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Main Event Columbia

2.4 (346 reviews)
Closed 10:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
Updated 1 month ago

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MAIN EVENT COLUMBIA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Loud
Classy
Casual
Good for groups

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Reviews With Photos - Main Event Columbia

Courtney R.

We've been here twice for drinks and food. But this last time we saw a mouse run through the dining area and in between the booths, so we won't be back. Service in the bar area is usually pretty good but you're definitely not going here for the food. The games are a great time but health issues are unacceptable. I get that it's hard being connected to the mall but I can't see rodents running around while I'm eating.

I visited Main Event to celebrate a special occasion, and unfortunately the night got off to a very rough start. An employee named Joshua told us that a coupon we presented was "false advertising" and claimed the email it came from was not actually from Main Event. I showed him that the same coupon was listed on the company's website, but he insisted it was invalid and something that needed to be discussed with management. It felt like he was trying to upsell us to a different promotion so we would spend more. I immediately asked to speak with a manager, and Phil completely turned the situation around. He confirmed that the coupon was valid and handled everything professionally, exceeding our expectations. However, shortly after we started enjoying our time, Joshua approached me again and asked, "Why did you play me?" which I found inappropriate and uncomfortable, especially as a female customer. I reported this to another employee, Madison, who was very understanding and empathetic. She promptly involved a manager again, and both of them apologized sincerely. After that, the rest of the evening improved, and we were able to enjoy ourselves and make good memories. I truly appreciate the professionalism of Phil and Madison, but the behavior of that one employee negatively impacted the experience and does not reflect well on Main Event as a whole. I am only leaving one star due to the negative experience with Joshua.

Austin G.

After falling in love with the Main Event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Main Event Columbia broke my love affair. My eight-year-old daughter and I went around 4pm on a Saturday in February and left with a headache. Here's why: 1) Cost: We can't knock them on the price because we willingly paid, but it is expensive. To maximize our stay, we got a lot of credit for the arcade. Many of the games are rip offs. Your money is thrown at them. 2) Arcade: More than ten games were out of order. A number of them took our credit away and then didn't activate. We had to wait in a long line to get a staff member to help us out. 3) Lines: Despite having many staff, efficiency is NOT their middle name. We literally waited one hour to check out at the prize store. There was one worker despite another cash register and many staff just standing around. Each customer took around 15-20 minutes. It was wild. I'll never go back to this location, but I will return to the on in Grand Rapids.

Double bacon cheeseburger for the win.
Chris S.

(9/30/25) The experience starts from the phone call. I understand people speak negatively about customers in private. However, Terry failed to hang up properly and proceeded to make fun of my inquiry about an open lane. Upon telling the "manager" (who never shared his name) about telling Terry to be more aware of her actions. It was accepted as a minor issue, after he unnecessarily pointed out who Terry was as if I knew her personally. Bowling, this is an entertainment spot, don't take your score seriously. Yes you're rolling a ball on a floor at pins, but it's not a true bowling experience. Food was surprisingly food. I felt bad for the single serving taking care of the whole bowling lanes area alone. Her co-workers nor the manager could be bothered. This made food and drinks come SLOW. Granted it was a Tuesday evening, but it got busy. The team failed her, and I'm sure revenue suffered.

James C.

Seven of us arrived and ended up waiting in a long line just to purchase wristbands and cards--it took an hour and a half to get through. The place wasn't crowded, but it was clearly understaffed. We then waited another two hours for our turn to bowl. On the positive side, the facility is clean and the food is good.

Tables
Sam C.

Not the best experience. So my family and I came here for my son's 16th birthday. He loves bowling and we hadn't been here before so we figured let's try something new. We were greeted by a friendly team member and given our lane. Once we got to our lane we noticed that there weren't any tables set up. We eventually got that corrected but it took about 20 minutes for our server to come take our orders. When she arrived she was super nice and attentive. The down side was 4 things we tried to order were unavailable due to the oven being down. And the 6 sprites that were ordered were just soda water. These things were not her fault, it just put a damper on our experience. The games are pretty pricey as well. So you can get a 300 credits for $60 but the fun games that you get kids want to play are between 10-19 credits. So two kids will play about 6-7 games a piece. Thats about $5 a game. Also my daughter order a burger and it looked nothing like what was pictured in the menu, she was super disappointed.

