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All Star Lanes
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 3 pm - 12 am
Thu 12 pm - 12 am
Fri 12 pm - 2 am
Sat 11 am - 2 am
Sun 11 am - 12 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- DJ, Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
139 reviews for All Star Lanes
Review Highlights
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"Best bowling alley ever." In 44 reviews -
"...friends and they all seemed to be having a damn good time." In 13 reviews -
"...was pretty awesome - the drinks were cheap, and it reminded..." In 7 reviews
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139 reviews in English
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Review from Laurice F.
Los Angeles, CA
2/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
My go-to for a fun night of bowling! Why?
* It's cheap! $3 shoe rentals plus games that average $5 per person per game (depending on what night you're there)!
* Staff is super friendly. I easily booked some lanes here for a large group and it went by very smoothly.
* The place is HUGE! There are pool tables, an arcade, a bar (with karaoke on some nights, and holds up to 100 people), and a restaurant that serves all types of (supposedly) yummy food.
All Star Lanes definitely get all my yelp stars! -
Review from Ticha B.
The goods: Cool live bands playing in the bar area (there was a teen rock band also), night glow bowling, bumper bowling for the kids, plenty of parking, lots of lanes.
The bads: You can't control the scoring (extra strikes, a spare you didn't get, wrong scores), old bowling balls, the SMOKING up front is ridiculous (right in front of the front door so the 2nd hand smoke comes in), and they DON'T SPRAY OFF YOUR RENTAL SHOES AFTER YOU'RE DONE. GROSS! Most other bowling places spray some sort of antibacterial, Lysol or shoe spray after your return the rentals. All Star Lanes doesn't. :(
Totally grossed out. Weekend play cost more of course. -
Review from Trishia P.
Fairfield, CA
2/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Was in the neighborhood for work so my co-workers and I decided to blow off some steam bowling!
Unfortunately the bar opens at 5 PM (no happy hour!!) UGH! But we were able to buy pitchers of beer to split.
Bowling alley is clean with colored score keeping screens. A tall co-worker was able to get size 14 bowling shoes.
It was about $8 a person for 1 game and shoe rental. At the end of the session we got copies of the team scores. Which we will post in our office. =P
Yay for bowling! -
Review from David L.
Glendale, Los Angeles, CA
5/12/2012
I have both had and been to many birthday parties at All Star lanes. Bowling and karaoke with friends always fun. The have a bar, pool tables, air hockey and restaurant too, to keep everyone happy. Total dive bar to atmosphere but it's friendly vibe.
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Review from Rayna V.
Los Angeles, CA
1/16/2012
This place is 1/4 bowling alley, 1/4 Chinese restaurant, 1/4 arcade, 1/4 bar.
I have never bowled here. I have gotten drunk, played over an 30 mins of an arcade shooting game and eaten some damn good buffalo wings.
If you want a fun night on uncrowded arcade machines (and the old school MegaTouch at the bar!) come here. It's like going to a Dave and Buster's but cheaper...and no lines.
Also, the women's bathroom is WAY cleaner than I expected.
The crowd is a nice mix. I'm talking seniors from the center next door, guys who curse like sailors in Spanish, cute lil' Oxy students and a couple Eagle Rock "hipsters." The usual bartender Angela is very sweet. -
Review from Corinne B.
Los Angeles, CA
4/5/2012 11 Check-ins Here
I love hanging out here. It has a very local bar feeling about the place. Definitely filled with quite a few regulars (me being one of them.) The bartenders are awesome and with a group of friends you're always bound to have a good time. Sometimes there are bands, sometimes karaoke. The French fries from the restaurant there are a good occasional treat to have with some beer. Always good times at All Star.
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Review from Ida C.
El Monte, CA
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
so I went here on friday night and had lots of fun the bar/karaoke area it was full of drunk people making me laugh, it looks cheesy but its funny to drink and watch drunk people sing I was way to chicken to hop on stage and belt it out but maybe me and my boo will do a duet next time around. And I never even gave the bowling ally or restaurant a 2nd look, maybe next time.
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Review from Brian T.
Sunland, CA
8/8/2011
I bowled here quite often in the '80s and '90s. All Star was one of the last holdouts for manual scoring, a must for purists. The lane equipment was old but the prices were very reasonable. You expected your ball to be returned with streaks of oil but, for the prices they charged, that was okay.
Cut to 2011. I hadn't been to All Star in at least five years and bowled there yesterday afternoon. My impressions...
