We had a work team building there. The venue is big and pretty good for large groups. Parking was ok and if everyone drives to the venue, they may not be able to find a parking spot and may have to park further away. The food was not bad and customer service was good. Staff were friendly and helpful. The reason that I'm not giving 5 star to them is because the venue didn't have a proper setup for work events. Projector was not bright enough. Lighting was very poor and we could not even read any of our notes. I believe this could be fixed easily if they would like to attract businesses to use this facility for their event and I hope next time I go there I see some improvements. If you go there for personal and family fun day, you'll probably enjoy your experience and will have fun! For those activities I actually recommend them! :) read more

This place is always a good option for a fun place to go. I have been here many times. My coworkers and I have come here for staff event nights twice; once for food and Lazer tag, and another time for food and bowling. It is a great place to go for a date night as well. They have pool tables, some arcade games, bowling, Lazer tag, billiards/pool, and a lounge. The lounge has events such as comedy or sports game nights, and it always ends up being a great time. Each time I have been there, the servers in the lounge have been great with checking up with you to see if they can assist with anything. Keep in mind if you want to go here with a group, it is best to book in advance, because this is a fairly busy location. That being said, each time i have gone here with one or two people, I haven't had to wait long at all. One side note; as this is a fairly busy place, the pool tables have had a lot of use and are not in the best of shape, and some are straight up in need of repair. However, if you are looking for fun, Gateway Entertainment has that for sure. As mentioned above, I have been here many times, and will most likely continue, as it is always a fun time. read more

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I love this joint since I was a teenager. It's kinda ghetto and smells rank but it's good ol cheap fun. I have been coming weekly for bowling post covid and its a relatively safe activity with the covid precautions in place. They do enforce masking once entering, but order some food and drinks and it's just like the good ol times prior to covid. The $30 spent for a few hours are worth it to escape covid and forget about it with some fun. Lots of kids and families. Always a fun time! read more

Gateway entertainment is a great place to hangout indoors ! It's a little bit dated and old but the blow long was super fun! We tried some food at their bar too, the food was ok, just regular bar food nothing fancy. The workers were all super friendly and helpful too! read more

Gateway Entertainment Centre - Bowling - Bowling Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

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Your staff is very rude. I will never go back in that place again. I asked her a question and she said that's at the pro shop and it's closed and walked away. She didn't even help nothing. read more

What a huge disappointment this place is. Arrived around 8 pm on a Friday night. There was no wait for a lane, which was nice. But that's where the positives end. We went to one side of the counter and a girl asked us what size shoes we needed. so she handed them to us and walked away. I had to call her back and say "What lane are we in?". She said "Oh, you have to go to the other side of the counter to get checked in and get your lane". What a stupid system. Why even ask us what size we need if we then have to go somewhere else to finish the process? Anyway, we get checked in and pay $40 for 2 games for 2 people. Steep - but not awful. I was looking forward to having a couple beers and playing some games. There were waitresses walking around, but nobody ever came to us. There is a button on the score keeper thing that allows you to request a server... which we pushed... nobody came. After we started our second game, there was a guy with a cocktail tray nearby, I asked him if I could order a beer. He said "oh, I'll let your server know" and walked away. About 15 minutes later, some girl walked up, handed me a beer and walked away. It was confusing. I drank my beer and knew better than to expect a second one. Or even to be able to order a drink for my friend. When we were ready to go.... I had to go to the counter to try and pay for my bill, since I never saw a server again. The girl there asked me who my server was. I said "I honestly have no idea... she handed me a beer and walked away - I didn't get to even look at her". This was of no concern to her as she walked away to figure it out. I saw her walk to a server and talk to her. They both looked at me. then she came back and said "she'll be right over". Honestly - I think I could have walked out without paying for that beer and nobody would have known. It took 10 minutes for that server to come to me and she didn't even stop - she just walked by. I had to call her over and say "I just want to pay for my kokanee please". Finally, I paid and we left. Absolute nightmare. read more

Overall good experience on Canada day this year. Only thing I can complain about is the sweet server I had, got pulled aside and got yelled at by her manager. This was for a good half hour and it was upsetting to see as he was aggressive and it was infront of everyone. As well as could have been done in private area. It's ridiculous how he presented himself very badly and kept giving horrible looks to guests. read more

