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Albany Bowl
Rating Details »
540 San Pablo Avenue
(between Brighton Ave & Clay St)
Albany, CA 94706
(510) 526-8818
(between Brighton Ave & Clay St)
Albany, CA 94706
(510) 526-8818
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
107 reviews for Albany Bowl
There really isn't a whole lot to do in Albany ... so when Fred didn't have to work on Friday night we were beside ourselves with actually spending time together on a weekend evening. After working out, and then dinner, we decided to go bowling ... the bowling alley was bustling with business ... with 2 cop cars in the parking lot ... things gettin' crazy in Albany.
$5.00 per game and $4.00 for shoes. The 2 of us were in a lane next to a bunch of hoochies who took up the entire seating area. At around 10:45ish the lights went off and the black lights came on, the disco and rap music pumped out the speakers and the voluptuous hoochies next to us got down (in bowling shoes).
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/6/2008
Never thought I'd say this, but the bowling alleys in Kentucky are nicer.
My hands felt dirty after… Read more »
I love this place!!!
This is one place I don't mind going and mingling with the young folks.
Went here with a friend the other day and I had a ball.
This is my neighborhood bowling alley and I love it.
It gets very crowded because everyone hangs out here. But I don't care :)
The music is blasting, people from various age ranges are around and who can pass up a bowling party where the huge bowling pin comes out and start doing the cha cha slide!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is my song...as I bust out in my cha cha slide moves!!!!!!!
It serves its purpose. If you're looking for something more then seek another bowling alley!!!!
This place brings out the youth in me :)
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I come here for my company's bowling league. This place has enough for everyone looking for family-style entertainment. Bowling, pool tables, and video arcade games for children, plus a full bar with sports on the TVs for adults.
Located near El CerritoPlaza, Albany Bowl is alright in terms of prices, lane conditions, and their gimmicks (i.e. bowling with the normal lights off and the disco lights with loud music).
As for bowling, the house balls were worn but not as bad as other places. The lanes are maintained well, with bumpers to prevent gutters. The shoe rental has you giving up a shoe, where I got neon colored combination of bowling shoes in return.
Overall, it's the only bowling alley within a few miles, so go for it if you're nearby and have an itch to throw a ball at 10 pins!
This is a good bowling alley for non-serious bowling, but the loud mediocre music they play is a distraction for the serious bowler. This place used to be much better before they started catering to college students who just want to drink beer and listen to garbage music on kmel while ruining the concentration of actual bowlers.
This place used to scare me a bit when we used to frequent there during our college years.
Not in a great part of town, but I don't recall the prices being outlandish either.
I haven't been back inside in a while, but I know the area hasn't improved a whole lot either. I went back here when I was still struggling with my hook to bowl 130s
Jason C. is a bowling shark!
He told me he bowls a 160... I bowl a 160: he actually bowls a 180 and kicked my ass... AFTER he got me to agree that the loser had to dance for the winner... (ahem) he made that bet when I was 20 points ahead.
Then he kicked my ass at a video game.
Then we left and I got a ticket for making an illegal u-turn in a business district.
http://www.flickr.com/...
Then he kicked my ass at pool.
What was good about this night?
Oh yeah! The bloody Mary was good, and Jason C paid for it.
(Cheers to Jason)
Also, the lovely Debbie L. is always a pleasure to watch gliding across the bowling alley, heads turning everywhere she goes.
http://www.yelp.com/us...
Even the lunch bucket joes who refused to take turns and kept barging into my peripheral vision when I was trying to focus, yes; even Fred and Barney, checked out Debbie L.
Debbie, on the other hand, accused me of checking out Jason C's ass!
Well, I wasn't checking out his ass... I was... taking a picture of my bloody mary!
See?
http://www.flickr.com/...
Albany Bowl is definitely a good time, but be warned, if a little Asian guy with buns of steel challenges you to a game; be afraid.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/5/2009
Albany Bowl is fun, it's true
They have bowling and booze for me and you
Videos and Vodkas and Strikes… Read more »
Despite the name, I am something of a novice at The Pins - in fact, this was only my second time, the first being a fabulous night at the "Rock and Bowl" in New Orleans - must be 10 years ago. But I guess, when it comes to bowling, either you got it or you don't.
