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Fountain Bowl
Category: Active Life Bowling Bowling [Edit]
17110 Brookhurst StFountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 963-7888
- Hours:
Mon 10 am - 12 am
Tue-Thu 9 am - 1 am
Fri 10 am - 2 am
Sat 8:30 am - 2 am
Sun 8 am - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
61 reviews for Fountain Bowl
61 reviews in English
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Review from Michelle N.
Fountain Valley, CA
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
$30/hr on a Saturday night?! +$4 for shoe rentals?
Seems a bit over priced no? For the location and what it offers, I'd say not. The lanes were nice and shiny and new. Most of the balls were sweaty, err... colorful... yes. And who could turn down beer? Beer and balls? Count me in!
I actually didn't bowl. Boyfriend and family member bowled together for an hour while I just sipped away at some beer. The restrooms were very clean (Surprising to me), and the items out of the food area + vending machines were very reasonably priced. Maybe we'll try cosmic bowling next time! -
Review from Peter H.
Beer and Rock and Bowl can be a great Saturday night out with the buds when you can't really figure out anything else to do from 10-1am. Usually about $18 bucks without shoes but on their site it says "Friday & Saturday Cosmic Bowling $10 including shoes". Fairly priced pitchers and food is better than decent most of the time. Lanes here always vary so don't always count on your skills and more on dumb luck haha.
Wednesdays here can get pretty packed due to the $2 games. Other than that go bowl and have a great time!
Check their site once in a while to find out the weekly/daily specials:
http://www.fountainbow... -
Review from Beth R.
Orange County, CA
11/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Big Mexican looking dudes working at the front are RUDE AS HELL!!!
+ Bowling for 6 people + shoes = $54
+ Pool table for 2 hours = $14
- Drunk old people singing karaoke.
- Butch chicks that need to NOT sag their pants.. -
Review from Kenneth L.
Santa Ana, CA
10/19/2011
My favorite place to bowl around here. I come on Wednesdays for the cheap $2 games. The balls are nice and they holes fit (unless some places..) The service from the front desk and bartenders aren't always the friendliest but that doesn't really matter to me. As long as they give me my lane and my beer and I'm good. It's a fun and safe place to bowl without having to worry about anyone intruding you.
Tip: go across the street to Alertos if you want good mexican food! -
Review from Roberto B.
Huntington Beach, CA
9/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you want to have a great time- GO TO FOUNTAIN BOWL!!!
We have enjoyed several occasions here.
When you do go, you must try the PIZZA!!! The price is well worth it.
Enjoy! -
Review from Chau N.
6/18/2011
My 2nd fav bowling alley, next to Lucky Strike.
It's clean, big, and no ridiculous wait.
It's a little bit pricier, but totally doable.
They have a food area and serves alcohol.
This is more family friendly.
I prefer to go late at night for their Cosmic Bowl. It's $15/person from 11:30P-2A. Shoes are $4/person. The normal games are $4.50/game before 6P, and $5.50/game after 6P. -
Review from Rosy D.
Fountain Valley, CA
12/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
all the staff there is great and helpful. I go there a few times a month for a Kiwanis meetings and each time the food is great! Jamie in the kitchen is a great chef!=]
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Review from Vinnie N.
7/13/2011
A bit pricier than other bowling alleys but the facility is well maintained. Hit it up on cosmic bowling nights or do an unlimited bowling special to get the best bang for your buck.
Nothing says a good time like getting plastered to 80's rock and trying to out bowl your your stumbling, drunk friends. Don't drop the ball on your foot! -
Review from Monica T.
5/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nothing special or different about this bowling alley. It's not a Lucky Strike,but the lanes are good and it's cheap.
I went here for a kids birthday party. The staff did a great job running the party and keeping all of the kids under control. The kids seemed to enjoy the whole experience.
The adults had a great time bowling as well! Seemed like a great idea and place for a kids birthday party. -
Review from Dietrich S.
Orange, CA
2/13/2011
As far as a bowling alley goes, the facility is pretty good here. The inside of the building is nice, they have very good food (by bowling alley standards), and the place is always clean. They could have nicer computers, they look quite old school and don't record the MPH you threw the ball. Lame.
