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Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Near North Side
322 E Illinois St
(at Columbus Dr)
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 245-8331
322 E Illinois St
(at Columbus Dr)
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 245-8331
- Hours:
Mon-Thu. 12:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri. 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
- Good for Kids:
- No
163 reviews for Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge
This place is for people who like to listen to Coldplay in their Hummers while wearing Ed Hardy shirts.
As other people have noted, this place is very pricey (both bowling and drinks), the food is terrible, and the atmosphere is thick with attitude.
I just don't get why any sane person would go here when they could go to Lincoln Square Lanes and drink a lot more for a lot less, not have to deal with huge crowds, and get to control a kick-ass jukebox. And with computerized scoring, how does one award style points to one's fellow players?
Weird dress code policy aside, I like Lucky Strike Lanes. Call me a snob, but I'd rather bowl here than at Rock 'N' Bowl. That's just me.
I've come here several times to bowl with friends and we always have a good time. Nice big screens for watching sports games, clean bathrooms, decent food and prices--what more could you want from a posh bowling alley?
I also like that they are located next to River East theater. It's extremely convenient if you want to kill time sipping drinks, bowling or playing pool before or after a show. It's also a cheap alternative to 10pin Bowling Lounge, which is slightly nicer, but also slightly more expensive.
Maybe I'm being too generous, but this place is a sure 4 stars in my book.
You would think that at a place with a dress code and $4.50 per slider, the food would be digestible. Not the case.
Not only were the sliders really, really gross, the beer not very cold, and everything overpriced, the bartender was a skank with an attitude.
I'll keep this short and to the point because I can go on and on about how bad this place is but frankly there are enough reviews on here for that.
First, the service here is pretty awful, slow waitresses nearly every time I've been here, usually when I play pool I'll never see a waitress serving in that area even when the place is completely dead, where are they? I have no idea and that brings me to my second point...
I'm guessing the service staff is trying to secretly warn me about never ordering drinks here by never offering service(I'll look into that). Drinks are overpriced(shocker, I know, in this part of town) but when you order a jameson neat, I don't want to pay $10 for a couple of eyedrops worth of whiskey.
My advice if you're early for a movie is go there get a beer sit at the bar and watch a game. You may want to get in a quick game of pool but watch your time it gets expensive past an hour.
I actually had a decent time here. We came on a whim on a Saturday afternoon before a movie and got a round of bowling. It is a little pricey. It was just my husband and I but I had wanted to go bowling for a while so I didn't pay attention to much else than the game. I will say that the service is pretty less than desirable. In the beginning she was attentive but then after our first drink it took about 30 min to get another and then a decent wait for her to come back and it wasn't even crowded. Didn't have the food so have no comment. If you want a quick bowling game before a movie I say why not.
The Pros: Location ... I love having a pre- or post-movie drink; Food is actually very very good.
Cons: Huge D-bag hangout, expensive drinks and way too many fancy pants drinks offered (although that may be a pro to some), Slow service, Judgement at the door (I hate the way they look people up and down as though this is some exclusive club in Vegas. I realize they have a dress code but come on ... they're located in an AMC cinema, seriously!).
Haven't bowled here or played any pool so I can't really comment on that part but I've spent plenty of time and money in the bar and restaurant. The food is good enough that I will probably put up with the negatives and keep coming back. And, like I said, the location within the cinema is tops for me.
I've been here a few times on dates and with friends. I like it cause it's a big space and a relaxed atmosphere. I think they overcharge on food/drinks... but the experience is fun. The movie theatre is right across from the bowling alley so it's convenient too.
It's a bowling alley for chrissakes, not an exclusive club. The girlfriend and I went to go see Paranormal and the show we were going to see was sold out, so we figured it would be nice to get a drink and maybe some apps before hand. Apparently my jeans (which are pretty average) were 'too baggy' for them.
Based on all the awful reviews, as annoyed as I was about not getting in, I'm sure I would have been even more annoyed if I was inside.
At any rate, the star they get is for giving me an excuse to finally check out the Reagle Beagle.
