Love this place , I think by far the virtual reality game with the headset and hand controls has to be the main contender . I like that it's quaint , the staff is friendly , the food was great the drinks are plentiful . I would definitely return , I want to try out the bowling section that they have ..... read more

Main Event Columbia - Tequila sunrise - Bowling Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Decided to come here with my two sons instead of going to the other entertainment center and I must say we had a great time. We didn't get a chance to partake in the food options so I can't comment on that. We will definitely be going back. read more

Main Event Columbia - Taking a break after laser tag. - Bowling Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

I booked a fairly last minute birthday party for my son. It was a teen-package thing that included bowling, Lazer Tag, and (almost) unlimited game play. The package included food at the bowling lanes. I didn't do any of the upgrades so I wasn't expecting a whole lot, but I feel like we got a WHOLE lot! I was expecting a few pieces of chicken and maybe 6 sliders-- nope! Those warmers were FULL! In addition, our server/hostess was fantastic about checking if we needed anything and letting us know when we were getting close to moving on to the next activity. The only tiny downer was that the almost unlimited game play didn't allow collecting of points or tickets--which is completely understandable, just wish it would have been clear from the start. Given all we got, the price is more than reasonable. It's also great for all ages; the party was for a 14 year old, but the group played tag with younger kids and even the older teens were talking about possibly having a party here for the next birthdays. It was a great day and I hope we will be back for more! read more

Perfect spot for kids and family gathering. Soooo many cool games. Bowling, pools, ice cream, and so much more. You can easily spend $100 at this place. And they're open till late as well. I got to say, Dave and Buster is worse than this one. Their gift selection is great too. read more

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The space is nice nothing to say about that and I enjoyed the game play....and that's where it ends!!lls Hire people who actually want to make money especially at your bar. The all ladies bar staff is DRY AF!!! Really ladies i don't know if yall hate each other or just rich and only their because of a court order?!?!? I mean DRY such a shame because it reflects in your face then in your tip....silly rabbits!!!! But if the wait staff was insufficient enough the food was suspect as well. Why did your spinach dip taste like broccoli?? Why did you put that low budget cheese whiz on the french fries? Was that real bacon on the burger and Fries?!?! Just go there for the games if you can't go to Dave buster because of a mandated court restriction...smdh!!! read more

The concept of this place seems great. Bowling, bar, billiards, and dining! We came on a busy Saturday evening and were told it would be an hour and a half wait to play pool. We were completely understanding of this and kept ourselves busy for 2 hours. When we checked back in 2 hours later, we were told by an employee that their manager took us off the list- assumingely just because she thought a bunch of people left?? I received the initial confirmation text and never ever received a text that our pool table was ready- I felt it was inappropriate to assume we weren't waiting for the only service we asked for?? This made us angry but we both work in the service industry, were understanding, and just took a refund. I was really disappointed that we weren't able to do our activity that were purposefully taken off the list for. We did keep ourselves busy spending money there by playing some arcade games and that was the only reason we kept our spirits up. I wish we could redo this experience because we really came there to bowl or play pool but I'm completely turned off by this experience. read more

Main Event Columbia - Bowling Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

This place is okay. Many game selections with dining area. When they are busy, customer service is even worse. I usually get the credit from Costco for the kids. read more

Main Event Columbia - Bowling Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Okay My organization and I came today for a holiday party. I was pleasantly surprised! I arrived early to secure seating for a party of 30. Amanda, the sales manager came out and assigned me a personal server Char which was a nice touch. Char was so efficient we didn't note he was the only person helping us. The venue is clean, organized and perfect for entertaining large groups with diverse tastes. The food was fast and tasty and the environment was lively but not too hectic! read more

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Are their waiters at this location? Family of 3 waited for 25 minutes at our table on a Saturday afternoon, place wasnt even packed. We finally got up and left. First and last attempt. read more

Went to main event just to play laser tag and was extremely disappointed in the staff member running the laser tag. My group played multiple games and the staff member was on their phone talking to someone and didn't explain the instructions well. They were soft spoken and were difficult to hear where to go to start the game. Main event had several laser guns that were broken and the staff member just pointed at what was available instead of getting up and providing a working gun. Games had a 15 minute break in between which made a long wait time. Had much better laser tag experiences elsewhere. read more