Also, the house shoes here were terrible. This place actually got me to finally buy my own pair of bowling shoes, because the house shoes here are unusable. And if you're just going to practice, as I used to here, it can be a bit expensive.
Overall, I prefer Carter Lanes in Fullerton, but this place is OK if you're in the area.Listed in: Let's Roll
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Review from Jenny B.
10/25/2010 1 Check-in Here
This place needed to turn on their AC up a notch. Came here last night with a friend and I was sweating before my first frame even finished. It's like a Sauna. We got the good lane, thank God. The group beside up kept getting the balls stuck in the machine.
Customer service was really slow and they charged $22/hour for one lane and on the 56th minute, they just completely stopped the game without letting us finish the whole frames. However, with 60lanes availability, I couldn't put this place lower than 3 stars. You're guaranteed a lane without any waiting time. Don't be surprised to see a lot of older folks, it seemed this lane are pretty popular with group leagues for seniors. -
Review from Dennis C.
Irvine, CA
3/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Typical bowling alley. Needs a little updating for their systems but understandably, this keeps the prices lower.
Discount prices sunday morning make this worth it if you can wake up early enough. -
Review from Lloyd J.
Westminster, CA
1/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is chill, tons of lanes. Monday and Wednesday specials which make the games super cheap. Service is ok, not too bad. It could use some ventilation though. The lanes themselves are well maintained and better kept than the other alternatives in the area. Prices on the food is not too overpriced.Cool bar inside with karaoke every wednesday, not to mention bar prices are pretty good (12 bucks for a draft of hef).
Bowling here is fun! -
Review from delicia r.
Mira Loma, CA
2/28/2011
Good shoes, good lanes and plenty of them, good beer.... all in all darn good time. This was the first time my BF and i had been bowling since 2008, and by far we enjoyed this experience better than our prior. After our hour of bowling (and me getting my butt kicked), we went into the bar area (where they were doing karaoke) and we played pool. It was a good time, again more beer :)
we will def be back :) -
Review from Judy H.
8/23/2010
I usually don't go bowling often these days so I can't really say how this place compares to other bowling alleys, but I can tell you what to expect when you come here.
Parking:
Private lot so plenty of parking
Prices:
$30 per hour per lane or you can pay per person per game which is $5-6 per person I think. For shoe rentals the price is $4 and that includes a pair of fresh new socks! =)
My cousins and I came here on a Friday night around 9PM and got a lane right away, but the alley was pretty crowded and almost all lanes if not all were occupied while we were there so if you come on the weekends don't be surprised if you have to wait for a lane to open up. -
Review from Hang N.
Orange, CA
8/6/2010
Last night wasn't my first time here, but it may just be my last. The ambiance just didn't cut it for us. The place was very bright and there was no music playing so it felt a bit depressing. The staff was very unwelcoming and hardly even acknowledged our presence when we were right in front of them.
The selection of balls were minimal. Most of them were on the heavier side and the holes in them were either too small or too large.
There's a bar there and on the night we were there they had karaoke...but I'm not sure if it's every night. It was geared towards and older crowd and most of them seemed like regulars. I kinda felt like an outsider as we sat in the back and listened to a lady sing "in the jungle the mighty jungle..."
A few of the pros: the rental shoes are pretty comfy and the restrooms are well maintained. -
Review from Sophorn T.
Long Beach, CA
7/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I like the rock and bowl here.... last call for alcohol ends at 11pm though :(
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Review from Jason H.
2/24/2009 ROTD 9/11/2009
This is a huge bowling alley. I didn't count but I think someone said there are 60 lanes! holy moly.
Prices aren't the lowest, it does get crowded especially on weekends with cosmic bowl.
Buttttttt they do have one thing and most bowling alleys do not. They have a teaching pro on staff!
And if you go on Saturdays from 12-1:30 (although I think they go til 2pm), they have a clinic. You pay $10 and you basically just bowl and practice on whatever you are working on. Since it was a clinic I thought there would be a lot of newbies like me but ummm I was wrong. Everyone there was good. Most over 200 averages, just tweaking on some stuff. Well while you bowl with other bowlers, the professional Mark Baker http://www.markbakerbo.../ (he has his own website too) gives you pointers and tips and another pro Barry Asher helps out as well. I was there for the first time last week and learned that I dropped my head down a bit thus becoming off balanced. Also my feet walked up too slow for my swing and learned that I should throw at the arrows.