Gateway Rec can be a fun place to hang out. I find that it's usually full of high school kids though because you don't have to be a certain age to get in. I actually hung out a lot here in high school. The main things to do here are bowl, which can be a lot of fun, play in the arcade, laser tag, or sit in the lounge (if you're 18+). There's always something to do, I'll give them that! I've never had good service in the lounge, in fact, it's some of the worst service in the city. I don't go here much anymore because I find myself feeling old there. It's really a younger spot. And with all the theatre and events going on in Edmonton, I'd much rather be doing something else. read more

Gateway Entertainment Centre - Bowling Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

Gateway lanes provides a nice alternative to your usual activities. If you are feeling bored I suggest you gather up some friends and go bowling. It's a decent price and it's a lot of fun. The place is really busy on the weekends, especially at night. So if you really want to bowl you have to get their early. I am not sure if they reserve lanes or not. I was actually surprised at how busy it was but that just showed the entertainment level was high. Teams games can provide some friendly rivalries. read more

I've been here three or four times. Once for bowling and three times for The Comedy Factory. The bowling is fun once you get a lane however you do have to wait awhile. The beer selection isn't bad but the food seems overpriced. The Comedy Factory is decent. The acts are pretty funny however they tend to repeat acts over and over. Also the building had "universal" menu however items are only available in certain areas. A waitress once said "we have that in the bowling alley but i don't feel like going over there" that was only once though. I would go again read more

Gateway Entertainment Centre - Bowling Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

Not sure if they do glow in the dark bowling, but this place is just alright. It place appears to need a renovation, still has its old school colours and ceiling cracks need replacing which is quite noticeable in the day time. It does have an open space for small parties which is cool for kids birthday parties. They do serve alcohol or soft drinks, not sure about their food. If your desperate give it a try, if not just wait till after the game to grab outside food. Atmosphere is good, well lit but the music doesn't get your spirit going at all. Staff is okay, you do notice the lack of enthusiasm of the work environment. Monitors play old video clips for strike, open, spare, and split, which could possibly be redone. Washrooms are well kept. Parking is very spacious. They do have a small arcade but more of the old stuff. Maybe this place is for the elderly generation, but they have to keep in mind there is the younger generation out there too. Recommended for the older people who love to bowl. read more

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I don't know about you, but I the thing I really like about bowling is not bowling in and of itself, but it's hanging out with my friends and having fun doing something that most of us are equally bad at. Gateway Lanes is a bowling alley which makes everything I enjoy about bowling virtually impossible. First of all, there is simply not enough seating. For each lane, they only have two seats! There is a counter behind the lanes with additional seating for one or two more people, but it's too far from the bench to allow for all people bowling to have a conversation. Not that it would be possible to have a conversation. Gateway Lanes seems to think that it should strive for an 80's dance club vibe - black lights, strobe lights, music videos on huge screens on the wall, and loud, loud music. Now, I know bowling alleys are usually loud, and maybe I am just too old, but when a person two feet from you can't hear you yelling their name, I think it's too loud. I think Gateway Lanes tries too hard to be cool. But the truth is, bowling simply isn't cool. It can, however, be a lot of fun. But in trying to be cool, Gateway Lanes makes fun very, very difficult. read more

The food and the service was really horrible ! 3$ for pop refills. The bowling lanes were not that great either . Have been here coupe of times and their laser tag place stinks . This place can be really good if they hire more people and serve some good food . read more

I have been bowling at Gateway for many years in their bowling leagues. I gotta say the people have always made the experience great, it's like a big family. In recent years, they have started on some major, much needed renos and its showing. The machines for the lanes need a bit of an overhaul but the new bathrooms and furniture are a nice touch. They also hired a chef to redo the menu and I gotta say the food has improved tenfold. I love the taco salad and get it every week if in perfectly honest haha. Gateway has been trying to train and keep more competent wait staff as well and they are all very friendly and as attentive has possible when dealing with an entire league of orders. Keep up the great work Gateway! The work put into the improvements are showing :) read more

