reflect it and make another TV, what a shitty idea. I was always a fan of Cambrian Bowl because it's cheaper, but now it's cheaper and is an actual bowling alley.
The service here has always been subpar, but the last time I was there, I went to the front desk, which seems like it turned into some pock-marked kid who thought he was a maitre'd or bouncer, and it took 15 minutes for him to tell us that this is not where you go to get some lanes. Perfect, thank you for telling us.
It's sad, because when I was younger, there were some good memories at this place, but now, it's the sad shell of what once was a bowling alley and a place to relax throwing 30 frames.
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In a nutshell:
Best bowling alley I've been to because of its club-like atmosphere...but I can do without all the kids and teeny boppers.
In detail:
A couple of friends of mine and I decided to go bowling the other night. We were in the Cupertino area and didn't know of any bowling alleys in the area. So I searched for nearby bowling alleys on my handy-dandy navigation system in my car and it listed this bowling alley at Oakridge. I never knew there was one at Oakridge. But then again, I don't go bowling that often.
When we arrived there, I was surprised to see how snazzy the place was. I expected it to be some sort of mom-n-pop bowling alley, but it was far from it. The place was dark for extreme glow-in-the-dark bowling and there were projection screens over the lanes that played music videos. The music was blasted throughout the place as well. There was a nice fully stocked sports bar which would've been my best friend for the night if I hadn't already drank earlier in the night. I'm a "responsible" drinker. I believe there were pool tables at one end of the place too, but I didn't venture over there. All this place was missing was a dancefloor. Oh yea, the bowling experience was pretty fun too. Almost forgot about that.
So why only 3 stars? There were just too many darn kids and teenagers around! If I wanted to be around kids and teenagers, I'd rather be at Chuck E. Cheese's. I also couldn't believe how expensive bowling here was! 3 people, 3 games (w/ shoe rental), 1 Coke, and 1 beer for $85?!?! I did a double-take when I saw the price. Sure, the place is really nice and all, but I would have never thought it would amount to that much money.
This place is great if you wanna take a date somewhere. As a matter of fact, that may be the only reason I would come back here. I don't think it's worth it for any other occasion...unless it's free for me.
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You know, this makes me sad.
I used to be a league bowler here, and I got to know the old Oakridge Lanes very well. It was a home, a haven - it was my home alley. You know how people have a home court advantage? Well, psychologically, it's the same in bowling.
Now? It's a lounge. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great renovation - especially if it keeps bowling in the Blossom Hill area - because I think if it hadn't been renovated that Oakridge would've torn the building down to make way for more parking.
HOWEVER
What they are trying to do is to cater to the market that Lucky Strike caters to, and they are unsuccessful.
I might look into a league. But I think my allegiance is moving to Cambrian bowl. Even though I can't get a pocket strike to spare my life over there.
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I went here as part of a work group offsite, and it was pretty empty on a Thursday afternoon. Besides us, there were only a few clusters of kids playing around.
Overall, it's not very much like the bowling alleys I've been to before. They're trying to be all slick, instead of being cozy in that rundown sort of way. They have a whole system for you to go through, starting at the main counter inside the door. Then you are directed to get your ball and shoes at the same counter. The interior is pretty dim, with music videos and other lights flashing all around you. Kind of slick looking, but strange for a bowling alley.
We ordered food when we got there, and it arrived within a decent amount of time, served right at our lane. The food itself was just ok, much like the sort of food you'd get at a TGI Friday's, but maybe of a slightly lower quality. The service was ok at least.
In terms of bowling, the equipment seemed fine, but none of us did all that well playing. I think the huge music videos were much too distracting for most of the people in my group, especially when they kept playing some old (and depressing) Jackson songs from the early 90s. How many times do we really need to see the Michael Jackson video with the historic footage, while trying to have fun bowling?! Seeing those shots of the Nazis and starving children didn't really set a good mood.
The final annoyance was the lane cleaning, which happened right in the middle of our last game. Sure, it was pretty empty, but having to stop playing and wait for our lane to be cleaned was kind of lame.
I didn't pay for this outing myself, but I know it wasn't cheap. They charge you $5 extra just for shoe rental, so that tells you what you're dealing with.
