When our kids were younger we attended many birthday parties here. Also I would bring all the primary classes from the school, where I taught for a fun morning of bowling. Recently we and 3 other couples came for an afternoon of bowling. We were welcomed, shoes in our hands and on our lanes in minutes. Staff is courteous and friendly. The bowling alley itself is a little dated but for us that is part of the charm. we had a great time and will come back again. read more

Markham Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Markham, Ontario

I'm a bit surprised to see so many negative reviews for this place, as my experience here was great. The staff went out of their way to make sure I had the best day ever here with my friends, and even gave me tips on how to better throw the bowling balls to get better accuracy in terms of hitting pins. The alley gives an overall old school vibe which is really cool, especially for those who want a more nostalgic vibe. I do agree that the prices for bowling here are a bit on the steep side ($45-55 or so for two hours I think, but don't quote me on it), especially when you consider that there are other bowling alleys that charge less for the same amount of time. However, I would definitely come back again if in the area. read more

Markham Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Markham, Ontario

The establishment has been here for YEARS and honestly it still gives old school vibes. Definitely not the place to come if you're trying to have a serious bowling game. Came here to play 10 pin bowling. I found that the lane that I was using was uneven/slanted and my ball kept curving to the right. It also seemed like the lanes weren't waxed/oiled. The wooden lanes felt very rickety. I think this bowling alley is better for kids as they only have about 8 lanes of 10 pins, and the rest are 5 pins. The balls looked really old and worn out, and a lot of them, the holes were rough and uncomfortable to bowl with. I got a 1 hour lane with 2 rental shoes and paid $55. Staff were nice on the phone and at the front desk. They came to help us out instantly when we needed our gutters to be put down. Overall, it's an OK bowling alley. It's mainly for kids or amateur bowling. read more

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I have been to Markham Bowl a total of 7 - 8 times since living in Markham. 3 of those times, were birthday parties for my own kids. From start to finish, each party was very well executed and timed. Nobody rushed us, the owner/manager (Candace) she was very pleasant and nice with us. Very accommodating with our set up and take down. Great with all of the kids. The staff helped us set up the large party room and helped get the presents together for us to take to our car. The owner checked in on us a few times, making sure we had everything that we needed. Pizza, unlimited juice/drinks, cutlery, plates, napkins all Included with the (1 hr) bowling and (55 minute) party room. The 2 girls working there also helped us set up our own decorations (room also has its own banner). Candace came in to the room, got the movie set up for the kids. Everyone was happy. Nobody was rushed or asked to leave even after our party was over. We had so much fun that we paid for an extra hour for ourselves to bowl after the party was over. Candace was great, threw in our shoe rental for the extra time for my family after the party. My only issue was the large party of kids & adults beside us. None of the parents could even be bothered to ensure their kids stayed in their lanes. Letting them run all over the place, yelling, screaming and getting into everyone's lanes while the rest of us were trying to play. With limited time paid for, we don't need to attempt to play only to have kids run in front of us as we are about to release the bowling ball. This is a huge safety issue. We respected anyone playing beside us on both sides. We respectfully pointed this out to one of the parents only to be glared at for the rest of the time we were there. Our bowling as a family has also been great as well. Never an issue with the staff or management. The only 1 thing I will say, the party rooms need a good refresh for some modernization. Each room is a great size and can accommodate small and larger sized parties. And no food can be brought in, except for your cake. if you want to pay for extra food, be prepared to pay a lot to add in more pizza or chicken tenders & fries. You can have the party room included in your birthday package or pay for 90 minutes for the lane and eat while you play as well. Everything is clearly outlined and detailed on their website. Will I go back? 100% - my family LOVES it there! read more