First of all, the remodelling must have been administered by a non-bowling number cruncher. Everything looks cheap and drab. Lane numbers are shown in that black-on-gold adhesive lettering you'll find in your local hardware store next to the "Beware of Dog" signs. Bowling equipment is by Steltronic, who no one will ever confuse with Brunswick or AMF. Steltronic seems to have focused more on funny bowling animations than "frivolous" features like ball returns. I'd guess we spent 7 or 8 minutes of an hour watching our balls spin in the pit waiting for their return trips. And when they finally reappeared, they would stop dead at the exit hole. You had to carefully stick your hand in the return hole to pull your ball out. Not a single ball actually rolled out onto the rack for easy pickup.
And how can you pay $29/hour for lane rental but not get any practice shots? You're paying for an hour, you bowl how you want with your time, right? But that's not how it works here. The employee behind the counter enters the names and you start bowling immediately. The controls at the lanes (one joystick and one button) are disabled. Customer input is neither expected nor allowed. Usability and customer satisfaction are superfluous afterthoughts. -
Review from Francisco B.
Los Angeles, CA
11/22/2011
I'm writing about something that happened a few years ago in the middle of the recession. I'm not sure if this guy still owns the bowling alley, but feel the need to report it to the Yelp community:
I went to this place for karaoke one night with my friends. We walked into the dive-y cocktail bar. I love singing karaoke and I love drinking cocktails. I drank a beer or two and signed myself up to sing 'Bizarre Love Triangle' by New Order. I was able to do my song and then decided to get another cocktail and sign myself up for another song. But when the guy controlling the karaoke machine (who was also apparently the owner of the venue) called up my name and started playing the wrong song, I went up and told him that he was playing the wrong song. In fact, he was playing the song of the person who had signed up one song ahead of me. He asked me to write song down again and I believe I might have written down the wrong song the second time. So there I was standing next to him trying to clear things up, but the old middle eastern or Hispanic man just would not give up trying to find that song. He was getting aggressive too and blamed me for screwing up (even though it was his screw up to begin with). To calm him down, I told him that I would let the next person go up and that I wait for him to find the right song. No, that wasn't enough to stop him from continuing to look for the right song with the clipboard in his hands. I grabbed a mini pencil from the cup holder and attempted to write the right number on the song on the clipboard he was holding. It wasn't forceful. It's not like I grabbed the clip board from him. I kind of just attempted to write the correct number in, expecting him to give me back the clipboard so I could write it in. But instead of him handing me the clipboard, his hand went for around my neck. He wasn't choking me or anything, but he had his hand around my neck as if he wanted to, and he has this crazed, evil look on his face. Terrifying.
My friends immediately jumped out of their seats and forced him off of me. They were able to pry him off. The man was crazed. Immediately, he said, 'Get out!' in some type of accent. Shaken up, I drank the rest of my cocktail, closed my tab at the bar, and left the venue as he had asked. Plus, I no longer wanted to remain inside the venue with the crazed karaoke deejay/owner/security bouncer.
There were some regulars outside with who I tried venting about my story, but they too laughed it off and said that I must have done something to piss the owner off. I remember calling All Star Lanes to complain to someone a few times. And I kid you not, every time I called the bowling alley this guy would pick up the phone. I tried telling him my complaint, but told me twice that I had been rude to him and that I deserved it. I even told him that what he did was illegal and that I could have called the police on him to file a report. He just said, 'You were being rude!'
Even if I was being rude, that's no reason to place your hands or hand around a customer's neck. I'm a tiny, young looking guy. I weigh 130 lbs., so it's not like I'm some huge intimidating beefcake guy with an aggressive demeanour.
I've never been assaulted before at a bowling alley. I don't think it's very common for patrons to be assaulted by middle aged men and it's illegal. Anyway, I'll never set foot at this place again as the owner is stubborn trash and doesn't know how to keep his hands off people. This is America, buddy. You don't attempt to choke customers!
The owner's name was Tony and he does everything for the venue. Must have been having a bad day. THIS IS NOT A WAY TO TREAT CUSTOMERS!!! -
Review from jenny b.
Los Angeles, CA
12/5/2011
The Chinese food was surprisingly yummy and fresh. Unexpected treat for a bowling alley.
We could not get a lane at Pickwick so we tried this place. It was completely empty when we arrived. Only one other group bowled before we left.
The lanes were crooked and very overpriced. We will not return because of this. -
Review from Chanda D.
Los Angeles, CA
12/29/2010
Real score: 0 stars
I'd been here a couple of times before for friends' events and was underwhelmed - the place is dirty and run down with a crappy ball selection, but it is in my hood and there was a Monday bowling special, so my man and I rolled out.
