Classic bowling alley. The food was good and the atmosphere was even better. Thanks HL!

Today, my school brought over 100 of our 6th graders to Highland Lanes. I can't imagine the staff was terribly happy to see us. If that were the case, you couldn't tell. Before we arrived, they placed dozens of shoes on tables by shoe size which made it easy for our students to get started. Not going to lie, there were missteps on our part. Kids throwing two balls at once, snack machines getting jammed, etc. All of which was handled with gentle patience and understanding by the wonderful staff. Wish I got more names but I remember Nicolas helping some students with the air hockey machine. And the food! Despite the fact that we just had lunch at school, many of our students couldn't resist the smells coming from the grill. I had a The Dude burger. (Cue obligatory "abides" comment.) The tots were crisp and perfectly seasoned. Kudos to the kitchen staff for serving a steady stream of students for a couple of hours. So all in all, the kids had a blast. Many of them had never been to a bowling alley before. So I just want to say thanks to Highland Lanes for helping us have a wonderful end to our school year. read more

I love Highland Lanes... staff, environment, food... BUT they totally stopped COVID precautions. Except for maintaining sanitized balls, nothing else in place. Lanes are open side by side, which means no social distancing is possible. Signs are displayed to maintain 6 feet social distance but the proximity of the chairs and the lanes doesn't make it possible. So disappointed in this change and the possible health impact in our Austin community. read more

Highland Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Austin, Texas

This place was so fun! The alley was clean and huge. Plenty of lanes. Fastest re-racking of pins we have seen. The food was amazing! My kids got the Walter burgers and they were huge and delicious. The fries were terrible. The shoes were not great and the floors were a bit sticky but for family bowling it was excellent. read more

Highland Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Austin, Texas

By far the best bowling alley in Austin! Staff is great and the lanes are always taken care of!

Planned a 17 yo birthday party here on a Sunday. This was our 1st time here and I have to say it was a really great experience! We ordered 25 people worth of food and they got every single order out of the kitchen correctly and without delay! I was so impressed!! We can't wait to come back!! read more

My kid was struggling with the weight of the ball, so I asked for one of the lighter balls that they keep behind the counter. After being denied because the kid, who was in tears, wasn't physically at the counter, I finally got an explanation for why I couldn't simply bring him the ball: "those are the rules." After continuing to ask - with no cursing, threatening, or name-calling - I was accused by the employee of throwing a "pity party." When we expressed our disappointment in their poor customer service, we we called "poor customers." Clearly not the place to go if you're a casual bowler who values friendly service. read more

Stopped by to bowl and the guy at the desk told us we would get to bowl for an hour and after that there was league bowling so our time would be up. The guy in charge of setting the lanes up for the league got to our lane and approached us with 6 min left to our time. "You're done." "you're done bowling" and then proceeded to set his stuff down and send us on our way. That was the most unprofessional and rude way to go about things. Will never be back. a simple, "hey guys, sorry but .." would've sufficed. read more

Been going here for some time, was mostly ok. However on dec 26th, right after Christmas day, we wanted to get out of the house and have nice relaxing early morning bowling play. We get there and the guy at the desk was friendly, 3 of us got our shoes - I mentioned about getting the bumpers put up for our kid, well at that moment there was a woman who was standing with her back to us at a middle desk and she screamed that we are not allowed to use bumpers as our kid is too big. I mentioned how we never had any issues before getting bumpers put up, she mumbled something under her breath and did not budge. The poor guy behind the desk just looked at me with sad eyes, you could tell he wanted to help us, but wasn't allowed to. So keep in mind that this is the day after Christmas Day, what a wonderful attitude to have towards a family who just wanted to come in and bowl. When we got to our lane my daughter then started to cry. She felt a lot of pressure and just did not have a good time. I found out that the name of the woman is Sue, and I guess Sue is a "manager" there. The other staff told me that Sue isn't nice to anyone. So here is a message to John, (the owner) you have a "manager" working at your business who is clearly rude to customers, who is rude to members of staff. Is this the type of person that you want to represent your business ? It reflects bad if so. change will be needed if we are to return here in the future, with this terrible experience not only will my family not return, but the team building events that I organize at my place of work will also not consider coming here again, and if someone asks me about places to bowl I'll be suggesting other more family friendly places. We like supporting local business, but when we face such a negative attitude like we did from Sue it's a huge turnoff. As a memento I kept the receipt from the 26th. In summary we went to go family bowling at Christmas and Sue made my daughter cry. read more

