North Bowl

I came out Tuesday night with my wife and kids to celebrate my birthday. As soon as we walked in, the staff was very friendly and attentive and got us set up on our lane. The atmosphere was very lively and my kids were very excited to bowl. My three year old got her own dinosaur ramp which she loved and my wife got her Photo Booth fix with 5 reels of film! Our server, Rachel, was outgoing and helpful, suggesting a great variety of yummy treats off the menu(my daughter loved the steak sandwich!). She always made sure we had whatever we needed and had birthday candles put in our funnel cake fries at the end. Overall, great experience, good vibes, fantastic service!

Place is nice only suck they take cash only to for bowling and shoes but somehow take tap and card for drink and food payments . They charge you additional money to add people to the game if you already started the game which is dumb you should be allowed to add the names . Also no real food options for when you bring your children and very small for adults . $15 for 6 wings . Very small portion of food as well . Everything was like appetizers. Servers take forever to come pick up trash or finished food once done and tables were so small. Had to keep waving our hand at server or personally get someone . She didn’t have on uniform shirt like others either , very confused women. Also there is no visible trash cans to place things in the trash to keep such small area clean. We had a good time bowling over all but everything else sucked . More so take you and your partner here do not do parties or bring children . We was there from 3-5 than decided to stay with my sister from 5-8 m. Bathroom was clean as well , good part. Food and drinks are all under $20 but add up because you’re gonna still be hungry . Menu options suck as well hot wings and regular tots was good everything else was nasty not really mixed food options. $7 per person to bowl but have to pay for each game you play is what that means . So if two people wanna play 2 games it’s $28 mine you it was 15 maybe 20 of us playing 3 rounds of bowling which would’ve been $105 somewhere else with better food . 6 for shoes . Cash Only remember

First I want to say we paid $36 for 3 people, 3 shoe rentals & 2 games. It was priced so well! I would definitely go back on the strength of the price. But good vibes. Fun time. The soda tasted funny, but the food looked so good, especially the wings & tacos. I didn’t get to try it, but it looked & smelled good. Bowling was super fun, I don’t like that you share the seating area with the other lane, but the people next to us was cool. Overall 10/10.

My mother and family went here to enjoy a party yesterday and seen 3 mice run across them as they were eating, when a female staff member was notified of this issue her response was “we’re in Philadelphia what did you expect” LNI will be notified of this trifling matter. I’ll be personally calling because any place that serves food should not have rodents running around freely and obviously they are very comfortable and used to running around the place with no manners which lets me know they’ve been there for a while!

We hosted my son’s bar mitzvah at North Bowl this weekend and it could not have been more perfect. The management staff was extraordinarily helpful leading up to the event. The day of the event, we were met outside by the owner who came inside with us with a few last minute questions to close out before the guests arrived. And the food… we’ve been to North Bowl before for bowling and other events, but for a private party, the food is simple and outstanding. Whenever a tray was getting light and other full platter arrived without us even thinking about it. Stellar job everyone at North Bowl! I can’t recommend this event space enough!

Dropped by for a party at North Bowl. Quite the place to hangout with friends over drinks and bowling. Got a decent number of lanes, fewer arcade games, but lots of space to hangout. The bar has some pretty cool selection of beers and the food is okayish. It's an option to consider if you've got a group. About a 20min walk from the Old City.

When I moved to Philly, this place was the first place I felt welcome. Not only are the vibes amazing, great music, but the staff is what makes North Bowl special. Everyone is so nice, friendly, and welcoming. I come here every Monday for the league night and it's always such a blast. I don't know what these other reviews are talking about. It's a bowling alley, balls get stuck sometime. It's no one's fault. It's also soooo affordable, especially given the location!

2023-01-27 North Bowl is pretty great! The interior design and decorations were all well maintained and on par for a classic feeling bowling alley, super above average from other places I've been. 8 of us went here after work on a Friday evening. All the staff was great. From the bartender, our waitress at the lanes, the bouncer at the door and owner. This place is well organized and knows how to do it right. The food was well up scale for what a NJ person thinks of food at a bowling alley. The Korean tacos, sliders and tatter tot bowls were presented like an upscale restaurant and all tasted great. Our waitress was very nice, fast (which is a testament to the cooks behind the scenes) and attentive to our needs. The bartender didn't have a weak hand (thank you). There was a communication error at the front desk when we originally checked in but the owner had no problem making things "more then right" with the customers who really weren't too upset. Two of us did get scolded (rightfully so) by the bouncer for wearing their bowling shoes out side. He knew how to make his point and still keep us all smiling. It was one of the most pleasant scoldings I've had. My hats off to him! There is a second floor balcony that's setup like a lounge. It has a second bar, 2 pool tables, 2 foosball tables, an air hockey tablet and more arcade/pinball machines. This area was reserved for a party later in the evening. There are a few arcade/pinball machines on the first floor. There was also a DJ on the first floor. There is no dedicated parking so you'll have to find some on the street. We didn't feel unsafe walking in the evening back to our cars at 8pm. Hands down, a greater experience then Lucky Strike in Center City. We'll definitly be back! Thank you.

