Never again...
First visit (a Saturday night):
-- Our lane kept messing up due to computer glitches. It took 3 hours to bowl one game after an hour of waiting for a lane. We kept hailing staff, but found out that many of them were "managers". One such manager informed us that each person could only bowl twice per turn. It seemed difficult to get the message across that we knew how to bowl and that the scoring system was messing up our lane.
-- Paid about $8 for guacamole that wasn't nearly enough to justify the price.
-- The women's bathroom was an explosion and it wasn't cleaned once while we were at the place.
-- Luckily, I found a coupon for shoe rental that covered multiple people, but the cost for 1 bowling game was over $10 per person.
The 2-times-per-turn manager gave us $200-valued certificate for a 8 people and 2 hours of bowling (with food included) to come back within a month as amends. I didn't really want to come back. I just wanted a refund for the terrible gaming experience. We accepted the certificate anyway, as that was the right thing to do.
Second visit (a Sunday afternoon):
-- We were assigned a lane next to the largest and loudest children's party I've ever seen at a bowling alley. As such, all the low-weight balls were taken.
-- We were given a hot plate of mac n' cheese heart-shaped fried appetizers with a marinara sauce. Friends did not like that dish. We were given a bowl of salsa, which was a paltry size for our party of 6 people.
-- Drink orders were mixed up with no explanation of type. For example, alcoholic drinks were brought in same glasses as water, so it was difficult to distinguish for the non-alcohol drinkers. We were given a rum and sprite instead of the ordered rum and coke.
-- Bathroom still a disaster.
-- Unable to finish the second game of bowling, as the system abruptly froze stating that our time limit was up and that we could consult them about starting it again. We elected to pass on that option.
This is upscale bowling? I don't think so. Everything is outrageously overpriced and low quality.
Overpriced? Yes. Snobby teenagers with apathetic attitudes running the place? Yes. Â A decent place to bowl? Yes, if you're desperate. Managers: Please inform your apathetic tween workers that although they would rather be discussing Channing Tatum's ridiculous abs (OMG!), delivering satisfactory customer service is their job. We didn't really appreciate the attitude and sneers that we received on Saturday from the two girls working the front. Fortunately, my teenage nephew was with us, so I had to bite my tongue and display a fake smile. Yes, we know it sucks that you have to give people ugly bowling shoes for 4 hours a day. I'm sorry honey, but you gotta start somewhere!!!
Review Source:I came here with a group of friends a while,back and it was a blast. Do make reservations ahead of time and do be prepared to spend a little money. This is a classier bowling alley that does have a dress code to follow. Basically, no hats, no holey jeans, etc. If you go, it is much more cost efficient to go in a bigger group than to go alone. It is nice because you do have a personal waitress that comes around to your lanes for drinks and food. The food and drinks were priced just right. Each lane as a table and long couches to sit at which makes it very welcoming. But, it did make it hard to talk amongst one another and to get up when it was your turn to bowl. Overall, it was a great experience and I'd go back again.
Review Source:You know what's rude?
When you're standing at the bar, very patiently waiting for the waitress to acknowledge you anad realizing that she is tending to three other people (who arrived AFTER you) before you. Â To make matters worse, when we asked if we could order a drink, this waitress very meanly responded to my bf, "Yeah, can you HOLD on a minute?" Â She even held up her hand to his face. Â
Oh, no, honey. Â Do NOT put your hand in MY bf's face when he was waiting for you to merely acknowledge us. Â Believe me, I was ready to leap behind that bar. I don't know her name, but she was one those stereotypical snobby, b*tchy Asian (probably Filipino) girls who thinks she's hot sh*t and too good to deal with people.
Luckily, when my bf mentioned it to the manager, Kyle, he apologized and bought us drinks to rectify the situation. Â So that was nice. Â Anyway, we were there for 2 hours and the waitress we had was nice and attentive. Â Beware, however, that they automatically add 20% gratituty on your bill. (I must've missed that disclaimer on the menu....) Â Drinks and food were reasonably priced ($7 whiskey/ginger and $9 whiskey neat). Â
The venue is really nice with lots of tv's, comfy seating, great music and very nice lanes. Â Great place to bowl or just hang out and watch your favorite sports game.
I was SO impressed with this place! Â
It's not yo' mama's retro bowling alley. Â It's a 'pimped' bowling alley complete with rainbow lights streaming up and down the lanes, cool light fixtures, comfy, cushy SOFA seating on all the lanes, electronic scoring, BIG---no, GIGANTIC screen TV over the bar with multi-sports channels running....I mean, its an orgasm for the senses! Â
And OH, I forgot....cool, dance tunes rockin' at a CONVERSATIONAL level, pool tables AND a dance floor!
