Melting pot of Chicago, everyone goes here. Gang bangers with their name air-brushed on their t-shirts, drunk Chads, guys with WAY to tight jeans on. This place, as they strive to let you know, is historic. Sort of a legand as a "hang-out" spot as much as an actual bowling alley. One of the bartenders here is AWFUL, and always seems to get in long conversations about nothing in particular with whomever is in front on me. I don't mean to be rude, but, ya know, can I get a beer and THEN you can keep gabbing? read more

Good food & drink selection, good music. Love there cosmic bowling. They have a small parking lot but there's parking along the street. We went on a Friday. Not to crowded at least on that specific day. Bring a sweater because it gets pretty cold inside even if ur bowling. I gave it 3 stars just because at one point when we first got there, there was no one to be found to get our tickets for our shoes. read more

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After bowling here in two leagues, I can definitely say that I have a shrewd distaste for Diversey River Bowl. It isn't the worst bowling alley that I have ever been to by any means, but it certainly isn't good either. The lanes are synthetic first-off, which is a huge mark down for me... as synthetic lanes do not absorb the oil that they put on them in a natural manner. Because of this, if your shot has a lot torque/spin on it... the ball you throw is not going to beget the desired result. Above and beyond this, each lane is oiled differently, which causes huge problems for anyone with any kind of hook in their shot, because it requires you to re-adjust your shot depending on which lane you are on. This makes for an inconsistent bowling experience. Furthermore, the beer selection is lacking... and the prices just got hiked up again... so the cheapest beer on their menu is $3.50 - paying $3.50 for a High Life just is sickening... you can buy a six-pack of High Life for $4.99... ferchrissakes... They do have a couple types of bourbon, including Maker's Mark... but if you want a Maker's on the rocks... yer looking at $7.00. Maker's on the rocks should be $5.00... sheesh. So not only is the bowling here expensive, so are the drinks... The food is simply, OK... but the service for the food can be very poorly managed and slow. I like the guy who usually runs the front desk, but that just isn't enough to make me give this place a good review. Another weird thing is the way that they set up the "seating" area... is a bunch high stools, surrounding a triangular high table that points toward the lane. This setup is just jarring, uncomfortable and counter-intuitive for the social bowling experience. I am not a fan of this place... too bad good bowling alleys in Chicago are slowly dying out... it makes me a very sad little bourbon sipper. read more

Started our evening off with a little bowling and it was pretty extreme. LOL. I definately enjoyed this place. We stopped by on a friday nite and it was about a ten minute wait before we got a lane. As soon as they told us what lane we were at the lights went off and guess what? COSMIC BOWLING!!!!! Oh goodness how I love bowling with neon colored objects at every corner of my eye. The music was amazing!!!! I didn't know what to do...bowl or dance!!!! Awesome crowd of people that evening. And of course I couldn't enjoy my bowling without a refreshing beverage..hehe. Went up to the bar and asked for vodka and cranberry juice...WOW!! The drink was GIANT!!!! And for 7 bucks!!!!! I was blown away!!!! AWAY!!!!! LOL. Definately check this place out. read more

This is a great place to take your small kids to bowl on a quiet Sunday morning. We visited DRB this weekend with a 4 and 1.5 yr old. They not only have automatic bumpers for each lane but they have these cute dinosaur ramps that the kids can push their bowling ball down so that it has the speed to make it to the pins. No more balls getting stuck in the middle of the lanes. There were only a few people there on a Sunday morning so when my kids got tired of bowling, I didn't mind that they played with the arcade games and ran around. There was no one to bother or annoy. :) It's a nice little gem for young kids!! read more

Love this place! Everyone is super nice, it's clean, and the beer is cheap. Can't wait to go back! read more