I guess I can say that 300 was amusing to go to once, with someone else paying, but I'm not sure I'd rush back the next time I want to go bowling. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more had I been drinking ;) Ah well. I think next time I'll check out one of the other alleys in the area.
I don't know what all the hype is about. It's a redesigned AMF. I mean it's still just a bowling alley. Sure they have a bar and pool tables but they had those before. The one cool feature is the Back 9. It's a secluded 9 alleys with their own bar area. It's over priced and filled with teenagers.
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The place will always be Oakridge Lanes to me...kinda like calling the skating place Aloha...anyone around my age who has always lived locally will understand.
The renovation is nice and I was surprised to see that it is laid out very good.
Here's the bad news:
-Lots of noise from teenagers and toddlers.
-Wanna find a ball? Good luck with that!
-Can I get someone to take my order for a drink? Can't find anyone!
-What happened to my ball? Takes forever to fix problems.
-When are they gonna call our number for a lane? Wait time bites.
-It costs how much?!?! I felt like I was butt raped after I left and nobody hugged me afterwards from the abuse I received.
The wait is horrible, the staff treat you like they don't care if you ever come back, and it's so packed with teenagers with no other place to go cause their parents dump them here. I'd pass coming back here or go on a very SLOW night.
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I am done with this place.
I am neither a league bowler nor even an avid bowler, but I do enjoy bowling and over the past year I have been to this place several times for things like birthdays or just fun nights out. Tonight marks my last visit to this dump I will ever make.
Since this place was made over into a psuedo-club it has gone progressivley down hill. The service has gone from slow, to inattentive to now downright rude. This happens but tonight was the last straw. It took forever for our group to get a lane and when we did the tables in the lanes had not been bussed. I wound up doing it myself and was greeted with a dirty look when I asked a busperson for a rag so I could wipe down the seating area. I not only didn't get a towel, I didn't even get an offer to come and clean the tables and chairs.
Then, we had to go and track down a waiter to come and serve us. The person never actually visited our lanes while we were there. He informed us that they were out of pizza and chicken wings and I guess decided that because of that we didn't need any additional service.
After some time, I pushed the service button to try and get a waiter. No answer, so I pushed it again, this time the answer was someone yelling at me that they would be with me in a minute. It was a loud, rude voice and some of us in the party thought the person had cursed at me.
I guess that meant that our tables were now marked for some sort of exclusion because not only was someone NOT with us in a minute, but no waiter, bus person or lane employee came to our lanes. I did notice that the lanes to either side of us were getting service, so I know they were capable of getting to our end of the alley.
Honestly, this was inexcusable, We cut our evening short and went to the Round Table for dinner since we were clearly not going to get any service at 300. A complaint to the Manager on Duty about the service and the rude treatment got us our shoe money refunded.
All in all, this place was just very Un-Dude. If this is the future of bowling centers, then I think I will take up Bocce Ball.
The only reason I am giving this one star is this site will apparently not let me give it a zero. I guess it gets one star for the food, which on the couple of occasions they have brought me any has actually been okay.
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I've been going here for the past month (but I've been here a couple times before) and it doesn't get old. I still can't get my curves right and I'm still shocked at how many attractive women show up (but they usually come in bunches.. and not that often).
It's a nice place. I guess you could say it's "modern" with music ranging from current to 80's playing with screens that face you while you bowl. There's also colorful lights but that's usually on some nights (I forget what those specific nights are called).
Well, I know that Sundays-Thursdays after 9 PM bowling is 3.50 a game (+$5 for shoes). So it's best to go around there and there may be a line but there are places to sit and chat amongst friends while you wait.
I'm not sure about any of you, but before this place I didn't know you could be served food while you play. I know some bowling alleys had beverages and beer but not food. The food is cool but the idea of having food and bowling is not. Esepcially when you have to bowl using the balls you borrow from the place.. because they can be quite oily and tough to use.
Probably the coolest bowling alley I've ever been to. The atmosphere is so unlike any bowling alley I've ever been to, it's clean, the staff was helpful, and the music was pretty good. The bar/lounge area is pretty sweet too, they had about 3 projectors going with various games. My experience may be a bit skewed however because I was here for a private event, so I'm not sure how it is on a regular night.
