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Elitch Lanes
Category: Active Life Bowling Bowling [Edit]
3825 Tennyson StDenver, CO 80212
Neighborhood: Northwest
(303) 477-1633
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 9 am - 2 am
Fri-Sat 10 am - 2 am
Sun 10 am - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
46 reviews for Elitch Lanes
46 reviews in English
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Review from Sadie R.
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am not a huge bowler but I had a blast here. It was not overly expensive and the technology was very cool. They show you how fast you throw your ball. It was a very diverse crowd and we have lots of fun.
I would recommend this place over the "box" bowling. -
Review from Amanda P.
Denver, CO
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've been here twice, once for a friend's birthday, and the other to host my son's birthday party.
They have a great deal on lanes for birthday parties, and you get a pizza and pitcher of pop with your bowling. The kids had a blast and of course, no one minded a bunch of crazy kindergartners bowling and running around, so I was a bit more relaxed. There seemed to be a shortage of orange (6 lb) balls though, so we had to settle for the 8 pounders, of which there were plenty.
They have a bar, and they give you wristbands to drink, which is weird to me, but ok.
Dirty, crazy place. It's so dark you forget it's still daylight outside. The black lights are cool since it makes your shoes and other fluorescent stuff glow.
They have a few arcade games and air hockey. Also one of those claw machines that you can quickly waste ten bucks on.
The place is alright. One of the better bowling alleys to have fun at. -
Review from Danielle C.
Denver, CO
12/29/2011
This place has tons of potential, but my goodness, because of the rude staff and inefficient operations, I think I had more fun at work today.
I live about 4 blocks from this place so of course I really want to love it. My boyfriend and I love to bowl and the Tuesday/Thursday deal seems pretty amazing. However, because of the poor lane management and customer service, I might prefer to head the extra mile up to Wheat Ridge Lanes.
When we showed up today at 9:10 (10 minutes after the Thursday night deal began - our first mistake) the place was packed and we were told we were 15th on the waiting list and we'd have an hour and a half wait. Bummer. I had my heart set on bowling and my boyfriend hauled his heavy bowling balls all the way there, so we decided to wait. Soon after we arrived, three lanes cleared up. So naturally, the lady and gentleman working the counter proceed to call ONE party up to claim their lane. Ten minutes pass and they call that person again. Eight more minutes pass and they give a last call for this person. Then they wait seven more minutes to call the next person on the waiting list. So apparently, each person gets nearly 30 minutes to claim their lane! If you're waiting for a lane and are in the building, you'll get to the counter in less than a minute. And if you don't, you should probably just go home.
All the while, three lanes are sitting wide open. After the staff went through this inefficient process for one more no show, I went to the counter and asked what their process was for calling people to claim lanes (of course they ignored me for 5 minutes before acknowledging me). They said they give each person about 3 minutes to show then they call the next person. When I asked why they gave "David" 25 minutes to claim his lane, they completely ignored me. Nice.
We waited for a few more hopeful minutes and decided to cut our losses when somehow we were still 7th on the waiting list at 10:25...with 2 lanes wide open and only one claimed.
I'm sure this place is great when there are 24 open lanes, but when there are only three, managing the place seems too daunting a task for the 4 staff they have chatting about their favorite type of snow shovel. -
Review from Justin S.
Denver, CO
1/5/2012
I love Elitch Lanes.
I've been regularly bowling in the Monday night beer 'n pizza league for several years now and have zero complaints. The owners are exceptionally friendly, the drinks are cheap, and the league is the best deal in town (at the time of writing this, $13 per week per player gets you three games, a pizza, and a pitcher of beer).
The lanes are always in great condition and the attitude is 1000x better than some of the more 'elite' alleys in town.
Doesn't hurt to be just up the block from Parisi, either! -
Review from Kmberly B.
Denver, CO
10/13/2011
Fun fun fun until my daddy took my bowling ball away!
I haven't really bowled that much since I moved to Colorado since the glorious outdoors usually keep me busy. However, when we get the itch... Elitch lanes is where we go!
I was first introduced to Elitch a few years ago and not much has changed since then, with the exception of their much better parking lot! With that being said, "if it's not broken, don't fix it." This is a laid back, dive-y type, retro, casual and fun atmosphere. All the people who work there have always been very friendly and helpful, even when our lane got stuck several times they rectified the situation very quickly.
I especially like that when we went they had one side set-up for cosmic "glow" bowling and the other side was normal. It was nice to have the choice as we found we bowl better in boring light. Extra bonus for their 25cent Summer game specials! -
Review from Aaron E.