NOTE: If you don't want to read this whole review I listed the basic pros and cons for the place at the bottom. If you'd like to enjoy this review in its full gloriousness then start right here... ...I went to this place with a few friends around 7 on a Friday night. We were waiting for some other friends to arrive so we ordered a pitcher of Sierra Nevada and took a seat in the bar/dining area. After our first couple of pitchers our waiter gave us a third one on the house, which was appreciated but also a bit odd. We hadn't really done anything to deserve it so I actually thought he might be poisoning us, or something like that. I don't think he poisoned us, though, unless it was one of those poisons that lays dormant in your system for awhile and then suddenly kills you later. Anyways, after about an hour everyone had arrived and we were ready to bowl. Unfortunately, it looked like about half the city was also ready to bowl. The place was totally packed. I was somewhat irked by this because on arrival I asked the manager if he wouldn't mind letting us know when the place was filling up so we could get a lane. He said "sure, I can do that," but then he didn't do that. We ended up waiting about 45 minutes for a couple lanes to open up, which a few more pitchers of Sierra made tolerable (I should probably mention that there is other beer available besides Sierra Nevada. I'd say about 10 "good" beers to go along with Budweiser and Miller.). We finally started bowling around 8:30, which incidentally was the same time the bowling alley switched on its "cosmic bowling." For those unfamiliar with cosmic bowling, it's when the lights are dimmed and a bunch of moving, colored strobe lights turn on. I'm pretty sure they pump up the volume on the music as well. It's totally awesome when you're 12 but not so much when your 24, or if you get dizzy easily. We bowled a couple games and everything ran pretty smoothly. Finding balls of the appropriate size and weight was easy and the electronic scoring worked fine. Also, due to the crowdedness of the place, we were able to get away with numerous drunken hijinks such as kicking the ball down the lane field goal-style, and rolling the ball as slowly as possible (I think our lowest speed was 1.2 mph. It took a good 2 minutes for the ball to reach the pins and then harmlessly bounce off them without knocking any over. Good stuff.). Overall, the actual bowling was pretty fun. What was not fun was paying for the bowling, because it was pretty damn expensive. The cost is not based on the number of games you play. Instead, there are hourly rates per lane (they're pro-rated, so it's really by the minute). It's kind of complicated so rather than explain it all here is a link: http://www.drbowl.com/hours.htm. We ended up paying around $150 total (approx. $22 individually, which I personally find a bit steep for 2 games of bowling). As far as the clientele is concerned, I would say it is diverse. This is a place for everyone. The most important thing I could say about this place is that it is for people who are primarily interested in bowling. If you're looking for a place to have some drinks, chat, and hang out, with some casual bowling on the side, it's not for you. But if you really just want to bowl then you should have a good time. Pros: - Lots of lanes, you shouldn't have to wait at all unless it's a Friday or Saturday night - Plenty of parking - Plenty of bowling balls and efficient electronic scoring - Not a bad beer selection for a bowling alley - It's a place for everyone Cons: - Inconsistent staff. Some were friendly and helpful, some were not. - Extremely crowded and chaotic on weekend nights - Cosmic bowling at night (a con for those that dislike it) - Might get poisoned (see first paragraph) read more

Most people don't know this but bowling was one of my PE courses in college..LOL! I thought I would just get that out of the way. Now, my bowling skills don't always reflect that but it IS a fact. The first thing that I noticed when I walked in was that it reminded me of the 80s and since I love the 80s I was very excited. This place is great!! I loved the lanes and they have up to date equipment. The energy was great and I can't wait to go back. Oh and did I mention that they have a nice sized bar with tvs at the tables so you can catch the games??? Well Now I have!! read more