My son took me here for a quick drink on a last minute whim. Â (I was thinking, 'bowling alley'? Â I'm a little overdressed for this scene) But I felt totally appropriate in the midst of the decor and atmosphere. Â We arrived about 11pm, low crowd but energetic atmosphere. Â Just what I was looking for.
We didn't try the food but people seemed to be enjoying a variety of better than bar food appetizers. Â The drink prices were really reasonable, yet the bowling might be a little more expensive than you're used to. Â But I think given the 'setting', the higher prices are worth what you get in sexy, bowling ambiance. Â :-)
Lucky Strike is a fun atmosphere and the food and drinks are good. That being said, they make it very hard for me to leave a good review.
First off, they make it ridiculously difficult to make a reservation in advance for bowling. They email you a 'contract' where you have to sign your life away and agree to their charges. Along with that you have to give them a credit card for a deposit. Ok, that's fine but you cannot fill out the form online, you have to print it and fax back or scan it. That can be difficult if you don't own one of these devices or you are out of printer ink, etc. and they can't take a credit card over the phone. So we went, sans reservations.
The young lady that we checked in with for dinner was hardly welcoming. We got there early because we didn't have reservations and wanted to make sure things went smoothly but it was all just weird. The hostess didn't have a clue what to do because the whole party wasn't there yet. Holding a table for 20 minutes is obviously not one of the courtesies they usually afford their customers. After that we checked about getting a lane after dinner. Well those are on a first come first served basis. Understandable, but if someone is already there spending money in the restaurant, can you not hold a lane? Or come up with a solution so that people can go right from dining to bowling. They were not busy when we got there but were likely to as it was a Friday night. If we had to wait longer than 30 minutes in between dinner and bowling we would have left, fortunately we didn't.
When the hostess sat us for dinner and it took quite a while for a server to greet us and ask if we wanted drinks or appetizers, I forgave her that because she is the only person we had a good experience with. When she did come, we didn't have any menus to order from because the hostess forgot to leave them, fail.
Like I said the food and drinks are good but ridiculously expensive. $300 is a bit much for bowling alley food and we mostly ordered appetizers.The bowling area is very nice but the lanes are $55 an hour per lane plus fees for shoe rental. At those prices you would think they could throw in the shoe rental. Â
We have not hemorrhaged money like that since our last visit to Disney, but at least at Disney the employees are more than accommodating and ridiculously friendly. Not the case at Lucky Strike.
I will keep this review quick and simple. If you have a ton of cash burning a hole in your pocket and like average food within a now standard disco bowling environment, you have found your heaven on earth!
Lucky Strike is numbingly expensive. We have been here twice and will not be back. Two games for two kids and an adult was more than $50 and dinner for six was $75 without any drinks. I am getting ill typing this review it was so expensive. Live and learn.
I am at a loss to why anyone would drive to the mall for a mediocre experience requiring this much cash, especially with so many other options available elsewhere. We visited the Tuesday night prior to Thanksgiving and while other restaurants were busy, we were one of three small groups there. So, heed our warning, avoid. Unless you just won the lottery!
This place is WAY over priced! The bowling ridiculously expensive..The food is absolutely awful..and so over priced that I actually laughed out loud when I saw my bill. The $12 nachos had about 3 tiny pieces of chicken...90% of my chips were completely dry..with NOTHING on them! My $6 fries were completely raw. The place itself was pretty nice..and the servers were all very pleasant..but there is no justifying those prices.
Review Source:I went here with my girlfriend on a Saturday night and the place was dead. The server we had, Lex, was awful. He spent more time at the bar in plain view of us, our drinks were empty for over 15 minutes as he just sat there.
You would think he would be a bit more attentive since he only had two lanes to serve...
We love this place typically but the service and unprofessional manager really ruined the experience.
We had a company event at Lucky Strike, and that is the only reason that I know this place exists. Â On a Tuesday evening, it wasn't busy and the servers were attentive. Â There were two other bowling parties that evening, and they appeared to be highly skilled and focused players.
If you are bowler in the burbs, this is probably a good to exercise your skill set. Â Because I am not, I probably won't return, but had a fine experience with my co-workers.
I really liked the food here, even though it's pretty expensive. Â I would come for that.
We had to wait two hours to bowl since the lanes were full which was fine as we had dinner. Â However, it cost my wife and I $25 dollars to bowl one game. Â ONE GAME! Â That absolutely ridiculous. Â When we finished we asked if we could bowl another and they said no and if we wanted to bowl again we would have to go to the end of the line again (another two hours). Â You can't make reservations here unless you have a "party" according to the front desk girl. Â come for some grub, but stay at home and bowl on the wii, it's a much better experience.
