Elsie's

For the quality of the bowling, the hours should not be priced how they are. $85 for 1.5 hours, the balls get stuck every 10 min, so really we got to play for 45 minutes. Also it would be nice to have your own machine that returns the balls. It’s vintage and that’s great, but it really shows its age when you play.

Wow. We had our wedding reception at Elsie’s, and it was PHENOMENAL. They provided food, bar service, cake cutting and serving, a coffee station, tables, chairs, linens, centerpieces, and a table for the DJ. The banquet room is so beautiful that we only decorated with flowers. The large parking lot and patio is also a huge bonus for a wedding in the city. The staff was super friendly, professional, and communicative, and the event flowed seamlessly. Dawn, the manager, is also great. We met with her twice to discuss planning, and she promptly responded to my many questions via email. Thank you for making our wedding perfect! Our guests had a blast bowling, and it made for a memorable event. Thanks, Elsie’s!

Food was good for the most part. My husband's burger needed some TLC. Server was attentive without hovering. Atmosphere could use an update. Prices reasonable.

I like Elsie's. Mostly because I eat there occasionally but I've bowled there in the past too. Anyways just wanted to do a review because the food is pretty darn good I had a bacon cheese burger tonight and the burger was really good without feeling like I was eating something that was completely unhealthy and that's like a delicate balance. Everything about it was great. The person who handled my order Christina S. Well she was just super and that's why I had to take a moment for a review. She was nice funny and also convinced me to have a piece of cheesecake which happens to be one of my favorites.🫡

Great service. #2 breakfast eggs, hashbrowns and toast was delicious. 3 people ate for $47!

We were here for a lunch date. Everyone was friendly from the staff to the customers.

Great food. Fast and friendly service. They have a fun bar area with karaoke and pull-tubs. They also have a quieter dining area too. TVs throughout the place to watch the games or whatever. Bowling is fun down the hall too.

Michael is the best. I was alone and he made sure I was safe. He made sure I could leave my car and get an Uber. He was the best with my friends too.

Glad I was able to get myself to finally try this local staple! It did not disappoint with its abundance in seating and menu choices. Our party came in on a Saturday during prime dinner time and there was no wait. I ordered the prime rib ($34) with the soup special (chicken and wild rice) and mashed potatoes. The portions were generous so much so that the sides came on their own plates. Definitely enough to feed at least two people. Afterwards we bowled and had a great time. The wait was very reasonable and they have a good system for queueing where they provide a pager to let you know when your lane is ready. A lane is $50 per hour and shoes are $7 per pair. Going with a party of 5 broke the price down to $17 per person but if your party is even larger then the costs go down dramatically.

This is a fantastic spot!! I came here for my birthday with some friends. We did an hour of bowling right before league. Prices are reasonable especially compared to some other bowling places and I like that we had a server at our lane so we ordered some cheese curds. The lanes are up to date with a great scoring system and plenty of ball and shoe options. Staff was very friendly as well. After we bowled we ate in the restaurant and ordered a variety of things. The food was okay. My friend wasn't a huge fan of her Rueben and my burger was just okay but my other friend said her Caesar salad was good and we enjoyed the fries and pretzels.

I have drove by Elsie's so many times and had never been. I always thought it looked packed but we went on a Saturday night at 7pm and needed ~4 lanes for our family to bowl. We had about 20 people. I believe a reservation was made. When we arrived the parking lot was full but there's a lot of street parking. Once we got in it wasn't as busy as it looked on the outside so that was nice. We ordered a few drinks directly from the bar which were priced a lot higher than ordering mixed drinks at the lanes. We also ordered a good amount of food. The waffle fries w/ seasoned sour cream was good. Our waitress was amazing and did a great job at keeping all the orders straight as we were on multiple tabs. We ended up booking/playing for 2hrs on each lane. It was good time. I'd for sure come back again.

We did not have food or drink here. However they do provide a couple of pitchers of water. Which was very special indeed. We enjoyed 3 games of bowling and choose 3 game option instead of hourly. The automatic lanes are absolutely fun. Animations happen when certain pins are taken down. I will be sure to go there again!

Stopped in here after a long bike ride. We both had the double cheeseburger special with a cup of wild rice soup. The burger and the soup were both very tasty. Our waiter treated us very well. Our friend had two pancakes that were good and very filling.

Been several times through the years and have been pleased with the service and food but lately the rudeness of the staff has gone way down and i feel that my money will go elsewhere.