People will often enthusiastically described places as "hidden gems" , and wax poetic about them. I don't think anybody would do that at the Gateway Rec Centre. It's almost always full, so not very "hidden" and between the lackluster service and ok pricing it's not quite a "gem". Don't get me wrong. This is the best place to go bowling in Edmonton. This is one of the best places to shoot pool So why the 3 star rating? Pros: Great prices Tuesday Video games that are fun to play They serve beer! Free Parking! Cons Atmosphere, it just is so badly run in there, you can tell that the staff are really overworked. Too many kids. I wonder if they could have a kid free night? They have a pub area, but It doesn't feel very pubby Security guards everywhere. I don't know why you need these many guards, but there must be a reason. read more

This place is a really fun place to go any time of the week! My friends and I have enjoyed going bowling here many times, and my boyfriend loves that they have 12 pin bowling (is it hard to find in Edmonton? He acted like it was?). My only complaint about this place is the bar. We have gone here a couple times after bowling and then once just to watch a Oilers game, but everytime we have had bad service. Our servers were rude and were never around. One time we ordered wings and the server took forever and they came out cold. And then she took forever to come back to check on us and fix the wings. Bar - NO! Bowling - YES! read more

I went to this particular rec centre on a Family Day in 2005. I called the number listed in the phone book. A man answered identifying as "Chris". I asked what time is this business open until. He gave me the closing time. "Great!" I thought. A few hours later, me, my father and my brothers arrived to a crowded place. This man saw us and avoided us for someone else. Finally, he got our names for bowling, and added them to a list on paper. He told us that it would take a while and that we should wait. I never bowled with anything bigger than a bowling ball for five pin bowling and I was naturally curious to see how heavy the ten pin balls were. As soon as I got the ball in my hands, this guy SCREAMED as loud as he could that street shoes were not allowed. He was about three or four metres away from us. He then muttered "wait your turn". I might have muttered something at a distance from him, but I never swore directly to his face right in front of him. When we got to the quewe, he cancelled our game and told us that "You guys can 'go back home'", stating that he "didn't like my language". I was willing to give this guy and this business the benefit of the doubt, but I wondered if he said that based on the fact that me and my brothers are non white. I was a 15 year old kid back then, now I am a grown man nearing 30. I will never, ever patronize this business, whether I am still based in Edmonton, or visiting from another place. read more

Let's be honest, this place needs a face lift. It's starting to feel shady, I wouldn't even feel comfortable taking my small children here (if I had any, which I don't). The service is mediocre and everything looks tired. The comedy club doesn't feel cheerful or fun, it just feels like the back hallway of a banquet room. Great parking and good location though. Please owners, please put some money into this place. It really needs it. read more

A group of us purchased a Groupon for Gateway Lanes that included an hour of bowling, 2 pizza's and pop. Very much looking forward to it, we went down one weekday evening, and it was moderately busy. No problems at all with bowling - shoes were as you would expect, lanes were working, we had a good time. When our hour was up, we approached the counter to ask about the Pizza's. The woman we spoke to had to be persuaded to help us and when asked if one of the Pizza's could have 1/2 with no cheese, what resulted was a very rude back and forth about whether it was in fact an allergy or a preference. The woman got progressively more upset, eventually raising her voice to a near yell. Taken aback, we asked to speak with a manager, which turned out to be her. Another employee intervened, and kindly put through the order for pizza. When the pizza arrived (sans cheese, as requested) it was unremarkable, but edible. The whole evening was enjoyable with the exception of the nearly comical over-reaction to our pizza request. Had she just said "sure", the review would have been given 4 stars. (Decent bowling, so-so pizza). read more

This place has seen better days. And I wish the staff were a bit more friendly. And it has a weird smell when you first walk in. We played pool and there were no triangles to rack up the game, nor chalk for the cues. The bowling lanes were also problematic, as the pins wouldn't reset properly and we had to flag down staff numerous times to get it going. Two stars, 'cause you don't pay much to play. read more

