I rarely leave negative reviews, but my experience at this bowling alley was disappointing enough that I feel others should be aware. First the lanes are constantly malfunctioning! The manager's attitude completely ruined our league. Instead of helping resolve a simple issue, the manager was dismissive and unprofessional, making the entire situation far more stressful than it needed to be. I have been on a league for 20+ years here. Last winter the bowling alley made some changes in management/ownership - they no longer care about their leagues or their customers! Score sheets were always wrong, the lane assignments were incorrect and the lanes were always breaking! My advice - bowl elsewhere! Good customer service goes a long way, especially in a family-friendly place like this, and unfortunately that was missing here. I won't be returning, and I hope they reconsider how they treat their customers in the future. read more

This has been our family's favorite bowling alley down the street for many years, but realized last night that they raised their prices to $40/hour + $3 for shoe rental. I'm pretty sure it used to be $5 per bowler per game which was part of the attraction for a family of kids like ours that takes a full hour to bowl one game! $55 seemed a little steep for 1 hour, but I get it too... read more

Super bummed about our bowling experience last night at Madison Square Lanes ~ I don't think I've ever made a review in my life but this morning I'm still feeling strange about our bowling time. My husband and I brought our son, who is 4 to bowl. It's been snowy and cold and we've been stuck inside all weekend. We pay 49 dollars for an hour on one lane with bumpers and 3 shoe rentals. At first we were okay with this price, this was a similar price we've payed at other bowling alleys. The alley itself was very old school, as most are. We liked the vibe. We start our first game, everything is normal at first. After a few minutes of playing the pins reset in the middle of my husband's turn which caused the game and score to be uneven. It'd be the next players turn and they'd start with two pins, if that makes sense. We let the woman working know and she mentioned that lane had been doing the same thing earlier and moved us to the opposite lane at the other end of the alley. She transferred our score from the other lane but it was out of wack because of the issue on the first lane. We weren't playing a super serious game with our 4 year old and bumpers but we still wanted to try and keep our game and score on track! Especially for 50 bucks. So we let her know and she resets the whole game. We start over and we're going good, I bowl a strike and then the pins never come back down. At this point it's becoming slightly comical, my husband and I just sitting there like? The woman working was the only one there and she was helping some people, making drinks etc. which is totally fine, we get that. So we sat there for about 5 minutes with no pins to play, we hit the service button on our lane and then chose "need pins" to try and solve the issue ourselves but we needed her assistance. When she came back over from helping the other customers she reset our pins and apologized saying the lanes were old machines. Again, I get that but honestly have never had an issue like this at any other place I've bowled. After resetting our game/pins for the second time, we try to finish our game only for the pins to reset mid game and mess the score up again. It was kind of wild. I'm almost positive we didn't bowl for the entire hour and when we left she didn't offer any money back, no free drinks during, or anything for the inconvenience. It sucked! Total waste of 49 dollars. I feel so silly for even taking the time to write this review, but it honestly just didn't seem fair. Won't be coming back, sadly. This spot has been in our neighborhood since my husband and I were children, total disappointment! read more

Madison-Square Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

Amazing bowling alley. A bit pricey but totally worth it. My girlfriend and I come here every week. Has a classic bowling alley feel. Cash only. read more

Best going elsewhere. They started to charge per lane at a max 1 hour. Would be good if they switched back to per game charge. Especially when it took time to fix the lane in the middle of the game. Not recommended for family's. read more

Old School local bowling ally in Lakewood. Simple, clean, and friendly staff. Cash only. They offer selection of alcoholic beverages, soda, candies and snacks and food options. No wait for a lane on a Saturday afternoon. Bowled a couple rounds. Enjoyed this spot and look forward to returning soon! read more

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I, lived a hop skip and a Jump from There.when I was 11yrs old my Dad gave me $ 5.00 on Saturday to get a haircut My Friend went with me, but I never did get a haircut, I spent the $5.00 on Bowling when I got home Dad looked at me, Son did you get a haircut I said no I spent the $5.00 on bowling he said ok, your Grounded for the next 2 weekends But you can Still Play Baseball .Thanks dad! your the best Dad in the World ! read more

Madison-Square Lanes - Saturday a - Bowling Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

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Went here on a Saturday night, they got us right in. They are open until 2am which is awesome, and i loved the old-school vibe of the place. One thing that was my favorite part about this experience was an employee by the name of Will. He was so friendly and helpful. I bowled one game and i realized i didn't have enough cash to pay for it (they only take cash, no cards), so I tried to use the ATM there but it wasn't working with my card. Will, the employee was so nice about it and took the amount of cash that i did have. I will be going back to pay the rest of the price for my game, and I definitely will be back many more times to play more games! The prices are very affordable, too. $2 shoe rental and $4.50 games. I loved it. Thank you so much to the staff and especially, Will! read more

Madison-Square Lanes - Bowling lanes & ball return - Bowling Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

Classic bowling alley feel. Was fun for a birthday party. My kid loved the little arcade and I appreciated the bar!

