This is more than just a neighborhood bowling alley. It's a pretty nice (and somewhat upscale) bar. I'm fact, I think the bowling is pretty much an afterthought as just about everyone here was drinking Saturday night and only a few lanes were actually being used. read more

Avondale Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ah Avondale Bowl. Where would the neighborhood be without this well maintained retro bowling alley? If Wes Anderson stumbled upon this place, I wouldn't be surprised if it popped up in one of his movies. Great space with four bowling lanes - I've been here for birthday parties (can bring outside food in) and small group hangs. The cocktails are on point and the bar menu doesn't disappointment. I appreciate the curated drink menu and always have a good time (despite my bowling score consistently hovering in the 50s/60s). read more

Avondale Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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What A Gem! Avondale Bowl Is The Perfect Mix Of Retro Charm And Modern Vibes. This Vintage-Style Bowling Alley Feels Like Stepping Back In Time, But With All The Comforts You Want Today. The Decor Is Absolutely Adorable, With Its Throwback Touches And Cozy Atmosphere--It's Not Your Typical Noisy, Overwhelming Bowling Spot. The Lanes Are Well-Maintained, And I Loved The Small, Intimate Setup (Only 8 Lanes!). It Makes For A More Laid-Back And Personal Experience. Plus, The Staff Here Are Friendly And Super Accommodating. Whether You're A Serious Bowler Or Just Here For Fun With Friends, They Make Everyone Feel Welcome. Drinks? Amazing. The Bar Has A Solid Selection Of Craft Beers And Fun Cocktails, And *Shoutout To The Gin Gimlet--It Was Made So Well!* It's Not Just About The Bowling--It's A Whole Vibe. Pricing Is Very Reasonable For Both Games And Drinks, Especially For Chicago. If You're Looking For A Cool Night Out, A Date Spot, Or A Place To Celebrate With Friends, Avondale Bowl Is It. Highly Recommend Reserving A Lane In Advance--It's A Popular Spot For Good Reason! read more

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All gutters, but had a great time anyway! We were able to reserve a lane in advance. We got there early, had a few cocktails, and had a great time! The bartenders were friendly, the cocktails were good, the beer menu is extensive. You can also bring in your own food. Of note, you'll have to count your own pins and keep score on pen and paper. It's a super cute place and the bar has even won a design award. I'm looking forward to coming back and breaking my gutter-streak! read more

Let's just say I was relieved to be wearing my thrift store find when I walked into Avondale bowl. I was certain The Ropers or Chrissy Snow would greet me and it might actually be The Regal Beagle. Upon further review, it definitely offers more than The Regal Beagle. The drinks are well priced, good and have apt descriptions (aka, Old Style as "watery domestic"). We did not bowl since we were headed to dinner but by god, even if I can't bowl I would most certainly look good bowling there. 10/10 glad cooler people than us shared this gem. read more

Avondale Bowl - The Regal Beagle or Avondale Bowl? - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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There is so much to love about this bowling alley! $36 an hour is not bad especially when just couple people. Love the old school feel with cool ball return, awesome decor, and nice lanes to bowl on. Shoes and balls were clean and in great condition. Not sure why I hadn't come here sooner! Can't wait to come back! You do have to keep score but it's not hard and they provide a nice scoring sheet for souvenir. Also had one of the best Long Island ice teas from the bar and it was excellent! Bartender really nice too! All staff were nice and helpful! read more

Avondale Bowl - Love this find!!!! - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I absolutely loveedddd this bowling alley!!! They killed it with the modern retro vibe. The space feels clean and updated with the coolest vintage touches. As an interior designer, I am obsessed. Very affordable bowling; it was $50 an hour for a lane on a Saturday, split between 5 of us. The people who work here are super kind, prompt, and helpful! You score the games yourself on paper which is such a fun touch. We had so much fun! Would 100% go out of my way to come bowling here again. Such a unique cool spot!! read more

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The place is really nice! We hosted a staff party here and had a great time with both the atmosphere and the drinks. The Tootsie Roll drink was absolutely delicious--I had about three of them because it was that good. The staff was friendly and the vibe was perfect for a group outing. I'll definitely be coming back, especially for the drinks. read more

Avondale Bowl - Tootsie roll - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We rolled on for Open House Chicago, Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) We found... Amazing cocktails! Vegan White Russian- OMG... DELICIOUS. We'll be back for bowling if the cocktails down kick our butts. Thanks Jeff (and your mixologist- she's awesome... sorry didn't catch your name) for chatting about your passion for craft cocktails and a squeaky clean bar. Taste and Quality- top notch!! read more

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What a magical place filled with magical people. Bowling should always be this fun! Also- Dirk D! Learn to read, understand your expired license is actually invalid aka VOID and treat people with respect. If you need any help with this hit me up! - always- Foodie and the Blowfish (I don't work at Avondale but I did get a front seat to all his BS) read more