We arrived and right away, the woman at the counter seemed uninterested in us and our business. She didn't make any effort to speak clearly and was incredibly quiet. When we asked her to repeat herself, she would keep the same tone and volume so our friends and I had to moved in to hear her better. We got our lane and started to play our game of bowling. We ordered drinks from the bartender and server (who were both beyond amazing... I have never had anyone more friendly and accommodating ever serve us). During our game, we realized our lane wasn't working properly. We had many missed rounds that didn't count for our points and even rounds that would only give us one turn, instead of two. After a few times of this happening, we went to talk to the same woman at the counter about our issues. She said that they could not do anything until they had a chance to observe. Sadly, I said okay... thanked her and went back to our lane. I was surprised to hear that she decided not to believe us and would rather "investigate". Why would I complain and ask for her help if there wasn't a problem... I mean she was "incredibly helpful" the first time so I wouldn't have approached her if we didn't actually have a problem. We continued to play and nothing was resolved. After another round, my friend went up and asked what was going to happen and she said that I had stated that it was lane 24 I wanted help for, not lane 23. I was surprised because our lane was directly in front of her and as a group of 6 (beside an empty lane 24) it was apparent that we were playing at lane 23. I went back to the counter to ask her again to take a look at our lane and apologize for accidentally saying lane 24, even though I 100% knew I said lane 23. When I went back to the counter, she immediately walked away and asked security to chat with me. I simply asked security if we should wait to bowl at our lane for the issue to be resolved, or if we were going to be moved. Security finally sent another employee to our lane who stayed with us, watched everything and verified that our lane was broken. We were in round 6 of our second game when the issue finally got resolved after stating we had a problem during round 5 of our first game. Although the other staff (maintenance, bar, server, security) were so amazing, the front desk agent ruined her night and I strongly believe she should be fired. I work as an operations assistant manager and if it were my employee, I would not be happy. She was awful and she didn't care. We will ALWAYS choose Plaza over this place. read more

I think that this location desperately needs some care and repair... particularly as we were having some major issues with our bowling lanes. But it is still a fun place to visit to bowl, play some pool and have some casual drinks/eats. The food is nothing special (particularly greasy) but it's a fun place in general. I wish it were more transit accessible. read more

We made an online reservation for 9:30 am for my son's birthday. We assumed that since that time was available that the place would be open, but I guess they don't open until 11am! I called as the doors were locked, and I guess there was an error with their booking system. Someone came, though, to open the doors for us and set us up with a lane right away even though they weren't open! Thank you so much!! We had a blast, and will definitely remember this! read more

Gateway Entertainment Centre - Birthday / Fathers Day fun! - Bowling Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

Bowling - crowded lanes & seating for your lane. Often bumping into people in the lane beside us. All the balls were very heavy so not much fun to bowl with. We ordered onion rings & fries as well as a pitcher of pop. There was 4 of us, 2 adults, 2 kids under age of six. The food was not too good at all. The ketchup bottle was empty ( as was the one for the lane next to us). The 1 pitcher of pop which poured approx 4 average (more on small side) sized cups of pop filling each just over half. I was scammed when the bill told me $10 just for the dinky pitcher of pop!! The table was also dirty. Games - Didnt even bother Lazer Tag - Walked up to counter 3 times wanting to play. First 2 times they said we had to wait for the staff who actually worked that area to come back from a break? Finally when they said okay the 3rd time it was just the four of us playing. I felt like I was in a home made plywood maze in an unfinished basement with the lights shut off. There were areas in there that were obviously unsafe for whatever reason but were not blocked off even and it being dark its hard to tell at first that its not safe. Also, before we started I wanted somewhere to secure my coat, money, iphone, etc. I could either just hang it up where anyone can grab it or leave it behind the counter with them. The many many lockers I could see from where I stood are not for customers to rent but all for staff?! Despite the 10 kids from a bday party jumping on and around them as they chased each other. Bathroom - one word: Dirty! Spent too much $ and felt scammed! Not nearly enough of a good time! read more

Are you fucking high? $185 for 8 people to go bowling is outrageous and laughable. Highly recommend the rec room down the road in south common. Better atmosphere, food, and prices than this dumping ground. read more

