Can you rate a place 0 stars? Â Never written a review. Goes to show you negative experiences motivate you to tell others!
Personally I started out liking the idea of a bowling alley with food and music etc. in the suburbs. I'd been to the one in Boston a few times and it was ok.
It was the middle of January and it was 0 degrees outside without the windchill, I had a winter hat on, a navy pea coat, jeans, and shoes. I made my way to the bar on a busy Saturday night and I ordered drinks for my friends and I. I return to my friends and hand out their drinks.The manager came up to me, an older guy with gray/white hair and a weathered face. He told me to take my hat off or I had to leave. What? It's a bowling alley- it's not the 4 seasons. I told him I would as soon as the guy with the Pirates cap and the other guy with the Timberlake hat take theirs off. He said, he wasn't talking to them he was talking to me. I repeated, "and I'm telling you, as soon as those 2 guys take their hats off, I will too." He said their hats were part of their "look." I was floored. Upsetting story short, he wouldn't even let me finish the drink I JUST BOUGHT. Despite my urges to throw it in his face, I put it down and walked out. NEVER GOING BACK.
Had a free lunch coupon and decided to give Kings a try.  the Layout of the place is very confusing I weint in and waited in line only to discover it wasnt the hostess station but the take out station.  then I walked back down and there was a waitress near the bar that told me to sit anywhere I would like  I got a sallad and a pizza.  Salad was ok Ranch dressing was pretty tasty.  My pizza arrived and it was served on a salad plate cut into 4 pieces it was cooked but the ingredients on top seemed to be cold.  assuming they probably cooked a cheese pizza and then put bbq chicken pieces and cilantro on top probably from another container in the kitchen.
Service was very good waitress came over a couple of times to check in and refilled my drink and didnt give me the rushout job when I was finished even asked if I wasi nterested in coffee or desert. Overall the food was just ok and if I had to pay 7.99 for basically a large english muffin style pizza I probalbly would have been very dissapointed  After reading some of the other reviews I doubt I would try this place for dinner and bowling  but for lunch I would say give it a try
NOT KID FRIENDLY...I've gone about a dozen times and thought as much. Â Reading these reviews confirms it. Â I don't have a lot of expectations of a bowling alley but the "service" here falls below even that. Â Every time I've been there, including when I sat at the bar I had to wait long periods of time for and often had to go get my waitress. Â One time a lady reported her child missing and the staff barely moved a muscle while the lady frantically searched for her lost child. Â I have a negative story for just about every visit but I go b/c my kid loves the bowling & it takes a lot to bother me. Â As a result we tried booking their function room for his birthday party only to be told that it's for kids 6 & above only. Â When we questioned why we were only told that it was a corporate policy & they were very sorry. Â They recommended that we show up early with our group and the lanes would probably be open. Â We asked why if it was ok for a bunch of kids under 6 to show up and bowl couldn't they just let us book the room and pay them. Â Again Corporate policy. Â I am baffled 1) why the corporate policy prohibits a group of younger kids who would be with their parents from booking a party and 2) how any business who claims to be in the service business would refuse business under the guise of hiding behind a lame corporate policy. Â I'm not cliche enough to say I'll never go back but after getting a full understanding of the value they place on customers I now have to think harder about supporting that type of approach any further.
Review Source:This place was interesting. The bowling was all in all fine, though I could use some more practice. The problem I found was with the staffing. They seemed uninterested at actually being at work. We all have those days I am sure, it just seemed as if everyone was having the same kind of day. After reading the other reviews I was a bit concerned but going on a Saturday at noon proved to remedy the long wait.
Review Source:So many rules at kings...we had a party of 7 for a friends birthday. Â They set the table for six and luckily the host was super nice about accommodating us (We had a reservation). Â Just seemed like a lot of "have tos" and hoops to jump through to get through dinner and bowling. Â Would rather go to a local bowling alley and support a small business rather than this mess again.
Review Source:Decided to come here since it was the only place that was only able to accommodate our party at that time. We each ordered a ton of food and lots of appetizers.
My biggest complaint was that they brought some appetizers out at first and then some out even after our entrees! Also. they took A LONG time to make everyone's food and in the end, all food was also just MEEEEEEEEEEEEEH. The place was a bowling alley so I didn't come in with the highest expectations, but still, you're MUCH better off just getting dinner at Yardhouse and coming here for bowling later.
