Thought the place was very nice. The lanes were exactly what you expect for any decent bowling alley. The food stand had a decent selection of incredibly unhealthy food, which is exactly what you would expect from a bowling alley. The bar was relatively well stocked and had a variety of options. The prices for food and alcohol were a bit high, but not unreasonable. And while the staff was either stoned or huffing the disinfectant spray that they use on the rental shoes, they did their job incredibly well and without any issues. So I say get good for them and grab each one another can of Lysol. read more

I Just read through the one-star reviews to try and understand the criticisms of this place and can say that I would not give them much credence. Many of them seem upset that the staff wont give them free games, food, or drink and seem mostly interested in trying to exploit this locally owned spot for freebies. I have been going here for around 2 years now as a completely average joe type bowler. Me and my friends will come here for birthdays and drink, play pool, and chill. The staff has always been extremely patient and kind (even when our group has been a bit out of hand/rowdy). I've met the manager/owner? and he is an old-school down to earth type guy who has always been pretty nice in our few exchanges. I typically don't eat a ton here so I can't speak to the food quality really, my friends say it's pretty standard bar food quality and quite fairly priced for what it is. The drinks have always been solid, bartender is always nice. Ambience of this place is old-school Midwest. If you want to experience bowling in Chicago akin to what it was like growing up around here I would recommend this place. Pricing on both games and hours have been fair. I would highly recommend coming here if your looking for a reliable old-school bowling experience, be sure to check online for league nights, etc. so you don't wind up without a lane when you show up. I haven't been back in a couple months, but I hope they fixed their Billiards table!!!! read more

On numerous occasions, our league members have experienced what feels like targeted and discriminatory treatment toward the Hispanic and brown players in our league. What happened today was simply the last straw. We were told, "Finish your game, you've got 30 minutes or I'm shutting them off." When I calmly responded and suggested speaking to the league president, the owner replied that he would "talk to who tf he wants to talk to" because he's the owner. Then threaten to kick us and the league out. That level of hostility and unprofessionalism toward paying customers is unacceptable. This has not been a one-time issue. There has been a consistent pattern of aggressive and dismissive behavior toward our league. Music that we paid for on the jukebox has been turned off because we were "playing it too much" or because it wasn't the type of music they preferred. At one point, the jukebox was literally unplugged while we were sitting at the bar after paying for songs. Why? Because it didn't fit someone else's preferred genre? Our money is just as green as anyone else's. We pay the same league fees. We purchase food and drinks. We support the business the same way every other group does. Yet we are repeatedly treated as if we are an inconvenience. The tone is often aggressive. The interactions feel targeted. And the pattern week after week creates an environment that feels unwelcoming at best -- and discriminatory at worst. Businesses have every right to enforce policies. What they do not have the right to do is treat customers with hostility, selectively enforce rules, or create an atmosphere where certain groups feel singled out. We will absolutely not be returning next season. Respect, professionalism, and equal treatment should not be optional. Do better read more

We love it always excited to go back!! Check the bar too Excellent Service ... best Staff always so Friendly !! Food is great , read more

Habetler Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great place friendly staff! Took my son and two of his friends bowling - something to do to get them off their electronics. Staff was friendly and helpful - lanes were clean and rental equipment was is good shape. Played a couple of games of bowling and ate some appetizers. Recommended bowling spot on the Northwest side of Chicago- been around for many years. read more

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Pretty much a good bowling place sometimes in some specific lanes when i bowl it stops and some what glitches to fix this just ask the employees its not hard and you can ask for bowling balls of the weight you want it in. pretty much i like the place its very swag. food i never tried the. ambiance its not bad its pretty swag and cool thats all i have to say for this place bye and stay swaggy my bros. read more

