Very poor customer service. Just called with questions about joining a league and all the guy could say was "You want to sign up or not, I'm busy!" Maybe a more appropriate way to handle it would have been, "I'm kind of busy right now, can I call you back?" Needless to say, I won't be spending my money there.
Review Source:They charge you by the hour (per lane) not per person. Which is reasonable if you have a large group of people, but not so affordable on a Saturday night when it's just two people (as it's about $33 an hour per lane). It's still fun though! The staff is friendly, and their bar prices are only a little bit more than reasonable. On weekend nights they have cosmic bowling, which is pretty neat. I liked that the DJ played more classic rock than cheesy pop.
The huge negative about this place is all the kids. Huge groups of them, with no parental supervision. I felt like I was in Jr. High.
Best value is to get the authentic Happy Birthday bowling pin for your kid to autograph on for $10.
Otherwise, outing here is what you'd expect from a bowling alley - pricing is moderate considering Sunday peak hours and service is okay.
Main thing is our kids had fun.
What sucked the most was my score!
This place is charming. It's huge but still has personality, which is apparently hard to do for bowling alleys! I love the location, the signage, and the strangely shaped parking lot. Food here is good enough for bowling-alley food, and reasonably priced. I like the high tables behind each set of lanes, perfect to set a pizza on or gather around between rolls. Diversey is definitely my favorite of the warehouse alleys.
Review Source:I've been coming to DRB for quite some time now and consistently bowling in the Funtimers league. Â I used to frequent it here when I was younger and they didn't even have electronic scoring. In fact I learned how to manually score games here with the huge score sheet and fat pencil. Â Also remember the times as a kid in the arcade which since has been turned into a much nicer bar. Â Kind of still wish there was an arcade though.
One thing I do know is that Laurie who runs the menu inside is doing a hell of a job. Â I haven't had anything on the menu that wasn't good from pizza to wraps to apps to even pot pie. Â Hats off to the new food there because when I was younger there were just the basic deep fried options.
As for the bowling its not bad. Lot of improvements even though somehow I seem to always get stuck on the one or two shitty lanes in the whole place. Â Bowling for fun has become a constant for me and Diversey provides me with that luxury in my own backyard. Â Plus its just a real cool location that they've been able to lock up.
We had our team build here for work last month. Â It was a good venue to accommodate a large group, so it worked out really well. Â
The pizza was kinda gross. Â But they had beer, which we consumed lots of, after the "work" part was over, of course! Â Tater tots were tasty. Â
And the bathrooms were clean! Â
I'm not an avid bowler, but it's a totally cool place to do a few games, rather inexpensively. Â Bring some friends and have a good time!
I absolutely love this place! Here are 5 stars why:
Star #1: Went here for a birthday. I brought a cake and the guy at the desk told me the guy at the restaurant could keep it cold for me in the fridge and bring it out later to our lanes.
Star #2: The bartender took the cake to keep it cold for us. He was on his lunch eating chicken wings and offered me and my husband a couple wings off his plate for free! How nice of him! And the wings were delicious!
Star #3: The music and cosmic bowling is such a fun vibe. The music makes you wanna jam out and dance while you wait for your turn.
Star #4: Alcohol is pretty decently priced. Â You get a humongous tower of beer for $27, enough to satisfy at least 5 people (we got 2 rounds for a party of 10). Food is actually really good too with big portions! We enjoyed our pizzas, sliders, fries, and chicken wings. :D
Star #5: Free parking! And really friendly, funny staff. This place just gives a really cool, down-to-earth vibe.
I can't wait to come back. Â I might even do my own birthday here!
Went here for an end of year work party. It's definitely one of my new faves for bowling in Chicago! I've been to other, ahem... divey places and uh, posh places?? THIS. my friends. THIS is a bowling alley.
They have so many lanes! 36 I believe? The process to get a lane is super easy - fill out a slip on the little machine and bring it over to the guy at the desk. It's reasonably priced.
They also have AWESOME beer specials!! On Monday night, PBR bottles were only $2! woot!
Another fun experience at Diversey River Bowl tonight. Â Again not your fancy place and not the 100% cleanest... the trash could get taken out more, the shoes could be cleaner....
The pizza still isn't my favorite, but its okay and good for when you are hungry. Â The music was good tonight, but really REALLY LOUD!!!