I was here Friday night with a small group from work. All I knew is that we were going to a bowling alley; hence my decision to outfit myself in jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt. Immediately upon arrival I was impressed by how swank and hip this place is, and then painfully aware of how underdressed I felt. At a bowling alley! I then thought to myself, "Next time I'll wear something nicer...." - but I don't think there will be a next time.
When we finally got our lane, we set out to find suitable bowling balls. This really irks me: why oh why must bowling balls weighing less than 10 pounds have finger-holes that would fit a six year old? Don't tell me I'm the only person out there that doesn't have the wrist strength to hurl a 13 pound ball down the lane. I was forced to go with an 11 pound ball, therefore bowling a miserable game in which I didn't even break 100. The seating was also a source of frustration in that they have these long couches with an equally long coffee table in between, making it really difficult to get up when it was your turn without stepping on everyone's feet. Think big, dark movie theater. Sitting in the middle of a long row filled with people, and then having to get up and shimmy your way over to the aisle to use the bathroom. The snacks were ordered were pretty good; grilled cheese sliders, potstickers and fish and chips. That was really the only positive thing worth noting. The shoe rental and 2 games of bowling came out to be about $22 per person. Yowzers! Not worth it, in my book. Â I'll stick with the bowling alleys of my youth: flourescent lighting, walk-up bar, club sandwiches, and prices that are a far cry from Lucky Strike.
I went here for a birthday party Saturday night. Although we had a good time among friends, I would not recommend this bowling alley for large groups, even if you have a reservation like we did. It was pretty expensive ($15/bowl $4/shoes $7-11/appetizers $5 beer) which I am ok with if everything else runs perfectly, but it did not.
Firstly we were overcrowded in the two lanes we were given for 16 people. It was hard to move around to even get up to bowl. Combine that with the fact that we were also chatting, etc, so we did not go as fast as we could. 8 people per lane with less than 2 hours to bowl meant we only got in about 1.1 games. Also the little clock timer up on the screen made me feel rushed.
Secondly, our waitress was not competent. I understand that it is hard to serve a large party, but she actually told one of my friends that she could not handle anymore tabs coming at different times. I went to the bar and ordered food and drinks from there so I did not have to deal with it. The bar tender was very fast and efficient. Â The best part of the night was that my tab actually got lost and the manager said not to worry about it. (If only we had put our entire bill on the tab!)
Despite the fact that our waitress said she could not handle the tabs, the bussers/kitchen was great. I had the pretzels with a trio of dip, and the pretzel sticks were nice and fluffy and hot when they came to the table. One of my friends had the trio of goat cheese truffle mini burgers which were very good. The mac and cheese bites were also a fun appetizer to try. The bussers were great at bringing the food, clearing away plates and drinks quickly.
This place looks great, and could be the perfect spot for cool twist on a typical bowling party, but it is just missing some key aspects. If you choose to go and make a reservation, I would ask that they put all of your names in beforehand so that time is not counted against your group's two hours. Also ask if you can only have at most 5 people per lane.
As far as bowling alleys go, this place isn't bad. They have a lunch time promotion where you can bowl a game, rent shoes, and get an entree and a drink for around $10 -- I'm not sure if that's still going on. The food is definitely a step above the fare you'd expect to get. Order the pizza and you will actually get your own personal pizza that's big enough to share, and it's fresh and very cheesy.
Once I came here and got put in a lane between two kids' birthday parties while all the other lanes were open. One of the staff could see I wasn't happy and corrected the problem. The service is usually pretty attentive and quick.
The furniture and layout is very low to the ground and a tiny bit cramped, so if you have trouble moving around or sitting in low seats, this is something to consider.
If you have kids or people with special needs in your life, this place is definitely a great spot to come during off-hours, for the aforementioned lunch special and serene atmosphere.
I'd give this 0 stars if I could. I've beern coming here for 3 years, but the new manager wasn't very welcoming at all. At first the girl up front wa allowing us to redeem our red pin, but the manager came in decided to not allow it. Even though we come there all the time.
He was very unprofessional and very rude. Pretty much kicked out a party of 8.
This place was great until they got a bearded mentally challenged manager. He's the most rude unintelligent unacomadating asshole out there. Not only did he not accept our free red pin certificate he actually threatened to take it away. How does he call himself a manager?! Until hes fired I will never go there again.
Review Source:We went to Lucky Strikes for a relatives birthday party gathering. Although the atmosphere was on the cool side, the dining portion left something to be desired. We had a large party, about 20 guests, and the waitresses could not figure out the orders and took about 30 minutes after dinner to finally get the checks taken care of. Â My bro in law got his appetizer AFTER his meal was delivered. The menu was very confusing as well. Unclear as to appetizers via entree items. They just need to make sure that the waitresses can handle big groups with confidence and experience.