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We came in to try Lebowski's Grill, which was amazing, and enjoyed watching the bowlers until the food was ready, even got tempted to bowl a few games but I was too full and needed a nap after the serious carb loading I did.... read more

Highland Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Austin, Texas

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A 9-year-old girl with a severe learning disability was just rejected from using the bumpers because she was a quarter of an inch over the height requirement. I've come here for 15+ years and today was my, my friend's, and my family's last time coming here. "I was so excited for bowling and now it's my fault we can't go." - My 9 Year Old Sister If you want to support an establishment that openly rejects accommodation of children like this...feel free to come here, but if you have any sort of respect for yourself...there's plenty of highland competitors who would be happy to take your money. Highland lanes, you have great lanes, but hire some, even remotely, competent employees that understand how to not ruin a little girl's day. What. A. Joke. read more

Highland Lanes - Rejected my 9-year-old sister with severe learning disabilities from using the bumpers because she was 1/4 inch too tall. Don't go here. - Bowling Near Me - Austin, Texas

I was coming in for the Sunday special and the man up in the front said it should be a short wait. But behold I waited for 20 mins and I've seen 5 people in line get a lane before me and I told him how long until my name and he said that I was next but then I hear them call another persons name and I come up to another guy saying I thought I was next and the guy that told me I was next was bowling on a lane taking up a lane so he basically lied sayin I was next SMHHH. read more

I have been bowling here with a team for year now. I love the place and the staff is friendly and helpful. The place is clean, including the bathrooms. Of course, I am there in the morning so everyone and everything is fresh. And when there is lane trouble, help is easy to get. I love the music too - a lot of oldies! read more

Highland Lanes is an Austin instituion and the "Super Bowl Sunday" deal of unlimited lane time with shoe rental for $10 is a steal! You'll find a mixed crowd including groups of screaming kids hyped up on soda, some serious bowlers who are probably practicing for a league, and bored yuppies like me. I like that they maintained the retro, grungy feel of a traditional bowling alley while still staying up to date with a decently intuitive computer system. I much prefer this to the rave-like atmosphere of Main Event and its million-button keyboard. Grab some beers, throw some balls. read more

A friend of mine used to have a "first date dress" that she always wore on you guessed it, first dates. And if she could, she'd always meet at the same place. She was very intentional in this so she could eliminate possible factors that may make or break the date. I've been to several places with Yelpers--some of them, my first time to be there. It's hard to judge--okay, review--a place when the company I'm with is so awesomely cool. I'm sure I could be at the worst establishment, but with Yelpers, and I'd still have good things to say. I guess y'all are like my own personal first date dress. Went to Highland Lanes last night to meet other Yelpers. It's been a few years since I was there last. Sometimes my game is SO on, other times, it's SO not. Last night, my game was not on, as expressed in my throwing of the ball backwards. I wish I could take away a star for that, but that's not fair to the Lanes. Seemed cheap enough. I have no idea how much bowling should cost. The bar was good and had the requisite White Russians. Thanks, Dude. We had a few spills, which were quickly cleaned up by workers. How else do you review a bowling alley? The ball returns were quick, the strikes were often, and the happenings were fun. Good place for kids. And laughs. And thank goodness for no smoking! read more