9/8/2011
This bowling alley has all the potential in the world to be a great place. That being said I hate it!!! How do you have one person working both the front and the bar? For god sakes I don't want to sit at the front desk for 20 minutes while you fill everyone's cup. This has happened 5 of the 6 times I have been here WTF!!! Either I'm waiting at the bar or I'm waiting at the front. Could I just please bowl...Thanks!
One last thing is how do you charge 4.50 per game before Labor Day? I understand leagues just started, but to charge that much I better be bowling on a lane made of gold and the service better be offering me back massages between throws.
Go down 38th and go to Wheat Ridge Lanes you'll have an exponentially better time. $1.00 games every Saturday and pitchers for $7.00 now that's what I'm talking about. -
Review from Lauren B.
Denver, CO
11/8/2011
-Super cheap
-Super dive-y
-Straight out of the 70's
...what more could you ask for from a bowling alley? -
Review from Thomas G.
San Francisco, CA
11/15/2011
Being open til 2 in the morning should be a requirement for all bowling alleys. Nationwide. Period.
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Review from Stephen K.
Denver, CO
5/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Was here recently for a charity event for cancer -- donated $15, got 2 monster BYOBurritos and half a pitcher of Stella Artois. I'm not sure that that's an appropriate scale to judge this *place* by versus the organization that put on the event, but so be it -- it was a good vibe.
Bartendress has been here a *long* time...20+ years. Apparently this was a family-owned establishment at some point and she's a remnant of that time. I wouldn't want to be on *my* feet anywhere near that long, but it must be a good place to work if she's happy still being there.
They have Breckenridge on tap, too, which made me happy. Most of their bowling balls, it seemed, were *green*. A little odd. A few were coral-colored. The restrooms were clean, and it seems like an ok/homey place to hang out in a somewhat rundown area of town. The alleys were well-maintained, and they have "ramps" for the little kid bowlers to roll their bowling balls down -- bonus for that, *and* for not having insulting / annoying "bumpers" to keep the ball from not going in the gutter. Aim the ramp, you don't *need* bumpers. Nice. -
Review from Terry L.
Elitch Gardens has long moved and the remaining are turned into housing with no real "gardens" to speak of.
HOWEVER-- Elitch Lanes REMAINS!!
Put up a big rock hands salute for the owners and staff at what should be regarded as a Denver Landmark.
No- nonsense bowling alley with a great bar.
My only experience here was at last week's BOWLING4BALLZ event- a LIVESTRONG Colorado benefit for Testicular Cancer see video here:
http://www.youtube.com...
http://www.youtube.com...
I had a great time drinking a few beers with good friends and helping out as a volunteer for that event.
I didn't get to bowl though.
I hope to get a group of good people together for an Elitch Lanes invasion sometime soon.
Denver Yelpers-- what do you think about an Elite event here?? -
Review from Heather B.
Denver, CO
2/8/2011
Arrived yesterday with my 7 year old son, excited for him to try "real" bowling for the 1st time. We were there around 5:15 and 2 lanes were being used. That left about 15-20 or so lanes empty. I was told they were full and wouldn't have room until 9pm.
Apparently they had reservations but they weren't until later that evening. Plenty of time for us to play a game or even two. I guess they prefer the lanes to be unused.
Very disappointed. And they made my kid sad. Not happy. -
Review from cherie c.
6/28/2010
The beer is cheap, the shoes are pretty cool (for bowling shoes), and they spray Lysol when you return them.
I'm not a fan of bowling. It's the sharing of the shoes and bowling balls that get me. And I don't want to bowl often enough to warrant buying either. But Elitch Lanes lowers the ick factor by spraying the shoes. They have good specials to make the night more affordable. The outside is fun and retro.
We had to have someone reset our lane for us a few times when the reset button wouldn't work. But the work hard to fix the issue quickly.
Had a good time with friends, even if my score was practically the same as my age. -
Review from Tommy S.
Denver, CO
Wow!! Just a pleasure to play in the Monday night league this winter. Great staff, well maintained lanes and balls. They made us a wonderful taco/burrito bar one week and always provided a great time. I wish I could play again next session :(
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Review from Kathleen A.
Denver, CO
1/20/2011 22 Check-ins Here
Dank, dark, old and musty...exactly how I like my bowling alleys to be. The only thing missing is the cigarette smell but I don't hold them at fault for that. I'm on a weekly league now, in which I bowl 3 games, and a pitcher of beer and mediocre Papa John's pizza is served. I don't know how actual prices compare to other places around town.