Afterwards the party moved to the bowling area and finally we really got to relax and enjoy the rest of the night.
I'll make this quick. Â Good atmosphere to bowl, that's all. Â I went there last Friday for my Birthday with 10 family members, 2 who were 13 yrs old. Â First, it was $45/hour to bowl plus $4 for shoes, so for 2 hours to bowl and shoes were $127 before we even ate or drank. Â 2 hours later, after some appetizers (which were sent back for being cold), and some overpriced drinks, we ended up forking out another $291,,,,, Â Now, for $300, I'd expect to be puking drunk. Â We left there kicking ourselves. Â Also, if you have a large party, don't expect to finish your bowling game, since they turn it off right at the 2 hour limit. Â You also have to share a small half table with other bowlers sitting right across from you since the lanes are so close togeather. Â
The staff and waitress's were actually very nice and attentive, so I can't complain about that. Â But, I will never be returning here for some time, if ever, there's too many other places to enjoy ourselves for a cheaper price.
I agree with Joy G. I "won" free game for 6 people. I called and made a reservation for Friday night. I mentioned over the phone my winning card. The person who took my reservation acknowledged the fact that's its Friday reservation & I won free game. Anyway got there on Friday with 5 friends. Â Surprise.......the kid at the front desk wouldn't take my ticket saying its not valid on Friday & Saturday.......WTH. Â OK since I already had a reservation, I asked if we could still play? Â The Answer was NO they were fully booked & we had to wait for 2 hours. Apparently we lost our spot because the person we spoke to is no longer working there. Yes I asked for the manager after 2 hours wait, & wait, & wait, & wait, never showed up.
Never going there again.
Maybe I'm just not used to life in the suburbs, but thought this was a cool spot with pretty affordable prices.
We did the "9 for $9" lunch deal (weekdays between 12-2pm) which includes an entree, one game and shoe rental...what a deal! Â The place was pretty empty (granted it was the day before Christmas Eve) so we got a lane right away. Â We got the cheese pizza, Caesar salad and mac and cheese bites. Â They were okay - nothing to write home about, but they kept us full. Â The guy who gave us the shoes set up the screen for us with our names so we didn't have to tinker with any buttons. Â It was easy finding bowling balls light enough for us. Â The seating area in our lane was a little cramped but it was okay since there was no one in the lane next to us. Â With regard to the game itself, everything ran smoothly.
Though we did not come during the "prime" time, which I presume to be the evening (very loungey/sleek looking) we still had a good experience. Â I would recommend Lucky Strike's lunchtime special for the great value.
Went to Lucky Strike because a friend "won" a birthday party here. Of the food that was supposed to be included, they "ran out" of half the items, including the only thing the birthday boy could eat due to food allergies. When I tried to talk nicely to our server about it, the guy was really rude. So I asked to speak to the manager, who never came. I went up to the bar to talk to the manager, and waited and waited until giving up.
I won't be spending my money here ever again.
There were so many positives about this that I feel bad for giving them just three stars; however, I think what Lucky Strike lacked really ended up hurting the overall experience.
My friend booked my 25th Birthday Bash here. I would have been content to just go to a smaller bowling alley, but when she brought me to make the final payment I was quite impressed. It oozed sexy and the managers were super friendly. While our paperwork was being done they gave us complimentary drinks and chatted with us. I was so excited!
We went with the $39.95/person party package which included pizza, chicken skewers, battered chicken nuggets and an array of sauces, spinach dip with chips, cookies and unlimited soft drinks. I thought it was a bit pricey, but a good deal for two hours of bowling and food. Only complaint about service was that the food was taken away at the end and no one asked if we wanted any of it boxed up. There was a good amount left, too. Kind of annoying, but no big deal.
So what's the problem? With a dozen people we were given two lanes for bowling. That in itself isn't a huge deal, but the couches were so crammed together that there was just enough room for your legs. Every time someone needed to bowl they either had to go around through the seating area for the two lanes to our left or right, or the people sitting down had to stand up. Even when you stood it was a squeeze. Half the time everyone had to get up and move out of the seats or you had to crawl over everyone. Once parties took over the lanes next to us there was just no other way than to molest your fellow bowler as you tried to make it to the front.
We could have easily bowled at least two games, probably even three in two whole hours. We made it through one game and three frames before they shut it down and time was up. With that said, I love the concept, but I would not come back unless I have a very small group of people. The lanes are just not built well for large groups that actually want to spend most of the time bowling and not just eating or climbing on top of other players.
Well. This is a tough one for me. As a whole, I did enjoy my visit here. I am not a bowler at all (went to a gathering there). If you don't bowl, then you could either play pool or watch games on the big screen TVs. The atmosphere was nice.
