Okay I didn't know bowling was expensive?? We did an hour and a half lane rental and it was $60 wheww! That being said, service was great and drinks were very cheap which was great!!!! It was popping!! Lots of tv screens and fun music! read more

Diversey River Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Staff is horrible they yelling at kids being rude the man who give the lines was VERY RUDE and was very unprofessional was keep telling us he was gone cut are lines off and more old dude on July 26,2026 at 9pm he needs to go ASAP would rate 0 but the food was ok was a lil hard read more

Great time! Cheaper drinks and good music. Front door security Tony and Jessica were very welcoming! Dope spot.

Fun place! The systems are a little old, so you don't have much control at your lanes, but for a bowling alley the food is good and the drink selections are broad and overall we had a great time! Would absolutely go back read more

This place is so much fun! I organized a work outing here and it was so easy to do. You can reserve your lanes online which is super simple to do, I think they have 35 lanes in total so plenty of space. Next, they have parking! Free parking! When you get inside go to the counter in the middle and check in. Let them know when you want to start and pay for your shoes. It was $4/person for us. You can go buy food before or during and they'll bring it to your table or give you a buzzer. There are a lot of food options and they are priced well. Then go get your shoes, find a bowling ball, and start on your lane! I loved all the punk music playing. Honestly so much joy and laughter came from this place. There's alcohol too that's cheaply priced and at 8 PM the screens come down, pink lights and fog machine turns on, and music gets even louder and more fun! read more

See all

No weapons allowed. Great atmosphere. Be prepared to get checked at the door and walk through a metal detector. Good music, great service. read more

Diversey River Bowl - Cleeeeeeeeean!!! - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Holy, let me start by saying that this security is worse than TSA and their metal detectors are broken. I damn near stripped down taking my jewelry and glasses off just for the metal detector to keep beeping. This also wasn't just me the line was out the door with people going in and out through the metal detectors. Then when I asked them for a pat down instead, they denied me entry because my id was expired by 1 day. I'm sorry, I didn't know this was a traffic stop, it's a bowling alley where people just want to spend their weekend. If people don't have any weapons or paraphernalia, I don't see what the problem is. Calm down and put your power trip aside for a min. read more

This location offers a lot of deals, especially on a Friday evening. The deal that we had included an hour of bowling, large pizza and a pint of beer or soda. The location was clean and the staff was very nice especially when we wanted to extend our time on the lane Overall if you're looking for a happy hour location within the West loop this is one for you. read more

Cmonnnn, this place is SO much fun. Diversey Bowl is stuck in the 2000s, and that's what makes it so amazing. Everything from the decor to the music videos is nostalgia city. I came here on a Saturday night and it was jam packed. There is an airport-like security check point to go through before entering, which is nice but also a little worrisome for a bowling alley? Once you're through that though, it's pretty straightforward to get your lane, as long as you reserve ahead of time. I highly recommend doing so if you plan on visiting on the weekend! The beer towers are awesome and the food was actually really good too. It transformed into cosmic bowling around 8pm and it was a freaking blast. If you're looking for some wholesome fun, look no further! read more

Booked a lane for two hours online for sunday night. The reservation was a breeze. I was also able to pay online, which was great! Place was well maintained, good bar food and drink selection. We did notice there was security at the door as we were walking out, unsure if the crowd gets rowdy at night. read more

When you walk in you feel like you just transported back to the 90's. Although that's great, the prices are definitely modernized. On a Saturday, it's $65/hour for a lane. This does not include shoes. It was an hour wait. The place was PACKED. They have yards of beers for $20, which is a decent price. I wouldn't plan to eat dinner here if you are coming on a weekend, it was too busy and the vibe is not "food". It's a place to get hammered, bowl terribly, and listen to Kid Cudi. I will probably be back but now I know what I am in for! read more

Diversey River Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Diversey bowl is a pretty happening place so good luck walking in on the weekend and getting a lane. Best to make a reservation and plan to grab a beer at the bar or shoot some pool while you wait. Standard bowling is fun and pretty standard city prices but the club bowling with the black lights is a blast. Knocking down a star because the music was incredibly too loud and they did not turn it down despite several requests. Also there were a lot of little punks free range at this spot out way later than they should be, so watch your things including the beverages. Pizza is pretty standard bowling pizza so plan to eat before and come bowl for a few hours drinking beer. Makes for a different weekend activity! read more

