Albany Bowl

Lots of specials! Mon-​Thurs nights, Saturday morning, Thursday, and Friday. The system is quite glitchy though. Sometimes we had to go up to the counter to get them to add or remove names, but it worked fine after that.
Food here is terrible — I guess that’s to be expected for a bowling alley. Ordered a «split pea soup» that was brown and congealing on the top where a thin layer of «skin» had formed. Tasted more like a mexican chili rather than a split pea soup. Some people thought it was curry. I ordered a side of garlic bread to go with it, which came out burned and charred. The pizza had no marinara sauce on it; perhaps that was purposeful though. Stick with the beers and bowling here.

A great place to hangout, and bond with fellow bay area sports fans in the bar, while watching Warriors basketball, Giants or A’s baseball, and Cal football. Let’s not forget the bowling!

Is fun place for both kids and adults… I love bowling here but no services…:(I get drink and done finish the games done.

Bowling was cool here. We went on a Friday which happened to be $ 8 bucks a game so we each played 2 rounds. At night they crank the music up and turn the disco lights on. Much like everyone else reviewing this place, the service sucks. The waitresses do a good job it’s mainly the front desk people, security and maintenance people who lack customer service skills. Our lanes have probably had some issue at least 4 times and we had to figure it out ourselves since no one wanted to do their job. The people in the front are cranky men so don’t expect much from them and there’s so much security in there it felt like I was entering Area 51. We also ordered 2 slices of pizza not knowing that 2 slices is actually 6 medium slices which was ridiculous because had we been told this we wouldn’t have spent on the other slice and just share one. Overall, a 2 star experience.

Nice place. Many lanes. Fun scoring systems. Light balls. Lots of other games like pool and fusball.
A coworker won a bowling part for ten so we got the lanes. I probably bowled the last game of my life. Going home to apply Ben Gay, take arnica and apply ice in my recliner.
Once thing I’d change is the odd scented candle odor trying to cover the Lysol.

Bunch of bitch a$$ racists no worries my mother worked in the sheriffs office will get a warrants to get the security tapes you kicked my brother out for no reason it’s good though that will sue Albany bowl for seeing family members

The time I went was a weekend around 7 and this place was a party from the moment I walk it, an awesome vibe. It wasn’t too pack but enough people to add to the community bowling ally feeling. And the little café was great too. I would recommend it to anybody looking for a bowling experience.

First experience was a kid’s bday party we were invited to. My kids and I had way more fun than I was expecting & we left with a few free game coupons. Skip to today, New Years day 2016. I called to check if they were open and whoever I spoke to was extra polite and helpful. The man behind the counter that signed us up for a lane and shoe rentals was also pleasant and had a nice smile. The young man at the café was super friendly. We bowled, ate pizza and had a great time. Had a chit chat with owner, charming gentleman with good sense of humor. As we were leaving owner called us over and gave my girls and their friends cute bowling t-​shirts and plastic toy thingy, what a sweet gesture! We had fun, felt valued and welcomed by every staff we encountered. My daughter wants to have her bday there. For darn sure coming back.

Whenever I bowl, there’s always a drink in hand. And whenever I drink, I get better at bowling. It’s a win/​win theory that I’ve been winning at for the last six years of my bowling career. BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE! Their bartenders are kick ass. They can make a mean Adiós!
Make sure to check out Amazon or Groupon for great discounts. It’s the shoe rentals that costs a lot… That’s how they get ya!

My high school friends and I have been bowling for a while and it was our «thing» back in high school. Now coming to Berkeley I was super happy to hear that there was a bowling alley nearby and accessible by bus too. First off, Albany Bowl is not on par with AMF bowling alleys or even the local bowling alleys that we have in SoCal. All three times I’ve come here they are stingy with their deals and $ 4 for shoe rentals is frankly overpriced for the quality of shoes you’re getting. Since this place is the only bowling alley in the area if you really want to go bowling then by all means come here but be sure to keep your expectations low. The only reason I put 3 stars instead of 2 is because they do have food, an arcade, and billiards.
Notes:
–Lanes are semi-​dry
–Special deals end before the designated time! So if there is a Sunday deal of $ 2.50 per game you won’t get the deal if you come in at 11:45 a. m because by the time you finish your game (s) it will have been past 12. (Don’t know why they don’t say that on the website).
–Shoes are so worn-​out that they cause you to slip and are frankly pretty nasty.
–Seating is pretty awkward for parties greater than 4 people

Fun bowling is true, but this place seriously lacks in service. I’ve never once come across a bowling alley where they refuse a customer a specific bowling ball.
I’ve always played with a 6lb ball because everything else is just generally too heavy for me b/​c I have relatively weak wrists. Also I ALWAYS break my nails when I use heavier bowling balls. But the lightest ball this place will give me is an 8lb.
Luckily for me, there was a 6lb ball at the lane we were assigned to. I played an entire game fine and then the man behind the counter came by and took the ball away from me. And he began to argue with me when I asked if I could keep it. He insisted that I was going to break the ball and that the ball would crack from the inside. He also told me that it didn’t matter when I tried to explain that the other ball was too heavy for me and pointed out that a lot of «children» around me were throwing the 6lb ball harder and faster than I was. What the heck???
I had half a game left when he took the ball away. And with the heavier ball, i broke my nail AND injured my wrist. I am shocked by the type of service I received from this bowling alley. I am never coming back to this place.

