This place is a gem. The bar is worth visiting in its own right. They got great bar food and the folks running the place are lovely. The bowling is fun and inexpensive. It's a great deal. Great spot to go on a weeknight for some fun. It can get busy on the weekend but the wait is never too long. Love this place read more

Friend scheduled for a group of us to bowl on a Thursday. They called ahead to reserve two lanes, was told there were no reservations but the lanes would be available. Got there and were turned away due to two leagues taking all the lanes. Nachos were decent, the $4 up charge for the tiny about of taco beef was disappointing. read more

We came to Memory Lanes to celebrate my father in law's birthday on a Saturday evening. It was super busy, but we only had to wait about half an hour for a lane, which went by quickly with our pitcher of beer! The lanes themselves are pretty nice, each one has a table & the table service was great. We didn't order dinner but I picked at a few fries & they were really tasty. All in all, this bowling alley is cute & reasonably priced. I'd highly recommend it! read more

One of my favorite places to hang out. Not sure if they get a rough crowd since lots of security but I've never seen it. Wish the bowling was a bit nicer but it's plenty good for a neighborhood spot. read more

Memory Lanes - Nice bowling vibes - Bowling Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

One of the best places to hang with a group. Can be tough to get a lane at times and that not their fault. Food is solid at best but it's not like a restaurant. read more

Memory Lanes - Fun bar area with dart boards if bowling isn't your thing - Bowling Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

I come to hangout and watch my boyfriend's volleyball league. They have such a casual, chill outdoor area where we like to enjoy some beers, grub, and hangout after the games. The outdoor bar, music, and sand v-ball makes it feel like we're at the beach! There's a great selection of beer and I've been pleasantly surprised by the food! It's fresh and always hits the spot! This time, we tried the Caesar Wrap and El Pastor Tacos (half price taco Tuesday's) and both were yummy! The bartender was nice and attentive. The food comes out fast and the waitstaff is great about clearing off the tables so we can get more beer ;) I always look forward to coming here! read more

Memory Lanes - Outside area - Bowling Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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The service was consistent and exceptional. A fun/filled experience bowling and ordering food.

I love this place so much!! My friends and I bowl every week. It is just so much fun. The music is not too loud and you can still laugh with your friends. The service is good too and they have a nice selection of drinks. The southwest wrap is a must have!! read more

We pre paid for 2 games and there were technical difficulties requiring us to contact the staff 5 times to reset our lane in our first game. In our final game, the game abruptly ended and the staff claimed we hadn't paid for enough people. This was confusing and the employee wasn't helpful. Food wise- The server was friendly and did his best relying on a seemingly glitchy app on his phone/device but an entire was forgotten ("kids cheeseburgers don't ring though") and a side of ranch that was requested 3 times never came. All in all this was incredibly overpriced for mediocre service. read more

Fun bowling place with a bar and food served. Loved the fried cheesecurds (yes, there was a squeak so you know it is fresh) and the gourmet popcorn with parmesan, Italian seasoning, olive oil and butter was absolutely great. There's all sorts of food items on the menu, including salads and ofher full meal items. There's a good list of beers and ciders, and it looks like there is a full bar as well. The server comes down to the table at the pane that you are assigned to and takes your orders there. The bowling alley itself has a great nostalgic feel to it, and after a certain time, the blacklights come on. Prices are fair and there's also a student discount if you bring your student ID. There's also a lot of parking in the back and a volleyball court in the lot. read more

As a league member, I'm absolutely ashamed at the condition of these lanes. The quality is poor, machines dropping pins or getting stuck, ball returns consistently clogging and messing up balls. Management is not putting the effort or money into fixing the equipment. I honestly don't know why our league renewed here. Disappointed. What's even more disappointing is that they won't do anything about it. read more

Chill neighborhood alley. Good staff and service, tacos were great! Also punk bowling is sick.