I love this place! Pretty great bowling alley equipped with a full bar room with awesome drinks, good food for a bowling alley, vending machines, jukebox, pool table, plenty of washrooms, bowling shop and bowling ramps for those with disabilities (they have two). Habetler's service is very good considering that they are short staffed because good help is hard to find nowadays. They host different leagues, groups and on Fridays Chicago Park District does their bowling program for people with disabilities of all kinds. So the real star of the show...Sang in the bowling shop. Last Friday, I came here with my neighbors/friends to stay with Jocelyn at her weekly bowling for disabled people. I bought her her own Superman bowling ball & bag for her early Christmas gifts. Ball wasn't drilled with holes and so I decided to walk into Habetler's bowling shop and asked if they drilled holes (which probably was a dumb question LOL). I explained that Jocelyn has severe Cerebral Palsy and doesn't really need the holes because she pushes the ball down a ramp to bowl. Also, that these were early Christmas gifts and she just wanted the holes to feel like everyone else she bowls with. Sang said he still wanted to measure her hands and fingers for the holes. I proceeded to ask Sang how much it would cost. He initially gave me a price and said he can make the time right away to measure her and have the ball ready in ten minutes. I than brought Jocelyn and her mom into the shop and Sang measured her with such care and professionalism. He than said to all of us, "I'm not going to charge you all anything. This is my Christmas gift to her." I still offered to pay several times but he refused. I almost busted out in tears. Super unexpected and heartwarming. Sang came back out to where we were waiting to bowl and asked if we wanted him to inscribe her name on the ball. We both got excited and said a big ol' "YES!". He asked what name she wanted and how to spell it. I asked how much would he like to do that and again he refused any of my offers. Ten minutes later he brought the ball out very nicely drilled and inscribed. He's clearly amazing at his craft and an incredibly awesome human being. He walked to the washroom and I stopped him when he came out. I thanked him so much and told him she absolutely loves the ball, his work and that she's bowling even better than ever. He told me he was so happy to see her smile and that it is contagious. His kindness, generosity, his skills and professionalism are the real gifts. Please consider supporting a small local business and get your bowling needs met by Sang. I'm sangin' his praise, as we're so grateful, touched. We will always remember the kindness of a stranger for a young disabled girl that just wanted her own bowling ball and to bowl with the rest of the other people she likes and loves. read more

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Clean place. Friendly workers. We paid $56 for two games with two adults and a 4 year old. Price included shoes and a ball. The electronic scoring worked well, the bumper came up automatically when it was my kids turn, and they had the seats staggered so we weren't on top of each other. Certainly a must go back place. read more

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Bowled there,asked about a senoir discount during the day on a weekday and was told no way.paid $5.50 a game .bowled 3 games and had pinsetter leave partial racks but couldn't reset because all reset buttons were disconnected,had to go to desk for a reset.scorer showed a 9 in a frame that noone had bowled so pressed frame erase,machine shut off after 9 frames,when we asked for it to be turned on so we could finish the game counterman did but said we had bowled on wrong lane because the desk computer is never wrong and if we didn't like it don't come back,he needn't worry we wont. No wonder it was empty at noon on a weekday. read more

This bowling alley is ok. The bowling part itself it fine but other than that, I don't recommend it. The place is packed and pretty loud, I waited 20 minutes to play when there were 3 other open lanes! It smelt awful (like someone was smoking pot) and the workers aren't the nicest. read more

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Yea, this place was nice to bowl until you run into the owner who rung you up and decide to dupe you with the price per game because he felt like it. I went here 6 times and on my 6 times it was Sunday April 7 at 6pm, I got charge 10 per game instead of the usual 7 dollars per game that I usually was quote at. I felt cheated and in disbelief. Price was pretty extreme for Sunday around 6pm. Oh well, back to finding another bowling alley that I don't get dupe at. Food was ok, not the greatest. The mature lady that was the bartender is pretty friendly. Other than the owner, most of the staffs are pretty nice but it says a lot about the owner when he wants you to cheat you for a few more bucks. read more

This place is usually decent. I've been here with my son plenty of times bowling with no issues. Today I went for a quick bowling date and the worst experience at the bar! The bar tender tried to charge me for 5 drinks when I only had 4! Then when I called them out the manager who called himself Matt pretty much accused me of trying to get a free drink !!!!! I mean seriously? He said he trusted his employee, which I am glad for that but unfortunately your employee made a mistake. I am Glad you support your hard working staff. After all the same bar tender was also retrieving a pin stuck in the gutter so maybe you are short staffed and he made a mistake. First of all, me and boyfriend each had 2 beers and the bill showed 5! They finally fixed the ONE beer and took it off but the managers attitude was horrible and left a horrible taste in my mouth. I'm sure next time I'll just go to Bowlero or Waveland. Wow what a horrible experience for a local spot. Matt, the manager was extremely rude and although he took the extra beer off, he was still saying things like, "oh maybe I should check the video footage". I don't need that negativity in my life. Do better Habetler!!!!! read more

I bow on a lead there and they are so nice not are not mean a say no you can't have more shoes