Highland Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Austin, Texas

Physical education was always the most ridiculous thing about school to me. I mean, gym sucked. Family and friends always told me that in retrospect, it wasn't that I was completely un-athletic (as the stereotype of me might be), but that I was unmotivated. I'd also like to add I found 99% of my gym coaches to be complete oafs or militant lesbians, so they weren't really in my target demographic of authority figures I wanted to get along with. Especially the dude ones. I loathed them because they were one chromosome away from killing a woolly mammoth for lunch, and they loathed me because I was a spoiled, smart ass kid whose mind could work faster on my worst day than theirs on their best day. It was a vicious cycle, but apparently they still had the power to make me do laps or play dodge ball. Jerks. As a sophomore, I did some dodging of my own, and selected "Outdoor Ed" as my PE credit. It was a blowoff class of archery, badminton, and hiking. As I recall, I refused to even pick up a bow and arrow at the archery range, and Coach gave me--gasp!-- a "B" for my insubordination. We also went hiking in the hills, and our genius coach got us lost...which led to a horrible/hilarious situation where a student in a wheelchair had to be carried across a small stream. He even tried to capture our imagination with Frisbee golf, but the only thing we got out of that disaster was that one of the students stole a part out of the school bus, stranding us in Old Settler's Park for two hours. Good times. But the ONE activity I could get behind...the ONE bright spot in that bumbling fool's entire syllabus...was bowling. Because bowling...was awesome. What does this have to do with Highland Lanes? It has to do with the fact that when my coworkers suggested we go bowling at Highland Lanes at least once a month, I could say "That would be so much fun!", and actually mean it because I have history there. We met on Sunday evening at 8:00 PM. We did so, because Sundays starting at 8:00, it's $10-per-person for unlimited bowling, including shoe rental. I have loved Highland Lanes for years, and even though I prefer more fancy-schmancy ways to occupy my time these days, there is nothing wrong with letting my hair down and really getting in there with the people, and having a friendly game of bowling. A friendly game...in which I must always, always win. I met my coworkers and the fun began. Contrary to popular belief, I actually love the sights, sounds, and scents of a bowling alley. I let them wash over me as I threw my hot pink bowling ball down the lanes and tried to do something different each time I turned around after a winning strike or a miserable gutter ball. Like a different face or a different jig, so I wouldn't be so predictable. That's harder than you think. Eventually, Liz and I grabbed food from "The Lebowski Grill". Which was appropriate, since I was instinctively quoting the movie the entire time. When one of the guys we were with kept going over the line, it took everything not to channel my batshit-crazy John Goodman and scream: "Over the line! Mark it zero!" A tip jar was set up for "The Dude" working behind the grill, announcing: "The Dude abides". The Dude was also dude enough to offer to put grilled onions on my bacon burger, no charge. The Dude abides, indeed. It was a fantastic bowling alley burger. I also ordered tater tots. That was probably the strangest part of the evening. Oh well. Go big or go home. Midway through, we floated the idea of starting an amateur league. So far, all we have on that right now is that we want Of Monsters and Men's "Little Talks" to be our theme song. Because I think I danced to it that night for just a minute longer than I should have, and distracted our bowling neighbors. We played two games, and I utilized my Outdoor Ed skills to the max. I knew where to stand. I knew where to throw. I even remembered a twist here and there. I won both games. Since I have to see these people on a daily basis, I congratulated everyone on a good game, and truly remained humble. Something about pointing at them and yelling "SUCK ON IT!!!" might not translate well when we're back at work. Clean, friendly, all-American fun is to be had at Highland Lanes. I noticed some disco balls, too, which I believe means they occasionally host disco bowling...or someone was thoughtful enough to put them out for me, to herald my arrival. Either way, it's cool. Bowling is truly one of life's great equalizers. No matter who you are or where you're from, everyone can enjoy the lanes. Highland Lanes, specifically. Also, it's nice to know if we've had a crappy day at work, I now have other people who will stand up and join me when I quote Walter from "The Big Lebowski" and declare: "F*ck it; let's go bowling." 5 Stars. read more

Highland Lanes - It's not a bowling alley night without bowling alley food. Bacon cheeseburger & tots, of course. - Bowling Near Me - Austin, Texas

The establishment requires a face mask upon entering, but while bowling, there is a lack of face mask on, even with the constant photo slideshow on the screens reminding people to have their masks on. The staffs that came over to the lanes to help customers would have seen their bare faces but did not speak out. Was placed next to another group and we had bowling balls of the same weight/color and it was constantly being 'shared', even though the bowling balls were rented 1 per person. We stayed until the establishment closed, had fun bowling after months, but didn't feel safe at all. Wouldn't visit again until after COVID. read more