In my opinion, this is by far the best bowling alley in the city. For one, bowling alleys are scarce and pretty hard to find. The two that I know for sure, Ten Pin and Lucky Strikes, have major issues. Diversey has a parking lot which neither of the others have. Not to mention the other two are so tiny it's virtually impossible to get a lane on the weekends. I've never had to wait more than 30-40 min at Diversey as they have at least 30 lanes. Plus neither of the other two are 'rock n bowls'! The other kicker that made me push it up from 4 to 5 stars was the recent addition of the Kegler grill inside. It's pretty much like a sports lounge w/ a full bar, flat screens and projectors scattered around, and even a pool table to play on. The food menu is immense and very affordable, w/ a plethora of burgers, wraps, sandwiches, and pizzas. It's a great place to hang while you're waiting for your lane. Come here for a guaranteed fun time w/ beer, bowling, and rock n roll!! And don't forget to take the goofiest photos possible! Now only if I could figure out a way to increase my average to 150 :O) read more

I've been bowling and busting out w/my dexter's for some time now and every time I go bowling as of recently I've been bowling at DRB. I enjoy the almost dirty looking feel of this place. It smells like a bowling alley should like beer and booze! I think taking a picture for each player is a cute concept:note to everyone don't take drunk pictures....hahaha kidding it makes a great drunken bowling event to laugh at ones self drunk picture. Over all this place is a cool place to hang out with friends for some cool night bowling. The music is pretty good. Maybe a bit more of a variety but I do believe its called rock and bowl. read more

For it being "the place to bowl" it was just OK. I went for a kids birthday party and it was clean, and the lanes looked nice. But they don't have the giant displays above the lanes which I thought was odd. They have these kiosks you punch in your info on. Food was bowling alley food and the beer was cold. I think I'd like to go back and try it a little more low key. read more

I've been here twice so far in my lifetime. So some of my comments may be out of date. The first time I went here, it was super packed and we waited an hour just to get a lane. (in 2002) Of course this was on the night they have cosmic bowling which I can only describe as if a club and a bowling alley had a baby. The second time I came here was recent for a friends birthday party. Since the last time I was there I didn't pay (I was on a group date), I was a little shocked to find out it's $31 for an hour of bowling. I have never paid that much to bowl in my life! I much rather prefer by game. (minus star) I could go to the bowling alley by my house on a Wednesday and pay $1 a game and $1 for shoes.....I don't need fancy bells and whistles (aka electronic scoring, animated short clips, etc) to enjoy a game of bowling. It took forever to get our shoes (minus star) and was slightly awkward for me and my friend as we just stood by the shoe room and nobody acknowledged we were there. A line was starting to form and my friend had to let somebody know at the desk. Had we gotten our shoes right away, we would've saved paying the 10 minutes over our hour limit. The GOOD news is the food there is inexpensive and yummy and the lady that takes the orders is super nice. You can also grab a pitcher of water from the bar and glasses to bring back to your lane instead having to keep walking up for refills. Other than the couple next to us who needed to get a room rather than almost have sex every time one of them got a split or strike (Good goo guys, there are CHILDREN at a bowling alley....i should've left my typo of 'blowing alley'), it's an okay place. If you are looking to just have a chill night with friends, go on a Sunday. If you want the club/bowling child of fun, go on Saturday. read more

We went here for NYE and it was exactly how I remember it as I have not been here for several years before this visit. Not much has changed that I remember at all here!. It is starting to show its age which makes me sad because I really want this place to live on! I think i would be able t olive with little upgrades at a time to keep the personality of the place without making it look like it is fallen in to disrepair which is what worries me. It is a fine line to walk. The staff is still great as I remember them and I always have a blast coming here! read more

About four years ago I used to regular this joint on Tuesday nights. My friend who worked there DJ'ed and it was a good ole punk rock time. I even had my 19th birthday party here (or was it my 20th?). It ended up being way more expensive that I realized and my friends had to lend me money to pay for the lanes. Yeah. Still fun. And once I was taking pictures outside with a friend and we saw a young boy knock a little kid off his bike and ride off with it. That was sad. I haven't been here in a long time. But lots of good memories. (And the facility is very nice, even though its a bit expensive.) read more