Habetler is a classic bowling alley who values their business. It's reserved, convenient, clean and not loud. You grab your ball and shoes from the service desk and bowl. That's it, perfect. If you're looking for a bowling alley that smells like feet, has a thousand kids running around screaming and grabbing bowling bowls off racks while mom and dad are getting hammered, this is not the place for you. I give this 4 stars only because I did not try any food however, I will say the fountain beverages actually taste like beverages. Not out of some nasty fountain lines. ((I'd like to respond to the guy's review down below about the customer service. You are not entitled to grand service especially if you're going to be an "a**hole" from the start. As someone who has worked in customer service for over 10 years, you have no idea what customer service is is you're going to "bitch" about the choices you made and paid for. It is not the owners responsibility to ensure you clarify what you were getting)) read more

I have been bowling at this establishment numerous times and have always had an excellent experience. This bowling alley is clean, updated, the staff is friendly and the prices are reasonable. I would've definitely recommend this bowling alley to family and friends. read more

Best place to bowl on the Northside. Great combo of old school bowling alley vibes and modern touches. The service is top notch. The folks behind the counter are always friendly and helpful. read more

Friendly staff, well-maintained lanes and helpful Pro shop. Sang, the Pro Shop guy, redrilled my ball last year after he assessed previous drilling was not done correctly. With that snd one lesson from Sang I not only raised my league average by 27 pins over the year and set personal single game highs of 236 and 238 at age 73. Bowling is now more fun than ever. read more

A really cute neighborhood bowling alley! Came here impromptu one night with my siblings for a couple of games. This is one of the biggest bowling alleys I've ever been to! I'm pretty sure it's 24 lanes or something like that. We paid $50 for four pairs of shoes and two games. The alleys worked well and because the space is so large they don't have groups right on top of each other, so you can really spread out and relax and just have a good time. We went to the bar area for drinks and enjoyed a few rounds of shots and some beers. Honestly the only thing I wasn't a fan of is they don't offer beer pitchers. We were pretty disappointed by that since it's pretty common for bowling places to offer that. They do offer a cute menu of some bar type food and my sister enjoyed a nice crispy personal size cheese pizza she said was so tasty :) One super cute thing is they have a juke box you can pay $1 and get to blast any song of your choice throughout the whole alley which we had some fun with. Africa by Toto was our go-to bowling jam! Overall the facility was clean and staff was cordial and attentive. I would absolutely go back! I'm pretty sure it's a father/son duo running this place which I really respect. I hope this family business makes it! read more

Lots of fun to bowl here but if you are Covid-19 conscious, this might not be the place for you. We were booked right next to another family (who were not wearing masks) even when there were plenty of open lanes. The staff either lazily wore masks or didn't at all when I approached the desk. Lots of things could have been done to make this a safer space, but as far as the bowling went, that itself was fun. read more

I really would love to give this place more stars, but unfortunately... it seems to have some troubles with many factors. I think I will break it to you in handy list-form: High prices Overly-oiled lanes Synthetic Lanes Far-too-bright lighting Expensive drinks Mild thug-presence Garish multi-colored patterns on the carpets and walls (ala 1991) Inconsistent lane oiling distance Poor selection of house balls (one-size fits all style) Horrible music on far-too-loud speakers Suffice it to say, this is not among my favorites... but it is within tolerance and I have been known to request going here from time to time. They do serve a few different types of bourbon, including Maker's... but the prices turn me off. I would imagine that if you rewound the clock 20+years this place would have been sweet... but now-a-days... it gets a big fat... Meh. read more

Habetler Bowl - Holy 90's Batman! - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We have become frequent visitors here to the bar primarily to play pool and have some drinks. The pool table is a one dollar coin operated table as found in most pool halls. The barkeeper is a very nice man and mixes a good drink. I've drank plenty of bloody maries from their bar and all were of good quality. On other occasions we have ordered the seasoned fries which are very tasty and inexpensive. Altogether this is a good chill out spot if you want to have a good evening on the town without upsetting your wallet too much. Even when the bowling alley is busy the bar is quiet thanks to its location in the facility. There is a jukebox that seems rarely used and that's a good thing for a pool game when you want some quiet. The only annoyance is an arcade machine that every ten or so minutes plays a loud attract sequence so you best hold your shot on the pool table till the arcade machine is finished doing its thing trying to get someone to shove their change in it. We often will jokingly say "Hey you, arcade machine over there, shut the hell up, we're busy shoving quarters in this pool table!" Bar Tip: Minimum purchase of ten dollars of drinks required to use a payment card. Bar Note: Bar and pool table are CLOSED until 5 PM on weekdays. read more