Actually been here twice, once with another set of friends and recently for a bday celebration. If I lived in the area and wanted to get away for some entertainment this might be where I would head to. There is a dress policy they that (enforce? read below) but overall you're paying for a fancy bowling alley with about a dozen pool tables and seating for snack foods. This is not an inexpensive night out as we had to pay $130/hr for two lanes and reserved the lanes for 2 hours.The waitress assigned to us was fabulous, she offered the option of seperate checks because some ppl were just drinking and hanging out and we were planning to order food. Food was decent, we ordered bbq chicken bites (boneless white meat) and fried mushrooms. Our waitress kept coming around to make sure we were doing okay even though she had 4 other parties to attend to. Towards the end of our game the lane next to us was occupied by an all female party which would have been eye candy for any guy minus the skank factor. We will never forget the one in the black micro mini dress and acrylic nails. Every time she was done rolling the ball down the lane her dress would hike up and she was not wearing undergarments. I'm no prude but come'on she had to have known she was going bowling!
An awful experience:
Let me preface by saying I'd consider our group to be relatively experienced bowlers and drinkers who appreciate respectful service, so if you don't care about those things this review may not apply.
We went here on a slow Sunday night, the place was almost empty. After paying the exorbitant fee for a single game, we then tried to bowl....
Bowling:
Shoes were worn through the soles
All balls are exactly the same (light with huge, narrow holes), so if you're hoping to find a decent house ball, forget it
Lanes have NO OIL (I almost fell on my face on my first approach)
Everything is completely automated, so no practice rolls, no resets, nothing
Given that bowling was such a disappointment, we ordered a round of tequila shots (chilled). They took forever to arrive and when they did they tasted like tequila-scented water. We complained, the waitress apologized and nicely offered to replace them (not chilled this time). They still tasted like water (I'm very suspicious that this place is watering down their liquors), but we said forget it, let's just finish our night.
It was then that the manager on duty approached us and told us that we would have to pay for both rounds of shots, he could give us 1/2 off the first round, but that was all. We were indignant. I met him at the bar to discuss away from the group and he basically accused me of making up the story and trying to steal drinks. If we hadn't drank the whole round, he said, it might be different (again, these were shots, meant to be shot, together, as a group, right?). He consistently over-defended the (femaie) bartender saying she was overworked and busy and couldn't keep up (meanwhile I think she was just polishing glasses while we talked, so many drinks to make...), while saying the waitress was completely at fault for telling us she would replace the drinks (or, as I told him, for providing good customer service).
It was only after I told him that this was (true story) the day after my wedding, that I was here with my sister on her last night in town, that this had been a terrible experience overall, that we should probably just leave, and that I was going to spread this story far and wide that he offered to take the round off of the bill (my sister paid, so I hope he was honest).
A few days later I sent a note to the Lucky Strike corporate office. I received a response from the general manager of the Chicago location letting me know, of course, that he was sorry and that there is no excuse for the poor service. But this kicker was his explanation that Lucky Strike is a 'recreational bowling alley' (are there other kinds?) and they have severely restricted lane oil standards to prevent issues with slipping and falling. I guess it's kind of like showing up at a golf course where you can't use a club because someone might get hit with one. If you're changing the parameters of the game, you'd best let people know.
So if there's a lesson in here somewhere, I guess it's that I should temper my expectations for good bowling or drinks the next time I go into a bowling alley or bar. Or I could just never go to this place, or any other place like it, again.
The food at Lucky Strike is disgusting. We had spinach/artichoke dip, "tuna lollipops", and some other random appetizers. Everything I tried was so bad. Thank god we convinced the waiter to go to the movie theatre next door and snipe some popcorn b/c that was the only redeeming food in the place.
What's with all the haters!? Lucky Strike is a solid 3-4 star place. I live around the corner and have been here for quick dinners, watching the game, bowling, bigger events -- and I've never been disappointed. I'm not sure what people are expecting, but Lucky Strike has lots of big TVs, bowling and pool to keep yourself entertained, beer and food, and it's a nice-looking place. What else could you want?
