I've been to this location twice this year and it's a lot of fun, the shoes seem clean and the staff are very friendly. The washrooms are also very clean. The prices are reasonable which makes this a great work outting, they also have a slushi machine which you can opt to have vodka with it. It would be 5 stars if the music was like themed like rock and roll night etc instead of just very loud radio but I still enjoy it even so ;) read more

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We had a birthday party here, and our overall experience was excellent! We had made the reservation for the party about a month in advance and the process was easy and simple. In terms of the party, we had two tables in a large party room where we ate and had cake and we had one hour to bowl. We had a very fun experience here, and look forward to come back! read more

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These annual visits are turning into an annual ritual! Went back last night, and I can vouch that my bowling has not improved much :-( But the restaurant is an ok place for our group of 8 to catch up and chat. It was quiet in there as it was 9:00 pm when we sat down. They have a bar, I ended up being the only one who got a drink (a beer), and the foods ordered varied between salads, pizza, chicken wraps, and poutine. The food was ok - the chicken wraps have a spicy tang to them. And service was slow. ~~~~~~~~~ Wow! This place was great! Huge bowling alley, with lots of lanes! Two floors of lanes, automatic scoring. We played 5-pin (a lot harder than I remembered it!) They were open New Year's Day; $6. /game +$2.50 for shoe rentals. They also have a restaurant and bar, and an arcade. Lots to do here! I would definitely come back! read more

I have not been bowling in years and was really excited to check this place out again for a small high school reunion get together. We arrived early on a Saturday night around 7:30pm, and there were only a few people there. The hubby and I checked out the arcade and had fun playing some racing games. It made me feel like a kid all over again. I had a blast. But with $1.00 per game, it can get pricey because the games are pretty short. Once everyone from our group arrived we made it into the restaurant. The associate handling our table was nice. Menu left a lot to be desired, especially being vegetarians, almost everything contained meat, but that is like most restaurants these days. We ordered fries thinking not much about it, and when they arrived it was a pile of oven baked McCain fries on a very ugly plate. (Will attach photo). -1 star for the food. Onto the bowling, it got very packed once 9:00 hit, and that's when all the hoodlums came out to play, I felt like I was at a high school dance/party, ( I hate revisiting the high school days) -1 star for the atmosphere. The bowling itself was fun. $6.00/game and $2.00 shoe rental fee I felt was not a bad way to spend $20.00 for two people. Our game lasted about 20 minutes. I knew that if you wore all white, your clothing would glow, so I wore all black just to be a rebel! ;) Great place for large groups. I am in no rush to go back any time soon, but would not omit to it if I am invited to an event there again. read more

Merivale Bowling Lanes - Fries...anyone? - Bowling Near Me - Nepean, Ontario

The bowling lanes are well kept and I usually have a great experience here but the owner is a terrible person. I ordered a pitcher of beer which I realized was flat after taking the first sip. After asking the server if we could get a new one she was extremely kind and told us she would ask her manager to get us a new pitcher right away. Soon after the server left, she came back to us on the verge of tears and with wet hair. Apparently, the owner had thrown the pitcher at her when she asked if she could get us a new one. This was confirmed when we walked by the kitchen and saw the floor covered in beer. We asked her where the owner was and immediately went to talk to him. The owner was extremely rude. He didn't believe us when we told him that the beer was flat. He only poured enough to fill up half of the pitcher and we had to tell him numerous times that we didn't drink any of the flat one and would like what we paid for. He reluctantly filled up the rest of the pitcher, holding it at the spout with very dirty nails (gross) and tossed it over to us. We found out later that the girl who was serving us was fired that night. Clearly, the owner does not treat his staff well - I'm in shock that he literally threw a pitcher of beer at his own employee who actually showcased amazing customer service skills. In addition, he clearly does not care about his customers either. I definitely won't be returning here. read more

