Bryant Lake Bowl

Elite '08

12

74

Maria T.

Chicago, IL

Minnie-sota, I will be back.  Just to visit this nifty little place again.  After the meat-riffic-ness of Christmas I did a veggie detox there the day after and loved all that I ate.  And all that I nibbled off of other plates.  My black bean burger with cheese (and sauteed mushrooms and onions) was so tasty.  If only I was able to finish it.  But alas, after the appetizer and bowl of tomato basil soup, I could not.  And I am sure that the pints of beer sure helped to fill me up.  But oh how tasty they were.  If you are from out of town, this is one helluva place to drink local.

Sadly, the closest likeness I can think of to it in Chicago is so yuppie it is nauseating.  And the food is no where near as tasty either.  Guess I will just have to wait until I head north again.  Til then, stay kewl Bryant-Lake.  Next til I will be sure to roll some 10 pin with you, baby.

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23

86

Alison M.

Minneapolis, MN

Honestly, I always expect more from BLB. The place LOOKS cooler than it really is. What you can count on is good bowling. I bowled my lifetime best score of 160 here and it was a miracle. I've since heard that the lanes are older and therefore shorter which might explain my savant game but let's just call it skillz.

BLB also has a good beer selection at decent prices. I had a pulp-y mimosa here that was a letdown but who really needs mimosas anyway.

After good beer and bowling, things get a little iffy. For a vegetarian like me, the pickins are slim. There's veggie chili that tastes vaguely like Amy's canned. There's a black bean burger that I dont dare try when Bad Waitress and Acadia are just around the corner. I had the pad thai once and was disappointed. I had some mac&cheese creation that was satisfactory once. Aaaand...that's about all there is. Seriously, it's just not that great for vegetarians.

I hear breakfast is to-die-for but I just cant bring myself to go to BLB on the weekend mornings when the seating has to be more competitive than usual (is that possible?) and there are so many delicious alternatives nearby.

Oh well, BLB is an institution right?

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Elite '08

281

172

Leif N.

San Francisco, CA

BLB, I miss you.

I miss your schizophrenic personality, all theater and restaurant and bar and bowling alley.

I miss your Minnesota hipster cooking.
And your tap beer selection. (12+ beers)
I miss your wacky theater.
I wish I could be back there hanging out with a pint, watching the door for Winona.
I miss hanging out with the hipsters that frequent the place.
I used to hope they'd somehow rub off on me, that I'd become a cooler guy via sheer proximity.

Oh well, now I can frequent the hipster joints in San Francisco or Oakland.
It's not quite the same though.  
There isn't anything in the Bay area that's quite like you.

BLB, I miss you.

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18

167

Sarah J.

Minneapolis, MN

I had the best turkey sandwich here of my life and that includes thanksgiving leftovers.  I think I blocked out the details so I could concentrate, but there was definitely turkey, definitely cranberry something, probably garlicky something.  Check it out if something on the menu smacks of my vague description.

Drink specials several nights a week.  Sunday is neighborhood night and a good night to go if you want to bowl.  Monday night is aptly date night, because BLB is a great place to take a first date ($2x for a bottle of wine, two entrees, a game of bowling).  Inexpensive, good beer selection, and something to do - maybe the competition will ease your nerves or even put you in the mood.

Keep in mind, BLB is tiny.  The eating space is tiny, the bowling space is adorably tiny, so don't come in with a group unless you call ahead.  And be prepared to wait.  You might see a celebrity or you might be able to take your drink outside to wait, but chances are good if you come in the evening, you won't get seated right away.

Minus one star?  I got charged $7 for a Jameson on the rocks on Halloween.  I don't know if that's what they charge (because it's out of line!) or if the waitress was taking advantage of our Halloween state, but I've been kind of miffed ever since.  Stick to beer.

Oh, and check out the dance, comedy, and theater performances in their adjancent (tiny) performance space.  Some of the best amateur works in the city if you hit it on a good night.

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10

156

Kathy C.

Minneapolis, MN

Great place to bowl and a great place to eat AND drink.  I love their food, the pad thai is just OK but I have had some really decent apps here.  They also have great beers on tap which are sometimes on special.  I also really like the bowling and generally chill atmosphere.  Big ups to British Steel, our usual server who is super duper friendly.

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20

125

Ryan K.

Chicago, IL

This place is pretty cool.  The food, as you will read from other reviews, is excellent.  Beer selection is great.  As a Chicagoan, I miss my Bell's.  Good times with some coworkers.  Go in, put your name down for a lane or two, get food, drink, and then bowl and drink some more.  It is a real fun time.

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11

110

Murray B.

Somerville, MA

When I lived 2 blocks from BLB this was my hangout. When I moved about 10 blocks away I didn't even second-guess the extra walk for breakfast. Now that I'm 1000+ miles away I jump at every opportunity to go back to BLB. Decent selection of tap beers, great breakfast, lunch & dinner menu options.