A group of 4 of us went here on a saturday at 6pm. By the time we got there the wait for a lane was "2-3hrs". We decided to grab a table, have some food and drinks and see how it went. After a while we noticed that half of the main room of lanes was slowly emptying but not being filled. A few of the lanes were open for 1 - 1 1/2hrs before a large party came in to take them all. I don't know why they would do this as it seems like a big loss of revenue to lose 4-6 lanes for 1hr+. We had a handful of rounds of various drinks (who doesn't want to try a fizzy lifting drink? well, thats all we did because its not that good. The gummy bear was great though!). We got a pizza and a few apps to split. All were pretty good. Our waitress was nice but way too busy and we saw her far less than we would have liked. Drinks sat empty for up to 30 minutes before she got back around. We finally left for the night at 10, and never had our buzzer go off for bowling. So our "2-3hr" wait, was at least 4+.
Review Source:Don't get me wrong, the *idea* of this place is fantastic. Â It's hard to find a somewhat-upscale bowling establishment in the area where teenagers aren't running around. Â However, the execution falls completely flat. Â
- We waited close to 4 hours for a lane with a group of 8 people (max per lane) and were actually told 2-3 initially (which is already ridiculous). Â It's impossible to plan a night out with a group of people when you don't know how long it will be before a lane opens up.
- The somewhat upscale environment that draws you there in the first place is nullified by the amateur DJs and the crowd they draw after 10pm. Â Music is way too loud, and it's hard to hold a conversation.
- Wait staff extremely inattentive and unfriendly. Â Not their fault, as I could see they were clearly understaffed. Â Management at this place was lacking.
- Way too pricey and drinks contain barely any alcohol. Â My Dirty Martini was almost entirely olive juice. Â I'm not looking to get drunk, but it's nice if the drinks I order actually taste as they're supposed to - especially when they're expensive.
I will say, the food we ordered was pretty good, and the establishment itself is very nice, but there's absolutely no way I'll ever return to this place.
I went here with the hubby and another couple on Saturday night. We wanted to bowl, and it made sense to go ahead and grab dinner beforehand, especially since if you make priority lane reservations, you move up to the top of the bowling wait list when you finish. No brainer. We spent about 2.5 hours from start to finish. As noted, this is a 21+ venue after 5pm on weekends, which is actually really nice. Given that it is in Legacy Place, I imagine it would be overrun with obnoxious teenagers otherwise. Plus, it is a pretty smart business move as they make far more money on booze. We did have to show a credit card in addition to our out of state licenses, which I found bordering on overkill.
The parking at Legacy Place sucks. It took us a solid 15 minutes to move through the parking lot to get to the garage. The food was okay. We all had burgers/sandwiches. My burger bun was hard, but the actual patty had good flavor. Our waitress left a lot to be desired, but I didn't have particularly high hopes. She rushed us and was a bit surly. The price was spot on for burgers and beer - about $35 before tip. As many have pointed out, the bowling prices are definitely on the high end. $7 per person/per game on weekend nights, plus $3.50 for shoe rentals $70 for a group of four. The music is definitely reminiscent of the 1990s, but I really liked it and found it appropriately corny. It's a bowling alley after all! Only big downside on the bowling is that the walk-up area to the lane is the shortest I've ever seen! But, I am not a serious bowler by any stretch of the imagination, so this wasn't that big of a deal. All in all, I'd definitely go back if I were in the mood to bowl. It was very loud in the bowling area, but the restaurant was not as bad. It was a lot of fun, the food was passable, and it was nice to be in a 21+ crowd. I'd say you won't be disappointed if your expectations are appropriate. I'd definitely advise doing priority lane - the wait would not be worth it otherwise.
Huge bowling hall with nice Rock Music and a mix of finger food and fast food like Pizza, and a huge beer selectoin as well as all other drinks you can imagine.
Nice people serving the drinks and food.
Parking might be an issue as parking area is usually very full during opening hours of shops in this area.
