I am coming back to bowling after having been away from it for about 30 years. I used to be a pretty good bowler. But that was a long time ago and I needed all new equipment. I live close by, so I wanted to use a local business. Unfortunately my work hours and their pro shop hours did not line up at all. I called to find out if there was anything that could be done, like an appointment outside of regular hours. The gentleman I spoke to; all I know is his name was Jim. He apologized and told me unfortunately , they could not make any special appointments, but he actually recommended for me to go to another pro shop about 45 minutes away. He understood my situation, was very sympathetic, but was extremely supportive of my endeavor, and genuinely wanted me to get back into bowling. Once I did get my new equipment, I went right back here for my first game. There was a young lady there who was cleaning up and then was also behind the desk. She was very kind. We can safely say that I am obviously not in my twenties and she treated me like I was a regular. She gave me the senior discount and didn't even ask for my ID. Gee, I wonder why! LOL! I highly recommend Thunderbird Lanes and they will be my home alley. Everything was working well, the scoring computer was easy to understand and the place was clean. I have zero complaints. I'm going back again as soon as I can. read more

We were attempting to have a group community event at this location and went in person to get information on pricing and availability. We spoke to the same female employee twice who reiterated that we needed an exact headcount for group pricing and to call 3 weeks ahead and it shouldn't be a problem. Our group secretary, who is the point of contact, received a call the other night from Trish, (the owner Matt Davis's wife) ranting and raving about how she doesn't have our group booked for an event and we needed to remove our flyer from our PRIVATE Facebook page. This flyer was posted to gauge interest WITHIN our private community so that we could provide a proper headcount. Trish was unprofessional, incredibly rude and would not allow our secretary to get a word in edge-wise. When our secretary made a call to Matt Davis the next day to clarify some things, she was told that he couldn't accommodate our group. When she pushed further and asked if another date was available, he said he could not and would not accommodate us and proceeded to hang up on her. The manner in which this business has conducted themselves was inappropriate and shows poor character. I have personally been a patron to this establishment for the 32 years I've lived in this community, however, I will never spend another dime here. Disappointed is an understatement. read more

My child attended a party there yesterday he tripped on a machine and fell onto another machine. The woman at the counter watched him fall, and there was blood everywhere. She chose to look the other way instead of helping. Then as I asked for a first aid kit was handed a Neosporin and Band-Aid (assuming no first aid kit) poor service, horrible party will never recommend this facility. Could not believe she saw a three-year-old in tears and blood and chose to look the other way, horrible staff or owner not sure. read more

Fun time trying to improve my game and trying out a new spin ball. The lanes were good. No stuck bowl or stalling. Friendly staff and comfortable temperature. read more

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this vending machine in the picture im naming him bob the dumpster so i put $2.00 of quarters in the vending and i selected herseys and guess what it said select another item so when i went to the desk person instead of getting the key they just walked away and said just select a another item so i did and picked snickers and it gog stuck oh my god that's all i have to say have a great day read more

Thunderbird Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Manahawkin, New Jersey

This is a retro bowling alley in Manahawkin, with about 25-30 lanes. It doesn't have all the frills of newer bowling alleys, no kitchen/restaurant, not a ton of seats by each lane, but it gets the job done for bowling. The positive of no kitchen, is the alley is totally BYOB - bring in whatever food and beverages you'd like to have while you bowl. They have tables and chairs set up behind each pair of lanes for your use while you eat and drink. We went on a Friday evening in winter time, and the alley was full of life, many bowling groups, birthday parties and gatherings. We were told we'd have to be put on a waiting list until a lane opened for us. This was no matter, we used the time to play a game of pool, and by the time we finished there was a lane ready for us. The staff was very friendly and warm, and at the end of our time there they thanked us again for our patience earlier in the evening. Will definitely return! read more

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There prices are insane it says one thing online we went played two games me and my girl and it cost $33.. Are you out of your rabbit picking mind . read more

Very dirty the bathrooms are disgusting my husbands said the urinal was over flowing with urine The lady that work's during the day is so rude always has a puss on her face If she hates her job she should quit read more

Wasn't pleased with the setup of the bowling alley. This wasn't on my top teir of going to bowling.