When we asked the cantankerous old man behind the counter how much it would be, he quoted us an inflated price. When I told him what the website said, he replied, "that's only for Monday nights." After I pointed out that we were, in fact, experiencing a Monday night, he charged us the correct price.
My man bought us a couple of beers, which we had one sip from, then commenced to bowling. He got a strike and ran up to hug me and was LAUNCHED through the air and on top of me because his foot got stuck under the carpet where a foot of it was completely ripped off from the floor of the bowling lanes. Had he not thought fast and protected my head, I would have had a concussion or worse. Thankfully, I only had bruises and the glass on the front of my Bulova watch smashed.
I immediately went up to the front and told Mr. Cantankerous about the incident (you would think he would come up to us after such a major situation) and he merely asked if we'd like to switch to another lane. He made no move to tape the carpet to the floor, even after we told him it would be a good idea. I told him I expected All Star to pay for the repairs to my watch, which he thought was quite funny, and he told me to call back for Tony the manager.
As we were leaving, I asked Mr. Cantankerous when he was closing. He said, "we're already closed", as if we were taking up his time. I said, "it's 10pm and the sign says you close at 10:30, how can that be?" He grunted.
I called Tony the next morning and explained the incident. He asked what kind of watch I had and said he would look at the surveillance tapes, which cover the whole alley. After no word from him, I called him back a couple of days later and he said the tapes caught no such incident, but he was told we were "drunk" when it happened. Funny, if there was no incident, as there couldn't have been since the cameras would have seen it, how could we have been drunk when it happened?
I got my pictures and receipts all ready to file a small claims suit, but then I found A M Watch Repair on Yelp and the nice man there fixed my watch for only $25, thus saving me the drama. I just vowed never again to give this junky place a dime.
Thankfully, I found Jewel City Bowl in Glendale. It's clean and maintained, has good food and drink specials, amazing bowling deals, and karaoke. I just wish I'd found them sooner. -
Review from jin y.
9/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
$29 per hour on a weekend, $10 is pizzas big enough to feed a few ppl, bar opens at 5pm but you can get beer before then at the resto, they don't have chili anymore but you can get cheese fries. the nachos, cheese fries, the onion rings all hover around $5. karaoke starts at 10pm even though we thought it started at 9pm. rentals $3.
i spent 11 hours there on saturday. give ME a medal. -
Review from Jane S.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 12/30/2010
Dude. I bowled 150 on Monday night. I know that's not impressive to you or your mom, but to me, that's huge!
3 stars this time around though for the semi-lame customer service. One of the bowling pins was not only malfunctioning, but there was a greater lag between each of our turns compared to the other lanes. We simply asked if we could be moved to one of the several empty lanes, but they didn't believe us until finally the guy behind the counter said he wanted to see for himself. *Shrug* What's the big deal with moving us over? After what was 10-15 minutes of aaaah-ing and hmmm-ing, they moved us and said they would give us 10 extra minutes. I honestly don't think they did.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/25/2010
So it's a little ghetto and lacks the glam factor present at other bowling alleys like Jewel City or… Read more »
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Review from Bertha C.
Los Angeles, CA
6/4/2011
When I first stumbled upon this place it was for a work party 5 years ago. A bunch of us had just finished the new hire class. We got 2 lanes and some broad we called "Moneybags" kept buying shots of Tequila for everyone. It was a great night.
The second time I came here was for a girlfriend's Bday party. Again, we got a couple of lanes and drank Boddingtons from the bar, a great time was had by all.
Most recently, the visit here was for some party in the bar during a packed night of Karaoke. I did not partake in the singing, I did however hang out in the restaurant bar adjacent to the bar. (less crowded) not so great time, but the place was off the hook.
OVERALL, its a great place to hang out with a group WHEN bowling is not really the focus of the outing.
ALSO, HOW is $18/hour/lane a deal if its $4/game/person? If i rolled alone it would probably take me an hour to get through 4 games which at 4 bucks a pop 4X4=$16, what is the incentive to pay the hour rate, I'm confused? AND if its 2 people rolling we would have to power through 3 games in order to get our moneys worth at the $18/hour rate... Yuuup! i just went off on a nutzo rant...the Bertha likes bargains yo. -
Review from Brian F.
Los Angeles, CA
3/28/2011
Went there this past Sunday afternoon with some out of town guests. We just wanted some bowling fun for 8 of us.