I stopped in to Kings today because I had seen them on Phantom Gourmet and the food looked really good and since I love playing NTN trivia, I figured that I'd play some since the Pizzeria Uno's up the street no longer carries it. Â I sat at the bar and told the bartender that I wanted a drink and that I was going to be playing trivia, so could they please change the channel to whatever station had the trivia on it. Â I log into the system waiting for them to turn it on ( usually this isn't a good sign as if plenty of other people were playing trivia, you shouldn't have to ask for them to put it on ) and between my app on my smartphone and the controller, nothing seemed to be working ( another bad sign ). Â About 5 minutes after that, the bartender informs me that they are having " technical difficulties with the computer " and they can't get it to work. Â Again, if this was a place where trivia was played often, it seems to me this only happens in places where it isn't played as much. Â So begrudgingly, since I had already ordered food and lunch was late as it was, I sat there bored. Â I don't get to play it often, so I was looking forward to it. Â
As far as the menu and the food items, they were awesome. Â Buffalo chicken dip was gooey with melted cheeses and seasoned taco chips. Â I then had a boneless chicken breast with BBQ sauce, bacon and scallions with green beans and mashed potatoes. Â They were fresh, very hot and tasty as anything. Â
Here's where it gets dicey. Â I kind of felt bad for my bartender who was waiting on me. Â The alleys were full of bowlers and it looked like there was some kind of function involved with a buffet stand lined up to the side of where the alleys were. It looked like a company function holiday party sort of thing. Â So the place was considerably busier than what you'd think for 1:00 in the afternoon. Â The bartender seemed to have to juggle having to make all of the drinks for the bowlers which meant it took close to 20 minutes from the time my meal was finished until I got the check, and this was with me being the only person sitting at the bar for at least 25-30 minutes. Â It's not that she wasn't hustling, because she was. Â It just looked like she was the only person available to make mixed drinks and make sure all of the waiters and waitresses were taken care of on the liquor side. Â It seemed as though management didn't have ( or didn't want to pay ) for an extra person who could have helped behind the bar knowing that they had parties left and right ( or so it would seem ). Â I guess the profit margins at Kings are so tight that they have to nickel and dime their way through the holiday season even though you'd think that this would be their busiest season. Â Again, maybe because it was Friday, that might have had something to do with it. Â That's also probably why I don't think they were going to spend too much time trying to fix whatever the technical difficulties were with the trivia. Â Again, I love playing trivia, but if a restaurant is going to sign up for it and not even know that there's a problem until a customer wants to play, how much do you want to bet that they get rid of it instead by saying that nobody wanted to play it, when that isn't the case ??
Granted, if I'm in the area, I'd like to give it another try. Â If I lived closer, I'd even love to actually bowl there as well. Â Might be the classiest, well kept bowling alley I have ever stepped into. Â And the food was definitely worth going back for. Â I just wish the bartender could have gotten more support and help behind the counter because she definitely deserved better.
Tropical tango big bowl for two is so delicious that my date and I had two, and its definitely a creeper. I think I finished most of it but that's neither here nor there. I had buffalo tenders while we waited for our lane (not bad) and he had sesame ginger wings which he seemed to enjoy. Bowling was so much fun especially since I whooped his arse TWICE lol. All in all kings is a great time!!
Review Source:What makes Kings a fun time is good company!!
I came here on a thursday night with a group of friends. We grabbed some drinks at the bar, and bowled a few games.
My brother in-law happened to be a part of some company, which landed us free bowling. We also tweeted how we were @ kings Dedham and received free shoes! All we paid for was the food. The spinach artichoke dip with pita chips were SO good. We also got buffalo wings, three pitchers of beer and a dessert sampler. The bill came out to 84 dollars, which i thought was a great deal!
The crowd on a thusrday night wasn't too obnoxious.
Prior to catching Woody Allen's latest "To Rome with Love" on a Friday night, my friend and I attempted to check out the second location of the popular Back Bay Bowling Alley. We were greeted by a visibly sullen, overweight bouncer, who demanded to see our IDs. Standard operating procedure, no problem. Upon showing him my Massachusetts Driver's License, he swiped it through the scanner, where it registered as per usual. After seeing that it registered, he then proceeded to ask me for supplementary identification, which I provided, and he accepted.
My friend was next in line, and he only possessed the Mass State ID, as he does not have his driver's license. The guy responded, "We don't usually take Mass ID's, I'll have to ask my boss", who after 30 seconds, appeared from the Parking Lot, and carried a mob like demeanor and appearance, donned in a 3 piece suit (Remember this is a Bowling Alley at a Suburban Shopping Center). While more polite then his simian employee, he explained that they did not take Mass Identification Cards, even though they had the technology, but apparently not the brain cells, to determine whether my friend's ID was real or fake. Alas, we never made it to the Bar for drinks.
Maybe my review was a bit pretentious and or/harsh. However, this anecdote I believe highlights the ridiculousness of business policies in Suburban Massachuseets regarding Identification. This is not the West Bank, for Christ Sakes. Avoid like the plague if you've had enough of Suburban Meatheads who did not it make it through the academy.