I was driving into Philadelphia from my home in Bucks County to pick up a friend who happened to be working that night at North Bowl, and I came a little early to check out the place and see what all the hype was about. I must say, it's not what I expected. I saw a building from the outside; I had no idea what lay ahead. While outside, I enjoyed the beautiful August night and loved this section of the city in Philadelphia. They call it "Old City," it's unique because they still utilize the older buildings and the cobblestone roads. Not many roads like that left. This part of the city is fun, with many open-air restaurants and bars almost on every other corner. So, if you're struggling with your sobriety, this would not be a good idea. Right as I walked through the gate to the entrance, to my right was an open-air bar that also served food. I did not order food but had a White Russian while waiting for my friend. The drink was perfect, not too strong. I left the outside bar when they wanted their bar stool back to close their shop. This Bowling alley was gigantic, and the lanes caught your eye. The whole place was festive and colorful. They had much to do if you're not a bower like me--two levels, two bars, one up and one down. Pinball was my thing; they have plenty of machines and much more. Take the entire clan for a family fun night! It's something for everyone. I did not try the food because the kitchen had closed; next time, I will because their menu looks delicious but is too expensive for a bowling alley. Again, it's not your average bowling alley. I would suggest this place for your leagues or just for fun with friends and family. Winter is around the corner, so this is an excellent alternative to the beach or watching TV at home. The place was spotless; the bathrooms were large and immaculate. The only service I had was a drink from the bar, and the drink I requested had the Slow Gin needed. And the bartender did not have any Slow Gin which surprised me being in Philadelphia, and I told her I was surprised and she seemed to snub me, and she charged me twice as much for the drink I got. I then felt weird, and unwanted at her section. So my thoughts were, her professionalism is lacking, it showed not only to me but the other guests as well. Overall, I had so much fun not only at Bowl North but just being in "Old City" again and all its charm! Wheelchair accessabile, kid friendly, and hours open are Monday thru Friday 5pm to go 1am, Saturday & Sunday 12 pm to 1am.

We really enjoyed North Bowl. It's located in Northern Liberties. It's a great lively atmosphere with good music. The staff was accommodating and friendly. We enjoyed the bowling lanes. The parking was a challenge but we eventually found a good parking spot. It's worth a visit to come out and go bowling.

Going to delete this review in a few days because I like north bowl but our server was horrendous today. Saw her once over 1.5 hours and never got us the water we asked for. The lanes around us felt the same way and she was nowhere to be found to even get her attention. Side note that the person at the bar was great. Not sure if it's rude, but we will probably just use the bar instead next time because of this experience.

Came here for a date on a Saturday afternoon and had so much fun! We had to wait about 45 minutes for a lane to open up, but we didn't mind because we were able to sit at the bar and have some drinks. I had a beer and it was a refreshing pick me up on a hot day. Shoe rentals are $5/person and the games were $14/game. You can pay by card at the bar but the bowling is cash only. There is an ATM on site. Couples can play up to 3 games max.

Went to a wedding celebration here on Saturday night. The ceremony was held outside, out front of the location. It was so nice! After that we went in and up to the second floor. There were appetizers out for us to help ourselves to, a DJ playing music and a bar ready to serve some cocktails! All of the staff were friendly! Guests were enjoying the food, drinks and bowling! What a I've place to have a party!

A very cool and trendy spot! Came with a group of friends and had a great time! Unfortunately they do not take reservations so it is first come, first serve. We were able to hang at the bar or upstairs while we waited for a one to open up. Upstairs is very nice with a second bar, pool table and games. Ordered pitchers of beer and small snacks like the tots. I would love to come back here again. Fun spot!

Can't comment on what's inside- but the outside beer garden style setting was just what the dr ordered on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Good drinks, week made, not crazy $. Repeat visit possible.

A fun place, but not for bowling. Walk in and you'll be told it is a 2-3 hour wait to bowl. Once you can finally get a lane, you will spend almost $30/person to bowl for an hour or two. To top if off, cash only, so go spend another couple bucks on the ATM fee to take out your cash. Pass. Instead, walk up the stairs to the right and go play some pool, have a few beers and watch the game. The atmosphere is great, the bar up has a good set up, and beers are reasonably priced. Maybe play some foosball or classic arcade games too.

