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    Back Alley

    4.1 (475 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 8:30 pm

    Back Alley Photos

    BACK ALLEY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Back Alley

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    Gladys P.

    Found this place on Yelp, great reviews about a restaurant in a bowling alley. Having already been to great restaurants in Gardena Bowl and Aiea Bowl (Oahu), I was all for checking this place out. Loved their clam chowder. I had the prime rib, cooked perfectly. My fiancée had a burger and he said it was also cooked perfectly. The only issue we had was there was a large company party going on at the same time and it's just one big room so we had to listen to all of their speeches. I felt like I couldn't even talk because it would be interrupting their party. Would still definitely come back here.

    Russ C.

    Ask around the town of Bishop where a good place to eat is and if you are anything like me, you will be surprised to hear the bowling alley. That's right, the bowling alley. We'll, like Tree House Masters, the bowling alley Just Grew Up. They have moved the restaurant that was next to the alleys further away and oh what a difference. I have been eating here for years and this change is a big improvement. I ordered the Mahi Mahi and onion rings (bowling alley sides still available) veggies and a decent red zin. My waiter Michael was on it! The ambiance was quiet with plenty of screens around streaming football. Hockey would have been much better. I will definitely be back.

    Gelin Cara T.

    When told that we had to go to a bowling alley in Bishop for a good steak, of course, we were hesitant. But it's not bad at all! Food - Pretty decent! You wouldn't think that a bowling alley, of all places would have this good of food, but this place does! Their top sirloin was cooked perfectly to my perfection, but my partner's steak was a bit overcooked. The sides, especially the veggies, did seem lackluster, but still okay. Service - Very nice waitress. She checked in an appropriate amount of times and was very friendly. No complaints! Ambiance - It's a small-town bowling alley. Don't expect luxury, but it's also not grimey. We came in on a Friday night so we saw the typical groups you'd see: group of teenagers coming in to celebrate a birthday, elderly locals enjoying their meals, couples who seemed like on a date, families having a fun time. Great spot and a place in Bishop to check out at least once.

    Half the ribeye with onion rings
    Ted R.

    Well their back and good as ever. Went here and we had a delicious dinner. My wife and a I split the rib eye steak cooked rare + with two sides. My wife had the baked potato which she said was fantastic so that means excellent. I had the onion rings. No split plate fee and very reasonable price. Would be double in SoCal. We brought a bottle of our favorite wine and corkage was very reasonable. Melanie was our server and did a fantastic job. We will be back when in the area.

    Alina N.

    Like others we were doubtful about having the "best steak in Bishop" at a bowling alley but we were here for a night and decided to give it a chance. It didn't disappoint. Started the night with a round of bowling and just beat the dinner crowd on a Saturday night and got a table right away for dinner. Solid rib eye!

    Front door

    The Back Alley Bowling and Steakhouse is truly a quirky little gem in Bishop, California. We travel through this area a couple of times a year, and we always make a point to stop here for dinner--it's that good. This visit was no exception. We started with the wedge salad topped with delicious blue cheese and all the fixings. Their version adds a raspberry vinaigrette, which I was skeptical about at first but turned out to be the perfect touch--refreshing and flavorful. Of course, we couldn't skip the ribeye steak. It was cooked to perfection, seasoned just right, and paired with a classic baked potato that rounded out the plate beautifully. I also ordered a cup of their corn chowder--oh my gosh, it was outstanding! Rich, flavorful, and just the right amount of sweetness. The service was every bit as impressive as the food. Our waitress Wendy was friendly and attentive, and the bussing staff had impeccable timing, always keeping our water glasses full & are empties whisked away. This place is always a treat and truly a must-stop if you're ever in the Bishop area. Thank you once again to the Back Alley crew for another wonderful dinner--it never disappoints!

    Dinner menu
    Thomas T.

    Dayum. NEVER EAT HERE! Talk about small town low level slow snail service. Like omg. We sat for 15 minutes and nobody greeted us at our table or even brought water. What kind of whack place is this. No sense of urgency or hospitality from the staff. Didn't get to try the food because nobody came to take our order. Place looks filthy. Not clean. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise we didn't eat here! Avoid this place! We ended up going to Aaron Schat's Roadhouse down the street and it was amazing! Best steaks. If you want great steak go to Aaron Schat's Roadhouse. Do not come to this place run by a bunch of rookie amateurs.

    Organic Ketchup - no corn syrup- all restaurants need to serve this!
    Maria R.