;)
We went on a Saturday night and this place was crazy busy. It reminded me of a Reno Casino - a rather sketchy and packed with people and machines, blinking lights, and sounds almost drowning out the background music. It was so crazy that I almost thought we should just leave right away.
But we steeled ourselves, took a ticket for a lane, and headed for the bar. The scene in the bar was a welcome retreat from the bustle of the main floor, and after a couple of drinks and a 40-minutes wait for the lane, we were much more relaxed and in-tune with the vibe of the bowling clientele.
(Check out the fish tank in the bar - laege. well cared for , and well-stocked with fishes and live corals - a lovely surprise!)
Soon, we had our shoes (be sure to go back if yours don't quite fit - the folks were friendly and helpful enough) and were drinking and laughing and knocking down them pins.
The great thing about bowling is that everyone can do it and everyone can screw up. You are going to have a strike and a spare and you are, sooner or later, going to have a gutter-ball. Even if your name is Kingpin. And the only thing you can do is laugh it off and wait for the derisive chants to simmer down, knowing that sooner or later it will be their turn to lay an egg and your turn to deride.
All of this is in good fun and taken well, because the other good things about about bowling are the beers and the hi-fives - these must be dispensed freely at every opportunity. THAT is what the game is about.
(And, boy, is this a place for people-watching. Wow - there's some freaks here!)
HI-FIVE!!!!
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HEADS UP
I bowl here a lot and I must add that If you are drinking please DO NOT DRIVE... Albany Police + AlbanyBowl's Bar = trouble.
Also on traffic violation they are crazy. They pulled over my friend for just having his tag's expired half a month late... Also if you have a loud car (as in speakers or exhaust) don't drive it or SHIFT Low.... you stick out like a sore thumb. the police will pull you over just for it.
FUN place = Police lol... so yeah
Update at albany bowl they have new Games and a REAL ARCADE lol Tickets and all for prizes. 2 new basketball games 1 for little kids a air hockey table new pool tables and yeah a lot more new stuff. It can keep you occupied when waiting for your number being called for a lane.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/9/2009
I'd like to say that Albany bowl is really a fun place to hang out . bowling, pool tables, and… Read more »
ASS. as in this place is ASS
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My aunt turned some age over 55, so she celebrated by throwing a bowling party for her and her friends. The running joke was either that people hadn't bowled in 30 years or would be sore the next day.
Sadly, I was the sore one the next day. I'm on day 2 of soreness. I might as well turned 55+.
Bowling facilities are adequate. Shoes are florescent green and orange, which ups the ante in any activity.
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For the second year in a row, my department had its low-key winter party in January (instead of December) at Albany Bowl. While it is a great place to bowl anytime (with reasonable prices, rentals, hockey, pool, etc), Albany Bowl offers a great group package with multiple lanes and shoe rentals complimented by pizza and beer and 80's music. When we called to make our reservation they remembered us! The service is friendly and they are quick to fix any problems (like the ball that the four year old kid of a coworker got stuck for lack of speed).
I was genuinely impressed and should probably take advantage of this place more. I had a lot of fun this evening, inviting my brother as my +1, and winning him both games. I may have got stomped by lots of others but my 10-year old competitive self didn't want to loose to him.
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Albany Bowl is one of my favorite sources of cheap entertainment in the East Bay. It isn't as cheap during peak hours, but make sure to come during their special hours, where you can bowl $1 per game (Monday and Tuesday nights and a few other times, check their website). During more popular nights be sure to make a reservation as it gets busy quickly here. After that it's good old-fashioned bowling! I always have a great time bowling here, even though I'm mediocre at best. There's also various arcade games for those who aren't into bowling. Be warned, though, it can get VERY loud and be full of screaming kids and drunken adults.
It's fun here, but the last time I went here the workers here weren't too big on customer service. I had won 2 hours of free bowling for 8-10 people, and we had 7 people--two were late. They would just NOT let us start our game without all the people there, so we ended up waiting around for our friends (who were stuck in BAD traffic) to show up.
We had a reservation for 2 hours of free play and 40 minutes had passed. I TRIED to negotiate with them, asking if they would let us just start and pay the difference for the 2 people who were late, and we would even just play until our original 2 hour reservation was up. But NO, they would not let us because they said we could either walk away from our reservation or everyone had to pay another $4.50 per hour on top of $4 for shoes. Seriously?! (In my opinion this was a bad business move--you might as well get what you can out of the customers your have rather than not using the bowling lanes at all--it would be really hard to find anyone to fit into a 1 hr 15 min time slot.)