We had a really nice time bowling, that is what matters!
I love this place. Â Good ole down to earth, blue collar hang out on the cheap. Â Mondays you can find me here, with there $1 special on shoes and lanes 12-5pm. Â What a deal!! Â With the automatic check-in machine, it takes the fight out of the "I saw if first, it's our lane next" smack down.
While all of our friends are having dinner dates nights at Charlie Trotters, we happily play hooky from work and have a, dare I say romantic date day at DRB. Â Honestly, one of the sweetest date memories I have to date with my husband.
Can't wait to come back!!!
It has been 23 years since I've thrown a bowling ball down a lane! Â That would end today and my first roll yielded a strike! Â All I could think was..."I Still Got It!"
Today was one of those Ferris Bueller Day moments...probably inspired by Ferris himself and his new Super Bowl Commercial. Â
Monday has the best deal. Â One buck for a line of bowling and one buck for shoe rental from Noon to 5pm. Â How can anybody beat that? Â They can't. And we weren't the only ones enjoying the day. The bowling alley was almost packed by the time we left.
This place is an old school bowling alley. Â There are video games, pool tables, food, a pro shop and alcohol. Â You can even get a giant 100 oz tapper full of beer. Â We should have gotten that but instead stuck with a pitcher. Â We did have envy as three other lanes got the giant 100 ounces of beer. Next time we will know better. Â In fact, this was the first time I've ever bowled and had a beer at the same time. Â Now I know what the beer frame really means. Â
This place also has automatic scoring. This makes the process fast plus there is no need to do any math at all. Â Plus the traditional booths have been removed and replaced with triangle party tables with bar stools. These are a great place to hang at and place your drinks or food, while you are bowling. Â
We did not have any food but many others were eating. Â The prices also seemed affordable too. Â They even served a grass fed Angus beef burger. Â That is amazing for a bowling alley.
On our way out we visited the pro shop and I started to feel like I was in the movie "Kingpin".
What a great day!!!  I am glad to see that this bowling alley is alive and kicking.  The last time I bowled here I was in High  School and that was a long time ago. Â
The music was also rocking here too. I noticed a DJ computer all set up at the main desk. I also saw fog machines and dance lights...I am sure those are for the cosmic rock n roll bowling. I would like to see that one night. Look out honey we might have a date night coming up.
I am glad that this great old bowling alley is making it work. I am also glad that people are still bowling for real and not just sitting at home doing the fake Wii Bowling.
We had such a great time. Â I can hardly wait to come back.
Diversey River Bowl is a perfect divey bowling alley. Â It combines the perfect ingredients to a great night of bowling - your bowling, your tower of beer and some phenomenal eats - pizza, apps & tots. Â I belonged to a league here on Thursday nights and the only annoying thing was that it seemed they really messed up the league times by booking parties during the same time they committed to our league. Â They cancelled a couple of the weeks we were supposed to bowl as well as moved our bowling time from 7pm to 9pm or later. Â You could always pre or post bowl but that's no fun. Â They gave us a nice party at the end of the league with food, beer and prize money. Â
I also just recently went to a birthday party here. Â $54 for 2 hours of bowling with open bar for 3 hours and pizza. Â Not bad... we definitely drank and ate enough but I'd say we could have bowled more. Â We barely fit in 2.5 games which kind of stunk. Â Also we were supposed to start the party at 6 and didn't get started until about 6:30 which almost ruined the post-bowling plans.
I haven't bowled since I was in Denver about two years ago, and I'll probably wait another two years now. With scores in the 30s, 40s, and 50s, I should just stop embarrassing myself! The best part? I always freak people out with my uncanny ability to roll out a strike straight out of the gate and then the steep deterioration unfolds.
But I vow to never quit because bowling is so much fun... never!
On a recent Sunday, our group arrived around midnight... took only a few minutes to get our lanes, shoes and beer. Oh, and a special thanks to the bartender for providing us with a 'mystery' pitcher of beer! Can't admit I tried it, but I think its special powers helped me beat a 150+/game bowler as by the end he bowled a solid 37.
Sure, the shoes are gross, the awesome music is repetitive (Reptilia by the Strokes was played back-to-back) and the beer selection sucks, but Diversey River Bowl somehow always rocks!
I had been dreaming of going bowling for SO LONG to re-live my youth, and I finally got off my butt and organized a group to go bowling over the weekend and let me tell you - this place is awesome!
