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- Nearest Transit:
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Irving Park-Brown (Brown Line)
Addison-Brown (Brown Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 2 am
Sat 11 am - 3 am
Sun 10 am - 2 am
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
64 reviews for Timber Lanes
Review Highlights
"You get to keep your own score."
(in 4 reviews)
"Great prices for a bowling alley in Chicago."
(in 27 reviews)
"Great service, great jukebox, so much fun."
(in 16 reviews)
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64 reviews in English
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Review from Jill M.
Chicago, IL
5/27/2011
If you are starting to get cabin fever from barely going out and you're poor as shit, you gotta come here with some friends.
Drinks are cheap (but it does the job), Bowling is $20 an hour per lane, doesn't matter how many people, shoe rental is cheap. It does get pretty crowded, so if you do plan on showing up with a bunch of people, make a reservation. Reservations make lives so much easier!
You keep score the old way, which means you write it on a piece of paper, no fancy television screens here!
And there is a jukebox. -
Review from Johnny R.
11/28/2011
In short it's a fun small bowling alley + dive bar.
Went there for a birthday party for one of my kids classmates. I was surprised that I had never noticed this place before, and I've lived around this area for 20 years.
The 5-6 older regulars, probably in their 60's and 70's made me want to call my dad today though.
Short review as dive bars are not my thing but it was cool for what it is. -
Review from E P.
Chicago, IL
1/13/2012
This place is a lot of fun, cheap bowling ($2.50 games and $20 per hour, probably the cheapest I have seen in the city), $12 pitchers, and is close to the El and a ton of other fun bars/restaurants. Will definitely be going back again soon (just remember to call ahead and reserve a lane, they have leagues going on Saturday nights).
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Review from Chris W.
Chicago, IL
9/12/2011
What a fun time! We randomly had my birthday here once and it was perfect. The drinks are cheap and the bowling is fun. If you're in the mood to bowl, this is a great place off the brown line, just make sure someone knows how to score by hand.
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Review from Jaimie B.
San Diego, CA
8/5/2010
I bowl in a league here, year round. There is free street parking and a very friendly staff.
If you enjoy the old type of bowling, without the automatic scoring, and with the "Big Lebowski" type of feeling -- then you'll love this place. -
Review from Meghan P.
Chicago, IL
12/12/2010
The best of the best of dives filled with that small town feel that you wanna find in Chicago.
Join a league, go for fun, the drinks are cheap, you have to keep score old school style, and its conveniently located near the brown line irving park stop. -
Review from Michael G.
Rockville, MD
11/19/2009
The true nature of Timber Lanes (I swear it's two words, I even checked the sign outside) is an enigma. Is it a dive bar with a bowling alley attached or is it a bowling alley with a dive bar attached? The group I went with on a cold November Sunday afternoon discussed this at length. Inbetween rocking out to some great music (mostly 80s alt-rock), that is.
I now present to you both sides of this debate.
a) It's a dive bar with a bowling alley attached:
- Fact: There are regulars talking about people they knew in the 1960s at the bar. And we were the youngest people there by 20 years when we walked in.
- Fact: Even on a Sunday at 4:00 p.m. with minimal football on the television, people were drinking as if the sun has gone down.
- Fact: The beer is cheap and mostly in cans. They even serve canned Guinness at $5.00.
- Fact: The decor looks like something out of someone's basement in 1970s. Pretty much a pre-requisite for dive bar status.
- Fact: With only eight lanes, there's always a wait. Plenty of time to drink beer.
b) it is a bowling alley with a dive bar attached:
- Fact: There are signs up for local bowlers who scored 300 games.
- Fact: There is hand scoring. Something that only a true bowling alley would have. None of those fancy bells and whistles to help recreational bowlers keep score.
- Fact: Someone commented on the oil pattern of the lane as we walked in.
- Fact: I got a 136 on these lanes (my best score in a while) and that means they care about bowling enough to maintain the lanes well. Or I was just drunk and lucky. That's another debate entirely though.