In the end, my friend had to talk to them again, and they finally let us bowl, with the exception that my two friends had to pay full price to play if they joined us later. Shouldn't have had to deal with all this trouble, but whatever.
My friends and I also put money in the DDR machine there to play and they would not open up the machine to fix the problem we were having, even though it was clear we had put money in the machine. Lame.
But I GUESS besides the bad service, it is a pretty decent place for a bowling alley. There is decent food and drinks right there, arcades, and cheap bowling games on certain nights. Good enough for the east bay...
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Came here on a very rainy Sunday. The bowling was good enough, but the staff was a bit rude at times (mostly the counter staff that enjoyed going on power trips). Also, the shoes were the color of highlighters, which would be great for cosmic bowling, but this was regular bowling and instead it just looked funny. The PA system was a bit shite too, you couldn't understand much (except for the fact that every time the counter staff called up a reservation, it was the 'last call').
So the bowling was fine, the graphics on the little screens were alright, but the overall experience couldn't have been made better by nicer counter staff. And that giant bowling pin freaks me out.
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After hearing the utterly depressing news that the Parkway was closing, I started feeling panicky that other fun, quirky, old-skool establishments would start disappearing, so I hustled over to Albany Bowl to give them some business.
It was packed -- hopefully that means they're staying open!
Anyway, there's much to love about bowling, and bowling alleys, in general (I just love the overall time-warp vibe). Albany Bowl doesn't disappoint. Funny shoes, an arcade with air hockey (yes!), a bar with cheap drinks. All wonderful.
I saw the greatest photograph of my life posted at the front desk (it features champs from the Pee-Wee Bowling League).
The only issue I have is that the spelling and grammar on signage and their website is horrible ("Your on camera!" "Hey kid's..."). What can I say? I'm an English teacher.
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I'm looking forward to going back to this place when it isn't so crowded, but all around, it's okay for a bowling alley. The biggest draw seems to be that it's the only one around. The guys behind the counter were friendly enough, but expect a wait on a weekend night. We waited 35 minutes for a lane, but luckily grabbing some beer and fries took up most of that time.
I saw a pretty good mix of young people and family groups and the place was pretty crowded. I was also a little jealous of the select lucky people playing in the small area designated for blacklight and fun music in the background while bowling. I never got to the bottom of how to get over to that area, but I suspect if I had bowled there, I'd have been a little more ecstatic about the place.
Till then, know that this place is pretty cool and not a total waste of time for a little goof ball type fun.
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A fun place to go with a group or even by yourself. Bowling rates vary depending on day and time, but if you can get a weekday off, it's just $1 per game from 9-5! They have about 3 dozen lanes, so there's usually not much of a wait, and they do a good job keeping everything working smoothly. (I'm always amused by the vending machine that offers socks!) They also have a pool hall section containing about a dozen tables and a jukebox, though pool rates are a little steep. A small selection of video games is available, as is a small burgers-and-fries type diner.
If you're anything like me, however, you need to hit the attached bar/lounge for a pint or pitcher before your game gets any good.
TRIVIA: Bowling-style games date back to ancient Egypt and Germany c.300 CE. Modern 10-pin bowling was standardized in New York in 1895 and is now played by an estimated 95 million people in 90 countries worldwide.
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College night is my favorite here.
Since everyone's getting laid off from their jobs, where exactly do you need to be before 5pm on weekdays? Albany Bowl, that's where.
It's $1 a game 9am to 5pm, Monday thru Friday, at the coolest bowling alley I know. And did I mention that they have a full service bar with a rad saltwater fishtank?
I hadn't been bowling in years. I forgot how much fun bowling was! (That's code for, "I was winning.")
You still have the rent the cute little bowling shoes at normal price, but all in all, we bowled three games, enjoyed 2 drinks, played air hockey and some video games, and were totally entertained for 2 hours for $25. That's kinda hard to beat.
There's darts and pool tables too... ha cha cha!
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A great place to get together with friends and coworkers to get crazy, blow off some steam, celebrate birthdays or to have farewell parties. Any reason to get drunk and bowl, we were there. Because sometimes, getting drunk ain't enough. The people who work there are cool. The service from the bar a little slow, but so what, we're never in a rush. Pitcher beers are cheap. Sometimes there are special rates, but not always. Not a problem if you go on the right night right time. Ah...the insanity.