The place smells funky, I think the Chinese restaurant is the odor, and I never see anyone eating in there, why is there a bad Chinese restaurant in a bowling alley? Come on, get with it, hot dogs and burgers etc!
There was some crap-assed hard rock band BLASTING away in a room behind the service counter, my wife asked the lady taking the bowling money if she could shut the door to quiet the DIN, but she said she could not. She said the band came all the way from Scotland, my wife said to "SEND THEM BACK"
For 8 of us to bowl it cost a little over $80.00 for an hour and like a previous poster said, once you time out you are screwed, no offer to pay a little to finish your game, just full pop for another hour, screw that! RIP-OFF.
The new decor is BUTT-UGLY FUGLY!
Green diamond crap on walls and bowling machines, ugly and then near the rear someone went to Glendale and bought some really ugly shiny beige tile and installed it MORE UGLY...oh and the bowling equipment seems to be missing some chairs so someone went to a 99 Cent store and bought some plastic green chairs, no good, funky.
Rows of STAINED ugly office chairs line the viewing area of the alley.
I think I should rate this a 1 star, but I will give it a 2 as we did bowl, but I agree the house balls are beat to hell and the odor and decor stink.
Too bad someone did not wise up and dump the Chinese restaurant that is always empty and put in some bowling alley type food.....
I wish them well and I live really close, but I would drive to other locations for future bowling fun.
Oh, and it appears they have some kind of "piped in" oldies music on the PA and when the "Scottish" death band would take a break, you could hear the fun old tunes, but they would soon be drowned out with the funk from the room behind the lady who takes the $$$ -
Review from Armando O.
Los Angeles, CA
11/28/2011
Good place to come and chill with friends. People here are cool. I've been here a number of time for the last few months, mainly to do some karaoke. Although some professionals show up its always fun to go up there and sing a song or two. Good friends, cheap drinks, and good environment equals fun.
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Review from Bobby S.
Sherman Oaks, CA
2/14/2011
Sadly, the All Star Lanes in Eagle Rock has become the worst bowling alley in Los Angeles. $30/ hour, plus shoes. And apparently, the hour begins when you pay at the counter-- as opposed to the first bowl. Had we known that, we would have settled in and put our bowling shoes on a lot more quickly.
My friends and I were halfway through our second game when the hour expired and the lane went dark. I politely asked the owner if we could at least finish game 2. Nope. SOL. Unless we wanted to churn out another 15 bucks...
The lanes are awful, ugly, and ghetto. There are hardly enough seats for bowlers. Its not ideal for parties or team competitions. However, if you don't have enough seats, there are plenty of half broken, green plastic lawn chairs spread throughout the bowling alley. You can also use these lawn chairs as tables for your drinks, since there are no real tables around.
This place used to be cool. Before the remodel, it was dark and dingy yet it had a lot of character. The band/karoake area was integrated with the rest of the bowling alley, and lots of locals and not so local peeps came out and had fun.
The remodel is ugly. Its not modern, its not retro, its just ugly. Its the 99 cent store furniture section, if there was such a thing.
The band area is stuffy and smells like B.O.
Don't bowl here. And, for those of you that hung out at the All Star Lanes a decade ago, or longer--- forget it. The nostalgia is gone. -
Review from Brian H.
Los Angeles, CA
8/25/2011
I really want to like this place because it's right near me and I like to support neighborhood businesses but the last two times I was there I encountered a sort of institutional rudeness. First time a friend in my party was referred to an an "idiot" after he called the desk from our lane to ask a question about how to work the scoring machine. Unfortunately for the guy at the desk I was standing right there and was able to remind him about common courtesy and the fact that my friend was, in fact, not an idiot. I even reminded him that the customer is always right (words which you could tell hurt his ears as he heard them).
The second time was as I was pulling into the parking lot telling my wife the story of the first encounter and after we parked a guy calls out to us from the smoking area in front "You should move your car over because you're in that other space" Now the lot was almost completely empty but that's not the point. The guy didn't say "excuse me sir" or "please if you wouldn't mind" just "You should move your car". Now if not for the first encounter the second one might have just slid by but as I said I was just mentioning having my friend referred to as an idiot so I guess my radar was up for the first sign of rudeness. So call it bad timing or maybe just the tip of the iceberg, either way I wasn't in the mood to be spoken to that way from this place. Two strikes in a row is usually good for bowling but not in this case. -
Review from Alex H.