I seriously adore this place. It's true, it is not the hippest place in Chicago, but it is an all-in-one evening of guaranteed fun (or at least adventures). If you're hungry - they have a fantastic little diner that calls you when your meal is ready if you're in the middle of a game. If you're thirsty - they have a GREAT bar with one of the coolest bartenders in the city (the beautiful Miss Julia) and a lot of very swell loiterers. And if you're looking for a little competition other than bowling - they have Air Hockey. I am all over that table. Seriously, if they had skee-ball, this would be the perfect PG, PG-13 rated evening out. I lost my Sidekick (cell phone) there once and it was returned and I was able to pick it up safe and undisturbed the next morning. Here's a tip though: If you're embarassed about having lint on your clothes, bring a lint-brush in your jacket or your purse!! FOR REAL!! The black-lights hide nothing!! It's kind of gross. read more

It sounds like this establishment has had the bases covered with reviews already, most of which I can agree with. The drinks aren't too expensive for a bowling alley, and they often have specials on weekdays. That's the keyword here...weekdays. Don't bother coming to this place on a Friday or Saturday. Their bowling rates are ridiculous, they're understaffed to handle the crowds, and you'll have to wait upwards of an hour for a lane. I personally despise bowling under a strobe-light, which is also the case on weekend evenings. They seem to have a HUGE non-judgmental selection of music. Want to hear Iron Maiden? Okee Doke. NWA? Not a problem. Michael Jackson? You got it. Non-smoking bowling alley? This sucked when I was a smoker, but now the tables have turned. Muhaha. The employees can sometimes come off as rude or even mildly-retarded (some are better than others)...so don't always expect them to be "on top of things" when a ball gets stuck or the computer skips your turn. What is killing the 5th star for this bowling alley is the touch screens on the lane computers. Some of them are completely misaligned and have been that way for years. This means on some of the lanes, when you touch "OK", it'll hit "CANCEL". Have fun trying to enter your name or add a player to the game. This is kind of a vital flaw to the experience when you're paying by the hour to map out the spot you need to touch to do what is needed to continue bowling! But compare it to any other bowling alley in the area and you'll notice that this place is much better than your other options. read more

Had good bowling experiences here years ago, but my most recent one definitely tarnishes my view of this bowling alley. Went to Diversey River Bowl on a Saturday afternoon, mid-September. Besides my group of bowlers, there was only a birthday party going on at a handful of lanes next to us. The guy working the front desk when we got there was a really nice guy and got us set up just fine, but he apparently left inadequate notes for the front desk manager that replaced him. This new front desk guy was not the least bit professional. My group had bowled one game, and we were about 3-4 frames into our second when he just shut off our lanes. No warning, no notice. When we went to the desk to inquire, he said he had a note that we were only bowling for an hour (we'd been there for an hour and 15 minutes) and that he had a bunch of parties coming in at 6 PM. This was at exactly 5:30 and the place was still dead, so we had time to finish the second game. He then proceeded to charge us PER MINUTE of bowling time (we had a coupon for a free second game but instead they gave us $10 off). We were charged for 75 minutes of bowling, so why didn't he shut us down at 60 minutes if that's what was noted and he had to follow exactly without even speaking with us? Ridiculous. So, to sum up: nice lanes, like the photo system for getting set up, and the food got good reviews from my party that bought it. Bad: unprofessional staff that shuts you off before you're done and with notice and then doesn't honor their own coupons. If I were the owner of this place, I would want to know that this was going on and that customers (who could've and would've spent more money in their business!) get treated the way they do. I will never go here again, and I don't think that my 9 friends that were with me and saw what went down will either. read more

When I die, I want to be buried in Diversey Bowl. This place amazes me more and more!! Had a pretty bad night of bowling yesterday, but to find comfort in the hands of your bowling alley bartender is a very special thing. I don't want to give out too many details, but I love everyone that works at Diversey. I can only compare my emotions to the Leonardo Cappuccino movie, Titanic. I am the King of the mother f-in world, yo!!! read more

Will be back! I enjoyed my random Tuesday night bowling here with friends. Fun environment! Next time I want to try some of the food/drinks there. read more