The service was extraordinary. Stephen's help was amazing he was well spoken extremely considerate and explained everything accurately and well detailed while simultaneously remaining courteous and understanding. Definitely recommend this place and location for a lot of family fun and friendly and helpful staff read more

I'm a big arcade person, so I love the atmosphere. Staff is nice. Lena at the bar makes some really great margaritas, and the chicken tenders are insanely good. Definitely will keep coming back. read more

I visited Main Event for the first time yesterday. Upon entering, the aesthetic was nice, but the immediate staff did not seem very welcoming. My date and I went for bowling specifically and the gentleman who rang us up for that was pretty friendly. It was pretty quiet as there may have been about 4 lanes occupied in addition to ours. After bowling one full game we were approached by a server by the name of Tiara. We ordered 1 Stella Artois and 1 Long Island. After finishing another full game, I realized our drinks had yet to arrive. I walked to the bar area to see what may have been going on. I asked the bartender on duty if he'd received our order and if he knew how much longer it might be. He departed to mention to Tiara that I'd been inquiring about the wait time. She then proceeded to walk over to me with the drinks we ordered in hand. She handed them to me without even as much of an "I apologize for your wait." Her attitude was that of someone who was irritated that I even inquired after waiting nearly 30 minutes for TWO beverages. She simply stared at me and handed over the drinks as if to say, "take them yourself since I'm taking so long." This was a MAJOR turn off for me and I instantly asked for my tab to be closed. As a worker in the service industry for many years, I totally understand getting busy or feeling overwhelmed, but to not even offer an apology or even a greeting when she approached me is unacceptable. A tab was closed prematurely due to a lack of professionalism. The only other complaint I have is that after well over 2 hours of bowling and enjoying ourselves, we were then joined by a group of 5 guests immediately next to our lane. Again, I totally understand that we're all there to enjoy ourselves, but their presence on our side of the lane and the lack of lane courtesy they displayed was pretty frustrating. I just wish that whoever was assigning lanes at the time could have spread guests out a little being that the lanes were pretty quiet that night. I did enjoy the arcade games and the officers on duty were very personable and polite when it came time for the facility to close for the night. read more

Everything was fine food and drinks except for the restroom they were disgusting, Specially the family restroom is like they don't have nobody checking on the restroom and this was on a busy Sunday afternoon my first time in there for a birthday make sure bring some baby wipes lol because they didn't had toilet paper and hand soap at the time I was there. I know covic is almost gone but bacteria and virus and germs still out there. read more

Went on a Saturday afternoon wasn't to crowded, My 6 year old Loved it. Brought a $25 game card which lasted him the entire day. Most games uses about 7 points from a game card. We also dined there, wait is a bit long but they only had one waitress. read more

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I was excited about this place because it sound really fun with all the different options to do here. 1. I couldn't find prices on the website! I wanted to give people that was meeting me here for my daughter's birthday an idea of how much it was going to be but I had a very hard time find out the prices online. I didn't get the price of the arcade until I got to Main Events. 2. The kids did enjoy the arcade and loved all the different game options. And I liked that Main Events had hand sanitizer and gloves placed in different areas of the establishment. 3. They had 2 different restaurants in the establishments but no signs that one of them were closed. People were standing in the line waiting for someone to come out so we could place an order. Until I found someone that worked there and they told me I had to order our kids drinks at the bar on the other side. 4. They couldn't accommodate our party of 10 but they sat 6 of us at a high too table and the other 4 at this low table instead of just placing 2 or 3 of the low top tables. The restaurant was fairly empty. 5. They had 1 person working the entire restaurant area. She was taking orders, bringing out food and working the bar. Which sucked! It took her forever to come to our table to get our order. She messed up our order. Didn't get one of our pizzas until it was time to go. She Never once came to check on us to see if we even received everything. Never came to our table to clear any of the dishes or ask if we needed refills. It was like 4 people at the hostess stand so I'm not sure why she was the only one working and couldn't handle the load. 6. Overall this place has great potential but it seems like their business operations need some work. None of the employees seem to know anything when asked questions. I don't think I would come back again but I don't know. Hopefully, it's the way that it is because of Covid-19. 7. Oh by the way! The lemon pepper wings were sooooo good! They were fried hard just like I like them. The cheese pizza was okay. I heard the pepperoni pizza was better but I don't eat pork so I'm not sure how true that is. read more

