WhirlyBall

Who knew whirleyball would be so fun?! Went with a group of 16 people and we switched off every round. Whirleyball is ¹⁄₃ basketball, ¹⁄₃ lacrosse, as ¹⁄₃ bumper cars. You turn left, and the car turns right. You try to reverse and you go straight. It’s a twisty turny game and can get downright competing. There are two staff members to referee the game and award points.
This is a unique way to have some fun as adults and after you’re done playing whirleyball, you can hit up the arcade or play a game of laser tag.

Whirley ball is so fun! Great food, great ambience, great music, and great service! Andre was our server for a work outing and he did an amazing job serving us, remembering our orders and keeping separate tabs! Had a blast! Will definitely be back for my next group event!

I had my birthday party at this location, and it was an absolute blast! The entire staff was very accommodating to our specific requests through out the night. The only thing I would have a negative comment on, would be that the drinks are very expensive, and there was no music playing while we were playing. Overall, it was a great night! I will be going back!

Came here for dinner, drinks, and bowling with some coworkers. Overall, we had a great time, enjoyed the food, and had fun bowling. They even gave me a free pair of socks to wear, since I had forgotten to bring my own! I definitely want to come back sometime and play WhirlyBall.

Ok. So I decided to throw myself a bday party. Whirlyball is SOOOOOO much fun. Before I knew it the game was super competitive. I was sweating and lost both of my earrings. The staff was laughing along with us. Unfortunately, all the cars didn’t operate properly and at different speeds. They did their best to fix them or replace them but for what it costs — I mean come on man. If there is a weight limit they should state that too because some cars were still going faster than others.
Then there’s the bowling. Our waiter ANDRE was often no where to be found. My friend had to go to the bar to get her own drink. Another friend had to go get refills of tap water for the table. He can do better. We had 8 people bowling so the game took longer than the hour I originally paid for. The sad part was I paid for the hour and not the game — they can totally adjust this pricing. The good part is that they extended the game 20 min when requested so we could finish the game. My point is that for what it cost we shouldn’t have to do all that. Charge per game and not the hour.
All in all, it was a great birthday experience and I will return. Considering the costs this location has some improvements to make.

This place is awesome!
We decided to celebrate my husband’s 34^th birthday in a way that would suit his age — laser tag!
We booked the laser tag room 3 days in advance for a group of 17 people. By that time they were already pretty full so we had to compromise on the hour. If you decide to go try to book it a week in advance — you’ll have a better chance to get the hour that you want.
The place looks really cool and has different activities like whirlyball, bowling and others, and have a bar where you can get food and drinks.
Laser tag was sooo much fun and a great workout too! If you’re going, wear dry fit cloths. You’ll thank me for this advice.
After laser tag we went to the bar and ordered fries, pizza, burger, and the salmon burger. The salmon burger was really good, but the pizza was not and we barely touched it. The dough was too thin and was disappointing. If you go order anything but the pizza because overall they serve pretty good food.
We had a blast! Would definitely go back to try the whirlyball.

I don’t really get the draw of this place. It’s an unusual activity that everyone wants to try once, so I don’t see myself returning.
Our «referee» started out by explaining that one of the backboards is too sensitive, and the other isn’t very sensitive at all. Not exactly off to a great start, but he mentioned that he’d be watching the game and would just call out if something counted. That’s fine, except for the fact that he basically paid zero attention. His head was down about 75% of the time, and when he did look up and announce something, it was about 30 – 60 seconds too late.
The ref continued to be oblivious to the fact that people were taking their phones out to take selfies (which was mentioned as a «do not» before we started), and overly-​aggressive playing that involved hacking at people’s hands and wrists with the scoops. Thankfully no one was injured. To be fair, I can partially fault some of the people I was there with for the poor behavior, but aren’t the refs there to make sure it’s safe and fun for everyone? If our first ref had spent more time watching the game instead of looking down at whatever he was doing (homework? texting?), I think the rest of the event would’ve been a bit more enjoyable for me.
I was there as part of a corporate group so it wasn’t really that competitive, but it kinda takes the fun out of things when the equipment is iffy and their assurance comes in the form of employees who are totally oblivious. The equipment issues were a bit of a downer, too. Everything there just felt like it was in a state of disrepair. I think the overall premise is a bit flawed, but that’s just my opinion. Example: why is the court rectangular? This leads to problems with the ball getting stuck in a corner or people getting boxed in (make the courts round or oval-​shaped). Similarly, what’s with the weird shelves above the wall bumpers with a huge gap that let balls get stuck in there? Is that really the best design?
I will give our server credit for taking orders promptly and having a friendly demeanor. I don’t recall his name, unfortunately, but I hope he sticks around.
Will I return? Unlikely.