Madison lanes, a funky throw back to the 1970s. This well kept and preserved establishment takes you back to the golden era of bowling. My experience will not be my last, the prompt attention the attendant was refreshing a few times a slow moving ball was caught, within minutes the problem was fixed! read more

Great family place for a league. Also fun Friday and Saturday Nights! Nice bar and staff. Thanks!

I had my daughter's birthday party here on a Sunday. There were plenty of balls for adults and kids to choose from. The lanes were nice. We were able to bring our own pizza and cake and they let us use their party room. The gentleman working was very friendly and attentive. I also appreciated that the bathrooms were clean. It was affordable. I'll definitely go back. read more

We never planned on being big bowlers, but after moving a few blocks over (within walking distance!) from Madison Square Lanes, they probably have seen our faces every week for months. We are the kind of people who appreciate the old-school feel of this bowling alley. The whole business is cash-only, but they provide an ATM if you're like me and never carry cash, so we forgive the $2 surcharge. I'm assuming the lack of credit cards is what helps keep the games, shoes and concessions so affordable as well. Mike, who runs the lanes, is always there when we go and is extremely accommodating. There have been more than a few nights where we have closed the lanes down, and he has happily watched a game on the TV while we finish up our games (and beers). That being said, you can also find Mike working hard moving up and down the lanes to fix any issues that arise. Madison Square Lanes has a few arcade games, pool, and a smaller room by their concession stand that has a bar and some tables/chairs. I've seen some people host birthday parties and small gatherings here, and I assume the room rental is equally as affordable. On Friday nights they do a Red Pin night for free games, but make sure you call ahead/come in later on in the night, as this seems to be popular for families and large groups. We've never had a problem finding open lanes here, and we enjoy the type of crowd this place attracts. read more

If you want Nachos and like to bowl. Done. Madison Square lanes is your typical "in the city" old school Lakewood joint. It smells a little smokey, but the PBR is cheap and there are plenty of cheap fried foods for you to consider buying on the menu (hint: after a few of those PBRs, the food sounds a lot better!). Madison has one of the better lanes in Lwood and automatic scoring. Their shoes are old and their balls are old...but what else do you expect from a place that hasn't remodeled since the 70's? They have leagues on some nights, so it may be worth a call to make sure there are free lanes open. Well...there usually are though, so you'll be fine. So shine up that ball, throw on a pair of shoes and knock down those pins. read more

They have the same animations of the bowling pins on the screens as I used to see as a child. This place is an old school bowling alley. Also, they have a bar, a small arcade, a concession stand (cheese fries, hot dogs, the good stuff), and a jukebox. Games and shoe rental are cheap. The owner is crazy friendly. All an all it's exactly what you want out of a bowing alley. read more

Very disappointed when, after calling ahead to find out if they had open bowling and were told yes, when we showed up, they had four of the 20 lanes "open". The idiot at the counter didn't seem to think was disingenuous, and frankly offered no help and we left never to return. Sad, because I spent many nights there in the past, and it's a Lakewood institution, but with that sort of attitude one wonders how much longer it'll be around. read more

I came here for a child's birthday party and really had a great time! I feel like some bowling alleys have become so fancy that the price of bowling is too much. This place brings me down memory lane to the place I grew up bowling at. It's the simplicity that I love. Grab your shoes, go to your assigned lane and bowl. The screens are still outdated with no crazy cartoon images and the beer is still cheap. This is what I love. We had such a great time bowling with everyone and I will most definitely be back. read more

Fantastic neighborhood place to bowl a few games and have some cheap drinks. The proprietor is friendly, the bartender is cheery and pours generously, and it feels like going back a few decades inside. The mechanicals of the lanes are not always 100%, but the owner is always on top of any issues so you can get right back to your game. Cash only (keeps prices low!), but there is an ATM. Some fun arcade games, too. read more