I live near by, and grew up learning how to bowl at this location, and it never ceases to fail at making every start of my night exciting. I’m not a pro bowler (which may be a bit shameful for how often and how long I’ve come here) but there’s no shortage of fun and when the leagues are done getting their practice in, that’s when the music starts. And they’re so good at making sure to shove in the oldies with the goodies of today.
If you’re not up for bowling there’s still other things to do– enjoy more refreshments for your drunken behavior at the adult bar, get food for your inner fatty, and play pool or arcade games to ease the fact that you’re a shitty bowler. Jk… But seriously. Not a big bowler? Listen to the jams and get in on this games, they have a hockey table!
I come on dollar Monday’s– where a game is a dollar and shoe rental is $ 5.00!

Fun place. Some reasonable pricing. My SO likes it a lot as he is in the league that they host on weekday evenings. The place is so classic– lanes upon lanes with billiards, an arcade, an adjacent bar, and a café. I feel like I am pleasantly time-​warped to the 70s.
The reason for 4 stars? Their prices are a bit high. For an even more petty reason… I absolutely detest country music and they BLAST it during daytime bowling hours. Really??? How about some classic rock? It seems more activity and décor appropriate. Maybe next time I go in I will politely request a change in music genre.

I give it a solid 4.5 because of the staff that work there. The attendant that helped us with the transaction, shoes, quarters, receipt, etc. etc. She was helping us with everything and didn’t give attitude at all with any of my requests. It was $ 5.50 per game/​per person and $ 4 per pair for a shoe rental. The technician that removed the gutter ball that was stuck was also pleasant. Minus the ½ star (I round up) because of the many arcade and video games that they had that were out of order. FYI, the café there doesn’t open until, I don’t know but they sure weren’t open at 10:30am on a Wednesday. That’s okay because we had a lovely time at Royal Café a few blocks down.
Kids bowl 2 free games everyday 10:00am — 5:00pm, MONDAY — THURSDAY, if they register (bring in the bar code or redemption something or other so that the cashier can apply this, can also bring a print out with this information OR if you have a smart phone and can access your login with password that you signed up the kids with, then do that because they do have free wifi there) online! Valid until August 31, 2015. Also valid on Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm.

Been here with friends for the Tuesday night deals the past 3 weeks. Great way to have fun on the cheap. 3 games for a group of 5 people only cost about 42 bucks total.
The service actually isn’t all that bad and the employees are really nice. I’m docking 2 stars for 2 reasons:
1. The last visit to this place my friends ordered a pizza and it took nearly an hour for them to get their pizza. They were pretty hungry and were getting frustrated at the long wait for their food. Pretty bad on the kitchen’s part.
2. The wait is kind of a drag on Tuesday nights. Even though the cheap bowling officially starts at 8 PM. No lanes are ever open until 9 PM. So have to burn an hour somehow by paying for pool or something.
Once you get your lanes though, it’s a pretty fun night and shouldn’t take too much away from this place.

This place is really fun! They turn the lights off and pay music after 7:00 (I think. I’m not sure if it’s every night or just weekends. I went last Saturday and the place was jumpin’). Plenty of lanes, the shoes are in good condition, the scoring display is fun…

So here it is. I finally tried my hand at bowling having not been in 40 years. I failed miserably … but I had a great time doing it!
The bowling ally is a very clean place. I did expect worse the first time we visited and was pleasantly surprised to see different.
Shoe rental was painless, especially when I complained that my shoes were too tight and I was given a pair that had been broken in already.
We went to our assigned ally and found a couple of balls.
The next thing I noticed (and this is specific to me and not a reflection to the establishment) is that my elbow and left thigh couldn’t handle this type of sport. It’s probably my age and lack of having the discipline needed to keep the correct form. Still, it was a ton of fun to go, watch my Funance’ do so very well (first time in 25 years for him!) and the folks around us who obviously were seasoned bowlers.
We played our 2 games, thanks to our Groupon, met the owner and felt very much at home.
We’ll probably come back, but first, I need to work on my style!