The other bowlers (although strangers) were nice as I told them I'm a newbie.
I'll probably be there quite often on Saturdays trying to get better. The lanes were a bit oily, even the good bowlers were saying that, but they did say it was unusually oily, so perhaps its usually less oily. haha I don't know....
btw: if you are going for the clinic, you pay inside the proshop. -
Review from Lynn H.
Huntington Beach, CA
1/23/2009
My first experience here was on a Sunday while my Steelers were playing, I was so stoked they have mini t.v.'s at every lane (not just the ones tha keep score) so I didn't miss a minute of the game.
It's kind of expensive but there's specials on certain days and times
The bar is nice too, great happy service, met some pretty cool people while grabbing some beer. They have karoke here so there's a big stage. Great place for double dates or group of friends -
Review from Elizabeth A.
San Diego, CA
4/17/2010
Back in the day, we would spend our Friday and Saturday nights at Rock-n-Bowl which is now called Cosmic Bowling...yeah...the first of many unnecessary changes.
It's been quite a while since I've been here, and it saddens me to say that it just isn't the same. What really made the late night bowling with your friends, was sharing junk food and listening to the DJ play the best classic rock music. It was the best music of course, because we were the ones making most of the requests.
Now...the DJ table is long gone now replaced with horrible horrible top 40 radio rap and Kesha. The horror the horror. And the food bar is closed. No icees and french fries for us. :(
I spent many of my weekends of high school here, dodging my curfew and we truly had some awesome times here. I don't know why they made these changes, but bring back the classic rock!!!! Please!! -
Review from Nino R.
2/21/2010
I really do miss the old seating arrangements at bowling alleys. The U-shaped seating with the scoring table in the middle allowed you to make friends with strangers. Today's island seating is ok if you like your pseudo-privacy, but you're at a bowling alley so what's the point of trying to maintain your personal space?
Fountain Bowl is set-up with the adult in mind. The bar is large and can accommodate large groups with ease. The snack bar is also large and carries an assortment of usual bowling fare (hamburgers, hot dogs, fake nachos, etc.,). You can definitely satisfy all of your G-rated guilty pleasures here.
I do think that the pro-shop should have better hours. Perhaps 12p-9p on weekdays and 9a-6p on the weekends. My friend wanted to have a ball re-drilled but the shop was closed. I'm not too accustomed with the bowling dynamics of SoCal yet, but once I get my feet wet I'll have a better idea of why this place keeps the hours that it does.
I had a great time here last night. It was a Saturday and we arrived at 8pm. There were 6 of us and we had 2 lanes. I recommend that you ask the front desk for the cross-bowling option if you get two lanes. Cross-bowling gives you a league feel because you switch lanes every other frame.
It was my first time bowling, with my own equipment, since 2004. I rolled a 167 and a 166. Not bad, but not great either. It would've been nice to roll a deuce, but I just couldn't hit my mark consistently. Plus, as my friends mentioned, it would've been UBER impressive to see.
For me, nothing will ever beat Bowler City in Hackensack, NJ. I'm amazing in that house, but for OC, Fountain Bowl is a great option.
steeeeeee--riiiiiiiiiike... -
Review from Kristina A.
Irvine, CA
1/13/2010
Oh Fountain Bowl,
Le sigh. You're not a horrific alley, in fact, you're huge and the fact that you're always busy is either a good sign or people default to coming here because it's the only other alley before having to drive to Irvine or Westminster.
Your staff is a bit snappish, probably because you were swamped on a Saturday (you had a few birthday parties to clean up before league hours began), so I understand that you didn't care to chitchat with us much. Good thing we brought our own shoes so we didn't have to bother you for a pair.
The quality of your bowling balls were also indicative of your general lackadaisical attitude toward your customers. You had either too small of a finger grip, or the rest were these giant craters for peoples' PAWS to fit in. I struggled with a kid's ball that had a grip too small for my fingers, and I ended up cutting myself, which was not fun. Granted, that was probably my fault, but when I asked one of your lady staff where the other children's balls were to try them out, she waved me off impatiently toward the children's party section, where of course ALL the balls were in play. Ok then, bowling lady, I'll get out of your hair.