Came here a couple weeks ago on a Saturday evening and had over an hour wait. Initially I decided to wait and we sat at the bar getting drinks but soon became inpatient and left. I returned this past weekend but in the afternoon when it wasn't packed at all. In fact, we were able to get a lane immediately. We had a great time, playlist was on point and server was attentive to everyone. Ordered a few drinks and food; the wings weren't good but the tater tots had a nice crisp to them and the funnel cake fries were good as well. Of course being able to bowl and have fun was great as well. I was able to find parking on the street but there's also a parking lot a block or so before you get to North Bowl.

The bowling lane kept braking. Would take 3-4 minutes to fix and broke about 3 times for only one game. There arcade area does have a diverse amount of games and the parking for a sunday night was pretty easy.

Such a vibey spot. Would be perfect for a large party. There's plenty to do to keep yourself entertained. I also appreciated how it was so spacious.

This is a very solid place for bowling. They serve good snacks (we really loved the pretzel bites) and decent drinks. The music was kinda whack, but I had a really fun time. It was $38 for two people to bowl two games on a Sunday night and then we also got drinks and snacks which were reasonable enough. It was like $8-12 for a drink and the snacks were like $10 each. I'll definitely be back for more bowling! Oh yeah it's cash only for bowling, but you can use a card for the food and drinks.

North Bowl is a lot of fun. I've been for larger parties with the entire upstairs rented out (pre-covid) and for the occasional night out. Most recently, I stopped by with my boyfriend and another couple on a Friday night. We called ahead and learned they don't take lane reservations, so we were told to arrive as close to 5 PM as possible. We arrived shortly after 6 and there were plenty of available lanes. Shoe and lane rentals are cash only, and they have an ATM. We got our shoes, grabbed some bowling balls, and proceeded to our lane. When we got there, we saw QR codes that you could scan to order food and drinks, and these can be paid for via card. We placed some food and drink orders and started bowling. The service was very slow, and we were one of just 3 total parties using a lane. We would have been better off going up to the bar and ordering drinks and bringing them back to the lane ourselves. It was also surprising when another party sat down at the immediately adjacent lane (we shared the middle table, keypad, and whatever it is you call the thing that holds the balls and sends them back) when there were other completely open lanes. This made things cramped with all of the food and drinks we had on the table. A few of us had the pineapple margarita and it was delicious! A bowling alley bar seriously has no business serving a marg that good. I would definitely return just to have one of them in the outdoor area in the front. For the food, the tots here are delicious. We also tried the bao buns and they were pretty good too! Overall, it was a bit expensive for the portions we received. A few heads up, this is a strictly 21+ establishment and they are checking vaccine cards at the door. It gets busy on the weekends, so I'd opt for arriving early or coming on a week night.

Covid has produced some crazy things. Like closing down bowling alleys. However, North Bowl has hunkered down and continued to do great things. Their outside lot is spacious and plenty of tables available. It's first come, first serve for the tables, and they open at 1PM in Saturday's. They let us in a little earlier to snag drinks before the kitchen opened up. Overall, great service and good food! They have a very vegan friendly menu and offer a variety of drink options. We snagged: -Downeast Cider -All Day IPA -Chicken Basket that comes with corn AND fries. Lots of food for only $10. Great deal if you ask me. Go ahead, ask me. Heard they're opening up their bowling ally week of August 17. Not sure if I'm ready for that, but I'm sure it'll be a hit for young folk in the area. Be safe y'all and wear your mask. Also, get the chicken basket at North Bowl.

I had so much fun the food was amazing games amazing Service ok not maby vegetarian food options but the options were good anyway in total 9.7/10

Rating is on behalf of my 9 year old son. He had a great time. The lanes are configured to allow for bumpers by individual bowlers which is great for families. They have a decent selection of reasonably priced video games as well as air hockey, table top hockey and pinball. The service was good. However, you may have to wait a while for lanes during peak times.

Nahhhh son... Dog-awful service. Bartender (Xavier B? Male with face piercings and painted nails) has an attitude problem. System with the food service number assignment card needs work. Staff took our card away (twice) before actually bringing our order, so when the food was done they didn't know where to bring it. Impossible Burger patty was shaped like a literal hockey puck, and tots are like from te frozen section at your local supermarket.