Your quintessential neighborhood bowling alley with bar food. The lane slickness is rarely consistent. For casual play, it is a good spot. For league play, it needs some improving. With that said, staff are very friendly and helpful. Oh and don't sleep on the Cafe's nachos! read more

Best smash burger in the entire world I thought smash burgers all over the place and this is the best I've ever had read more

If you're looking for a food review, you won't find it here. I came for the bowling, not the food, and Memory Lanes did not disappoint. The lanes are well-maintained and the staff has been friendly for all the years I've bowled there. This place is very aptly named, as it's your basic no-frills bowling experience that would be just at home in the 1970s as it is today, and that appeals to someone like myself who grew up living and breathing bowling. read more

Memory Lanes has a college discount. We all mentioned that none of us had our I.D.s. The cashier only gave some of our group the discount while others had to pay the whole price. The food seemed like your typical bar food, but I was left disappointed. The cheese curds were good while the chicken strips were definitely not what I was expecting. It was basically a barely breaded chicken breast. We had a fun time, but it could have definitely been even better. read more

Memory Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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holy chicken sando! gonna let you guess the secret ingredient on your own... also, Kallie is the best bartend on either side of the mississippi! read more

Large, spacious bowling alley with adjoining restaurant and bar; offers plenty of parking and reasonable prices both weekday and weekends. My group of friends paid $15 for 2 games + shoe rental on a Saturday night. If you need socks, they'll cost you $4 but Memory Lanes went the extra mile and instead of boring white socks, they give you cute bowling bowl pins embroidered on white socks. Hence the upcharge of $4, haha. We didn't order any food or drinks but our server still stopped by with a pitcher of water - how's that for service! Tables can be a smidge close to one another, especially if lanes are packed but it's a minor inconvenience when compared to all the pluses noted above. read more

This was one of our favorite bowling alleys, the staff was friendly, the food is pretty good.

Had to wait around the front to get a lane and shoes before asking someone at the bar where we should pay for bowling. The woman was very nice and helped us find the guy who was supposed to be up there. I asked if they have the Sun-Thurs 9:30-close unlimited bowling rate (as posted on their website) and he shook his head and said they didn't have it anymore like we were crazy for asking... We decided to leave, and I said they should probably get that fixed on the website and that we had to wait 10+ minutes for him to help us and he said, "that's bulls*** man I was doing something else." Incredible service that I don't think I've ever experienced... All of their normal rates on their website are also incorrect. I told the bartender that they should update their website and she immediately said, "yeah I'll have someone more important than me do that because there's nothing I can do." I responded by saying that I know it's not her fault so I don't blame her, which I also said to the first guy. He then got in my face (followed me to the bar) between myself and the bartender to say he would call his boss and tell him to fix it. I think he was being sarcastic, but impasible to tell. I told him to "get out of my face I'm trying to talk to her," to which she actually yelled and us to not make this about testosterone. I have never gotten in any physical fight and was just frustrated by him walking across my face and breathing his smokey breath at me. Apparently frustration is a toxic masculine thing to her. Everyone else around didn't know what was happening. I told her I was frustrated with his action and that was explaining the situation and she yelled across the bar for me to "get out" and she the says, "see, that's an estrogen thing." Idk if this is a normal thing but I'm 28 and have lived here all my life and have never had a situation like that even when there are miscommunications. read more

The first time I was here for a Yelp Official Event which was great exposing to all the different areas the bowling area. 2nd time here for birthday party bowling. The price of bowling is great, especially if you are a college student/have your college ID. When driving up the venue it was a lot of parking, other than Sunday as that is league night. Food is alright. Nothing too special as they offer bar food options. Beer selection is pretty local and Minnesota focused. I got the mini donuts and they were yummy with them being hot and right level of cinnamon and sugar. It is a good choice for a small plates options. Price of bowling is great with shoes being 3 dollars and a round of bowling is about 9 dollars. Depending on the day it could be crowded. The graphics are funky. They also have trivia at 9pm on Sundays. Overall not too shabby of a place to hang out. read more

Came here because Elsie's was closed for league. Old guy who set up our lane was super rude for no reason (it really hurt his feelings when I asked for bumpers. Heaven forbid apparently). Lanes are in rough condition and our waitress didn't greet us until we were almost done. It's cheap but you get what you pay for. Will not be returning. read more

My wife and I took a tour of the Metrodome and were looking for a place in Minneapolis with a two for 1 coupon in the Entertainment book. Flashback Cafe came up. We drove into the parking lot and my wife said "It's a bowling alley?" We entered and shifted into a booth by the window and they had lots of cool 80's music playing. Summit was on sale for 5 bucks for a 22 ouncer so I had a couple of those. The waitress was super cool and I ordered the Rachel with tater tots....MMMMM.....Tater tots. and my wife went with the personal pizza with no cheese and chicken. Her pizza was real good with spicy chicken on top and lots of it. My Rachel was pretty good with what looked like had carved turkey slices and lots of good sauerkraut. The thousand island was a little sweet for my taste but it was a good sandwich. The tater tots were amazing, thing later....this is just like a bunch of McDonald's hash browns in yummy cylindrical shapes. Man they were good. An overall good time laughing with my wife and enjoying a nice rainy Saturday afternoon. read more