Hayward, CA
11/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
Terrible service ; the register girl said "Um, I'm getting off now so you're going to have to wait for someone else to help you." It took almost 30 mins. for someone to help us, and the guy who did help us didn't know what he was doing. Also, when I put my quarter in the video game to play, the screen went blank and stole my quarter. Additionally, most of the computer terminals at the lanes are busted, and the places has zero aesthetic appeal in terms of overall ambiance. Most of the furniture consists of old office computer chairs that were probably picked up off of the sidewalk. This place sucks.
I would've given All-Star Lanes a "0," but the cheap drinks and the clean bathroom forced my hand. -
Review from Jonathan P.
Los Angeles, CA
1/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
I used to really like this place.
Actually, it used to look dumpier, they recently remodeled, giving it an interior and exterior remake.
However, despite the nicer looking facade, they haven't updated the bowling balls at all since I've been coming here for the past 5-6 years.
Last time I came, one of the bowling balls took off a piece of my finger due to chips and sharp edges around the finger holes.
Furthermore, the Karaoke has gotten worse. Not only has the selection changed, it's gotten worse. We not only encountered songs that used to be available now no longer available, but we also encountered songs that were in the list, that were also not available. Think about it. You go onstage expecting to sing a certain song and it's a completely different title that you are completely unfamiliar with. Quite embarrassing.
On top of that, the guy running it seems geeked out of his mind so he could care less.
You can't just cover up the place with new paint and tiles and not do anything about the entertainment.
Crappy bowling balls and a terrible karaoke selection = 2 stars at best. -
Review from Brian E.
Los Angeles, CA
1/16/2011
So Saturday nite, after watching a movie, the idea came up to go bowling. Originally we were going to bowl at jewel city as its closer but decided to hit up all star lanes for a cheaper rate.
With the rate at $29/hour I was going to try and make the best of it. However, upon arrival I noticed the lack of care for both the lanes and the balls.
All the balls were scuffed and dinged, it was no wonder it was impossible to add spin to the ball. The lane wasn't even waxed well and the sound of the ball hitting the lane was brutal to the ears.
Its best to go to any other alley if you want to bowl with decent lanes and equipment. -
Review from William S.
Santa Clarita, CA
7/6/2009
What am I supposed to say? That I love this place? Be like the countless others who sing All Star's praises? Dangle a seemingly unreachable carrot for you to try and nibble upon?
I can't do it. Nope. No way. Nuh-uh... Ain't. Gonna. Happen.
So, since I can't sing, I'll just write about it instead. No need to be taciturn about a place most people should be privy to in their lives. This review is my official USDA stamp of approval, but we'll just call it a WSDA, instead.
Most people think of All Star Lanes as: bowling first, bar second. On the contrary, I think of this place as: bar first, bowling... whaa? The name of the place reads "All Star Lanes," yes. However, I know no such thing as "bowling" at All Star Lanes. This place is glorious in the way a nerdy person is kinda cool without even knowing it. The person sort of just acts the way they normally do, without any pretenses to be like anything in particular. And just like that nerdy kid, this place does not try hard at all to be anything different. (Well, perhaps with the ironically decorated bathrooms, but I'll get to that later.) It's just cool by default.
I'll defend this place to high hell that it's a drinking man's bar, and I'll tell you why. Simply put, you come here to get your drink on, or fulfill your monthly drinking quota by the end of the month; whichever takes priority. If you're lucky, one of the female bartenders will add some flirting to the night's air. If it happened to me, it most definitely would happen to you. But I'll tell you why you won't care. Does $4 imported beers do anything for ya? 'Cause it does a lot for me, holmes. If I'm not mistaken, domestic brews such as Bud, But Lite, and whatever else I don't drink, is a buck cheaper.
Although I won't be singing this bar's praises, Friday and Saturday nights feature karaoke. So, I guess I'll listen to other people take a crack at singing All Star's praises.
My left turn to the bathroom, Flinstones vehicle-style, is where my night got really interesting. I wasn't quite sure if the multitude of $4 beers got the best of me, but when I first walked into the marble-countered bathrooms, I swear I immediately thought I was in the luxury wing of a premier Vegas hotel. It was so extravagantly designed, I was just hoping my freshly broken seal would warrant frequent trips soon. When you think of the contrast the bathrooms are to the rest of the bar, it really puts a smile on your face. As a matter of fact, I've never seen so many smiling faces coming out of a non-West Hollywood public bathroom before. Were they planning on renovating the entire bar, only from the bathroom on out?
