Brooklyn Bowl
“The venue books nationally recognized bands to play at one of the most interesting venues to take in a live show.”
“Featured on Food Networks "The Best Thing I Ever Ate", 8 pieces of fried chicken is enough for two!”
“FOOD: The food is by Blue Ribbon.”
Brooklyn Bowl
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Good For Dancing: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Coat Check: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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This place has so many different vibes under one roof, and the restaurant, despite being sort of low key off to the side, really stands out.
The chicken highlights the all-American, hipster-bro menu. Usually, my expectations are pretty low for chicken on a menu like this, it's pretty much on every american food menu right? what so special about it…
But boy, was I surprised. Like I'm sucking at the bones because its so fucking flavorful. Like to the point where my friends are eye-fucking my wings. I generously offered them each one, and it definitely makes their eyes light up and their tongues salivate as that delicious BBQ-rub hits your taste-buds.
All in all delicious and memorable, even like 5 days later as i write this up. Mmmm.
Great spot for bowling and a night out drinking
They have live musicians playing which I miss a lot
Prices aren't so bad either
This is a great place if you have never been but be cautious because they always have so much going on (live bands, concerts, etc) that entry alone can be pricey or you are faced with a long wait. I have been here twice, once for a birthday and then just because.
One thing that surprised me is how good their food is! I have never been to an establishment to bowl and the food be as good as this, so kudos to their kitchen staff. Definitely a great place to come to at least once (the "$$" can easily turn into "$$$").
Ehhhh not really for me. This review is probably going to come off as "old lady yells at kids to get off her lawn" so take my opinions with a grain of salt. Maybe you really like kids on your lawn? Maybe you ARE the kids on the lawn and see nothing wrong with it? In this case, this place may be for you.
My husband and I came out here to see a friend of ours who was DJing while we also happened to be in town. Being from Detroit it kind of reminded me of Garden Bowl but way bigger and way more amped up. These days amped is not really my scene so I just found myself counting the minutes before we could leave.
First it was just very crowded. There are so many things going on there–the bowling, the food, the show, etc. I guess this is good if you're someone who doesn't get overstimulated but I just found it to be too much. I will say the food looked effing GREAT tho and the folks bowling looked like they were having fun. I just wonder how long it takes for you to get a lane. My patience is just too thin for that. But I could be persuaded to come back and try that on a night when there isn't a performance and it (hopefully?) isn't as crowded. Drinks were good (although I stuck to your basic G&T) but on the pricier side.
As for the show–the sound was not great for a DJ set. It was just a bit too high ceilinged and cavernous for that. It's flashy to be sure (lots of crazy lights) so on the surface it looked fun but when I actually looked more closely at the crowd I could see they just weren't really dancing, just hanging out, peeping their phones, etc. But I guess that's more of a critique of young folks these days than the space. I'd be curious to see what other crowds look like since they do get an impressive line up of performers there (and what bands sound like vs. DJs in the space since the reviews on acoustics here seem mixed).
Also staff was less than pleasant and I got yelled at a couple of times for doing things I didn't think were a big deal (leaning on the benches by the bowling lanes and setting my drink on the back of another) but I guess you have to be strict to make things run smoothly there. And I guess I'd be cranky if I had to put up with the crowds and drunk folks all the time. So I'll give that a pass.
That said, the space is really impressive in terms of size, cleanliness, and polish. It was definitely a lot nicer in there than I expected. I used to live in Chicago and between The Fireside Bowl there (circa 2000 when I went to shows there) and the previously mentioned Garden Bowl I assume any venue with "Bowl" at the end is a little more divey but this was anything but. So I'll give them props for renovations and keeping things looking good.
I really really wanted to give this place 5 stars considering the great reviews I've seen already, but damnit I just couldn't do it.
When my boyfriend and I first walked in at 10 on a Saturday, the line wasn't too bad even though security got snappy with us when they asked for ID, I shrugged it off after their attitude and kept it moving.
When we finally got to the front desk on the bottom floor to try to get a lane [first come first serve, usually for large groups or birthdays you can try to book in advance, but again this is very hard], it took about 15-20 mins to just get an employees attention, and honestly they looked overworked, they were not too friendly and they are disorganized. When they put my name and number down, there was no telling as to when we would be up next. I have to say the prices are fair minus the required cover charge on days that they have performances, it was 20 per person down the drain. Bowling is 25 dollars per half hour, shoe rentals are 5 bucks each.
The place itself is very nicely designed, it looks like an old warehouse which turned into a fancy lounge, it has a cool factor to it but this place seems like more of a place to party as opposed to bowling. there was at least two bars that took up majority of the space on the main floor, there was maybe 8-12 lanes at most which to me is not much for a large volume of people that can bowl up to 2 hours, so the wait is long as hell. The bathroom was really nice too on the top floor with seating on the same floor.
I didn't get to try the blue ribbon food served but the menu looked decent, the seating to dine in looked great too.
the music seems to be the most important thing here in my opinion, lots of indie bands play here and afterwards a dj spins on the dancefloor which is right by the lanes, I liked the music but the crowd that it attracts is for those in their young 20's , I did see older people there but they look uncomfortable and I wasn't surprised.
After waiting for over an hour and a half with no updates on wait time, I bounced. I would only come back here with a reservation or on a weeknight when it's not so chaotic.