Ok, my ONLY gripe with this place: They do not offer 9 lb bowling balls. 8 lb is too small and 10 is too damn big! So I have to suck it up and use the 10 lb balls unless I just buy my own (But I don't want to be known as "that" girl who brings her own ball in, come on). Maybe my right arm will be much stronger after this league is over.
Come in for an awesome retro bowling experience!! Also love the staff-they couldn't be sweeter.Listed in: Highland hotspots
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Review from Laura E.
Denver, CO
7/18/2011
I cannot say that I've ever been to a cheap bowling lane before, nor did I know they existed. Elitch Lanes looks a little run down from the outside, but I was pleasantly surprised on the inside by a full bar and--naturally--several "Big Lebowski" posters. We went on a Weds. night, when games cost $1, though apparently they offer even cheaper games on other nights-- which is great for champion gutterball rollers like myself! More eerily still, everything seems relatively well-maintained and service was friendly, which makes me think Elitch isn't a hot spot for kids (also a plus!!) All of the above earn it points and (hopefully soon) future gutterballs from me.
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Review from Douglas R.
Denver, CO
3/2/2009 ROTD 9/14/2009
Great bowling movies, ok just bowling Movies! Big Lebowski & King Pin, if they were to ever film a bowling movie in Denver this is where is would be filmed! This place has character, on any given day you could see Walter Sobchack, The Dude & Donny bowling on lane 4 while Roy Munson and Ernie McCraken go at it on lane 10, and Michael Moore might be doing something for Columbine on Lane 8.
It is small and it is old, the they do have the standard up to date electronic computer controlled scoring systems with the new fangled graphics, I wish it would have been the old school pong style scoring system with the block letters and minimal graphics. There is a cool small bar in the back behind the counter where you get your shoes and pay for this leisure activity. We had a work outing here and they put out some brats and burgers for us, This is a bowling alley and the bar on your expectations on the food are is pretty low, however the brats were exceptional and I forgot to ask what brand they were because I would eat them again.
Admittedly I am not a very good bowler, I honestly go just to see how hard I can throw the ball and one cool thing most alleys do now a days is show you the speed of your ball, I however have a gripe here I think they have a regulator and or the MPH readout is capped at 23.3 MPH because there is no way I could throw that exact MPH on 6 straight balls.Listed in: ROTD's
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Review from Tiffany N.
Denver, CO
Updated - 2/21/2009 2 photos
Just when I thought this old school bowling alley couldn't get any better, they laughed in my face and showed me how wrong I could be...
Ladies and gentlemen, they have the fast version of Ms. Pac-Man now.Listed in: Keeping My Inner Child Alive, Ms. Pac-Man around the States, Denver Bars That Have Ms.…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/29/2008 First to Review
You know what I like about this bowling alley? They give you choices. Say you walk in on a Friday… Read more »
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Review from Joe C.
Denver, CO
4/10/2009 ROTD 1/23/2010
Bowling is one of those "sports" where you feel at home drinking beer and eating chicken tenders while "sporting." This may come off as a snide put-down on bowling but it's not. Bowling is awesome. Those of us that are "twice a year" bowlers can go from hitting two strikes in a row to complete gutterballs on the next two frames. And you know what? We don't care. It's not a big deal to suck at bowling. In fact, you do get looked at kind of funny if you're doing too well. And if you have your own gear? Forget about it. You might as well be from another planet as far as us mere mortals who use the public shoes are concerned.
Elitch caters to us spontaneous bowlers. It's good fun and an inexpensive way to spend your evening. It's even better if you've got a huge group and you make fun of each other after every throw. Elitch Lanes doesn't care if you're boisterous and loud because everyone else is.
Plus with the computerized scorecards, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out who won and how strikes/spares carry over. I said this out loud one day and SV mentioned that she learned how to score bowling in gym class. My response was deafening silence. I concluded that this is something that they taught in the Midwest (SV is from St. Louis), but I could be wrong.
You can try those other fancier bowling lanes like Lucky Strike; LS has its place on a evening of ribaldry, but most don't bowl for the ambiance. Bowling is supposed to be raw, a little dingy and cheap. Elitch Lanes is all of those. -
Review from leah o.
11/19/2010
This place looks like a total strip joint from the outside. You have to walk in towards a nondescript door at the back and you ask your friend, in a wavering voice, "..... we're going BOWLING, right?"