I heard about this place from a friend. I grew up near NE Minneapolis, but had never been to this place. I'm not into bowling, but gave their restaurant a try. Their food is excellent as well as the level of service. The staff are friendly and attentive. It is not what you would expect for a bowling alley. I've been back 4 times now and have brought others for a meal. It is an older family owned place built in the mid 1950's. There aren't a lot of these old establishments left. It has a nostalgic feel when you enter the place, hard to describe. I wholeheartedly recommend having diner there.

This is a fun, lowkey, old fashioned establishment. I met up with a group here on a Wednesday night and every lane was full. It was a fun but laidback atmosphere with great service right at the lane. Drink service was fast and it was easy to extend our game play as more of our party trickled in. I'd totally come here again.

I honestly cannot say enough about how fantastic Elsie's is. I've been coming here since I was a kid, but my partner and I had our wedding reception in their event space over the weekend and that's what prompted the review. As a restaurant & bowling alley: Solid food! I love coming here for breakfast. My favorite is their garden vegetable omelet. The tuna melt on their dinner menu is also pretty good. As an event venue: PERFECT. From planning to the day of, things couldn't have been better. I can't recommend Elsies more! Dawn, the general manager, had beyond excellent communication the entire time and was a dream to work with. She made each one of our requests work. The day of couldn't have gone any better. We were able to come on early and set up. The food was incredible, the bartender and catering staff were honestly the best, and there was plenty of room for our 150 guests.

4.0* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 3* Value: 4* Service: 4* 12/17/2022 We stopped here for breakfast / brunch before the Vikings / Colts game (an epic in its own right...) and really enjoyed the stop. Our waiter had some personality (always appreciated) - giving our son (the lone member in our party wearing a Colts jersey) grief that everyone was welcome but the Colts fan. While the atmosphere was average (somewhat aged, but clean), the value and service were above average and the food was great. I ordered the #2 (Two eggs, hash browns, w/ toast - see picture) and found it a very good value for $8. My wife ordered the Elsie's Supreme Omelet (see picture) and while it was a bit pricey for breakfast at $15 - there was a lot of food and it was Delicious! Lest I forget...the Bloody Mary with beer chaser (see picture) tasted fantastic and was the best value of all! Overall, we loved the food and would definitely go back if we are in the area again - I would highly recommend it. Shout out to Michael D. (our waiter) - great job on the service side! If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com For the latest Food & Drink Reviews - follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy Latest Happy Hour & Specials Updates - follow on Twitter: @HHDesMoines For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

Had an early lunch on a Friday. Service was quick. This is one of our top breakfast places, but lunch was just as good. I had fish and chips. The fish was perfect. Not greasy. The French fries were even perfect. My husband had an open faced prime rib sandwich . He said it's one of the best cuts of prime rib he's had. With tip, $44

We had an office party there and I hadn't been there in years. It's not super modern but the lanes have been updated. It's nice to be able to put selfies on the scoreboard. The pizza was what's to be expected from a bowling alley. The staff was attentive and refilling drinks and clearing plates right away. There is a free parking lot on site. They do have Pepsi products. Overall a great experience.

What a fun place to bowl! Maybe not as "vintage" as Bryant-Lake but has the old bowling alley vibe. I had a love/hate relationship with the scoreboard. I love you can put a picture up, but the picture quality and angle left something to be desired ;) Our server was on top of everything all night and brought food and drinks quickly. I would highly recommend the spinach artichoke dip and a seasonal cocktail.

Stopped by for dinner and drinks with friends on a Friday. Fun atmosphere and clearly popular with neighbors give Elsie's a homey charm. Service was fine but our food was delivered cold and unseasoned. Typical bar food fare wasn't anything noteworthy, but the higher prices on top of the tepid temps left much to be desired. Drinks were fine, but also felt overpriced.

I had the pleasure of lunch at Elsie's in NE Minneapolis over the weekend. We walked in without reservations but the servers were very accomodating to our large group. It was pretty busy but the service was good. They have pull tabs in the restaurant as well as a bowling alley in the back. Expect a casual ambience with drive bar style food. Although I was pretty intoxicated, the food stood out as delicious! I had the Works Burger: Bacon. Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Onion, Cheese, and 1000 Island sauce. Tasted so good and the fries were amazing. 8/10

I was here for a birthday party and it was so much fun- clean, updated lanes and computers. We had a great server and the food was fresh and we all enjoyed it. The only negative was how hot and uncomfortable it was in the bowling area. I don't believe the A/C was on at all it felt like a sauna. Not sure if that's how it always is but in the summer it was almost unbearable.