There most certainly has been an evolution to my visits here. My first visit to All Stars was accidental, and every following visit has been by design. From the bathroom, to the cheap drinks, to the bar interior that time forgot, I would say it was by design alright... a grand design.Listed in: The Bar Exam Cheat Sheet, Faves
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Review from Alma M.
South Pasadena, CA
1/23/2012 9 Check-ins Here
fun every time! never a long wait! :)
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Review from Butter C.
Los Angeles, CA
4/13/2007
LA weather 'strikes' again. it was WINDYYY TODAY!!!!!
get it? 'strikes' at a bowling alley? Hardy har har!!!!
I walked in to pitch darkness to about 15+ KOOL PEEPS!
Sorry to say my claustrophobia kicked in, in full force... It felt like the walls were about to eat ME!!
WAYYYYYYYY too dark! and wayyyyyyyy too icky!!!!!
Luckily the Chalet is a mere two miles away. 'I'm gonna be there... come if you'd like... byeee'
I'll be back on a day where you have electricity! Sorry, but it was wayyyyyyyyyy tooooooo cereppyyyyyyy in here in the pitch blacknesssssss!!!!
I'm not judging you... but I really gotta go! I CAN'T BREEEATTTHEEEE *hyperventilating*
I'll be back when you got actual lights. The strobe tingie was causing stroke like symptoms!
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Disclaimer: I wrote this review while I was WASTED!!! -
Review from G Y.
Ventura, CA
3/31/2007 ROTD 11/4/2007
The bowling alley facilities here leave much to be desired. I don't bowl often enough to own a ball, and the house balls here are mostly chipped and dinged. I felt like I should take off my shoes and do a little Fred Flintstone twinkletoes dance before throwing each ball, but I'd have to think twice about going barefoot in here. The wood obviously hadn't been prepped that day, as the oil was smeared down the lane, making it difficult to get a consistent hook (okay, my lack of skill might have had a small something to do with it). At least the lady at the counter was cordial and accommodating.
The bar, however, redeems the bowling alley's shortcomings. Is it divey? A bit, but I'm not so well-polished myself. Beers were reasonably-priced, the bartender was friendly and efficient, and the ensuing Yelp Karaoke Throwdown was best described by DK as "pandemonium." I hope we all go back sometime, but I hope we don't edge out the other patrons. If anything, we should assimilate them into the collective. -
Review from Ed C.
Los Angeles, CA
4/20/2007
. Karaoke
+ Cheap Booze
+ Dance Floor
- Hipster Doofuses
+/- Bowling
+ Lots of Parking
+ Yelpers
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= Dy - No - Mite! -
Review from Victoria C.
Sherman Oaks, CA
12/10/2007
Is this the oldest bowling alley in California???
The bowling didn't look appealing and Roman said it was kinda expensive so we passed on that. So straight to the bar we go.
Okay... I live dive bars. They are dark, have a cool vibe, and usually have good drinks. This bar wasn't a dive... it was just kinda gross. I felt like I was a bad bar in Idaho.
I don't care how strong the drinks are.... if a place is dirty and smells, I ain't gonna like it!Listed in: Karaoke Kraziness!
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Review from ericka L.
Pasadena, CA
7/13/2007
If my life was charted out on a timeline, my first time at All Star would be denoted as 0 Y.E., as in Year Zero of the Yelp Era. Everything before then would be B.Y.E. (Before the Yelp Era) and while I had good times in my life pre-Yelp, it's really been all uphill since that crazy night that took place less than four months ago.
Yes, it was on March 29 that I first met Aimee, Frank, Fran, Edgar, Corazon, Greg, Andi, Kampy, Masa, Joan, Linda, and many other fine Yelpers. I came by myself and was nervous, but I was warmly welcomed by everyone.
I can't help but have a special place in my heart for All Star because of that night, but also because of the night of Aimee's first planned UYE when we had a blackout and ended up drinking Frank's vodka in the parking lot before heading over to the Chalet; and Corazon's awesome birthday party, which introduced me to Fosselman's ice cream; and just last night, when a group of us popped Dave A.'s karaoke cherry and saw firsthand how Kendo and Kolbe can rock the mic.
I'll always remember Andy S. singing Billy Idol, Masa singing Bruce Springsteen, and Edgar flinging me to the floor in an attempt to dance with me while Aimee laughed hysterically on-stage. I can't forget Fran's name being misspelled on the computer screen when we bowled, leading to a new nickname (Fram) or him wiping out in the bowling alley, leading to the verbing of said nickname: fram - to wipe out stupendously.