Honestly, the only negative for me is the marginally high prices. The food isn't Top-Chef-Masters-awesome, but it's definitely solid bar food and occasionally they have happy-hour-type deals that are hard to beat. Whether sitting at the bar or at a table, service has always been great and I've never felt ignored.
Add another 1/2 star for the pro-Laker crowd during the NBA Finals this past year...
I am going to start by saying that whether you love or hate this place, you're probably right. I generally like it - but there are a few key reasons I can overlook the cons of this place:
1) I love to bowl. Like....I seriously geek out on the lanes.
2) I love their cheese fries. They're garlicky and have the liquid cheese (cheese fries or nachos with just melted/congealed shredded cheese on them are the nast), and nomnomnom. In fact, although I have not sampled a whole lot of their menu - everything I've ordered I've enjoyed, and I appreciate the creativity and kitsch of the menu. I dig the vibe they're going for.
3) I have always had really great service here from the bar/waitstaff. I specified bar/waitstaff because the door hosts/hostesses and the desk people at the bowling station have been lame one or two of the times I've been to LSL - but read on for more of that.
Now for the bad stuff...
1) It can be next to impossible to get a lane. Often, they overbook/overreserve lanes and space for bigger parties and totally max out the establishment. If I just wanted a bar to eat/drink at - I wouldn't go way the hell over to LSL (where there's not much else close by that I want to go to). I go to this complex specifically to see movies, and bowl. The food/drinks are nice accoutrement - but they aren't the main deal. So I get really discouraged by the difficulty in obtaining a lane some nights. But I understand that there are only so many lanes to go around - so I don't mind a little wait. I DO mind, a sassy host/hostess giving me a hard time. All in all, the lane reservation process could use a little streamlining.
2) A few of the host/hostesses I've encountered at the front desk (not all, just some) seem to think they work somewhere in SoHo because they've got a major attitude. News flash...you work at a bowling alley. A classy one, sure - but...come on.
3) Despite what the host/hostesses above would have you believe...the clientele can be a little....how do I say this...trashy. I guess I know what I should expect coming downtown, though. So that one isn't really LSL's bad - but I have found the scene at 10 Pin to be a little more awesome. Lane reservations at 10 Pin are also a lot more convenient and efficient.
I know I seem sassy but I really have had a great time at LSL more than once. The back bar is really nice and quiet - despite the loudness all around. It's got a really swank lounge feel, and there's a bartender back there who made me a bunch of free drinks that tasted like a red Starburst. I kinda want to marry him.
The cocktail servers I've had while bowling are absolute dolls. Total saints to run around in between drunken bowlers and pretty much risk their lives to bring me another white russian I probably don't need. Always super-nice, always super-helpful.
So basically, I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could - but if 10 Pin were in a better location, I'd go there more often than LSL. Of course if 10 Pin were in a better location, it would probably be too crowded and have all the same issues LSL does.
So basically what I'm saying is, I need someone to build me a lane in my house. Any takers?
I was here last weekend with a few girlfriends. We had a fun time. This place is good for dates (you have pool tables,bowling) or for watching sports. I was straving that day, that i order the mini burgers they were pretty good.
i WOULD DEF COME HERE AGAIN AND IMPROVE MY BOWLING SKILLS!! :)
Just wanted drinks after a movie before going out in the biting Chicago wind (this experience was last winter), and what did we get? Quite possibly the worst service we've ever received in Chicago, and that's saying something. And, they were incredibly snobby about it. It's a bowling alley within a multiplex. There's no shame in that, just don't cop an attitude like you're SoHo-lier than thou.
My boyfriend and I decided to give Lucky Strike another chance. We arrived a bit too early for our movie, and drinks won out over sitting in line for an hour or so.
Still not impressed. Here's why:
* Super slow service at the bar. Not very attentive, either. My boyfriend sat with an empty glass for way too long. We were going to order a second round but this turned us off.
* We were there at 6:00 on a Saturday night. The bar was not organized whatsoever. They were out of bitters, the beer coolers were mostly empty, and there were a lot of dirty dishes piled up right out in the open. None of the employees seemed to care, either.