No matter what decision is reached in this cosmic battle for the ages though, this place is old school and wonderful! Bowling is only $3 per game off-peak and you can get food delivered from local eateries. The alley balls probably haven't been replaced since the 1980s but the weights are labeled (bonus). Just don't expect to find many six or eight pound balls though. I can't even guess the last time a kid was in here so they don't have a lot of lighter weights for grownups either.
It's just not that kind of place. I mean, what would a kid want with a dive bowling alley (what we finally decided it was) in the first place anyhow?Listed in: Guinness Economic Index, Goodness, Gracious, Great…
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Review from Joe T.
Cincinnati, OH
9/22/2008
Tips for bowling success:
1. For weekend night bowling, be advised that league play goes until 9pm.
2. It's in your best interest to make a reservation. Unless you don't mind waiting 2+ hours for a lane to open up.
3. First thing you should do upon arrival: load up the jukebox. The selections are limited (sometimes only one playable track per album), and unless you want to hear someone else's playlist (a risky proposition), you need to grab the bull by the horns.
4. The second thing you should do is head for the "locker" room and pick out some balls for you and your companions. If you need a light ball, you might have to do some mining.
5. Pitchers of Leinenkugel Red are $13. Miller Lite pitchers are $11. And it is easier to bowl without a beer in your hand.
6. Fair warning: although this place looks old school, "cosmic" bowling still takes effect around 10pm on Saturdays. This means yes, your semen stains will glow under the black light.
7. Learn how to hand score BEFORE going to the lanes. http://www.bowling.ukl... -
Review from Jo W.
6/4/2009
So my friends and I are walking down the street after dinner. My friend points out to our friend (who is in from out of town) that this building is a bowling alley. And I'm all, "no shit! I had no idea! Let's go bowling!"
And we did.
When we walked in, we were a little mystified by the old school set up. Self scoring, locker rooms, etc. League play was just finishing up, but the woman working the bar made us feel totally welcome, so we changed our shoes (she even gave us socks! mine were brand new - it still had the plastic thingy on them), got a drink, picked some tunes on the jukebox, and ten minutes later we had our very own lane, complete with self scoring. And no, we didn't cheat!
This is a small thing, but I did see some blind people in here bowling when we came in. They made use of the bumpers, but I thought it was so sweet they give them a place to play just like everyone else.
What's not sweet? That they bowled better than me. Sigh. (Though my second game improved!) (But still not as good as theirs.)
But where else can you have a fun night out for less than $10? In this economy, this place is a gem!
Timberlanes, you're like the ultimate dive bar of bowling alleys. And I love it! -
Review from Mark S.
Chicago, IL
12/18/2007
You know how in movies, places people go are always a little cooler than they are in real life? Bowling alleys? Well, they're all loaded full of cool characters, like in the Big Lebowski or Kingpin, right? So why wouldn't a person want to hang around in bowling alleys? Here's why: life ain't the movies, and real people are a lot less interesting and not quite so good looking either. Unless you're at the Timberlanes.
Tiberlanes is the super cool retro bowling alley where the jukebox plays a great soundtrack and the extras are as hip and good looking as the star thinks he is (OK, they're actually hipper and better looking).
This place was so fun I now actually want to go out bowling on weekends. The staff is super nice, there's no smoking, the beer is good, it isn't packed with teenagers- Timberlanes gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. Of course you probably won't like it! So stay away! -
Review from Ellie B.
Chicago, IL
8/8/2007
I sure do love me some bowling! Maybe the best you can expect out of me is a 118, and that's on a good day, but so what? At a place like Timberlanes, it's really all about the atmosphere!
$3 domestic bottles, $10 pitchers, this is a real no-frills joint. My friend was visiting from California and I couldn't help but smack my forehead and utter a "d'oh!" when she asked the bartender if she could make a lemon drop martini. The bartender looked at her like she was from another planet. Priceless.
Don't worry if you show up sock-less - they've got plenty of grimy men's socks to keep your feet bowling ready. Shoes were $2, games were $2. Seriously, this may be one of the best deals in the 'hood. -
Review from Kmberly B.
Denver, CO
4/10/2008
I heart everything about this place. No real "perks", just good old fashion fun! My favorite three things are listed below.