I've been to just about every alley in Chicago, and Diversey River Bowl is the one we choose for leagues every time. The lanes are by far the best at not chewing up your ball... the restaurant is easily the best bowling alley food I've found ANYWHERE, not just Chicago... and the atmosphere isn't completely corny like most alleys. Here's an article you might find useful regarding what I agree is the best bowling alley in Chicago: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8396419/best_bowling_alley_in_chicago_diversey.html?cat=8 read more

If you want to experience REAL CHICAGO Flavor...come bowl here as this place has been here for decades providing hours of fun for not so much, no smoking, bar food and BEER! many updates throughout the years as they needed it to compete with the others, but still maintains a nice sense of history and simple low-key vibes. Great for kids partys as different party packages are available, and even if you don't want to lace up and toss some balls, the pizza is hot and alcohol flows mighty nice in these parts. read more

I like Diversey River Bowl's location. I like their staff. I don't mind their food. Their lanes are kept-up pretty well. Their prices are great on weekends when you do the bowling and pizza specials. Their Pro Shop is pretty good. Their bar staff/beer selection/alcohol situation is great. So why three stars? Their score-keeping computers are THAT bad. 14 software developers out on a bowling trip... None of us could figure out how to enter our names... And I had been here before. PROTIP: When a screen says "Press Enter to Continue," there should be an "Enter" key. Those computers suck so bad, they took two stars from the rating. I'd rather keep score by hand. read more

I came here on a Saturday night with a few friends. We were planning on going to another bowling alley, so we didn't reserve lanes, but we were able to snag one within an hour. We killed sometime at the bar which has a pretty great beer selection for a bowling alley. I enjoyed a White Russian Big Lebowski style as well. Yesss! The place is newer, and there are tons of lanes. We were there pretty late on a Saturday night, and they were several parties with small children with them. That was a little strange, but not the alley's fault. All in all, I had an amazing time bowling here and can't wait to go back! read more

Wow... I think all the trashy people in Chicago decided this was their bowling joint and took it over. It was incredible the number of people with their "bad ass" attitudes. The service was the one good thing but there is one tiny old tube TV at each lane for you to look at the score. On top of it if felt like I went back to the 70s with the old-school disco ball and crazy lights. You can bowl for about the same price in a place that is much more up-to-date and not feel like your in the ghetto. read more

Cheap food, good bowling, great times. Not much more to be said, This place has plenty of lanes, cheap bowling alley food, a full bar, and a couple pool tables. Everything you could want in a bowling alley. read more

We live very close to Diversey Rock and Bowl and frequent it often. However, the ABSOLUTE best part about the food here was the all you can eat fish on Fridays. We recently discovered this was stopped and I give that decision a big fat ZERO, it will definitely make it so we visit much more infrequently. That being said, the bowling here is always fun...a mixed crowd keeps it lively and the music is good and loud on weekend nights. The restaurant has very nice servers, although they are usually pretty slammed and could use more than one server/bartender at times. The food is good, pizza is worth getting, although I'm clearly bitter about the fish being discontinued (only because it was the BEST in town!!) so I plan to cut down my visits substantially. OH! Another great thing is the Jello shots in syringes...so cute and kitschy, really fun and tasty to get when you've already had a few too many drinks. As for the bowling--best in town, in my opinion! Great for a date, or group of friends. JUST BRING BACK THE FISH ON FRIDAYS!!!!!!!!!! read more

They charge you by the hour (per lane) not per person. Which is reasonable if you have a large group of people, but not so affordable on a Saturday night when it's just two people (as it's about $33 an hour per lane). It's still fun though! The staff is friendly, and their bar prices are only a little bit more than reasonable. On weekend nights they have cosmic bowling, which is pretty neat. I liked that the DJ played more classic rock than cheesy pop. The huge negative about this place is all the kids. Huge groups of them, with no parental supervision. I felt like I was in Jr. High. read more