More accurately I would say 3.5... We went to Merivale bowling lanes on Mother's Day as an alternative to family dinner. When we arrived around 7pm it was pretty empty so, we went to the restaurant hoping to get a light bite while waiting for the rest of our group, but were told they had just closed. They had a concession stand open and some vending machines, but it was disappointing to say the least. We were on the lower of two floors, with only a few other lanes in use. The downstairs where we were is set up with the black lights and "rock n bowl" type vibe. A cool concept, however I think they missed the mark on the music a bit...it could have been way more preppy or upbeat rather than the slow and mellow stuff they had on. The bowling itself was fun. For $7 per person per game and less than $5 shoe rental, it's reasonably priced. It is 5 pin bowling, so just 5 pins, and the seating and tables for each lane is a nice bonus. We liked the automated scoring and the touch screens to enter your own names and such, however our letters kept sticking and it was difficult to "program". Our particular lane also kept glitching, and would reset the pins if we only knocked 4/5 down but would tell us it's still our turn. Not a big issue, though it happened a handful of times. Will definitely go back, it was a fun time and is now one of only a few 5pin lanes in the city. read more

New school contemporary cosmic bowling alley. We don't frequent this place very often, and the off-the-beaten-path location probably doesn't help. Sure this place has been around for awhile, and it is on Merivale - but if you don't where it is, it can be a little tricky to find. Merivale Bowling is situated in the Merivale Business Park area of Nepean, south of Hunt Club. There is a sign on Merivale Road, but the building is hidden behind a smattering of smaller buildings. I second Andrea B's assertion that it is one of the few bowling lanes in the city that is well maintained. Merivale Bowling has to be atleast 20 years old, as I bowled here during my teen years. They have put money and effort in keeping it up-to-date. We recently visited for one of my childrens' birthday. Two levels of bowling lanes are offered, with straightforward computerized scoring, a modern collection of video & tabletop games in the arcade area, and a licenced restaurant with cafeteria like eating area. The kids are fans of the glow-in-the-dark bowling with clublike tunes. The decor is tacky-chic. We enjoyed 5-pin bowling but I can't comment on the food or bar. My appetite for grease had already been satiated, and there was no need for social lubrication. 12/30 - Yelp Ottawa's 30 Day!! read more

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I've been to Merivale Bowling Lanes so many times it's hard to count. From the days of pre-teen birthday parties and the Max Keeping Bowlathon, to drunken games full flashing lights and fantastic music. This place really is fantastic, and it's one of the few bowling lanes in the city that is well maintained and almost always busy. You're greeted by a large bar and dining area to your left and a decent selection of arcade games on the right. The dining room is great for birthday parties or family functions. There's a snack counter on your left right before you head downstairs (which can be trick when you've had a pitcher or two of beer!) where they serve up greasy pizza, chips, chocolate bars and the like. I'd avoid food here at all costs is possible. It's super greasy and not satisfying at all. The front desk usually has a few teenagers working and a manager, and you also pick up your shoes here. You can purchase socks for about $3 if you're as silly as me and wore flip flops to the bowling alley *forehead slap.* As may people have mentioned in their reviews, the prices seem a bit insane to me. We almost always drop $75 when there's four of us. That being said, we always have an amazing time. The black lights, glow in the dark lanes and nineties music never fail to disappoint. I do wish there was some cooler bowling software (oxymoron?) available though...those screens are so out of date it's crazy. though I guess it does take me back to the nineties... read more

Went here to meet up with a group - and had lots of fun! As someone who grew up thinking bowling alleys were always in basements, this ground level business was a pleasant surprise. There are actually two split-levels of alleys - one up and one down - so you still get that basement feel in case you were missing it. But neon colours and black lights make the atmosphere a bit more fun than the dingy alleys I bowled in as a girl. :-) Shoes I rented were not in great shape, but did the job. Food was decent - on the better side of what you might expect from a bowling alley. Lanes functioned well, computerized scoring worked. And our last game was a speed bowling game, which gave us a lot of laughs. Would I return: yes Would I recommend: yes read more

First thing you'll notice about the urinal is the giant pile of ice. I thought this was a nice bonus to the rinsing but then I hit the little black button then the metal box struggled and... Nothing. It had that much ice because the water doesn't run through it. The other ones had a little bit of ice and working water. Maybe they all had a lot of ice at one point before it melts. In general its a pretty nice place for a bowling alley bathroom. The sink is automatic and so is the soap dispenser. The paper towl machine was easy to push and full. Extra paper towl was loose beside the sink in case someone rips through the machine. The stalls and urinals are all clean and separated by nice thick metal walls. Definetly a good enough bathroom if you bowling or near by. General Comments: Bowling was fun. 14.50 for 2 games. 5 pin bowling. And in terms of drinks the best thing I found was cola. But they do have a bar upstairs. Waitress was nice. Accidentally gave me an extra quarter. Also some nice arcade games, football, air hockey, and pinball. read more

