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Garden Bowl

3.5 (77 reviews)
Open 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

Services - Garden Bowl

Catering services

Garden Bowl Photos

GARDEN BOWL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Divey
Loud
Live music
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Garden Bowl

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Reviews With Photos

Bowling lanes
Ash P.

Went bowling here with my family. We had fun and played two great games . We went early on a Saturday and reserved a lane for two hours to enjoy the afternoon it gets packed in here pretty fast we ordered a pizza it was okay not great and some Lemonade and enjoyed the time. They have a full bar and The staff was friendly the ambiance was okay. Kind of felt unsafe as the night progressed. But they do have security.

Scratch n' Snuffs from Pittsburgh
Nicole F.

The cost for bowling is a little Much, but I love the atmosphere, especially when there is live music in front by Sgt. Pepperoni's Pizza!

Sofia S.

Love this place. Are the lanes good? No, and that's when they're available. Is the pizza greasy as hell? Yes. But twice there's been a bowling pin art show here and how many other bowling alleys can we say that about?

bowling lanes and disco ball
Mandy S.

I came here on a Monday afternoon. Place was empty. I can see it getting pretty busy at other times. Cool vibes. They had the lanes decorated with Halloween stuff which was cute. The Staff was friendly. I would go back if I was in downtown Detroit.

Carey C.

Fun atmosphere, but bowling prices are a little on the high side. Also, don't like the ball returns are on every other lane, so you are either walking in someone's game or their walking into yours. The lanes come fashioned with about 2 balls of every size/weight, with huge finger holes, so anyone could use any ball. No lane server/service, so you had to get your own drinks. I thoroughly enjoyed myself because I paid for nothing :)

bowling lanes and neon lights
Dalia R.

Super fun bowling alley in a historic building in downtown Detroit! Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Doesn't seem like this is a place for professional bowlers, but it's the perfect atmosphere for a casual time with friends. There's also a pizza restaurant and bar attached to the entrance! Bowling is a little on the pricier side, but it's an experience worth checking out at least once!

Loved the old school signage inside Garden Bowl!
Bobbi-Jo W.

Visited on Black Friday after we had struck out with a bad experience at a highly suggested local favorite in corktown, and Garden Bowl saved the day! A punk rock bowling alley in a historic building, complete with cheap drinks and a snack bar. We had so much fun!!!

Mj J.

What a BLAST!!!!! I happened to have the day off for President's Day and he surprised me by getting off work early so we could spend most of the day together. He has been wanting to go bowling for months now, so we decided to head downtown and check out the Garden Bowl. Garden Bowl is an old school bowling alley attached to the Majestic Theater. What the place lacks in upgrades, the vibe and atmosphere makeup the difference. We decided to rent a lane for an hour. The cost was super cheap....under $10 for the rental and shoes. We made our way to the lane and let the competition commence! haha To be honest, I am not the best bowler, but we had such a great time. We spent so much time laughing, and joking around that I'm surprised we were able to finish our games. I will not brag about my score (under 100) but he did fantastic. I was impressed :) We ordered a few drinks and a shot at the bar to celebrate his win! The bar is fully stocked and has Happy Hour specials. If you are in the mood for food, I did see patrons enjoying some pizza. We will most definitely be back and I plan to beat his high score. Next time, I promise, the drinks will be on him! lol

Outside
Jeremy S.

Old school. Very old, as in established in 1912. The facade and inside are a little disheveled, but hey it's bowling do you really need much to be happy? Hope not. They've got the critical elements covered: a handy bar that'll serve you pitchers, a pizza stand next door that brings you pies, a computerized scoring system, and friendly staff that happily gives you ratty shoes and a glass of water for your hangover with a smile. Sure it's not the champagne of bowling, but it's downtown Detroit and this old Mom and Pop has somehow managed to hang on... For that alone I salute you Mr. Bowling Alley Owner guy.

Bowling Alley
Steven L.

The garden bowl is the place to be on the weekend. My group of friends and I really like getting together and going bowling, but our local place was closing, and honestly, way more lame than the garden bowl. This place is a great stop, a lot of young people like to go in, and they stay open until 2:00. The pizza at Sargent Pepperoni's is phenomenal and there's a bar inside. The bowling is paid for by the hour and there are lots of fun ways to customize the screens (which my friends and I enjoy far too much). Whoever the DJ was killed it, they had a great playlist. I've never had a bad time at the garden bowl and it's a great spot to hang!

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

Very few people there during the day, on a weekday. Easy bowling. Day drinks were fine. Bartender was nice.

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4 years ago

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7 years ago

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1 year ago

Penny had to. Best server ever. So cool cool best experience. Loved it so much!!! We had had the best greeting n service!

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8 years ago

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3 years ago

Beautiful place great food safe and fun I will always visit here I love it wonderful people ... I will tell all my family about this place

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16 years ago

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Review Highlights - Garden Bowl

It's been a bowling alley for 100 years, and the pictures on the wall give a glimpse into the history of bowling.

Mentioned in 10 reviews

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Father Forgive Me - Scallop carpaccio

Father Forgive Me

4.7(51 reviews)
3.9 mi

Father Forgive Me was high on my Detroit list after hearing so much hype about it, both online and…read morefrom friends. Nate and I stopped in on our most recent visit to Detroit and had a lovely experience. The space is tucked away but had a surprising amount of outdoor space--we were there in January but I'd love to come back in the summer. We were greeted right away and given a spot near the bar. The menu includes cocktails, lots of wine, and several tasty food options. It was quite busy inside, so it took a bit of time for our server to come over to us, but we weren't in a rush. They had ten cocktails on their list and I tried the bullet proof soul and Nate got the negroni alla perra. The ingredients list for some of the cocktails include things I've never heard of, but at a place like this, I just know it's going to be good. Our drinks were perfectly balanced and very tasty. We also ordered the mortadella sandwich to split--this was delicious. It was pretty messy, but worth it. It was perfectly toasted and full of mortadella. Everything on the menu sounded delicious and I would love to try more of the food options. Can't wait to visit again!