* The bathrooms. Oh, the bathrooms. These bathrooms are the reason that I will probably never visit Lucky Strike again. At 6pm on a Saturday the bathrooms were disgusting. Most of the stalls in the ladies room a) had no toilet paper (probably because it was all on the FLOOR), b) about 5 out 7 toilets hadn't been flushed since their last use (and it showed), and c) there was no soap in any of the dispensers. There was also water (?) all over the floor. According to my boyfriend, the mens room was no different.
Dirty restrooms are a deal breaker for me. If your bathrooms are this disgusting I really don't want to know what goes on in the kitchen.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/20/2008
My boyfriend and I came here with his friend to waste some time before a movie. After being… Read more »
If for every place I went in Chicago I relied on Yelp reviews, I would apparently miss some pretty cool spots. Lucky Strike has one of the lowest ratings I've seen on Yelp. With over 100 reviews, you wouldn't think the low rating was some statistical freak.
I haven't read through all the reviews, but I read enough to surmise that a majority of reviewers have not bowled or ever intended to bowl at Lucky Strike. That doesn't necessarily mean that the bowling could salvage LS from an abysmal review, but it also meant that I wasn't going to count it out, particularly considering that on my two previous visits I had a blast. However, it did make me a little nervous about planning a Secret Date Night at this venue.
I am glad I didn't rely on Yelp. You let me down, Yelpers.
The first visit I made to Lucky Strike was on its opening night in August of 2005. It was a free, charity-sponsored, guest-list-only event, so not exactly your standard bowling experience. In fact, everyone was so excited to bowl that I never got a chance. Instead, I hung by the back pool tables and enjoyed the free hors d'oeuvres.
I couldn't rightly rate and review the alleys based on this one visit, so I returned here a couple years later with a couple friends who were in from out of town. We came in the middle of the day on a weekday and had the place to ourselves for the most part. The waitress brought us beers when we needed them and I rolled a few strikes, so I have warm memories of this second visit as well.
Recently, I resolved to go bowling with my girlfriend for Secret Date Night. Divey Timberlanes and Diversey Rock'n'Bowl had leagues until late, and neither one of them had any notable specials. Lucky Strike, on the other hand, had no leagues and a killer special: on Tuesday nights (until 11pm) shoe rentals and games were $3 per person. Miller lite drafts were on special for $3 as well.
I was still skeptical. The service blows, right? RIGHT YELP???
Well, we arrived around 7:30pm and had no trouble getting an open lane. The host seemed a little surprised when we said we were there to bowl, confirming my suspicion that most patrons at Lucky Strike are just looking for some food before their movie starts. Apart from his shock, he was perfectly pleasant.
I liked that the counter guy didn't require us to leave our shoes behind the counter while we bowled. It's always bothered me that anyone working at a bowling alley actually thinks that their customers are going to run off with a pair of ugly bowling shoes.
We played two games, ordered two appetizers (the coconut shrimp were good; the mac'n'cheese bites, ill-advised), and had several beers. In all, the whole night cost less than $40. The service was very attentive and we enjoyed not feeling rushed or sidelined by leagues. I also enjoyed not smelling like mildew and sweaty old men when we left. And the lanes were in really good shape!
Lucky Strike is not where I would typically go for a night of bowling. It's a little too chic for my tastes, and the staff remind me a little of the waitresses at Hooters (not a bad thing, just not where I spend my usual Saturday night). Still, the principle reason for going to an alley like Lincoln Lanes or Timberlanes is the price point. The fact that I tend to relate to the clientele at those venues is just a corollary benefit.
Maybe the fact that Lucky Strike has such a bad reputation is the reason that they have such killler weeknight deals. If so, I take it all back. Lucky Strike sucks. Don't go there. Please.
let me say that this place has no caring for its patrons. They take their sweet time with service and get attitudes if you complain. I have actually seen the servers get orders from every other pool table but ours and then when I approached the manager about it he basically sent her over to get our order, needless to say she was not to nice about it. The drinks are watered down and waaaaaaaaay over priced.
In the interest of full disclosure: I am a kept woman when it comes to bowling night.