This was my first time playing Whirlyball, and I loved it. Was not sure how to feel about it before we went, but the idea seemed fun. I had imagined it would be just a warehouse with bumper cars, but was happy to see that it was more of a cool hangout spot. Our party of 7 did not realize that this place is usually packed, but we were in luck that it was a Tuesday night and it is open late. Otherwise, we would have had to reserve a court beforehand. For sure going to do this next time.
Whirlyball itself is so much fun. We would have done an hour of just that, but wanted to try other things. After our games, the waitresses were very nice and made sure to get us drinks and food if we needed them. The drinks weren’t very expensive in my opinion.
After that, we tried bowling. Our group felt it was a bit expensive, but it was fun nevertheless. We want to visit the other locations for laser tag and rock climbing, but this location is very good because of the size and proximity to us.

Came here on a Monday afternoon at 4:30with two friends specifically because happy hour specials that we saw advertised. We get to the bar and ask about the happy hour special and were told they no longer have them. When we asked why, the bartender responded with a blank face and said, «that’s above my pay grade.» We really just wanted to leave right then but we had come a significant ways away so we decided to have one drink. We also took a look at bowling but the prices were outrageous so we just finished our drinks and left. Couldn’t get out fast enough.

Steak Rangoon … They forgot the steak and instead filled them with some nasty processed cheese.
The lamb appetizer with thin fries was delicious. Highly recommend this.

When I walked in this place, I was so surprised how big and nice it is! I also had no idea how expensive it was. My boyfriend and I went bowling on a rainy Saturday during Halloween weekend, so it wasn’t too busy. The alleys themselves were really nice with very cool balls (designed to look like giant balls from a game of pool). The sizing of the balls was a little weird, but that’s always a risk you run when renting, so no biggie there. The only real issue was the pricing structure: each person is charged per hour. I can’t remember the exact amount but it was something like $ 15 – 20 per hour after shoe rental. If you’re just playing with two people, you can get a decent number of games in. But the lane next to us has 4 people total… it just seemed like a bit of a rip off. Also, we wanted to go get drinks at the bar. There was a waitress that came around, but there were a lot of unique beers on tap that I wanted to hear more about, so we went to check them out. That ate up a solid 10 minutes, which wouldn’t be a big deal if it weren’t for the timed aspect.
I will say, there are a lot of great things about the business. We had an issue with our lane and the manager comped us for the lost time it took to reset everything. The bartender was super chill and recommended some good stuff. The place is overall very aesthetically pleasing with lots of parking. Honestly though, I doubt I’d ever go there for bowling again though… for a neighborhood joint, the prices are just too high. This place would be killer for a corporate sponsored event or even a professional networking group though!