8 lanes all original wood,
-which seem to carry the ball better
-they actually take care of the floors
You get to keep your own score,
-which means you can throw a few practices balls without getting charged
-it keeps your brain in check
-keeps lazy yuppies out
Cheap drinks
-no frilly frozen drinks holding up the line
-drink moderately all night and not spend a fortune
The clients seemed to be semi-the normal divey bowling alley type, but the majority were late 20-mid 30 crowd. There are two rooms off to the side with balls, lockers, and bathrooms. The front room has 12lbish and up and I found I had to go to the backroom for my ball. If I hadn't asked my arm would've been killing me!
The nights I've been there bowling was under 2$ per game, but they have leagues so make sure you call ahead to see what time the league ends. If you get there before league ends you can grab a seat at the bar, shoot darts, or play video games.
As an added bonus thanks to the IL smoking ban, you can actually hang out all night and NOT feel like you're suffocating! =) -
Review from Michael S.
Denver, CO
Updated - 7/11/2008
Last night's 6 pm monsoon drenched our plans to see the concert at Millenium Park, so the kids and I chose the old standby for a rainy day: bowling. And in our book, there is only one place to bowl in Chicago, and it's Timberlanes.
The owners said hello when we arrived. They recognized us as return customers and asked: "how've you been?" They don't charge (me, anyway) for Kiddy Cocktails.
And it's so cheap: three people, four games, two hours: $24.00. Do the math: $2.00 per game per person. That so kicks the ass of any bowling alley in town that we know of. We are a one-alley family!!! (sometimes they charge $3.00 per game; one never knows; it seems to sort of depend on how they feel at the moment, and maybe depends on how many games one bowls. I'm not exactly sure. But the family-owned, we-do-as-we-please-here mentality is a delight!)
And another nice bonus: for some reason, the pin resetting mechanism here doesn't work so well and it often allows three rolls per frame. What a fun way to level the "playing field" for even scoring across all age ranges!!!Listed in: Excellence, Cool Places But Not…, Got Integrity, Extreme Value
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/15/2007
I know to a point bowling is bowling, but there is no neon cosmic crap here. This is simple and… Read more »
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Review from Audrey T.
Chicago, IL
3/21/2007
This has got to be the least pretentious bowling alley in Chicago, as if there's a yard stick for something like that. Right off of a bustling intersection, but, once inside you could be in Smalltown, USA, blissfully smoke free and enjoying cheap drinks and a night of fun with friends.
Cheap and fun, and not mobbed with jerks. I look forward to going back. -
Review from Drucilla D.
Chicago, IL
9/7/2007
I (heart) Timberlanes. I'm so glad that I was introduced to it. What a great place to know. I had never heard about it until I attended a birthday party there last week. Now I can't wait to have an excuse to throw a party so I can go there again!
You may be a little leery upon first stepping in. Depending on which group of incredible 17 year old dude bowlers are there, you may hear Pantera blasting from the jukebox, and the immediate smell is reminiscent of an old closet. But just keep on trekking... You will not be disappointed. I LOVE the manual scorekeeping. It's nice to put good old mathematics to work every once in a while. But be sure to bring your cash! It is a cash only establishment, but so reasonably priced, you needn't worry about hitting the withdrawl limit on the ATM. Eight lanes are just enough and make for a very cozy atmosphere.
This place is probably awesome for private parties as well! I say "probably" because I haven't been to or hosted one yet. However, I called the owner Bob to discuss costs and drink packages and I was so excited to hear that it is only $400 to close the whole place for 3 to 3 1/2 hours of unlimited bowling and shoe rentals for 50-75 people. That is pretty amazing! Drink packages range from $15-$25 per person for those same 3-3 1/2 hours, but they don't have food options. That being said, they allow you the freedom to bring anything and everything and to order from whereever you want. Bob told me that the goal of Timberlanes is for people to have a good time. He told me "If people don't have fun, we must be doing something wrong." And in 22 years, I doubt that Bob's crew has ever done anything wrong.
Check it out, but keep it on the downlow. The beauty of this place is that it is off the beaten track. -
Review from Brett G.
Chicago, IL
5/7/2008
Note - I haven't been here since the smoking ban, but I am 100% confident I would enjoy the experience far more.