When your party arrives, you have to go this machine reservation thing and everyone enters their name and take pictures (pictures are optional, but it's fun to make silly faces in front of a machine). You go to the counter with your "receipt" and they will assign you a bowling lane and give you tickets for shoes. You go up to the shoe booth and get your shoes (they take one of your shoes as collateral). After you're fitted, you're ready to find your bowling ball and start bowling.
We got to the bowling alley around 9pm on a Saturday for Cosmic Bowling. It was packed, but not full. We got a lane immediately. We got awesome beer tubes ($30/tube) and bowled our hearts out. $32/per lane per hour split among 7 people was a breeze. We bowled 2 games in a span of 2 and a half hours and only paid $14 per person (shoes are $3). That's not a bad deal, and we all had so much fun and were super excited to show off our bowling skills.
The only bad parts were the awkward seating (there aren't comfy seats and the tables are shaped awkwardly so person-to-person interaction was tough at times), the "modernized" bowling system messed up a couple of times giving a few people strikes and skipping someone's turn, the semi-comatose music playing (apparently, the 70 year old owner hates hip-hop so whenever he is at the alley, they never play any top 40 hits), and the flavorless pizza.
Overall, though, my friends and I definitely would come back here again! Everyone left happy, and that's what it's really all about.
p.s. if you forget to wear or bring socks, you can get some for $2.
I've been to just about every alley in Chicago, and Diversey River Bowl is the one we choose for leagues every time. Â The lanes are by far the best at not chewing up your ball... the restaurant is easily the best bowling alley food I've found ANYWHERE, not just Chicago... and the atmosphere isn't completely corny like most alleys. Â Here's an article you might find useful regarding what I agree is the best bowling alley in Chicago:
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.associatedcontent.com%2Farticle%2F8396419%2Fbest_bowling_alley_in_chicago_diversey.html%3Fcat%3D8&s=bfcf2812cf0fac8c4606602183c9ac1a9ef93ded4e1f50c07472b7c50cce7721" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.associatedcon…</a>
There's more than a few things wrong here, and one incredibly surprising thing that makes this a 3-star review, and not a 2-star.
First the good, to get that out of the way: the pizza. Good lord! It's surprisingly delicious and fantastic and makes you want to eat greasy pizza forever. So. Good.
Now, the baddies. Â First off, it's just really dark in here. And it's annoying. I could see having glow-in-the-dark bowling every now and then, but sheesh, turn on some freaking lights. There, I've said it.
Second, it's way loud. Yes, I am an old man.
Third, it's expensive to bowl. Yes, I am cheap.
Fourth, I am done writing this review.
Just go and eat the pizza on your friends' birthdays, which is why you'll come here.
There, I'm done.
Drawn in for cheap bowling...just like Allison V. stated.
The kitchen opens at 5pm on weekdays.
It's been a while since I had been bowling, so it took a bit of getting used to. I almost ripped my thumbnail off from trying to throw a 16lb bowling ball that had a thumb hole twice the size of my thumb. Other than that, I was throwing those balls hard for a hour or two. Knocking pins out of the lanes...
Most people don't know this but bowling was one of my PE courses in college..LOL! Â I thought I would just get that out of the way. Â Now, my bowling skills don't always reflect that but it IS a fact.
The first thing that I noticed when I walked in was that it reminded me of the 80s and since I love the 80s I was very excited. Â This place is great!! Â I loved the lanes and they have up to date equipment. Â The energy was great and I can't wait to go back.
Oh and did I mention that they have a nice sized bar with tvs at the tables so you can catch the games??? Â Well Now I have!!
This is a decent enough alley. Â The scoring screens need to be updated, and I absolutely hate the lay out of the lanes. Â The triangle shaped table and stools make it difficult to reach your lane when the place gets busy. Â During cosmic bowling, the music can get a bit too loud. Â I also wish they showed more videos on the walls. Â Currently, they just show graphics.
The food here could possibly the best bowling alley food that you can get. Â They serve up a good variety of options from the standard pizza and burgers to chicken pot pies, cheese curds, and chips & guacamole.