I recently just planned a surprise party here for my boyfriend’s 30^th birthday. The actual WhirlyBall was all booked up, but I was able to reserve an hour of laser tag and an hour of bowling for our 29 person group.
It was a riot! Laser tag was so fun and absolutely exhausting, I would not recommend any longer than an hour since it is so hot and tiring. You get a full hour which consists of multiple games!
Food was surprisingly good. I got the bang bang shrimp tacos which I thoroughly enjoyed. Other people in our group got nachos and other apps and were all pleased with their choices.
They have a wide array of beers (about 30 on tap). There’s a really good variety including seasonal beers, craft beers and even a few sours.
All in all it was very good venue for a party. The only downside is the front desk organization. Trying to add people on for laser tag was so difficult to work out with the front desk staff, even though they had expressed over the phone that it would be very easy to add people the day off.
Costs: An hour of laser tag is $ 20/​person and the bowling lanes are $ 85/​hr. You can have up to 8 people on the lane, which includes shoe rentals. It can get pricey.

I can only review the Whirlyball aspect of this business, but from what I could see of the bar, bowling, and other activities this place offers up, it looks just as solid as the main attraction!
I had my first Whirlyball experience here after years of friends spouting the wonders of Whirlyball. For some reason I had tether ball in my head, but that thought was quickly jettisoned once I entered this large establishment.
Note, Whirlyball is said to be for persons ages 12 and up and of a certain height, so just in case you’re considering bringing family, check out their website for the exact requirements.
The staff here were friendly, flexible, and helpful. They explained all the rules associated with the game, and allowed us to get our fun on. Who knew bumper cars, lacrosse, and basketball could possibly be combined to create this chaotic, frenzy of bumper fun?
Price was $ 20/​person for our group of 8 to play for 1 hour. Not too bad, and it went by too fast. I’ll have to come again, because I wasn’t satisfied with my team’s score…

We met a bunch of friends here for a fun night/​hang out and had a really good time!
Décor: This place is made for fun. There are bowling lanes, shuffleboard, and WhrilyBall (of course). There is also a decent-​sized bar and plenty of tables scattered around. The lighting is a bit dark, but helps keep a relaxed and fun atmosphere. There are also a bunch of TVs so you won’t miss what’s going on in whatever sporting event is going on at the time.
Bathroom: It was clean and accommodating, pretty standard.
Staff: Our WhirlyBall ref was super cool and fun, even though she kept pretty strictly to the rules. The bartender, however, was not very nice at all. We really couldn’t figure out what her deal was either, it wasn’t that busy!
Drinks/​Food: They have a pretty solid drink menu, and a full bar, and the food selection hits all the high points. We, in particular, had some beers and cocktails and then ordered food after a few games. The wings are really good-​sized and very tasty, the nachos are HUGE and enjoyable, and an order of fries is easily enough for two people. Everything came out hot and fresh and tasted great.
Value: I’m not really sure how much a game of WhirlyBall is but the food and drinks were not terribly expensive.
We had a really fun time and will definitely keep this place in mind for future fun.

I only give this place 2 stars because the game itself is a lot of fun. I would give it 2.5 stars but in no way does it deserve 3.
I had a birthday party here and ordered the drink package along with Whirly ball. We ordered 2 hours of Whirly ball (separated with an hour break) and 4 hours of the drink package.
The first hour of Whirly Ball started 25 mins late (after they allowed the previous reservation an extra 15 mins then 10 mins of instructions to us. Our first hour pretty much ended right when it was originally scheduled to, so we only got to play 4, 10-​minute games.
We weren’t even going to say anything, but then our server disappeared for 45 minutes, so we felt ripped off from our drink package (where we were told we couldn’t just go to the bar, we had to order through the server.
We then asked politely to speak to a manager, but the one that came over was so rude. Shawn was so rude to us. He said we should have looked at our contract where it says instructions count as part of your Whirly Ball (Come to find out later it doesn’t state this anywhere). He ignored the fact that we started 15 minutes late. He also ignored the fact that we didn’t have a server for almost a full hour of the 4 hour drink package. Shawn never apologized for anything, and was rude the whole time. He did end up giving us one extra 10 minute game at the end but his attitude was just so off I felt uncomfortable being there.
I will likely come back for the game, but will dread going for the service alone.

