Good bowling spot overall. Just note that bowling is cash-only. We went on a Saturday night and were able to get a lane without any trouble, which was great. It is a bit pricey- about $28 for two people for one game. They do have a bar and offer lane service if you want drinks, but unfortunately ours never arrived after we ordere read more

Had a great time here last weekend, good food and drinks. The bowling was pretty expensive and the lanes didn't have much oil, so it's not a great place for a hook bowler. Have to make some adjustments. But I think they cater to the casual bowlers and families making it a fun time for a group of friends. They have a downstairs bar, a small arcade, and about 12 lanes. Upstairs are a few more lanes and what appears to be a private party area. Would probably be a good time! Plenty of tvs that were showing playoff football, and a good playlist that many were jamming to. We got the Spanish tots and Caesar salads. The salads come with mini grilled cheese croutons, which is what sold us, but they weren't as exciting as I'd hoped. The tits were fantastic with peppers and onions and a nice dipping sauce. We got lucky with street parking right outside, YMMV! read more

North Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I and my family recently celebrated my niece's 25th birthday at this particular establishment. While driving on the highway to the event. I received a call from my sister(my niece's mother). Her voice echoed with frustration. She stated how the rules kept fluctuating. When trying to get a bowling lane, she was told the entire group had to there. Even though, she had reserved the event in advance. Then it morphed into you needed at least six to get an extra game of bowling. And finally, you had to give up a shoe to rent bowling shoes! I inquired if people were actually walking out with the bowling shoes? The attendant's response was that it keeps people from wearing improper footwear on the alley. What?? Never again will I go back to that place. Pew yew!! read more

manager is terrible. the photo booth broke & it was somehow the guests' fault! no signage or directional when it comes to systems not working. hope in the future they figure out a better system when the photo booth malfunctions. truly terrible customer service. read more

I've been here before for work events and don't remember it being this difficult, but this last experience completely changed my perspective. The way they run bowling feels like it's designed to maximize what you spend instead of making it easy for guests. You can't reserve a lane, you can't prepay, and you're capped at 6 people. If your group isn't all there, you either start without them or risk not getting a lane. Then when someone shows up late, you have to pay for a completely new game instead of just adding them in. Bowling is cash only, but food and drinks require a credit card -- which makes no sense. Then there's an automatic 18% gratuity that isn't clearly explained upfront. The food was underwhelming and overpriced. Small portions, mostly fried, and definitely not worth what you pay. The biggest issue for me was the front desk experience. Staff seemed disengaged and rushed, and we were left waiting while employees talked among themselves. At one point we had to ask if anyone actually worked there. I do want to be fair -- I did not take any of this out on our waitress. She was doing her job, and I actually added an additional 3% to her tip because she was not the issue. The problem is clearly the way the front desk operates and how the policies are set up. The biggest shift for me is this: I have influence in choosing venues for team building and holiday events, and this place is no longer on that list. It's just too complicated and unpredictable for a group experience. This might work if you're just stopping by for drinks, but for bowling -- especially with a group -- I wouldn't recommend it. read more

I absolutely love coming here. It gives such a retro vibe that doesn't exist anymore. The food is tasty, the drinks really hit every single time and the bowling prices are reasonable. I really like that there's an upstairs area where other games are at like pool Only thing I will note for sanitation wise - around the bar there's always some kind of fruit fly situation that I don't particularly love. However, I'm also not coming here to sit by the bar either! Especially since food/beverage service is at your bowling section too which I LOVE read more

I think it's the best place in town. I like the vibe. Music is great. Drinks are awesome quick service very friendly stuff. We enjoy having the night there multi type times. read more

The ambience is excellent. So much fun. Who was good and abundant drinks were nice definitely strong enough! Parking is a bummer but it is a will. There's a way. read more

Service at the front desk was not great. felt rushed and not very welcoming. The whole process could be explained much better.... it was overpriced for what you get, small portions of food and bowling cost add up fast because of how they structure the games. Not a smooth experience read more

The setup here is not customer friendly. If your group isn't all there at once, you either wait or risk paying twice. Also cash only for bowling is inconvenient. read more