I came here for the first time just after Christmas. I've lived in the neighborhood for years, but always thought that this bowling alley was shut down due to the unspectacular signage outside and the empty parking lot.. I really hope business is good for them, because it would be sad if they actually did shut down! The staff was friendly, prices were decent, shoes were OK, lanes were nice and shiny, and overall the place was clean. The bathrooms were cold AF, so they could use a heater or something there. They have a food counter, but I didn't order anything. We had kids with us, and we were able to program the bumpers to come up only when the kids were in turn (I love that!) I saw private party rooms and am considering them as a place for my daughter's birthday. Like I said, they have a parking lot that didn't ever seem full, so parking is free and easy. read more

My daughters and I love this place. It's in our neighborhood, although we've typically gone to Waveland because their friends live near Western. Habetler is super friendly, clean, and inexpensive. I'd read other reviews about the lack of mask-wearing during the current pandemic, but fortunately we didn't experience the same. The owners, however, should think about posting a sign at the front door stating that masks are mandatory to alleviate any issues. Definitely a fun time and I'd highly recommend! read more

One of the best and reasonable bowling alleys in the neighborhood. It won't break the bank! My favorite place to bowl! Staff is great! Drinks are stiff and the atmosphere is cool. Highly recommend read more

Habetler has been there as my neighborhood bowling alley since I was a kid in the 80's. I'm not much of a bowler myself, but I'm compelled to add a five-star review based on my recent experience. Habetler recently hosted my sons 6th birthday party, and it was an excellent experience. From start to finish, the staff was exceptional. The party room was prepared and ready prior to our arrival. Staff regularly checked in with us during bowling and lunch. They had plenty of kid-size shoes and bowling balls. The pricing was okay, but the experience was well worth it - everyone had a great time. If you're looking for an all-inclusive easy solution for a kids birthday party, this is an excellent choice. read more

Old school cool. We used to go here in college for "date parties" with some of the sororities. Close to 20 years later and not much has changed. Tons of bowling lanes and pretty good food for a bowling alley. Solid spot for a kids birthday party and the beer is as cheap as the soda. It's a really fun place and a nice throwback from some of the newer "high end" bowling alleys we see these days. read more

There's a sign that says "no food or drinks inside". I missed it on the way in, and they were extremely rude as soon as I entered, saying didn't you read the sign? I apologized and told them I'd finish it up before proceeding to the bowling lanes, and they said " too late you're already inside." So I threw it out right away, but they were still extremely unpleasant in their dealings with me. To the bitter, elderly white male employee: buddy, there's no reason to be a jerk about your policies when I clearly didn't mean any harm. Also, I asked for a second large ball to speed things up, but they were extremely rude and said "you already have one ball, why do you need a second" (there were six of us). I'm not unreasonable by any means, but I do expect to be treated with a certain level of humanity when I am a paying customer at your store. read more

Skip it. It's overpriced and those gates were constantly not working. Same with the computer. We had to go and ask the staff all the time to fix it or to correct it. Won't be back! read more

This review is for the Pinnacle Pro shop, within habetler bowl. Sang is the one-man show, and really knows is stuff. He is extremely knowledgable, and is a lifetime bowler. You can tell it's his passion, as well as in the evolution of technology in bowling balls. I'm a recreational bowler aiming to get better. I bought my own ball and just needed drill services. He was patient, listened to my concerns, and really cared that I got the right fit for my ball, as well as the kind of drill I wanted (conventional versus finger grip.) he was unhurried, and took his time to measure accurately. My hand was actually a bit more petite than his machine could measure, but he was sure he could accommodate. He told me he'd give lifetime worth of free adjustments, if needed, just to be sure he got it right, and I was happy with my ball. We even discussed how I currently bowl, and what I may want to do as I continue to improve and if I get more serious into the game. I can't recommend him enough. He's my go-to for bowling ball accessories and needs for sure! read more

Family-friendly place to bowl. This is a great place to take the kids when you can't play outside. Super clean. Nice crowd (we were there around noon). Balls and shoes are clearly sanitized between uses. Family owned. We will definitely be back! read more

Habetler Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've been going here for as long as I can remember... Growing up a block away and now living within a .25 mile... it's my go-to bowling alley. Clean (and most bowling alley's aren't) Inexpensive food & drinks (bar) Quick bar/food service Friendly staff read more