Markham Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Markham, Ontario

I would NEVER do a birthday party here again. The place was dirty. People did not want to sit down on the chairs because they were so stained and dirty. The floor was not cleaned. The Pizza came cold. Two slices were missing from each box. They said they had to take out two slices because we ordered the party package for 10. I have never had an issue like that. It was embarrassing when I opened the box in front of the parents. Who touched our pizza and removed two slices from each box? They would not let us put a pepporoni slice and a cheese slice together on the plate even if the kids asked for one of each. How bazzar is that??? They only had pop or juice to drink and one of the boys only drank milk. I told them i would go next door and get a milk for him. I was told I could not. Thank goodness I brought my own table clothes and decor. I had told them I was bringing my own and not to set up but they set up anyhow. They use a thin roll of pale yellow plastic sheeting to cover the tables. It is not cut but ripped so you can see tears at the end. The cheapset tiny white forks. It all looked so sad. I called and asked for some money back and Candace said "It's not going to happen" No customer service skills at all. Arguing with me, making excuses for everything I brought up. For $320.00 the rental of a dirty room and two lanes of 1 hr bowling was not worth it at all. If there was a minus star for rating I would use that. Terrible just terrible. read more

Today on March, 14 2025 was absolutely the worst day of my march break! This place had such bad customer service no one working there had a smile on their face, the place is outdated and there was a weird smell, I didn't know that we couldn't eat in there because when you can't eat food there is usually a sign but this place is so "poor" to the point they can't even "afford" a no food sign. Lastly, the woman that told us we couldn't eat food. She was racist to Chinese people and had no patience for us to get out and was yelling at us and swearing in front of my kids. Imagine an adult is yelling to groups of families with lots kids just because they did not know the rules. I wish I could give 0 star. HORRIBLE. I DON'T RECOMMEND AT ALL. read more

Bowling was fine, owner was atrocious. Hard to bowl while someone is yelling at everyone. Just plain rude while we checked in as well.

I went there with my family , it was fun , I didn't try their food yet but I liked the place

Please look at all the reviews over the past year - all the same complaints: rude, dismissive, untrained, incompetent staff and management who refuse to address their poor staff issues. Booked a party for 26 kids, with 30 attending adults. Contact early march via email with requests. Met supervisor in person on Apr 2 to discuss and sign contract. Called supervisor week of May 21 to confirm food orders, number of guests, and all other caveats including water bottles, specifics around pizza being cut, and setting up the lanes prior. Emailed June 2nd with information. Called June 2nd afternoon to confirm that email was received. Arrived at party on June 4th. Staff oblivious - asking me for confirmation for every task that was stated in 3 previous calls, and 2 previous email. I was frustrated being that I had 20m to set up for a 60 person party. There were 4 adult workers. All seemed unaware, not briefed, unwilling to follow any plan. They called the manager to inform her that they, 4 adults, felt unsafe with me, 1 mother. She arrived to berate me, ignore my requests, threaten to charge us extra, and demand we pay before the party had even finished. I followed up afterwards to find out why things went so wrong. I was heated, absolutely, but she kept saying things I couldn't know - their email was hacked and they don't check emails since march (4 people received calls from me about me emailing - not one staff mentioned that they're not looking at emails; I was told to email in advance to have it set up; I was told I could bring a variety of items including bottles of water that became a "covid issue" though covid restrictions have been lifted over 1 year ago). She also refused to listen to my arguments, arguing that her staff is young (how is that my problem? train them better), that I shouldn't have emailed (why was I told to email by 3 staff members), that I couldn't bring certain things because of covid (though I was told by staff the oppositive at 3 or 4 different times). In addition, we had asked that someone stand at the shoe rental desk to greet our 26 kids. Nobody was there consistently, resulting in at least 10 parents asking me several times, "where do we get the shoes?" Please keep in mind that I'm welcoming, setting up, hosting games for 26 kids and 30 parents, and am still expected to direct people to shoes. On this day, we were the only party. There were 3 other families playing on lanes. The centre was 30% filled at max, with 4 workers on cite. The cherry on the cake - when I was asked if I wanted the staff to hand out the hotdogs and fries because that's what the business does, i had 2 parents coming to me saying that staff were swearing about having to serve the children to the point where one of the mothers asked them to watch their language and close the shutters. The entire experience was atrocious. We spent $800 at the organization, + $300 extra. We confirmed 3 times via phone and 2 times via email. We were instructed on things by the staff and followed them verbatim. I cannot recommend this place, at all. Instead of apologizing profusely and promising to make it up, the owner kept insisting that she would "watch the video and audio footage." I contacted her 3 days after the debacle. If she had the footage and/or cared about our experience, this would have been done after the party, immediately. Go somewhere else. Like skyzone. We had an incredible experience there for my son's 4th. Staff were trained, supported us throughout, and made my day as easy as possible. Markham bowl went out of their way to destroy my event with incompetence, excuses, and adult workers who were "scared" to do their job - enough so that swearing in front of children seemed appropriate to them. read more