AHHH, SEE, you just haven't been bowling recently! That's how it always is! Bowling alleys are just cruddy joints, places that are so old and are smeared in so much pizza grease and bowling-ball-finger-hole-stank that it's just how they are.
You're going to have a swell time here. Your pizza will never come (our Papa John's pizza cost $15 and took an hour and a half to arrive), the music will always be terrible (The Police.... ugh, always the friggin Police), but it's a BOWLING ALLEY and it's totally typical. -
Review from Doug Y.
9/4/2008
Took a step back in time. My first year at Horace Mann Jr High. It was 1966, Mr Bogadi's intro to bowling class. The first time I stuck my fingers into a bowling ball.
Zoom forward 30 years. I walked into the bowling alley gig and kind of laughed to myself, a band in a bowling alley. Shit the smoke is thick in here!
Just a few days ago... I'm surprised that the place doesn't still reek of smoke. It had to have been absorbed into the bricks as smelly as it used to be in here. This is one of the reasons that the smoking ban makes life better, this is a place a family could come to. They've kept the place up nice for all these many years and with the automated scoring it makes bowling a simple matter of trying to keep the ball out of the gutters. Very cool. -
Review from Jamie L.
1/2/2010 ROTD 5/27/2010
Elitch Lanes is a fun place to grab some drinks with your friends and play a few games.
We like their Tuesday Night deal: $5.00 cover with $.25 cent games. Also for a quarter: Hot Dogs. (And they're not awful, either. As far as hot dogs go.)
The staff is friendly, and the bartender remembers us (and sometimes what we drink, too.) We grab a pitcher of Avalanche Ale, tie on our garishly ugly bowling shoes, and kill a few hours of time for roughly $7. Plus... it's "Exercise." Haha.
Wednesday nights are $1 games, $1 Sliders, and $1 Avalanche Drafts.
They have league nights, so check their schedule before heading over.
Also, just up Tennyson, you'll find some great gems of little restaurants and bistros, along with art galleries and boutiques. It's a cute little area.Listed in: In The KNOW!, Unique Date Night!, Things to do in Denver When…
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Review from Gitana G.
Arvada, CO
8/29/2009
I'm a fan of Elitch Lanes because they have a program for neighborhood kids to bowl after school for cheap ($5ish) - plus a hot dog and drink were included too.
My son participated two different sessions - it was great exercise (better than watch TV or playing computer games); counter service was always attentive and respectful.
My son always looked forward to eating fries and playing air hockey here too. Plenty of parking available.
It's the real deal; affordable for all; "yes" to a cool "old-school" institution in the 'hood.Listed in: In the 'hood (NW Denver), HANDS DOWN
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Review from Britney R.
Denver, CO
8/26/2009
I am surprised that this establishment has such great reviews.
I have spent my money at Elitch Lanes over a half dozen times, and have always been less than impressed. I decided after my last visit that I will never return.
First of all, the bartender is extremely rude each time. She acts as if every drink order is an inconvenience to her rather than an opportunity for her to make money. I think she believes that every person who orders a drink is sneaking that drink to some 18 year old kid. My entire group was in their late 20's, and she treated us like we were criminals when ordering drinks.
In fact, when I went to get my shoes, the man taking money there acted the same way, as if I was inconveniencing him by making him do 'work'.
Staff rudeness aside, the prices here are decidedly astronomical. Bowling is cheap, $7 for three hours and shoes. But drinks? Out of the question. A pitcher of Stella is $14 and even a pitcher of Bud Light is $10. My favorite joints in New York City charge less! My friends spent around $500 for a night of bowling. That is ridiculous, especially considering how poorly we were treated all night.
When I was there, the place was pretty filthy, too. The bathroom was so gross, I actually had to hold it until we left. -
Review from Carissa M.
Denver, CO
1/24/2009
I just returned from an afternoon of bowling with the kids from the Tennyson Center for Children, hosted at Elitch Lanes. This is a really cute place tucked into the heart of Berkley with plenty of parking and an eclectic mix of folks - everything from little girls celebrating their birthdays to our group to older folks brushing up on their bowling form.
As bowling lanes go, this place was pretty clean and seemed to have a never ending selection of bowling alley-fare such as hot dogs, fries and drinks. I'd definitely go back to Elitch Lanes next time we're looking for a place to get our bowl on! -
Review from Kelly T.
12/29/2008
I have been going to this bowling alley for almost 8 years as a Christmas tradition with my father's side of the family and it's been absolutely incredible to watch it transform from family fun spot to hipster hangout.