If fancy, fru-fru bowling is your scene, you'll hate this place. If you're looking for an inexpensive and fun night out, you'll find it here. The beer is cheap (depending on your choice), the place is clean in spite of the 1970s look and smell, and the scoring is automated. The tunes were a-ok - a mix of great 70s and 80s music. Do a little dance, bowl a pink ball, and get down tonight. read more

I laughed when we walked through the (unmarked) side door of this place (the door looked like it was coated in kitchen grease but it was just one of those opaque coverings over glass). Walk down the staircase and step back in time to 1974 ish. This is a throwback bowling alley at its finest. They do have electronic scoring so that's a plus (unlike Mahall's Lanes). Many leagues play on Saturday night so overhead tunes will be heard while those guys focus on rolling a ball down a wooden alley to hit pins. Beers? Oh yes...mostly in a can. 2 thumbs way up for them having Michelob Light in a can. Shoe rental is $2 and it's $5 a game for bowling. Fun place to spend a Saturday night. Pool and arcade games, too. read more

It's small and a little old school/dirty, but Madison-Square Lanes is a lot of fun. On Friday's they do a Red Pin night, where if you get a strike when a red pin is the head pin, you win a free game. read more

This place is awesome. It's dirty smelly and dimly lit. All the makings for a great bowling alley, complete with the fatty greasy foods! I love this little gem, and believe it or not they have bumper bowling as well. It's dead most of the time, so it's easy to get lanes. read more

The owner is a wonderful man and extremely helpful. It's a very 'vintage' type of bowling alley without trying to be. The beer is cheap, the bartender is kind and there are some very reasonably priced fried foods on the menu.....which is all I really care to eat when bowling. The only big improvement I would love to see is some better music on the jukebox - but other than that.....this place is a wonderful lil gem. read more

It's not exactly high quality for a bowling alley, but it's aged well, and certainly has some appeal. It's got animations for the bowling games, an area to buy soda and beer, and even a pool table. It's more for the older crowd, but still worth going at least once. Maybe Mahall's is up your alley. read more

Family style bowling alley. Not much to the decor but has great prices and nice atmosphere. Has a snack bar with homemade burgers, dogs and the like. Quaint and vintage, but it is a family fun spot! read more

Great old time feel and good prices.Open bowling at opportune times....great place to spend an afternoon with your family.

I just got back from Family Fun Night spent at Madison Square Lanes with my husband and 3 children. When we arrived at the counter, the man behind the counter (the manager named Mike) was very curt and rushed us through the process of getting shoe sizes for our family of 5. I gave him my debit card and was then informed that they are a CASH ONLY establishment. My husband went to the bank with our toddler while I got our 8 year-old and 13 year-old settled. Mike continued his rude behavior while I gave him the names of all 5 of us. I wouldn't even have the spelling of one child's name out before he would borderline-yell, "NEXT NAME!". This repeated over and over each time I got to the 2nd last letter of each of our names. I requested a bumper lane, so when I was getting bowling balls, Mike came up to me and said he would register the bumpers to come up only with the "players" (not children, here, folks, everyone is a player) who needed it. His tone was still very poor. He asked which players needed the bumpers, and I paused to think and replied with the two names of my children that needed them, since he had just asked me what our names were for the line up, and also because I refer to my children by their names and not numbers, and because if I was running an establishment of any kind, I would want to treat my customers as individuals, not numbers. Mike then interrupted me, as if he were reprimanding me saying, "I DON'T KNOW THEIR NAMES! WHAT NUMBER PLAYER ARE THEY?!? I DON'T KNOW THEIR NAMES!" I was stunned at his rudeness, disrespect, and overall attitude. Did I mention that my children were right next to me watching and listening as he yelled these things? I was so shocked at his level of disrespect that all I could manage to say was, "Wow...Seriously?" To which he responded, "Ma'am, please, I don't know their names." In a bit nicer tone, realizing his obvious lack of respect for his fellow man/woman. I said what number players needed the lanes and then said that family night comes but once a week, I guess we'll be making the best of it. There was nothing spectacular at all about this bowling alley for us to come back and deal with a person of that caliber that is in a position of authority. I would have emailed them about this, however they do not have email. I guess I should have assumed that when we were told that they do not have a credit card machine for transactions...Nice... read more