I put a 1 star but would've left worse if I could've! while bowling I had my food that I paid for in a to go box and the waiter took and threw away without asking. I confronted them and he said he would tell manager and have manager come over. I waited for about 30 mins and still nothing, so I ask another waiter and he says manager is handling it, another 20-30 mins goes by I ask the first waiter what's going on he then says the manager said to him it was just a mistake! I said where's the manager I need to speak to them. I then waited another 10-15 mins and he finally comes and says our server didn't serve you and if they threw it away it was mistake, he never offered an apology at any point but was very dismissive about it! I then say I never told you I ordered food from the server because it was from the bar! He then walks off and takes another 15 mins before I see him and say what's going on? He responds I ran the tapes back and I asked the bartender did order food, he says it was mistake and he didn't ask if I had to go box just if I had food! I have never went through something like this when a manager was so dismissive I will never go back to this establishment!!! read more

Service is horrendous here every time. 2 fulls games without even being talked to. Downstairs bar is backed up and upstairs is closed. I think management just doesn't care read more

North Bowl - Only drinks here are from going to the bar. 1.5 hours and no one even walked over here. This is normal here. - Bowling Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Look, we love bowling. But every time we are there, the service is horrible. On a Saturday afternoon, one woman was servicing 13 lanes, and she never once came by to ask us about food or drinks and we were there at least an hour. I get she's one person but this is every Saturday, staff your place better. read more

Came here for a date on a Saturday afternoon and had so much fun! We had to wait about 45 minutes for a lane to open up, but we didn't mind because we were able to sit at the bar and have some drinks. I had a beer and it was a refreshing pick me up on a hot day. Shoe rentals are $5/person and the games were $14/game. You can pay by card at the bar but the bowling is cash only. There is an ATM on site. Couples can play up to 3 games max. read more

North Bowl - a bowling alley with bowling lanes - Bowling Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We really enjoyed North Bowl. It's located in Northern Liberties. It's a great lively atmosphere with good music. The staff was accommodating and friendly. We enjoyed the bowling lanes. The parking was a challenge but we eventually found a good parking spot. It's worth a visit to come out and go bowling. read more

North Bowl - The atmosphere is great - Bowling Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Came here a couple weeks ago on a Saturday evening and had over an hour wait. Initially I decided to wait and we sat at the bar getting drinks but soon became inpatient and left. I returned this past weekend but in the afternoon when it wasn't packed at all. In fact, we were able to get a lane immediately. We had a great time, playlist was on point and server was attentive to everyone. Ordered a few drinks and food; the wings weren't good but the tater tots had a nice crisp to them and the funnel cake fries were good as well. Of course being able to bowl and have fun was great as well. I was able to find parking on the street but there's also a parking lot a block or so before you get to North Bowl. read more

I love this place and food is normally amazing. i had the apple crumble recent and a bowl of hot applesauce is not what I expected. Probably should use real apples lol read more

Went to a wedding celebration here on Saturday night. The ceremony was held outside, out front of the location. It was so nice! After that we went in and up to the second floor. There were appetizers out for us to help ourselves to, a DJ playing music and a bar ready to serve some cocktails! All of the staff were friendly! Guests were enjoying the food, drinks and bowling! What a I've place to have a party! read more

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A very cool and trendy spot! Came with a group of friends and had a great time! Unfortunately they do not take reservations so it is first come, first serve. We were able to hang at the bar or upstairs while we waited for a one to open up. Upstairs is very nice with a second bar, pool table and games. Ordered pitchers of beer and small snacks like the tots. I would love to come back here again. Fun spot! read more

North Bowl - Og Tots - Bowling Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Covid has produced some crazy things. Like closing down bowling alleys. However, North Bowl has hunkered down and continued to do great things. Their outside lot is spacious and plenty of tables available. It's first come, first serve for the tables, and they open at 1PM in Saturday's. They let us in a little earlier to snag drinks before the kitchen opened up. Overall, great service and good food! They have a very vegan friendly menu and offer a variety of drink options. We snagged: -Downeast Cider -All Day IPA -Chicken Basket that comes with corn AND fries. Lots of food for only $10. Great deal if you ask me. Go ahead, ask me. Heard they're opening up their bowling ally week of August 17. Not sure if I'm ready for that, but I'm sure it'll be a hit for young folk in the area. Be safe y'all and wear your mask. Also, get the chicken basket at North Bowl. read more

