Avondale Bowl

Fantastic retro bowling alley on the second floor. The whole place has a fantastic retro feeling... the lanes, the balls, and the maneul scoring; all of it comes together for a great experience. Bar has some nice specials that change daily, a diverse beer selection, and a surprisingly great spirit selection. Very worth dropping by with a group.

I love this alley. The bar and bartenders are fantastic and I absolutely love the white Russian slushies. The lanes play well and I love keeping manual score. It's fun to have everyone join in and teach your friends how to score like the old days.

Easily the most attractive bowling alley I’ve ever visited. The retro lanes and bar are so stunningly gorgeous. Great drink selection, awesome songs, nice staff. Honestly it’s a vibe. Came here for a New Year’s Eve bowl and had a blast!

Super cool retro bowling alley. Really good place for you and your friends to go and enjoy a couple of drinks and have some fun. Unfortunately, they don’t serve food but they do let you bring food in. Overall really enjoyed my experience and would definitely go back.

Wonderful bowling alley with the coolest vibe. Our group had several young kids and they were so accommodating. The drinks at the bar were amazing and the service at the bar and the bowling counter was so warm and friendly. Highly recommend for adults or kids, will absolutely be going back.

We came here for a team outing and had an absolute blast! The bar was really cool, awesome beer selection. The bar itself was an old wooden masterpiece. Anne the bartender was fantastic. The lanes were a flash from the past. I got a huge kick out of the ball return that was above ground, idk I just loved it. You keep your own score here which was fun. Can’t wait to come back. We ordered delivery from Vito & Angelo’s, fantastic tavern style pizza.

Such a fun and stylish place! Amazing beer selection. I was rubbish at bowling but the lanes were great! Service was brilliant too.

Super cute date night spot!! Easy booking process online. And not so busy on the weekdays. Had such a fun time.

I absolutely loveedddd this bowling alley!!! They killed it with the modern retro vibe. The space feels clean and updated with the coolest vintage touches. As an interior designer, I am obsessed. Very affordable bowling; it was $50 an hour for a lane on a Saturday, split between 5 of us. The people who work here are super kind, prompt, and helpful! You score the games yourself on paper which is such a fun touch. We had so much fun! Would 100% go out of my way to come bowling here again. Such a unique cool spot!!

We were able to make a reservation a day in advance to play on a Saturday afternoon. We came a little early but were given the lane as soon as we got there. The drink options aren't massive but the highball I ordered was solid and the beer was tasty (and neither were too overpriced). The bowling was fun in a teatro setting with paper score keeping, however I would say that the age of the bowling alley created some issues with the actual machines. Luckily for the lane I was in we didn't have any mechanical failures, but we did see that a couple lanes near us had to stop play because their lanes weren't working properly (which I can assume is part of what comes with older machines). Overall though it's a very aesthetic spot and good to visit if you're in the area!

I rushed to get her after seeing them being featured on "north America's 50 best bars". What I didn't notice was they made the list solely for aesthetics & not the actual cocktails. The menu seemed intriguing but my drink was subpar. There wasn't anybody"craft cocktail" aspect to it & it tasted like a shot or neat whiskey with a splash of soda versus what the menu explained which was a walnut & orange flavor profile. Cocktail was only $12 & I wanted to try several from the menu but I didn't. Be aware if here to bowl that there's only like four lanes. There's tv in the bar which had the nba playoffs for those who'd like to escape the ball & chain. Nice place & I loved the proximity of the bar to the bowling but there's much better cocktails in the city

The place: this had been on our list for ages so was glad to finally get here. You go upstairs and it's a quaint little old-timer bowling alley. Feels like a neighborhood secret (though I'm sure the word is out). There's a pretty expansive bar, just past the lanes. I had a hard time finding an 8lb ball, but was okay using a 10 lb. You have to keep score yourself, but they have golf pencils and an explanation on each lane to help you out. The taste: limited menu - concessions include chips and candy, but it seems you're allowed to bring in your own food. We saw donuts, cake, and pizza from different vendors for people celebrating different things. We got a couple of beers and a Diet Coke for yours truly. My face: normal smile. Was $54 to rent a lane for an hour. We got through 2 full games and then alternated frames for the third game, and then our time was up. Was a really nice afternoon outing, and then we walked to revolution brewing for dinner.