Big portions, friendly service, food was pretty decent, bowling lanes were clean. Overall a good time. I would come back

I came here with a friend for drinks only on a Saturday night. What I didn't realize is that the bowling alley scene in the back is jumping - I will definitely come back for that. But, back up front, we sat at the bar in what seems like an old-school mainstay that feels like not much has changed in many years. I liked the vibe. The bartenders were friendly and made the drinks quickly. Even when I knocked my full drink over and made a total mess. They smiled and just made another. In following with old-school vibe the prices are low there too. It is a nice win-win.

Still and always an elsies fan! We missed our bowling Saturday's with friends so when we found out there were open during Covid we gave it a whirl. Super Covid friendly, protocols in place, spacing lanes out and making you leave your ball at the lane when done so they can sanitize after. Food is still great, service is faster then ever, and they are happy to be at work! Masks required besides when at your lane - drinking or eating.

Always great food and service! A gem in NE Mpls! Traditional burgers, Rueben's and the best hot beef and turkey plates!

Friendly service, walleye was C+ to B-. Good place to bowl, eat, and drink. I was hoping pool and/or darts would also be available. Large parking lot.

Solid NE bar and bowling alley. Came on a Thursday and it was a good time - plenty of space but lively. They were doing a meat raffle if that's your thing! We just gots apps. Fried food is hard to mess up and the beer was great, so no complaints here. I wouldn't say this is a foodie spot. It's more a place your come for the drinks and atmosphere. Service was prompt and food came quick! Would recommend!

Great place to meet up with friends and bowl or grab some good food. The bowling is fun and not too expensive. They have lots of ball sizes and you can rent shoes there. They have some good happy hour specials and everything I have had for food was good. Solid bar food taste and value. The staff is always nice and helps when you need anything. This is a staple for NE Mpls and you will see an interesting mix of locals to the neighborhood and people coming for the first time. I go to Elsie's a couple of times a year and its always a good time.

I like to go to Elsie's kind of early like noon or one. Jason seems to always be working and he is great. He helps us get set up with the bowling, and he helps us with the food. If a pin gets stuck or something goes wrong he's always quick to help. The food is great and the bowling alley is really up-to-date and high-quality. I can't say enough about the place I really enjoy it. Hopefully I'll see you guys there. Also my favorite waitress is Priscilla. She is Johnny on the spot, and so nice. It is fun when you have been to an establishment several times, and get to know the staff. So Jason and Priscilla, thank you.

As other reviews mention, there's something for everyone here. There was a wait for bowling so they gave us a buzzer and we grabbed a drink in the bar area while we waited for a lane to open up. Lots of TV's in both the bowling alley and bar area, and good service as well. We haven't tried the food yet, but have heard nothing but good things from everyone that has. Will be back for sure!

Kristina, you made our evening! We hadn't league bowled at Elsie's in quite a while and it was SO GREAT to see one of our favorite servers. Thank you for being so attentive and genuinely friendly!! This was another stop on the Nordeast Walking Tour with Patrick, Susan and Mike. It had been a long day of drinking and walking and Elsie's was exactly what we needed to refuel. The parking lot is ample - as is street parking - but pedestrians are welcome, too. ^.^ You cannot go wrong with anything on the menu and the daily specials are even better. They manage groups very well and all the food comes out together. The experience is so much more than a bowling and rec center. You owe it to yourself to step into the bar, pick up some pull-tabs and enjoy something yummy from the kitchen.

Best breakfast in the twin cities. Eggs Benedict were to die for, no cocktails on this trip but a very good watering hole in north Mpls. Try a Dubliner or Feeneys Irish Cream you will be pleasantly surprised.

Everything about my experience here was solid and enjoyable, but Elsie's is probably not going to blow you away. Still a nice place to have dinner and bowling, for sure! The staff was friendly and no one was disappointed with their meals Bowling was a 45-minute wait, which drew us to eat at the restaurant (side note: more bowling alleys should have restaurants attached). A nice place to go to during the freezing Minnesota winters and I'll definitely come back here!

Every time we've ordered, our items have been incorrect. The servers are not very friendly nor is the bartending staff, and the manager is a jerk. They spilled warm syrup all over me and my handbag, and didn't even comp our bill. Plus our order was wrong so it had to be remade. Unimpressed more than once so we won't be back.

I bowl at Elsie's in a league and spend a lot of time there. There is so many things to love about Elsie's but one of my favorite things is the staff and servers. The things these servers put up with are crazy, they get yelled at and suffer many to sexist comments but they always have a smile on their faces. Pricilla is the best of them all - if you have her as your server, consider yourself lucky. The other thing I love about Elsie's is how good their food is - it has no right being as good as it is! Always ask your server about the soups. I have personally had their Chicken Tortilieni, Chicken Tortilla, and Chicken and Dumplings soups and am always pleased. Their apps are great too! I highly recommend an evening at Elsie's - but just check to make sure there isn't a league going on as they host many!

