Confessions of a Jillian's employee: Dress code issues such as hats/jerseys/boots are not allowed to keep "that element" out. Take that as you will. Sometimes exceptions can be made, but the rule is in effect to deny people they don't want inside. The doorstaff is underpaid for a shitty, dangerous job. If the bouncer was an asshole to you then perhaps they were called a faggot one too many times by a drunk being "held back" by their 90lb girlfriend. Things get edgy. Oh, and don't think that you will get your way if you try to go over their head and call a manager as some are prone to more toughguy antics than the doorstaff as they take you out the back door. The service sucks? You don't say! Management completely over or understaffs waitresses/bartenders. Next time it takes 30 mins for your order to be taken and then another hour for some flash fried chicken tenders, before you take it out on the waitress, realize that it is a managerial problem, not hers. This goes for any restaurant. Employees are expected to work 12+ hour shifts (15 hours is not unheard of) but are cut shy of 40 hours a week to avoid full time benefits/overtime. Why are you ordering food here anyways? The staff hardly even eats here. Do you know how many mice/roaches are in this place? Keep your eyes peeled next time you are there, you'll see them. We once had a customer find a roach in their food, don't worry, we comped them. The huge bins of beer in Tequila Rain are filled to the top. As patrons buy beer the bottles are removed from the top and replaced at the end of the night. This leaves month+ old beer at the bottom, completely covered in mold. Management had staff wipe the mold off the bottles that still had salvageable labels and replaced them for your consumption. You're drunk, you can't tell the difference. Management treats their employees like shit which rubs off on the staff and is then returned to you. Take your money elsewhere. Get better food and drinks in a better environment. Can't say I didn't warn you. read more

I had a few friends coming in from town, who wanted to see the fenway area. I didn't want to bring them to one of the pubs down there, I thought that'd be kind of boring and we were hitting up the boylston strip later on. I have been to Jillians a few times in the past but don't go on a super regular basis. I thought it would be fun to bring this crew bowling-something to kill a few hours and get a rest from the tourist traps around the city-and oh yes we did the dreaded duck tour as well! This visit was in the afternoon, so we didn't have to wait for a lane or deal with big crowds. The 3rd floor (lucky strike) is SOOO big and impressive. Everyone did a collective, "wow" when we got to the top flight of stairs. It's massive, and open and there are multiple options/areas, several bars, couch areas, a million lanes and a bunch of pool tables, and a few arcade games. It's really well lit (far from your uncle's white light bowling alley) We bowled, had a great waitress (she checked on us multiple times) food was pretty good, and they even had a decent beer selection for my beer snob of a fiance. overall, 5 stars b/c its unique, its clean, it has something for everyone and it made my out of towners happy and didn't cost us an arm and a leg. I will def go back. read more

LETS GO RED SOX, and lets go day drinking....and that we did me and my girl Britt happened upon lansdowne st after taking the green line to kenmore and we wanted to welcome the red sox home in style and that means get a drink after walking past all the crazy sox fans towards tequila rain are go to spot tequila rain was wicked busy so we decided to head upstairs to jillians where we where able to grab an open spot and relax the waitress came over and she was COVERED with tattoos and that was an instant converstation starter i my self am also covered and like what she had we started with two shock tops and placed an order for some chicken wings and the waitress came back over with the beer and a few min later the chicken came are waitress was AWESOME always checking in on us to see if we needed anything she was great so good we decided to come back saturday and look for her again we found her and she took care of us again i believe her name was jackie? idk maybe jen? all in all i loved jillians tons of TVs and pool tables and i even saw some bowling the service was great took a few min but they where slammed kind waitress and bartenders and there was always someone that could help us my new go to spot for sox games! read more