I came here for a birthday party on a Saturday night. It's a nicely-lit, clean vintage bowling alley with a great vibe! There is an employee on the first floor checking IDs, and the bowling lanes are located on the second floor. Make sure to book in advance to reserve your lanes. This was not only a test of my bowling skills but my math skills as well because scoring is all manual here, no screens! You get a big scoring sheet, which includes instructions on the bottom on how to score spares and strikes. Some things to keep in mind: - This a 21+ only place. - There is no food option here, only drinks, but you can bring your own food and snacks. - The lightest bowling balls are a 9. - Shoe rental is $4. There were a few times where the machine froze, ate our bowling ball, and didn't register a gutter ball (which helped increase the score I suppose). The rest of the times were smooth sailing. I'll definitely be back!

Avondale Bowl is such a cool place to go with a group of friends or even a date night. It is a very retro 70s vibe with a bar, so you can enjoy your time! Bar staff and bowling staff are all very nice and attentive and if you ever need any help, they were more than willing to jump in. No food is sold here, besides chips, but you can bring in your own food or order it in! Such a cool place and can't wait to go back!

This place is awesome! I've always known about this place but never actually went until I decided to go for my birthday. For those who don't know this is a vintage bowling alley where scoring is manual (so bring your math skills). Tips: - It's also a bar and 21+ after 7:30pm. They are very strict on IDs meaning they won't accept pictures of IDs (they didn't let one of my friends in) - They don't sell food but you are welcome to bring your own - Reservations fill up fast so book well in advance especially on the weekends Me and my friends had a really great time! They also have 3 tables that are free to use by anyone. My only complaint was the service. They are very understaffed - they only had 1 employee in charge of checking people in for their reservations, distributing shoes, and cleaning/preparing the lanes for everyone. So when I approached the employee to ask where to check in, he gave me attitude instantly. Like I get it, I know how it feels to be short staffed and stressed but he gave me attitude the entire night. They definitely need to hire more ppl especially on the weekends!!

I've never fallen in love with a bowling alley so quickly. So many of the alleys in Chicago are the type of overly ritzy, personalitiless places where finance bros go to to wear backwards hats and blazers, and highfive each other when they see someone they find attractive walk by. But not this place. This is where you can go expecting to see wrist braces, ball bags, striped shirts, people out back holding a whiskey in one hand and an unfiltered cigarette in the other. This is the type of alley your grandparents bowled at, and the word awesome just isn't strong enough to describe it. It was fun, it was retro, the energy was high, and it was decked head to toe in the type of green you only find in a green river malt at an 80s diner in Arkansas. You can reserve ahead, grab a drink when you get there, and show off your handwriting as you manually track everyone's points on the most framable scorecard I've ever seen. This is easily one of my top places in Chicago now; def check it out!

This is the best bowling alley I've ever been too! Vintage vibes without feeling old or stuffy! Not too many lanes, which is nice cause the place doesn't feel crowded or too loud. It was cool to be able to track our own points. I only had beers from the bar so not sure how good the cocktails are. Would definitely return

Great 21+ bowling alley in Chicago. Reservations needed ahead of time from their website; although there are sometimes walk up lanes available. The whole vibe is awesome, retro yet very clean and stylish. The bar is nice, with good beer and cocktail options. Nice weekly specials like a Chicago handshake for $4 on Sundays. They don't have food available. Groups around us brought their own food in, so that must be allowed Events wise Jan 26th they are having trivia & Feb 9th they are doing a karaoke night.

If you will it, it is no dream. Born a few weeks before the pandemic, Avondale Bowl weathered the storm through on line liquor sales (I'm a proud purchaser of a bottle of Willet Pot Still bourbon), and is now thriving. Its not just for bowlers, either. My noble bourbon boozers will be quite pleased with the bourbon selection, which includes Blanton's. The cocktails are also excellently executed. It is unclear whether they serve a sarsaparilla. The bar area is separated from the bowlers so you are not inundated with the thundering of pins and balls. The music can be amusingly retro - one evening I was there it was 80's hair bands. Despite that raucous atmosphere, no one discharged a firearm during league play. Fortunately, no one played the Eagles. Additionally, the bartenders are friendly and generous - they gave us free cake! The bar is on the second floor but the owners are sensitive to the needs of the Other Jeffrey Lebowski. They installed a brand new elevator and individual use, accessible restrooms. The bowling lanes themselves are not wheelchair accessible but the space behind the lanes is, if you care to watch. Bunny will not charge you $100. Myself, I went out and achieved, anyway. You'll find me in the bar, enjoyin' my Blanton's. Overall, a great neighborhood spot. Be advised that there are no rugs to be micturated upon, nor is there any vaginal art.

It's on the second floor and there is street parking. Easy access by public transportation. Staff is very nice and there is league night a couple evenings a week. You have to a physical id, not a picture of it on your phone. Bar is cool, I see bottles of liquor there I haven't seen at other bars. They don't serve food but you can bring outside food in. Beside bowling, occasionally they also have a karaoke evening and bingo evening. During the week they are open in the evening. Weekends open for the afternoon and evening. Check it out!!