That is the only aspect of my life in which this is the case.
But every time I go here, someone else is paying. So I can speak to the food and general experience. But that hit on my wallet that tends to take things down a notch-- not here this time.
So we always go with groups of about 20, renting out 2 lanes for the night. They are always accomodating. Service is chill, shoes aren't gross. Atmosphere is, as a previous reviewer noted, swank done right. Waitresses (do they employ men?) in unworkably short skirts tend to get your orders right. Music is good, and artwork slideshow above the lanes interests me more than the act of bowling.
Our group tends to order every food item on the menu by the end of the night. Their pizza is the only lackluster menu item we've had, and it's still enjoyable. For their current menu (they got rid of some of my favorites) I highly recommend the tuna bites, and the carnivores most enjoyed the wings and turkey burger sliders. The only dessert I've had was the cookie accompanied by shot glasses of milk combo. Tasty and cute execution, tho I'm sure it would've been too cute by half had I been paying for it...
Great drinks-- fully stocked bar and they know how to use it.
When I pay for a bowling night, we bowl in the basement of a fraternal insurance lodge. When someone else wants to cover a big night, I like it here just fine.
The Food (4):
-Macaroni and Cheese bites are amazing
-I like the mini burgers a lot
-Really good fries
The Drinks (2):
-Overpriced-$8 for a shot
-Watered down
-Worst vodka/cranberry I've ever had
Atmosphere (4):
-Fun to people watch
-Good place to hang out before a movie starts
-Good customer service for the most part
-Bowling is fun
-Tons of pool tables
My fiance and I go here a lot to eat but the drinks are just bad. Always overpriced and watered down. It is usually pretty fun to bowl here too although that is expensive as well. Overall, the place is expensive but can be fun.
"Lucky" is definitely not my middle name, but it is the name of this pretty swanky bowling lounge, pool hall, and restaurant.
A friend and I went to bowl for their mid-week special and ended up being told all the lanes were reserved. Yep, you can reserve up to 24 hours in advance for a bowling lane; of course I didn't know that.
So, looking around and it not being the easiest place to get to during rush hour, we decided to play pool...Yep, for $15 an hour per table, we played too many games before realizing that more than two hours had passed. Shoot, that meant we paid over $30 to just play pool! Hmmm....won't be playing pool there again unless there's a special or more people play.
All in all though, it was good times. The waitresses are dressed in cute little outfits, but aren't trashy. The pizzas and Blue Moons are only $3 during some days of the week. Plus, there's TVs everywhere if you're going to watch a game.
Guess I'll try my luck some other time to try out their bowling...
This place is cool & hip yet cozy. It has a very cozy chill atmosphere which is enjoyable.
I came here today with an office party so we had a private area where the lanes are reserved. Although I enjoyed the atmosphere and some of the food, the wait staff was kind of weird. I don't know if they weren't prepared for us or what, but when you are expecting a party of 40 people you'd think they would have the food layed out already. We started out at the bar having drinks, all they had to do was lay out the food and let us know the room is ready along with the food. They came and got us, told us the room was ready, and we were so relieved cause by this time we were all starving. well we walk in and there was only a plate of each appetizer out.... this was to feed 40 people? They were bringing out more apps, but my thing is, this is a catered event, a party, why not have all the apps layed out instead of having people wait to get an appetizer... right? it wasn't making sense, and it looked like only 1 person was bringing the items out. Then the "main" food comes out, again still 40 people and they only bring out one tray of mini burgers and one small pizza one at a time.... so annoying. The staff was very friendly, don't get me wrong, but it just seemed as the waitstaff was disorganized.
The food: pizza was gross, miniburgers were good when I put ketchup and mustard, but without it, it would have been dry. eggrolls were good, and mini bruschetta was tasty as well. My fave, only because presentation was cute, desert, warm cookies with shots of milk. So cute and the cookies were yummy too. However, they broughout desert way too late and quite a few of people had already left.
The way they served the party was just kind of weird and put me off. Other than that, the food is decent, bowling is always goodtimes and the environments is cool as hell. I can't wait to go back with people I actually like... ha! I checked out their specials online and they seem pretty good.