This place sucks. We came on a Sunday night to watch a football game. At first we tried sitting at one of the tables on the second floor. The table was disgustingly filthy and after 15 minutes without being greeted we decided to try the bar on the third floor where we found a very busy, crying bartender who never got around to even saying hello. Again the third floor bar was disgustingly filthy. After that we tried sitting at the bar on the second floor where a manager seemed to be on staff. The bar was, once again, filthy, to the point I wouldn't even put my arms on the counter. Does anyone in this establishment have a rag to clean tables? I would guess not. The manager was weeded like the rest of the employees despite a lack of customers and took forever to greet us. When our food finally arrived it was cold and gross. We couldn't even flag down the manager to say anything. At the end of it all we left half of our food uneaten, asked for our check and got the hell out of there. I don't say this lightly, but this is the worst dining experience I've ever had. read more

This place is a dump. If you're at all picky about your food or drinks i wouldn't go here. Pay a few extra bucks for a cab and hop over to Kings behind the Pru. Lucky Strike definitely has high tech bowling lanes and is bigger than kings (that's about the only advantage it has), but everything else pretty much sucks. The food is gross. We got the chicken sampler thing with buffalo and bbq bites and the sauces reeked of vinegar. For a dude, i guess it's ok, but anyone over the age of 30 would get a heartburn from just smelling that shit. The burgers are gross, props to Ryan B. for pointing that out. The drinks are even worse than the food. Maybe i'm just too harsh, but i'm used to having a cocktail out of a glass, not out of a plastic cup. This isn't a frat party at umass, it's a boston bar, get with the program. The waitresses are cute, but snotty. Me and my buddy's dropped a lot of cash, so we should've been treated better. Overall, i've been to lucky strike a couple of times, and every time i go i ask myself why the hell am i here? read more

THIS PLACE IS RACIST AGAINST INDIAN PEOPLE!!!! This place is racist af. I went there last night with my boyfriend and they refused to let him in without his physical passport, despite the fact of him having two forms of ID. I should also mention he's an immigrant and has been here for 4 years and has been to this place at least 6 times. Then they told us about some rule, idk if it's accurate though. Our two white girl friends (I should mention that I am a white female too) arrived and then they let us in. This place is so focused on trying to be hip and like the other bars that they forget how to have common human decency. We then had to wait at least 20 mins to get a drink bc the bartenders were serving every other person but us two. They finally served us when our friends came back and I actually had to grab them so we should get a drink. I have no words for this experience but this is not the Lucky Strike that I used to go to. Unfortunate that my bf had fo experience this and not acceptable! Beware of racist assholes here!!! read more

I recently visited Lucky Strikes for a fun evening of bowling with friends and was blown away by the exceptional service provided by Grace. From the moment we arrived, Grace's warm and welcoming demeanor set the perfect tone for our experience. She was attentive, friendly, and efficient in taking our orders and ensuring they were promptly delivered. What truly stood out was Grace's genuine care for her customers. Despite the busy atmosphere, she made us feel like her top priority, always ready with a smile and a kind word. Her enthusiasm added an extra layer of fun to our bowling experience. Overall, Grace's outstanding service made our visit to Lucky Strikes truly memorable. If you're looking for a fantastic bowling experience with top-notch service, be sure to ask for Grace! read more

PROS: - They turned old fashioned smelly-stuffy-old-guys-staring-at-you-while-you-bowl bowling fun and trendy. - The setup is young adult friendly and they have a decent amount of lanes plus fun 90s music to play to. - The appetizers are pretty good and decent priced, better than I expected. - Great for groups but call in advance to ensure a spot - You're not street level, which kinda depends on you - Even if you don't bowl its a nice lounge spot for decent food CONS: - Don't go on Fri nights when all the young miniskirts and frosted tops are there...go on a Sunday or weeknight when they have to be in bed lol - They have a semi-dress code which is weird since swinging heavy cylindrical items in a dress is not preferred, but it keeps out the riffraff? - That's all i got read more

I went to Jillian's for the first time a couple weeks ago and I must say I enjoyed it! I've been to Tequila Rain and other affiliated places but I had never been to Jillian's. I'm not much of a bowler and I wasn't sure what to expect from this place.We went on a Friday Night for dinner and bowling before a night out and ended up having a great time! It was pretty crowded but we got a table and had some dinner - the food was pretty good. Our waitress was super nice and everyone seemed to enjoy working there. Although I suck at bowling I had a great time with my friends (drinks help feeling bad about being an awful bowler!!) The place is huge and totally NOT what I was expecting! It's perfect for a night of fun, food, and drinks with friendsss! read more