Went here finally after friend after friend after friend saying 'check it out'. Went with a college buddy (we're well in our 30's) after work friday.... so in about 6:00 pm.
Waitstaff was very helpful and attentive.
We got some deepfried app combo thing.... perfecto, it was great.
We had a couple of mixed drinks... well more than a couple, but no worries, we had rides!
My 2 complaints are: 1- Noise. It wasnt remotely busy but the music is cranking. 2- I enjoy dropping a bit of money for a good night out, but we both agreed, this place is WAAAAAY overpriced. The food/cocktail bill was astounding then the bowling bill itself was a bit of a headscratcher.
I realize Legacy Place draws in the uber yuppie crowd and this place would be silly not to cater to them, but realize you're still in Dedham/West Roxbury/Westwood/Roslindale. Pump the brakes just a lil.
Came over the weekend with some girlfriends for a fun and different Girls' Night Out. We started with dinner, which was ok. My honey mustard chicken wrap was good, but the 'homemade' chips which came on the side tasted like nothing... literally. I did enjoy my cocktails... I had a sangria and a sangria/margarita mix. They weren't cheap but I didn't think they were too pricey for the Boston area. The service wasn't good at all, we had one of those waitresses who seems annoyed that they have to serve you.
We moved on to bowling (were able to move to the top of the wait list because we had made reservations). Our lane opened after just 5-10 minutes... not bad at all considering some of the reviews I read here. We bought a giant cocktail to take with us to the lane (what can I say, we're not pitcher of beer type of girls!). We decided on the Fish Bowl, which was fruit and coconutty, and - bonus! - had Sweedish Fish at the bottom of it. Bowling was fun but a little pricey. Seven dollars per person per game, plus three dollars for shoe rentals, seems sort of a lot to me.
The atmosphere of the place was pretty cool. They have a large bar area where you can wait for your lane to be open or finish your huge cocktail after you bowl. They don't let in anyone under 21 after a certain time (7 PM??) so it definitely has an adults -only feel. I would definitely return but also wasn't blown out of the water.
My friends and I were looking for something a bit different to do on a Saturday night and King's was exactly the type of thing we were looking for!
We called and made a dinner reservation to get on the priority lane list. We went to dinner at 6pm on a Saturday and the place was pretty dead; by the time we finished eating around 7 it had picked up a bit. The food was just okay, if I were rating them just on food I would have given them three starts. Decent food but nothing to really rave about. The speciality cocktails were delicious but pretty pricey.
When we were done eating we went to check on when our lane would be ready and they told us we were at the top of the list; ten minutes or so later we were buzzed (both because our pager was going off and due to the specialty cocktails) and went on to bowl. For two games and shoe rental it was about $17 per person.
Bowling was fun, my friends and I had a great time. We were in the smaller side room and wished we were in the main area simply because it looked a bit more lively and bright. When we left at around 10pm there was quite a line of people waiting to get into the bar area and I would assume to put their name on the bowling list as well.
Making dinner reservations to get on the priority lane list seems like the way to go if you aren't willing to wait a while to get a lane.
The food here just isn't very good st all! The steak tips are probably. Made of the worst meat ever. I'm really not sure how they claim they got awarded for them. The rest of my friend's food that I tried was just okay too. They could really make some better bar food over here.
The drinks are pretty good. Even though there is a  blonde chubby bartender there who is really rude. I asked for club soda + vodka, which came out flat, and she was giving me the hardest time about getting a replacement. Club soda is not supposed to be flat!
The bowling alley is great here! The dj plays very good music. Overall the place is very fun!
You're going to be waiting a while to get your bowling on especially on a Friday night (St. Patricks on Saturday). But while we were waiting, we got our drinking on to some very delicious drinks. The Gummi Bear is my favorite! A couple of drinks later, we found ourselves bowling and dancing to dub step music.
The trendy and young atmosphere kept us having even more fun. Don't expect your waitress every time you need her, they're very busy, give them a break. Ours was very nice.
We had a really awesome time and I'm even more happy that this place is not just a bar but an entertainment center for adults!