Waiters and waitresses are very friendly but service is extremely slow. From the time we were seated until someone took our drink order was 20 minutes. Hard to tell if they are understaffed or under trained as the restaurant was not very busy. At least five open tables in the restaurant. Calamari was over cooked came out dark brown. Third time here, does not seem to be getting much better. read more

Main Event Columbia - Bowling Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Service was very considerate and fun, especially the worker with the crutch. Needs a raise...

We went on a double date and thought we'd stop by Main Event for some food and fun activities. The waitress said, "Dining is closed," which is understandable since it was 11:00 PM, then she proceeded to seat us. We were confused and ended up sitting there for 25-30 minutes before the waitress showed up again. Evidently, she had forgotten about us. We were the only people in the cafe, too. When she took our order, we sat around another 20 minutes and the cooks brought their food out to us, not the waitress. We ate and after about 40 minutes the waitress comes around again and complains she's the only one there. She had the audacity to tip herself 21%. Never in my life has a waitress fixed her own tip. With that kind of service, we will not be coming back again. If the diner is closed, don't sit people. read more

Not sure how long this place has been here but I think it replaced the Sears inside the mall. Came here for my cousin's 6th birthday party on a Sunday afternoon and I was impressed with how large the space actually was. The party took place mostly by the bowling area before going to play some games. Pizza and wings were ordered to munch on - they were ok! Drink orders took awhile to come out, but overall a good time was had by everyone. I would come back to check out laser tag (which I've never done). read more

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I went here on a Thursday evening to bowl. We got there early so started off at the arcade. There was hand sanitizer and gloves provided which I didn't see anybody using. The entire hour I was in the arcade area, I didn't see one staff member cleaning anything and there were a lot of people (both kids and adults) not wearing masks. We were escorted to our bowling lane - every lane was packed. The employee said masks were mandatory unless sitting at the table to eat but only about 1/2 of the customers bowling were actually wearing masks. Most areas had large parties and there were no social distancing measures enforced. We were starving but a waitress never came to take our orders which honestly is probably okay because I don't think I'd be comfortable eating there. We were told that the areas were sanitized between guests but our table had crumbs and our bench had trash, both of which would have been eliminated with a simple wipe down. Only reason I gave two stars is because the games are fun and the bowling technology is nice so if you aren't worried about catching covid, this might be the place for you. Also, the manager was apologetic and we did get a refund as we left early before our reservation was up. She was extremely nice and professional however she did say if I wanted to come back and be able to social distance, etc it would have to be on a weekday before 1pm. Hope this is helpful to anyone looking for a safe activity to do - don't go here! But if you're not worried about safety then have at it. read more

I have nothing but great thing to say about this place. We went for my nephews graduation dinner and I can speak for everyone when I say that we were well pleased. There is something for everyone at Main Event. The whole family enjoyed the experience. Now I have to give a special shoutout to one of the managers, Remy and his team for making magic happen. Great custom service, very patient and, very friendly and the Teamwork was definitely next level. They surely have each other's back. All I'm going to say is Remy is my guy. read more

The NEW-NEW in competition with Dave & Buster's! Nice sized bowling alley and a couple of sit down eateries inside. Very open layout with an area for birthdays and pool tables. Not as many video games as D&B, but they do have a Laser Tag court! Prices seemed in line with D&B and this sits at the old location of SEARS in the Mall of Columbia. I think the food is a little better than D&B, but not as big as D&B. read more