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I must say that venue is great for kids burning some energy however the music and customer service is much ro be desired. For music, they do nor play anything relevant and kids want to hear upbeat and energetic music not some sad and heavy metal trash non stop. Been going there frequently past year and unfortunately this hasn't changed at all even though it was brought to their attention. Also, all the folks working there from the reception to the snack bar area are lacking in customer service. Always seem to be short fused and looks like they don't want to be there. They are very unfriendly and when assistance is required they are not very helpful, they are unfriendly and unwelcoming. It is rather unfortunate as it is a great venue. read more

This is the only 2 level bowling alley I have ever been to. The interior was really nice. The guard-rails were up though. But it made for a pretty easy game. I like how it waits until the end to deduct all your foul points, because it makes it look like you are winning then at the end, poof, your score it cut in half and it is hilarious. read more

This is a great bowling alley for the family.......super black lighting so my girls always make sure that we wear lots of white when we go. It's nice and clean with a modern scoring system - although I do miss the gobble gobble turkey with 3 strikes. there's arcade games, they do birthday party facilties, grab the kids and head over for some fun. read more

I've been to Merivale Bowling Lanes dozens of times since I've lived in Ottawa. Last night a bunch of us went for a friend's birthday. It was an adult party, not a pizza, pop, and balloons type thing. Low key, not so flashy - except for the blacklight...haha. It was a good time all around, service was good, everything was prompt and large groups (we were 13) were accommodated easily. We ordered a platter of bar style food, for the most part it was good, though the fries were underdone and the zucchini sticks were overdone. We had a good time, nothing spectacular though. read more

Great place and always busy. 2 levels of bowling lanes so low possibility of having to wait. Place is clean and geared towards family. Place is cosmic bowling so expect the black lighting. Music blasting at a reasonable volume adds to the atmosphere. Party rooms for birthdays, small canteen, and a small variety of arcade games are available. . Staff have always been helpful and pleasant to deal with. $6 a game per person and shoe rentals are $2.50 per pair. Parents don't even have to bowl. They have gutter guards preventing gutter balls. I should mention my experiences have been both during a weekend day. Great place to have fun as a kid or as a whole family! My only complaint? Bathrooms could be more kid friendly. read more

This is a really nice bowling alley tainted by a bad experience. When you enter, there are flashing lights, arcade games, black lights, two floors of bowling, music, food and a bar. Games are $5 each, which is pretty good for Ottawa. My two friends and I reserved a lane for a few games, gave ourselves names typical of 50 year old chain smoking mom-high-fiving bowling addicted women (e.g., Barb) and grabbed a pitcher of beer to enjoy as we played. A good time was had by all until... Rewind back to when we paid for our games. One of my friends only wanted to play two games, while my other friend and I wanted to play three, so we paid accordingly. When the second game finished, my two-game friend's name was still up on the board. We looked back to the counter flooded with customers on a Saturday night, shrugged and said it's not worth the hassle to get it fixed and my other friend continued to play. I guess the employee who waited on us eventually spotted this and without warning, he shut down our alley from the safety of his counter. My other friend and I were pissed because we paid for three full games, but apparently we had to learn from THEIR mistakes. Seeing as how our game was cut off early, we had to sit and finish our almost empty pitcher of beer. With 1/3 of the alleys empty around us, the employees sent the next group of people directly to our alley to make us leave. We were super pissed and typing this now I regret not saying something. However, this may be an isolated incident with a loser employee with a cowardly mean streak. Otherwise, our experience was great. read more

A nice place to bowl 5-pin, particularly with kids or in the evening if you enjoy loud music and glow-in-the-dark lanes. I loved the early-90s retro music! But, it was very expensive on a Friday night - $6 per person per game! So if you bowl a game with 4 people, it'll cost you $24! They need to get these prices under control. read more