The food was not cheap by any means but was very good. The nachos, onion rings, & some of the party specific items were well done. I didn't bring my cue that evening so I just decided to enjoy the games on TV. This isn't a place I could go to weekly (based on price alone) but an every now & then stop at the very least is what I would do.
Some things you need to know:
1. 21 & over after 9: PM Friday & Saturday. While I do appreciate that they want to cater to adults (believe me, it's a great thing). I would say move it up an hour (say 10 or 11:PM). You may have some people in the younger demographic (in particular those 18-20) another hour to enjoy themselves.
2. This is not Gala West (no offense to the good people there). Dress code is pretty strictly enforced- no white T-shirts, MC Colors (of ANY sort), athletic wear including team jerseys (not in your home market). To me, there could be some grey areas as it relates to this.
I'll give it 3 1/2 starts. This would be good for a party or special event. There were a few events the evening I went. I appreciate the intent to create the upscale bowing concept but it might be a bit much for me. I still did enjoy myself.
Bowling + Food (Not Typical Bowling Food) + Bar + Atmosphere
While overpriced, it is a fun diversion every now and then. Â The food is decent by restaurant standards, and exceptional by bowling alley standards. Â The atmosphere is fun and upscale, and the service attentive; at least during the non-peak hours. Â It is fun for kids and families earlier on, but "adults only" at night. Â I did notice on our last outing that the lanes are not level, which I guess could be a downer for serious bowlers.
A fun,upscale way to bowl. I enjoyed myself when I went to the opening for this location it was a good time.Its like a night club/bar/bowling alley you feel like your in the city ,not in the middle of the burbs. They have a nice big bar and quick drink service. Comfy couchs to chit chat on and food is suprisingly good.The food and drink prices are resonable.The bowling not so much but you pay for what you get.
I hear that during the week bowling is cheaper but I have always gone on a weekend. The waiting for an alley is out of hand, once we were told we could have a lane in 2 1/2 hrs!? F that we left and if you are planning a date there on a weekend I suggest you make a reservation to insure a good time.
Enjoyable, classy fun.
Now, we came on a Wednesday night, although I imagine they were busier than usual considering it was Dec 30 and a lot of people are now off today, New Years Eve.
But on a weeknight, at least, the prices for bowling are fairly reasonable - 4.95 per bowling game, 3.95 for shoes. We had a friend from NYC along and she said "so cheap!!"
So we got our lane and our games -- minor bit of awkwardness when we had to shoo away the people sitting on "our" couch -- and looked over the menu. Because this isn't your typical bowling alley; it's got a great upscale vibe (but still fun, not snooty, and still a bit loud) with modern decor, great lighting and great loungy couches all over.
Our waitress was friendly and not at all pesky (hey, we're trying to get our bowl on here) and was available whenever we needed her. The food, honestly, was pretty delicious. We ordered cheese fries, nachos, Key West chicken skewers and tomato-n-cheese "s'mores" to split among the four of us, plus a couple beers (them) and a glass of wine (me).
The fries and nachos were slathered in a delicious artery-hardening cheese sauces, with nice seasoning on the fries and a scatter of tomatoes and some zippy salsa with the nachos. The "s'mores" were like little caprese toasties, with crunchy bread rounds, ripe tomato, melty mozzarella and fresh basil. Yummy. And the Key West skewers seemed to be the biggest hit of the night -- they had a flavorful seasoning enhanced by both the squeeze of lime juice and the sweet chili dipping sauce.
A quick note on drinks: the beer enjoyed by my party was said to be quite tasty. My pinot grigio (selected because they 'didn't have' the riesling and I hate chardonnay) had no real body to it at all. But, it got the job done I guess. They have quite a selection of cocktails as well.
The bowling itself, well, it was bowling! There are no cute animations between frames, but the lanes are well-maintained, there's some fun blacklighting for the neon balls, and a good time was had by all.
One thing I noticed and found interesting was the fairly large proportion of kids around. Seeing as it's a loungey atmosphere I wouldn't have expected that. I guess it's 18+ after 9 on weeknights, 21+ after 9 on weekends, but we were only there till 8:30 or so, and saw a fair number of families. I guess if your kids like to bowl, great, but it just seemed a bit incongruous with the atmosphere.
All in all, you wouldn't expect this inside a suburban mall, and I'm glad we tried it out. It would be a fun place to come for a bite to eat, a drink, or another round of bowling with friends.
Lucky Strike is a breath of fresh air for the [lack of] late night-friendly suburban destinations. Â When I first walked in, i thought, "hey, this is like bowling meets nights club, very cool." Â And it is, the interior is modern and neat, there are [at my location] 3 distinct areas: Bowling lanes, lounge/bar and pool tables. Â Very spacious so you wont be running into anybody [unlike a club] but with good music and decor [unlike a bowling alley]. Â Needless to say this chain has alot going for it.
