Bayou Bowl

This place is extremely subpar on most every account.
I’ve lived in the area for around 16 years and have been here roughly 20 times during that span. I enjoy bowling, I really do. Because of this place, we drive 90 miles away to play at a decent alley. When I DO try to get a game in here, I always go with the mind frame of «Maybe it will be better now.» And I am always let down. Keep in mind that everything I am reviewing here has collectively gotten WORSE during that timespan.
I don’t mind writing my score. I actually embrace the old school manner of it. But why have overhead projected scoring if it doesn’t even work? Is it that tough to replace the bulbs?
Why must I manually reset the pins every SECOND bowl of EVERY frame? This has happened MANY times in the past, not just today. Just today, we ended up moving lanes TWICE because of this. The third lane they put us on, we only had to manually reset it every third frame :/​
Your bowling balls are –and I cannot state this enough– absolute trash. They may have been really nice back when the alley was fresh and new in the 70’s but dang… I’m not sure how many pits and chips are required to render a bowling ball useless, but you guys have plenty that would fail any sort of proper functionality test.
The place has a smell to it. Nothing like most bowling alleys. This smell is like decade (s) old nicotine/​alcohol/​grease/​mildew. Which is probably exactly what the smell is.
There are 4 bathrooms total here. A men and womens on each end of the alley. On the North side of the building the bathrooms are terrible. I didn’t want to go #1 in the mens restroom and please keep in mind that I spent 2 years of my life in Afghanistan, where clean/​sanitary restrooms are nonexistent. On the south side, the restrooms were remodeled and are updated nicely! TOO BAD they have been out of service the past couple of times I have been there! 2 times in the past year and a half or so, and both times, the nicer restrooms were closed. Well done, staff.
The bar area is archaic. Hey, the beer was cool today! Not cold, but at least it wasn’t room temperature like the last time I was here! Why in the world do you have a fountain drink station in the bar, in the most convenient place for everyone there-​in the DEAD CENTER of the place– but refuse to use it? Want a soda? You are banished to the the very North end of the alley, to the grill area. Quite inconvenient for the patrons on the extreme South end of the place don’t you think?
Speaking of the grill area, I wish I could review the food. I just can’t stomach the smell around it, so I’ve never tried the burgers or fries. It looks very unsanitary in there so I’ve stayed away.
The staff have never been the most fun to deal with. Hell, if I worked there I wouldn’t be terribly happy to hear your 10^th complaint of your hour long visit either. Not entirely their fault. I unequivocally blame the ownership and lack of updating the alley as a whole. They get the crap end of bad ownership. But still, at least act like you care.
The reasons this place is so bad are simple. There is no competition for 90+ miles in ANY direction from it. Bowlers that can’t/won’t drive an hour and a half away are going to put up with this terrible place of business, and the owners know that. Why put more $$ into it when the people are going to keep coming back for lack of options?
Not to worry. They are getting no more of my money, until I hear of massive overhauls. Which I highly doubt will happen in my lifetime. My family will make the hour and a half drive West to bowl.

Prepare for a nostalgia trip! This was the first bowling alley I’ve ever been to that wasn’t electronic that you actually had to write down your scores! It was such a refreshing experience!
The prices aren’t too bad. On an early Saturday afternoon, it was $ 34 for two people to bowl for an hour. They have cheap confessions. It was only $ 5 for two Redd’s to sip on while we bowled.
There’s plenty of parking and a game room for kids and pretty much anything you could require from a bowling alley!
They also do Blacklight Bowling at night, something cool for the kids.
I will definitely be making a return trip to knock over some more pins!

Going to Bayou Bowl is like stepping back in time about 30 years. The place looks state of the art by late 1970s/​early 1980s standards. Regardless, it’s probably a little below par of many other bowling alleys, at least in Louisiana. Probably the biggest «time stamp» this particular alley has is the lack of scoring computers (they just have «overhead projectors»). Also, they hold one of your regular shoes as collateral throughout the duration of your time there such that you pay once you finish your game (s). A little strange, but, as of now, it seems Bayou Bowl is the only bowling alley in the Monroe area and it’s fairly satisfactory.