BLB has always been more of a breakfast place than a lunch or dinner place to me. The scrambled egg options include broccoli, cream cheese, feta, spinach, jalapeno peppers and many others. Try the Eggsadilla and the french toast! Check their website for the menu.

In retrospective I can see why this place gets less than 4 stars from people these days. It's gotten quite popular and very busy & annoying during the rush hours. I highly recommend checking out BLB on an off hour. Once you get hooked you might be able to overlook the wait.

The theater and the bowling, which I admittedly never took advantage of, are a nice addition to a great restaurant.

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Elite '08

90

788

Ian S.

Seattle, WA

The famous Lyn-Lake area's Bryant-Lake Bowl hosts the usual off-crowd odd theater productions, eclectic selection of booze, counterculture-friendly food selections, and all the theater-crowd unfiltered cig type people you can handle.

Definitely worth a stop but make sure to underdress before you go.

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4

88

Jaclyn C.

Chicago, IL

A mix of theatre, restaurant, and bowling alley in the heart of Uptown, happening to serve both beer and coffee. I love this place and wish I had discovered it earlier.

When I went home for Spring Break last year, I took my 16 year old cousin and 20 yr old friend and both liked it. On the other hand, my mom's office went for a work party, and she complained about smoke for a few hours after she got back. If that gives you any idea about the atmosphere...

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0

36

ms k.

Minneapolis, MN

Truely enjoyable experince-bowling, theater, drinks or dinner have all been fun here. I do think it gets a bit insane when its croweded, and isn't the place to go if you need space. The food is very earthy and tastes great. I often choose the basics though. Good grilled cheese. Has a great deal on monday nights...bowling, dinner, and wine for 2 for something like 25 dollers. That makes me smile just thinking about it.

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Elite '08

23

178

Nate K.

Honolulu, HI

If you're looking for a solid breakfast spot and the Uptown Diner is too far away, Bryant Lake Bowl is a good alternative.  The BLB is something of a legend in Lyn-Lake and has everything from great breakfasts, to awesome sandwiches to a really great beer selection. Ever have a Duval Weiss? It's awesome and i have only found it at Bryant Lake Bowl. Oh, and you can bowl there too.   I highly recommend this place.  

Insiders note - for lunch try the Tuna Melt - whole grain bread, cheddar cheese and a tuna salad made with wasabi.

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15

143

Five A.

Columbus, GA

Good food in a funky tiny very old bowling alley!  Unusual place makes this a must try for someone looking for something different.  Mostly a bar feel.  Don't fret over the bowling alley part, this place is NOT a typical bowling alley.

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4

73

Jessica Z.

Chapel Hill, NC

One thing that I haven't seen mentioned yet is that they try to have as much local products on the menu as possible.  Also, they try to keep it interesting with thing such as buffalo and some really excellent local cheeses.  It can get quite crowded, but the servers are not only great but good people.

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16

577

Michelle W.

Chicago, IL

Featured in the movie Beautiful Girls, BLB is a Minneapolis institution.  The bowling here is way fun and thankfully they do serve beer to make it even more so.  They also have great and quick lunches and their Bacon, Turkey and Avacado sandwich is great!

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Elite '08

10

247

Lacey P.

Saint Paul, MN

Whoaaaa. Try thier granola pancake if it's the only thing you do. Like eating a sort of healthy cookie for breakfast.  Their breakfast kicks ass, isn't too expensive, and has a lot of veggie options.  Like they have tofu substitute for eggs.  And they have booze.  All day.  And their Reds and Veggies are really good with those special potatoes they make.  Yum yum yum.  A tried and true breakfast place.  But get there early as there will be a lot of hipsters trying to impress you by pretending to read the whole New York Times and staring at everyone who walks in the door so they see people seeing them being so intellectual.  Oh yeah and movie stars go here and there is sexy bowling and waitresses and a waiter with a 3-D tattoo I think and a little theater to see shows. And their table tops are made of bowling lanes.  Ok that's it.  I really love this place. Oh one more thing.  Outside when it's nice there are benches with tables built in like desks in school so you can eat your organic and sometimes locally grown food on Lake Street.  Yummmm..

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0

42

Entertainment M.

Oakland, CA

Beer selection galore, pub food worth eating, bowling, oh and over there in the corner; that's a theatre for plays or music.  I've never seen a more diverse use of space.  

Plus, I love that they filmed a scene from Beautiful Girls there.

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4

42

Mike W.

Minneapolis, MN

Go here for cheap date night on Monday's. $25 get's you and your other dinner, a bottle of wine, and a round of bowling. Good beer, good food, good atmosphere.

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0

8

Pot B.

Minneapolis, MN

Yawn

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Elite '08

13

124

Maria B.

Somerville, MA

best. french. toast.

excellent bacon and egg dishes, coffee by the pot (you choose the size) and great espresso in a fun, funky spot.  lunch and dinner are strong, too, but it's blb's breakfast that makes me miss minneapolis on a saturday morning!

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