They hold a card/ID when you put your name in for bowling, but then also want to hold a card for the tab for food at the bar? But you need your ID to get drinks at the bar(if you let them hold your ID) and you can't use your card to pay for bowling, it's only cash, but you can use your card at the bar, that's if you didn't give it up as collateral? A lot of card holding going on around here. The waitress even joked about it being wonky. Also-- any place that tries to hold an ID is kinda weird in my book. Their menu was just like any other funky hipster bowling alley menu (every single one of these places has tots in an attempt to be "edgy") and featured small bites including bao buns, goldfish (yup the crackers) max and cheese, wings, and a handful of tater tot options. Everything was just okay. I honestly thought the tots would be better. All of the toppings were put on the side, or some sort of seasoning dusting versus a sauce. Service was great even though it was super busy. Pretty decent cocktail and beer list as well. After we waited 2 whole hours to bowl, our lane kept freezing and someone had to come over every couple of frames to reset it. For a place that is mainly a bowling alley, the fact that they only had about 10 lanes was kindof odd. Obviously that's not something you can just casually add, there has to physically be space to put additional lanes, I just hadn't known there would be so few. I feel like this place just randomly blew up in popularity once the NoLibs neighborhood started to become trendier. Although my review paints North Bowl as sub par, I really did have a fun time, I guess I was just expecting better, mainly from the food list. Bowling is cash only, but they hold your ID or card (that you can't use to pay for it) to hold your place in line, as I had mentioned above. Their music choices were also pretty rad.

Group of 6 friends decided to go on a Friday night! Got there around 7pm and they said there was about 1 hr wait. Later 2 more friend joined and that increased to hour and half wait. I think we waiting almost 2 hours total to get 2 lanes. Thankfully there were plenty of areas to just sit around and hang until it was our turn. There were some issues with the lanes where pins would come down with some knocked or sometimes incorrectly register scores that we almost didn't see. The balls aren't too great but it's fine for casual games. The lanes were bit weird and felt like it was way too greasy for spins. Tip: check in to get free shoe rental! Not my preferred bowling alley but it's not too far from my place.

What a great place! Such a neighborhood gem. I've been impressed with multiple things. First, the space is incredibly well-kept (and clean which is more important now than ever). It is modern, yet with some older bowling alley charm. To make it even more awesome, the staff is super nice and service is great. The food is actually pretty solid for a bowling alley. What more can you ask for really? As someone who prefers to support local when possible, I appreciate having this place so close to me. Even more so, I love that they have lockers for rent, too, as my husband can store his bowling supplies here rather than our condo. The rental was an incredible deal, too, if you ask me.

My wife and our friends stopped by North bowl on our way out of the city. We just wanted to do something quick and fun while our friends were in town. It was a busy Saturday afternoon so unfortunately there was a two hour wait for a lane. This gave us the opportunity to just roam around the place and see what else they have to offer. We ended up playing foosball a few times which allowed us to warm up and create memories for our day. Next time, we'll be sure to get there earlier or call ahead to make sure we get to bowl. I liked the setup of upstairs with the video/bar games and plenty of space to relax while waiting for a lane to open up. I'd recommend it as a nice spot to hang in the city.

Y'all this is a 10 out of 10 first date spot! Also amazing for events or just going out with a few friends. The bowling was so much fun and the food was incredible. Would seriously rate this a 4.6/5 which is really good for my scale lol. Our favorites were definitely the burger and the tots. Everything was cooked perfectly and we will definitely be back for both the bowling and the food

This place is a good time! I haven't been bowling in a HOT MINUTE! This was worth a night out with a friend and just having a blast! Went on Saturday night around 7pm. They gave an estimate of 2.5 hours wait (that took like 1.5 hours for the buzzer to go off for our lane to be ready). My friend and I decided to eat and have a drink while we wait. The food was okay and the drink was weak! I had the OG Mac & Cheese with goldfish that looks like it was thrown on top lol. It was an interesting party in my mouth! I would try it again. I also got the Absolut Grapefruit Cosmo that was bleh. The people that work there were really nice. Bowling...I sucked (can't event lie...super rusty) but it was still an awesome time! There's a lot of arcade games and just other things to do. Dance like no one is watching!The music was on point with hits from multiple eras! Can't wait to go back!

Poor service. Came her with my kids before 8pm (as posted all over the website 21+ after 8.) On vacation from out of town. The website didn't mention anything about league bowling closing out the lanes. I called yesterday asking for information. No where on the website or on the phone was this mentioned. We drove 25 minutes and looked for parking and paid for parking to immediately be turned away. They told me too bad I should've called again the same day to see if lanes are open. How was I to know ?