My family had a great experience at Thunderbird Lanes. The staff was friendly and really helpful with my young soon choosing the proper ball, shoes, etc. It was his first time bowling, and they really made it fun and memorable for us all! Thank you again, and we look forward to coming back! read more

Enjoyed a few hours of bowling here, this past rainy Sunday. Arrived about 1:00 and there were plenty of open lanes. Costs about $5 a game, or $3 for seniors. $4 for shoe rental. As mentioned on their website homepage, they are NOT honoring any coupons at this time. (They have a long-standing free game coupon on the paper placemat at the Stafford Diner that I was hoping to use.) Music was fun, place was clean enough; shoes weren't ancient looking; paint on walls was fresh enough. Pin sweeper was acting a little wacky--a few times it swept my pins after just the first ball and I had to roll a first ball of the frame again. Also, the ball sometimes doesn't return immediately in time for your second throw-- I suggest having a second ball ready to use, in case! Don't forget to bring a MASK that you will be comfortable bowling in. A sign in the place says: bumpers are for 12 and under only. So please don't embarrass yourself and be an adult asking for bumpers. They also have the little ramp thingy for little kids to roll their balls down. No snack bar is of course a drawback. The lone snack machine was only partly stocked, and with mediocre snacks. I noticed the tiny one-ounce chip bags were 75c; there were some candies and crackers, as well. At this time, the machine says "coin only." Alas, the change machine at the other end of the building is currently out of order. So, either bring a lot of quarters for the machine; or bring your own food, drink, and alcohol, which is all allowed. There is also a soda machine that offers overpriced 20 oz. bottles of soda and water--all are $2.75. That machine was accepting dollar bills. There are three pool tables. It is $1.50 a game. ..Again--bring your quarters. (I didn't ask if the desk can provide you with quarters.) No real selection of video games, alas; though there is strangely a dusty vending machines selling sports and Pokemon trading cards. All-in-all, it was a pleasant time; the people at the desk were nice enough, as well. ...I would call ahead to be sure there is open bowling at the time you want to go. There are leagues going on, just a few times in the week. When I had initially called, I was told that Saturday is generally busier than Sundays, as far as open bowling. read more

I have never in my life heard of an age restriction for bumpers. I don't even remember the last time I bowled and I was never that good. So I personally need bumpers so when I asked I was denied. They said it was because I'd 'damage the bumpers' but I don't even throw that well and just looking at me I'm no weightlifter. But personally I think he was being lazy because I saw people in th there 30-40s with bumpers. To make it worse that was the manager and the owner. I was only half through 1 of my rounds and I still payed full price. The only good customer service I got was the owner's son who was nice and apologized. Would not recommend there are way better bowling alleys to go to in the area do not go here read more

this was a terrible terrible experience - one worker, Dawn, quite literally called the group i came with "a bunch of fucking idiots" while we bowled, we were over charged, treated with disrespect, all because our machines were malfunctioning. when we brought the malfunction to a workers attention, we were told "it does that, you just have to wait it out." yet the workers continued to literally talk shit about us when all of the issues were a result of the malfunction that the management was already aware of. never in my years of customer service has it been tolerated for a worker to talk shit about a customer, regardless of the situation. considering it was entirely out of our hands, i see no reason for the level of disrespect we experienced. read more

Absolutely never bowl here if you're a real bowler. Hands down the worst lanes I've ever bowled on. When I was in highschool we broke into an abandoned bowling alley and that even had better lanes read more

I'll be blunt, I'm not much of a bowler. My family went bowling last night at this establishment and it wasn't bad. Yes, there were some issues with the lane and ball return, but they gave us a free game for the trouble. A lot of people say that this place isn't clean...it's a bowling alley. I'm sorry but a bowling alley should be a bit dirty and dingy. That's just how I like my alleys. It wasn't overly dirty that I saw. Fun night out and it wasn't crazy expensive (2.50 per game per person) on a Sunday. read more

I've never once heard of age restrictions for bumpers. Very surprised and ruined my experience there. Worker was rude to my friends and scolded her for asking. Will probably never go again. read more

Thunderbird Lanes is a wonderful place to be. Clean place + efficient and friendly staff!