My date challenged me to a game of bowling, I'm not sure what he was thinking as I'm an exceptional bowler, but he quickly found this out and regretted the bet we made immediately. Ah, but he squeaked by me on the very last frame of game one and beat me by 1 stinkin point! I clearly needed to bring it - so I did. Game 2 - I bowled 6 strikes! Beat that - he couldn't.... Anyway, back to the review we came here last Tuesday around 7:45 PM and were quoted about 15-20 minutes. You put your name in a little ticket machine. It gives you a number. You wait for that number to be called. Our wait time was extremely short. The bowling alley was clean, they had beer, and we had a good time. What more can you ask for with a night a bowling? read more

Went here with some friends. It was a good time. They switched to cosmic bowling (lights out, disco ball, black light on, really loud music) while we were there. I didn't appreciate it because I wasn't expecting it. I've enjoyed it in the past. I'm sure it's cool if that's your thing. Their pricing is a bit weird. Lanes are $39 on hour with a reservation and $33 without a reservation. We had a reservation, but the place was pretty empty. The guy only charged us the $33. I don't know if that's the policy or if he was just being nice. The electronic scoreboard was SUPER annoying. You can barely see the score because a message saying, "THROW! [Bowler's name]" would pop up during everyone's turn. There's a full bar attached to the alley so they've got decent food and drinks! read more

Great place to bowl for fun. The leagues are not very competitive. So if you want to play and enjoy to drink and eat this place has the leagues for you. Did a Sox league which at the end of the league we went on an outing to a sox game and had a pregame patio party....awesome! Bartenders are the greatest group of girls ever! Very good prices! But for the bowling its not all that. Lanes are too dry or too oily. TOO MANY PEOPLE! Cosmic bowling makes it annoying due to how dark it gets in there! read more

I gave it 5 stars because of how great the customer service was and just the overall birthday party we had for my 3 year old son. Everyone that came for the party loved bowling, for many of the kids 3 yrs old- it was their first time bowling- they also make it easy for the kids to bowl since they seem to be the only bowling alley to have these great sliding racks to help the kids roll the bowl down the lane. The birthday package is a great deal... the cake from Bulldog Bakery was yummy. There was some confusion on our reservation but they were more than helpful in straightening it out. Greece helped us the whole time and we were more than thankful! One person from the staff can change the whole overall experience and Greece did that for us.. He was great.. thanks!! Great environment! read more

Diversey River Bowl - Great for Kids- they use a ramp to help kids bowl - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I love this place. I was in a bowling league here a couple of years ago that was really reasonably priced -- $15/week/bowler -- and I stop by for random bowling events every once in a while. They have good party rates and pretty reasonable peak rates (and good specials if you can get there for the specials!). What is equally as awesome as the bowling is the surprisingly good food from the little food place inside of there. They always made solid sandwiches, pizza and fried goods. I mean, i'ts not good for you, but when we went there Saturday, it was literally a life-changing experience: Sweet Potato Tots. Finally, they have decent beer specials -- and let's be honest. What's bowling without beer? read more

We just went here for our company's Christmas party and had a blast! The staff was very friendly and the place was very clean. The look of the place from the outside is AWESOME. Very retro. It was pretty packed for a Thursday night but there still seemed to be lanes that were always open. At 10pm, they turned out the lights. The last time I went to a bowling alley and they did this, they called it "Midnight Bowling", but I was at 10pm, so I was confused but delighted. The sign said bowling til 11pm but the place was still jumping at 11:15 when I left. I'd come back. read more