Went on a Sunday right when they opened and had no issues getting a lane. It did get a bit busier while we were there, but that might have been due to there not being an Eagles game happening at the time! I'm sure Friday and Saturday nights get busy. You can't beat a $7 bowling game and a $5 IPA. The staff was friendly, the service was quick, and the bowling was a ton of fun. Bonus - if you're a decent bowler but your friend isn't, you can set bumpers to go up and down for each person!

Great place and environment for adults to indulge in some fun. Huge space that has two levels of bowling. If you ever have to wait there's a bar at the entrance. You could choose to grab a bite or a drink. I had a great time with my date here.

Nice, clean facility that doesn't really excel in any one thing. Limited number of alleys for people who want to bowl. Limited menu for people who want to eat. Limited beer selections for people who want to drink. North Bowl comes so close. They offer just enough to get your hopes up, only to shatter your dreams in the end. So they don't take reservations. No biggie. We'll grab something to eat while we wait. "Hmm.." The menu has about a dozen items on it, most of which are finger foods that will whet your palette but nothing more. It's a tease, as is much of North Bowl. When you walk in, you'll be in awe of the flashing lights, spacious lobby, and second story bowling alleys. Yes, there are two floors of bowling alleys here. Maybe where you're from this is normal. I'm from a small town; this was something I never dreamed possible. Mind = blown. But after the wonderment has worn off, you see North Bowl for what it really is - a bowling alley that wants to be a restaurant that wants to be a bar, and in the end eclipses none of its competition, nor does it strive to. It's comfortable in its own skin, unwilling to push for greatness, perfectly content with playing it safe, which unfortunately, leads to a forgettable experience.

North bowl is such a great spot - it's so much more than just a fun place you can bowl. It is very family friendly during the day and at night it turns into a bar/club and it is actually a lot of fun! They added outdoor seating so you don't even have to bowl to enjoy their yummy food and drinks. I was honestly surprised by how good their food was and how many vegan/vegetarian options they had. It has definitely become a hot spot throughout the years so on weekends they can get pretty busy and if you want to bowl you'll could potentially wait awhile and the service is a bit slower which is expected. The place is really clean and they have lockers to charge your phone!

We had a great time with our staff and friends. The bowling was on point and the staff was very friendly. We eventually went upstairs and played pool which was awesome. We will definitely be back again.

Came and bowled a game after an hour wait and at that point, it was mostly draining. Don't understand how a place can put so much energy into being full and have such an updated space, but can't accept debit cards, which is just a cherry on top once you've had to sit at the bar for an hour or two waiting for a lane. Even once we got one, the people around us weren't too friendly and I swear they just came to sit around and talk, not really bowl at all. That probably contributes to the extreme wait times! Overall, came on a night with better beer specials so got to try a few things, but the environment doesn't really make me want to come back immediately. I'll try again when I want to wait for an hour for a two game minimum, just to wait again.

Honestly, nothing at all that special, I think the quality has went down since they first opened years ago. It has a few lanes, some pool tables and a handful of arcade games. We wanted to come here as a more adult friendly bowling alley. We waited over an hour for our lanes which wasn't too bad. For the lanes they only take cash, doesn't make sense especially when the bars and waitress at the lanes accept cards. They also limit the time you're at a lane as well. Prices are a little high. Customer service both the front desk and the waiters could definitely improve. We ordered wings which were not that good, the vegan ones are a bit better so I would go with those. The drinks were super weak so we actually returned them as it tasted like juice. Overall, the concept is there but I think the execution needs some revamping.

Such a fun idea and great overall establishment! We went with friends on a Saturday night in December, fully expecting a wait (they don't take reservations) and were informed it would be about an hour and a half. We got drinks at the bar, which were pretty decent, and had time to chat and order another round before our lane was available. Waiting is very comfortable, since you can order food and drink, plenty of seating (well, there was for us that day!), and lots of distractions. We lucked out and were assigned the last lane on the left, so we had a cozy corner to ourselves. We had a waiter come by, and grabbed more drinks for us when we asked. We also ordered tater tots to share - the Wavey, which is old bay seasonings served with cheese on the side. SO good! (And for any of you germaphobes, they come with forks, so no worries about touching the dirty balls, then handling putting food #win! There's an upstairs area too, it was closed off for a private event while we were there so didn't get to check it out. A great place to come on a date, or with friends - it's pretty noisey, so be prepared to shout! Hours and pricing info below: Hours //Mon-Fri: 5PM-2AM //Sat & Sun: 12PM-2AM Pricing: //HH Bowling (Mon-Fri 5-7PM) : $3/pp/game //Regular Bowling (Mon-Fri 7PM-2AM) : $5.95/pp/game //Weekend Bowling (Sat & Sun 12PM-2AM) : $5.95/pp/game //Shoes: One time shoe rental fee of $4.40