I went here with six other people - we played two games each. One of our group got charged double, and, upon confronting the guy who processed her order, he simply said "Get one of your friends to pay you" instead of issuing a refund. I have worked in retail/customer service extensively - that kind of attitude/remark/help would have gotten me SEVERELY dressed down by my manager. (He may even have been a manager, he was the oldest person at the desk.) They proceeded to be out of stock for my shoe size, so I got to play an entire game in a pair of sweaty, one size too small shoes before they had any others. And to top it off, the tables at the computers were sticky and looked like they hadn't been cleaned all day. Go here with low expectations. You might be pleasantly surprised, then. Otherwise, you will have parted very begrudgingly with your money. read more

It was a rainy Sunday and the kids were driving me NUTS! It was all "Daddy, he said..." "Daddy, she did..." as the kids fought over the TV, the last pop in the fridge, the last cookie.... Ugh. I needed to get them out and active before someone called animal control. Because of the weather, I was looking for an indoor option. Bowling! We got into the car and, following the advice of my brother-in-law, headed to Merivale Avenue for Merivale Bowling. Now, it doesn't look like much on the outside. But, on the inside it was all neon lights, rocking music and the crash of pins. It wasn't too pricey - only $5 per game. And they have these awesome scoring machines that take all the math out of keeping score and allow you to input your own custom silly player names (I was 'Darth Daddy'!). Now, it is only 5-pin bowling. In fact, I have yet to find a ten-pin alley in the city. Maybe it is not a Canadian thing? But, the smaller five-pin balls are easy for kids to handle. We had a blast - and inbetween games we enjoyed french fries and drinks. There is a huge seating area next to the restaurant, so they host parties and events. And, at night they have those glow-in-the-dark rock n bowl things. We had a lot of fun and will definitely be back! Oh, and I won!!! read more

Merivale Bowling Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Nepean, Ontario

Amazed by the great 2-level interior & very affordable for students like me. It also has an arcade inside which is pretty sweet. Definitely recommend! read more

Was at Merivale bowling lanes last night for rock and bowl with 12 kids 9-11 years of age. The service was horrible!!! Our lanes kept getting stuck and the staff didn't know how to fix them... And every time something happened we were told we had to wait in the back of the line before it could be fixed because the manager on duty said they were to busy and people were waiting to bowl. In the 9th frame the games just turned off, they said they couldn't do anything ... By the tome we went to get out coats from the area there was new people setting up to play on our lane!!! 100.00 wasted !!! I will never go back to this place even if it was free!!! read more

Bowling was fun, pizza was good, burger was burnt and tough to eat. One of the better options for bowling with the family in Ottawa though and friendly service for sure. read more

The place is nice, fun for children and adults. However, no accessibility and senior staff (Andre) is so rude, like you are doing them a favour to play there! We had a reservation for a birthday party, he insisted it was a walk in and said that the lane would be ready soon (there were at least one third if the lanes empty!). In our group there is a disabled person and this person was helped by others in our group to sit downstairs. When we asked Andre if the lane to be ready to be downstairs due to the difficulty of this person, he couldn't care less: he said "You sat where you wee not asked to". read more

go for the bowling. Its great. Don't go for the food. This used to be the unsung hero of places to go for lunch. Gourmet meals at reasonable prices. I'm guessing the genius that ran the kitchen has left because now the food is exactly what you would expect from a bowling alley. A good place for kid's birthday parties. Lots of room for them to open presents and eat together after their game. read more

We visited here with a group of 13 children and 8 adults for a birthday party.The price was 8.50 per game with shoe rental. After playing 4 frames we were shut down and asked if we wanted to continue to see the front desk. The front desk said we couldn't play more beecause we paid for one hour. Well we thought it was per game not timed. Second we had taken a long time to enter our names on the screen because the touch screen didn't work very well. 68 dollars plus tax for 4 frames each for the 8 adults was a very expensive time and we barely started bowling. This is the second time we have had trouble with this place.There is nowhere on their website that states any time limits. When we were at the party room my wife ordered a rum and coke at the bar.Well it tasted like rum and water.We asked for someone to check the the coke and they said it was watered down. They were going to fix the coke dispensor so we waited.While waiting the waitresses were filling 10 jugs with iced tea and juice. The head waitress called to the others to fill the jugs with ice first so the customers buy more.(isn't this scaming the customer) After half an hour we just asked for a different kind of drink. I don't think they fixed the coke dispensor. More water in the coke means more money for them.(isn't this scaming the customer) There are many other choices for a kids party, don't waste your money here. read more