My reviews have been taken down by Unilocal because I apparently violated the content guidelines. Well here is my review yet again and I am sure that it FALLS inside of the guidelines.
WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE.
I felt harassed and discriminated again by the security guards who work here. I was kicked out for letting a minor drink, but here was the situation. My friends and I parted ways as they headed up to pay for an alley and I to the bar. One of my friends picked up a drink while I had gone to pee, then I got my drink.
Upon returning to my friends, I saw them arguing with security. Of course, I want to know what’s going on– so I ask my friend. She described what happens and then security GOES HAM on what she is telling me.
First off, security WAS RUDE– my friend was telling me what was going on and these rude BOYS interrupted, yelled at me for no reason, acted they were right, threatened to take my drink away—
Second off— OKAY?! I just bought my drink and innocently came back. Now security is giving me hell for no reason, accusing me that I gave drinks to my friend (who was just telling me what was going on).
Security needs to LEARN how to HANDLE things better WITHOUT being RUDE, ARROGANT, and IGNORANT.
I felt harassed, which they had no reason to do so, and will never return here.
And if Unilocal further contacts me to state that my review is out of content guidelines. I would like you to SPECIFICALLY point out where– and not insinuate that Albany Bowl paid the company takes down bad reviews.
I do apologize that my previous reviews for this company appear to violate Unilocal’s Content Guidelines. Would Unilocal highlight or point out where I have violated the guidelines in my previous reviews? Moreover, I have edited my review for this «Albany Bowl» and ensured that this newer review is within the «Content Guidelines».
Can you please look over my this review and tell me how does this violate guidelines when I make no mention of inappropriate content. In fact, I was the one who felt harrassed by the displays of bigotry from Albany Bowl staff. There is no conflicts of interest since it was the first and last time I was will ever go to that horrid place. I am no promoter and believe my experience at Albany Bowl is completely revelant to my review. I edited my review to make no mentions of names– simply vented my frustrations on the general «Security» of Albany Bowl. Finally, all the reviews I have written were made by me and me only.
So, I appreciate if someone can tell me what problem Unilocal has with my reviews as I fail to see how they violate its «Content Guidelines»? I have demonstrated, with my newest review, that I have not. Thus, I would appreciate if Unilocal would discontinue notifying me about this situation and maintain my review on Albany Bowl as I do keep the «Content Guidelines in mind».
My question then becomes: why does my reposting to this buisness result in the clousure of my account when I simply described my experience– is that the sole basis of Unilocal?I understand that the customer is not always correct, but when I have endured such a horrible experience that I think it is in best interest of other customers to see that, at the very least.

I am probably the world’s worst bowler and I’ve only recently gained the ability to even get the ball down the lane without the bumpers. Okay, just needed to get that off my chest before I started. Despite my noobness, whenever my friends suggest a trip out to Albany bowl I always jump at the chance to take a break from class to make myself look like an idiot for a few hours. [Side note: despite this, during my last visit I got a strike with the red pin so I won a few game, take that!]
The number one complaint I have with Albany bowl is that it’s just not able to accommodate the amount of people that frequent it. It’s not unusual to be met with a 30 – 45 minute wait (which often extends to a 45 – 60 minute wait). When you become pro at coming to Albany Bowl you learn to get there early and then go grab a bite or drink at the bar. Also, the noise level is pretty insane and at night the area gets pretty sketch (and I come almost exclusively during the night time).
The balls and lanes are pretty well-​kept. I’ve never really had a complaint about the facility but sometimes the balls sometimes have weird scratches or divots that make it harder to roll the ball effectively. But considering how old the place is, it’s commendable that they keep it from falling apart.
Food and drink: I’ve sort of been spoiled by the food from my hometown bowling alley, which borders on some of the best food I’ve ever had. That being said, the food here isn’t bad, it’s just sort of greasy so it combats my ability to try to be active. Whenever I grab a handful of curly fries I just want to slump into the chairs and skip my turn. BUT: pitchers of PBR are only ten dollars, thank you for skipping the huge bowling alley alcohol pricing! Like all things, bowling is way more fun with a small buzz goin’ on.
Pro-​tip: Mondays and Tuesdays, it’s only 1.50 a game. COnsider making Albany Bowl your first stop before you visit some of the local bars on your way home, if you see me buy me a drink at Ivy Room ;)
(3.5÷5)

I came here at a Company event so unfortunately I cannot comment on prices for lane reservation or food like I usually do. lol.
There are a ton of lanes here, and very kid friendly. It’s a pretty standard bowling alley with mounted scoreboard screen, good variety of different ball masses, right amount of lighting, plenty of seating space, etc. The pizza here is actually pretty good. There’s this chicken-​veg combo that I don’t know what it’s called because again, I didn’t order it, but the flavors were balanced really well! The garlic fries were decent. The fries itself wasn’t great, but I’m willing to overlook that because they were fairly generous with the garlic! They came out with plates, napkins, cups, and pitchers, and asked if we wanted refills so I’d say service is pretty solid here.
The music is mehh. lots of oldies hip/​disco music. not really my style but. this could be really fun for others.
One of the three lanes we reserved glitched up. twice during the 2 hour period. Not a big deal but we lost around 10 minutes of play time.