Shari D.

Great experience here! Took our students here for an attendance incentive and it was awesome. There are TONS of things to do here, and the packages are very affordable. We opted for the pizza for lunch and it went down without any issues. I would definitely chaperone a trip here again, the staff were very friendly and helpful when students needed support with games and the gift shop.

10.22.22
Carroll N.

8.10.24 Five of the machines (i.e. skee ball and photo booth) were out of order. When I went to inform the staff to get credit back, he informed me that the equipment was five years old. He said that he could look up which machines were out of order by looking at the details on my game card. My hubby said to me afterwards, that's not our concern. That's their issue and that they should repair them. At the very least they should put signs up to let patrons know. It was very frustrating and inconvenient. It makes us not want to return given the number of equipment that are inoperable.

Rachel S.

Came here for a group event. We took up 2 lanes with about 5 people in each lane. Shoe rentals are a little under $5 per person. Hubby and I ordered their pretzel sticks and fried pickles, which came out to approximately $24. What's hot - Layout. Pretty easy to find your way around from the entrance to the food court, to the arcade, to the bowling lanes. Each bowling lane is equipped with its own booth. Behind the booths are high tables and chairs with enough room to eat. This also allows you a place to eat after you've finished bowling. - Cost. Pretty reasonable shoe rental cost. Less than $5 per person. Cost of a bowling lane per hour was around $50 per hour and each lane can hold up to 6 people. - Location. Conveniently located at the mall in Columbia, which is helpful, because there are so many other amenities close by. - Food. Pretty good quality. The fried pickles we ordered were not too thin and not overly battered. The pretzels come with a cheesy dipping sauce. For $24, pretty good value for money. If you order food, you can also ask them to bring it to your bowling lane, which is helpful. What's not - Noise. It's very loud in here. They play very loud music. It's a large space, including food and arcade. However, it makes having conversations with those in your group very hard. Defeats the purpose of having a group event when the whole point is to talk to others, as well. This alone makes me not want to return. - Website. It's not very helpful, because it doesn't provide the price breakdown of cost of rental for shoes, the bowling lanes, etc.... Not very good customer service. - Customer service. I had called ahead to ask for a price breakdown for booking a group event, which included food catering from Main Event. Whoever I spoke to didn't ask me questions to help guide me and give me a better idea of what factors to take into consideration, such as cost of shoe rentals, price per bowling lane, making reservations, etc.... Furthermore, when we were there and ordered food, no one brought napkins and silverware when the food arrived. Not helpful, especially since the booths by the lanes don't have napkins and/or anything conducive to eating. Recommendations - Reservations. Definitely recommend to make reservations for bowling lanes, regardless of the size of your group, even if you plan on only bowling for an hour. This guarantees you a spot, including getting lanes next to each other for your group. Final answer Would be willing to come back, but not a first choice, especially because it's extremely loud inside.

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Main Event Columbia Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Main Event Columbia

Is there a coin game here such as the stark trek game at dave & busters or any game that pushed coins over the edge to win tickets? Also, is there a catch to the $20 unlimited play deal?

Yes! They have a wizard of oz one and a superhero/marvel one!

Does this place show pay per view boxing matches?

No it does not

My friends and I signed up our emails on mainevent.com and it said we would get $10 in free play per person, but none of us have received the coupon after we filled out the survey. Not in spam either. Is this promo still going on?

My bartender told me about the survey at the bottom of the receipt that I should complete and take to the bowl desk with the code to get a $10 fun card if that's the same promotion you're talking about

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Review Highlights - Main Event Columbia

Brian was patient with our large group, even though we came in waves and were constantly ordering food and beverages.

Mentioned in 9 reviews

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GameOn bar+arcade

GameOn bar+arcade

4.3
(80 reviews)
0.6 mi
$$

In the heart of the Merriweather District is the GameOn Columbia location. This location has two…read morebars, and a ton of arcade machines. I remember there was a Dance Dance Revolution machine if I remember correctly and a Guitar Hero arcade machine. This one I believe has the largest selection of games and is possibly the largest location out of the 4 locations GameOn offers. The service, food, and cocktails are great and they provide a nice laid-back experience that makes a great date night or day activity with your family!