Other than the awkward serving for a event, I was actually quite pleased. I expected a very trendy snobbish place, but totally was not like that. Perhaps cause it was mid-day and not an evening. But I wil be back again so perhaps the next review will be different.
Went here on a Monday and had a great time with my friends. Granted, I was with a fun group, Lucky Strike served its purpose.
The food is okay - they have deals through out the week on food and bowling. Tuesday's are 1 pound of wings for $3, good deal but have yet to have the wings...will give it a shot over the next few weeks.
Service was good - our waitress knew when we needed another round.
The bowling itself - Fun. Bowling ball selection was good and kept track of score just fine.
I don't know if they were having an off night but when I have come to this Lucky Strike before the service was better. At the hostess booth we were ignored for what seemed like two or three minutes while they just talked amongst themselves like we were not even there. Our waitress just didn't seem interested in waiting on us. I felt rushed and the food was not all that great. The overall decor and setup hands down is awesome. I think maybe I will give them one more try just to see if maybe its just me.
Sometimes I think I'm a total masochist. I will endure the most ridiculous service, seating, atmosphere, etc. out there in hopes that it will somehow bring me pleasure. But it never does. Le sigh.
Why I always think eating dinner at Lucky Strike before a movie at AMC is a good idea, I'll never know. No matter what time of day, it's totally packed and my only option is to wait an hour for a table (and miss my movie) or try to figure out how to fit my party into the cluster of couches with tiny little coffee tables that serve as "bar seating." Yes, you guessed it. I always end up on the couches.
Service is literally a joke in the bar area. You're lucky if you can flag down one of the harried servers to bring you a cocktail and then it's touch-and-go from there. "Mod" Martha C. and I waited so long for her dinner, we ended up having to get it boxed up to go and just ate it in the theater. Come to think of it, I don't think I even got my diet Coke I ordered that night!
The food, however, is a saving grace. I love those midi burgers (kind of like more upscale sliders) and the french fries are wonderful. Wait, can we talk about the fries for a minute? They're so crispy on the outside, but super tender on the inside. Everything a french fry should be, fellow Yelpers. Okay, off my fry rant... I've enjoyed the chicken skewers for a healthier option as well.
Now that you know the service sucks, but the food is great, here are Angie's Tips to Making Lucky Strike Work Before Seeing a Movie:
1. Don't hesitate to actually flag down a server in the bar area.
2. Ask for any condiments/refills/extra napkins right when your food is served. You probably won't see your server again for the rest of your meal.
3. Request your check early. Pay in cash. You don't want to wait around for them to run your credit card.
4. Give yourself at least an hour at Lucky Strike before you plan to go to your movie. You'll need all that time.
Are there any words left to describe the Lucky Strike experience? Not really cause all the other reviewers used them all. Love/Hate indeed! I also do not know why I keep going here but I have been at least five times. Not always out of choice, sometimes necessity. If you are waiting for a movie and have to pee, it is the only place to go! They won't let you upstairs and they really don't want to let you in the lucky strike for sure either unless you are there to buy something. And are following the dumb as fuck dress code! Get over yourself lucky strike! You are not some high quality nightclub. You are a restaurtant in a fucking theater!
Anyway, on to the food. There are one or two good things and one or two good drinks but they are horribly over priced and specials/discounts are a pipe dream. And the staff...they have messed up, in some way, every single order I have ever given them and are SLOW as hell...but damn they are hot!!!! Staff boys and girls both are usually very good looking. I guess they think they don't have to work for anything because they are beautiful. They are right, cause I still tip those bitches.
The best thing about this place is the super expensive bowling and more reasonable pool. It would be great for corporate parties where it is catered and all the food is laid out already.. If you are just coming here for diner make sure bring lots of money and patience.
I kinda dig the new-fangled "fancy" bowling alleys. What I don't dig is the ridiculous pricing. Helllloooo...we're still wearing the rented shoes and bowling. Why does it have to cost so freakin' much?
