Took a trip to Round 1 Bowling & Arcade for the first time with our kiddos. I have to say, the customer service was OUTSTANDING and very accommodating with our needs. And a special shout out specifically to APRIL!!! She alone made my 6-year-old daughter's day! She gave some VERY helpful tips and tricks to snag a couple of prizes with the claw. My daughter walked away with two more prizes than she would have otherwise. April also helped with re-adding credits to my account when I told her about one of the games not working properly and was eating my points without allowing me to play. She documented the malfunctioning game in their system and alerted top management immediately. Other members of the staff were equally as helpful and they all worked very well with one another. April took the slight edge in that she tended to my daughter like my mother would. Thank you April and the rest of the staff!! This level of customer service is an example of how businesses can thrive! Also, the establishment itself was very clean, well-kept and maintained. First class!! read more

Overall big place with lots of game options . It does feel noisier than a Vegas casino at times. We did not try the food. We didn't have a positive or negative experience with staff as we did not deal with them on our visit. read more

Before they got the new machines and gachapons, I've never had a problem with the claw machines, especially the big ones until as of recent. The big claws machines now feel like I'm forced to play until I get the payout grab, but even then it just feels like it's not worth it anymore. The claws don't even grasp the prize at all, not even picking it up in the slightest, what a total rip off. The ping-pong ball prizes are just as worse as well. Grabbing a singular ball is absolutely horrendous. My friends and I kept looking at each other wondering what's going on around here? After a few attempts on those two machines now feels absolutely demotivating. Winning prizes before was actually winnable and satisfying, but not it feels like a chore. I want to keep playing here, but my money might just go elsewhere to the other R1 locations at this point if this keeps up. read more

Games are utterly expensive, bowling is also expensive. Lanes tend to fail regularly from what I hear and experienced. read more

Round1 Bowling & Arcade - Salinas - Tables covered with black tape - Bowling Near Me - Salinas, California

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Came here to redeem tickets before Round1 doubled the ticket prices in the victory zone. We drove hours to this location because it was the only one with this particular prize. Redeeming tickets for a prize at an arcade should be a fun experience, but this particular location makes you feel like a criminal for taking a prize. It's a usual process at Round1 to fill out a prize claim form and then they check your card to review the gameplay. However, on this early afternoon of Friday 4/19, it took multiple staff and a couple managers over 25 minutes to review the card and finally give us the prize. I guess they really couldn't believe that someone could earn 10K tickets? Which seems like a low value when it's not even an Xbox or something. Round1 is also quietly rolling out price increases and the Salinas location has increased card reloads and prices of claw machine and crane games. The crane games here are super weak and hard to win, evident by the prizes that have been around since last year Round1 used to be fun but it's just a ripoff now! read more

Round1 Bowling & Arcade - Salinas - Increased prices as of April 2025 - Bowling Near Me - Salinas, California

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We had a good experience :) My kids had fun bowling The food was okay! To pricey! But overall we had fun read more

Round1 Bowling & Arcade - Salinas - Bowling Near Me - Salinas, California

They were snappy and rude kicked us out for no reason security people were young thought they were tough they threatened to call the cops for no reason would not recommend at all do not go so they lose there jobs read more

My husband and I had a great time, but can be a little expensive. Definitely worth a try at least once. We didn't try the food.

This place has karaoke, bowling, a billiards room, and a very expansive arcade area as well as a snack bar and a bar. Unfortunately, the food isn't very good at the snack bar, but definitely gave me the energy I needed to play games and try to win tickets/prizes. You have to pay $2 to get a player's card and then can purchase an arcade package to load onto the card to play the various arcade games and claw machines. Any tickets you earn go directly onto the card, so make sure you don't throw your card away! There's a store inside where you can redeem your tickets for a wide variety of stuffed animals, candy, and a variety of other prizes. The games were fun to play and there's a lot to do here. There are also various packages for kids birthday parties as well as for adult birthday parties/events. This place is open 10am-2am, so you'll have plenty of time to spend your money and try as many activities you want! read more