My least favorite this about this place are the kids and their parents. Â This place is very popular with families, which is fine and good. Â But its probably the worst place I've been to where parent don't control their kids. Â I bowl in a league here on Sundays. Â There were a few times when our lanes were right next to a birthday party. Â These kids would constantly cross over to our lanes, walked over to our ball returns and try to take our bowling balls, and even bowled in our lane while the parents didn't do anything. Â Not only is it annoying, its downright dangerous. Â A few times, it was the parents crossing over to our lanes, too, paying no mind that there were people there. Â They were just lucky that this was a recreational league. Â If it were a regular league, players would have been livid at these kids and parents.
Overall, however, the place is nice. Â The staff is quick and friendly. Â Whenever there's clean up, deadwood, maintenance, the guys are on it., Â I love the bar/restaurant area with TVs everywhere. Â It's a nice place to hangout, just be weary of the birthday parties and these kids/parents.
For it being "the place to bowl" it was just OK. I went for a kids birthday party and it was clean, and the lanes looked nice. But they don't have the giant displays above the lanes which I thought was odd. They have these kiosks you punch in your info on.
Food was bowling alley food and the beer was cold. I think I'd like to go back and try it a little more low key.
Um... this place is called Diversey River Bowl?! Why have I always (and affectionately) called it Diversey Rock and Bowl, then?! Huh. The things we ponder.
Had I needed to guess I'd say it's likely because of how much I absolutely love to think I rock at bowling, though anyone who has actually seen me bowl (I'm looking at you, CC) knows it's quite the contrary. Well, unless I've consumed my weight in Coors Light, of course. Mmmm.... tap the Rockies!
Gotta give up the three stars A-OK to Diversey 'whatever it is' Bowl for being awesomely close to my home, pretty much always having lane availability - or reasonable wait times - on weekends, doing the late night glow in the dark thing and playing fabulously danceable music videos that get your bowlin' bootay bouncing. Oh, and let me not fail to mention the marvelous tv screens situated at each lane that show your picture perfect mug as you take your turn rolling. Yeah, another one of the sweet Diversey perks... put on your best pucker and get out there, Ten Pin!
Improvement, however, could certainly be tolerated in both the ball selection department (there lies a major shortage in lighter weight balls) and with shoe rental (aka the bane of my existence). The process proves to be atrocious and, at times, downright repugnant... almost all of their kicks are either dreadfully worn down, torn, stretched out or falling apart. I even once received a pair with gum stuck to the INSIDE... who does that? And why weren't they just throw out? Barf-ola.
A retro bowling experience doesn't have to possess actual vintage footwear to make things seem authentic. Mama wants some new shoes, yes, even if it means no more alibi for my horrendous bowling.
My daughter was invited to a birthday party at Diversey River Bowl and as many times I've driven past it I can't believe I never noticed it.
Diversey Bowl sent me on a wonderful trip down memory lane--when I was a teen back in the ever-so-cool 80s and a group of friends and I would gather at the Glenwood Bowl  for an afternoon or evening of good, clean fun. Yeah I know this isn't a review on Glenwood Bowl but Diversey River Bowl reminds me of the bowling alleys of yesteryear. Don't get me wrong-- I love Lucky Strike, 10 Pin and AMF in all their hi-tech glory, but there's nothing like a plain 'ol Bowling Alley.
Anyway, a bowling party may be a bit much for a three year old to handle as evidenced by the sheer buckwildness of this particular party. They had the guards up as well as this metal mini slide for the kiddies to put the ball on so that it can have some kind of momentum going down the lane. No turn-taking, lots of crying and shrieking, lots of dropped balls, lots of running into other lanes, lane agents constantly coming over to fiddle around with the pins etc....But it was a lot of fun. The atmosphere and music were great, the pizza and beer were pretty good for a bowling alley and everybody was there to have a good time. I snuck away a couple of times to check the place out and saw a party room with a pool table and a nice, dark bar and video games. I was looking for Ms. Pac Man but didn't see it so I settled on some alien shooting game.
I would love to go back again, but next time with adults. Fun time!
I think I've died and gone to bowling heaven, well atleast at Diversey Rock and Bowl and on a Monday! :)
On Mondays, it's 1.00 (one, uno) dollar a game until 5. It's also 1.00 to rent shoes. and 2.00 PBRs IN A BOTTLE. That's pure class right there
The lanes are always nice and shiny and clean. It's never packed. The scoring system is a bit old school, but I like it. It doesn't have your score viewed for the entire alley to see, which sometimes is definitely a good thing!