Granted, this is way more than a bowling alley. It's a billiard place...a sports place (a bajillion TV's), a lounge, a restaurant...almost schizo, but it seems to work.
They definitely are striving above your average bowling alley. This is NOT your Forest Hills Lanes (shout out to my Rockford/Parkensas pals!). The food is fancier. I didn't try any, but none of my group seemed particularly impressed, despite the fanciness. You can drink a REAL drink instead of your typical pitcher of beer. (Me? I stuck with beer. You can take the girl outta Rockford...)
Parking is atrocious, and the attached garage is super-pricey. Take public transportation, if ya can.
Bowling is always good fun. Bring your friends, your a-game and a big wad of cash, and be prepared to have a good time!
SNOOOOOOOOOOZE. This place has the absolute worst service I've ever experienced. On multiple occasions I've found myself sitting and waiting at a couch with a couple people asking myself if we're all invisible? They are never EVER busy, regardless of what time it is...RED FLAG!
Drinks are half way decent, if you can manage to wrangle down a server. They are expensive for what you get though, being that it's INSIDE A MOVIE THEATER!
For the area, you have much better choices up the block.
Lucky Strike looks amazing when you go in. It is designed to be the perfect sports bar + upscale bowling place. When you walk in, you are mesmerized by all the space, the multitude of TVs, the lounge chairs, the roomy pool table area. Wow.
Then you try to order something. That's when it falls apart! I have been to this place 8-10 times. I'm not a picky guy, but seriously, not once did I get good service. They are a bit, how you say - "slow." And for a sports bar, how can you only have 3 beers on draft? Finally, the food is very "meh." I've had enough bland bar food in my lifetime. In a city full of bars with great food and beer, Lucky Strike fails to measure up.
I was VERY disappointed by the food at Lucky Strike. How could you fa1l at making nachos??!!!111!!!!!!!111111! They managed to though. The atmosphere was rather entertaining. There are tons of TV's to watch some sports or whatever with your bf while waiting for your movie at AMC. It's great to have Lucky Strikes as a place to kill some time. If you value your tastebuds and don't want to pay a lot for disgusting food, I'd say eat elsewhere though. Seriously, even the movie theater concession stand would have better choices to offer food-wise.
Not sure why ratings on here are not better. This place is great! Not only is there bowling, but plenty of pool tables, flat screens and projection screen tvs...perfect for watching the games. Sundays $3 a person per game which is cheap entertainment!
Let me start off by saying I've never actually been here. Not even in the foyer.
But, I did see Brody Jenner in a bright orange hat try to walk in there on a Friday night. He looked like shit. The fashion police at the door were giving him a hard time because his shit-for-brains look was violating their dress code (what? I know, right?). I watched as he pulled what could only be a "do you know who I am?" plea. It worked. Lame.
I had a very bad experience here. The service was absolutely terrible and the wait was unacceptably long. Maybe they were having a bad night, but I will not be back to figure that our. If I could give it 0 stars, I would.
I don't know what I was thinking going downtown to bowl. Serves me right. I will stick with Fireside Lanes on Fullerton or maybe Diversey Rock and Bowl.
While waiting for our movie to begin my husband and I tried to enter for a drink. I was told I had to remove my tam because it is a hat. How ridiculous is that!? The tam is obviously apart of my outfit and it fits close to my head like a net plus my face wasn't covered. I know crowd control is necessary to some extent, but really? Needless to say, I did not remove my hat, and was not admitted. I'm too grown for that silliness, but if you're not, call first to get the dress code for admittance.
Not what I expected. While it was not completely unfortunate, it certainly wasn't up to scale with what it could be. I attended a private party there on Saturday night. Because the party was paid for by the hosts, I cannot comment to pricing but...
The layout is interesting. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a great deal of lounge to this bowling alley. In addition to the lanes, the sports bar, and the pool tables, they had a lot of tables and couches. Earlier in the evening, these were pretty empty. However, by the end of the night, things had definitely picked up.