So we left, mildly disappointed and annoyed. Like others have said, you have some cool deals and a great big alley with a nice old school feel to it (I'm not bothered by skeezy '60s decor), but I won't bowl at a place that has no love for the people that come to play.Listed in: Heave Ho! Bowling in Orange…
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Review from Tod B.
Fountain Valley, CA
6/30/2011 9 Check-ins Here
This place is pretty sweet. If you go on the right days, there are some pretty sweet deals. The house shoes are aweful. If you have your own shoes your set. The house balls are pretty bad too. The holes are very small on anything less than 12 pounds. Other than that, I love it.
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Review from Minh N.
7/1/2008
I'm not really into fancy things (well aside from the occasional electonical gadget). So when the bf asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, I was like "bowling?". And bowling it was!
They got a great deal for small groups called the Pizza-Pins-Pepsi package. For $65 for a lane (good for up to 5 people) for 2 hours, it includes shoes rentals (they GIVE you free clean socks), as well as a large cheese pizza (toppings additional) and a pitcher of soda. That comes out to $13 a person. Score.
Food wasn't too shabby either. Maybe because I just got to the alley right after work and was starving. But it was pretty tasty for bowling fare. Pizza was a bit greasy but that made it so much better. Hot wings were delicious and onion rings extra crispy. And nachos? YUM! Smothered in meat chili and nacho cheese. Wash it all down some nice cold beer (pitcher will run you $11-12...they also have a full bar). I'm in heaven!
Plenty of lanes, and ample parking in the lot. Pretty chill hangout place for a cheap price. The arcade is a bit rundown thoe. They got older games, but a few still take just a quarter to play!
Btw, I have to add that tonight was the first time in a long time that I bowled over 100. It was 119 to be exact. I'm gonna say it was because it was my birthday. Either that or it was the beer! -
Review from Arnold E.
12/15/2006
Man, someone totally pulled a 'Munson' for not reviewing this place yet...
Fountain Bowl is THE premier bowling alley for bowlers of all ages and abilities in Orange County (forget about that Lucky Strike place at the Block at Orange...it's shite). Following a huge renovation a couple of years back, this place has become 'the [bowling] balls!' Lately, friends and I have been going for late night 'Cosmic' bowling, but regular 'Stellar' and 'Deep Space' bowling is available.
Well-maintained lanes, numerous [bowling] balls to choose from (8-pounders for the kiddies and the noodle-armed to 15-pounders for the steroid-enhanced and those with banana-hands), a great snack bar (as far as bowling alley snack bars go), a well-stocked drink bar (including karaoke for $$ and games), and (drumroll please) bowling shoes galore can be found here! Fountain bowl even throws in a pair of socks so you don't catch athelete's foot, scurvy, or bowler's toe! Isn't that courteous (and sanitary!)?
Fountain bowl caters to your run-of-the-mill bowlers looking for league action and the pip-squeaks looking for bumpers to guide their Spongebob and Spider-Man bowling balls ever so slowly towards the ten pins. Cosmic Bowling for the too-young-to-drink/too-old-to-go-clubbing crowd is also available (oh wait,...does this mean I'M too old to go clubbing?! *sigh*...I'm old... :( ...*sigh*). They're open 'til midnight (at least) most of the week and even later on the weekend. Great for parties, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, quincineras, and countless hours of mindless fun!
See you on the lanes! (Look out, I bowl a wicked 100 average...how you like dem apples?)Listed in: Tell them I sent you..., For you, I will...
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Review from Elaine N.
Irvine, CA
10/22/2011
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE FOR KIDS BIRTHDAY BOWLING BASH WITH LASER MAZE AFTER THE PARTY! My 6 yrs old wanted a bowling party after she bowled for the 1st time in Concourse Anaheim. I searched and found that Fountain Bowl offers the MOST AFFORDABLE kids party package with most things included and they also offered onsite party platters which I really like. VERY PLEASANT EXPERIENCE BOOKING THE PARTY with George(party planner) and Jamie(catering manager). Both are GREAT & WONDERFUL! Willing to work with me on most things and explained why they cannot accommodate some of my requests.