I, of course, went bowling here on Saturday evening (we planned on going Friday, but when we got there at 10, there was a 2 hour wait) and found the place unchanged from the year before.
Well, maybe there were a few more skinny jeans than I was used to seeing, but that was about it.
What I like about this place is that Elitch Lanes never really modifies their image. Sure, they upgrade their technology, but it's still essentially a neighborhood bowling alley, complete with extremely watered down Bud Light and guy at the counter missing half his teeth.
See you next year, Elitches!Listed in: The Suburb Within The City
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Review from Carly B.
1/24/2010
If you want to go bowling and feel the full effect, Elitch Lanes is the place to go. This place has it all: it's a little grimy, the snack bar is a little greasy, and you leave a little stinky even though smoking was banned years ago.
I'm not the hugest bowling fan. I'm left-handed and bowl like a seven-year-old. The ball holes REALLY gross me out and I don't consider myself a germaphobe. As a result, I only go if it's part of a work "team building" thing or somebody is having a party. In this instant, I went with Cousin for her work party.
Our lane was kind of flaky. I got a strike on one occasion (rare) and because the last pin took so long to fall, it was counted as 9. But then it set all ten pins down and told me I only had one to hit. I hit several, but not the right one. So I got a nine, not a strike. What kind of scoring is that?
The shoe sizes seem to run big. This is great news for me and my mammoth feet: I got to wear a full size smaller! Also, my real size shoes were very plain, but the smaller pair I ended up wearing had flaming skulls on them. Bitchin'.
Overall, Elitch Lanes is a great place to get a truly authentic bowling experience. It's not sleek and shiny like newer places, but that's not what bowling is about. -
Review from Neil Q.
Denver, CO
1/20/2011
I've been bowling here for 10 years and I've always loved it. Typical bowling ambiance... Creepy dark lighting, that smell of fried food and Lysol, and lots of noise. The staff is courteous and have been there for years. Its great for parties or just good old fashioned fun. Several nights a week they have great deals on beers and games, but it does get busy so it would be worth it to get there early. I currently bowl there in a weekly pizza and beer league which is fun but the generic pizza is a drag. The atmosphere of serous bowlers and beer buffs is quite the time. It can get expensive on non deal days, but its definitely worth the trip. The bar is reasonably stocked and priced fairly average. It have been there for 30+ years and it's a great North Denver joint.
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Review from Ilona F.
5/1/2011
I've been here just twice, both times to celebrate a friend's birthday. And both times I've wrinkled my nose at the place upon entering, but when I leave I'm glad I came and I'm eager to return. Bowling is fun, as are their fluorescent bowling shoes that glow in the dark. And it's fun to see my score improve from the pathetic to the pretty good over the course of an evening; yes, practice makes perfect, or at least creates consistency, and the electronic score boards are groovy to watch, especially the graphics when you score a spare or a strike. And the management seems pretty laid back when it comes to BYOB ("B" meaning beverage, non-alcoholic) and food, if you don't care for their offerings.
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Review from rebecca b.
Denver, CO
5/31/2009
This is where we slum. Usually on a holiday weekend of some sort when you are fed up with family gatherings or stifling heat. Come to Elitch Lanes and order some pitchers, have some pizza delivered, and relax! (yes, you can bring outside food!! how many places let you do that?)
Never had a problem with reservations, service, anything. Its always amusing that everyone in your party who will be drinking, even grandma, will have to bring an ID to the bar and get a bracelet (a la Fillmore). Usually about 2 games in, someone feels the need to feed a lot of quarters into the jukebox for some Journey. Kitsch has its price.
And did someone say "people-watching"? Its almost the best part about bowling... and there is some good stuff at Elitch Lanes.
I heart Elitch Lanes. I even eat their hot dogs. I will not go to Lucky Strike. Ever. -
Review from Mo C.
10/2/2008
Wednesdays are the best! $1 shoe rental, $1 games, $1 beers!
Went here with a large group from http://MeetIn.org and had an absolute blast!
They lose one star for their very strange way of assigning lanes. We were able to reserve one lane at 8pm and 2 more at 9pm. We got our 8pm lane and the one next to us was open, so we took that one as well. As 9pm rolls around, we start asking about our other lane. There were several vacant, but they put us on a waiting list anyway. It wasn't until after 10pm that we got our other lane. WTF? -
Review from Lauren D.