My "Drunken Bowling Style" was very good.
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Yes. Yes.
We came for a $1.50 Tuesday around 8:00. We got number 61. The counter was at 71. "Oh no." we thought. "We are never going to bowl." We went up to the counter dude and said, "Okay, how long until bowling starts?" and he was like, "The league clears out around 9:00." So we went to Hotsy Totsy at 8:30 and got back at 9:00. Oh man, the counter was on 79. We went up to the counter dude and said, "Yo, we missed our number... a lot." He was like, "Okay, no problem!" and threw some shoes at us. We were already having fun bowling (I doubled my previous high score) when all the CRAZY Rock 'n' Bowl disco lights came on and the Ludacris kicked in. So, yeah, moral of the story: get there between 8:30-9:00 on a Tuesday.
Barack Obama would love this place.
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$1 games during the day.
$1.50 games Monday and Tuesday night after 8:30.
$4 shoe rentals.
DDR and billiards, too.
After a certain point, the lights and music kicks in. Ambiance they call it. Worth checking out. If the white russians at the bar are too small, Hotsy Totsy is a mere stumble away.
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Awesome place to hang out. I've only been here once but it was fun. The music is upbeat and appropriate but best of all it was more or less cheap. It was $5.50 for a game and I don't remember if that included shoes. There is also a billiards room, cafe, and small arcade if you get bored of the bowling. There are many many lanes- plenty of room and the flashy lights everywhere add a nice fun atmosphere.
The cafe next door isn't bad either. You get what you paid for.
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This was the first place I ever bowled in my entire life. I had my 7th birthday party here, my brother had his 6th birthday party here, and I returned for many of my friends' birthday parties in elementary school as well. It was definitely a great place for me to get my start bowling--even if at that age I still played with the bumpers up, and they do provide a small bench or seating area next to every lane.
Heck, I didn't know what a gutterball was until I had moved to Pennsylvania and went on a grade-wide bowling trip in 5th grade where we had to bowl in our socks because either there were not nearly enough pairs of bowling shoes for a couple hundred 5th graders or the school just didn't feel like paying for shoe rental...though we were told if we had our own bowling shoes we could bring them...but where in the world would you find a 5th grader who was so into bowling that he/she owned his/her own pair of shoes??
Of course, the last time I bowled at the Albany Bowl was well over a decade ago, but I would go back there if I were visiting the area I grew up in and had the urge to go bowling. Also, if my memory hasn't failed me, if you reserve the party room at the Albany Bowl, they have a refrigerator/freezer for your convenience if you have anything like cake, drinks, or ice cream that needs to be refrigerated or frozen.
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When I was younger I would go to the Albany bowl to play on the Dance Dance revolution when we were ignorant and just having fun. I recently came back to the Albany bowl to actually do some bowling and it was pretty fun. The price of the games are reasonable and affordable since it's only five dollars a person. Drinks weren't that expensive as beer was only 4 bucks.
The only complaint I have is the lack of air conditioning but they only had two ceiling fans that weren't doing anything to keep us cool so we had to step out a couple of times to get some fresh air.
Still, we had a fun night and i recommend coming here before the weekend hits since parking gets ridiculous.
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Very seldom do I like bowling alleys anymore. Most are over priced and the hardware is way outdated. Not here! The bowling lanes are high tech allowing users to change between bumpers (and many other options) for each player automatically. They have plenty of kids balls which is great for me as a bring two kids with me each time. One other thing that stands out for me is the service. If there is a problem - their intercom and handy counter personell always come through. Try their specials and save some money.
Also: try their cafe as well. I had a very good lunch there (for cheap) 2 out of 2 times now.
ONE major con:
The video games are always busted. That is bad for the kids
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A friend of mine had a birthday party here last Saturday. We had a huge group of people here bowling on 2 lanes + one additional bowling lane on the end just for the kids. Still, with 6 people bowling per lane, the games took quite a while to finish so we in fact only got to bowl one game. Thankfully, though, we had plenty of time to order several pitchers of beer from their cocktail lounge: $14 for a pitcher, slightly steep but that's inflation I guess...
The high score, I think, was 151. I personally had the next to last place coming in with a 59. Hey, at least I beat Barack Obama, right?