This place is awesome! I've always known about this place but never actually went until I decided to go for my birthday. For those who don't know this is a vintage bowling alley where scoring is manual (so bring your math skills). Tips: - It's also a bar and 21+ after 7:30pm. They are very strict on IDs meaning they won't accept pictures of IDs (they didn't let one of my friends in) - They don't sell food but you are welcome to bring your own - Reservations fill up fast so book well in advance especially on the weekends Me and my friends had a really great time! They also have 3 tables that are free to use by anyone. My only complaint was the service. They are very understaffed - they only had 1 employee in charge of checking people in for their reservations, distributing shoes, and cleaning/preparing the lanes for everyone. So when I approached the employee to ask where to check in, he gave me attitude instantly. Like I get it, I know how it feels to be short staffed and stressed but he gave me attitude the entire night. They definitely need to hire more ppl especially on the weekends!! read more

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Went here with a group of friends to celebrate my partner's birthday, and it was great as usual. The vibe and decor at Avondale are fun, and it's nice to go somewhere without all the electronics of more modern bowling alleys. The staff was super friendly, as always, and were helpful with a few small issues we had that enabled us to have a great time. Cocktails are incredible at Avondale, I've never had a bad one and this time I tried the rotating Daquiri that was perfect, along with Jupiter's Tonic which was really nice given the balance against aquavit. Everyone enjoyed their drinks, and as usual the beer menu had a few interesting stand-outs as well. Honestly, I can't recommend Avondale Bowl enough. It's more expensive overall then bowling at the bowl-o-rama, but the atmosphere is way nicer and the cocktails are surprisingly inexpensive given how good they are. It's worth the trip, but be sure to make a reservation, it's always busy! read more

I rushed to get her after seeing them being featured on "north America's 50 best bars". What I didn't notice was they made the list solely for aesthetics & not the actual cocktails. The menu seemed intriguing but my drink was subpar. There wasn't anybody"craft cocktail" aspect to it & it tasted like a shot or neat whiskey with a splash of soda versus what the menu explained which was a walnut & orange flavor profile. Cocktail was only $12 & I wanted to try several from the menu but I didn't. Be aware if here to bowl that there's only like four lanes. There's tv in the bar which had the nba playoffs for those who'd like to escape the ball & chain. Nice place & I loved the proximity of the bar to the bowling but there's much better cocktails in the city read more

Avondale Bowl - The Messenger Elijah Craig Bourbon, Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur, Orange Bitters - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is the best bowling alley I've ever been too! Vintage vibes without feeling old or stuffy! Not too many lanes, which is nice cause the place doesn't feel crowded or too loud. It was cool to be able to track our own points. I only had beers from the bar so not sure how good the cocktails are. Would definitely return read more

Avondale Bowl - empty bowling alley with bowling lanes - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great 21+ bowling alley in Chicago. Reservations needed ahead of time from their website; although there are sometimes walk up lanes available. The whole vibe is awesome, retro yet very clean and stylish. The bar is nice, with good beer and cocktail options. Nice weekly specials like a Chicago handshake for $4 on Sundays. They don't have food available. Groups around us brought their own food in, so that must be allowed Events wise Jan 26th they are having trivia & Feb 9th they are doing a karaoke night. read more

Avondale Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Beautiful, quaint bowling alley. Clean, friendly staff. Full bar. Suggest making a reservation

I came here for a birthday party on a Saturday night. It's a nicely-lit, clean vintage bowling alley with a great vibe! There is an employee on the first floor checking IDs, and the bowling lanes are located on the second floor. Make sure to book in advance to reserve your lanes. This was not only a test of my bowling skills but my math skills as well because scoring is all manual here, no screens! You get a big scoring sheet, which includes instructions on the bottom on how to score spares and strikes. Some things to keep in mind: - This a 21+ only place. - There is no food option here, only drinks, but you can bring your own food and snacks. - The lightest bowling balls are a 9. - Shoe rental is $4. There were a few times where the machine froze, ate our bowling ball, and didn't register a gutter ball (which helped increase the score I suppose). The rest of the times were smooth sailing. I'll definitely be back! read more

The place: this had been on our list for ages so was glad to finally get here. You go upstairs and it's a quaint little old-timer bowling alley. Feels like a neighborhood secret (though I'm sure the word is out). There's a pretty expansive bar, just past the lanes. I had a hard time finding an 8lb ball, but was okay using a 10 lb. You have to keep score yourself, but they have golf pencils and an explanation on each lane to help you out. The taste: limited menu - concessions include chips and candy, but it seems you're allowed to bring in your own food. We saw donuts, cake, and pizza from different vendors for people celebrating different things. We got a couple of beers and a Diet Coke for yours truly. My face: normal smile. Was $54 to rent a lane for an hour. We got through 2 full games and then alternated frames for the third game, and then our time was up. Was a really nice afternoon outing, and then we walked to revolution brewing for dinner. read more