Diversey River Bowl - Club night bowling - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Great atmosphere and bowling. Short wait for a Saturday night. The star of the show was DJ Papi Cruz, 10/10 he played something for everyone and the cohesion was stellar. Definitely my new go to bowling alley. read more

I want to start saying that I like this place a lot, as a tradition I've been celebrating holiday parties for 5 years with my work team. Thrilled to share the same experience with my family I decided to celebrate my daughter's birthday at this place. We did a walk-in when I called I was informed about the bowling league taking place until 9pm. Having that in mind we took the risk. Upon checking in a see 2 guys at the front desk, one bald guy and a tall guy wearing a hat. Both with very little hospitality but the guy with the hat was ridiculously unprofessional and rude, crossing the line with us as customers and making me feel discriminated, is it because I'm Hispanic? We'll let me tell you that Hispanic people like to celebrate and spend money, I waited almost 1:45 min for two lanes. I had to check 2 times at the front desk to see where I was standing at, and again with this despotic and arrogant attitude he (tall guy with the hat) said it could take for ever since people tend to extend their games and he didn't know how much a longer wait it'd be (when he originally said 1hr to 1:30) which I was conscious because I knew this already. I decided to order food drinks beer etc. while we waited for our lanes, the extensive wait did not bother me, it really bothered me the fact that I felt discriminated watching how he'll treat all white people around me 90% white 5% African American and 5% Hispanic Well, this Hispanic group spent near $800 for a party of 12. The least thing these people can do is show some appreciation for your costumers. Definitely need to look into your team and teach some hospitality skills! read more

Dj pappi cruz was the highlight of the night. He kept the vibes high while we were bowling our hearts out. I went with a group of 20 for the party package and would highly recommend. Five stars. read more

Just a proper Midwestern bowling alley. Nothing too fancy. Down to earth. Cold beer, lots of good fried food, friendly staff. What's not to love? My go-to spot for bowling in Chicago. read more

I've been a bowler for 25 years, and a league bowler for about half that time. Bowled at many, many alleys; I've done 4 12 week leagues so far here, and this is the best run alley I've bowled at in my life. Pricing is crazy good, kind of unbelievable other reviewers are blasting them for high prices, especially when the place is full! That would be enough for 5 stars already, but then they have some high quality burgers and a wide drink selection to go with it. read more

This is one of those places I thought I wrote a review for as I have been here numerous times over the years, but as you can see, I am just now writing it lol! Good place to come with a group for some good bowling as there are lots of lanes. I have come here with numerous friends and we always enjoy ourselves playing 2-3 games while throwing back some drinks. They usually have music blasting as well as the wall behind the pins displaying videos of the featured song that is playing. The place can get pretty busy on Friday and Saturday nights so there may be a wait so come with your patience in check. You can grab a drink and some food in the bar/restaurant areas. read more

I love this place it so fun and the food is so delicious And can't wait to go again for my birthday read more

So much fun! Came here for our Family Bowling Night and had a blast! Cheap bar food and drinks. Perfect for a Friday night out.

I went here for a friends birthday and had a really great time! After hours bowling on the weekends is only open to people 21+ and even though I've never been during the day I can tell the vibe changes quite a bit. It honestly feels like you're in a club. There are strobe lights and loud music. It's a fun experience if you're looking for something different to do on the weekend. Especially as we hit the colder months. read more

Great spot for bowling! The pizza however is not so great, when I go back again I will definitely order a food delivery service, or an outside pizza place to deliver some food. But other than that the staff was friendly lots of lanes to go bowling and I went at 2pm on a Saturday for which I was hosting my son's birthday party. It was not crowded at all. We truly enjoyed ourselves and will be going back for more fun. read more

Fun place to celebrate a friend's birthday on a Friday night! We were a large group and took up 4 lanes. My bowling shoes looked brand-spanking new, and I liked how the lights turned off at 8 pm and the place became disco bowling, woot! The beer towers were also really cute with bowling balls at the bottom. The place is a little bit older, so they just had monitors at each lane instead of overhead, so it was a bit difficult to see everyone's scores unless you were up close. It was okay though. Still lots of fun in a old-school, homey atmosphere. Really happening on a Friday night. read more