North Bowl - Daily Menu - Bowling Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Can't comment on what's inside- but the outside beer garden style setting was just what the dr ordered on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Good drinks, week made, not crazy $. Repeat visit possible. read more

North Bowl - Outdoor bar - Bowling Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I didn't have any food which is why I gave it 4 stars but it was such a fun time. Even though we had to wait like 20 minutes they have a nice bar/seating area to chill in. I think it was $128 for 5 bowlers so overall not bad. Very very fun time read more

Such a vibey spot. Would be perfect for a large party. There's plenty to do to keep yourself entertained. I also appreciated how it was so spacious. read more

North Bowl - a crowd of people playing bowling - Bowling Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

North Bowl is a lot of fun. I've been for larger parties with the entire upstairs rented out (pre-covid) and for the occasional night out. Most recently, I stopped by with my boyfriend and another couple on a Friday night. We called ahead and learned they don't take lane reservations, so we were told to arrive as close to 5 PM as possible. We arrived shortly after 6 and there were plenty of available lanes. Shoe and lane rentals are cash only, and they have an ATM. We got our shoes, grabbed some bowling balls, and proceeded to our lane. When we got there, we saw QR codes that you could scan to order food and drinks, and these can be paid for via card. We placed some food and drink orders and started bowling. The service was very slow, and we were one of just 3 total parties using a lane. We would have been better off going up to the bar and ordering drinks and bringing them back to the lane ourselves. It was also surprising when another party sat down at the immediately adjacent lane (we shared the middle table, keypad, and whatever it is you call the thing that holds the balls and sends them back) when there were other completely open lanes. This made things cramped with all of the food and drinks we had on the table. A few of us had the pineapple margarita and it was delicious! A bowling alley bar seriously has no business serving a marg that good. I would definitely return just to have one of them in the outdoor area in the front. For the food, the tots here are delicious. We also tried the bao buns and they were pretty good too! Overall, it was a bit expensive for the portions we received. A few heads up, this is a strictly 21+ establishment and they are checking vaccine cards at the door. It gets busy on the weekends, so I'd opt for arriving early or coming on a week night. read more

This is a very solid place for bowling. They serve good snacks (we really loved the pretzel bites) and decent drinks. The music was kinda whack, but I had a really fun time. It was $38 for two people to bowl two games on a Sunday night and then we also got drinks and snacks which were reasonable enough. It was like $8-12 for a drink and the snacks were like $10 each. I'll definitely be back for more bowling! Oh yeah it's cash only for bowling, but you can use a card for the food and drinks. read more

North Bowl - Pretzel Bites Baker Tots - Bowling Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I was driving into Philadelphia from my home in Bucks County to pick up a friend who happened to be working that night at North Bowl, and I came a little early to check out the place and see what all the hype was about. I must say, it's not what I expected. I saw a building from the outside; I had no idea what lay ahead. While outside, I enjoyed the beautiful August night and loved this section of the city in Philadelphia. They call it "Old City," it's unique because they still utilize the older buildings and the cobblestone roads. Not many roads like that left. This part of the city is fun, with many open-air restaurants and bars almost on every other corner. So, if you're struggling with your sobriety, this would not be a good idea. Right as I walked through the gate to the entrance, to my right was an open-air bar that also served food. I did not order food but had a White Russian while waiting for my friend. The drink was perfect, not too strong. I left the outside bar when they wanted their bar stool back to close their shop. This Bowling alley was gigantic, and the lanes caught your eye. The whole place was festive and colorful. They had much to do if you're not a bower like me--two levels, two bars, one up and one down. Pinball was my thing; they have plenty of machines and much more. Take the entire clan for a family fun night! It's something for everyone. I did not try the food because the kitchen had closed; next time, I will because their menu looks delicious but is too expensive for a bowling alley. Again, it's not your average bowling alley. I would suggest this place for your leagues or just for fun with friends and family. Winter is around the corner, so this is an excellent alternative to the beach or watching TV at home. The place was spotless; the bathrooms were large and immaculate. The only service I had was a drink from the bar, and the drink I requested had the Slow Gin needed. And the bartender did not have any Slow Gin which surprised me being in Philadelphia, and I told her I was surprised and she seemed to snub me, and she charged me twice as much for the drink I got. I then felt weird, and unwanted at her section. So my thoughts were, her professionalism is lacking, it showed not only to me but the other guests as well. Overall, I had so much fun not only at Bowl North but just being in "Old City" again and all its charm! Wheelchair accessabile, kid friendly, and hours open are Monday thru Friday 5pm to go 1am, Saturday & Sunday 12 pm to 1am. read more