Last night, Jan. 3, 2025, I booked a lane for 8pm. Upon arriving I was informed that 2 lanes broke down and if I could wait for 15 to 20 minutes they can accommodate me on the next available lane. It was reasonable enough as I understand technical problems can happen anytime. So we patiently waited and ordered some food and drink while waiting. After some time 2 lanes was available in succession but to our surprise it was given to other groups who came way behind us. I called their attention hoping they would rectify it to allow us to play but unfortunately they told us to wait for another 20 minutes. At that moment I felt so frustrated and tried my best to contain myself. I called my family to go home as the frustration is mounting and I don't want to make a scene. My wife and daughter was also frustrated by the treatment we got. Seems they give preferential treatment to some groups. We went home disappointed after waiting 1 hour for nothing. read more

Here are my observations about Markham Bowl after 3-5 visits this year: 1. Expensive to bowl at $40 an hour/lane plus $3 for shoes - most places charge $20-$30 an hour and they are newer than this place and MUCH cleaner! 2. Outdated - while i love retro music and retro "style" bowling. Everything about this place screams OUTDATED! The seating, lanes, computers. You can't even add your own names to the systems. The balls get stuck in the lanes and when they return - WOW - has anyone else noticed how dirty that part of the lane is? Caked in dust, clearly nobody cleans that. It's also very dark inside and they don't offer coat racks & shoe racks for each lane. We had people walk over to our 2 lanes and start hanging up their jackets and tossing their shoes underneath - we had 8 bowlers. 3. "Positively no outside food OR drinks allowed" - YES, because they want to gauge your eyes out with $4.00 boiled (gross!) hot dogs and bottled water ($3.75!) that isn't even spring water! $20 for a platter of frozen crispy fries and $52 FIFTY TWO DOLLARS for FROZEN chicken tenders! Don't ever eat here, save your money there are so many places to eat within 5-10 minutes from this place. I would be ok with no outside food or drinks if they actually served some decent food. Inflated prices for garbage! Also NOT a peanut aware facility which makes me laugh because their excuse for not allowing outside food & drinks is that they don't allow products with nuts to be brought inside. 4. I can't get over how miserable & rude the staff are at this place. Smile, say hello - something!! 5. Birthday parties - i can't for the life of me understand how birthday parties are $20 per kid when the lane is $40 an hour (up to 6 bowlers) and the pizza (cheese) is $10 for a large? Which FYI if you want to order an extra one, they will actually charge you $20 for it. I'm also pretty sure they used to offer birthday cakes in the price per kid, which is no longer the case on their website, yet the price is still the same and not lower!?! The way i see it, the only way this place stays in business is with their price gauging. I have been to many many bowling alleys and this has to be by far the poorest run, most outdated and offers the worst food. Markham NEEDS a decent bowling alley - i hope we can see one opening up in the near future! For now we will still to World Bowl. read more

Unless you're looking to simply bowl because you're in the area, then avoid this place at all costs. The manager(?) is a very rude lady, but the employees are very nice. We reserved two lanes for a certain time and our kids lane ended way before our adult lane. I understand there's a time limit, but the kids were so upset that they had to watch us for 10 minutes. (Does it really take 10 minutes to add names on another lane?) Like I said, avoid unless you really have the urge to bowl and don't want to travel any further. It's overpriced, the manager is rude and it's fairly outdated. Will not return. read more

Been here a few times with family and kids. As mentioned in other reviews - not easy to find, parking is so so. But i was surprised to see the size of the place. Fun for family and kids. Good for kids bday party. I recall, they have a lunch special.. fries and hotdog, which is nice for the kids. So to recap- Kid friendly Bowling!! read more

This place is my favorite place to go for bowling! Though many7 people are talking about the manager I did not see her. One other person said that you can not add names but when you go to get your shoes they ask what names you want. People are also complaining about the oldness of it. But it makes this place so much cooler! There are not many places that are still; like this and that's why I love it! Oh, and the food at the mini bar is great! Overall this place is very retro and I would recommend it. 5/5 read more