Went here for a Yelp event and I have no complaints. The lanes are great and we never had any technical issues while here. It was pretty busy due to the event but we still managed to see the wait staff a few times to help us. Some of the arcade machines are broken (no player 2 on Terminator and the score on air hockey doesn't work) but they do have a tabletop Galaga/Pacman. If I had to go again I wouldn't complain. read more

Surprisingly cool. The bowling alley is a little above average in my opinion. There's a lot of space behind the lanes so you can loiter and hang out. There's actually some organized metric in the bowling ball sizes so you can easily pick a weight that best suits you, rather than comparing bowling balls made by three different manufacturers and series. Bring your old college IDs from Monday to Thursday, they'll honor them and you can bowl 2 games and rent a pair of shoes for $6. Pretty sweet. Big glasses of beer run $5 at the bar. Food is average, maybe a little bit pricier than what you'd expect to pay outside, but hey, it is a bowling alley. Some cool arcade games also available, but I didn't bring any quarters. Coolest person here: the bartender that's also the world's biggest Batman fan. read more

Let me tell you, Memory Lanes & The Flashback Cafe is definitely pretty darn cool. Positive vibes and ambience. Every item that we ordered was extra fresh and yummy. The staff are always so warm and friendly. I love Memory Lanes & The Flashback Cafe. read more

Great bowling spot! Lots of lanes, but it gets packed on the weekend evenings, so come early! The establishment is pretty old school, just as a bowling alley should be. I suggest not eating a meal here, unless it's fries (yum). Our party ordered the taco salad (which was essentially iceberg lettuce with tortilla chips on top) and cheese pizza (tasted like it was straight from your elementary cafeteria). In the end, we came here to bowl and drink, so we still had a smashing time. The subpar food won't stop us from coming back. If you're a student, bring your student ID for a bowling discount! read more

A very family friendly place. Bowling can be a great way to enjoy a little friendly competition. Memory Lanes has many lanes that can accommodate bowlers of any age, from toddlers to Seniors. A good menu, and drink options also. Full liquor bar on location. Several arcade type games are available. I enjoyed the AirHocky game, and darts. Several TVs to watch sports, if that's your thing. Plenty of parking. If your looking for some fun on a chilly winter day this is the place. read more

Memory Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

First time back since they remodeled this place. They have about 30 lanes for bowling and glow bowling doesn't start until around 7pm on Saturday. The place was busy but we got right in and a lane was open. It was nice that we could have food and drinks down by the lanes. It makes easier to keep an eye on our kiddos. We were down by lanes 25 and up so the carpet area above the lanes were wide open for our toddlers to run around. It was nice that the arcade games were cheap and a plus when the candy game gives at least a piece of candy for $.25 a try. The other claw game was a rip off since the claw couldn't pick up a toy in plastic wrap or beanie babies toys. Put in $3 and got nothing. We didn't order any pizzas but had their chicken tenders, fries and pretzel bread and they were good. The Gouda cheese sauce was great with the pretzels. The adult chicken tenders was way better than the kids chicken strips. They had a good list of beers and it was nice to see they have at least one cider beer for those of us who do not care for beers or has a wheat allergy. The lanes were ok. I felt like the lanes were not clean or prepped as there balls did not roll smoothly nor have any spin on curve balls. I like that the shoes are valcro instead of strings. If you bring kids/toddlers to bowl, the smallest shoe size is a toddler 9. So if they wear anything less than a 9 then they get to bowl in socks and the lightest weight ball is 7lbs. You can add bumpers and have a guide ramp for the kiddos. Service was prompt and we didn't have to go to bar to order food since we had an attentive server. Drinks and food are reasonably priced. Oh if you need to change a diaper, there are no changing table inside the bathrooms but their sink counter has a spacious area on one end so you could change your babe there if you would like. Also their water is super cold for washing your hands. read more