Other niceties include very hot waitresses in skimpy skirts [always a plus] and sometimes a live DJ [weekend evenings. Â They do serve food and have a full bar, but I tried neither. Â If bowling isn't your game, then there is an array of plasmas to kick back and watch sports.
Now this is where the review diverges, depending on what you want in Lucky Strike. Â My final score [3 stars] is the average of the two. Â I'll start with the bowling itself.
Bowling Alley/Pool Review :: Â * [1 star]
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To be concise: it is overpriced, uncomfortable with extraordinarily long wait times. Â You will need a reservation [if you come during primetimes] ... but reservations force you to book by the hour. Â Last i remember, it was $50/hr... OUCH. Â With 3 people we got just over 2 games in.... not a good value. Â If you want to wait it out [2+ hours] ... then you have the option of choosing the number of games you want to play.
But then there's the music and atmosphere right? Â WRONG. Â In the lounge area, the music level is perfect, not too loud/soft. Â In the bowling area, the speakers are RIGHT ABOVE YOUR HEAD and turned up to 11. Â I couldn't hear myself think... let alone carry on a conversation. Â What's the point if you cant converse with your friends while bowling?
Even the furniture arrangement is kinda retarded, we are doing acrobatics everytime we need to get up or sit down.
The Pool tables are nice and well-maintained... but just like the bowling ... OVER PRICED. Â $30/hour?? seriously?? Â I guess if you're desperate it's not that bad of a deal.
The ambiance and decor had so much going for it... but Lucky Strike fails on the small details to make the bowling experience acceptable.
Lounge Review: Â *****
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This is alot better. Â It has the ambience of a club, decent-to-good music, plenty of space and good service [i would assume]. Â There's a full bar with many flat screen tv's. Â I dont see how you could go wrong here. Â If you go at night everyone is carded so no kids or annoying teenagers running around... just adults free to have some fun. Â I'm sure food and drinks are over-priced... to be expected. Â
The music is highly variable though. Â The first time i went the DJ was amazing, every song was perfect. Â The second time, the DJ was sucking pretty hard, maybe 1 song in the 1+ hour i was there was actually good. Â I hate it when DJ's cant even do a simple job of choosing the right songs... I shouldn't feel the need to remove them from the booth and start queuing up songs on youtube.
Conclusion:
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A neat twist on bowling/lounging ... but with varying results. Â YMMV based on what you want out of Lucky Strike. Â Either way give it a shot.
Holy Cow, talk about empty for lunch. If you want to go to a place where you're guaranteed not to wait, try Lucky Strike Lanes for lunch on a Tuesday. My good friend Carlos said it best, replica of the Lucky Strike downtown, just smaller.
I had the Chinese Salad and it was pretty good. I'll go back sometime soon.
Okay, so I like Lucky Strike. Â A lot. Â It is everything that a typical bowling alley is not: nice new furniture, cool decor, great food, and awesome drinks. Â I even like that all of the bowling balls are colored by weight so it's really easy to find a ball.
The only problem is the price. Â It is expensive. Â (and gets more expensive if you go on the weekends at night). Other minor complaints, if you actually sit on the couches right next to the lanes, it is a pain in the booty to walk past people after your turn is up. Â And the waitresses do dress a little skank-like. Â
Although kids would love his place (especially pre-teens), I can't recommend with the huge bar and especially waitress's uniforms. And if you're just wanting to go bowling, don't come here - you will feel ripped off. Â However, if you're looking for an experience, great decor, awesome food and drinks, and maybe a game of bowling for fun, this may be your place - and you'll pay for it. Â I do have to say that it's nice to have this place out in the suburbs though, albeit at a mall.
My recommendation - go here for a happy hour with friends/co-workers. Â Bowling is cheaper during the week and it's much less crowded. Â Have a drink or two and get a meal. Â It'll still be a b it expensive, but really fun, and not nearly the sticker shock that you'd see on the weekend.
I have a really hard time determining whether or not I care for Lucky Strike. In the pro column, it's lovely to look at, they play good music, the digital art displays are cool, and it's easy to get a lane if you come early. As for cons, it's frickin expensive as hell (especially if you want to reserve a lane in advance) and the service is extremely spotty. On my first visit, our group of nine was visited by the waitstaff maybe twice over the course of three games. The next time I went back, our appealingly skanky waitress was a constant yet unobtrusive presence.
My brain has a hard time dealing with the hip club/bowling alley hybrid. I guess I prefer my bowling in a more traditional (i.e., cheap and dirty) atmosphere, but Lucky Strike isn't a bad place to hang out and have a few drinks.