Nice and chill. $50 and hr for a lane, if you bring a few friends pricing is not bad. They dont serve food, but you can bring outside food, so thats nice

So much fun! The 2nd floor bowling alley has a very original feeling 50's retro style, complete with a vinyl DJ, endless fifties music and not-overly-shiny alleys. We went on a Thursday with a reservation but there were some empty lanes later at night. I have a strong affection for bowling shoes, and unfortunately my one disappointment was the velcro bowling shoes instead of the clearly sexier laced shoes. There is a great cocktail menu (and even cocktails to go in a bottle) to pair with your high school math skills - you have to add up your own scores. We had to learn how to self-score! A lot of time was spent counting here (far too much math for my post-cocktail, liberal arts degree brain ) . Electric score boards are certainly a luxury I have under appreciated in my modern bowling days.

Mr. Yelp and I are now bowling in a league here. It is SO fun and all retro. Manual scoring, no tvs or electronic screens hanging over your head. The other bowlers are friendly and welcoming and the manager is great. No food but there is a fabulous bar with a killer old fashioned and lots of craft beer.

After 2 years you would think the lane conditions would improve... psych, they got worse. Pretty terrible lanes. Cool place to go throw a ball down some wood, but this isn't bowling. The lanes are in terrible condition, are not oiled properly, and aren't even level; I guess if you want to throw some plastic down stretches of wood this is the place to go, but if you want to bowl go elsewhere.

The space is fantastic, but these bourbon prices are out of this world fair. We met a bartender at Ludlow Liquors who recommended AB for the space and these prices, and he did not disappoint. Great service, cool atmosphere, and bowling (if that's what you are into). Personally, I'll be back to just drink here a lot in 2022!

We live a few blocks from Avondale Bowl and we're excited to see it go in. We finally got a group together to check it out for some Saturday night bowling. Let's start with the good. This place is very clean, vintage and has been beautifully restored. The music selection was excellent. The staff is very friendly as well. I was also very happy to see the vaccination & mask requirements considering we are still in the middle of a pandemic. Moving on to the bad which was enough to take this from a five star review to a three star review ... the music level was so loud the entire group was unable to hear each other. The staff was also unable to hear us. I checked the sound level on my watch and a phone app and it was between 90 to 100 decibels consistently on both. Outside of that being damaging for hearing it made us unable to communicate with our group about the game or anything else while we were there. Because of this we left well before our time was up. I can only assume having the music playing at this level is normal for Avondale Bowl so we have no plans to return for that reason and only that reason. If that doesn't bother you then absolutely check this place out!

My partner loves to bowl so for his birthday I brought him here. We had a good time. The drinks were good and the atmosphere was chill. The interior is amazing and they did an awesome job restoring the space. The only issue is that the machine kept eating our balls and our lane kept freezing. They were kind enough to offer an extra 30 minutes but the machine continued to freeze. We were the only lane with that consistent problem and it really ruined the flow of the game and why I'm giving them 4 stars instead of 5.

First time reviewer. First time bowler. First time Avondale bowl! First off thanks to Missy (management) she really made sure my family's visit was great bonding experience. Wife's tried unsuccessfully to convince me to bowl. Only reason I'm leaving this, it's been like a month and my daughter still talks about it. Thanks!

Love this place. Happy hour/weekday deals are great. It's fun for a pitcher and a game. Or just cocktails. Or all three. Service is spotty. But the atmosphere makes up for it. Definitely recommend.

I wish I would have know about this place when I lived in Chicago. It's the bowling alley dreams are made of. I'll be back every time I visit Chicago.

Fun refurbished classic bowling alley with manual score keeping. It's more of a place for a fun night with a date or with friends, not really to seriously work on your game. The attached bar is pretty chill and has a good bourbon selection at fair prices.

I cannot recommend this place enough, both of casual bowling and for large groups. The space is unique and gorgeous and the service is excellent. We hosted our engagement party here a few weeks ago. The owner was communicative and flexible with types of packages (including number of lanes, hours, and bar packages). We had about 25 people and rented six lanes for two hours, with an open bar with everything excluding cocktails. It went so smoothly thanks to the owner and the staff, and our guests could not stop commenting on how beautiful the space was and how much fun they had bowling. We would definitely host here again and will be back for date nights, too.