Unfortunately, I took much issue with the lanes. The balls and pins were extremely battered. The keyboard for entering names only had about half the keys actually working. The couches were a bit low and kind of hard to get in/out of -- which with a game where you have to get up to bowl every few minutes, kind of sucked. Also, there is not enough room between the couches and the coffee table. So every time its your turn, you have to ask your teammates to let you by.
The food was hit or miss. We had a bunch of appetizers that they refreshed regularly. The buffalo wings were awesome. The pizza, however, was soggy. There was a decent variety which seemed to hit a wide range of taste buds.
The wait staff -- AWESOME! They always remembered our drinks and came back very fast with our orders. I was impressed right away and the service level never slipped.
A couple nights ago our managers at work threw a little party for us here. It was an interesting night to say the least.
First impression sucked. Big Time. They lost our reservation. How do you loose a reservation? We were told "Oh we'll see what we can do for you its a busy night." What a jerk. You don't "See what I can do." for a group of seventeen people, who had a reservation, you give them their lanes dammit!
We were stuck waiting. They did not offer us a table or anything while we waited, so we had to find one ourselves.
They try to be too many things at once, bowling alley, bar, lounge, they even had tables for dinning. Kind of strange, but kind of a neat concept, I guess., but it really didn't work in their favor, because they all lacked good service in each section. It took like 30 minutes to get a round of beers...BEERS! We also had a few of the "small plates" The chicken bites were alright, The mac and cheese bites were sorta bland, and the Baked Potato Chips was something i could make at home if i wanted.
We finally got our lanes about an hour and half after we got in. After that we had very very spotty service for drinks. Even more than when we first came in. Also one of our lanes was jammed...And no one came to help. No one!
Too loud music...we couldn't even hear each other cheer or anything.
Drink prices are kind of high as well, but I guess that is expected for a bowling alley.
All in all it was fun. It just would have been better if it was for the crap service, Oh yeah and they kicked us out at around 9:30 because our group had a few under twenty one people .
This is the most "schizophrenic" bowling alley that I have ever set foot in.
One part is sports bar. One part is bowling alley. Another is a modern bar and lounge. Each area is actually very nice for what it is. The sports bar section has spacious sofas and plasma screen TV's. The bowling alley has the patented Lucky Strike black light effect. The back lounge area has more comfy chairs and sofas with a fire place.
The drinks are expensive here. The service is okay considering how busy they were. The main issue is the noise level. The music is way too loud. My friends and I were screaming over the music because we could not hear one another. The music selection was poor which made it all the more painful. The Lucky Strike in LA plays better music at a more forgiving decibel level.
I wouldn't go out of my way to spend an evening here, but it is def worth a drink before catching a flick. It's W Hotel meets Bowling Alley meets Fox Sports Bar.
This is a great place for big parties. They blocked off an entire section of seats and tables in the back for us. I though the service was fine for a big party. There's plenty to do, bowling, pool, good drinks and eats. It gets pretty packed so there might be a wait for bowling and pool, but there's enough going on to distract you while you wait.
Came here for a friends birthday with a group of 10.
We had a great time. We arrived a little late for our lane reservation, but it seemed to be no problem. 10 people on one lane was a little bit much space wise, as it was difficult to walk around to get to the lane. Luckily, the groups across from us were small so that we could walk around the other way.
The service was great in terms of drinks. The Bud Light bottles (while expensive) are worth ordering because of how fun they are.
This would be a fun date spot. I wouldn't go here just for the bar, but if you're looking for something different to do, this is a great place.
I always end up here as a last option. Well, always as in twice. I've had dinner here twice after not finding any other restaurant with an acceptable wait time to not miss my movie.
The drinks are horribly over-priced and really watered down. The food is utterly beyond all salvation of enjoyability. The first time I went, I have a salad of some sort sans meat. It always annoys me when there isn't even one option for people who don't eat meat. Of course they charged me full price. Fail.
The second time, I went after broadening my diet to include fish, thinking I could eat something better. I got the tuna sandwich mini things. The tuna was horribly over-seasoned and over-cooked. The fries were greasy and under-cooked. I had to sit at the bar and of course, none of the bartenders served me until I flagged them down.
In the future, I would rather starve through my movie than eat here.