Highland Lanes - A screenshot of a video I took around the alley that shows people not wearing their mask. - Bowling Near Me - Austin, Texas

Hooray for getting up early and driving from Buda to take advantage of, for my first time ever, the awesome Sunday Morning Special at Highland Lanes, and getting dropped off by the wife only to find that Highland Lanes has decided to cancel the special, today only. CAVEAT EMPTOR TO THOSE LOOKING EXPECTING HIGHLAND LANES TO HONOR ITS DEALS. Of course, a quick scan of the alley shows approximately 20 open lanes, so the 16 of 40 lanes reserved for a special event, which was the basis for the cancellation of the special, wouldn't have prevented Highland Lanes from honoring the special, if only on a limited basis. I have decided I won't pay $25/hr early on a SUNDAY MORNING to bowl, since I was only looking for some leisurely practice time, and I won't support a BAIT AND SWITCH on principle. And, for Pete's sake, $25/hr early Sunday morning - come on! So, I've got time to sit and watch to see if these lanes actually become occupied at some point. But after about an hour, with 6 of 24 non-reserved lanes occupied, signs point to NO. Furthermore, if you're not going to honor deals, based on a choice, rather than unavailability, you ought to provide notice. Didn't think it'd be necessary to do so beforehand, but I've now checked the website and Facebook page, and was not able to find any information that would have saved me a long trip out here for nothing. If I ever decide, bravely, to attempt this again, you better believe I will be calling up here to find out if they'll be honoring their deal on that particular Sunday. Needless to say, this experience has pretty much soured me on Highland Lanes, and it's been a pretty disappointing way to spend a Sunday morning, to say the least. So, I'll wait for the wife to finish errands and pick me up, while I stare at empty lanes, so I can then drive 30+ miles back home and get on with the rest of my day. read more

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I don't bowl much but as far as bowling, it got the job done. It seemed clean and well maintained. We had a fun time and don't see any reason this wouldn't be a good choice if you are in the mood for bowling. read more

My family and I came here for some friendly family competition and we had the best 2 hours of bowling ever. The prices were reasonable. This place is clean. The snack bar is delicious. Nice big parking lot with plenty of parking and they play some pretty good music. We plan to go back ! read more

Highland Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This place is filled with incompetence, manager and bartender rejected my business due to a misunderstanding: when I told them they wouldn't have my or my entire groups business anymore, they literally told me that it was fine with them. Ridiculous, better places with nicer staff & better atmospheres. read more

I went with my little brother. We had a lots of fun. Friendly and clean environment. They have designated employees who are overlooking lanes in case someone needs assistance; quick to respond. The bathrooms were clean. While you're there, you gotta try burgers from Lebowski's grill -- best tasting in Austin. The bowling balls could use an upgrade. Many 10 lbs balls are chipped at multiple places. Other than that, great place for entertainment. read more

Highland Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Super clean and really nice. Not theme park bowling - but where real bowlers and leagues play. We go with family regularly and love it.

To be quite honest, I didn't pay here, so I can't judge the prices. I do remember in a past life (many years ago, much more broke), I walked out after checking out the prices. However, I grew up in the bowling capital of the USA where 2.50$ was expensive for a game. Now it's like 50$ per hour + 10$ for shoes or whatever. In my day, sonny, we paid 1$ for a game and bowled uphill both ways on crooked lanes and we liked it. ...I digress. The line was long on Saturday night, but it went smoothly. My friend and I admired the high heeled sparkly bowling shoe, but went for the traditional fare. We were able to get a lane, however, balls were slim pickins at 10pm on a Saturday, but we made do. It's your standard bowling alley. You have electronic scoring, your typical set up, the only thing I remember noting was that they had chairs that swung out that were attached to the tables. They were fine, just different. I believe they had a full bar there, but we just had a few dos equis, which I also didn't pay for, but I remember them being decently reasonable for a bar. They also had a grill (that's one thing I don't remember bowling alleys having when I was a kid but I won't complain!!) and had pretty damn awesome fried pickles and queso fries. Which... if you reflect on that, is kind of gross after sticking your fingers in a bunch of balls (that's what she said?), but a few beers in, sanitation goes out the window. Oh well, I'm still alive. They turn the lights to "glow bowling" at 11, and I think I actually got better after that. I had fun, I'll be back, though having to pay myself might make me crankier about the whole thing. read more