On the day itself, party hostess, Kayla is VERY KIDS FRIENDLY! She engaged the kids to talk and do things when they are done with laser maze while waiting for other kids to finish. I hardly need to do anything except bringing the cake, candle and party favors to there. During the party, if I need something done, just told her and they will be done. I hardly do anything except having fun with my guests the entire time !
Definitely will consider holding another birthday party here!!! -
Review from Jeff H.
Costa Mesa, CA
10/8/2010 6 Check-ins Here
Bowled here for years on league and still do, and the staff is great, one of the best pro shops, and offers great prices.
However not getting 5 stars because of how much it needs an update/overhaul of screens, monitors and ball returns. As often as our screens break/turn colors randomly, and how often the balls do not come back without a call, it gets frustrating. I hope they update soon enough. -
Review from Chris E.
Irvine, CA
7/24/2008
$2 Bowling on Wednesday nights!
While I'm not a bowler (avg of 50), I do enjoy hanging out with friends here. They have a lot of lanes, its well maintained, and its cheap! My friends and I came here last night, and played 3 games and rented a pair of shoes for about $20.00. Its a cheap way to kill time.
The bar here is pretty cool too. While they don't have that big of selection of top shelf stuff (eg Tanqueray 10), they do have Walker and Goose. Three drinks came out to $15. That's pretty good for a bar.
For a budget good time, where you can also get your drink on, come by here. Note: Do not try to bowl intoxicated like I did, you'll end up knocking over other people's pins... and they don't like that very much. -
Review from Khuyen P.
9/15/2009
I like seedy sort of bowling alleys...this isn't quite one but if you compare it to the one in Irvine or Lucky Strikes, well then, it can be!
I came here to bowl for a friend's birthday and despite being inept at everything except for gutterballs, I had a pretty darn good time.
I wish I bowled more often. I'm not sure what else to say, other than that they boast the best burger in Fountain Valley? This has yet to be disputed by me...I mean a bowling alley? But hey, one never knows!
And ladies, if you are going to go bowling, please cut your nails as short as possible unless you want your thumbnail to start ripping off, like mine did. Ouch. -
Review from David H.
San Diego, CA
11/19/2009
First things first... this place has an awesome karaoke setup!
I was with a group of 16 friends last week for a buddy's bday.
The plan was Hooters, then bowling. Sounded like a deec night... but I didn't realize that Fountain Bowl has so much more to offer than just bowling.
The place is like an adult playground (at least when you show up kinda drunk). The bar was perfect for our rowdy group, and there's a shuffle board table in the bar that taught me girls are better than boys via battle of the sexes! Who woulda thought!?
We all sang karaoke for like 2 hours, then took to the lanes. A lot of alleys don't like it when you bring your drinks out to the floor, but we were bowling literally with beer in hand. Some worker even took our shot glasses back to the bar for us!
The place is huge, and very cool. I'm looking forward to another trip next time I'm up in Irvine -
Review from Nick P.
Fountain Valley, CA
6/11/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Me and my cousins come here all the time for the cosmic bowling on the weekends. Its alot of fun and inexpensive. They have plenty of good finger foods that are delicious. The bar is also a fun place to have a drink or two. There is also karaoke.
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Review from Meghan M.
Philadelphia, PA
1/5/2009
This place channels my inner Lebowski. I just want to break out a purple jumpsuit and a hairnet and try it out one time, just to see what would happen.
Was here over the weekend - and it just cracks me up. It's like everyone here understands that you're all in on some hilarious joke (OK, not everyone but the number of people who put "Munson," "The Dude," and/or "Big Ern" on their scoreboard gives me hope in humanity.)
And, definitely not a bad way to spend a cold afternoon, either. Classy style. Made especially so by the beer in plastic cups. I don't know - somehow, it just worked. I was like a 5 year old in here - and, despite several gutterballs, I also bowled a turkey in game 2. I didn't even know what a turkey was - but I did it.
The Meg abides, man. The Meg abides. -
Review from Alan T.
1/28/2010
I like the shoes, I like the variety and weights of the balls, te he he,
I like the service, I like how close it is to my house, and I love the price.