Another great new destination spot on Detroit's east side. It's more then a bar with outdoor…read moreseating. There's artwork, a skatepark, renovated houses, gardens and a church that is now an art gallery. We stopped in to check it out and sat at the bar for a cocktail and snack. The waitstaff were super helpful in explaining everything and we finally picked 2 apps and got drinks. Both were amazing. There were friendly patrons all around and we chatted with other bar admirers. We checked out the coffee shop, Warda, but didn't purchase anything then, but have had several of their desserts since then and they did not disappoint. The atmosphere is wonderful, indoor/outdoor bar, great outside seating - not sure how this will work in the winter? They also have very pretty stone paths with multicolor stones mixed in for a very peaceful beautiful look. It inspired me to add some multicolored stones to my garden! I can't wait to return.

Photos
Father Forgive Me - Roasted beets and whipped feta (on the side per our request)

Roasted beets and whipped feta (on the side per our request)

Father Forgive Me - Carrot cake cocktail

Carrot cake cocktail

Father Forgive Me - Outdoor space

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Outdoor space

The Skip - Fun drink mugs and glasses

The Skip

4.2(240 reviews)
1.3 miDowntown Detroit
$$

If you're looking for pure vibes in downtown Detroit, The Skip is the move…read more This spot is such a fun escape -- colorful, open-air, and full of energy. The music hits, the crowd is always lively, and it just feels like summer no matter what time of year it is. Whether you're stopping by before hitting another spot or making it your main destination for the night, The Skip always delivers. Now let's talk drinks -- because they do not play around. The Long Islands are ON POINT. Strong, smooth, and perfectly balanced. Not watered down, not overly sweet -- just right. You definitely feel like you're getting your money's worth, and they're dangerously easy to sip. I love the overall vibe here. It's social, upbeat, and perfect for hanging with friends. If you want good music, great drinks, and a guaranteed good time, The Skip should absolutely be on your list. This is one of those places you go once... and then it becomes part of your regular rotation.

I love the Skip for its extraordinary efforts in decorating for every season. From tiki to…read moreHalloween, they do it right. Currently, it's the Black Lagoon through Halloween. We made reservations in a weekend but it wasn't necessary at 5. What I didn't know what this theme is a pop up much like Miracle Bar around Christmas. The mugs are not really made for The Skip and can be found online for less. Most importantly is the drinks are not good. They're not spirit forward, they're full of mixers. Such a bummer because they do make good cocktails occasionally. We were one and done this evening due to the bad drinks and loads of people who brought their kids to this bar. The decor is great. Service is attentive and friendly. Not in a rush to return.

Photos
The Skip - Black lagoon

Black lagoon

The Skip - Black lagoon

Black lagoon

The Skip - Atmosphere

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Atmosphere

The Conservatory - Tea & Sherry cocktail, glass of Rioja, croquetas de jamon, patatas bravas, and tortilla española

The Conservatory

4.0(11 reviews)
0.4 miMidtown

I'm not usually a "hotel lobby bar" kinda person, but we were looking for a place to have drinks…read moreand some bites after a show at the DSO and decided to walk here. I was very pleasantly surprised! The space is beautiful, classy, and airy. We sat at the bar and had a nice chat -- the music was at a good volume. I only ordered wine -- their wine list is alright. Not bad for a bar that's clearly not wine-focused. My wife and a friend had cocktails and they both were good, particularly their espresso martini. For food, we shared patatas bravas, tortilla española, and croquetas de jamon, and they were all delicious. I'd legit come back for a full dinner. My only reason to not give this 5 stars is the drink service was very slow, even though the place wasn't busy. The two bartenders seemed friendly enough but weren't communicating very well, and kept forgetting to take and/or bring our orders. We also asked for the check and they kept forgetting to bring it until we asked again. Overall, it was a positive experience and a nice surprise, but I hope the odd bar service was just a one-off blip.

Unfortunately the staff was in a tough position when we came to try the Conservatory, as there was…read moreonly one person in the back and nearly half of their menu was unavailable. They could have been upfront about this, but our waiter didn't tell us until after bringing us drinks, letting us see the menus, and after he started to take our orders. We essentially had to ask---what *do* you have? One pet peeve of mine is that they give everyone low ball glasses for water with no ice and a single, narrow carafe of water for the entire table. We had to continuously ask for more water. I tried the espresso no-tini ($11), a mocktail. It was good, but came in cordial glass and was essentially just a shot of chilled espresso. The setas ($14) were listed as a local wild mushroom blend with garlic and lemon. It was probably about a half cup of mushrooms, grilled, and served in a saucer. Finally, the charcuterie y queso ($21) was meat, cheese, sourdough, mustard, pickles, and honey. Everything was very salty and with no variation. It needed balance with a soft cheese, spice, or more sweetness. My charcuterie plate didn't come out until about an hour plus after we ordered, after multiple asks. It's hard to justify the delay when it's just hard cheese and meat, they didn't have to cook, and there were few other customers. (Essentially, we forgot). I still had a wonderful time with my friends in a beautiful space, but I wouldn't come here to eat again. The menu is elaboratey described dishes that come in very small portions and with ingredients that don't live up to the names.

Photos
The Conservatory - Bar at the AC Hotel Detroit at the Bonstelle.

Bar at the AC Hotel Detroit at the Bonstelle.

The Conservatory - Espresso martini

Espresso martini

The Conservatory

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Garden Bowl - bowling - Updated May 2026

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