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They hold a card/ID when you put your name in for bowling, but then also want to hold a card for the tab for food at the bar? But you need your ID to get drinks at the bar(if you let them hold your ID) and you can't use your card to pay for bowling, it's only cash, but you can use your card at the bar, that's if you didn't give it up as collateral? A lot of card holding going on around here. The waitress even joked about it being wonky. Also-- any place that tries to hold an ID is kinda weird in my book. Their menu was just like any other funky hipster bowling alley menu (every single one of these places has tots in an attempt to be "edgy") and featured small bites including bao buns, goldfish (yup the crackers) max and cheese, wings, and a handful of tater tot options. Everything was just okay. I honestly thought the tots would be better. All of the toppings were put on the side, or some sort of seasoning dusting versus a sauce. Service was great even though it was super busy. Pretty decent cocktail and beer list as well. After we waited 2 whole hours to bowl, our lane kept freezing and someone had to come over every couple of frames to reset it. For a place that is mainly a bowling alley, the fact that they only had about 10 lanes was kindof odd. Obviously that's not something you can just casually add, there has to physically be space to put additional lanes, I just hadn't known there would be so few. I feel like this place just randomly blew up in popularity once the NoLibs neighborhood started to become trendier. Although my review paints North Bowl as sub par, I really did have a fun time, I guess I was just expecting better, mainly from the food list. Bowling is cash only, but they hold your ID or card (that you can't use to pay for it) to hold your place in line, as I had mentioned above. Their music choices were also pretty rad. read more

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Nahhhh son... Dog-awful service. Bartender (Xavier B? Male with face piercings and painted nails) has an attitude problem. System with the food service number assignment card needs work. Staff took our card away (twice) before actually bringing our order, so when the food was done they didn't know where to bring it. Impossible Burger patty was shaped like a literal hockey puck, and tots are like from te frozen section at your local supermarket. read more

North Bowl - Angry staff! tasty "burger" - Bowling Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Came here for a small birthday party on a Saturday and it was packed! And parking in that area...forget about it. While the food and drinks were good, the wait to bowl took over 3 hours. Unfortunately we lost steam waiting to bowl. I would recommend pre-booking lanes if possible especially for events. To get the full experience, I will try coming back to north bowl on a weekday. read more

This place is a good time! I haven't been bowling in a HOT MINUTE! This was worth a night out with a friend and just having a blast! Went on Saturday night around 7pm. They gave an estimate of 2.5 hours wait (that took like 1.5 hours for the buzzer to go off for our lane to be ready). My friend and I decided to eat and have a drink while we wait. The food was okay and the drink was weak! I had the OG Mac & Cheese with goldfish that looks like it was thrown on top lol. It was an interesting party in my mouth! I would try it again. I also got the Absolut Grapefruit Cosmo that was bleh. The people that work there were really nice. Bowling...I sucked (can't event lie...super rusty) but it was still an awesome time! There's a lot of arcade games and just other things to do. Dance like no one is watching!The music was on point with hits from multiple eras! Can't wait to go back! read more

North Bowl - OG Mac & Cheese w/ goldfish & Absolut Grapefruit Cosmo. - Bowling Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The bowling lane kept braking. Would take 3-4 minutes to fix and broke about 3 times for only one game. There arcade area does have a diverse amount of games and the parking for a sunday night was pretty easy. read more

Nice, clean facility that doesn't really excel in any one thing. Limited number of alleys for people who want to bowl. Limited menu for people who want to eat. Limited beer selections for people who want to drink. North Bowl comes so close. They offer just enough to get your hopes up, only to shatter your dreams in the end. So they don't take reservations. No biggie. We'll grab something to eat while we wait. "Hmm.." The menu has about a dozen items on it, most of which are finger foods that will whet your palette but nothing more. It's a tease, as is much of North Bowl. When you walk in, you'll be in awe of the flashing lights, spacious lobby, and second story bowling alleys. Yes, there are two floors of bowling alleys here. Maybe where you're from this is normal. I'm from a small town; this was something I never dreamed possible. Mind = blown. But after the wonderment has worn off, you see North Bowl for what it really is - a bowling alley that wants to be a restaurant that wants to be a bar, and in the end eclipses none of its competition, nor does it strive to. It's comfortable in its own skin, unwilling to push for greatness, perfectly content with playing it safe, which unfortunately, leads to a forgettable experience. read more