I tend to go on Wednesdays because it's cheaper ^_^
The place is clean and, it is here that I beat my friends at bowling! I guess all that Wii bowling practice came to use!
and just a safety precaution for all those new bowlers....
when you're about the roll the ball down the lane...
don't step past that line, because it's really slippery haha
really really slippery!
it's as slippery as a floor completely covered in banana peels!
but it looks like a normal floor -
Review from Andy C.
Fountain Valley, CA
6/24/2008
I used to come here like every other day just to bowl. Being the cheap fool that I am, I frequent Mondays and Wednesdays a lot more because its cheaper =P. You can look into that yourselves.
But anyway the only problem I have with this place is, the people don't really give a dam about you most of the time during league matches. I don't know if it still happens but they used to have league matches on wednesdays....the worst idea possible ! too many league bowlers take up the lanes on the cheaper days....
drives me nuts....otherwise...its a nice place
its a little pricey but its way worth it if you go at the right time on the right days. -
Review from Brad F.
Mars, CA
11/18/2008
When I break out my glow-in-the-dark bowling shoes WATCH OUT!
I'm not the world's greatest bowler--but I've got style dammit! And I like this place!
Great lanes. Relatively clean (it's a bowling alley for Christ's Sake!).
Just get out, call some friends, and throw that thing down the lane!
OR...
If you are lazy and do not want to get out of your pajamas...buy a Nintendo Wii and bowl anyway! -
Review from Clifford Y.
Garden Grove, CA
4/19/2010
The times I come here are usually on wednesday nights. I think after like 9pm each game is 2$, which is really cheap!
for their prices, you get a huge bang for ur buck, but don't expect top of the line screens & graphics and everything to be spotless and brand new like lucky strike or anything.
It's clean, chill, and their cosmic bowling is pretty fun. Their bar is cool; lower prices than ur average bar. -
Review from Lance H.
Huntington Beach, CA
Updated - 1/17/2010
It has been a while since I have bowled but Fountain Bowl usually has plenty of room for those who are serious bowlers or those just there to have fun. I will just give some updated thoughts.
The front counter is always understaffed and chaotic at best. Try to be patient when trying to get something.
The balls are well used. Dings and gashes all over EVERY ball. If you are serious at bowling you should probably have your own ball anyway.
Generally the lanes and tables are clean and well kept. Everything else is from the 70's and somewhat beat up.
Snack bar is uninspiring.
Overall, a fun time will be had by all.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/29/2008
With 60 lanes, that right sixty lanes, this place is huge. It is fun for the whole family.
The… Read more »
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Review from Kae Ching S.
Irvine, CA
11/20/2007
If you're a serious bowler or looking for a good place to get your bowl on in Orange County, this is the best place to go. Sponsored by the PBA, all of their 60 LANES are well taken care of and they have a really good selection of bowling balls for those of you who don't own one.
Mondays are a steal at $13 bucks an hour and on Wednesday, it's $3 a game. The foods not bad either, I recommend the pizza and a pitcher of beer to wash it all down. The staff is friendly and you hardly have to wait for a lane unless there is a league in play. -
Review from Kevin C.
Huntington Beach, CA
3/2/2009
Fountain Bowl rocks! This place is great. Every year, they allow California Elwyn, a local non-profit, to take over the place on a given Saturday and conduct their annual fundraiser (http://www.caelwyn.org).
California Elwyn works with developmentally disabled adults, helps them find work and badly needed self esteem in the process.
Fountain Bowl has great people, great food, a great attitude, and a great interest working with the community.
What's not to like about that? If you are ever in the area, go to Fountain Bowl and support this great place!!!!! -
Review from Julie C.
Newport Beach, CA
5/24/2010
Foutain Bowl is a great place to go for a casual and fun time. I recently bowled here for the first time at a birthday party.
The place is large enough to fit a big group of adults, has lots of seating, cheap beer and good all around bar-type snacks. I would recommend bringing socks to go with the classic rental bowling shoes.
I would much rather spend time at a traditional bowling alley like this one where the fun is easy and doesn't break the bank like the new trendy bowling alleys.
Foutain Bowl is a place worth checking out!