I went here with group of people last night and it was a really a good time. Â We had a reservation for dinner so that we could get on a bowling lane faster. Â We started with appetizers, I enjoyed the buffalo wings and had a bite of the buffalo tenders. Â Both were really good. Â The wings were cut so they were sort of like "meat lollipops" Â and the tenders were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Â I had a glass of wine, so I can't comment on the mixed drinks, but everyone seemed to enjoy what they had. Â As for the entree, it was bland. Â I had the honey mustard chicken salad, which was iceberg lettuce with a hunk of grilled chicken. Â I usually get my dressing on the side and use just a little bit, but I ended up dumping the whole thing on the salad. Â Others in my group said their entrees were kind of bland as well, but they raved about the apps. Â
We finished dinner and drinks and then got on a lane pretty quickly. Â Bowling isn't cheap here, about $35 for a couple for 2 strings. Â They have bar service while you're bowling which is great, you never have to leave the lane! Â
Overall a good experience for a fun night out with a group.
If you like to hang out with your friends in a public place and stare at each other then Kings is an excellent choice. It's even better if you know sign language because you sure as hell can't hold a verbal conversation. Expect a sore throat the next day if you do choose to speak with your friends.
I've bowled here before and it's alright. Drinks are alright too. Never had their food, but who can eat when there is so much noise it feels like your head is going to explode?!
The mix of people is pretty random... to your left you've got the ladies in fitted T's worn as dresses with platform heels ready to hit Mojito's in DTX and to your right you've got some fellas in roughed up T's with jeans looking like they are headed to the grocery store on a Sunday morning.
Oh, and I met this girl Kayla in the bathroom (aka she creeped up behind me at the sink and asked me if she looked okay as she posed in front of the mirror). Says she's lost a lot of weight and one day she will be really rich. Keep a lookout for her... on Intervention.
I gave up and left my friends at 11p. I couldn't voluntarily torture myself any longer. Can't. Won't. No thank you, please. Ugh.
A fantastic night out! Â This place combines my love for cocktails, loud dance music...and bowling. Â Sure, you might not see little old ladies with blue hair and matching pink-collared jerseys at King's....but the ginormous scorpion bowls totally make up for it.
*Friday night: put your name in EARLY! Â If you show up around 8pm and expect two lanes right off the bat, you're in for a surprise. Â 21+ and PACKED! Â And on the weekends be prepared to shell out (per person) 6.50$ per game and 3.50$ per shoe rental.
*Security is tight: men in suits (yes, suits) watch over pleasantries to ensure a drunkard-ruckus-free zone (and -cough- to tell girls posing for a picture on the back of the refurbished  wooden seats not to sit on the back of said seating *oops).  They want you to have a god time (but to stay safe!)
*Drinks were a normal price (~8$) and there is a large menu - pitchers of beer also available.
Great time with a little friendly competition in a really FUN space! Â Totally worth the short drive and free parking.
I Love Kings!!!
I work in Canton and when Kings Dedham opened up, it immediatly turned into our afterwork hotspot! Â Â I like the food, I love the drinks, but what makes the whole experience more than just a bar/lounge etc, the staff. Â I have NEVER had a bad waiter or waitress. I have never had bad customer service. Â I have only had some of the Nicest, Funniest servers.... EVER!!!
My favorite drink is the Gummy Bear Martini... AMAZING!!!!!! Â Â They have new summer drinks too... Pop Rock Martini & Skittletini. Both yummy. Â They have a new patio to sit out and drink in the sunshine or the atmosphere.... All in all a great place!!!! Highly Recommend it
If you are a looking for a great update to the 70s bowling/lounge, you have it with Kings.
So many bowling lanes stick to the tried and true method of offering bowling in a building that hasn't been updated since 1975 (I think the shoes are the same too).
Kings updates everything from the look and feel of the lanes and lounge but also to the suprisingly upscale food offerings.
Sure you can get your usual beer here, Kings has a very extensive beer selection.
Since I chose to bowl, my group went with beers and appetizers. We didn't go crazy with the appetizers (wings, quesadillas, nachos), but they were all very good. That nacho plate was huge. For a few people, coming under 50 bucks for food on the tab was not too bad.
The waitstaff gives you a waiter/waitress for your area and they are always checking on you or always nearby if you need something. Very helpful.
I saw people getting whole meals while bowling as well. Go for it if you can but unless if it is pizza, that NY Strip Steak might be tough to eat between frames.
They have a decent sized eating area if you want to do the sit down and eat some of those more larger entrees.
The best is that Kings does go 21+ after 6 pm. The reason I like this is because they advertise themselves as an adult place and they follow through (where places like Dave and Busters I feel fail in that regard).
On the best nights though you might be waiting a bit for a lane. They don't allow you to reserve lanes unless you are a large group.
Kings is a great night place to go if you are looking for fun.