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Might be my new favorite round1 location. The games are set at a reasonable difficulty compare to most location. Staffs are attentive. Huge shout out to April for making it a positive experience for me. She's super nice and helpful read more

Its the ONLY entertainment venue in Salinas where all ages can enjoy! FOOD - check website BOWLING BAR ICE CREAM 99 cents ARCADE GAMES POOL TABLES PARTY ROOM HUSBANDS can take the kids while the wifey shops in the connected mall. The claws that hold the stuff animal are too weak to lift the prize. I suggest the owner tighten them to allow the little ones to be able to win. The stuff animals are good quality. The machines are kid/toddler size and adult size. The arcade machines are cool The ticket redemption amounts are ridiculously high to earn a prize. Lower the amount then maybe more parents would be able to afford to take their kids or grandkids more often. I spent $170 and won one a small toy and ten penny sized candies. Tsk The staff is friendly. The snack bar and bar section has family sized booths. Daniel in security is welcoming and very professional. So is Alex in the machine area. read more

This review does not cover bowling, billiards, the bar, and food. In general, the same menu is present at every Round 1 and I do not feel persuaded enough to try every item on the menu as the ones I have tried have been inedible. The Salinas location is officially the WORST location in my book. I know I rated the Hayward location as 1 star too but Hayward is more so 1.5-2 stars which I will fix soon enough. Salinas has terrible communication. Through the grapevine, there's a family that records their arcade plays. They respect others so much so they called ahead of time to speak to the managers if they can record in which they received the green light. On location and playing while recording, security shows up and says they must delete and give up what they have recorded. Uhhhh what??? Salinas location is literally the only location that spends the first 30 minutes to 1 hour of their shift cleaning out every machine and laying it as flat as possible with always the least desired cards laid out. This is absolutely gut wrenching because what makes arcades fun is the accumulation upon accumulation of multiple players helping each other out... again that is what makes arcades fun. Basically seeing how the game plays out without swooping in and pissing the player off with always trying to have to get back to a playable situation. I'd be surprised if anyone wins any rare/special cards within a reasonable amount of swipes (I totally quickly looked and rapidly played to retrieve the card I needed during their cleaning session while the worker was pissed haha and then afterwards they completely destroyed my work.). I am a sucker for coin pushers. So there was one I played on around 12pm and I came back to the arcade around 12am... nobody touched it LOL. Salinas also has strange workers. Like the number of workers is so minimal to the point if you ask for something you will be given an attitude and even before that, you will probably wait for anyone to exist at the counter. They are the most unfriendliest bunch of workers I have ever met in my life. Additionally, I am the type who is not afraid to try every skill in the book for crane games. I tried the sweeping method, the machine automatically stops and eats my credits. I told the worker who then unlocks the machine and with zero communication starts playing a bunch (moving the crane every where and pushing the button) as I notice payout passes before my eyes. As payout passes by, she hands the reigns back to me with a play. Salinas location is also literally the only location that sets their ticket redemption machine to a limit of 2 sets. I noticed the manager who signed off (of course after checking game play), taking the rare card and placing it on the edge within the ticket redemption machine. Sneaky sneaky sneaky. This totally makes me believe there's no way the machines will have any rare cards as it's not within the general pile of all cards. And you guys reading this... you are correct, these rare cards are from OTHER locations--I have yet to see or hear a rare card at THIS location. Salinas is also the only location that has a MASSIVE display and selection of potential items to redeem; however, the tickets listed is strange because some products are nearly labeled as double or triple the tickets required in comparison to other Round 1 locations. If you just want to have fun (with non-ticket avenues), this is the place to be--except I am weary of stating this as I hate the thought that I am contributing to their salary. Plus this location is probably the most boring as the population is much less compared to other locations; therefore, less thrills of hearing the excitement of others and of seeing the joys of others winnings. Plus the people playing here seem to be ruder and more reseller esque since they are prepared with big bags. read more

My husband called today and spoke with a wonderful girl named April. She was very knowledgeable and helpful and patient with all our questions. She advised us of other available options that we didn't know about and had the best customer service. read more