It's a humble looking establishment, but everything is run nicely. The service is fast, all the equipment operates without a hitch, and they have a fine selection of bowling balls for people who didn't bring their own. read more

Thunderbird Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Manahawkin, New Jersey

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Very disrespectful and not accommodating to our needs. When I asked for help for my family and I, they gave us excuses simply because they were to lazy to do their jobs. They claimed we were going to break their equipment when all we wanted was bumpers to help us play a fun game of bowling. They were just overall rude. I would not recommend this place to anyone. We don't plan to come back. read more

My husband, brother, sister-in-law and I went to these lanes last night for the first time. The facility was small, but cozy and clean. The woman helping us at the counter was very nice and friendly. We rented bowling shoes that were in great shape and appeared fairly new. The place was clean and the equipment worked great. There were plenty of bowling balls to choose from. No complaints here. We had a great time! We even decided to sign up for a fall league. read more

First takeaway was that the blonde lady up front was extremely rude and made me, my friend, and our wives not feel welcomed... overall, the place was extremely outdated, disgusting and overpriced... our lane didn't work properly and was constantly needing someone to come over and fix it... no concession stand... bowing shoes were disgusting... bowling areas were disgusting... after we were done bowling, our hands all had a gross film on them due to how "clean" the bowling balls were. I do not recommend this place and we will definitely not be going back until there is either new management and they finally start putting money back into the business. ...music selection was dope tho read more

My family went bowling here yesterday. The place looks some what updated from the outside but they have wires sticking out the walls on the outside . The inside is dated and bowling shoes look 100 years old . I thought the price was very high for two games with shoe rental was a little less than $50 family of 3 on a Sunday . We still had a great time bowling despite the flaws . read more

Thunderbird lanes is a great place to go with family/ friends at anytime on any day. There are plenty of balls to choose from and there usually isn't a wait for a lane, but it there is, it will go by fast. You can have bumpers if you'd like, and there are plenty of drinks and snacks if you get hungry or thirsty. I recommend this place for anyone. read more

We took my daughter here for her first bowling experience. Wish we had chosen another bowling alley. The lane they gave us was supposed to have bumpers, but they kept going down so the attendant had to pull them back up, then the pin resetter got stuck multiple times, the balls were not being returned and our scores got messed up multiple times. In all I think I was up at the courtesy counter 5 times. Not fun at all. Plus I think they are expensive. $3.50 for shoe rental and $5.00 per person per game. And the thing that irritated me the most was the woman at the counter didn't even offer to take off one of our games since we had so many problems with the lane. Never again! We will travel up to Brick or somewhere else next time we want to go bowling. read more

HORRRRRIBLE... this place is outdated. It is disgusting inside... floors are filthy and wait until you see the stains on the walls once the neon lights come on... There is no concession stand... there are no fountain drinks.... there is no food... there is only a vending machine for snacks and drinks (horrible selection). Our lane didn't function properly. Shoes are disgusting... the rental for shoes is $3.50 a person and $5 per person per game. A place that would be outdated for the 80's shouldn't be so expensive. They obviously don't put any money back into it. The girl at the front desk with blonde hair and fake tan was the rudest person I've ever dealt with. She seemed bothered when I asked her how "the shoe sizes ran" in order to figure out my size. She flat out just didn't like my group... two professional husband and wife couples by the way... her head almost exploded when my wife asked for a cup since we didn't realize this bootleg hole didn't have a concession stand. Our lane didn't work for the first 20 minutes... the one star is for the amazing hip hop music (90's rap and hip hop) and the tall young kid that had to constantly run back and forth to fix our lane... real nice kid and you could tell he was even embarrassed by his place of employment... also note that the ball selection is garbage and the lanes are warped... honestly how is this place still open? I washed my hands in the filthy bathroom after we were done and my hands were black from the grime in this place... oh and the computer system they use for score keeping is pre Stone Age... several times someone would get a strike and it would register a gutter ball... or get a gutterball and call it a spare or strike... I hope they sell or someone opens up a new bowling alley.... in fact I'll make you your first offer.... walk away and I'll give you $15,000 plus whatever the property cost... take your equipment, balls, lanes, vending machines and leave the air hockey table. read more

