Kingpin Lanes

I came to Kingpin Lanes for a work outing, and I really wanted to like it.  I mean, it was free for me, and there was food and drink included as well.  What's not to like?  The staff and the facilities, right?

The facilties were just fun.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  It's a pretty typical, maintained bowling alley.

Guess you've figured where that leaves us.  The staff.  We had a busted lane, and when I explained what was happening to one of the staff there, one of the first things he said was "Well, usually we find these sorts of problems to be user error" with a smug look on his face.  So I explained again - the computer on the lane would randomly jump to the middle of the frame, reset the pins on the second bowl of the frame, or God willing, actually work properly.  He kept explaining what I already knew like I was an idiot.  Yes, I understood what the problem was.  What HE didn't seem to understand is that we were resetting the frame as necessary to get on track, and it kept happening.  It wasn't something we were doing.  It was pretty infuriating.

I'd assume if you had a working lane, Kingpin Lanes would be a fine spot, but if you have to deal with some issues, don't expect much help or sympathy from the staff.

I love Kingpin Lanes!!!  I am NOT a bowler by any stretch of the imagination...as a matter of fact, I stink at it.  However, during our most recent trip to St. Louis, we had a Groupon for Kingpin Lanes and we decided to redeem it during a rainy day and we had such a great time!  

The place itself is very clean and colorful, the shoes all looked practically new, the music that was playing was appropriate for ALL ages.  The staff for both the lanes and the adjacent Brickhouse Pizza Company were so friendly they made us feel totally welcome.  We bowled for a couple of hours and were really sad to leave.  

And as for Brickhouse Pizza Company, that was some GOOD pizza!  We loved it, and we are VERY picky about pizza.  We were expecting subpar bowling alley food, like we normally get in Chicago - but we got some really good thin crust pizza made with Mozzarella!  This made an already awesome afternoon, even better!  

This place, even though it is a little far from our usual "go to" hotel, will be on our "places to visit" when we are in town.

I wanted to start this review by saying that I have yet to actually bowl at Kingpin lanes, but it seems like if I did bowl there, I would thoroughly enjoy it. The lanes are well-lit and up-to-date with the most current technology, and the whole place is very clean and welcoming. It seems like the perfect place to bowl, whether you are with a small group or your entire extended family. I also like the fact that there were TVs everywhere with various sporting events playing, including soccer.

What really makes this bowling alley unique is that in addition to having a snack bar with your traditional bowling alley fare such as nachos and hot dogs, they also have their very own pizzeria, which has it's own moniker (Brickhouse), and seems to operate independently as a business within a business, so to speak.

So, how is the food at Brickhouse, you ask? I would answer that it's good enough to draw me to a bowling alley on several occasions in which I had no intention to bowl. In other words, it's very good. They have a rather extensive menu for a restaurant that operates from within a bowling alley, including a number of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and desserts, in addition to their pizza, the dough of which is made fresh daily. They seem to pay very close attention to the quality and freshness of their ingredients, and it's this attention to freshness that sets them apart from some other local pizzerias and allows them to stand on their own as a great place to eat.

The sandwiches that I have tried so far are excellent. The Tuscan Chicken, made with fresh chunks of chicken, bacon pieces, provelone cheese, and barbeque sauce, was absolutely exquisite, and will definitely keep me coming back. Though I still need to come back to try their pizza.

The girls who work at Brickhouse, and the people who work at Kingpin in general are all very nice and friendly, not to mention attentive and expedient. I am greeted cheerily every time I walk in there, and the girls at Brickhouse take my order promptly and make my food quickly and attentively. And the prices are very reasonable, so I will definitely be coming back to Kingpin sometime soon. Maybe next time I'll stick around long enough to bowl a few games and try their delectable-smelling pizza!

So if you're in the area and have a craving for something fresh and delicious for lunch or dinner, or if you're just looking for a new place to bowl a few games after work, consider giving Kingpin lanes a shot. I assure you, you won't be disappointed.