This place could be a set for a Tarantino movie. It's a cliche of an old, filthy, dilapidated bowling alley run by teenagers that don't care. The bowling balls are cratered enough to be confused with small meteors and are greasy enough to be in a dawn commercial. I ordered a beer and under the 2" of head was a fruit fly. They replace it with another beer. With another fruit fly. The teenage bartender said "yeah those things are everywhere and at all bars". I've worked in multiple bars and restaurants and never dealt with fruit flies because we would clean every wall and pull out every counter to clean daily. You will stick to every surface you lean against in this place. That is why they have so many flies. The pool tables are covered with debris including rotting ceiling tiles that have started to come apart so we didn't play pool. We chose not to order food either after seeing how filthy everything was and how much staff cared. read more

Took my nephew today for his first bowling experience, the lane we had kept freezing which was annoying for an adult and hard to explain for an impatient 4 year old. I ordered a poutine and a jug of root beer which cost me $20...the poutine came Cold. The root beer was flat, hardly worth the outrageous $20 charged for this. I still feel like I got ripped off. On a positive note even though there was only one person working and it was very busy she was kind and apologetic for the long waits. read more

This is a great place to go when looking for something more than just sitting at the bar drinking your face off (which can also be fun but variety is good too). I have a had some good times here starting with a few drinks in the pub, then some zombie killer/shoot-y game in the arcade, then a few rounds of bowling, and then a few games of pool. This place has it all!! They also have laser tag, a pro shop, a comedy club, and a banquet room - and I keep finding more stuff hidden there so I might be missing a few things. The staff is usually pretty awesome. I have recently joined a bowling league and, although I suck terribly at bowling still, I have a blast every week and am always excited for next week. The bowling lanes are all newly renovated as of this summer. The place can get pretty busy on league nights and on Friday & Saturday evenings but I have only ever waited a max of half an hour to get a lane, and with so much else to do the time goes by fast! I would recommend this place to anyone! read more

Gateway Rec Centre is a great place to go if you're looking for something fun to do any night of the week. They offer a wide range of activities including: bowling, arcade machines, billards, laser tag, and did I mention bowling? They have over 30 lanes plus 12 more with bumpers and smaller bowling balls. Their lanes can be quite busy on Friday and Saturday nights, however the wait is usually not too bad and their rates are reasonable. Come on Tuesdays for their neon bowling. They also have their 'Comedy Factory' with stand-up comedians every Thursday-Saturday night. They might not be the best, but you definitely get your money's worth. I also enjoy going to their rec room, which has 2 large televisions playing live sporting events. Gateway Rec Center offers a variety of things to do for everyone, whether it be with your friends or with your family. read more

Visiting Edmonton for the weekend and we decided to go for some good ol' bowling. We got here and right away was met with a person who either decided right away she didn't like our group or just really hates her job. We immediately felt like an annoyance to her already long day even though we just got here. We kept having some technical problems with our lane so that really didn't help ease our situation. The 2 stars is solely for the bar staff and our awesome server. read more

this place sux and the bartender was meen to me hurt my feelings. also the bowling lanes didnt even work properly. too expensive for how shitty it was 7 dollars for a beer? read more

This was a lot of fun. I haven't been here in ages. It's changed a bit from what I remember. We went and did bowling this time around. There was 8 of us, so we decided to get two lanes for it to be faster. The price for all of us with shoe rental was reasonable. They had lots of size options for ball weight and they had the ball rollers for little ones. The one thing I wish they did have was bumpers for the kids. This way they wouldn't have as many gutter balls. Especially when they are just learning. There was lots of room for us and room for my stroller which was fantastic. They have a waitress that goes around for drinks or food and you can also go up to the bar in the center to order. They have other options there was well such as laser tag, mini golf and billiards. There are also rooms for private parties which was decorated with kids favorites such as minions and frozen. Definitely a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. read more

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Hockey team night out... We were in Edmonton from out of town for a hockey tournament and needed a place that could feed and entertain our players and parents. It was a busy Friday night, we had 18 players, plus siblings and parents so we needed a large place that could seat and feed us all. We also needed enough fun things to entertain a range of ages,,, We all bowled a couple games together, the kids played laser tag and the parents could sit and relax with some yummy food and adult beverages. The staff were attentive and service was quick, food was good and we were checked on through the evening to see how things were going. Thanks to all the staff for their friendliness and patience! It sounds like they are starting to do some renovations and updating, but it was still a great environment for us. We had called several other places that all turned us down because of our groups size - Gateway was great with our booking. Show less read more