There was a 3...yes THREE HOUR wait.
We arrived around 7:00 on a Friday night, got a beeper and were told to wait about 3-4 hours. There was one tiny bar table with two seats (there were 5 of us). Â Im basically a cripple so I got one seat and the other alternated. We ordered a 'Big Bowl for two' and at $26 a pop we were expecting a fair amount of booze, but alas, it was a WAY overpriced Scorpion Bowl. The other drinks were put in a very tall, but skinny glass and were $9 a piece. Shots were $10. The music was pretty good but after dancing around a tiny table for 3 hours (we didn't want to loose our seat) and no bowling in site we left...
What a bummer, I wanted to bowl :(
Don't get me wrong, this is townie central but it is a really great place for us greater Boston residents to enjoy a night without trekking into downtown.
If it's enjoying a Celtics game at the first section of the restaurant with giant, multiple tvs or enjoying a Saturday night of bowling and drinks, this is a fun alternative than waiting in long lines and paying for $30 parking.
The menu is fun with not so healthy choices. Â Dig right into a yummy California burger, Turkey tips and spinach & artichoke dip, three of my faves. Â
If you want to bowl on a Friday or Saturday night, get there early since the lanes get booked pretty fast and there usually is a wait. Â However, while you are waiting you can enjoy their innovative drinks. Â They are expensive and not much alcohol so they get slapped with a minus one star. Â
This is a perfect place to have adult parties since they have 2 rooms that can be private or semi-private. Â Security is tight and they have 3 cds they play over and over again.
This is a good place for a group fun night!
First off, from what I have "heard" - the wait on a Friday/Saturday night can be up to two hours long. Â However, if you have dinner beforehand at their restaurant, you can get bumped up to the front of the line. Â Everyone at your table needs to have an entree as well.
This place was fun. Â Great music, they have sports games going on, waiter service at your lane. Â The staff was very friendly and accommodating. Â The patrons were very nice, and it had more of the family atmosphere than the normal "seedy bowling" atmosphere.
The food at the restaurant were very good portions. Â The fries were very good. Â The food was so-so. Â It is your normal "pub" food that you will find there. Â Burgers, sandwiches, wraps, the occasional fish entree. Â It is the right food for the situation, but just not the greatest. Â However, it was totally worth eating it beforehand to make sure that we were next in line for a bowling lane.
Try this place out! Â I would come back!
My husband and I met our friends at King's on Saturday to use the Groupon I had purchased. We arrived early - 5:30 - and were told there was a 1-2 hour wait for a lane. WHAT?! (I guess we shouldn't have been surprised, as both cars had to park in the garage, since the regular lot was already slow...) We took a beeper and found a table at the bar, where we got some drinks.
I went with the Gummi Bear Martini - a tasty concoction not listed online that was a sweet martini (which, yes, tasted like gummi bears and had some swimming at the bottom!). Each one was $9, which is cheap for a drink in Boston, but in Dedham?? Pretty steep. Whatever - I still had 2.
We caught up and chatted and after about an hour, we buzzed. I went up to the cashier to get our lanes and decided to start with 1 game. My Groupon was $20 and they had said it was $5/person/game. Perfect! Wait, that doesn't include shoes. I owed another $20. Â
We played our 1 game, yelling to be heard over the noise and music (we yelled the entire hour that we were waiting too) and finally decided to go elsewhere for dinner - where we could actually hear each other.
I love bowling & I love Legacy Place, but this King's - and the one in Boston - are just too steep for my wallet...
I went in with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. I heard that they are assholes about carding and letting people in, but all they said at the door was "do u have alcohol in your bag?" - funny story: it was like the first time in my life I said "no" to that question and wasn't lieing.
so we went for Karaoke, I expected there to be like 2 hour wait to sing but I only waited for like 30 min. A pitcher of beer and 2 shots only came to 17 bucks. I didn't end up spending as much as I thought. I didn't eat but the food looked bomb.
The only problem with this place is that they have music like playing as loud as a club, but there really isnt a dance floor. YOU NEED A DANCE FLOOR!!
This one's for you, Ricky R. ;-)
Other than the fact that it took close to 2 hours to get here from Cambridge on a Saturday afternoon, I had a great time at Kings. The food was okay. I didn't order a sandwich but I picked on some onion rings, fries and buffalo chicken dip which weren't bad.
Drinks weren't too expensive, which was nice since we were in need of a lot of them after such a long drive. I believe they were $3.75 for generic light beers vs. $4.50 for blue moon--not a bad difference. You don't really get much of a deal with pitchers, so I would stick to pints so your beer stays cold.