The highlights of this place are the availability and the price. You can usually get a lane here because the leagues only take up half the lanes, and the prices vary but the highest they go is about $5 a game. The quesadillas are really good! The rest of the food is average. Now, as for the issues. Deferred maintenance is the name of the game here. I have been playing in a league with some friends here, and every week there is a mechanical problem. Usually it's a ball getting stuck before getting to the ball return, but once we had a pinsetter shut down entirely and we had to move to another lane. Speaking of the ball return, my ball gets super dirty here, and I don't see any dirt on the lane, so I think it might be the belt of the ball return. I spray my ball with Windex each week before returning here. The bathrooms are simply inadequate, not only in size but in maintenance. Last week the towel holders weren't working so they just had them opened up and maybe one-quarter of one roll was left. There's also this crazy criss-cross pattern they make you do, because from the sink, the towels are behind and to your right, so there's lots of crossing paths. This gets tricky when many people are in there. The water fountain is broken entirely, but they put out water pitchers before league. All in all, it's a good place to get interested in bowling and to socialize, but I think once you've gotten to a certain level, you might want to find a nicer facility. read more

Lane conditions are terrible even for the sanctioned leagues. If they are willing them when they say they are, their oiling machine needs servicing. Update - They did in fact need to service the oiling machine. They have done so and conditions after ok again. read more

Great bowling and good food! I recommend the pizza with the fresh veggie tray - it's enough for me and my boys, 3 and 5, and we always take some home. Very kid-friendly and clean! read more

What up Yelp-nation. Let me start this off by saying this, that I've been here once. I don't rate a business on just one one dude but this dude was just... dear lord Jesus help me find the WORDS. Again I went just once... and 'murica that was enough for me but take it for what you will cause I am about to preach to you. The only reason this place even gets a star is because their manager on duty at the time was great and ON POINT keep reading. I went with a group that goes EVERY week to this place. No not once like me, but EVERY frigging week on a Wednesday during Summer Break so pretty much the majority of their business on a Wednesday night after 9... that even a hoppin place like Chino Latino hell the Mall of America considers "slow" after 9PM. I went with a group of college (U of MN) Asian students that generally just want to bowl for cheap nearby at someplace that is NOT the student union. (WHO IN COLLEGE DOESN'T WANT THAT?) Midway bowl in Saint Paul used to remember these kids names! ON TO THE experience. Now the majority of these folk have a slight language barrier because the majority are international students. AGAIN, NOT BAD at English but might not be aware of slight nuances and such. So EVERY week these kids get to play, about ranging from 12-20 of them each week, typically about 4-5 per lane. Makes sense right? It's a great deal there on Wednesday nights after 930 which is what they ADVERTISE. Again, there is no loop hole for this this is just straight up what they offer. Went with about 18 kids that day. There are more than 30 lanes in this place. We walk in 1 I repeat, 1 frigging lane was taken by a few people. Hell you know what lets make it more in their favor and call it two although it was one. That means you still have over 94% of your lanes open friend on a Wednesday night when you close in a few hours. So this DUDE... gives them a few lanes and tells them to bowl. It's paid PER PERSON like they advertise. So FIRST STRIKE: I overhear the conversation being had by this guy to one of the students and he is essentially telling them that he put them where they are because "When you guys come, you guys don't order anything, and you guys just bowl." In a way that he's essentially complaining and justifying lane placement based on college kids NOT buying food items and such. I found that there was no need to talk to them about that, it's unprofessional and makes them feel unwelcome as if they are "freeloading" when they are actually paying for it. SECOND STRIKE: Same dude tells them 6 to a lane. I don't know if you have bowled 6 to a lane but when you walk in at 930 and the place closes at around or before midnight and you want to bowl a few games the difference between 4 people to a lane and 6 is like the difference from going to to the Moon versus your neighborhood post office. So the kids tell him that theyve never had that happen cause they are always allowed 4-5 per lane rather than 6. Dude frigging loses it saying that he's only going to talk to one person and then says they are liars. Again these kids come EVERY WEEK. Because I sense tension and hostility I approached to ease it up and try to take it down a notch. Again, no one is bowling at this point and the bowling is ALREADY PAID FOR because its unlimited per person. Not to mention greater than 94% of the lanes are wide open. His reasoning was that if he gave them more lanes, that he couldn't sell the other lanes. Yep insert sarcastic tone here from me "on a hopping Wednesday night in the middle of summer at a bowling alley by a campus that is on summer break with no kids... yep. Gotta get those imaginary customers that will flood in at 1030 on a non league night." We want to talk to the manager, he says only one person and screams at them saying he's going to have them thrown out cause that's the only way he'll make money. NONE of the kids were rude to him MOST of the kids had no idea whats going on. To prevent escalation I walked up and said I would talk with the manager with one of the kids that paid since I was more or less the "adult" there. YOU CANT MAKE THIS STUFF UP THE GUY PUSHED ME WITH A BOWLING SHOE TIP. FIRST OF ALL... 'MURICA WHO PUSHES SOMEONE WITH A USED BOWLING SHOE!? I asked him not to put his hands on me and he DID IT AGAIN. Again didn't lose my cool and we walked over to the manager. This guy insisted that the manager would feel exactly the same way he did. The MANAGER agreed with us in a very civil manner. We talked and he apologized saying the employee was not acting professionally. THIS IS WHAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. The manager then starts TURNING OFF TV SCREENS on the bowling alley saying hes doing so cause he doesnt expect many more customers so was gonna send servers home. THATS REASONABLE. The manager gave them 25% off. At the end of the day the dude NEVER APOLOGIZED and when I tried to shake his hand to make peace he didnt even acknowledge it. Bad day? Maybe. BUT DONT TAKE IT OUT ON KIDS. read more