Oh, and my wife was eyeing these stiletto heel bowling shoes that were so hideously money... :)
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SMOKIN AND DRINKIN ON A TUESDAY NIGHT
Well, bowling regularly is a little pricy, but you know what, it is pricy almost everywhere. They have fantastic deals during the day later on in the week, but for me, the time to go is Monday and Tuesday night. They turn off the lights, and bring on music, disco lights, and a good time... the balls are UV reactive making the black lights a hit. The wait is usually about 2 hours for a lane as not only is the ambiance amazing, bowling is only $1.50 a game.
I suggest you show up when it starts, get in like, take a walk to nations and fortify yourself for the long night ahead - then grip n sip!
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Thai Food
Bowling - $5 per game after 5pm.
122
Me so happy!
-1 STAR for making us wait for an hour.
Warning: Thursday evening leagues start at 6:00 and they have only 4 lanes for folks not in leagues. I have never seen so many people.
Recommend: Yes
Will I go back: Yes.
Romantic: No way, not this one.
Note: they have a cool bar attached and they announce when your lane is ready. Very nice!.
Joel, Good luck with your new job. You will be missed.
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SO the infamous albany bowl is a cool spot. Here's three steps into making this cool spot an AWESOME ONE. Step 1: Get A drink alcoholic of course. Step 2: Play Pool and let the drink wiggle through your body! Step 3: Go bowling and dance to the music, sing along, and try not to fall or bust anyone's head throwing the ball! BTW the best time to go is Mondays. I know I was shocked when I found that out!
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What happened to the days when you could gather up a group of friends on a random free evening and head down to the bowling alley for some good clean fun!?!!!!??!?
I give up Albany Bowl. You win. I will never get to bowl there. I get it. You don't want our non-league bowling kind in your parts. I and several people I know have tried calling to see what nights the recommend to come in for non-league/free-bowling and each time, we've gotten our hopes up, gathered a group and have headed down there only to be REJECTED and put off by a wait time that would more than exceed the time we would actually even be bowling. I don't get it.
Also, a note for the employees there. You are RUDE. Really, really, really rude. I'm not sure if you are overwhelmed or just sick of dealing with teenagers that go and hang out there, but you are RUDE. I have tried calling with my best phone manners complete with pleases, thank you's just to inquire about pretty common info like "what nights do you have leagues"? Each time I've called, I've had the overwhelming sense that even IF, now that's a big IF at this point, we could manage to miraculously show up on a night where we could actually get a lane, I think I wouldn't want to because that would mean that I would spend my hard earned money and time at an establishment that can't manage to even feign friendliness to potential customers.
This review is sadly written after several visits and phone calls, so I'm guessing that it's just the way things are done there. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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I go here a lot with my children, and can't say enough good things about the place.
I want to object to the poor review by a disgruntled ex-employee (who objected to paying the regular party fee - so cost WAS an issue for her), and say that not only have we had FABULOUS parties here (complete with Mr. Pin dancing to the Cha Cha Slide), but the staff and owner, John, are unbelievably GENEROUS and supportive of the community.
My oldest son participates in special olympics bowling. The Albany Bowl donates several lanes during the on season and still continues to let the "olympians" bowl at a very low fee at all other times. Furthermore, John, often makes it a point to come over and greet all the bowlers, and occasionally gives them a little "prize." My son sleeps with one of the old bowling pins John gave him (yes - strange, but true).
I also know that John has donated bowling games as a fundraiser for my other son's elementary school.
The addition of the arcade games is a lot of fun - kids love it and I spend too much money!
Bottom line: These guys support the community and they make it fun and easy to support them as well!
Landed here on my 32nd birthday, because what's more retardedly American than throwing a hefty sphere down a corridor with the aim of completely wrecking a neatly arranged collection of vase-like objects? Not much, I can tell you. Quite possibly the only way to improve upon this fine sport would be to allow spectators on either side of said corridor, vulnerable to grievous body damage if caught unawares. But that would be remarkably close to road-bowling, and then you'd have to be in Ireland. (Some day!)
Albany Bowl seems to have a few lanes open whenever I randomly show up, despite how busy they appear. How very considerate of them, but I do have to wonder where they're hiding the spycams or GPS that tells them when I'm approaching.