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VERY COOL bowling alley with projector-viewing music vids. very nice lounge area, and very nice alleys. Very expensive though... $50 for 2 frames, 4 people? Ridiculous..
Coolest and swankiest bowling alley I've been to. A bunch of friends and I recently went to check it out and were impressed with it. We though it was like a D&B with bowling. The food was decent, and the drinks weren't bad. The place was huge and clean. Service was pretty good. You basically put your name down for a lane, order food while your waiting or while you are bowling, it gets served to you at your lane, and pay for everything at the end. I definitely would go back there again.
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By far, the Rolls Royce of bowling alleys. At first, I wasn't sure if I'd walked into a bowling alley or a swanky night club/lounge. All the employees are dressed to the nines. They have a concierge, private party rooms, a bar, a lounge area with lots of couches and giant projected tv screens, a pool hall, arcade games, and of course bowling. At your lane, you will find a menu. While you bowl, a waiter comes around to take your order and brings back whatever you want from the bar. And in order to distract you, there are flashy lights everywhere ... and several projector screens just inches above the lanes on which they played music videos.
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The swankiest bowling alley I've ever visited. They had a concierge, the staff at the shoe/ball rental desk were helpful, lots of neon for black light bowling, multiple large screens for video watching, and a bar with wait staff.
I didn't have any issues with the service and was definitely impressed with what the bowling alley had to offer. The only annoyance was parking. Because the alley is within the mall's vicinity, parking was scarce due to the Holiday Shoppers.
I'd return for another event, but I wouldn't come here on any given Sunday just to bowl (I live 40+ miles away).
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Fancy, Fancy, Fancy. I actually like this place--but i'm not a regular bowler. Compared to other bowling joints, i think this is on the pricier side. i went bowling with 3 other people, ordered drinks, and desert, and the tab came up to be over $100. Holy moly thats an expensive night of bowling. But hey, how many other bowling alllies in San Jo have big screen tv's over the lanes?
WOOHOO!!! This place is the place to be!
So much fun! Cosmic bowling and a pitcher of beer?! How can you go wrong? I had the chicken salad...I do not recall the exact name, but it was pretty good! A decent sized salad!
This is a great date night spot! It does get busy with kids though.
I went on a saturday night and it was crawling with screaming kids. But I did not mind since I was getting buzzed with the beer and we were all acting pretty goofy ourselves!
Upscale bowling spot? That is a new concept to me, but apparently this isn't new. "300" is modeled after Lucky Strike, and now another joint similar to this popped open at Cupertino Square (Vallco) called "Strike". I've only been here once ever since they remodeled it and although it was a decent experience, I don't think I will return unless I want to take a date here. It has a spin on the bowling experience. Fancy lighting, projection screens with ESPN, bar with lounge chairs... pretty neat.
If you just want some good old fashioned bowling fun without all the glamorous lighting and chic environment, head on over to Homestead Lanes for some good cheap bowling. If you enjoy bowling enough to go back a few times a year, buy some shoes. Perks is that it will pay for itself in 4-5 uses and you don't have to worry about dipping your feet into athlete's foot infested fungi shoes!
This is BOWLING!!
Oh wait, wrong 300. Although I went with a pretty large group so if only we had spears and shields instead of beers and margaritas.
So this is an old-school bowling alley revamped for a 18-34 crowd? Well, it's a pretty cool job without overblowing it like the Lucky Strike chain. Lanes are pretty cool with a nice interactive screen for scoring. Bar has some huge 'BIg Bowl' Margaritas that are about the size of 2-3 margs over at El Torito or wherever. And heavy glasses! You could use these as dumbells instead of going to the gym next door! The DoubleShot with Irish Cream, Vodka and Starbucks liqour along with chocolate syrup is an awesome dessert drink. So forget the beers! There isn't anything here you haven't had elsewhere. You want brews? Walk to BJ's across the way in the main mall. Food is better than average for a TGI Friday's like menu. Ribs are the thing to order with super tender pork that's easy to tear off. The way to go in my book. Pot Stickers rock and so do the Beer Batter Onion Rings. Forget the mexican food and stick with this.