OK -- so we had an event there. As expected, the space (lanes and games) and the food was great -- they did their best with service too (except for the bar). What I'm not impressed with is the bar and maybe the music setup (but that's minor). There were mostly underage people at the party, so I got a nonalcoholic package. What I wasn't informed of is that people would not be informed of this and that it was treated as an open bar. So, I sucked it up that this is what was happening. However, there were about 8 drinking adults, and I was charged for 50+ drinks. (Everyone walked out of there on their own two feet, so I don't see how this is possible). However, I saw a lot of people with wine, and there was no wine charged -- instead I got this weird charge of around 20 cocktails that were the highest price of $10 each. I think that Shauna, the bartender, got really "creative" with her bartending charges. I think we got overcharged at least $300 drinks if not more. I really resent that. We got to use the music system, and I didn't want it that loud, but the audio guy kept turning it up, which was super annoying. And ultimately, we couldn't hear our music over the main venue's music anyway. I just gave up -- whatever. It was just annoying when he would turn it up, and once he made it so i couldn't turn it down, so I had to ask the downstairs to turn it down so I could talk and visit with people. But the rest of the party was well done. This is just a warning to maybe work out some drink deal when it's a kid's party where there's no sketchy bartender.

Came here for a small birthday party on a Saturday and it was packed! And parking in that area...forget about it. While the food and drinks were good, the wait to bowl took over 3 hours. Unfortunately we lost steam waiting to bowl. I would recommend pre-booking lanes if possible especially for events. To get the full experience, I will try coming back to north bowl on a weekday.

I love the whole concept of North Bowl. Rarely can you find a place that so effortlessly caters to kids and adults alike. I've heard a lot about this joint, and was thrilled to finally have the chance to give it a go. I popped in around 6:30 pm on a Friday, keen for a happy hour. The outdoor bar offered a more limited menu and informed us that HH had ended at 5pm. However, the inside bar still had some specials going until 7 - so into the air conditioning we went. The bar sits off in it's own little space which I imagine comes in handy if/when kiddos are running about. The inside bar had different beers, but a bigger selection on tap and a couple of specialty drinks to choose from, too. Prices ranging from $3-10 depending on the drink and if it's happy hour. For a place with "bowl" in it's name, there's only about 10-12ish bowling lanes. We didn't come to bowl, so I'm not sure on wait times/ prices/ reservations/ etc., but I imagine it could get backed up on a busy day. There's plenty of seating, and the upstairs bar offers some modern chairs and couches and a bunch of awesome arcade games to pass the time. That to say, the name North Bowl is slightly misleading - this is more of a chill hang that happens to offer bowling. It's a very solid place to grab a drink, have a nice conversation, or just kickback. There's indoor and outdoor space to hang. Parking in this area is touch and go. It's free street parking for the most part, but just be sure you're paying attention to the signs. I'd definitely come back if I'm in the area, and it's worth checking out if you're seeking something other than the average dive bar.

The Korean Fried Tacos are to die for . Run to the North Bowl on Tuesday for some tacos. The server Dom is always a treat and such a good bartender. He makes me feel seen. North Bowl is always a fun time with good people and safe ambience.

Great service! Great tots! So many games! Make sure you go upstairs if you can!!!!!!!!!

I live in NoLibs so I come to North Bowl often but I had to review my experience from this past Sunday afternoon because it really rubbed me the wrong way and hope it will be fixed for the future customers. I walk in with 3 friends and walk up to the front desk (with no line) to get a lane. the girl at the front desk, "Sunny" greeted us with "THERE'S AN HOUR AND A HALF WAIT." with this smirk on her face. Um... hello to you too! We said that's fine can we put our name in. She said actually a lane just opened up, so we bowled only two games (because she said that was the max we were allowed to book at the time). Hm... weird we just had an hour and a half wait but magically something opened up? But I didn't question her. 2 more friends decided to join us later in the day, she also greeted them with a "THERE'S AN HOUR AND A HALF WAIT" and we said that's fine we'll wait! we waited, got a lane and then we said how many games can we book and she said 2, and we said okay we'll do 2, she rolled her eyes and said "sure whatever you guys want" with such an attitude! i was so disturbed i said "forget it, we just want one!" because i just wanted to leave at that point. i've been really interested in joining a bowling league here but if it means having to deal with someone like her, who clearly hates her job and customers, i don't think i want to.