Avondale Bowl - Interior - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We were able to make a reservation a day in advance to play on a Saturday afternoon. We came a little early but were given the lane as soon as we got there. The drink options aren't massive but the highball I ordered was solid and the beer was tasty (and neither were too overpriced). The bowling was fun in a teatro setting with paper score keeping, however I would say that the age of the bowling alley created some issues with the actual machines. Luckily for the lane I was in we didn't have any mechanical failures, but we did see that a couple lanes near us had to stop play because their lanes weren't working properly (which I can assume is part of what comes with older machines). Overall though it's a very aesthetic spot and good to visit if you're in the area! read more

Avondale Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Okay let me first say that atmospheres here is actually incredible I mean it. And the balls. Holy cow.

If you will it, it is no dream. Born a few weeks before the pandemic, Avondale Bowl weathered the storm through on line liquor sales (I'm a proud purchaser of a bottle of Willet Pot Still bourbon), and is now thriving. Its not just for bowlers, either. My noble bourbon boozers will be quite pleased with the bourbon selection, which includes Blanton's. The cocktails are also excellently executed. It is unclear whether they serve a sarsaparilla. The bar area is separated from the bowlers so you are not inundated with the thundering of pins and balls. The music can be amusingly retro - one evening I was there it was 80's hair bands. Despite that raucous atmosphere, no one discharged a firearm during league play. Fortunately, no one played the Eagles. Additionally, the bartenders are friendly and generous - they gave us free cake! The bar is on the second floor but the owners are sensitive to the needs of the Other Jeffrey Lebowski. They installed a brand new elevator and individual use, accessible restrooms. The bowling lanes themselves are not wheelchair accessible but the space behind the lanes is, if you care to watch. Bunny will not charge you $100. Myself, I went out and achieved, anyway. You'll find me in the bar, enjoyin' my Blanton's. Overall, a great neighborhood spot. Be advised that there are no rugs to be micturated upon, nor is there any vaginal art. read more

I will take my review away when the owner reaches out but I will say I had 1 drinks with my friends and then when I go up to the bar and get refused service because your bartender wasn't happy with her tip this place was really cool but your bartender wasn't it makes me never wanna come back I worked in the service industry and guess what you don't always get the tip you want but for you to tell me hell no and be rude as hell to me and my friends we will never be back how rude she was if I was drunk and making a Mess I understand but guess what I didn't we came to chill and have a good night that got ruined so I really hope the owner reaches out because I will never return as long as your bartender is working there I understand we are all struggling but your gonna give me attitude because you weren't happy with your tip I would get fired from my job if I ever did something like that so learn to do better cause that loses customers read more

Avondale Bowl is such a cool place to go with a group of friends or even a date night. It is a very retro 70s vibe with a bar, so you can enjoy your time! Bar staff and bowling staff are all very nice and attentive and if you ever need any help, they were more than willing to jump in. No food is sold here, besides chips, but you can bring in your own food or order it in! Such a cool place and can't wait to go back! read more

Avondale Bowl - bowling alley with bowling lanes and bowling balls - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of the most unique, amazing bowling experiences you'll find. The owners and staff execute the immaculate vibes here with grace, hospitality, respect, and great energy. Love a place that takes care of their people and their guests. So much fun! Sick drinks. Beautiful space. Support your local dope small businesses!!! read more

So much fun! The 2nd floor bowling alley has a very original feeling 50's retro style, complete with a vinyl DJ, endless fifties music and not-overly-shiny alleys. We went on a Thursday with a reservation but there were some empty lanes later at night. I have a strong affection for bowling shoes, and unfortunately my one disappointment was the velcro bowling shoes instead of the clearly sexier laced shoes. There is a great cocktail menu (and even cocktails to go in a bottle) to pair with your high school math skills - you have to add up your own scores. We had to learn how to self-score! A lot of time was spent counting here (far too much math for my post-cocktail, liberal arts degree brain ) . Electric score boards are certainly a luxury I have under appreciated in my modern bowling days. read more

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When someone who is 34 and clearly well over 21 drives two hours to your establishment, gets a babysitter to be turned away because of a license expiration due to a birthday the previous week. People there are on a power trip and don't care about customer service. read more

Worst place In the world full of even worse people. If you have any issues while there figure it out on your own because there is only one person working here and they don't have a manager on site. There is not a working phone number to call for assistance. The people are extremely rude who do work here. Stay away from this place. Awful awful awful. This place should be shut down. read more