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We descended on Main Event in Columbia Mall to celebrate a birthday... and when I say "we descended" - I mean 22 of us... 10 adults, 6 teens and tweens, 4 young children, and 2 infants. That's a lot a folks for a wait-staff to handle, especially on a weekend when multiple parties and celebrations and sports-fans are descending into this same venue. We went early, just after they opened on a Saturday to be sure we could all sit together in the dining area, and found plenty of space, with staff assisting us in moving tables together to accommodate such a large group. To one side of our table setup was the bar - with multiple tv screens all showing different sports events or news. To another side was mega (like 15 footer at least) tv screen showing the main game of the hour. And to another side was giant garage door of all windows - and wow - what a great surprise when the door opened about an hour or so into our visit there, as the day became warm. We were greeted with sunshine and a lovely breeze, and saw that more seating was available just outside. We ordered drinks - which arrived quickly and correctly. We ordered apps - which arrived quickly and correctly. We ordered meals - which arrived quickly and correctly. And then as time passed and the kids finished playing in the arcade area - we ordered more drinks and food items - and again - everything arrived quickly and accurately. As for taste - some things were fantastic (e.g., pretzel bites, warm pita and hummus, onion rings, loaded nachos, and the frozen strawberry margarita). Some things were average (e.g., burgers, fries, and fish and chips). And a couple of things were just not okay (e.g., a very thick and ever-congealing artichoke dip and a Bloody Mary that was sent back after one sip -- it was so spicy that the esophageal-heat lasted well into another round of drinks). As for cost - it was about average compared to any other sports bar / arcade-type dining place. As for the fun-factor - the TVs are fantastic and good sized with lots of stations / options for viewing. The arcade games were geared towards people of all ages - from little tykes to older folks - with options for individual play or team play activities - and the offerings were quite varied (some quite typical and some quite unique), but they were also quite expensive and it didn't take the kids long to go through the cards they were given (I.e., like credit cards that activated games through slots). It wasn't that the kids played fast, but that the cost of each activity was steep. And the tokens earned from the games that could be traded in for prizes didn't yield super-nifty takeaway items. The kids had fun, but didn't leave begging to come back again - which is a sure sign of "meh." The bathrooms were small for the size of the place and the number of people in the venue. And they were not super wheelchair accessible, nor were they super clean. But, they gave folks what they needed do what folks need to do, so no big complaints. The staff was amazing. Not once did anyone roll their eyes or act frustrated or tired as they tended to our orders (and more and more orders) and as they anticipated the standard not-so-neat leavings that would be on the table (and floor) with so many people and so many little ones. Everyone was friendly, and helpful, and cheerful, and made sure the kiddos had crayons and activity menus, and the adults had whatever they needed - so that we could really just enjoy our time together as family - and celebrate life and a birthday - with no worries. All in all - a good place to go - for one or two folks or a huge group like ours. A bit pricey, but enjoyable, and good food and service as well. read more

Staff is very rude and not helpful at all. We paid for a birthday package and we did not feel welcomed at all by the staff. We paid for 4 hours of food/drinks and games and we were only able to bowl 1 game, couldn't do any laser tag and they never even gave us the game cards that came with the package! We were only served 1 order of drinks and had to constantly keep going back to the service counter to tell them that we never received our last 3 orders. Food was burnt and was very basic for what was paid. Manager (Kyle) was worse than the staff ! Even made a snarky remark saying we were "hangry" because we complained about the service. Please stay away and go to Dave and Busters read more

I wish I could give half stars, this gets 3.5 stars from me. Park by the food court or by PF Changs to reach this location the fastest inside the mall. We had an event here and the setup and planning process was great. The planning team was very flexible with us as our numbers kept changing. We had a social event but upon arrival they had the room set up very classy. the staff was open to our changes to dress the room down a bit for our guests. The food left much to be desired but we weren't there for the food. After our time in the private room with our food, everyone was off to enjoy the space. Our guests loved laser tag, bowling, and the gameplay. The package we got allowed everyone to bowl, play laser tag and came with a $10 game card. It was an amazing value for $40 per person. I would absolutely suggest this for a birthday party or corporate gathering. Essentially they took Dave and Buster's and added laser tag and put it inside Columbia mall. read more