Cozy little bowling alley in Fishtown with A LOT of personality. BRING CASH. I stopped in here after a brunch date to bowl a couple of games. They only have 15 or so lanes so it's not a very big bowling alley but they do have a full sized bar and food so waiting for your lane might not be too bad. They have a great, retro feel with Big Lebowski on the walls and old school arcade games. They also have a neat little loft area which I didn't have a whole lot of time to explore but seems like a great place for parties. The price for this bowling alley was a little above average to me. If you had your own shoes you'd save close to $5 per person but having to pay close to $35 for 2 games of bowling for 2 people seemed a little stiff, especially on a early Sunday afternoon. Overall, neat little place that I'll definitely keep in mind for future bowling options when I'm in Fishtown next! I'll update this review if I try the food.

Hip space for hanging out with friends or family. Going earlier if you have kids is better. Food and drinks are great, and music is lively for dancing in between frames. They have lanes upstairs for private parties and attentive bartenders for that space. North Bowl makes me happy that the boring bowling alleys of the past are no more!

My friend and I decided to pop in here for dinner on a Monday evening. We were looking for someplace casual in Northern Liberties and North Bowl was our destination of choice. Although primarily known for bowling, it met my needs for a satisfying dinner. I ordered the Korean Fried Chicken Tacos for my meal which came in a house made Korean sauce made with kimchi and Asian slaw. I was really impressed! I loved the sauce the fried chicken was tossed in. It was very flavorful and had a definite kick to it (beware if you are not a fan of spicy food). I appreciated that they did not skimp out on the sauce in the tacos. It was slathered on! My friend ordered the beef burger which came with a side of tots. She paid $1 extra for speciality tots and chose to get the Garlic Truffle. I tried a couple and thought they were alright. They tasted a bit too mushy for my liking. I heard their tots are usually a winner, so I wouldn't be apposed to trying them again. The atmosphere is bright and vibrant with kind of a "tropical" feel in the bar/eating area, with a retro vibe in the alley. The bright colors, lights, and cool decor make it a fun place to be, no matter what age. I saw a lot of young people with food and drinks, bowling with their friends, but also a good amount of parents with their children. While staff was nice and friendly, service was so slow! After taking a seat at one of the tables, we had to go up to the bar to request a server. We then had to flag one down for water, to place our food order, and to ask for the check. Still, I overall had a good experience and would definitely return. I liked the vibe, the tacos were great (which cost a meer $8!), and I really want to give those tots another try! Slow service isn't a huge concern when compared to all the positives.

Had so much fun -- we met Omar he was the best, so happy and helpful! Would definitely come again :)

I finally made it to North Bowl for a happy hour that extended well into the evening on St. Patty's Day. We hung out at the bar upstairs, which was relatively quiet until around 7 or 8pm. Our bartender was fantastic and I was an instant fan of her blackberry bourbon smash cocktail. Woooo, that was some potent sipping! Eventually, it was time to grab some food and I loved the buffalo chicken salad, which I requested with ranch dressing instead of the balsamic and thousand island dressings that come standard. The chips with salsa and queso are a great snack, and the long tots with longhots and cheese are completely delicious. Best of all were the vibes - kind of island-y, plus a super amazing playlist that was later replaced by a DJ who was fantastic. I also loved the local artwork, which became a topic of discussion between almost everyone seated at the bar at one point. We called it a night around 10:30 but I could have partied all night in that atmosphere. Can't wait to return (and I don't even love bowling)!

NO STARS I went to north bowl yesterday and I was with my co workers and I asked for a size 10 she gave me a size 10 shoe. I put it on it was too big I was like okay well maybe I don't know my own size you know lol.I asked for a 9 same thing happened the girl was like "oh this whole time I've been giving you men sizes"but gave my co workers their shoes just fine (my coworkers are also women) this already ruined my bowling experience, not only that I was the last one out of the group to get my food (waited +20 min it wasn't much people in there either).I've got a burger with tater tots burger well done.I bit into the burger and it was more pinker than a Nicki Minaj album.I've sent it back of course. They took longer than they did the first time, I've asked about it they sent it back out with the patty 3x smaller and it was mid I feel as though the cooks did this out of spite. the staff can go kick rocks! Black gays I wouldn't recommend this spot cause you know mid food and mid and disrespectful service.I came to bowl not to get misgendered.