Diversey River Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Such a fun night! Didn't have the best experience calling ahead to make a reservation or find out the wait time. We actually got hung up on after talking with someone very rude. Ended up going and didn't have to wait for a lane which was great! read more

See all

Felt really safe here with the plexi-glass between each pair of lanes. Great to see people out and about and getting back to normal. Think President Biden is doing an incredible job seeing as everything started to open up immediately after his inauguration. Thank you commander in Cheif! Jimi had the highest score of the night to no one's surprise. Really earned those 2 Pepsi's I drank that night Pulled out some of my patented trick shots in the last game but the woman folk were gabbing too much. Sad no one was noticing how awesome I am. 5 stars read more

As a child of the suburbs, my grandparents took me bowling frequently. I've done "city" bowling at 10pin (which I loved), but it didn't feel familiar. Diversey River Bowl brings all the glory of sprawling suburban bowling to the big city. Lots of lanes, two bars, mist and lights and rock 'n' roll at night. It's a great time. Gotta deduct a star because their scoring system is super antiquated. There are old tube TVs with touch screens and they're not very user-friendly. It'd also be nice to see the scores overhead, instead of on tiny screens by the ball return. Also, the tables are set up oddly with six seats facing away from the lane and four facing it. Not terribly conducive to hanging out with a big group, unless you don't mind ignoring the game entirely. Still, I had an awesome time and I expect to be back for another trip down memory lane*. * Pun intended. read more

Diversey River Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The security guards have terrible people skills and they love to literally scream at people that just want to relax and have a good time. I haven't been back there in awhile but they installed a full sized metal detector because someone got shot in the parking lot. I watched a party of 8 that left because they were so fed up with how long it took to get inside the building due to these security thugs and they were rightfully appalled by their behavior. I joined them and we all went a few blocks down to another alley and had a great time. A private business can pretty much do whatever they want. We live in a free country. However, certain choices might be made by themselves at their expense. Since when do people have to have a photo ID and pass through a metal detector to go bowling? If a kid who isn't eligible for a drivers license due to age restrictions and lives right around the corner and has enough cash to book a lane would they turn that kid away? According to their own rules the answer is yes. Horrible business practice. They should be making friends with their neighbors, not turning them away in droves. The Nazi's had less regulations than they do. It was a great place to roll for years but not anymore. read more

Group of 12 of us were denied entry last night @ 11pm, even though their cut off time is 11:30pm. Thats a difference of 30 minutes, we still could've been allowed inside. Security was terrible, horrible people skills and no communication skills. Nonstop yelling by the security guard saying " NO!!!" Repeatedly although I was right next to him and could hear him properly. If you don't enjoy your job, find a new one brother. Bowling alley was full of smoke inside; couldnt see anything from the outside looking in. I wouldn't recommend this bowling alley to anyone. Just straight up terrible. I'd rather go bowling in my own alley with trash cans and a soccer ball. read more

If you've ever wondered what the baby of a bowling alley and a dying club that only plays 2010s pop music would look like, just stop by 2211 W Diversey Pkwy. Complete with a fog machine that apparently doesn't have an off switch and the type of pink lighting that could have only been purchased at discount after the local strip club went out of business. This is where finance bros go to hit on women before realizing that the only other people who go here are finance bros wanting to hit on women. There were puffy patagonia vests, backwards baseball caps, and these giant, bong-like obelisks of beer on every table. Phrases such as "my new tesla," "the market," and "duuude yeah" were commonplace, and I never could quite figure out why people kept high-fiving each other. Maybe if the music hadn't been so deafening loud I could have that figured out, but also idk. All that said, if you're the type of person who thinks about trading stocks while practicing your swing at top golf, you may genuinely enjoy this place. If not, I would recommend somewhere else like Avondale Bowl read more

Awesome best bowling alley in Chicago everything goes well here and how it's suppose to be