I gotta tell ya this place is so great Starting with the awesome trophy displayed. Then you go down to a easy going staff that is on time and on point . If you book for an hour you get an hour . No more no less Thanks for the great time. If you want a good party . This is the place read more

Was here for a corporate event. It was named rock and roll bingo bowl but the music was mostly country music with treble and no bass. This place is very old school and the lanes and electronic score board are not very accurate. More than once our lane didn't tally up correctly. The shoes are in good condition so they must have put all their profits into shoes instead. I would go elsewhere if you want to experience modern and more accurate bowling. A few old video games and pinball machine in the back were more fun. read more

Markham Bowl - 3pm at Markham Bowl. - Bowling Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Im not even sure they deserve a 1 star rating. I brought my nephews son and neices for March break and received the worst service. Understanding it being March break it wasn't even busy. They had 2 young kids working and were quick to take the money but not to set up the monitor with their names. We paid fir an hour and got 45min. Kids were so upset. Spoje with manager who was extremely rude and condescending. Mentioned timer starts as soon as monitors on. Seemed t9 dismiss the fact that his employees did not enter the kids names until 15min later. Ive never seen such Terrible service over 15min. If you're looking to get your monies worth and service where you are treated well. This is not the place read more

From a league bowlers perspective, one of the worst bowling experiences of my life! Lanes are extremely overpriced at $40 an hour!! When almost every other bowling centre will charge between $20-30/HR. Lanes were caked in oil, be very prepared to bring bowling towels and still have greasy hands. As a league bowler with ~350 rev rate, even playing with my feet at the 1-5 boards and aiming for first arrow I could barely make the pocket. It's like they don't have a oiler and just mop it on by hand! I could see the wobble of my ball going down the lane because the uneven coating of oil. The service was terrible, at one point a guy came in and we were talking about league bowling and they kicked him out because they said, you cannot be in here if you have not paid for bowling. I left after 30 minutes completely disappointed. Avoid at all costs of you value your money! read more

I love bowling and this place is really close to where J's folks live, so I should love Markham Bowl. Yet I'd rather travel an extra 15-20 minutes and brave the parking lot of Club 300 to get in a game. To the benefit of Markham Bowl, it's independent, attracts a local crowd, and isn't as league-heavy as Club 300. It seems like lots of families come out here too - it's good for kids. They offer both 5-pin and 10-pin bowling at about a 50/50 split and it's not uber-expensive. So why am I a hater? There's something wrong with the lanes. They're either warped, crooked, or just not waxed well, but bowling here is extremely frustrating. We're no pros - in fact we pretty much suck at bowling. Yet while we can normally get somewhere between 60 and 100, at Markham Bowl getting a 30 is a good day. It's impossible to throw a straight ball here! So if you're coming here for some beer and really don't care if all your balls wind up in the gutter, this is totally sufficient. But if you want to knock down a couple of pins every now and then, I'd suggest bowling elsewhere. read more

Most disrespectful and rude staff I have ever seen. I spoke to the owner and manager who cancelled my reservations last minute and he was unbelievably rude and inconsiderate. When I was getting understandably frustrated with his attitude and asked him what solutions he had for this inconvenience he told me not to even bother coming back. I have never had such a poor experience with staff and as a manager and business owner he should be disgusted with himself. I guarantee I will never be attending there again and I urge all customers to find somewhere else where they will treat you as a respected and valued client . read more

Older bowling alley. Overpriced snack bar $3 for a bottle of Coke. Spoke to staff member and told we just needed to tell them when we had all our group there and we would get our lanes right away without waiting. Then being told he had to wait for 30 minutes. Despite staff claims of being very conscientious of food allergies as the reasoning for not allowing a Coffee Frapp from Starbucks in, they sell items that contain or may contain peanut & tree-nut read more

My first time at this bowling place, on August 1, 2012. We had a party of 8, arriving at 4:05 pm, to find that it's locked and 2 pieces of paper on the 2 doors stating "Closed on July 31 and August 1 for maintenance"!! Guess what, they have a website and we checked there for the location before heading there. No information on the website re maintenance nor close, only information about open 7 days a week from June 1 to September 7 (Summer hours) and also stating that they open 364 days except Christmas day. That's a joke! What is their website for. I doubt I will go there again. Bad 1st time impression already. read more