This place was so fun, especially for adults. I went to this place for my best friend’s birthday place. Guess who was in our court before we had our scheduled time? David Eigenberg! He’s an actor from Sex and the City and Chicago Fire. It was awesome!
Then, we got into the carts and it was fun. A couple of the carts were horrible because it would get stuck. You couldn’t step off to push the cart; the ground is electrified. I think that the deal was great. You basically try to fit as many 10-​minute games for the amount of time you paid for. We paid for an hour and we fit in five games.
There also bars upstairs and on the main floor. Also, they had a good amount of bowling lanes. It seemed like a great place for adults.

Extremely clean and organized place. I believe they just remodeled recently, so everything was in pristine condition. They have a large dining area and bar, and they have shuffle board to keep you entertained while you’re waiting for a court to open.
The «basketball» goals were new and no longer sports a net. It just has a plastic backing to it and works great. The bumper cars are a tad beatup, but definitely newer than the other WhirlyBall cars in other locations. The «referees» were extremely nice and funny, and we had a good time.
BATHROOM REVIEW: Located near the WhirlyBall courts, the bathrooms were spacious and clean. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in there. Sit or squat? Sit!

The whirly ball is a ton of fun! However, they seemed a little unorganized when we arrived with a party of only 9. We had a great a great time, but I would not recommend their «unlimited beer for 2 hours» deal. After their fee and taxes, it turns out to be over $ 30, even though it’s advertised for $ 20. You have to drink a lot of beer for the $ 30 to be worth it. They do have a great beer list, so just pay as you go.

I love WhirlyBall. I literally was yelling and going crazy trying to get the ball, absolutely making a fool of myself! However, I will be hosting my next birthday here so I’ll be allowed to be as ridiculous as I want with limited consequences since it’s my birthday.
Overall, i had a blast. This game would be awesome with a group and some cocktails. It has bowling, whirly ball courts and best of all, a bar. This place reminds me of paradise!

Well this place brought out the sheer competitor in me. My oh my! Bowling is always a good time, but pair that with an amazing duo of bumper cars + scoop ball and you’ve got a wild night ahead of you. Warning: you may end up with some shoulder/​leg soreness from all the bumping and banging around. And, my arm was sore the next day from all the steering. It’s surprisingly sweating and intense. I definitely recommend it for a group outing like a company party or birthday party. We had such a fun time with all our coworkers!
It was nice having a server who took drink orders and came back to refresh waters from time to time, which was much appreciated so we didn’t have to meander off to the bar every time we needed something.
The bowling seemed like a bonus while you wait for your WhirlyBall court to open. It was fun to get us warmed up and relaxed after a rough drive from downtown (verrrry snowy and traffic was crazy). They have a ton of tables and seating areas, but the crowd was pretty tame when we were there. It was a snowy weekday so that may have attributed to that.
The food is decent — lots of finger food options like tacos, wings, and pizza. Nothing mind blowing, but the focus is on the activities versus the food.

Dear Whirlyball,
I have to admit that I thought you would be somewhat cheesy and «not my cup o’ tea» upon entering your high sensory space but you proved me otherwise. Yes, you were cheesy, but in the best of ways. Plus, what better way to get to know your coworkers than some friendly competition via bowling and whirlyball? I was also pretty impressed by your American-​style bar eats. Special shout out to the beer cheese and pretzels and wings. I really did a number on those bad boys…
For those who are unfamiliar with Whirlyball: it’s a combo of bumper cars/​basketball and lacrosse (said the sports-​challenged lady). It’s ridiculously fun, exciting and sweaty. Dress accordingly, my friend. They have 3 or 4 Whirlyball rooms/​courts that can be rented as well as 10+ lanes for bowling, tvs a’plenty and liquor license to loosen up your whirly throwing arms.
Great spot for team bonding with coworkers, birthday parties, group dates, you name it.