I have a new outlook on bowling. Originally was kinda bummed we were going to wear other people's shoes and throw big balls at pins on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Walking in you get slapped with that foot smell, but that was really the only down side. We went to the bar closer to the bowling lanes and dance floor (away from the shoe rental area). Ordered a pitcher of margarita which was amazing(expensive, but amazing) and a whole bunch of nosh food. My personal favorite was the knish and the cauliflower. We also ordered sliders, pigs in a blanket and flatbread. The pickles that came with the sliders were amazing. After about 45 minutes they called us to let us know our lane was ready. MIND YOU I AM NOT A BOWLING PERSON. I actually haven't bowled since I was 13 and I fell on my face that time so I've been scarred ever since.
We brought our second pitcher over and started playing, the couches and coffee table they have set up at each lane are awesome and comfy. Basically everything was great and PLOT TWIST: I won. Given everyone else was drunk but still.
The bill was up there, but all in all it was a great time and I would go back.
The only thing I would suggest is that they crack a door/window and let some of that stank out. Other than that everything was awesome.
I'm going to start off by saying I'm shocked that this place is owned by the same people who own Blue Ribbon, my favorite restaurant in the entire city. To me BR has always been synonymous with top notch service in addition to amazing food, but the amount of arbitrary rules at this place in addition to the employees that can sometimes be abrasive or rude does not make very happy.
I'm giving two stars instead of one because despite the venue, we did have an amazing night, thanks to the band Tragedy. They're an amazing metal tribute band that performs songs like Grease, It's Raining Men, and Take me Home Country Roads. Powerful vocals, guitar shredding, long hair, high energy performance combined with a wicked sense of humor made this one of the best live music acts I've ever seen. This music is sexy as hell, check them out.
The venue itself is polished, beautiful, and massive. The show area has lots of great light effects, high ceilings with massive fans, and great sound. During the show, before I really explored the venue or interacted with the staff, I thought about how much fun I was having and all the shows I couldn't wait to see here.
Our bartender was actually very sweet, all smiles and kindness. There are no seats at the front bar, and a beer and a rum punch cost us $19. Ouch. We went to take a look at the bowling lanes and were stopped by a…lane bouncer? I guess is what he is. He asked if we had wrist bands. Confused, we held out our stamped hands and he said we needed wrist bands, not stamps. I asked if the area was VIP, me and my boy were clearly confused, which I guess softened him up a bit and he explained they didn't have a VIP area, but the area was for bowlers only and they kept it clear for people actually bowling. I guess that makes sense? We were just trying to get a look at the lanes, which we didn't do, it didn't really matter, we're not really into bowling anyway. They have TV's over the lanes, all of which seemed to be playing an educational cartoon about chemistry. *shrug*
The female bouncer…well, she's a bouncer. There's a smoking section outside cordoned off with rope that people are packed into like sardines and god forbid you're not standing cherry to cherry with someone, you will get yelled at. Then we went to go back in and after we're halfway in the door, she accusingly pulls us back out asking if we were stamped, had been in before. Nah, I just like standing in the outdoor smoking sections of shitty venues in the rain, it's how I spend my time.
Then we tried to get food, they have limited seating in one area with these extremely uncomfortable booths and low un-cushioned ottomans crowded around coffee tables. I mean…no, just no. The boy has back problems, I don't really feel like hunching over a plate of fried chicken on what amounts of a block of metal or wood or whatever. So we went to the hostess and asked for a table with back support, or a seat at the bar. Everything in the back seating area with real tables and seats was empty when we arrived, but we were told they were expecting a large party, everything was reserved, we would have to sit in the front area. I understand it's a Saturday night and what looks empty can quickly fill up, but it was just one more thing that makes this place kind of alienating. We just want to eat comfortably, why not make all the seats comfortable? We clearly don't "get" this place.
Bathrooms are upstairs, and there's lots of stalls and a waiting area with seats. The entire place was polished and clean, and for the most part the layout and decor and everything just seemed well thought out. I wanted to like this place so much! And my boy commented accurately that they're in a shit part of town, used to dealing with entitled asses who can't handle their booze and need to be told "No!" because they didn't hear it from mommy and daddy. While that may be the case, it's nice to interact with staff that looks and listens before interacting with you. In clubs and the like, that can't happen, you just have to assume everyone's a rowdy jerk and contain contain contain. I went in expecting more of a bowling alley/music venue/restaurant combo. This is a bowling club. A bowling club that has live music. Not my scene. They do have an interesting lineup of bands, so I may find myself back here, but I'll know to pretty much get in, see the show, and get out.
I love going to the Brooklyn Bowl for their live shows! I have yet to be disappointed. The performance section has a nice stage and standing room only for guests, except for two long picnic-style wood tables. I wouldn't recommend sitting there when everyone else is standing -you probably won't see a thing. The musicians always sound amazing up there on stage, especially with live instrumentation.
The bar is a great place to eat, drink, and socialize while waiting. It's located in direct view of the stage, so staying at the bar during the performance is an option. The drinks were pretty good. I ordered their wings on my last visit which had a strong but sweet bourbon-like taste -wasn't my favorite, but I ate most of them, so..
I've never actually bowled at the Brooklyn Bowl. Their prices are a bit steep, so it may work out better if you're bowling with a larger group. I love the décor and everything there is well spaced out. You never feel crowded.
Note: There is a cash-only cover, so stop at the ATM before heading out. Also, the musicians often sell merchandise and CDs after the show, so you might want to consider bringing extra cash to support.
Parking can be tricky, but I've always been able to find something close to their location. They have valet parking if you lack patience or time.