I really don't know how the management operates this place. We had a group of 15 go to Jillians after playing pool around 12:30 am we decided we to do some bowling but we were told that they have closed the lanes as they do not have enough people, I asked them how can they do that as the website says they are open till 2 AM but we were literally thrown out by 2 bouncers because we were trying to make a point very politely that this is not right we come here expecting to enjoy at least till 2AM. After talking to the manager on duty he was very unapologetic and did not take any corrective action even after all of us told him what happened. My advice is totally avoid this place it seems to be going downhill and there is no accountability. read more

I'm prob what you would call a billiards junkie. I love doing trick shots and playing anywhere I can. I really love Jillians because its such a great atmosphere thats more upscale and friendlier than getting hustled at a biker bar. Sometimes they have cheap drink specials which is nice, but if I wanted to order something nicer, the bartenders are fast and efficient to whip up something good. I havent bowled yet at Lucky Strike but the lanes deff dont look like my childhood bowling alley. They have nice comfy couches and the TV's are hugee. Its a great place to watch the football game or just unwind for a day with friends. Check it out1 read more

Been coming here for a few years as a pool league member. I fully understand the changes recently that mean fewer tables for our league- after all, this is a seven day operation, and we're only here on mondays. BUT, we're here EVERY Monday, sometimes the only patrons despite the new changes. So, where did all the beer choices go ? No heineken, no Guinness, no bud. Bud lite, coors lite, maybe stella if you're lucky . As an adult (well over 40), there ain't nothin I want to order, and you guys are in the business of selling booze. Yo, Caddy, got any influence here ? It's hard to sell booze when you have such limited selections. read more

I personally love the concept because it offers something for everyone. Alot of my friends cant sit still for 2 seconds let alone chose a venue for the night. Its perfect because I love to bowl and DRINK of course and some of my other friends are looking to PARTY or just lounge and meet good looking girls. I've seen a few celebrities here which is awesome and some red sox players. I would deff recommended this place to anyone with a large crowd and im going to come for New Years because its only 35/45 bucks for a private lane, much cheaper than reserving a table at a club. So much fun! read more

What a great place to come to on the weekend to have a few drinks, dance it up and bowl a few games. I really thought that bowling was cheesy and has gone out of style till i came to Lucky strike and saw all the young and beautiful people dressed up and bowling. The drinks were great and bartenders were very friendly. Drinks can be a bit pricey but what do you expect, its Boston! Overall love the concept, and if i ever got bored i could walk downstairs to Tequila rain nightclub to dance. Love it read more

Jada provided top-tier service from start to finish. She was professional, knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely cared about making sure everything was handled perfectly. She took the time to explain everything clearly, answered all my questions without rushing, and made the entire experience smooth and stress-free. It's rare to come across someone who combines expertise with such great energy and customer care. Jada is a true asset to the team, and I'd absolutely recommend working with her. read more

People may complain about the dress code and give a poor review because they never even got in do your research and you have no one to blame can be slow during the week but picks up big time during the six season and friday and saturday night this place is massive so it may look empty but that's just because its so big cut the waitresses some slack they are always moving there's just alot of ground to cover good food and great drinks love this place read more

I just wanted to pass along a quick nod to the staff. Last night a friend and I went to Lucky Strike for my birthday. In addition to having a great time bowling, we had excellent service from our bartender. We kept getting interesting (and fairly priced) drinks each time we asked for something different, surprising, and/or interesting, especially upon learning the reason for our visit.thanks for taking a night out for my birthday to the next level! read more

Now that I am on a bowling kick, I was interested when some friends invited me to Jillians (see my other reviews).....this was great fun. It is a high energy atmosphere with loud pumping music, bar and stuff. I really had a great time and can't wait to go back. The waitress was very sweet and attentive, but the drinks kind of sucked. I had a cabernet that probably cost 5.00 a bottle it was so bad. Otherwise, great place. read more