Coming down the escalator my husband points out ' Hey a bowling alley that sells lingerie" - a reference to the posters outside. Â As we get in, the guy behind the counter chimes in "I love this PLACE it ROCKS!!" when we reply that we haven't been here. All these add up -he looks as though he probably can't get laid - and the waitresses are dressed like they aspire to work at a strip club some day - or be extras in Christina Aquilera's "Dirty" video.
I defintely like the idea of having comfy couches and pool tables in the bowling alley, but this place is not for me - even more I shudder to think of the parents having "X Kids Parties X" as the sign states - I think the signs are to let you know they are XRated based on the servers' outfits. Â I could just hear my son now "Mommy, why does that girl have dental floss between her butt?" - Yes that is indeed how short the skirts are on the waitresses - who only serve at male dominated tables, the male staff hits the female tables - Quite interesting.
1 game for my husband and son was $23.95 - not really worth it to be bombarded by huge screens hawking modern art and loud speakers. Â I don't mind bowling alley noise, but this was just pointless, 10 big screens behind the bar and each lane had a projector screen on it.
The decor is defintely chic and lounge style - if I were 5 years younger and not married with a child I could see spending time here - but this really isn't a family place in my mind.
Okay so when I heard someone mention this place I thought it was a cigar bar or something to do with smoking for the simple fact that there's a cigarette with the same name, so wrong! When i walked in I thought that the rumjungle night club and a bowling alley in vegas shacked up, had a baby named Lucky Strikes and moved to Chicago.
Chic interior with hardwood floors. Soft leather couches in lieu of plastic booths. Bright strobe lights and laser beams cutting through the room. Random clips of movies and artsy pictures flash on the screens above the lanes. There's a full bar and food service, all can be brought to your lane. The bartender that night knew how to make a good drink however, the food is average. The burger was tasty but not impressive. The fries were a little cold so I had to end it back.
The crowd is a good mix of mid 20's who don't want to go all the way into the city for a drink to the late 40's who want a fun night out. There is a dress code and age restriction during after hours since it does turn into a lounge. If bowling isn't your thing there's pool tables (I managed to win a couple games of cut throat against some local boys..yay for me).
Call one of the serves when a red pin appears and if you get a strike you get some sort of prize (free drink I think). The servers wear cute little outfits (I wouldn't mind rocking one of those). I wish they would open one of these in the Bay Area.
I have been here for 2 work parties and they have been pretty good. One instance our service was a little slow. It was weird because there were only 2 parties there and it seemed like although we had reservations, the staff wasn't prepared.
The second party was fantastic. We had a great waitress who really looked after us.
The bowling is good. Much better than your typical smoky bowling alley by far. I don't bowl very often or very well, but this place was great.
I attended the grand opening with a friend and she said "This is so wierd waiting in line to get into a bowling alley in a mall in Lombard." Â
A former north sider it took two years for my husband to stop saying "I hate the suburbs." Â All I could reply was "But you can park anywhere you go." Â Now we can park and go to a really exciting cool place. Â I love the decor here and it is refreshing to go somewhere where the waitstaff has a little edge (racey little things in go go boots). Â Thank you Lucky Strike!
Call me a cynic but I was pre-determined not to like this place. Â I mean, really, a bowling alley in a mall out in the burbs? Â And this is going to be fun? Hmm , , , , , , ,
Well- pour me a cold one and hand me a pair of shoes!! Â This Lucky Strike Lanes rocked!!
I am not a bowler by any means. Â But you know what? Â It doesn't matter. The bowling alleys seem to be ancillary to what this place is all about. Â It's more like a lounge. Â Cool sofas and chairs, Â intimate seating areas, great music, a sound system that rivals some of the clubs in the city and food that is really quite good. Â Oh- I am not talking gourmet fare- but hamburgers, deep fried macaroni and cheese puffs, pizza, salads, veggie sandwiches and more all freshly prepared and coming out in large supply!
The bar is huge and runs the length of the place. Â On the recent Tuesday night when I was here- the place was pretty much empty so lanes were easy to get and the service was fast and efficient. Â The serving staff also looks like they are headed out to a club with their short dresses and high heels.
So head out to the western suburbs and check this place out. Â It's a bit hard to find as it's located on the western side of the new addition to the Yorktown Mall between the Adobo Grill and Carsons. Â Â
You'll know you are heading in the right direction as you will will hear the beat, beat , beat of the music which almost drowns out the crashing of the pins and the yells of the people as they high five each other over a strike! Â
Oops! Â Gotta run- it's my turn to bowl!
This place is the shit. Â It's a super-cool lounge with a bowling alley and pool tables. Â Seriously, take out the bowling alley and pool tables, and it's still the kind of place I'd love to hang out. Â It's absolutely gorgeous inside.