Come for the bowling, stay for the beer towers! Diversey River Bowl is your classic bowling alley, equipped with about 35 lanes that promise a good time and some friendly competition. Diversey is unique because you pay by the hour, at the end! Therefore you're never pressured or rushed by people waiting for your lane. You can play freely and take all the time you need! The flip side of this is that it does get a little expensive. We ended up racking up a pretty big tab, but we had a great time and that is what really matters! They're drink prices are also very reasonable! You can get a beer tower of craft beer (not just domestic drafts) which was nice and surprisingly cheap! Also, their food is pretty good too. I've tried the pizza, and I was shocked by how good it was! You can tell the owners and staff take good care of the alley, which is important! Diversey is clean, organized, and well kept. The rental shoes are much nicer than other ones I've seen. Overall, while more expensive than other bowling alleys, you get what you pay for! Good times are always had when I am here, and I will continue to patron Diversey to get my bowling fix! read more

DRB is a classic alley with some old school feel and great vibes. During winter months beware that lanes will rarely be available Mon-Wed (not sure on Thurs) because leagues take up a majority of the venue. Join a league! :) The first time I came here I was a little offput as the staff is pretty blunt at the front desk but now that I have spent more (ok, an excessive amount) of time here I realize because a lot of the people who go here are SUPER clueless about how alleys work and slow down the system. I'm here 1-2 times a week now and I love my league experiences - have done a few of them. Great way to make friends and have fun during the week. read more

$80 an hour to bowl is crazy and the drinks at the front bar are way overpriced for the quality.

this was a really cool place to bowl. the seating and atmosphere was really cool. i love the slides and prizes they had for kids. really provided grade a service. the drinks are strong the prices are right its a great family indoor getaway what more could you ask for. definitely will hit it up again when i touch back down read more

Diversey River Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This has been a great place to bowl a few frames for a really long time. They have the requisite cheap beers, and somewhat mediocre, yet sort of irresistible pizza. The automatic scoring makes the game chug right along. Can we talk, however, about the gawdawful "3D" graphics that pop up between players? The short videos that pop up of muscle cards doing powerstands are HILARIOUS, but those graphics? HORRIBLE. I know it's a weird thing to fixate on, but 3 of the 4 in our group actually work in creative fields, working with design. So, for the duration of our games there, we were pondering that "Someone actually designed this. For real. And someone had to approve it. And this is what they thought was cool." Those graphics are horrible. Not even cheesy-funny-horrible, just ack, poorly designed horrible. The bowling is fun, and that's what we came for anyway, so take my design-rant with a grain of salt if such things do not matter to you. read more

Horrible for leagues. You have to wait for the birthday parties to finish before you can practice... But before you can do that you need to chase someone down to come clean. There's an issue with the lane? Good luck getting someone. At this point just cancel the league, seriously if you can't even do the bare minimum then why bother. read more

The owner of this place tried to fight a man for wanting to file a complaint. It was dramatic and really unnecessary. Never thought this old man would put his hands on someone in front of children on a busy Saturday morning. Regardless of the owners ridiculous behavior, they allow children to throw their bowling balls down anyone's lane without having any control of their parties. Parents didn't seem to care since most of them were drinking and not paying attention, kids running around behind other people's lanes almost getting hit by other bowlers. Trashy and chaotic. Also, the employees don't care as long as you pay first. No one seemed to care or know what customer service was. They are very kid oriented or league oriented. Anything in between, good luck. I wrote a review 2 years ago talking about my horrible experience but apparently it was "removed" for unlisted reasons? It's amazing what money can pay for. Went again with friends recently hoping things might've changed, they didn't. Don't waste your time. Go to Fireside, Timber Lane's or Waveland. read more

Went here for the first time yesterday because they didn't have leagues during the day. Nice and clean alley with good lanes and plenty of ball options. You don't pay in advance which was fun so you can take as long as you want. Unique method of making sure you don't leave without paying, you give them your ID for the lane and one of your shows in exchange for bowling shoes. Honestly pretty smart. Everyone said cheap drinks and they were right. Tall vodka sodas were $5. Tower of coors for $19. Attaching pics of beer pricing for those of you curious because I couldn't find any specific info on here yesterday when I was looking for it! read more

Diversey River Bowl - Draft beer list - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

It's a nice bowling alley, don't get me wrong. But they dropped their award winning beef stroganoff from the menu. Don't expect to see my face here ever again read more

Celebrated my birthday early here this past weekend , group of 12 ....there was no wait for lanes , beer was super cheap , pizza was pretty good . Prices are decent and the place overall is clean. We all enjoyed ourselves , great place , good vibes and great friends = great place to celebrate your birthday ! read more

See all