In real life I’m not the best with depth perception or hand-​eye coordination and my driving record shows it. But in Whirlyball life, I’m one badass athlete.
I had no idea this was the case until I overcame my fear of being bad at things and joined my colleagues for a super-​competitive, fun-​little-​match. Who knew all I needed was a bumper car, a plastic stick with a net on the end (a few cocktails) and a whiffle ball to bust out my inner champion. But now, there’s no turning back. I want more. I want to win. I need more Whirlyball!
I also want to point out how much fun this was by mentioning our time here started off a little rocky. Most of us had piled into cabs and slowly made our way to this location in a lovely combination of a blizzard and rush hour traffic. I’m 100% sure we could have walked there faster and without so many cases of motion sickness. But the staff and the fun at Whirlyball turned it all around. The enormous trays of sliders, soft pretzels, mini quesadillas and pizza, coupled with alcoholic beverages didn’t hurt, either.
Again, the staff was stellar. The food was your average bar/​pub food, nothing over the top awesome, but still satisfying. And there’s bowling! NEW bowling! Fresh, new lanes, shoes – the whole kit and ka’boodle.
Go. You’ll have so much fun!

When I recently posted on Facebook how I never realized Whirlyball could be so fun an old college friend of mine commented, «Waaaaaiiiiiiit a minute. You went to DePaul and lived in Chicago for how long, and this is your first Whirlyball experience!?» It’s true. I am so ashamed. Undergrad and Grad school at DePaul, 10 years in Chicago, AND I grew up near Whirlyball spot in SE Michigan and I’d never took a spin in a bumper car with whiffle ball. My life has now been forever changed for the better.
Back in my day this Whirlyball used to be in a warehouse space on Fullerton. Apparently they’ve recently made the move to this new place and it is impressive. Big, spacious, and clean. The bar area is cool –plenty of space to congregate, big tables for big groups. I dig it.
Came with my co-​workers and we had a group package which included bowling for an hour, two drink tickets each (to pick from a limited list of beverages), a spread of bar/​finger foods, and an hour of Whirlyball. An comprehensive package that takes a lot of the guess work out of it for us. We could just go and have fun.
One caveat – the food here isn’t the best. I mean, it’s not awful for finger food/​appetizers but a lot of places are doing elevated bar food so I know it’s possible to do well. It’s just not super kick ass here. But it gets the job done and I did not leave hungry! The beverage list for the tickets was limited and it wasn’t extremely extensive but I did manage get pick out ond of my recent beer faves the Shiner Birthday Beer so I was happy camper!
The bowling lanes are also new and the balls are plentiful (heh heh heh). A few of my coworkers said they felt they weren’t calibrated great but I have no idea what I’m doing when I bowl (I’m lucky to break a 50 if I’m being honest) so I didn’t notice anything amiss. We split into two large teams and so we only really managed one game in the hour span but that was just enough for us.
Then Whirlyball. So yeah. You’re in a bumper car. You have a little catcher thingy and you throw a whiffle ball around in teams to try and score against a basketball like backboard. I have to admit I’m not terribly athletic or coordinated so I was kinda nervous about this going into it but you know what I discovered? I’m pretty effing great at Whirlyball. And so were my coworkers. The games got heated. We crashed a lot. We broke a lot of rules. But we had SO SO much fun. I’m definitely hooked.
Just an FYI – it’s definitely a safe game but you WILL get a bit bruised. Especially as you get used to your car and the controls, or if you get really aggressive/​heated during the game. They’re bumper cars so head on collisions aren’t the worst but you will get the control mechanism jammed into your thigh, or you’ll get a bruise from your seatbelt when you crash. But it’s all super fun and totally worth it. I also walked away feeling pretty sore in my neck from getting hit a few times/​running into some walls but I popped a few Advil when I got back to my hotel and I felt just fine the next day.
All in all I walked away really loving my experience here. Hope to do it again next time I’m in town!
Ps – apparently they also have laser tag. Which is awesome.