I didn't pay too much attention, but it seemed like the bar was reasonably priced. There's something about the place that seems so... retro. I was almost disappointed that they updated their old-old-old-school electronic game system with some new-fangled new-school fancy-graphics system. Shades of Atari 2600 vs. Playstation... and you know you're still all about some of those old 2600 games. On the other hand, ball returns seemed much faster now than perhaps 10 years ago, and I don't think we needed to do a single pin reset, so I guess not all progress is bad.
In conclusion... bumpmmmmmmmmmmmCRASH!
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Bromance level? High. Where else can you bond with other guys but a bowling alley? Or pay a particularly poignant bromage to another man's ball speed? Nowhere but the alley. Not Rod Dibble's Alley, although you can sing a bromage there if you're REALLY smitten with your bro. :-)
Thug factor: high. On a Saturday night at least.
Baby thug factor: possibly high. An 8 year old kid sporting a gold $ chain and Run-DMC glasses? Ok, I can let this one slide - maybe he's just an impossibly cool little kid who has respect for the old skool.
Secondhand chronic smoke? Check. Apparently, while Albany is famous for netting drunk drivers, lettin' a thug smoke is AOK. Fine by me, I just want consistency here y'all.
Nasty balls? check. I wanted to get mine polished on the ol' polisher, but polished nasty balls are still . . . nasty balls. Still, they glide down the lane soooo much nicer that way. :-D
Great company? CHECK! Saved from a 2-star. Lise's birthday bash was in effect, and it was great to see Steven, Lise, Douglas, Gracie, etc. I found out I had excellent ball speed. Who knew? If you can't have accuracy, at least throw the damn thing down the lane with gusto! ;-) I still need to bowl over 100 some time in my life. Gracie just can't stop dancing wherever she is. The Crixa birthday cake was great, I'm just not a super citrus-and-chocolate guy. I'll take my chocolate straight.
Dancing to a strike? Check. Got to see and participate in a few of those - I even got to dance to a little MJ.
Crazy bowling shirts? Check. Douglas and I had on loud shirts that could only have worked at a tiki bar or backyard BBQ.
Punks throwing balls down the lane like they couldn't give a damn? check.
Super-kitschy signage? check. I wanted to rip off some of the cocktail lounge and food signs and take them home. Very '50s diner style. Reminded me of the places I used to go for pizza and arcade games when I was a kid.
I'm kinda hooked on bowling now, I just need to find a nicer venue. Or come during the week. Damn, I forgot to order a White Russian, even though I went home with one. The Dude abides. ;-)
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I can't say anything bad about this place! Five stars all the way! Albany Bowl has been nothinng but accomodating and wonderful to us. I run an afterschool and summer program for children with disabilities primarily on the autism spectrum, and Albany Bowl is one of our favorite places. Gina is a doll and always helps us out when we check in. The kids always get the best care and attention. Albany Bowl has always been able to serve us by providing us with lanes that are next to each other, bumpers for the kids, and best of all a ramp for our kids who can't lift the ball. Albany Bowl gives people with disabilites the ability to enjoy an activity with friends and family that they typically wouldn't be able to do without small accomodations. In addition, they provide us with tons of light weight bowling balls to make it easier for the kids and don't yell at us if one of our kids accidently rolled down the wrong lane. This always happens no matter how hard you try to prevent it.
Thank you Albany Bowl for providing us with a fun and wonderful place to come. We love ya!
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Had my Almost 40 Birthday Party here with about 20 of my nearest and dearest and I was blown away by how much fun it was! The rate for four lanes was really reasonable, and it was really handy having the lovely lady in red coming around to bring us drinks.
The disco lights and booming music added a little extra excitement (a little too much for one hungover friend) and fun between rounds of throwing balls. While loud enough to induce spontaneous dance moves mid-bowl, it was still low enough that we could hear each other make excuses for the latest poor shot (OK OK I was the only one making excuses, but my audience still heard them and because it was my birthday, pretended to buy them. Great friends!)
Albany Bowl allows for ordering pizza in, as long as the pizza is from Albany Pizza. The pizzas were good enough and at a really great price so this option worked out really well for us. Some folks did pick up food in the cafe as well and said it was really good.
The only bummer was the monsters hogging the Dance Dance Revolution game. They refuse to get off the game, cut in line and if you dare try to get a turn, their big brothers (dads?) come threaten to beat you up. Not cool.