I have been here many times with friends and I think it is a great atmosphere, it's a lot of fun! I always enjoy coming here I would recommend it to everyone. read more

Older bowling alley but it is in decent shape and well maintained. We were a large group of families tonight and had four lanes booked. They were pretty laid back and not micromanaging the kids which was appreciated. read more

Today, I had a terrible experience at Markham Bowling. I took our team of 27 people and The attendant Candace kept yelling at me while I was trying to clarify that we requested the party room from 12 to 1pm to eat and that we wanted to play for 1.5 hours after lunch. Our team's plan was that they will arrive anytime between 12pm and 1pm and eat any food served. Candice lied on my face saying she had told me on the phone that we only have the reservation from 12 to 2pm and MUST eat while we play. Candace also accused us of being late when the intent was to have people arrive anytime between 12 and 1pm. I told her I spoke to a guy on the phone on Tue afternoon and she kept saying that was her when clearly I spoke to a man to finalize the reservation. After yelling at me she told me she would do what I asked but she would charge me accordingly and laughed at me. Candice then abruptly shut the lanes down when a few of my co-workers had already started playing - she was so rude and I felt so embarrassed to have brought my team from work to this awful place. The price was supposed to be 90 dollars per lane X 5 lanes. But Candice kept her word of charging us more - a grand total of 570 dollars. DONT EVER TAKE YOUR TEAM TO Markham Bowling unless you like to be yelled at in front of your peers, boss, and employees. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. Go to World Bowl in Richmond Hill instead. I would give Markham Bowl 0 stars but the system doesn't allow me to do that. The place is very run down and smells like mold. read more

This is a fun place for family and friends. It is located behind No Frills and is difficult to notice from the parking lot or the street. The facility is a bit dated cause it is old. I think they changed owner in the last year or two. The new owner does not seem to invest money to upgrade it. Nevertheless, the place is functional. The food and drink are as pricey as other bowling alleys, so I am not complaining. I don't like that the walking space that you walk towards the bowl lane (I don't know the correct term for it) seems to be shorter than standard. Therefore, I have to adjust the location of my starting stance. read more

I have to agree with Allison, this is a good place to go if you have family her visiting out of the other countries or just a hang out place. I usually enjoy myself but it is outdated like most bowling Allys. It could be difficult to find so make sure you have a GPS if you havent been. Its not spectacular but its a good experience. read more

Go to another bowling alley, this place is unprofessional, dishonest and filthy. I had my children's birthday party here. It was a large party. The owner booked 3 other parties at the same time so it was totally chaotic, there was no where for anyone to hang up their coats, the staff were rude and not helpful, and the owner tried to cheat us at the end by charging us more than we had agreed on. If you are having a birthday party for your kids, go somewhere else, this place is a dishonest mess, the lanes do not work properly, and the owners could not care less about anything other than making an extra buck. They also charge more than any other bowling alley for birthdays and frankly, are not worth it. I would not have a party here again if they paid me to have it there! read more

even a 1 star rating is being generous. This is a horrible establishment in every aspect. The food, the prices, the service. The lanes constantly were breaking down, the owner wouldn't compensate us for our lost time. The owner is HORRIBLE to her staff and to customers and is very snobby and rude. Go to another alley before you waste your money!!!! read more

yikes -- ruder woman!! more than rude.. physically shoving me out of the way when she thought she should.... not recommended at all -- bad attitude - what is so fun in that.. find another place where you and your family can actually have the fun that you went for... read more

I don't bowl often but every time I do it's always a good time. Going to Markham bowl started off as a good experience, I called ahead and reserved two lanes, they accommodated promptly. You pay first then play and if you pay by credit card it gives you the option to tip. I'm so glad I didn't. Anyway, my friends and I paid and played for an hour and decided to go for another 30 minutes. So I go up to the register and paid. As our hour of play was concluding and the 30 minutes was about to start, the balls that were thrown weren't returning. We let the employees know and waited for 10 minutes. During that time my friends and I decided not to continue and request for a refund. The cashier got the owner and the owner spoke to us. She claims that she can't do refunds and she would transfer us to another lane or give us a $10 coupon for another visit. We weren't satisfied and insisted for a refund and she kept pushing back saying that she's unable to give refunds. But we asked if she can't or won't give a refund and she walked away. The first hour of bowling was a lot of fun but this facility is run by an unprofessional merchant who could care less about customer service. Also, nowhere on the receipt, signs at the alley or website does it say "no refunds" read more

