With my glucose levels dropping, starving for a food source in a foreign town, I ended up eating lunch in the restaurant at Liberty Lanes bowling alley. I entered with low expectations. Very low.
There is something strange about most bowling alley lounges and restaurants. Liberty Lanes was no different. There's a weird David Lynch vibe in the air. A musty bleach smell, dirty ceilings over a dark brown formica bar, scratchy plastic beer pitchers, and embarrassing pictures of former bowling champs holding trophies. Odd locals abound, fat children, laughing blue haired grandmas, some grandpa in overalls staring into space, lost middle-aged schlumps, and skinny waitresses with toothy smiles. Additional ambience included Keno boards, meaningless TV screens and hair-band music mixed into the distant crash of knocking pins. Everything was at least 15 years behind, perhaps more. I was a bit ambivalent to proceed...but then again, I love this kinda stuff! It was a free sociological experiment!
So I order the wet burrito and it arrives the size of a small loaf of bread. It was loaded with ground beef, gooey cheeses and red sauce. Nacho chips surrounded the perimeter. Gourmet? NO. Delicious? HELL YES! And just like a good bowling alley bar, the Coke was served flat, watered down and bleachy. Ain't that America?
Each booth contained a printed sheet of daily local news and assorted advertisements from small business. In the 1970's it was common to see similar print-out's like this at the tableside in many Ma and Pa diners, not anymore. Upon reading, one could see the tractor store was offering 0% interest on the new line of 2018 John Deere products. The drain commissioner was up for re-election. Some local beauty was named Sugar Beet queen and other interesting yore.
BOTTOM LINE: 3 and a half stars for decent bar food and dated American charm. For a hoot, bring the whole family! read more