The staff is super duper nice and accommodating.
They also have a house bowling ball that helped me achieve my highest score ever. I wanted to take it home. That clearly wasn't an option. Thank you bowling ball.
They play all different genres of music, and it's just loud enough where it's not over bearing.
I liked the pro shop and I wish I had my very own ball.
I like Diversey River Bowl's location. I like their staff. I don't mind their food. Their lanes are kept-up pretty well. Their prices are great on weekends when you do the bowling and pizza specials. Their Pro Shop is pretty good. Their bar staff/beer selection/alcohol situation is great. So why three stars? Their score-keeping computers are THAT bad.
14 software developers out on a bowling trip... None of us could figure out how to enter our names... And I had been here before. PROTIP: When a screen says "Press Enter to Continue," there should be an "Enter" key.
Those computers suck so bad, they took two stars from the rating. I'd rather keep score by hand.
I'm not usually one to brag, but I set a world record here last weekend. You ready for this...
I bowled a 25! Is that not the worst bowling score you've ever heard? Afraid so...
Besides my pathetic bowling game I enjoyed music videos I hadn't seen in 10+ years and watched 2 teenagers make out in the lane next to me.
I left feeling quite old and wondering if I should invest in bowling lessons, but have to admit it was fun...
I can imagine that this place would be extra fun at night. At 1pm for a work outing it still didn't disappoint, but it was really bright and there weren't any cool lights. Just some sweet 80's jams.
Pros:
Each bowler gets their picture taken which will show up when it's your turn to bowl.
Photobooth.
$10/hr/lane bowling on Fridays before 5pm! Cheeeeep.
Jams.
Cons:
So-so bar food - preformed burgers= yuck.
less than enthused employees.
I wasn't drinking.
I am excited to again experience Rock N Bowl in all of it's glory...in the evening this time...
As far as bowling in Chicago goes, Â this place is alright. Â Not amazing, but alright. Â It has the nostalgic feel, Â old signs, Â and sorta off the main road "coolness." Â Plus, the awesome multi-colored balls. Â Other than that, Â there's not much to say about it.
As for the bar at the alley, Â its pretty decent. Once again, that is "decent," as far as bowling alleys go. Â Has about 7 different beers on tap, only two of them are mass-brews and the rest are imports and micros. Â Come here to watch a sports game if you're in the area. Â There's usually a bunch of fans gleaming at the projector on the wall, yapping and shouting for the Chitown pride.
I've been bowling and busting out w/my dexter's for some time now and every time I go bowling as of recently I've been bowling at DRB.
I enjoy the almost dirty looking feel of this place. It smells like a bowling alley should like beer and booze! I think taking a picture for each player is a cute concept:note to everyone don't take drunk pictures....hahaha kidding it makes a great drunken bowling event to laugh at ones self drunk picture.
Over all this place is a cool place to hang out with friends for some cool night bowling. The music is pretty good. Maybe a bit more of a variety but I do believe its called rock and bowl.
I got mixed feelings about this bowling alley. Â The lots of alleys, the '80s music and video clips they had when we were there, the electronic reservation that enables you to take picture of yourself -- all 5 stars. Â The bowling balls, however - are not really well maintained, I don't think. Â Also the lanes, I definitely love Southport lanes better. Â Yeah - I guess I'm a fan of 'antiques'. :) Â I'm not too crazy for the 'disco lightings effect' either. Â Definitely a distraction for a non-pro bowler like me! :P
Definitely a fun spot to hangout though ... we were there on a Friday night and the waiting was not long at all. Â Can't really comment on the pricing -since I did not pick up the check!
In my opinion, this is by far the best bowling alley in the city. Â For one, bowling alleys are scarce and pretty hard to find. Â The two that I know for sure, Ten Pin and Lucky Strikes, have major issues. Â Diversey has a parking lot which neither of the others have. Â Not to mention the other two are so tiny it's virtually impossible to get a lane on the weekends. Â I've never had to wait more than 30-40 min at Diversey as they have at least 30 lanes. Â Plus neither of the other two are 'rock n bowls'!