Cannot believe this place! After bowling here for 8 years they won't let you in on a weekend because of "capacity." No other membership league in the city treats their people like this! Ask them what capacity is, and they won't tell you. Close at 1am? Jokes on you bc they lock the doors at 11:30. Was just trying to meet a single friend on a lane. Even have a locker here! So I called to talk to a manager to see what's up and simply asked "hey, hi, what's capacity on the weekend BTW?" --Because we see there's like 50 people and loads leaving--and the dude (DJ/MANAGER/MIN WAGE SECURITY) on the phone who is probably horribly treated by management and just kept hanging ip on calls FREAKED OUT at the question and literally the first thing he says is "WHY ARE YOU ARUING??? It's a THREE HOUR WAIT WHY ARE YOU ARGUING WITH ME ON THIS?" Folks, I assure you, I asked simply what capacity was. That's how you spot a liar, when he doesn't answer a question as simple as the one he's turning people away for. Let it be known if you meet friends after 10pm, body bouncers gonna lie cheat and steal to let you know you're not getting in. Doesnt matter how much sweat you've left on that floor. read more

I'm very particular about the thumb hole size of bowling balls and diversey bowl leaves something to be desired. When I say particular I mean very particular. I'm a man with average to large thumbs and unsung the right fit at the right weight is difficult. Almost more difficult that typing (see large thumbs) How am I supposed to show off wen I can't get the right grip for a fade right roll?? On a positive, the mozz sticks are tops. On another positive note I thoroughly kicked Danny salzmans ass. read more

Lucky Strike has nothing on this place. This is my favorite bowling alley in Chicago. It's not pretentious, the staff is really laid back and they're also really accommodating. We've come there with around 15-20 people before and there was very little wait involved. I've never had a negative experience here. I love bowling. I am terrible at it but it's so fun. It's good, fun, old fashioned, beer drinkin' bowling at it's finest. read more

I'll go up to 4 stars now that I've been here a few more times. The machines stopped stealing my spares for one and I spent a lot more time and money at the bar the last few times. The service staff at the bar/restaurant thing is great, the same at the little counter that sells greasy unexceptional food. It is of course a bowling alley, what were you expecting? For some reason the guy at the main counter was loudly and obnoxiously shouting inside jokes to the league bowlers or possibly exorcising some unfortunate manifestation of Tourettes. I'm sorry, Tourettians, you've got a funny disease. The narcoleptics feel your pain, or will when they wake up. read more

I'm sure this place could be more fun; just avoid Saturdays. I went here with a group with no chance of lanes ever opening up on a Saturday night. However, I took note of several things that other reviewers may not have mentioned: - Diversey River Bowl is pretty darn close to Lincoln Park. Add cosmic bowling, and you get one giant cluster of Chads, Trixies and yuppies reliving their teen-age years in the far suburbs of Chicago or Detroit. Plus a lot of teens, too. - Expensive beer with the "bar" area - Have fun trying to park around the cabs picking up fares and people trying to squeeze in the odd-shaped spots. I'd recommend Waveland Bowl for a better bowling experience. It's literally 5 minutes north on Western. You won't see a crowd the size of a street fest there, and it's open 24hrs as well. read more

I've wanted to go to Diversey Rock and Bowl since I've moved to Chicago. It always looked like a fun, dive-y type place. I went this week with some friends. You make a reservation on this electronic thing, give your friends funny names and take some embarrassing pictures, then wait to be given a lane and get shoes. Bowling was fun, I totally suck. I love the chairs, they're super 50s. The bartenders were super friendly. I had a pretty strong vodka tonic for $5. I'm slightly wary of ordering food here, it just doesn't seem like the cleanest place. Also, bowling by the hour is pretty expensive. I've only been to places that are per game. They have specials on food/drinks/bowling prices throughout the week. I'll probably be back...although I'll have to get find my pride...I lost it with all the gutter balls! read more

Diversey River Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I dont get it. Why is bowling soooo expensive? This place is alright. Overly priced and too many teens on the weekends since they aren't old enough to do anything else. Cosmic bowling is always fun no matter where you go, but I'm not about to spend $40 an hour to bowl. Thats insane! If you come here when they have deal ($1 game on Mondays) then its great, although its not cosmic. I would love to come here more often but with these times...no, not even in these economic times, just in general, I refused to pay $40 for bowling. Let me just go into my alley and play street bowling, thats whats up. read more