This place is chaos in the best possible way…read more Game On in the Merriweather District is basically your inner child with adult money. The arcade selection is legit. Not a couple random machines tucked in a corner, but enough games to keep you busy way longer than you planned. The cocktails? Oh they're gimmicky. Fully. And that's the fun of it. They're colorful, dramatic, a little extra, and totally fit the vibe. If you want a quiet, serious cocktail moment, this isn't that. If you want something playful in your hand while you dominate skee ball, you're in the right spot. Now the food -- this surprised me. The cheesesteak egg rolls are a must. Crispy, cheesy, packed with flavor. Absolutely order them. The buffalo chicken sliders were also a win. Messy in the best way, saucy, juicy, and perfect for grazing between games. What really made it though was the staff. They genuinely look like they're having a good time working there. Not fake smiles. Real energy. That kind of vibe changes everything and makes you want to hang out longer. Game On knows exactly what it is and leans all the way in. Fun first, good food, playful drinks, great energy. We'll be back.

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Glow art inside the bar by the bathroom.
Glow art inside the bar by the bathroom.
Rubber Ducky Machine.
Rubber Ducky Machine.
Cold Ass Beer

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Cold Ass Beer
Shadowland

Shadowland

3.8
(63 reviews)
20.0 mi

2011. You meet up with an old college friend for a meal and then decide to take her to laser tag…read more You both realize after the fact that this was absolutely a date. 15 years later, you're married with three kids and they're old enough to go to Shadowland. Let's go! I was sad when the Columbia location closed down, but Gaithersburg is still rocking and I think this arena is far more interesting than the Columbia one. The arena is the right level of dark with fog machines running too. There are several platforms with various access ramps. My favorite details is that a few platforms have a grate where players can shoot down at others below (watch out, they can shoot up at you too!). There are always rapid fire and mega power Gems for upgrades and a third that rotates by game (invisibility, invulnerability, dark thief), so definitely sign up for 3 games if you can to experience the full rotation. The prices are reasonable, especially in today's economy. There is a water cooler to refresh yourself between games, because you will work up a sweat between the crouching and quick moving around while wearing a phaser pack. It's our favorite workout, to be honest. There is an arcade with a variety of games, including prize games, driving games, and shooting games. The main area also has concessions to snack on. Overall, if you want some workout and fun, check out Shadowland.

My son had his birthday party here. Him and he's friends had a great time. The staff are extremely…read morehelpful, friendly and attentive. The party room was clean and easy to decoration. The laser tag area and equipment looked good and was approved by the kids. They played two rounds and ate in between. It was a very successful party and according to my son his favorite one. We also got ice cream cake from them and it was good. I would recommend for children's parties.

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Shadowland
Shadowland
Shadowland

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Monster Mini Golf

Monster Mini Golf

4.1
(127 reviews)
18.7 mi

We just held our son's birthday party here for 20 of his friends and the staff and entire…read moreexperience was incredible. The staff took care of literally everything. Every parent's dream! The party started in their spooky & fun decorated party room and was equipped with everything we needed including a refrigerator, microwave, plates, napkins, plates, themed bowls, tablecloths etc. They set up everything up for us, entertained the kiddos with games and prizes, and then stayed with them during mini golf and the arcade with their own special surprises thrown in. They knew exactly how to entertain the boys and keep them engaged. As parents, they made everything seamless and easy. I didn't need to do a thing - not even cut and serve the cake! They even meticulously packaged our birthday candles back in the wrappers when they cleaned up - the staff took care of everything for us. This birthday party experience was beyond our expectations and we would highly recommend it to anyone. Hats off to the staff and thank you for making our son's birthday party truly memorable (and his parents very happy and stress free)!!