I no Earl Anthony and I'm not sure he'd be into these new music infused bowling alleys anyway but it makes a nice diversion to get some drunk bowling on. Actually, my bowling improved the drunker I got.
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Without a doubt, the BEST bowling alley I've ever been to - and since I can tell tales of strikes and splits all over the country, thats not a light compliment. The interior is nothing short of professional. You enter and walk up to the concierge's desk (yeah, which other bowling alley has THAT?!) and are directed to the huge desk of the left where you get your shoes. While your shoes are being fetched another employee gives you the opportunity to custom fit a ball to your hand - and I mean custom fit. No more "my thumb kept getting caught in the ball" excuses for losing. You'll notice right about now that all the employees are professionally attired in white linen shirts and black trousers, and they are miked up with headsets. So far, pretty professional.
When you walk over to your lane (one of SIXTY), you'll pass a bar on your left. No, not a bowling alley sidetable with beer and Billy the bartender wearing a dirty apron. This bar is well appointed with a dozen LCD TVs with all the games on, and the bartender is briskly efficient. An employee notices you waiting for a drink, the bartender is there in a flash. Couches and seats are leather and plush - perfect for when you want to call the bookie. Also, the restrooms are located right by the bar, so perfect for when you're tilting the jug with the crew.
And in the back, the "Back 9" boasts an arcade with pool tables and other accoutrements popular to denizens of bowling alleys everywhere. When you get tired of chucking the grenade down the alley (or when you're tired of getting thumped by superior bowlers) you could head here to mix it up a bit.
The lanes themselves are in excellent shape - having been renovated within the last year. We were here for a birthday party of epic proportions (about 30 adults) and everyone had a great time. I highly recommend the 300, this is what a bowling alley is supposed to be like.
The makeover is super nice and I loved bowling there for school. My bowling class had the whole place to ourselves and only had to pay about a dollar a game. The shoes and balls are newer, the seating areas are comfy, the computer scoring system is top of the line.
I never go there to bowl anymore though because there are too many flashing lights and TV screens and if you go on Friday or Saturday nights it's hella crowded and it takes forever to get in, not to mention $8 games and $5 shoe rental. No way! Now I go to Cambrian Bowl, $2 games after 9pm on weeknights and a genuine bowling experience.
We actually had fun here - we went on a Friday night, and its a teenybopper hangout for sure...but the two lanes we had were fairly segregated, so it was easy to ignore the "cool" kids in the other lanes.
I was quite surprised by the quality and selection of food here - definitely not your average bowling alley dining. And to top it all off, they actually had vegetarian food (go figure).
I liked the electronic setup on the screens - and the animations were great. We definitely got a kick out of them.
Super swank as far as it goes for bowling, just check out their website. Also known as one of the AMF Bowling Centers (but very recently renovated), this place is uber fancy.
We just went there for a team building event for work, they were very accommodating in helping us schedule with only one day's notice. What was good:
-they have drop down big screen projectors that play music videos while you bowl,
-delicious food selections which are far superior to any American style chain sit down place (i.e. Chili's, TGIF etc.)
-the place is clean, well decorated and the Back 9 room for special occasions is really sweet.
-they help you pick out a ball at the desk, rather than running around looking for one.
-touch screen bowling controls
The only problems we had were technical and service related, which is why I give this place a 2. Here's the negs:
-getting help for setting up our lanes to play vs mode took about 15-20 mins.
-getting a waiter to notice us took 20 mins.
-pins and balls were stuck for a VERY long time w/out aid.
I really felt like this place was understaffed, and that the people who were working, were not customer oriented workers, they seemed unwilling to try to help us troubleshoot our issues, ie, trying to order food, or fix our lanes and were generally unpleasant. Each time we had to go out of our way to go to the desk and ask them to fix the balls being stuck, or the pins not resetting, or not having the food and for the most part the people we interacted with seemed annoyed. I think out of the 7 workers I interacted with only 1 was nice. For something that claims to be the swank of bowling via their website, I guess I expected more.
But it is by far the cleanest and prettiest place I have ever been to bowl at, I guess I'd go back for another team building event, but if I had paid myself for this, I would be a little miffed.