Our waitress was nice, but the people taking bowling reservations were kinda rude. They didn't seem to be coordinated with each other, or the status of their customers. I was confused because we were told there was a 2 hour wait to bowl, yet 90% of the lanes weren't being used. I asked the lady at the front desk what the deal was and she replied with attitude that all lanes were either reserved for private parties or the people hadn't yet returned their vibrating buzzers. The place wasn't too crowded so I gave her a puzzled look, thanked her and walked back to my table. 15 minutes later our buzzer went off, which didn't surprise me.
I had never been big-ball bowling before, but I liked it! I wish they had balls that were a teeny bit lighter (I think the lightest was 10lbs, which was hard to control). There also was an issue with our pins, and the maintenance man had to come fix our lane twice. But by that time, I had a pretty good buzz going and didn't care much. We had paid for 2 games, but were going on our 4th hour at Kings and were ready to leave. They refunded our 2nd game without a problem due to the maintenance issues, which was nice.
If I'm in the area again, I will surely return. However, I'll never come here from Cambridge, or probably even Boston ever again.
Let me start by saying I have been here multiple times before and have had good times each occasion. This was absolutely NOT the case my most recent trip.
So, we decided to head over to King's on Industry night seeing as I have one of their "Industry Night Platinum Member" cards... Well, as it turns out my friend (who, mind you, has been to this place with me on numerous occasions) is turned down at the door for not looking enough like his ID... A valid and current Massachusetts state drivers license. He had a back-up ID and even signed his signature but was told it didn't look similar enough so was denied permission to drink by the manager Roman.
Now, surely you can see where this would ruin our night. I'm not going to drink with my other friends while my 24 year old friends gets to sit out and watch... That's ridiculous. So I tried to talk to Roman but was told they can not let anyone in for any reason if he wants. Real nice?
The security guard at the door had an attitude, and the other manager wouldn't bother to chime in. In my opinion this is poor customer service for RETURNING local guests. Never mind that we are here for INDUSTRY night.
I still like this place, but until we are properly given the chance to enjoy this place, I will not recommend it. Proceed with your own caution.
The facility itself is very nice, the management staff needs some work.
This place is an absolute scam!! Honestly, I mean first of all the staff thinks they are working at some friggen elite night club or something (you work at a bowling alley in Dedham.... get a grip!)
I ordered an $18 dollar pitcher of beer that was cracked... beer pouring out of the bottom. We told the staff and some d-bag with an earpiece like he is in Men in Black comes over with a new EMPTY pitcher, and pours the old pitcher (minus 1/4 of it that was on the floor) into the new one! Really guy?
Wouldn't be so bad if they didn't charge a ridiculous amount of money to bowl but honestly you can go away for a weekend for the prices they charge. It really floored my whole party when they told us the price.
I guess some people like being entertained by some flashy facade to throw your money at... I would rather go bowling and not have to talk to a financial advisor.
God how I miss the Milky Way in JP.
This place grossed me out. If you have any sense of hygiene, I don't think you would beg to differ!
My friends and I were bowling next to a family. We had our drinks. They had their food. As I was sitting there and watching them eat pizza, fries and other finger foods, I thought to myself that the holes in the bowling balls must be the dirtiest of all! This thought sent chills down my spine as they shared bowling balls with us. No, they do not wipe their hands between eating and bowling! I guess grease and grime adds flavor to the food as well! After bowling, I sure washed my hands with soap for a minute.
Aside from that, the runway is too short to get a good swing down the alley. I cannot take my normal 3 steps as if I was at Boston Bowl. Â Well, maybe if I take strides like a 3 yr old, it would work.
Oh, just to warn you all - The mixed drinks here are rather weak. Tastes like juice more than anything else.
After a not-so-good experience on New Years Eve...we were offered free passes to try again. Â So we did...while bowling still remained fun, the service was horrible. Â The waitress did not seem to want to wait on us and when we went to pay and use our free passes the person at the cashier was kind of bitchy. At least this time there were no videos of naked silhouetted women...at least before we left.
When I go to the one in Boston, I never have experieced such rudeness. Guess I know where I will go from now on.
I can now give a better a description of KINGS....and my 4 stars describes it well! Yay!!! I'm a fannnnn!!!