North Bowl - These cute little fellas are bao buns - Bowling Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Cozy little bowling alley in Fishtown with A LOT of personality. BRING CASH. I stopped in here after a brunch date to bowl a couple of games. They only have 15 or so lanes so it's not a very big bowling alley but they do have a full sized bar and food so waiting for your lane might not be too bad. They have a great, retro feel with Big Lebowski on the walls and old school arcade games. They also have a neat little loft area which I didn't have a whole lot of time to explore but seems like a great place for parties. The price for this bowling alley was a little above average to me. If you had your own shoes you'd save close to $5 per person but having to pay close to $35 for 2 games of bowling for 2 people seemed a little stiff, especially on a early Sunday afternoon. Overall, neat little place that I'll definitely keep in mind for future bowling options when I'm in Fishtown next! I'll update this review if I try the food. read more

North Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Group of 6 friends decided to go on a Friday night! Got there around 7pm and they said there was about 1 hr wait. Later 2 more friend joined and that increased to hour and half wait. I think we waiting almost 2 hours total to get 2 lanes. Thankfully there were plenty of areas to just sit around and hang until it was our turn. There were some issues with the lanes where pins would come down with some knocked or sometimes incorrectly register scores that we almost didn't see. The balls aren't too great but it's fine for casual games. The lanes were bit weird and felt like it was way too greasy for spins. Tip: check in to get free shoe rental! Not my preferred bowling alley but it's not too far from my place. read more

What a great place! Such a neighborhood gem. I've been impressed with multiple things. First, the space is incredibly well-kept (and clean which is more important now than ever). It is modern, yet with some older bowling alley charm. To make it even more awesome, the staff is super nice and service is great. The food is actually pretty solid for a bowling alley. What more can you ask for really? As someone who prefers to support local when possible, I appreciate having this place so close to me. Even more so, I love that they have lockers for rent, too, as my husband can store his bowling supplies here rather than our condo. The rental was an incredible deal, too, if you ask me. read more

My wife and our friends stopped by North bowl on our way out of the city. We just wanted to do something quick and fun while our friends were in town. It was a busy Saturday afternoon so unfortunately there was a two hour wait for a lane. This gave us the opportunity to just roam around the place and see what else they have to offer. We ended up playing foosball a few times which allowed us to warm up and create memories for our day. Next time, we'll be sure to get there earlier or call ahead to make sure we get to bowl. I liked the setup of upstairs with the video/bar games and plenty of space to relax while waiting for a lane to open up. I'd recommend it as a nice spot to hang in the city. read more

Y'all this is a 10 out of 10 first date spot! Also amazing for events or just going out with a few friends. The bowling was so much fun and the food was incredible. Would seriously rate this a 4.6/5 which is really good for my scale lol. Our favorites were definitely the burger and the tots. Everything was cooked perfectly and we will definitely be back for both the bowling and the food read more

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I had so much fun the food was amazing games amazing Service ok not maby vegetarian food options but the options were good anyway in total 9.7/10 read more

Went on a Sunday right when they opened and had no issues getting a lane. It did get a bit busier while we were there, but that might have been due to there not being an Eagles game happening at the time! I'm sure Friday and Saturday nights get busy. You can't beat a $7 bowling game and a $5 IPA. The staff was friendly, the service was quick, and the bowling was a ton of fun. Bonus - if you're a decent bowler but your friend isn't, you can set bumpers to go up and down for each person! read more

Came and bowled a game after an hour wait and at that point, it was mostly draining. Don't understand how a place can put so much energy into being full and have such an updated space, but can't accept debit cards, which is just a cherry on top once you've had to sit at the bar for an hour or two waiting for a lane. Even once we got one, the people around us weren't too friendly and I swear they just came to sit around and talk, not really bowl at all. That probably contributes to the extreme wait times! Overall, came on a night with better beer specials so got to try a few things, but the environment doesn't really make me want to come back immediately. I'll try again when I want to wait for an hour for a two game minimum, just to wait again. read more