All in all, I highly recommend it for a goofy fun party with very little fuss. and a very reasonable price tag.
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My friends and I OWN Albany Bowl!!!
We are MAGIC. Put your business card in the fishbowl, win a free bowling party for two hours, two lanes. We've done this, oh, three times in the last six months.
I am NOT a good bowler, either, but this place makes me love bowling. Thai food, beer, and bowling. Bowling for FREE! With bowling balls in psychedelic colors, too. For those of us who are TRUE novices and choose our ball based on its aesthetic value, rather than its weight-appropriateness. Which only makes your bad bowling worse, but WHO CARES?!
AND... When you're bowling for free, you can add this extra bit of excitement... It's called SPEEDBOWL! When your free lane is about to expire, you get a 15-minute warning on your screen...
"OKAY, PEOPLE! We are down to 15 minutes before they shut down these free lanes. We are SPEED. BOWLING. Speedbowl. You are no longer thinking; you are only throwing. Turn off your brains and ROLL."
That's a direct quote from ME!!! Gettin' all Walter Sobchek on my friends' asses... SPEEDBOWLING RULES!
All of a sudden, you forget all your weird quirks and hesitations, and you just STRIKE, STRIKE, STRIKE!!! It's RAD!!! Once, five of us rolled like two strikes in a row each, and our scores shot up, and because you take a roll out every time you strike, we finished a game that was nowhere NEAR finished at the 15-minute mark! HOW COOL IS THAT?!
Say it -- cool.
GO PUT YOUR BUSINESS CARD IN THE FISHBOWL RIGHT NOW!!!
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It is rumored that White Russians and bowling go hand in hand. Unless of course, you're me. I, being a white russian (yes, it's an ethnicity as well as a drink), have never actually been real bowling before. Call me crazy or deprived, but at 30, I am not used to um, extremely large ball handling. Get your mind out of the gutter. There's not enough room, since practically ALL my balls ended up in there.
It was a great time though. Disco balls, pizza, sodie pop and friends. Ah, to be 15 again on a Saturday night. Sure, there was thug alley to walk through to get to the restrooms, and yeah, there were hipsters there throwing the ball like someone peed on their urban outfitters hoodie, but all in all, a good time was had.
The prices seemed to be decent, and my bowling shoes actually matched my outfit. I was so tragically hip. I made sure to wear extra thick socks as well, to combat the many a million toes who have walked in those shoes before me.
I was also impressed by Joe B.'s high speed bowling. Very interesting.
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Funny story on how I ended up here. One sunny Saturday afternoon, we tried going to the Albatross but apparently, we are such raging alcoholics that we got there BEFORE THE BAR WAS EVEN OPEN. So we tried to move the party over to The Mallard, but one of our friends had his six-year-old with him, so we couldn't go in. So...we went to Albany Bowl.
Here's the deal - Albany Bowl is a pretty decent bowling alley, with two rooms of lanes. But the best parts are not the lanes...they are the cocktail lounge, clean bathrooms, free parking, snack bar (with some really good chicken nuggets), and an arcade area with a more Asian (if that's even possible) version of Dance Dance Revolution called "Into The Groove".
That, my friends, is worth crossing the bridge for. Take THAT, Serra Bowl!
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Let me start by saying I am not a world class bowler, not even close. I usually end a game hovering in the 40-50 range. So, this place, and night, hold fond memories for the fact that I bowled a game over 70. I know, sad, but I am only competing against myself in these situations, as I already know I will take the prize for last every time.
So, my friend won one of those business card drawings (yes, people actually do win, wow!) and 10 of us met up at Albany bowl for 2 free lanes and two free hours of bowling. You know it will be a good night when you get something for free.
Good bowling alley with all that a bowling alley should have;
#1. People watching....boy do you get a mix here, and everyone is cool as hell to everyone else
#2. Full bar - something our little Presidio Bowl lacks
#3. Coffee Shop, and I mean the old school greasy spoon variety. Oh, and they serve Thai food.....strange but, hey, variety is the spice of life.
#4. Flourescent bowling shoes. Yes, you heard me right. They are HOT!
#5. Pool tables, in case bowling wasn't enough to satisfy your need for a sport which requires skill, yet no athletic ability.
I am not sure I would ordinarily make the drive to Albany to bowl but if invited by friends in the future, especially if it is free, I would definitely go here again.
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