We visited here for the first time and the kids had fun! There was ample parking in front and the…read morestaff was friendly. My kids ages 6 and 11 enjoyed the mini golf, laser maze, bowling, and arcade. It wasn't too crowded, however we went on a Monday shortly after opening. We probably wouldn't do the mini golf again just because my youngest wasn't able to hit as many and there was a handful of people following us. (They recommend 5 tries and then you move on to the next hole to keep the line moving.). Bowling is 2 mini lanes but they enjoyed that as well as the arcade games.

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Our Snack Bar has a variety of Snacks, Beverages and Hot Foods.
Our Snack Bar has a variety of Snacks, Beverages and Hot Foods.
Mini golf
Mini golf
Family of 6 at the start

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Family of 6 at the start
Monster Mini Golf

Monster Mini Golf

3.7
(133 reviews)
5.1 mi

We live right around the corner from Monster Mini Golf and had never been until we were invited to…read morea birthday party there. We had a great time! Monster Mini Golf is compact, but packs the punch in fun! The event room was well decorated. I had read that it's a women owned business, and it definitely shows! Each detail is thought out, and I can definitely see the care and love put into this place. We'd love to come again soon! This is perfect for bad weather! Come here on rainy, hot, or cold days!

I had been to Monster Mini Golf twice. First time in Gaithersburg & 2nd time here at the Jessup…read morelocation. It's a creative concept that it can be very cold, rainy, etc., and it's a viable mini golf option. In fact, the time I went was windy & pretty cold out. This was a work Halloween team building outing in early November 2023, where we dressed in costume and enjoyed mini golf paid for by our company, which was a nice treat (or was it a Trick? to get us to spend our Thursday night with work folks...haha...j/k). I actually did have fun. The staff was cordial and instructed us how we needed to score to take the individual's best score to save time, which I thought was a bit unnecessary. It was a little chaotic and kind of crowded. If you have say 4 people on a team, then people are awkwardly standing on ledges while other players are trying to putt, meanwhile you have other teams on other holes that directly butt up to the hole you're on. And remember, this was a private event. Imagine when it's open to the public, you might be dealing with a crowded scenario. As for the course itself, it's glow in the dark, which is kind of cool, but given the limited space constraints, the course is kind of subpar compared with almost any outdoor course in central Maryland. And the price is about the same as an outdoor course; I'd prefer an outdoor course and waiting until weather warms up to do that. They also have some Arcade games, which we got a $5 credit for each employee. That was fun. I played some air hockey & other random games. Overall, I appreciated what my company was doing, had some fun, but with the pros & cons of Monster Mini Golf, I feel a 3-star review is warranted.

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Monster Mini Golf
Monster Mini Golf
Exit

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Exit
Crabtowne

Crabtowne

3.9
(504 reviews)
13.2 mi
$$

6.26.26 It had been…read moreseveral years since my husband and I last dined here. On our recent visit, we came with my SIL and her partner around noon on a Friday. When we arrived, it wasn't too busy, so we decided to play some arcade games before lunch. That turned out to be a mistake because by the time we were ready to eat, there was a wait. We were told it would be about 15 minutes, but it ended up being closer to 25. The arcade room was quite dark, which made playing pinball difficult. When I asked a staff member if the lights could be turned on, she explained that the owner prefers to keep them off. I hope they reconsider, as better lighting would make the arcade much more enjoyable. There are single-occupancy restrooms near the arcade that were much less busy than those by the main dining area. Since our last visit, we also learned that the former liquor store next door has been converted into an overflow dining room when the main restaurant is busy, and it's also used for private events. Despite the wait, Angie, our server, was excellent. She was personable, attentive, and even happy to take a group photo for us. The food was great. I especially enjoyed the Old Bay wings, rockfish tenders, soft shell crab sandwich, and waffle fries. Overall, it was a very enjoyable meal, and we look forward to returning.

Food was good, a little pricy but tasty. Service was quick and friendly…read more The place is a dive which was just what I was looking for. If they run specials I would recommend this place

Photos
Overflow room and for private events (6.26.26)
Overflow room and for private events (6.26.26)
Thursday $1 Wing Special- Honey Old Bay Wings
Thursday $1 Wing Special- Honey Old Bay Wings
Hush Puppies (6.25.23)

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Hush Puppies (6.25.23)

Main Event Columbia - bowling - Updated July 2026

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