I made a reservation online for two hours of bowling for my boyfriends 30th Birthday on Saturday. When we started to bowl, the machines were not working properly resulting in about 30 minutes of our bowling time wasted. When I asked to speak with the manager, Jess came over to talk with us and was absolutely amazing. She moved us all over to another lane, extended our bowling time, and gave us two pitchers on the house. The customer service I received at Gateway lanes was absolutely top notch, and as a group we had one of the funnest nights we have ever had together! I have lived in Edmonton for 10 years, and Gateway has proven again and again why it remains one of my favourite destinations in the city. Thank you! read more

In an effort to get out of the house and do something fun with a couple of friends, we decided to go bowling on a Saturday night. I was a little leery of Gateway Rec Centre after reading some of the reviews here, but my experience was quite good overall. We arrived at 8 pm, and were told it would be an hour to an hour and a half for a bowling lane. We put our name down on a waiting list and went to kill some time at the neighbouring Monster Mini-Golf - that turned out to be a bust, as we were told that it would be a 15 minute wait and ended up getting a refund after 20 minutes when it was clear we would be waiting a long time for our turn (the counter was at 4 and we were number 13). While waiting for our bowling lane, we sat down at a table in the middle of the bowling alley, and a waitress was quick to see what we wanted to order. Our nachos came in under 10 minutes, and were delicious. By the time we were done eating, I noticed there were 8-9 empty lanes and got my fiancee to go check with the desk. They insisted that if our name was on a list they would call it, but we were sitting there for 45 minutes and didn't ever hear anyone's name called. We took one of the empty lanes without a problem, but I don't know if the waiting list for lanes did any good. While we were bowling, our waitress checked on us a few times to see if we needed any more food or drinks. The bowling was fun, although our lane did malfunction and we had to ask the staff twice to get it fixed, and were sitting and waiting for over 10 minutes. Contrary to another reviewer, I enjoyed the music they were playing, and didn't find it too loud to have a conversation. The bathrooms are a bit of a hike from the lanes (in the bar area) and were as clean as I've seen at any other bowling alley's I've been to. Around 10:30 or 11 pm, there were lots of free lanes, I'd recommend coming later on a Saturday night if you don't want to wait and don't mind being out a little bit later in the evening. Despite being busy, I enjoyed my visit and the bowling. read more

Came here for a "team building" exercise for work so we basically had all the lanes for us to use. I'm not sure how old this place is but it's getting a bit dated. It could use an update for sure. Plus there was hardly enough room for people to sit or stand around the lanes without encroaching on to other lanes. I suppose that's all right in a work situation where most people know each other but it would be awkward when you're there with a smaller group. The worst part was the food. Really dry wings and greasy deep fried everything is all I remember. read more

Lady at the bowling desk needs a attitude adjus....slap across the face. If you hate your job that much - please quit! No one wants to deal with your shitty attitude! I'd rather support somewhere else so won't be back. Cassh me at the rec room how bow dah! read more

I have been playing in a league in this place for a few years. Over the years, service and quality of food has not been there at all. Food quality is not very good and the service is very slow (food and drinks service). The management have no idea what is customer service and they have no respect for their customers and that includes the general manager. One of many incidents was when a bowling counter attendant was helping a fellow bowler and suddenly was told by a manager not to help him yet "since they dont start till later". Unfortunately, there are only 2 ten pin bowling centres in Edmonton thus the mentality of the management is "WHO CARES". Watch out when a new competitor comes to Edmonton, Mr. Lerner you will realize afterall that customers regardless of their ethnicity are very important. read more

Bowling is super fun but the service is terrible. Pressed for waitress service on our lane 3 times and after a half an hour nobody came. Finally went up to order food and drinks and was told food services ended twenty minutes ago. Are you kidding me? Next time I will make sure I eat before and bring my own beverage. read more

This place sucks, everyone that works there does not give a crap about what they were hired to do. I have done nothing but wait for service in this place while the staff are busy chatting away, the lanes malfunction, food is horrible. It's really sad how much this place has declined over the years, i will never go bowling here again. read more