It's on the second floor and there is street parking. Easy access by public transportation. Staff is very nice and there is league night a couple evenings a week. You have to a physical id, not a picture of it on your phone. Bar is cool, I see bottles of liquor there I haven't seen at other bars. They don't serve food but you can bring outside food in. Beside bowling, occasionally they also have a karaoke evening and bingo evening. During the week they are open in the evening. Weekends open for the afternoon and evening. Check it out!! read more

I've never fallen in love with a bowling alley so quickly. So many of the alleys in Chicago are the type of overly ritzy, personalitiless places where finance bros go to to wear backwards hats and blazers, and highfive each other when they see someone they find attractive walk by. But not this place. This is where you can go expecting to see wrist braces, ball bags, striped shirts, people out back holding a whiskey in one hand and an unfiltered cigarette in the other. This is the type of alley your grandparents bowled at, and the word awesome just isn't strong enough to describe it. It was fun, it was retro, the energy was high, and it was decked head to toe in the type of green you only find in a green river malt at an 80s diner in Arkansas. You can reserve ahead, grab a drink when you get there, and show off your handwriting as you manually track everyone's points on the most framable scorecard I've ever seen. This is easily one of my top places in Chicago now; def check it out! read more

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this place is ridiculous! my 34 year old sons birthday was last week and his license expired. they wouldn't let him in for a party. why not let him in and don't serve him alcohol if that's a problem. it's not as if he was underage. go bowl at a friendlier establishment! read more

Mr. Yelp and I are now bowling in a league here. It is SO fun and all retro. Manual scoring, no tvs or electronic screens hanging over your head. The other bowlers are friendly and welcoming and the manager is great. No food but there is a fabulous bar with a killer old fashioned and lots of craft beer. read more

Avondale Bowl - The lanes - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The space is fantastic, but these bourbon prices are out of this world fair. We met a bartender at Ludlow Liquors who recommended AB for the space and these prices, and he did not disappoint. Great service, cool atmosphere, and bowling (if that's what you are into). Personally, I'll be back to just drink here a lot in 2022! read more

After 2 years you would think the lane conditions would improve... psych, they got worse. Pretty terrible lanes. Cool place to go throw a ball down some wood, but this isn't bowling. The lanes are in terrible condition, are not oiled properly, and aren't even level; I guess if you want to throw some plastic down stretches of wood this is the place to go, but if you want to bowl go elsewhere. read more

My partner loves to bowl so for his birthday I brought him here. We had a good time. The drinks were good and the atmosphere was chill. The interior is amazing and they did an awesome job restoring the space. The only issue is that the machine kept eating our balls and our lane kept freezing. They were kind enough to offer an extra 30 minutes but the machine continued to freeze. We were the only lane with that consistent problem and it really ruined the flow of the game and why I'm giving them 4 stars instead of 5. read more

Avondale Bowl - The lanes - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We live a few blocks from Avondale Bowl and we're excited to see it go in. We finally got a group together to check it out for some Saturday night bowling. Let's start with the good. This place is very clean, vintage and has been beautifully restored. The music selection was excellent. The staff is very friendly as well. I was also very happy to see the vaccination & mask requirements considering we are still in the middle of a pandemic. Moving on to the bad which was enough to take this from a five star review to a three star review ... the music level was so loud the entire group was unable to hear each other. The staff was also unable to hear us. I checked the sound level on my watch and a phone app and it was between 90 to 100 decibels consistently on both. Outside of that being damaging for hearing it made us unable to communicate with our group about the game or anything else while we were there. Because of this we left well before our time was up. I can only assume having the music playing at this level is normal for Avondale Bowl so we have no plans to return for that reason and only that reason. If that doesn't bother you then absolutely check this place out! read more

Nice and chill. $50 and hr for a lane, if you bring a few friends pricing is not bad. They dont serve food, but you can bring outside food, so thats nice read more

Love this place. Happy hour/weekday deals are great. It's fun for a pitcher and a game. Or just cocktails. Or all three. Service is spotty. But the atmosphere makes up for it. Definitely recommend. read more

I wish I would have know about this place when I lived in Chicago. It's the bowling alley dreams are made of. I'll be back every time I visit Chicago. read more

Avondale Bowl could've opened as just a cool neighborhood, old-man blowing alley and that would've been plenty. A place for locals to walk to and hurl balls at wooden pins would have alone been a welcome addition to Avondale. However, the inclusion of the robust beverage program and expansive bar/lounge elevate this place to a worthwhile destination for anyone in Chicago. Even if you don't like bowling, Avondale Bowl is an undeniably fun place to be. read more

Avondale Bowl - View of lanes. - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Fun refurbished classic bowling alley with manual score keeping. It's more of a place for a fun night with a date or with friends, not really to seriously work on your game. The attached bar is pretty chill and has a good bourbon selection at fair prices. read more