Main Event Columbia - Table set up for private catered space - Bowling Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Was kinda skeptical based on the bad reviews, but wanted to try it anyways. Went for lunch with co-workers and we all got the $17 lunch special which comes with $10 game card. Pretty good deal IMO. Got the bacon cheeseburger which was pretty good, temperature off slightly, but not bad; onion rings were tasty. This place is smaller than D&B and fewer video games to choose from. Didn't try pool, laser tag, or bowling, so can't compare those. Had a good time and will probably return soon read more

Even 1 star is generous. I booked and paid online and they couldn't find my reservation. They forced 6 of us to one lane, which is fine, however, I requested a refund since we booked 2 lanes and only got 1. A rep advised that the manager would come to my lane to help with the situation. He also advised that booking online is more expensive and I should've done it in person (which is ridiculous and a scam). This was at 9 PM. They only had pizza available and one server in the food area. We went to the bar to get drinks and there was 1 bartender (bless her heart, she was working so hard). 11:30 PM. No manager and they close at 12. I went to the front desk and an employee advised me to "knock on the side door and ask for Jalyn", in which I responded "who is Jalyn?" And he said "oh that's my manager." Great. So now I got to the back door and another employee is standing outside. I ask her to get Jalyn and she said he was cashing out a customer. I stated that wasn't my issue, and at this point I am getting the run around. She pages Jalyn and walks off. So now 3 useless employees and no refund. I walk back to the front and ask another employee to help, literally begged for help, and he flagged down what appeared to be the manager. She walks up to Me and as I'm explaining what's going on, she's rolling her eyes and cutting me off. I told her that was unnecessary and quite rude considering this mishap was not my fault. Never did I receive an apology from this lady or Jalyn, which is customer service 101. I had to remind this lady to talk to me respectfully and demanded my refund which they apparently gave but I have not received. Which means, I'll be back! See your terrible asses soon main event! I want my money. read more

We went bowling here tonight. The staffing is limited, the bartender was not available for quite while and when they finally came they refused to serve my friend who was from Brazil (they refused to accept an official Brazialian passport as prof of age). Ridiculous really! She is 32. So we bowled and left quickly. Not a fun night. Overall, we will go to a different place next time we are out. Overall the staff is not helpful and does not seem that interested in serving clients. read more

Terrible experience. There was a long line with only one person at register and the other three were watching the football game. The guy, Will, rung me up, gave me my receipt and walked away. Another person came up and went to another register. I had no idea what i was supposed to do next. After waiting about 5 minutes for Will to hopefully, maybe come back, my nephew said he thought we were supposed to get wristbands. I had to call Will away from the TV to get our wristbands. He said he forgot. It was just a horrible experience. I want you to know that the word around town is not good. People often talk about how bad the customer service and food is. I really hope you guys can work on that. read more

Really bad experience here on Veterans Day to get the play card and the burger for the deal and never got the burger and ordered at 1030 but was told the kitchen was booked until the end of the night?? Even though I saw new people being fed. Other than that the experience for games was normal super upset took my wife here for a good time and left upset. Also an employee told me " I'm about to clock out so it's not my problem then left" read more

We booked 3 bowling lanes for my sister's gender reveal party at 8:30 PM for $345.81. The lanes weren't available until 9:15 PM. To pass time we thought we could get food at the restaurant, but they were backed up by an hour. We then thought to get some food from their fast food Italian place. The cashier started fist fighting a customer. The police ran inside to break it up - all in front of my nephew. When we finally got to the lanes, there was no waiter or host, until I (20 minutes later) went to get one. The guy took our drink order and then went on break. And then I had to flag the nearest team member down any time we needed something. The food was cold. The waiters were horrible. This was the most ghetto experience I've ever had. read more

can I give 0 stars? I'd like to give 0. let me start off with - I frequent restaurants (eating out is my favorite thing to do lol) and am a server myself. anyways. our server had long, dirty finger nails. ew. she was slower than any other person working in this place and I'm convinced she was intoxicated - didn't remember bringing us our drinks from 10 minutes ago, took an hour to get our check/boxes. the food sucked, did not taste good at all. I'll keep it short and sweet... if you're looking for shitty service and tasteless overpriced food, this place is for you. read more