2/3/2009
This is a reasonably priced place to go bowling. It's very cute inside and I like that you can be on the neon black light side or the "normal" bowling side. I wasn't too impressed by the staff there unfortunately. We had lots of trouble with one lane and got some "hey man machines just break sometimes" attitude when we went to complain about it. But it got fixed and we bowled a few games, and drank a few pitchers of beer and had a good time there. I would strongly suggest reservations for a lane on weekends because this place was slammin' on a Saturday night.
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Review from Jenny S.
Denver, CO
11/10/2009
Old skool bowling, $1 games and $1 drafts on Wed nights as well as other specials. This place was packed but the attendant was very cool and even though we were told it might be up to 2 hrs wait, he remembered to grab us and we got a lane within 20 minutes. They are open until 2am every night and it seemed to quiet down around 11pm. I had fun even though I'm a terrible bowler!
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Review from Kaleigh B.
Denver, CO
9/4/2009
Bowling is bowling but the bartenders were rude. We were watched like hawks without reason and the bathroom floors were soaked. I'd rather bowl elsewhere and will.
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Review from David C.
1/7/2009
Just call me Kingpin :o) I haven't bowled in years but I was kicking butt last night. I've been in a few bowling alleys over my 20 years of living in the states (usually when Brit friends are visiting) and they always seem to be seedy, 70's looking joints. Elitchs is no different but it was awesome. Tues & Thurs 9pm to close its $5 to get in then .25c shoes, games and hot dogs. We passed on the hot dogs!
At the counter the lady was very welcoming and told us there would be a wait as there were 6 other groups ahead of us. We then told her that we had called ahead and made a reservation so we got hooked up straight away. At the bar they have to ID everyone and you get a wristband so I had to go and grab my friend before she would give me two glasses. On tap they had Bud, Bud lite, Stella and Avalanche Ale. I got a pitcher of Avalanche and it was $13.75 which seemed reasonable? It was all kinda bright with the lights on when we first walked in but during one of our four games the lights dimmed, the music got cranked up a notch and the neon lights were glowing along with my limey Green shoe laces :o)
On the way out we had a quick game of air hockey in which I got beat 7-1 so I see a rematch in the near future.
This place gets busy so I highly recommend you call ahead and make a reservation. I am a fan. -
Review from Matt P.
Denver, CO
9/3/2008
I agree with the other reviews. I love this old school bowling alley. The staff is great as is the music selection, the food is above average and there are almost always lanes available. The air hockey table and prize machines are also an added bonus if you like a little variety.
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Review from Larren M.
...Elitch Lanes is pretty chill. It's a old school cool bowling alley. Not one of the fancy new futuristic ones that you see now a days. It has character and style. It's in a cool part of town with a lot of bars, shops and eateries around. My only complaint is....Well there are a couple. The staff at Elitch Lanes is a bit...slow would be a good term. They have a hard time multitasking even the simplest things. Prices for drinks are ridiculous so I suggest pitchers of beer instead. Didn't try any food. Something about finger foods and bowling gross me out. Had a great time though. Rolled a 182 first game.
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Review from Kate G.
I'm not a bigtime bowler but this place is a total blast. It's a dive for sure, but not gross inside. They often have cheap specials on shoes, beers and hot dogs for 25 cents to $1 depending on the day and time. That's tough to beat. I've always come on weeknights or Sundays and never had to wait for lanes, but I'm sure it's busy on Friday and Saturday nights. I like how they have half the lanes set up for disco bowling and half lit regularly because it's usually quicker to get set up on the less crowded "normal" lanes. They have a decent beer selection if you don't like $1 Bud Light in a plastic cup the size of a shot glass. But when in Rome... Maybe next year I'll join a bowling league!
Listed in: Berkeley Rocks
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Review from David S.
1/14/2010
Old school and super cool! If you don't try this place, you are a fool.
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Review from Aaron L.
Highlands Ranch, CO
3/6/2011
Great atmosphere but the employees are horrible. To make it short, I got rudely yelled at for bringing a Pepsi into the alley. Never would have thought you couldn't bring in a Pepsi. The bartenders were ignoring you when you were trying to get a drink and to top it off after spending two hours inside with your friends, you return to your car and find a threatening note that "Parking is for Elitch Lanes Patrons only and all violators will be towed" after I spent about two hours inside bowling.
Comment from Cal E. of Elitch Lanes 3/6/2011
The reason soft drinks can't be brought in is because often… More » -
Review from Carrie T.
Denver, CO
3/20/2010
Great classic (but clean) bowling alley! Didn't try any of the food, but the bowling was fun and fairly priced. One complaint was that there wasn't much seating for each lane, so even with just the three of us it was awkward to stay together.