April was a delight and she helped me with a prize then explained the club card to me while I was buying it. She is very friendly and hospitable. I hope to see her again on my next visit!! read more

This place needs MAJOR!!! Updates!! We went for a cousins birthday and we paid 340 for 2 hours and let me LIST EVERYTHING WRONG To find songs you have to go through a book made in 2001 The microphones aren't loud The room is the WORST part !! SO BAD ! the room is so HOT !! They have fans that they bought at Walgreens !! For a place who makes a lot of money in the area why are they not upgrading this place !' We need a better room you need DJ flashing lights you need a real AC ! you need more than one microphone this place is fuckin ass seriously !!!! read more

Was on vacation for wife family and decided to visit round1. Angel was the game and prize redemption attendant. He exceeded expectations provided great hospitality. Assisting him was the Arcade tech Juan who assisted me clearing out unpaid tickets from my favorite game and Stephanie the manager as well. Swell time here and had a fun time will visit again when I'm in town. read more

this place sucks I tried the Mizo soup and the food they had and it was super raw it tasted werid and they were super rude

My first time at Round1 was a great experience! The staff was very friendly and helpful. Thank you to April for making the visit plesant great smile and attitude. Thank you to Alfonso the manager for all his help especially personally walking me though the app. My daughter had a blast and won some cool prizes from the claw machines. We can't wait for Round2 read more

Round1 Bowling & Arcade - Salinas - Bowling Near Me - Salinas, California

During my visit to round 1 Oscar continued to stay consistent, patient, and reliable, and always takes orders with a great attitude. Oscar seems to have a cooperative presence even during busy or stressful periods from what I saw when I went. I also want to note that From my perspective, Katana often appears to remain off to the side rather than actively assisting Oscar with shared responsibilities. At times, her interactions come across as dismissive or unengaged, which affects the overall workflow and causes us customers to get irritated . read more

One Star - Total Chaos We came for a 6-year-old's birthday on a Tuesday night and it was a disaster from start to finish. It took over an hour to get our lane, and our group of 16+ people was moved four times, including in the middle of the game--and again for the last four minutes. Try explaining that to a group of little kids excited to bowl. It was frustrating, disorganized, and just plain ridiculous. To top it off, the manager, Abraham, an man child, inserted himself into a private conversation I was having with a friend and said I offended him--even though I wasn't talking to or about him. I apologized for all his feelings, and he responded with, "I don't need your apology." The staff is poorly trained, management is unprofessional and overly sensitive, and everything is overpriced for what you get. Save your money and your sanity. First and last time read more

Went here on a Wednesday afternoon. They were doing a major remodel and there were a lot of new machines being installed and there were a lot offline too. That being said....STILL a great time! The Time Play is an amazing deal if you like racing games and shooting games. The paid games reload bonuses were worth it. They had more claw machines than I've ever seen in one place; and when the new ones are online, there will be even more! Good balance of ticket games and arcade games. Just a heads up for parents: there were a good mix of games for all ages but it definitely had more of a Dave & Buster's vibe more than a Chuck E Cheese. The staff were all very friendly and helpful, especially April and the game floor staff. We had 3 machine malfunctions and they took care of them quickly. We ended up spending much more time there because time flies when you're having fun! read more

Round1 Bowling & Arcade - Salinas - Bar - Bowling Near Me - Salinas, California

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I've been to this location a couple of times and have always been met with basic service from the workers. This was until I had the lovely opportunity to be served by the food court employee Syd a couple of days ago. I was greeted kindly and enthusiastically by someone who was actually excited to help me. They gave me the time I needed to decide on my order and I wasn't rushed nor was I met with an annoyed expression. They even recommended me their personal favorites on the menu. The service was quick and efficient, Syd is definitely someone who takes pride in their work, one of their better employees. read more

Having Round 1 at Southland Mall is a huge win for Hayward. It's really the best and only place my family goes to have fun and do activities in Hayward. Tonight I want to make a special shout out to the manager Gabriella. She does it all. She helped me at the bar, at the arcade games, and at the prize area. She was able to juggle so many tasks while running the show all the while always providing excellent customer service. Had a great time as always and will definitely return soon. read more

Do not throw a party here!! It's not only expensive but the crazy part is whatever food you have left you can't TAKE HOME!!! Like you did not just pay for it!!! It blows my mind. That's horrible. They'll rather throw away all that food or god knows if they must put it back. I repeat do yourself a favor and don't throw a party there. I would give it a 0 starts but it won't let me! read more

Love the arcade! :3 only place in the area with ddr! And there are lots of other games to play too! And cute prizes to get!