Elsie's feels like a hometown, local kind of bowling alley. It apparently used to be a Scottish restaurant, but then it was painted over and repurposed into a bowling alley + mini restaurant. The interior walls have wallpaper and decorations that feel straight out of the 90's. One of the walls even has a giant mural of downtown Minneapolis. We came on a Monday afternoon and had the whole place to ourselves. The bowling lanes are fairly standard - similar to what you'd find anywhere else. There are also a few arcade games in the back, if you get all bowled out. They offer a limited selection of drinks and snacks, if you want to enjoy some grub together. It's difficult to review, since bowling is kind of a commoditized experience. Elsie's was about par for the course when it comes to bowling alleys - nothing particularly remarkable, but neither was there anything particularly unpleasant or problematic. So check it out if you're looking for a bowling get together in northeast - Elsie's will probably fit the bill.

This is a great place for food and bowling fun! It has an old school, divey, feel to it. It is sort of an older crowd, at least when we went. The bowling alley has some really cool art painted around the walls. We just came here for the food though and it's really good. Their menu has so many different things to choose from. I ended up going with the chicken Marsala with veggies, mashed potatoes, and chicken wild rice soup. The soup was so good! They also have really good quesadillas. Service was friendly and fast. They have certain "fun" nights during the week. That particular night they were having a meat raffle going on. We did not participate but there were a good amount of people there.

Was with a large group, and we asked the server if we could combine two tables. She said sure. As we started to combine them, another server (manager I guess) yelled, "you can't combine tables!!!!!!" Several of us said "oh, ok" and started separating the tables again. I said, "we did ask and get permission before we started moving the tables"...so that he knew we weren't just being jerks and doing it on our own. He yelled "no you did not!" I confirmed that we did receive permission from the server, and he continued to tell me that his staff know better and never would have given permission. I asked him if he was calling me a liar, and he said yes. I told him I would show him the server they gave us permission, and he again yelled, "my staff would never do that!" If he was this verbally abusive to a customer, I cannot even imagine how he treats his staff. Our server on the other hand was excellent (not the same person who gave us permission to move the tables), and I made sure he received the tip he deserved.

Had a very good, traditional hot beef sandwich with ample and hot gravy. Also had the patty melt...also recommend it.

Stopped in for lunch after a class downtown. Greeted and seated in a timely manner. Was able to order and receive my soda right away given adequate time to review the menu ordered the Works burger the nice thing is the option of getting this made as a turkey patty, chicken breast or veggie patty and no extra charge. I chose the veggie patty. Waiter was kind enough to put the bacon on the side. Food was served quickly and served hot. Nice options would recommend.

No complaints here. 1. They had cucumber for my Hendricks and soda. 2. Wings were tasty 3. Salads were fresh and yummy. 4. Server kept our orders straight. 5. In case you order the pot roast, just know that the mashed potatoes taste like instant mashed potatoes. 6. Great range of bowling balls to choose from with appropriate sized finger holes. 7. Even lanes. 8. Computerized score keeping. 9. Great place to entertain a group.

Excellent place to eat. Food was perfect. Decoration was amazing. Servers were best.

Last night my wife and I drove to Elsies for dinner. Our waitress, Linnea, proved to be of good humor, and super at her job. I had the Kung Pow noodle bowl and my wife a dinner salad. Oh man, it's a restaurant at a bowling alley! But absolutely wonderful. Great Lakes beer, not too bitter and strong bodied. Very nice atmosphere with comfortable seats in the high top bar tables and lighting not too bright. The food was really a delight, but the excellence was also in Linnea. It was a great experience!

WOW what a fun atmosphere people everywhere, server was fantastic food fantastic beer fantastic and and they have a bowling alley first time there and going back soon, give it a try ,

A wonderful supper-club type restaurant, with a fine attached bowling alley, and (that rarity) its own parking lot. Couldn't really ask for much more.

I am actually surprised at how much I enjoy the food here. You don't expect it, being that it's primarily a bowling alley, but I would recommend grabbing a bite here! Have been for brunch and also a couple take out dinners during covid. Really good burger and fries, just good ol bar food. Recently tried the peanut butter burger, it was so good!!