Been here for afternoon, night, and even late night bowling. Had a great time each visit. A rocking jukebox kept the tunes flowing, and the lane prices (and cheap beers) kept us bowling. The bowling lanes themselves were surprising well-kept. The rest of the bowling alley, including the bar and any sort of "food area" however, were pretty tired. But that's probably not why you come here.
I'd like to revisit since there's no longer smoking, but Lincoln Square Lanes is closer to my home now. This would be my second place choice. -
Review from Morgan C.
Chicago, IL
4/27/2007
Ahh. This is what bowling should be. Initmate little alley, hand-painted woody-looking "Timber Lanes" above the eight lanes. Cheap beer, cheap bowling... no big flashy cosmic bowling, computerized scoring, or big video arcade. Just good old-fashioned bowling.
Since it is so small, it can get busy, especially on the weekends. Apparently it's smoke-free now (I moved a while back, and don't remember if it was then...), and the crowd/employees are on the whole very cool.
Jukebox is top-notch, too. Lots of metal, older industrial (when's the last time you saw Ministry on a jukebox?), and enough cheesy crap to sing along with like a big dork. -
Review from Sandy R.
Chicago, IL
3/27/2011
A time machine that will take you right back to the 50s. The only difference was the automatic pin setter. It smells and feels just like a bowling alley should. I threw away my socks after wearing the rented shoes.
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Review from Stephanie J.
Chicago, IL
10/18/2009
The first time I went to Timber was over 2 years ago on my first date with my boyfriend. He obviously did something right because we're still together.
They still have all-wood lanes, you have to keep score manually (whoever thinks automatic scoring is superior is a moron) and the drink deals are fantastic. Seriously, $3 for a pint of Leinie's Red?! Superb! Minus the digital jukebox, this place keeps it super old-school, which makes me happy. I go almost every week since my other half is on a league and I, too am on a league during the summer.
I do suggest calling before you go in since there are leagues playing almost everyday. It baffles me when people walk in and are irritated that they have to wait because of league. News Flash: It's a bowling alley! People bowl here on a weekly basis unlike those who decide to do it once a year!
Big props to Bob, the owner, who has done a great job running a well-oiled machine (and lanes). See you on Monday, Timber! -
Review from Jen C.
Chicago, IL
8/10/2008
More stars for:
-GREAT PRICE! So cheap to go bowling!
-Nice owner/bartender
-On a Saturday night, several lanes (of the 8 lanes total) were full but not packed.
Less stars for:
-They don't accept credit cards! :'( So make sure you bring in your cash!
-You have to do self-scoring...possibly more difficult as you continue to get drinks from the bar :)
It's fun & cheap, and that'll make for good times! I will be back! -
Review from Jennifer P.
Chicago, IL
1/4/2009
Lots of fun for groups. Make a reservation, though.
Self -scoring is so strange...but it works for this place. Bartender has a cheat sheet if you have no idea how to do it. -
Review from Karyn K.
Chicago, IL
7/22/2010
Timber Lanes is a small town bowling alley right in Chicago. There are some regulars who you can tell are in Timber Lanes all the time, but they are friendly and welcoming. It was easy to find a ball and get shoes that fit. Women's balls are in a tiny room to the right when you enter the ball room.
It's a fun place to bowl and drink, but you need to be somewhat serious about bowling in order to fit in. -
Review from Erika B.
Chicago, IL
5/12/2010
So I used to be in a bowling league at Marigold for close to 10 years. It was my favorite thing to do with my favorite people. I looked forward to it every week and was hung over every Friday because of it. Then the family who owned it got an offer they couldn't refuse and sold the damn place. Of course they tore it down, and turned the spot into - how original! - condos. I thought I'd never bowl again. I haven't been by that property since. I was in serious mourning. I mean, what could compare with Marigold?
Well, a friend and league partner decided to start a spinoff league at this joint Timber Lanes. Never heard of the place. We were all immediately skeptic. Where was it? (On Irving/Wolcott.) What kind of people run the joint? (Really, really nice friendly ones.) Is the scoring electronic, which is the spawn of Satan? (No! You keep your own score with a pencil and paper just like the gods intended.) Can they make me a Stoli Raspberry and Soda, my bowling staple for years, the same way Marigold did? (yes!)