This place is full of bigots and racist . This manager allowed 2 customers in without going through the security check . The security guards saw me exit the building to gather the remainder of my party , as soon as all of my party entered the building they stopped me from re-entering, they saw me exit and enter and nothing in between, even with that that they didnt let me in without going through the metal detectors, i would have been fine with doing it but I literally watched them let another guy walk in without going through it , I was racially profiled . When I asked to speak with the manager she spoke with me but she was really rude and condescending. She stated that they start checking everyone at 7 , but their weren't any signs that stated that , when i said this she got pissy and rolled her eyes . I asked for a refund because of the discrimination and she said no and walked away, when i tried to return inside i was told that i was not allowed back in . So they literally stole from me and kicked me out becuase I was black and that I challenged the manager on whats right . She refused to tell me her name but she wore glasses and a beige shirt . I really hope that cooperate handles this because I will not stop until I am refunded , i will never step foot into the Salinas round 1 again . Thanks for ruining our family trip , we had people travel from South Carolina to visit and you destroyed our memories and stole from us . This establishment needs to be shut down for allowing this . NOTE : They are very unorganized and sadly unprofessional. Its funny that they are still in buisness. I do not recommend this location and I do not condone the way that they treated me and my family . Good luck trying to polish a turd because thats all this location will ever be if the poor managment continues. read more

Round1 Bowling & Arcade - Salinas - Bowling Near Me - Salinas, California

Not a place I'd go again. I heard of this company before so going there I expected more for all the activities they should have. We bowled but it was super pricey for experience. The other games were pricey and lots were not working. Their were like 4 workers at check in and it still took a while just for someone to help us. All very I don't want to be there or help out attitudes. Bowling was decent but how wrong can you go with that? Even old school vintage bowling alleys are better than this place but glad I got to check it out once. read more

Was there Monday night, the place had a lot of stuff and the food was edible but what really got me was that the place looked filthy. I mean does this place even have a janitor at night. There was trash all over the restrooms and the floor was dreadfully sticky. There was even one spot near the bowling alley where it smelled like rotten eggs. This place needs to invest in a better janitorial staff ASAP! read more

Terrible service definitely racist workers! Lanes kept messing up on us especially difficult with little kids management is also rude and rolls her eyes at customers, no of the arcade games were working and every 2 minutes you would have to get a worker because something wasn't working. When we bowled it kept skipping people or it would change how many times we have to bowl, or it would lag and we would have to start all over. The ball would also get stuck. We also asked if they had any party rooms and the lady on the phone said they don't have those at all. Overall the night was horrible. The staff need to learn how to be friendly. It was also way to overpriced and hyped. read more

Round1 Bowling & Arcade - Salinas - Bowling Near Me - Salinas, California

i did not try the food but we did do bowling and arcade. If ur kid is on crack he will love it. It is very chaotic and loud like a casino for kids. It is pretty pricey but kids love it ... it was packed. Customer service is lacking but there really isn't any places for kids to play. Just bring your Advil for your headache after being here. read more

I've been to a few round 1s outside of this one and by far, this one has had the worst service from the arcade attendants. They are hard to track down and are generally unhelpful. Also, the strength on the machines was set to be much harder than other locations and the prizes would drop out to a greater frequency than other places. I would not recommend coming here for the claw machines. There were 2-3 security guards patrolling at any given time. read more