Watching Frank and Aimee sing Chente? Amazing. Seeing Corazon seduce a whole room singing Lovefool? Hot. Witnessing Fran perform powerslides and rip his shirt open? Classic.
Yeah, the place is dingy and old and dim, but God, it feels like home.Listed in: Raindrops on roses and…
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Review from Roman T.
12/4/2007
Been here three times... and I must say only the Karaoke keeps this place alive. The bowling is pricey ($16/lane or something) and looks like if you throw too hard everything will fall apart. The pool table (that's right, only one) looks like it has seen better days and I don't even want to mention the cues. The place itself has a weird smell to it. Joan S. put it best when she asked me if I can also smell the "poo".
On the nights when they have Karaoke, it's actually fun. Just sit in the back of the room, where the smell can't reach, and just drink + sing.Listed in: Booze + Roman = What more can…
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Review from Dave A.
7/14/2007
I popped my Karaoke cherry here AND felt ok with myself in the morning. Five stars right there. I can't thank my dearest fellow yelpers enough for creating the safe zone in which to howl. I only have eyes for you now. (ooh, next song idea....noted). Putting the word Yelp in place of Help on the Beatles song was totally fitting.
Place is divey, karaoke starts at 9pm, but kitchen closes at 10pm (growling tummy not good) but friendly bartenders and awesome karaoke host, and a wide selection of songs. The drinks were good and so were the prices.
They have two "bar" size pool tables ($10 an hour) a bit pricey, video game area etc, who goes for bowling anyway? I recommend anyone to give this place a shot, but for gods sake, don't wear your bowling shoes outside! -
Review from Mia T.
Santa Monica, CA
7/7/2009
3.5 If I could, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Came here for the oh-so-popular UYE- the infamous CD Swap. I parked. Disoriented in an unfamiliar area left me wandering aimlessly through groups of people...
So, there are groups of people, yet... no bowlers? Still disoriented, I found it necessary to set out on an adventure; it looked like I was one of the first to arrive anyhow. I meandered through the lanes, passed a dark room adjacent to an empty lane and continued into a dreary hallway. I saw a bathroom, at least one thing was sure. There were bathrooms. I gave myself the once-over and headed down another hallway ( is this place a labyrinth?).
Finally, I made my way into the dive-iest of bars, complete with a lonesome mic and a bar full of local men...drankin. I walked up to a group of people, who- to my luck- happened to be yelpers. I grabbed a bottle of Bohemia and waited for the swap to begin.
The night was still young. The decor, however, was obviously not. That's the best part, though. Tinsel curtains lined the stage, a mic standing, patiently awaiting my urge to Karaoke and a room full of booths waiting to be filled. That night, it seems, may have been the busiest of nights the All Star Lanes Bar has seen in years.
The Karaoke was lively, the drinks cheap and best of all, I went home with a CD full of music that my iTunes library would soon welcome. -
Review from Ti B.
4/13/2007
All Star Lanes, All Star Lanes, this is my happy song about All Star Lanes! Doodi doodoo, yiimpiddy yip yip!! Laaa lalaa laaa la!
So I arrived for bowling a few weeks ago..it was hella bright in there....crazy florescents! It was laced with Yelpers and big smiles....and a ghetto Karaoke set up.
Then last night I passed it several times bc it was hella dark in there...the whole block was blacked out. So we went to the Chalet instead...and bc of how nice these folks are at All Star Lanes, I give them 5 stars! -
Review from Mon K.
Los Angeles, CA
7/27/2010
50's green decor-- CHECK!
Hooptie video game area -- CHECK!
Multi-colored bowling balls -- CHECK!
Two bars and food that is only edible if extremely hot -- CHECK!
Had a great time bowling here with a large group of friends. We got two lanes side-by-side, drank many cheap pitchers of beer, and were highly amused by the low-budget graphics that accompanied every strike.
There was a large lot right outside, so parking is easy. The prices on a Sunday were good -- I think about $12/person (and that included the game, shoes, and socks).
The best part -- ABSOLUTELY NO ANNOYING HIPSTERS! The other patrons included families, families, and more families. Something very cute about watching little kids bowl! :)
Oh, one more thing -- I must give them hella props for some really nice bathrooms! I couldn't believe how nice the bathrooms were -- like a upscale hotel! Oh la la! -
Review from Mike L.
Norwalk, CA
4/6/2008
I had been to a few bowling alleys in my days. This one at Eagle Rock takes the cake for vintage alleys.