Oh North Bowl, how I love thee. I don't mind that you make me wait 45 min - 2 hours even to bowl because there are games (pinball, arcade games, pool, etc) and beers a'plenty to keep me occupied. The games here are cheap for an "adult" style bowling environment, even though it very much accommodates families as well. Pro tips: When you're here, tots are a must. They come in several different flavors, and be ready to use a fork and share. If you're a beer drinker, pitchers of PBR will take you the furthest for your money. This place is cash only! They have an ATM machine, though. And another pro-tip: join a league to get the best deals on games! If you're looking to have the best time out of a game, play around with the features on the scoring machine, specifically Youtunes which offers some hilarious recaps of your bowling experience. If you have children needing some assistance, request one of the alligators for them to send the ball down the lane.

I came to North Bowl for the third time this past Saturday because it was both hot and rainy out, and my SO and I were trying to find something (indoors) to do with our visiting friends. There was a 40 minute wait to bowl, so we played a few games of pool in the upstairs arcade instead (and now I'm inches closer to my goal of becoming an eventual pool shark!) Great things about North Bowl: -Free shoe rental with your yelp check in! (which everyone in the party can do) -Arcade games upstairs (which you can play while you wait) -Pool ($2 per game) - -Air Hockey ($1 per game) -Also other games I was less interested in (foosball, shooter games, etc.) -Tots! (I know that they're not healthier than french fries, but I like to trick myself into thinking that they are because they're so cute!) -They also have other food/drink items on the menu, though I'm not entirely sure what they are. Not as great things about North Bowl: -Cash only (@$6 per game per person)

NLNA did their annual Northern Liberties Winterfest this past weekend at North Bowl. It was $15 for unlimited drinks, food, and "bowling". I put bowling in quotes cause they kicked us off the lane after one game - when the people we shared the lane with got to play 3? Anyway, this is a large venue, probably around 15 lanes, in Northern Liberties. It's right at the heart of the neighborhood. When we arrived we were greeted at the door and checked in. They had a big selection of baskets for a raffle which some awesome prizes from restaurants from all over the neighborhood. We grabbed shoes and joined a couple that had just finished a game. The atmosphere was very welcoming and fun. As we were putting on shoes the waitress came up and took our drink order. There were limited choices to wine and about 5 beers but I settled on the PBC Winter Wunder (which is tasty). The bowling alley itself is very modern with a tablet style lane monitor. It was very easy to add our names to the bowling list. There are ton of styles and weighs in balls (lol) so you should be able to find one that suits you. They put out a bunch of food including tater tots, mini sliders, mac and cheese, and ceasar salad. The tots here are AMAZING -hot and crispy. I'd avoid the mac and cheese. The goldfish are funny but the batch I had tasted GROSS and metalish -never again. I looked back over at the lanes after we got cut off and it was a bunch of kids (-_-) so I wish we could have had one more game. I didn't win any raffles and the bowling got cut short but all and all this was a great event. I'd recommend getting here right on time next year. Otherwise, I hope to check out North Bowl again and try some of their tots dressed up in their crazy seasonings.

This place should be called Bowling for the Boring. At first glance you expect this place to be more like a Lucky Strike, with loud music and a fun ambiance, but really it's quite the opposite. It just happens to be really pretty in there. The place is pretty big, two nice sized bars, they usually have some kind of drink special happening and the bartenders are very helpful. Upstairs there's a pool table, arcade games and a nice sized lounge area. Which is all nice, except you come to a bowling alley to BOWL. They always have an extremely long wait for a lane, so much so that the first time I came, I didn't even get to bowl. I did bowl this last time, but it was surprising to see how bady managed the place is. There was a group of people (not kids or teens) being really obnoxious, throwing multiple bowling balls at once, extremely loud and rambunctious and nothing was done, except to say, "Please don't do this" like a million times. If you are going to have a chill place, then maintain it that way and kick out people who are abusing the place. As for prices, bowling here is pretty expensive at $30 a game, plus drinks and shoes.....it's not worth it. Go to your local bowling alley, save some money, and get a lane faster.

I've been to this location on multiple occasions and always have a great time! I called to see if I could make a reservation for my friends and I to celebrate my birthday this past weekend and they informed me that they don't allow reservations, that their lanes are on a first come first served basis. This wasn't a problem, I arrived at 8:00pm on Friday and was put on the waiting list for what was supposed to be a 2 hour wait. Our wait turned into 3 hours and we were then told that we could only play one game because they'd be closing soon. I didn't complain, but I do think it would've been appropriate to accommodate us somehow for the extended wait time and limited play time. If I had known this would've been the case, I would have looked for someplace else. I also didn't receive an update via text when my lane was available, we only found out that it was open when we asked about it. Not sure I'll be hosting anything else here but this place has great potential if they worked on certain areas of their customer experience. Thanks I guess