Got a beeper and told 30-45 min wait, stood back in line after 1hr wait, watched employee give out shoes to two customers without beepers, what a joke. Plus side, bartenders were great - very friendly and accommodating. read more

Fun environment. It is not too noisy, but definitely aimed more towards college students. There is serving directly to your lane. We went there early afternoon and it was not too busy. Some families, some groups of students. There are student perks, so make for sure you ask about those or look on their website ahead of time! Be careful, there is an all you can bowl option that includes shoes except after a time only 21+ is allowed. Don't accidentally pay for that and then have to leave half an hour later. Enjoy! read more

Memory Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Now I'm not much of a bowler (the gutters are out to get me, or I have a mean lefty hook (my excuses of choice)), but Memory Lanes is a satisfying place to hang out. I can't get over the bands playing right out there on the lane. There's something about teenaged cover bands that melts my heart. That could also be the frequent $2 drinks. I mean pitchers of Grain Belt and PBR are always $8.25 (pints are always $2.50). That's just super. There really are a lot of lanes here, which makes it a happier place to bowl (for me) than BLB. Because I like waiting even less than I like bowling and asking for both in one evening can make me a little sulky. Don't forget your old college ID - gets you the cheap ($2) bowling most of the time. And if you're partial to Guitar Hero or public embarrassment (yourself or watching others'), they have GH tournaments on Wednesdays. read more

When I was little my dad used to take me and my brother here for Shirley Temples. His friend was the bartender and I'm sure my dad took us with so he didn't look like some giant, lonely lush who liked to drink in the middle of the afternoon. Instead he looked like he was having some quality time with his kids. I'm also pretty sure that this is the place that my dad got locked inside of when he fell asleep under a pinball machine and no one noticed at closing. He called my mom in the middle of the night to come and get him, like she could just open the door and let him out on her own. My dad doesn't drink anymore. This place is sixteen times cooler now. My brother and I like to go drinking there, except we're not drinking Shirley Temples anymore. The bowling is fun, the food is pretty good and the crowd is always really diverse which just adds to the awesome time you're going to have. Plenty of times I've been asked at the register if I'm in college (I haven't been in college for awhile) and, when I say no, they ask me again. My advice, just say you are so you'll get the discount and they won't have to ask you a billion times. I can't even explain to you how dumb you'll look during that exhange. They seem to like giving that discount out which is fine by me. If you don't like to bowl the bar is still a good one to hang out in. This is prime people watching territory, so enjoy it. PS - I love my dad. read more

We love our neighborhood bowling alley! Such a gem! I can't wait to have birthday parties for my kiddos here! Tip: Go early on weekends, and there are LOTS of families with small kids, so you won't feel like you are annoying the lane next to you. read more

Rudest late night bartender, told us to stop talking to the back of his head so we took our money and left.

This is a solid bowling alley AND THEN SOME. I first came here for the Yelp Christmas Party. Had a great time, and when I saw that Better off Bowling was starting a league here I joined. It's super convenient with street parking, lot parking -- all free! The lane all work - huge plus, and the staff is really friendly and definitely attentive to your requests, drink orders, lane issues, etc. This is more on the side of old school vs. brand new alley like Lucky Strike. Which is so much more approachable. They have a pretty extensive drink and beer menu. You are going to be able to get more food than just fries and burgers and a Miller Lite. I've never eaten any of the food, but I'm impressed with the wide variety of options. They have a nice little bar area as well off to the side. I'm definitely a fan! I'll have to check more this winter when I need social activities indoors! read more