After having trouble with my ID last time, this time around I came more prepared. The manager emailed me and gave me some help...thanks Josh!! I was let in without a hitch and my non-driving cousins. If you only have a MASS ID try to bring a passport if possible. They are very tight at the door because of the Dedham area liquor rules.
WHAT A NIGHTTTTT!!! We never got around to the bowling but spent the night laughing, eating and drinking.
We got there about 8pm, I suggest to get there earlier cause you will have to wait in line for a while. Unless you have reservations then you'll get right in. Thank God we did if not it would've been a good 20 min wait. We signed up for bowling and they told us it would be about 2 hours... dazzammmmm!! But hey.. you can always just chill out by the tables and have yourself a drink or 4. haha. After the 2 hours they said it would be about another 1 hour and half. Well, after another hour everyone was ready to go but we weren't disappointed about not bowling we all had a really great time with the very cool bartenders and waiters.... and of course the fun music.
I took the opportunity to visit the new Kings in Legacy Place. This facility is beautiful, dark reds and soft lighting in the restaurant, great vibe through out the bowling lanes. Awesome music selection, HD TVs everywhere made it easy to watch the Sox and all the other sports happening no matter where we were. I can't think of any other bar in the surrounding area with this many TVs. Plus Kings has a Sports Ticker that displayed all the days scores and sports news. The far back room was comfy with leather sofa's to chill on, 2 shuffle board tables and Mini Ball Bowling, VERY COOL! But wait there is more, we rounded the corner to find a "Party Room" with 6 private lanes, TVs and a bar. I want this room for my next company outing! The whole establishment is very clean and eye catching.
No offense to my fellow Yelpsters here but I inquired about and played the Mini-Bowl. This is NOT candle pin and its not kiddie lanes, is a smaller version of the big pin bowling, its a much faster game and no need to rent shoes. It was really fun, you should try it before writing about it.
There are 3 bars throughout the establishment that made it easy to get a drink anywhere we were. But there was also an army of servers running around that were very attentive and quick on getting our drinks for us. The draught beer is ICE COLD (could not hold my pint for to long) and prices were more than fare if not cheaper than some other local bars. Â Good beer selection to!
We sat at one of the bars and ordered dinner. We started with the Sesame Ginger Wings, WOW were they flavorful and we almost ordered another plate they were that good. But we also tried the Cheeseburger Spring Rolls, unique but easy to share and were very tasty. Our entrees were the steak tips (med-rare of course) that came out perfect and you could tell the chef's took the time to let them marinate. Very tender & juicy accompanied with fresh green beans and homemade mashed potatoes, YUM. A 1/2 rack of the Baby Back ribs were tender and full of flavor with a great smokey BBQ taste. If I wasn't so stuffed I would have ordered the other 1/2 of the rack.
Be prepared to show your ID any time after 6pm because Kings goes strictly 21+ which is great I think. Then you don't have to worry about kids running all over the place. Kings is more of a adult playground and not a Chucky Cheese, but I guess they can let the kids play there during the day. I inquired to the head security guy in the suit about the strict security. He was kind enough to explain that Kings was the biggest venue with a liquor license to open in the area and the town of Dedham wanted to be sure Kings was a fun, safe but yet responsible establishment for the patrons. I guess I can understand Dedham's point. Â Good for Kings then playing safe.
Overall I can see myself visiting Kings often, not always to bowl but as a local bar to just grab a beer & a burger (plus a large order of those Sesame Wings) and catch the Pats & Sox games or play some Golden T.
GUYS, if the wife or girlfriend wants to go shopping at Legacy Place, go with her but when you get there tell her to meet you in Kings when she is finished! Go have a beer and catch up on the days scores or play some Golden T!
I'm no bowling fanatic, but I liked Kings. Being brand new, it's clean and shiny. As far as pricing, it was decent--$5.50 per game and $3.50 for shoe rental--before 6 pm. They charge more in the evening, and if you don't get there early on the weekend or if you arrive during peak hours, you could face a rather long wait.
The lanes were slick and outfitted with fancy screens showing animated graphics and what looked like "America's Funniest Home Videos" outtakes. Yes, kind of cheesy but I can imagine that it does a good job of entertaining the children. It seems pretty family friendly during the day, but as others have mentioned, security cards everybody at the door.
Overall, I think it's a nice bowling alley, but it'd be even better if they had a billiards room. There is a back room/waiting area with shuffleboard, a few arcade games, and a kiddie bowling lane. I probably would not eat here, but they do have a full service bar/dining area and the waitstaff also comes around to your lane to take orders.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,916 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