This place is TERRIBLE DO NOT GO HERE it is extremely overpriced. The floor was super slippery. The bathrooms are old and outdated along with the shoes and everything else. The games they have there are very old. A short selection of bowling balls. I recommend you don't go here. read more

I'm not sure where to start? I'm still speechless on what an OVERPRICED sh*thole this place is! I've never seen such FILTHY DIRTY conditions in a public establishment in all my life! The bowling seating area has not been mopped in 2-3 months! I swear....... the metal brackets on seat bottoms are painted black but they are literally GREY from dust! You can see past spills of drinks dried into the floor. The carpet is littered with lint and crap everywhere ESPECIALLY THE CORNERS! Look (or don't look) at the corners! You'll faint!!! They have not used a vacuum in the corners in MONTHS! What a DUMP!! The bathrooms are every bit as disgusting as the rest of the place! I'm still in shock! I've only been home 10 min and I'm beyond words! Your selling 1979 and 1982 football cards in your vending machines? I had to scratch my eyes to believe what I was looking at! What a jerkoff!! Who does that? Who sells their worthless card collection in the vending machines of their bowling alley? Just what my 4yo was looking for dickhead.... a football card of refrigerator perry of the 1986Chicago bears!! Have you had a mental evAluation lately? Well it's certainly time! I'm telling anyone who has Ever been to a bowling alley in 1981? Has seen this place! The seats in the bowling area (3) per lane?? Really? 3 stinkin seats per lane? No small table no cup holders and the helm station for both lanes has 1 seat!!! Yes 1 helm seat for 2 different family's playing 2 separate lanes. It's gotta be the dumbest shit I've EVER SEEN! I can't make this stuff up people you gotta see this abortion of a bowling alley. NO CUP HOLDERS!! ANYWHERE IN THE BOWLING AREA!! So if your having a drink while bowling you get to put it on that FILTHY FLOOR FOR SAFE KEEPING! geez if there was ever a place where the owners keep EVERY DIME this is it! Could care less about the building. It cost me over $25 for shoe rental for 1 adult and 2 children along with 1 game of bowling. If I bowled 2 games it would have been $40. $55 for 3 games. This was Sunday morning too! When the special lane price was in effect! DUH!!! JUST DONT EVER EVER EVER BRING YOUR KIDS OR BRING ANYONE TO THIS PLACE! I don't care how hard it's raining on your vacation or how bored your kids are. You need this place like a detached retina!! Believe me! RUN! The biggest dump I've ever been in!! EVER! Not just bowling alleys..... I mean any public building!!! Wow what a sh*thole!! Geez! Freakin slobs!!!! Should be ashamed of themselves!! Do the community a favor and sell the place to someone who will do something with it! You are the slumlord king of bowling alleys ANYWHERE! Guam lanes has a nicer place! Pakistan lanes too! I hope the rooftop AC unit falls right through the roof onto your lanes and the township sewer system backs 720,000 gallons of sewage into the place forcing you to fix it up for the people of ocean county! Your bowling electronic score system reminded me of Mattel electronic football! Remember that game with the red blips that came out in 1979? That's the same as your system! I mean you can't even write a persons name in the line. Just the first initial? Really? How pathetic!!! My daughter said show me my name up there daddy and I had to point to an (L). What a joke! Your place sucks!!! So do you for letting it get this way!!' read more

Worst place ever. Lied to us about pricing and was extremely rude to our group. DO NOT go here. Was super expensive ($42 for two people!). Stay away!!! read more