Ok, we'll give this new spinoff league a whirl.
Well, six years later we're still going there every Wednesday night and it's once again the highlight of my week, and we have Timber Lanes to thank for that. The drinks are strong, and the prices are cheap. They let you order or bring in food since they don't serve any. They have video games and darts and plenty of TVs for sports watching. Even if you don't want to bowl, the bar and clientele are better than any other neighborhood bar in the area. And the people who own it and work there are so damn nice. Not to mention they have "TIMBER LANES" painted down by the pins in a nice log-looking font. Sweet.
I love you, Timber Lanes. Thanks for saving my bowling night. My scores, on the other hand, still need help... -
Review from Matt G.
Chicago, IL
12/30/2007
This is exactly what I had in mind for a bowling alley! The ONLY affordable bowling I've found in the city. This place has The Big Lebowski written all over it (complete with the movie posters and what should have been the soundtrack)
It is a complete dive, so hopefully you're not looking for class...after all it is bowling. You also keep manual score. Great place and right under the Irving Park brown line stop. -
Review from Rusty S.
Chicago, IL
12/10/2006
Timber Lanes has friendly bartenders, cheap beer, and a great juke box! I also like that it's smoke-free(are all bowling alleys in Chicago smoke-free now)?
We didn't even go to bowl - we were just there to enjoy a few beverages and have a good time. The only complaint that I have is that the juke box costs $1 per song - a bit much, but I guess I can afford it when I'm paying so little for my beers!
It was also a little bright in there pretty late at night, but that's not really a complaint, just an observation.
Good times, good times! -
Review from Sarah P.
Chicago, IL
1/15/2010
What could make an old school dive bar even better? Old school bowling! Pretty hopping for a Monday night even after the bowling league finished. I was pretty surprised at the wide range of people that go here to bowl - definitely not your stereotypical bar/bowling alley that's for sure.
Great service, great jukebox, so much fun. -
Review from Justin G.
Chicago, IL
10/24/2007
I had my best day bowling here. I honestly think one of the lanes is slanted toward the middle.
I should probably have more of an issue with that, but I almost broke 200. Hells yes. -
Review from Phillie P.
Chicago, IL
9/24/2007
Went bowling here back when I had cool friends that would actually go bowling. Something about a bowling alley that doesn't have cosmic bowling. It's an old school bowling alley with no frills... just booze, some video games and BOWLING.
Small, but fun (when it's not a league night). Oh... how I wish Marigold was still open.) -
Review from Ed R.
Chicago, IL
2/22/2008
This is a great alley. Cheap by city standards, $20/hour on weekends. Pitchers of beer are $8-9.
Manual scoring, which is a welcome sight these days. Nothing in the jukebox past 1990. They also have dart boards and the old school Ms. Pac Man - Galaga combo. They also let you order food in for parties.
The employees are nice and friendly almost all the time, and the location is right off the Irving Park el. -
Review from Julia L.
Chicago, IL
2/3/2010
If you want a fun place to bowl, this place is pretty good. Right next to the brown line, so its real easy to get to.
It was a Saturday night and my friends and I wanted to go bowling and we called at least 5 different places, and Timberlanes was the only place that took reservations...and our reservation was way past midnight..and it was still uber-packed when we got there.
shoes were three bucks, it was 20 bucks for a full hour per lane..we actually played for an hour and a half and still paid only 20 so that was nice of them..especially after what happened...
I was already drinking a little, and i got a pitcher of miller for 11 bucks. not bad. I still had a little of my own stuff leftover so I decided to pour it in my cup and this lady comes out of nowhere and snatched my drink and bottle away ! I felt really bad and apologized and the owner was all like "you can't do that blah blah blah", but one of the guys was really cool though and was joking around asking me what was in my bottle because they were trying to figure out what was in it all night. (it was captain morgan btw)
So yeah, that was my first experience. It was pretty good regardless of the little mishap, which was my bad anyways. Cheap beer, fun time, oh yeah and manual scoring !! Definitely coming back..just kinda hoping they won't remember me. ha. -
Review from MARIA O.
3/25/2010
Now THIS is what I call bowling.