Highland Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Austin, Texas

Clean place, computerized scoring systems, shoes are in really good shape, good bar, good bowling alley food. $27 per hour per lane and $3 per pair of shoes - ouch! Star deducted mainly because the bowling balls need to be updated. I'm a regular American sized guy (somewhat on the heavy side) but had problems finding a decent bowling ball that my fingers fit into - i'm not THAT big y'all, so come on! I would have deducted one more star because of the location but I decided to blame that on Google Maps instead. There is only ONE drive way to get in and out of this place and it is NOT located on 183/Research Blvd. Slow down and look for the entrance. Domestic bottled beer is $3.50 and import/microbrew is $4 per bottle. Not too bad I guess. They have hot pretzels and funnel cakes at the grill. Skip the pretzels but give the funnel cake a shot- nothing superb though. read more

IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE HAS A DISABILITY PLEASE BEWARE!! my family and I were half way through our bowling game and were approached by your employee saying that my daughter who is 55 pounds and using a 6 pound ball (that they handed her) had to switch balls. I explained to her that the ball was already too heavy for her to which she responded "how old is the child". Age should not determine a childs strength! She then explained that I could not use the 6 pound. I agreed to use the 7 pound because I have muscular dystrophy and struggle to keep a grip on the heavier balls. Sue Barry refused saying that it was for pre schoolers only. I have never felt so discriminated against. I hope that you can either teach your employees to be more compassionate towards people with disabilities or change your rules to be more disability friendly. I sent this in an email to the owner a week ago, the day that it happened and have not heard anything from him! read more

Great alley all around. As a previous reviewer mentioned, Bowling Alleys are a tricky industry, whether you're catering to leagues or families, but Highland sets a really nice balance. This is my go-to spot on Sunday nights when unlimited bowling is just $10 a person. The staff is super friendly and chill, yet still very attentive. If there's every a jammed ball/pin they're quick to make the fix with you rarely having to call for support. The lanes are well maintained, and the floors, tables, and chairs are always clean. Lebowski's has just fantastic food. Probably some of the best bar food in the city. It's a place you can go to just for a burger even if you didn't feel like bowling. And again, super chill/friendly staff who are attentive and get their orders out quickly. The bar is well priced, and the bartender is really nice. The ONLY downside is they only carry bottled beer. I know it's a minor thing, but there's something about draft beer and/or a pitcher of beer at a bowling alley that to me is quintessential to the experience. If the biggest complaint is you have to drink your beer from a bottle, you've got a good bowling alley. read more

$24/h for one lane, it was 4 of us. The atmosphere was nice, the lights would go off every once in a while & smoke would come. Didn't try any of the food. It was oddly quite for a Friday night! I wonder why? Maybe if it wasn't so expensive. But either way we had fun :) The cashier wasn't having any of it either, she was grumpy! It really turned us off how she was TRYING to explain the rates. If she was more pleasant, I'm sure the place could upsell and make more business. read more

Highland Lanes - Aloha meets Texas! :) - Bowling Near Me - Austin, Texas

I love Highland lanes! Been bowling here off and on for the last decade. Got back into the Tuesday Double (lunch) league. Loving it. The new owners of the grill are doing a good job as well. Wish I had more time @ lunch to eat and bowl. And bowling on Sunday mornings is great! I would give them 5 stars, but the Wifi wasn't working properly the other day when I got there early before league to do a little work before getting down to business. read more

Went on a Saturday night and it wasn't crowded. I was impressed with how well they were taking precautions and sanitizing everything. The staff - from the counter, to the bar to the folks sanitizing the bowling stations were all very friendly. read more