There's a little bit for everyone here: bowling for the fam, and a copious amount of drinks and pull tabs for the refined adults. Cheers to all of that! I haven't bowled at Elsie's myself, but they have 16 lanes with bumper options, plus cosmic bowling on the weekends. Currently, their pricing is $5 per game or $50 per hour, with student discounts and AYCB Sunday too. Note: It's 21+ after 10pm. But I usually just cross over to the bar area, and peruse their many beers on tap (but usually just decide that liquor is quicker). It's a little bit divey, which I like! The drinks are reasonably priced (about $5 for rails, I believe) and the bartenders are efficient, even with crowds. I haven't had their food, but it looked pretty damn good. This is usually a stop for me to grab some rail drinks or tap beers, pull tabs, and then continue on crawling through NE. Oh, and if you're trying to throw an event/party, they have a banquet space!

went there today,, i was going to eat there but the mexican bartender got in my face about being a the bar, loosen up ,,your not going to die

Went here last night! Cute little place, great service, great appetizers! Seemed to have a decent cleaning protocol in place for COVID-19. Lanes were blocked off every other to allow for social distancing. All staff were wearing masks. A sign on door said you must have a mask to enter (Minneapolis City Ordinance) but out of 5 lanes bowling me friend I were the only ones wearing masks. Customers who were bowling (so not eating or drinking) were not wearing masks-- city ordinance for everyone's safety was not being enforced which was extremely disappointing. Other than that it was great service and fun! Even in a pandemic!

Elsie's is the greatest place to eat and bowl in Minneapolis. The staff is awesome in the bowling alley and in the restaurant. We have been here twice and both times had excellent service. The food is just as good as your favorite bar would serve. Delicious burgers, fries, and even pasta! My husband ordered the Kung Pao noodle dish and it was delicious! We tried the nachos last time and they were great for sharing. We bowled for 1 hour which was about 3 games for 2 people. We bowled non stop during the hour since we ate dinner in the restaurant before so if you're eating and having a couple drinks while bowling that might slow you down so you will probably bowl about 2 games per hour for 2 people. The bowling alley has a couple of waitresses who take drink and food orders from your bowling lane and you won't wait long for them to come around and your drinks and food come out quickly! This is a great place to bring the family, hang out with friends, or have a date night out with your significant other. You'll have a great time at Elsie's!

Elsie's is like an adult playground. There's bowling (COSMIC bowling), karaoke, drinks, decent bar food (lots of cheese and bacon and various fried things), more drinks... I've truly never had a bad time and I've been lots of times. The last night I was here, my friends bowled but there wasn't really room on the lanes for three of us. We gladly bowed out since (none of us really cared about bowling) and went straight to the karaoke and made up a game where I picked my friend's song and he picked mine and then our other friend decided who won each battle. You could never play this game at the 1029, but no one was signing up for karaoke that night at Elsie's so we just sang over and over again. It was awesome (for us, not for the people listening to us). Point is, karaoke is pretty fun here because it's easy to get your songs in quickly but don't expect anybody to cheer for you afterwards. There's a good chance nobody's paying attention to your crooning. Story over. Now, the little details. -The service has always been great and they often have some good specials like a late-night all you can bowl for $9 on weeknights. -Little known fact, but they are open for breakfast every day too. -There's plenty of parking in the lot or on the street nearby if that happens to be full. -If you want to bowl, remember to reserve your lanes prior because they are often packed all night.

WHO: 75 people, consisting of family, friends and new people to meet! WHAT: surprise birthday party/celebration for my great aunt - and mini getaway for me while the fiancé has his bachelor party! WHEN: a mere 2 weeks ago. WHERE : elsie's! known to many as the place to have a great time, bowl and drink a strong pour. My cousins had reserved a private room just before the bowling alley to surprise my aunt. We had our own servers, bartenders and appetizers delivered/set up along one of the back walls that was perfect for our party. I loved that everything was set up, neat, clean and yet, felt homey. After the big reveal - that 75 of her friends and her family were here to celebrate, we got the party started! drinks were strong, food was great, and fun was had. This place is kind of a random spot for dinner or drinks, but their menu looked impressive! if I'm back in this area, might have to venture back!

Everything at Elsie's was well managed. Nice selection of bowling balls, good food and clean facility.

Minneapolis St Paul has it's fair share of bowling alleys/bar restaurants and Elsie's is one worth checking out. Their bowling is pretty affordable with plenty of lanes. The bar is long and they have flat screens everywhere to catch a game. I happened to be there during a Minnesota Gopher's football game and the bar was PACKED. Despite that, the staff was super helpful and took care of us fairly quickly. If you're hungry, there's a menu with lots of solid comfort food. I only came here for a couple beers but the food looked good and I will definitely return for a meal. It's not necessarily a romantic spot, but make what you will with it (ha ha)