    We had to try this restaurant and glad we did! Ordered the wedge salad with a salmon add-on, and had the Blue cheese bacon burger wrapped in lettuce (no bun for me!) and onion rings. Everything was cooked to perfection- the portion of salmon was large and not over cooked, the wedge salad was classic, the burger was so tasty, and the onion rings were crisp and not limp or greasy. Thank you to whoever orders the ketchup - it was organic with no high fructose corn syrup, really appreciate this! Place was crowded by 6:00 on Friday. Wait staff were friendly and attentive. Next time, I'm ordering a steak, table next to us did and said the sirloin was very good. Also, there is a full bar and beers on tap. Prices were very reasonable. Big Kudos to the people who own and run this restaurant!

    Chili burger and sweet potato fries
    Penny W.

    Driving up to Reno, time for lunch. I know for a fact that some of the best tasting food can be at the local bowling alley. I wasn't disappointed one bit! Good portions, yummy and yummy!

    Dinner menu

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    2 months ago

    Decent place to have a beer and bowl or pool. Kinda socially awkward staff but I'd repeat.

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    28 days ago

    Bbq pork chops are excellent! The beef barley soup was also very good! Great find on yelp.

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    Ask the Community - Back Alley

    Whats cost? Do you serve lobster?

    Yes lobster tail 12/14 oz

    Are the steaks grass fed?

    USDA choice black angus

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Back Alley

    I was tipped off to this hidden gem and thought to myself, no way could a bowling alley serve good grub.

    Mentioned in 134 reviews

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    Tom's Place Cafe

    Tom's Place Cafe

    3.5(299 reviews)
    20.4 mi
    $$

    I have been to Tom's Place too many times to count. It is one of those few surviving old school…read more(literally ... it is over 100 years old) roadside cafes that are precious little gems. The food is very good. Not spectacular, and not gourmet, by any means, but very good American fare. The service is also very good, and the current owner is an asset to the community in many ways. But it is the ambiance that really makes it special. It dates back to 1917, and looks it. The dining room has a big fireplace and is paneled with knotty pine. There are a lot of doo-dads about which give the place a lot of character. Next to the dining room is a small bar, similarly festooned with a lot of entertaining doo dads. Tom's place is an official watering hole of ECV, and that alone tells you something about the place. They also have a small general store with convenience food and supplies, as well as simple souvenirs like t-shirts and coffee mugs. Have a look there while you are at it. To give you a sense of the place, consider the attached photograph. It is of the stairway to the restrooms downstairs. That doorway is low enough that a tall person might possibly hit their head, hence the admonishment. That's it in a nutshell. This is either your kind of place or not. But it is surely mine!

    Upon arrival to Tom's place, I let my service animal walk around for second before picking her up…read moreto carry her into the restaurant. I was immediately met on the porch by the owner? A short, portly, long blond/ grey hair lady who instantly barked that pets were not allowed in Tom's place. I informed her that my dog is a service animal, and she immediately raised her voice and started accusing me of lying. She demanded to see paperwork that would prove that my dog is a service animal, I asked her to wait a minute while I pull it up on email and she would not stop raising her voice and basically yelling at me. I had lost my reading glasses the day before and could not see well, I was trying to pull up the email while she was yelling at me. She said she had reading glasses she could sell me, but I needed to show her the proof that my dog was a service animal before she would let her in the store. My dog was now shivering profusely because it was coldish and windy, she pointed it out and I informed her that my dog is shivering from the cold, and we are just hungry this is a huge waste of time, because she is a legal service animal, but I am now under too much stress and cannot see without my glasses to pull up the digital proof that she demands before we enter. I informed her that this was illegal, and she started berating me, telling me I don't know what the law is. She than started being condescending and asking me if I know what ADA stands for. I told her that I am a RN, and that just made her louder and more unruly. If anyonlie from the state wants to talk, I allow YELP to release my email address to them. I have had my service animal for years, and never a problem. I have actually had her in Tom's place before without a problem. I have no idea why a small restaurant owner would rather cause potential litigation and undue stress upon potential customers and break the law and demand proof of service animal legitimacy than just let people with service animals live their best lives in peace. I did not need this experience and neither did the friend that was with me or my service animal . WHO THE HELL CARES IF SOMEONE HAS A SMALL DOG THAT IS SILENT. Unfortunately for you, she is a service animal. I have paperwork. In this day and age in California, they are letting many crimes go unpunished, as it is now racist to prosecute anything. So to all the small restaurant owners out there that give people undue stress about service animals which are not a crime, just shut your mouth, take our money, and obey the law.

    Photos
    Tom's Place Cafe
    Tom's Place Cafe - Bathroom flooring lifting

    Bathroom flooring lifting

    Tom's Place Cafe - Scary stairs to bathrooms 10/7/23

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    Scary stairs to bathrooms 10/7/23

    Back Alley - bowling - Updated September 2026

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