The other kicker that made me push it up from 4 to 5 stars was the recent addition of the Kegler grill inside. Â It's pretty much like a sports lounge w/ a full bar, flat screens and projectors scattered around, and even a pool table to play on. Â The food menu is immense and very affordable, w/ a plethora of burgers, wraps, sandwiches, and pizzas. Â It's a great place to hang while you're waiting for your lane. Â
Come here for a guaranteed fun time w/ beer, bowling, and rock n roll!! Â And don't forget to take the goofiest photos possible! Â Now only if I could figure out a way to increase my average to 150 :O)
Started our evening off with a little bowling and it was pretty extreme. LOL. I definately enjoyed this place. We stopped by on a friday nite and it was about a ten minute wait before we got a lane. As soon as they told us what lane we were at the lights went off and guess what? COSMIC BOWLING!!!!! Oh goodness how I love bowling with neon colored objects at every corner of my eye.
The music was amazing!!!! I didn't know what to do...bowl or dance!!!! Awesome crowd of people that evening. And of course I couldn't enjoy my bowling without a refreshing beverage..hehe. Went up to the bar and asked for vodka and cranberry juice...WOW!! The drink was GIANT!!!! And for 7 bucks!!!!! I was blown away!!!! AWAY!!!!! LOL. Definately check this place out.
We started our bowling league here last night. Â $20 gets me 3 games, 3 pitchers, and a large pizza with two toppings. Â Hells to the yes dude. Â
Last year our league was on Thursday, this year I'm starting my weekend on  hump day.  They have karaoke on Thursday's so it kind of blows that I won't be able to freak out my fellow ad leaguer's with my killer James Brown and Al Green this year.  Nevertheless, a rockin' river bowl of a good time.  Let's discuss.
The desk staff is very helpful and accomodating no matter how drunk you get.  Last year the dude with all the tat's moved my car to the front of the parking lot for me so it wouldn't get towed.  He also called a cab for me so I wouldn't get a DUI.  The other girl at the desk is this little blonde with super bright eyes and perky boobs.  I don't know how to talk to her because she makes me nervous.  I want to say: "hey, I think my penis would fit perfectly inside you."  But I don't  think chicks dig that sort of talk.
The music is generally good. Â Sometimes they overdose you on 80's metal, but they keep the modern indy rock infused nicely. Â The bartendresses wear tight clothes and make stiff drinks, perfect. Â The league always has a great time and I can't imagine being anywhere but Diversey. Â I've been to that dumbass ten pin lounge, what a croc of shit that place is.
PS: I even had a new pair of size 12 bowling shoes last week. Â I should buy my own, but I've heard that makes me a loser.
Bowling is the bomb- let's get that straight.
Everytime we go to Target, my boyfriend begs me to go to this bowling alley. Â He's not much of a drinker (WTF, I KNOW!), so we're always thinking of creative ways for him to act a fool. Â Last year for his b-day we rented 4 lanes and it was a great time. Â A wee bit expensive per lane, but oh well. Â Glow in the dark paint and carpet (and fuzzies on your shirt) Â will be enough to keep you entertained when its not your turn to bowl. Â The bar makes some stiff drinks :) and there's a parking lot for the ones who don't get to enjoy the stiff drinks.
My only problem was that you can't keep changing the names of the bowlers throughout the game- that's half the fun!
So many mixed up things happened last night that its hard for me to believe I'm giving drb a three (changed from four on further hindsight) star review. But when I balanced everything out in my head, three stars it is.
Went last night on a date. I was pretty pumped about bowling to be honest, because I haven't done it in at least seven or eight years and possibly longer and I'm always looking for good time I suppose. We arrived around 730, so while there were a decent number of people there it wasn't overwhelmingly crowded and we got a lane right away. Workers were a little brief with us, but hey, they work at a bowling alley afterall. I am sure annoying people and headaches are common.
Went to the bar to get a beer. Requested Fat Tire; found out they were all out. Requested 312; that, too, out. Got a PBR, got it for free as third time is the charm. Also the bartender was just an overall great chick.
Bowling itself was fine. Nothing annoying. Computerized scorekeeping, all that. We bowled four games, for two hours of lane time (and yes, by the fourth game, I won). Ate my standard bowling alley fare of deep fried shrimp and fries (so sue me! I love it!), and it was lovely. The bowling though - over 40$ for two hours. My, how have things changed since high school! They do have discounts and specials for lanes, but they all seem to run from noon to 5pm, which is a tad frustrating.