We had my son's party here and were saddened by the customer service. I'm not one to complain and am not difficult to please, but the manager was down right rude and ruined my son's very first party with school friends. The place is quite dirty and need of updating, and it's not even accessible to those with special needs. We had difficulty bringing our toddlers in a stroller and grandparents had a difficult time managing the stair cases to get to the dungeon of a flashback to the 70's. definitely would not recommend them for kid's parties and that will be the last time we ever go there read more

I usually don't write negative reviews. But the rude customer service we received from this place made me write this review. Bad customer service - Charged for things you haven't asked for (please always review your bill). We asked for 1 lane, but she charged for two lanes. When I questioned her for charging two lanes she gave us bad teenagers' attitude that you will never receive anywhere. Later I found out that she gave us that rude attitude without any fear because she is the owner of that place. But If I am an owner of a place I would be nice to my customers. We don't mind about paying for two lanes if we have to, but the attitude she gave us when we questioned her for charging two lanes is what made us quit and go home without playing. Most of all, when we were getting ready to go out with about 6 children, she yelled and said to "GET-OUT" after I said, I am going to put a review online about her aggressive customer service. Don't waste your time and money going to this rude, ill-mannered, and offensive place. We all go for bowling to have fun - don't ruin your day by going to this place. Above all, this place is in the underground room and very dark. No fresh air and very crowed. No smile on any of the people who works there. Only about 4 staffs in that place (including the bar and food area) where there are about 100 customers. read more

Went there for a child's birthday party and was shocked and horrified by the treatment and service. One cold slice of pizza and a drink per child. Luckily Mom was allowed to bring fruit and veggies along with the cake. And once your allotted bowling hour is over, you're encouraged to hurry or your unwrapped gifts will be bagged by owner while you're told to "pay up" and don't complain or you'll be called a "retard" and asked to take it outside!!! Horrible establishment!! I gave it one star as there's no where to put a zero. read more

I'd give it zero stars if I could! Don't go here! After spending about an hour or so bowling with my friends on two lanes (and buying a lot of food too) we decided to play an extra half hour. After paying for this extra time we realized that the ball return was broken. We informed the staff and someone checked it out. We stopped bowling to not clog up their system (didn't want to put all their bowling balls down the lane because they weren't coming back). After about 15 minutes nothing had been done. We went to speak to the owner and let her know that we had to leave. She said ' NO REFUNDS' you can either play the remaining 15 minutes on another lane or I can give you a $10 certificate to come again. The original value was about $35. She stated that we could have kept bowling and she wouldn't give us the full value in certificates or a refund. Then she put someone else on our lanes ... making twice the money for that time since we had to leave. This is robbery. Being the owner she could have absolutely refunded us the money. Instead she chose bad customer service for something that was actually the fault of the alley. AVOID AVOID AVOID! read more

If I could give this place a zero I would. The owner was extremely rude to my wife when she tried to book my daughters birthday party. Do not waste your $ here. Go to Club 300 Bowl on Old Kennedy Rd. Bigger, cleaner and way more modern. Great service too. Markham Bowl should be out of business! read more

Came by on a weekday around 5. Had an ok time, the decor is and the systems are dated but it's all right. Why this warranted a one (or zero!) star review is the staff. We were greeted by a gentleman to get our game set up and everything was good. When we left, we decided to give the ancient pinball machine a whirl and play $1. The machine ate the coin and we reported it to front desk. Everyone essentially said the machine isn't theirs and dropped the conversation. An older lady (owner?) said they will call the machine vendor "tomorrow" and that's it. There was no apology, no recourse no nothing at all -- and she even had the gall to say they're not going to lose a dollar (reimbursing us) because it's not their machine. One dollar. Even on the basic principles of good business you would apologize, especially since the customer already spent $50 (drinks and an hour game) at your establishment. For one dollar, this review now sits as a terrible black mark on their record. Avoid. read more