I loved the energy of the crowd. The drinks were cheap, the games were fairly priced, and my bowling partner enjoyed the music. If only we knew how to keep score.... -
Review from Mike I.
Chicago, IL
12/14/2007 2 photos
A charming neighborhood bowling alley. Aside from the high-tech jukebox and Big Lebowski poster, it looks like Timber Lanes hasn't changed much since the mid-80s. This is a great place to roll a few games and have some beers on the cheap.
(Oh, and they're open on Thanksgiving.)
EDITED TO ADD: Timberlanes does host leagues every night during the winter months, so unless you're going there during the day, forget about getting a lane until about 10 p.m., when open bowl recommences. And even then, I recommend reserving your lane, as they tend to fill up fast. -
Review from Jef B.
Sacramento, CA
2/13/2010
We were at Timber Lanes last night with a group that rented it. I love the atmosphere of the place, the big bar and the pleasant staff. Everybody at the party had such a good time. The $11 pitcher for Miller Lite is a good deal. My shoes fit and there were plenty of balls to choose from in the ball room.
Parking - could have been a nightmare, we almost didn't find parking. That would have sucked to have driven 45 minutes there and had to drive back home. We lucked out. Beware those who do not take the El. -
Review from Frey A.
Chicago, IL
7/11/2011
What a great place! They accommodated our pub crawl even though they had no advance warning and were so happy about it. The next time we wanted to bring a group, I called in advance and they moved some folks around to fit us in. Seriously, this place is the best. I'm one of those "crazy" folks that remember top notch customer service, and I won't forget Timber Lanes.
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Review from Kirsten F.
Chicago, IL
2/9/2007
constant references to the big lebowski had already put me in a pretty happy mood, even though i am a TERRIBLE bowler. really awful. skill level doesn't matter though, as timberlanes provides enough material to entertain and delight with the ambiance, service, and clientele alone! the fluorescent lighting makes everyone glow, making a visor or tinted glasses suddenly appealing. the borrowed shoes compliment any outfit. and the staff seems like a family with everyone pitching in to keep the place rolling. so to speak.
this place is seriously old school. a little dingy. a little past it's prime. but it's friendly and fun. and it's the perfect place to reenact john goodman's tirade from the lebowski, so how can you beat that! let's roll! -
Review from Erika G.
2/10/2008
What's not to love? Cheap drinks, faux Wisconsin lodge atmosphere, blasting 80's hair metal, smell of feet! It's bowling, baby, and this is oldskool style.
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Review from Joanna B.
Chicago, IL
1/3/2007
We had my dad's 60th b-day party at this place and the owners really came through. We had six lanes ot ourselves and room to set up food. Everyone had a great time. The atmosphere is exactly what you want from an old-time bowling alley. Better brush up on your bowling scoring before you go though, cause it's do it yourself. But overall it everything turned out great and my Dad had an awesome time.
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Review from Doug S.
Portland, OR
2/8/2007 1 photo
Just went here for the first time in a long time a few weeks ago. My friend was having a birthday party. I really need to find out what the price on this deal was (if any) but party-atendees were charged $25 for open bowling and booze for 4 hours. Let's have a birthday party there every day!!!
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Review from deb s.
IL
4/21/2007
this is a collaborative review from me & DJ -
being that I live next door, I might be a little biased - every night we get to hear the gentle crashing of pins,its kinda like the ocean a little bit. but not. The owners are super nice & the bowling alley is smoke free as previously noted. Beers cheap, people are great- especially when you order food in and hang out at the bar. Right off the Irving Park Brown Line - and I think they're open till like 2 or 3 a.m. Very old school bowling, score your own - come & join a league - they have all type of them even a once a month league! -
Review from Chris H.
Chicago, IL
2/11/2009 19 Check-ins Here
When it comes to bowling, this is it. Real wood lanes. Hand scoring only. Super friendly staff and ownership. Cheap prices, for bowling and beer. The ONLY reason I didn't give it a perfect score is they don't serve food (minor in my estimation as there a ton of places around that you can get food, or have delivery sent there), but does take away from a truely perfect score. Heck in fact the owner has taken the time to help me improve my game and invitied me to join his league.
Listed in: The Places I Go Out