It's definitely a great place for family fun. There's plenty of games and activities to choose from. They have food and ice cream which is nice. Also, drinks for adults. Everything is kind of pricey but they do have specials on games sometimes and cones for 99 cents, which is a nice treat! I've seen many reviews about bad service but each time I've been here the service hasn't been bad. I think that the service is ok. Could probably use some training as far as showing some enthusiasm especially since it's a popular place for kids. One thing I could say though, is even though the staff's personalities don't completely show enthusiasm, their actions show that they do value their guests. Recently, we were bowling and we were the only family bowling. Unknown to us, the staff was definitely aware that we were out there having a blast bowling and they paused bowling on all lanes for a competition during my son's turn. He got to "compete"against other bowlers, for a chance to win a prize. He didn't win, but it was really kind of them to give him the opportunity to participate when we were the only ones out there. That obviously took effort and timing on their part. They didn't have to do that at all, but they did just to make it special for our son. We appreciate that! One last thing is the cleanliness. The place looks clean at first glance. There isn't trash anywhere. But it doesn't seem like they wipe down the games often. They have finger prints and can be sticky. The elevators and escalators are filthy. It looks like they've never been cleaned. read more

This is a nice place for family gatherings and group events such as birthday parties, office parties, etc. In addition to bowling, there are plenty of arcade games suited for persons of all ages. This establishment was well organized, clean, and staff was friendly. The food was good, especially the chicken wings. As it is located at the mall, parking might be a challenge, but it's worth it. read more

Terrible service My family and I just went to go bowl and eat but as we are bowling we go to get some food and it said they were closed for an hour so we finished bowling and had a good time then when we went back we placed our orders and got our drinks but turns out they had no ice. So we said whatever but then we go to order and they didn't have the chicken sandwich and then we wait more and then they give our food to someone else after we waited for 50 minutes to an hour Personally we are not coming back just keep it in mind next time you go read more

I heard bad things about this place... fights, racism and even creepy creeps lurking not just that they have some games that don't even work and when I come to play it says it works just for a second and all of a sudden it shuts off also theres a bowing game that dosnt even dispense a ball also they need to change there start time it clearly says 10 am and today sat 3/5/22 all the people waiting outside said till 12 pm so I had to spend 1hr just waiting for the time to get close and have fun with my children read more

The cheese on the burger was not good it taste like bad a lot, also the food tasted so bad I guess the billboard was alright,and final thing 1 star read more

Management is non existent as he refused to give me his name? I was surrounded, berated, & interrogated by him, & 5 security guards because I was FaceTiming friends I was planning to meet with, to show them that I was already there!? He insisted that I did something wrong & that it was illegal for me to record in there, which I wasn't recording, but he insisted I was, and continued on attacking & harassing me. They need help with management training, customer care & service, & let good people alone to not feel like criminals! If corporate doesn't care to train the kids it has working for them, and set them up for complete failure in their future, I will never go there again, and will stick to my instincts to support local and bowl at Salinas Valley Bowl! A 1 star only because I can't give 0! read more

Teaching my niece how to play pool in their clean facilities. Fun environment during the day. They keep everything pretty clean which is what I like best. Fun music in the background. Yay read more

Round1 Bowling & Arcade - Salinas - Bowling Near Me - Salinas, California

Super fun! I had a great time going here with friends. The arcade is clean, organized, and it wasn't too busy on a Thursday afternoon. They even have a purikura photo booth! I didn't try it out this time, but I'll definitely be back again with friends! They also have around four DDR machines. Loved it! read more

Round1 Bowling & Arcade - Salinas - one of the dance dance revolution machines - Bowling Near Me - Salinas, California

Walking in here it's like Las Vegas and it's so loud. Be prepared to be searched at the door. They wand you and go through your belongings. I don't like that the kids can run free in the pool table area and play on the tables unsupervised. They have no table etiquette and get in your way. This is how the equipment gets ruined. This should be an adult only space. We tried to get a couple of beers but the bar was closed because the employee didn't show up for work. That's unacceptable the manager should step up and open the bar. Can't Imagine how much money they lost because of this. It was closed for hours. 4 tables that are pretty fast. Lots of sticks in good condition. They do have Monterey County Sheriff's on duty upstairs and I appreciate that. Probably won't come back because it's so loud and kids running wild everywhere. read more

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