A buddy and I were meeting for a drink, and I mentioned that Hoosier Alley had opened and the chatter about it was impressive. There aren't nearly enough options on the south side of town, and it seemed like an ideal time to stop in and see what all the fuss was about. I'd describe this place as a bar-restaurant-bowling-skating-axethrowing-arcade mega complex. I had no idea the former grocery store could be renovated and turn out as impressive as this place has. I'm pretty sure I'm going back immediately because it was much more than I had anticipated and I need to check out the food in more detail. I enjoyed my appetizer, and every meal that passed my table (yes I admit I stared at everyone's food) looked great.
Walking in: Spacious. New. Clean and modern. You can visit the front desk to get rechargeable cards to use at the various games/machines. It's a typical setup with ski-ball, air hockey, driving games, punching bags, grab a gift cranes, etc - all to win tickets to use in their giant store. That's not my thing, but the kids were obviously enjoying it. Air hockey will get me for a few games every time, but tickets to win trinkets won't.
The bar/food area is probably most important to many so I'll start with that. Around 10 TV's surround the bar plus the bowling alley has TV's down the lanes, so there are plenty of viewing options to see your favorite team play, etc. Bar is nice, with plenty of bar top seating. Additionally, a lot of low-top seating, for groups of all sizes are scattered around. The menu has options ranging from pizza to burgers to a wide array of appetizers. We were there for drinks, but decided to add a couple of appetizers to check out the food too.
I ordered the breadsticks (if you have read my reviews, this shouldn't surprise you) and my friend ordered deviled eggs. I will not review the eggs. I tried not to look at the eggs. I definitely tried not to smell them. Deviled eggs are at the very top of my 'will not eat they're gross' list, so I can't comment other than to say they were fancy and he loved them. It pained me to add the photo because I hate deviled eggs so much. The breadsticks were very very good, and the portion size was HUGE. I asked for the family size order which in retrospect was a mistake. I should have just ordered the single size, but honestly everywhere I've been before breadstick orders always feel small. Not true here. They were terrific, and came with plenty of cheese dip. I now have three options for breadsticks in Bloomington that meet my criteria. Our server was great - she explained how everything worked, answered my incessant questions about food, and was friendly and prompt.
We didn't participate in the various games, but there were 5-6 axe throwing stalls, 14 bowling lanes (rentable by the hour for any sized group - great for groups, not for me if I wanted to just go solo so I need to investigate options there), a bumper car area that was pretty small, laser tag, and a medium sized skate rink with old-school lighting that reminded me of my middle school days at skate land! I'd roller skate if I didn't think my old ankles would break and I'd be in the ER immediately. This is a group outing dream, with something for everyone. If my kids weren't grown up, my birthday party worries would all be solved in one location close to my home.
I'll definitely be back soon because I saw so many food items at other tables that I need to try. For now, I'm just happy a new option on the south side of town has appeared and I'm impressed. To be honest when I first heard about the concept and location I had my doubts, but now that I've seen it I think it'll be a great addition to the community! read more