We've been coming here for a few months now, and it's been great. Mostly because it's a really good value. Sure the lanes and space aren't as clean and polished as you might like. It pales in comparison, frankly, to Dart Bowl's recent renovations. But the lanes are conditioned well, updated scoring system, the food at the Lebowski Grill is surprisingly tasty for bowling alley standards lol and the staff is very friendly. Hot tip! Sunday nights, 8pm-12am, Highland does a great special. $10 per person gets you unlimited games, shoe rentals, and free popcorn voucher from Lebowski Grill. Arrive early (around 7:30) as lanes tend to go fast! My only gripe here is with the bar... hear me out. The bartenders are great and the drinks nicely priced for a bowling alley. BUT they don't always have milk/cream for White Russians! If you're calling it Lebowski Grill, come on man! Abide! read more

I'll start by saying the lanes are fun. My group had a good time. Some of the staff needs an attitude change, though. It really ruined the atmosphere. When a table orders $64 worth of food, some of the food will be left over. Do not be so offended that you say out loud (and accidentally in front of one member of our group) that you are "so tired of this shit". There is no need for that. The food was great, we just got too much. Also, perhaps the balls should be more organized throughout the day? I got a light ball because of my wrist (didn't realize it was technically a kid's ball because it was on the adult rack). Stopping someone in the middle of their turn to get the ball back is really annoying. Perhaps wait two seconds and I'll happily turn it over to you? read more

Ridiculous rules, no bumpers if you are taller than their stupid measuring bowling pin, u cant have a smaller ball either, my son complained the whole time his ball was too heavy (tall 7 yr old) and my daughter was bummed the whole time because she kept getting gutter balls (tall 11 yr old). Definitely going to Main Event next time... read more

When me and my son went bowling, Highland Lanes did a fantastic job of cleaning absolutely everything from shoes to bowling balls, which is extremely important during the pandemic we are in. They also made sure each lane was socially distanced and when each bowler left someone came down to clean the whole area they were in (tables, chairs, etc) The person who helped us, Derek, was very kind and was more than willing to assist us in any way. I would highly recommend! read more

Nice ambience. Good lanes. Fridays nifhts are usually busy like any other place, but you dont habe to wait too long. This llace has a nice vibe. Very friendly staff and of course the burgers!!! read more

Highland Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Austin, Texas

I come here regularly and the staff are always nice, it gets busy at times when they have $10 bowling and SOME people can be impatient. But the young staff handle it very well. The grill thats is side is reasonably priced and good! They also have a small bar for adult beverages define recommend if your an avid or beginner bowler. read more

Highland Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Austin, Texas

Bowling is a difficult industry to get right. You have many facilities that only cater to league players, and other facilities that only cater to retail consumers (family entertainment centers). Highland has managed to strike a balance just right. The pro shop is hands down one of the best establishments around, the staff are knowledgeable and the shop is owned by one of the best in bowling. The center staff are amazing to deal with. Everyone is laid back and welcoming. The center has a very very genuine "warmth" to it, unlike newer establishments. The lanes are maintained, we have very few trouble calls, and thankfully their equipment has been good to ours! We have popped in during the week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and even Sundays, and each time, despite the different staff on duty is an exceptional experience. If we manage to come in during a crowd, we're given a heads up and an ETA, and we're served as fast as they can get to us. If they've got a large group coming in later, they let us know that too so we can get our practice games in and get out of the way. Genuinely respectful staff make this business. Lebowski's grill is a fantastic treat when you're bowling up at Highland. The staff seem like they are genuinely happy to be there, which is rare. The food is very unique, and very flavorful. For such a small establishment, they have a very large menu, The philly is fantastic, and the burgers are probably the best I've ever had at a bowling alley. Plain and simple, this center just does a fantastic job from lane service to dining to the pro shop and to the front desk. Other centers, take notes. read more

Every time we go here we stand at the counter for a bizarre amount of time while the three employees working the station chat. Seems like a lot more could get done with just one employee there - then maybe they could focus on customers. Also just way too expensive for what you're getting. The main redeeming feature is Lebowski's Grill. read more

One star until my next visit. We attempted to go bowling but they had a league operating on every lane for what they claimed to be the rest of the evening. My suggestion, don't go on Wednesday night's. read more

Good times good food get on down here and try to beat my record of 46 points. It's an older looking place but I think that's part of its charm. read more

Highland Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Austin, Texas