I had, overall, a great time, for spending over 60$ in two hours on bowling, beer, and deep fried vittles. But still, SIXTY DOLLARS? The good time and nice atmosphere however doesnt trump the cost, and so two stars deducted for that price. I probably won't be back.
Great time! No smoke! Cosmic lights! Full bar and restaurant.
Lots of grungey hipsters working the shoe booth and bar, etc mingled in with the old school folks that are very friendly. An interesting contrast. The hipsters make you feel like they are too cool for anything related to working at a bowling alley, but they work at a bowling alley. But everyone else I encountered was throughly helpful.
I planned a group event for about 12 people, everyone had a really good time (so it seemed). Pitchers of beer were reasonably priced, cold and served fast.
It's a good, cheap way to fill a few hours, kick back with friends, eat a hot dog and french fries, wear funky shoes and throw balls. They even clock your speed and personalize your frame with your pictures! Half the fun.
Overall, a really great time. I will definitely go back!
Oh yes, and use the photo booth, its old school and oh so awesome.
Melting pot of Chicago, everyone goes here. Â Gang bangers with their name air-brushed on their t-shirts, Â drunk Chads, guys with WAY to tight jeans on.
This place, as they strive to let you know, is historic. Â Sort of a legand as a "hang-out" spot as much as an actual bowling alley.
One of the bartenders here is AWFUL, and always seems to get in long conversations about nothing in particular with whomever is in front on me. Â I don't mean to be rude, but, ya know, can I get a beer and THEN you can keep gabbing?
I am a bad bowler who gets worse when beer is involved so I wasn't all too pumped to spend Saturday afternoon here. Â BUT I didn't want to be a complete fun sponge so I saddled up and headed over to Diversey River Bowl with some pals.
We went a little too early and this place was CRAWLING with kids (Eric from Eric and Kathy was there with his little ones. Â Also bowled next to the guy from NBC5 News. Â Random Chicago B-Team celebs - love it! ). Â I like how it is smoke-free. Â I did NOT like how when we arrived, the black lights were on for a little "cosmic bowling" and then halfway through our game, they shut them off. Â I had no idea my ball was green! Â I could have been man-handling someone elses balls the whole time! Â
Other highlights include the fact that your pic pops up each time it's your turn. Â Remember to smile pretty! Â (and people in the lanes next to you totally check out your picture so keep that in mind). Â Also, like the fact I don't have to sell an organ to afford the prices here. Â Since when is bowling so expensive? Â A-hem 10-Pin!
The beer is not cheap by any means ($10 Miller Pitchers) but beer is a necessary aspect of bowling (even though it does make my score drop significantly) so I'll roll with the punches. Â In the end, I was glad I gave Diversey River Bowl a chance. Â It has the old school bowl appeal without the hassle of mini-pencils and scorecards. Â Nicely done, Diversey River Bowl, nicely done.
First things first: I've been here several times but the first thing I noticed the last two times is that it's become smoke free! Â Love it, you can actually see the room and not walk out smelling like you walked through an ash tray. Â
The popularity seems to have gone down a bit. Â I remember coming in here on the weekends and having to wait at least a good hour for a lane, there were several the last time I came and it was peak hours for a Saturday night. Â
Prices are average for city bowling. Â They don't have the monitors hanging from the ceiling but they do have the monitors on the floor level with automatic scoring (as hard as it is to imagine, not all do).
What used to be the game room is no longer, I'm not sure if they are remodeling or just chose to shut it down completely. Â They did move some arcade games out to the main area, but I don't believe I saw the hockey table. Â
I know that the word "rock" is in the title, but I wish they would vary the music a bit more.
Bonus: they have one of those old black and white photo booths that takes a strip of four pictures, who doesn't love those?
I was neutral on the Chicago smoking ban. Â Now that it's in place, I appreciate it, especially when I come to places like this. Â You can breathe now. Â I wouldn't care the air fresh and sweet, more like slightly stale with a hint of alcohol, but I'll take it. Â Another plus - private, free parking. Â The vibe is pretty good.
At night they get their blacklight show on and blast the fun, nineties dance tunes. Â In return, without a reservation you pay $32 hourly for bowling lanes, which is kind of high when my group of four gets a collective score of 300. Â I think that score plummets to about 250 after a couple drinks.
Don't look at me, I can always get a 125 BY MYSELF, thank you very much.
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