The big plus coming here is the huge stage for karaoke and an awesome karaoke system. What's even better was the monitors with subtitles for you to follow the words of the song. With an adequate dive bar to go along with it, this is a fabulous place to have a festive party with a dance floor to boogie down along with the out of tuners who would sang the American Idol version of Billy Jean.
The bummer part is the bowling alley.
When I heard Judy H. who hosted the monthly bowling events down in OC would bowl around 165 for her bowling scores, I had to get a few practice in so I don't have to look bad. One of my friend remarked that the surface in the lane looked "slow" as in he felt it wasn't slick enough.
The electronics scoring and the look of the place is still very old and outdated, but if you were there for a simple recreational fun, then it is well worth it. The price is a lot higher than what I usually would pay down in SE parts of LA and OC, but it's the norm up NE part of LA.
Divey would be a very accurate ways of describing the whole place. If you are looking to host a party or looking for good clean fun I would gladly come here. I just only wish they would make their lanes slicker next time so I could get more practice on my next match vs Judy H. -
Review from Jim B.
San Francisco, CA
11/15/2010 1 Check-in Here
I had a great time bowling here last Friday. These guys hook you up with shoes pretty quickly and enter your names into the system for you. That's quite efficient.
There's a karaoke bar in back perfect for Birthdays or getting your drink on with your peeps.
Also, if the party in the next lane to you causes beer to spill they are very prompt at cleaning messes up.
My only little nitpick is the selection of bowling balls, but I guess if you're going to play wi'da Jesus, you should bring your own. That was a "Big Lebowski" reference for the win. -
Review from Carlos Z.
Los Angeles, CA
2/1/2009
Hmmm, how to cap off a nite of festivities???
Why, watching people massacre your favorite songs, of course!!! I like that they thump the music loud so it smothers the most horrible of singers. It's like a moose mating call. The drinks are weak but they are cheap, so there you go. It was lots of fun and I would come back again. Despite it's hipster inundation. Take a shower! Fur shizzle my nizzle. -
Review from marlon e.
Chino, CA
7/10/2009
The only this nice in this place is the restroom....
The bowling lanes are a bit crappy and if you are serious about bowling i don't recommend playing here but if you wanna get drunk and play with your balls this is the place to be. They got a karaoke area and and a bar which serves pretty cheap beers for 4 bucks and 6 bucks for a fat tire its not bad at all! Now for that thing that I hate! THE CARPETED FLOORS!!! WTF?!?!?!?! In a place where people spill alcohol its a NO NO!!! i hate it and i hate walking on carpet too... if you like carpet STAY HOME!
Parking is not bad they got a lot of spaces but at the back is a little bit scary.
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Review from Alfred P.
Los Angeles, CA
10/23/2006
This was the place to bowl when I was in high school, but only because we couldn't drive anywhere else. It's where I played pool for the very first time. The pool tables are some of the worst I've seen, but it's still fun to visit and play a few games or bowl a bit or get drunk or listen to some bands or whatever.
There's a really divey bar attached to this joint. Cheap, of course, double 151 n coke = 10 bucks, most excellent.
Easy parking, great and friendly staff. One time my friend and I were hit on by two women who were easily twice our age. We were smoking cigarettes with them outside and I held the door open for one and she said, "are you sure? I set off alarms," and she lifted her blue jeans revealing a metal leg. COOOOOL!!!
That's it, come to this place for a friendly and family-oriented atmosphere and stay for the bands on Sunday night and get drunk.Listed in: My Drunk Places
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Review from Ashley D.
Glendale, CA
9/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here for drinks with friends. Pretty cheap beers, and the place filled up around 10 for karaoke. Not the best divebar karaoke I've been to, but it was fun and entertaining.
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Review from Chris B.
Pasadena, CA
12/4/2007
I don't know anything about bowling, but I do know a thing or two about karaoke and dive bars. This place is great for a group, especially if the people in that group like to sing...and drink. Hence, it is an ideal venue for a Yelp event.
Pros:
1. Karaoke (with stage & dance floor).
2. Cheap drinks.
3. Casual, divey atmosphere.
4. Video games.
5. Late night bowling.
Cons:
1. Not a good choice for flying solo.
2. [Karaoke books are torn-the-fuck-up.] Not any more. *
3. Friends told me the bowling itself is crappy.
4. Only one pool table.
5. Hot but weird swinger chick tried to pick me up for a 4-way, which might be okay...if it weren't for the fact that her one friend looked like Rosie O'Donnell and the other was a dude.
* Update 01/21/08 - They have brand new karaoke books, which was much needed.Listed in: SGV's Finest, Punish Your Liver