It's nice that they have a dress code, but they don't do it to only allow the snobbiest-of-snobs in, but to keep the ruffians and ghetto-fabulous out. Â In the end, it's a little pricier than most bowling alleys, but you get what you pay for. Â You're not dealing with crappy fiberglass seats while you wait for your turn to roll, you're chillin' on a long leather couch. Â Even the seats behind the bowlers' seats are something out of an ultra-lounge.
Do you love being part of 'The In Crowd' but you hate feeling plastic and snobby? Well, Lucky Strike has a cure for you!
When I rolled into this place, I saw all of the 'cool kids' prancing about with their 'how do you do' noses stuck on the ceiling, but I also saw all of the down to earth peeps mingling in the same jungle. I was shocked at first and then realized that I was home at last!
The atmosphere of Lucky Strike Lounge of Lombard is amazing - high energy, high society and classy with an over-the-top dousing of cheeky and cool that's doesn't leave you shuddering and saying to yourself 'why the hell am I here?' But this isn't where just the 'cool kids' own the night, it's where anyone does! Ok, so I found one drawback, there is a strict dress code:
- No Sweats or Sports Jerseys
- No MC Colors
- No Sleeveless or Excessively Baggy T-Shirts
- No Construction Boots
- No Headgear
- No Excessively Baggy Clothing
It's understandable that they want to protect such an extravagant funhouse from hooligans and thugs, because seriously, who wants to be 'that guy who got shot at a bowling alley' - Seriously! There's a few security guards running the door and enforcing the law (dress code) and checking ID's, but they're actually pretty cool, a lot better than a lot of the wannabes I run into at most night clubs.
Alright, so you like throwing a sphere at 10 harmless innocent pins? They've got 18 amazing lanes to satisfy your need to lace up your hottest pair of bowling shoe rentals and stick your fingers into a few holes. They've got flat screens above the foul line in every lane with a very flashy presentation of score! At the end of the lanes, they've got projectors illuminating white screens with a grip of nonsensical nuisance that'll appease your eyes (and every now and then they'll throw in a clip of a great movie here and there - Kingpin was very fitting!)
What's that? You're not a shoe person? Well how about grabbing a long hard stick and hitting some balls around on a felt plain? There's 3 pool tables for all of you pool sharks to chalk your tips and put some balls in your pocket.
There's two bars, countless screens where they have the history channel running (or a ball game if one is on) and ESPN, they've got an awesome LED score ticker running above all of the screens at the main bar.
Did I mention what the lovely ladies of Lucky Strike sport? I have a horrible fetish for knee high boots and short skirts - was I in trouble when I walked through doors here. The girls are beautiful, and the service is amazing. The rest of the staff is just as excellent, the managers are extremely pleasant and friendly and even tbe bus boys are helpful (no, like really helpful, they'll actually get you something if you ask them).
There's a Dj booth in the middle of the whole place just behind the bowling lanes in front of the main bar, they had a couple of cute girls mixing up the music the last evening I was there (it was a mockery to Dj'ing, but they were having fun doing it and it showed, so I at least respect their effort).
Lucky Strike of Lombard is decked out with couches EVERYWHERE! While you wait for others to bowl in your lane, kick it on the couch! There's no hard plastic seats or benches to place your tooshy on - your rump receives royal regal treatment on a soft couch! Makes an evening of bowling and drinking pretty interesting too =) Hungry? But you're in the middle of your game and you don't want stop sporting your fancy rental kicks! Not a problem, they serve you food AT THE LANE! There's a table between every pair of couches per 2 lanes so you can partake in some sustenance while you continue your domination of upright painted phallic wood. Grease up your fingers with their excellent food, then grease up your balls throw on the hardwood!
By now, you've got to have worked up an appetite right? Well then, you're still at the right place! So if you don't want to put on a footwear fashion show or handle a hard stick, they've got plenty of space to partake in a fine dining experience. They've got an awesome assortment of food that is unbelievable. Food was thrown in my face and it was one step away from being shoveled directly into my mouth directly, but it was all so D-LISH! My group ordered a boat load of everything and then we just went to town on the ridiculous amounts of plates we had at the table. The Potato Pie is awesome! They've taken potato skins and thrown it on a pizza. The Cobb Salad was hella fresh! Grilled cheese (I know - Who orders that? I do!), sooo yum! And the Lucky Strike Club is rather unusual for a 'club' as they toss a fried egg into the sandwich, but it's damn good! I was quite surprised.
And remember - It's called Lucky Strike - Not Lucky Spare... So order 10 of everything!
I can't wait for my next trip back to Chicagoland so I can get lucky in Lombard! Plus, they've got some real pimp kicks that you won't find in Von Maur's shoe closet!
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