Came on a Friday evening for a date and we decided to sit at the bar. The bar service was great - our first set of drinks were great! The drinks after those two were a little watered down. The ambiance is very lively - a little too loud for conversation, which is expected. The food was alright. I ordered the boneless lemon pepper wings - they were crispy but a little too salty. The fries were delicious. My date ordered the nachos and although he didn't complain much, I could tell that he wasn't impressed. My overall experience was okay. It could be a little cleaner but masking and social distancing measures are followed - which makes for a comfortable experience. The staff was friendly and welcoming as well. read more

I supported this business January 4, 2022 with my family and small children. The first impression was not welcoming yet the ambiance screamed "spend money"- games, the bar, food, bowling etc. Except where was the customer service or friendly accommodations. I payed 39. 94 for an hour bowling up to five players; $25 for a 8 game swipe as each swipe is 7.85; children ate free (beverages not included). My issue with this establishment is that they've over charged my account by several charges and I cannot get connected with any type of management at Main Event. I have worked tirelessly with my bank which overdrafts have occurred; so on! I would not recommend using any type of electronic payment or even patronizing if you're looking for hands on service. I had to run down a waiter as I was told on one person was working and just got there. Food was tasty however there was issue with the bill. Again I hope to resolve this issue soon but it's not worth the financial distress. I'd like to add the waitress was tipped generously in cash!!! I was never greeted by a manager to ask if my experience or expectations. read more

Going back and forth between two stars and three. We went here on a Saturday for a birthday party. The idea is good but they have a few issues. Our friends were so stressed during the party. It is a big venue and we found it difficult to find our friends party. They should have a host greeting people and advising them where to go for parties or normal play. Bowling for little ones is cute and you are assigned a party coordinator. The biggest downfall was the food. It was poorly planned and delivered extremely late. Our friends kept asking, "how much longer??" When the food finally came it was disgusting and cold. It seemed so unorganized. After witnessing the stress and tasting the food I would never have a birthday party here. With all that said, I think it's a good space to kill time in extreme heat or cold. We may return in the winter to bowl or play games but we will definitely have a full stomach so we don't have to buy food. read more

Run away. This place sucks. Service is terrible. I dont see this place staying in business for long. I had the displeasure of speaking to the manager Katie and she is running this place to the ground. Food took 45 mins to come out. Food came out cold. Could only choose one flavor for wings. No one was at the counter for 15 minutes when i tried to return the shuffle board. No one else could ring me out. The girl was on break meanwhile still charging me an extra $8.45per half hour while i wait. Why is she the only person that can ring me out? Katie gave no f**ks and offered me "like a dollar off". Obviously her math and customer service skills are lacking. Makes me appreciate the common sense "little things" that other businesses do and hate this place because it doesn't. If you value your time, money, and respect go else where. read more

Went bowling last Saturday. No waiters, so you had to order food at the other side of the building. We waited 1.5 hours for a pizza and chicken tenders that never showed up, but the worst part is you have to pay for the food up front! After talking to a a manger, he couldn't find my order to refund so issued a credit but not for the whole charge!! So disappointing. Please please please just go to Dave and busters. I'll be contracting my credit card company to get a proper refund. They will try to steal your money here. read more

Came here for my brothers birthday, the service here is absolute garbage. We waited 30 minutes.. until finally a young man named Joshua came to our assistance he needs a raise and be appointed to be general manager of all Main Events in the DMV area. Still as we sit here no one else but Joshua has been by to check on us. Besides the warm welcome by the host everything else about this place needs to be revamped. Come at your own risk! Feels like our group was robbed of our money. read more

This establishment is an all in one entertainment/game spot similar to Dave & busters but they have bowling, Laser Tag and I saw a private dining area. We celebrated a teen graduation here for some all around fun for both adults & tweens. I participated in the bowling portion of activities while others played Laser Tag and games. I didn't order any food hence coming from a different event. We had a great time. I would visit again. read more

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