I'll be honest. We got spoiled by another bowling alley. That red bracelet we recieved a few years ago at a Yelp event got us some free stuff at every visit, and you couldn't beat the Mom and Tot deal in the mornings. But now we live in a totally different area and Habetler is our closest set of lanes. And after tonight's visit, we are totally fans. The space is clean and everyone we encountered was friendly. My son's bowling ball stopped in the middle of the lane (poor guy, but hey, he's only 4) and one of the staff noticed it and took care of it right away...we didn't even have to go look for someone. The shoes we had to use seemed pretty well-kept and on the newish side. The bowling balls are all kept behind the counter too (which I love because it's no fun having to search all the lanes or blocks looking for a ball). There's a bar (separate from the lanes) and a party room. The bathrooms were clean and there are tons of lockers for those regular bowlers. The snack counter is easily accessible too. Their automated lane/scoring system worked well...bumpers came up for my son's turn each time. And the bowling balls came back to our lane in record time. I felt they really try to ensure a family friendly environment and that's something I am definitely a fan of. read more

Place is decent, at best. Lanes are always dry, and the atmosphere is even drier. Thugs are starting to pour in, especially during discount bowling nights. Unless you're into the high school gang scene, avoid Tuesday nights, Son! On regular bowling nights, a game will cost you upwards of $3 plus the cost of shoes. Tuesday nights are $1 bowling, but you may want to visit another day. See above. Bar is decent with so-so selections on tap and a friendly bartender to serve your poison. Food is not the greatest, and the $2 pizza/drink special is a joke. Overall, 3 stars. The place IS clean and bright compared to most alleys in Chicago...but what the hell is up with the extra-loud PA speakers?? Huh?? What?? read more

Staff for bowling alley very friendly and nice. Place is very clean and well kept. When it came to the food- completely different story. After standing behind one lady who only needed to sign her credit card slip, for about 8 mins, I was finally acknowledged for standing there. I ordered a large Pepsi and a mozzarella stix (1/16/16). The lady taking the order didnt give me eye contact or smile period. No customer service skills at all ! My order # was called and the 10 steps I took to the food window from my lane, my mozzarella stix weren't even warm. I broke one apart to show the service lady and explained I would like some new ones. I came back up after about 3 minutes, to see that she had warmed them up in a microwave. They tasted so nasty and the cheese had leaked out of them and all the cheesestix were stuck together .. Worst food ever. I realize bowling alley food isn't usually good, but it should at least be served hot... read more

Nice place to bowl, the only thing I didn't like is the fact that you have to get your bowling balls from behind the counter, they don't have them on shelves around the place like they do at other bowling alleys for you to try. read more

Habetler Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pretty good spot, if you're a bowler. Which I am not. But when I visited with friends, it seemed decent. It was clean, didn't reek horribly of smoke, had friendly staff, good automatic scoring, etc. Even had a pretty good concession stand, with remarkably good bowling alley pizza. To the point where I believe almost everyone in our party commented on how good it was. Prices for actual bowling weren't bad at all, either, although not as cheap as the prices we've sometimes enjoyed at the (now under new management, I hear) Lincoln Square Lanes. Now, it's nowhere near my house, and I'm not a bowler, so I won't be back on my own, But I wouldn't been unhappy if I came here again. read more

Pleasantly Surprised! We booked a bowling party for my daughter's seventh birthday party at Habetler bowling alley. I have to say it was wonderful! The staff were very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed the whole time we were there. All of the years before when we were booking parties at other places, they have never made us feel so important. The bowling was wonderful, the appetizers and food were good. Way better than what we had expected from a bowling alley. The best part is that her and her friends had so much fun, that we ended up staying from 2:00 till about 6:00 pm. Pretty long for a birthday party. Oh and the room was very nice, private and right next to the game room. Perfect 7th birthday party for my baby girl! Thanks Habetler bowl! read more

My favorite bowling alley in Chicago. Great for serious bowlers looking to get in a few games (mostly) free of distraction. If it's not busy, the staff will generally accommodate to give you two lanes for league-style practice. Also, no music during league play, which I love. Prices are reasonable, it's clean, the lanes are taken care of, and the employees are friendly. Includes a separate bar with a pool table. My only gripe: sometimes the hours are a little inconsistent. Just make sure to call ahead if you're looking to go during non-peak hours. read more

What a fantastic place. The staff could not be more helpful! Had a blast with my kids and my girl friends and their kids. Love!! that they have a bar if would like to partake and have an adult beverage. Kids devoured the pizza before I could have a taste but it smelled amazing!!! read more

If I could give negative stars I would!!! Went for a family fun day and they were terrible! No deals on bowling, no drink specials at the bar. We have one frame to finish and our hour was up and they didn't let us finish! If you are planing on having a fun time choose another place. Couldn't even get a pitcher of water for the 14 people we had bowling!!!! Never going back here again! We also spent a ton of money on food and drinks while there. This is why bowling alleys are going out of business! No customer service! read more