What fun! Great old fashioned bowling alley! We went New Year's Eve. Thought it was going to be crowded, but it wasn't. Played two games. Had a

I organized an event at Avondale with 12 friends, who mostly hadn't bowled in quite some time, but I was looking for a non-competitive social activity. Jeff was amazingly helpful while I was organizing the event, including suggesting take out places that would deliver and providing a quick refresher on how to score. The place is beautiful, music was great, bartender was super friendly. We had an awesome time, and I will def come back!

Cool spot, but extremely tight quarters being an 8 lane alley and the seating for each alley is pretty condensed. I was pretty disappointed that my lane was bone dry as was every lane I saw. I brought my balls which are high performance and wasn't able to throw them because of how dry the lanes were. Enjoyed watching the kids have fun.

Great place! Little hard to find because the address doesn't line up with the building for some reason... it's in an all black brick, shiny entrance with no name and when you enter you you go upstairs. The lanes were awesome, felt like I was bowling in the 70s or at my grandparents. Even the drink glasses were beautiful and seemed from that time. Ordered a few cocktails (they have an extensive drink list/options) and they were delicious. Made a reservation and bowled for 2 hours (I think that was the max reso time) and the price was relatively cheap for the experience! Clean and well maintained balls, shoes, lanes, etc. Will definitely come back!

Avondale Bowl could've opened as just a cool neighborhood, old-man blowing alley and that would've been plenty. A place for locals to walk to and hurl balls at wooden pins would have alone been a welcome addition to Avondale. However, the inclusion of the robust beverage program and expansive bar/lounge elevate this place to a worthwhile destination for anyone in Chicago. Even if you don't like bowling, Avondale Bowl is an undeniably fun place to be.

Regular league bowler at another alley, but have been eyeing progress at Avondale Bowl for awhile. Came in tonight to check it out. It is a beautiful alley. The retro color scheme compliments the old pin setters and ball return. Decor is charming. Lanes are wood and in surprisingly good condition for being out of use for so long. Bowled above average, so they did their job - I left wanting to return. Bar is well stocked. Had a great cocktail and beer selection is well above my expectations for a bowling alley. Would be a place that should attract locals on its own merits. I'll be back. What about leagues?

Nice place to take our friends from the burbs. Since we live directly around the corner, we will be back many times.

The bar program here is phenomenal and the vibes are so great. The original 50s Brunswick equipment is so good and the service was incredible. The reason for my lower than 5-star review is just that the bowling is pretty meh. You're probably used to bowling on synthetic lanes, and this hardwood just grips so hard it's a very different experience. I'd go back to just to hang at the bar any time but I would not bowl here again.

Cool atmosphere with the beatiful restoration. They did a really nice job nailing the mid-century look and feel, from the avocado green to the ball lights to the plush booths. Bowling is a lot of fun, as long as the returns don't malfuntion. The last time we went, we brought our nephew and his grandmother. The ball return kept holding our balls to the point where we eventually had no more bowling balls to throw. I threw one down the neighboring (shared) lane to see if it would kick our balls back, as to not mess up our scoring (we were in the middle of a frame), and the guy in the booth instantly got pissed and started yelling at us. Jeez dude, chill. You're the one with the broken bowling alley! We probably could have completed two full games if we didn't have to wait so much for the balls to return. Hopefully they fixed the problem, but there's no need to scream at the customer when your machines don't work.

This place is awesome. These guys did a fabulous job on bringing back this bowling alley. Great beer selection. The bar and bar tenders rock. Top notch joint.

One of the best spots to have a great cocktail, frozen white Russian, or just a pitcher of Hamms while you bowl in a vintage space. Definitely a must-visit. Best new addition to the area!!

The staff were so nice! They gave us extra time to finish a game. They were very good about ensuring everyone showed proof of vaccination. It's a fun atmosphere! Music, nice bar area, and lanes. My only complaint--and this is a very important one--is that a few of the lanes were very poor in quality. DO NOT bring your own ball to bowl here. Mine got very dirty and ended up with blemishes on it, which will affect its performance in the long run. They need to *replace* lane one (furthest to the left) at the very least. That one has a big, scratchy spot on it that is unavoidable that will scratch a ball up. Lane two had several scratch-patches on it, and some of the other ones did too. Replace those lanes and keep up the good work! Thanks!

Beautiful space and excellent bar program. I can't say enough good things about Avondale Bowl and it's staff.

Incredible service. Kind of a long wait but like totally worth it to bowl. There's only a few lanes and you're there for the charm anyways so like get over yourself and be ok with having a cuteass time in like an hour. Hot doorwoman and just as hot of a bartender. Shoutout to Allie and Rory - y'all rule! Free Chex mix too, xoxo

What a cool bowling alley!! Such a great addition to the neighborhood!! Great bar selection and great bartenders too!! Absol love the vibe of this place!!