I respect the legacy that Surf Bowl has had on the Oceanside community. However, it is very dated. The staff was helpful and kind. Identifying the pros and cons of paying for a game vs per the hour. We were a huge group including kids so it made more sense to pay per game. I almost wish we asked for a discount on the games because the machines were flimsy. Some rounds we did not play the 10 pins or it would freeze every other frame. Bowling wasn't too busy on the weekend. Not sure if I would return unless there were some upgrades. read more

Surf Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

I had such a fun time with my friends here for my birthday. The staff was incredible, which made me a little sad being prepared to meet this "grump old man" at the counter that others wrote about. LOL. Whoever the man was that we encountered was absolutely devine! We hit it here on Tuesday night with no reservations, around 7pm. Not only was the staff great, but the people around bowling with us were great. The vibe was very cool. It is a bowling alley. You should have a decent understanding of what to expect when it's retro like this one. We didn't order food, but did order pitcher of beers. By the way, the bartender was very fun. I would reccomend this place to anyone looking for a chill vibe who just want to have some throw back fun. When you're done, head up the street to The Flying Pig for some amazing after eats. FANTASTIC TIME, STAFF & VIBE! read more

Surprisingly empty for a Saturday morning at 10 today. The 4 of us played league play in two lanes which made things move along smoothly, allowing us to play 3 games in an hour 15 minutes. My husband and I forgot our shoes and custom bowling balls at home so we did our best with the house balls which really don't spin well. It was super fun, and the music wasn't too loud and we had empty lanes on both sides so it was easier to concentrate. We hadn't bowled in a couple months so it felt good to get back into it! read more

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It's pretty chill for a local spot! If you're looking for something with all the upgrades, this ain't it, it's more so just meet up chill spot! I love how they let you order food, we ordered some Marcos pizza. They have all you can bowl for $25 right now. It's after a particular time, I think 8 or 9 but it is until 1am. We stayed all night and had too much fun. At first I was not feeling the fact they didn't have food but it's an easy fix to just order something, further helping the economy. They also have a little bar in there. We had a great time. read more

Surf Bowl - Love that they allow outside food, why wouldn't they! - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Bar area smelled like a backed up toilet.. waited almost an hour to play and never got called off the waiting list. Counter guy says "oh sorry".. cool place but it seemed a little shady with people hanging outside just chugging cigarettes. So never bowled, waited, never called.. bartender was friendly. Not much else. Basic bar selection. I'd recommend something in a can. read more

Surf Bowl is an Oceanside staple! A true beachy bowling alley. Always a nice time and kind folks at the counter. read more

Surf Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

We had a fun time on Christmas Eve bowling for the first time with our 2 year old. They had holiday pricing which cost us around $66 for 3 pairs of shoes and 2 games for 3 people and were open until 8pm. They had the option to rent the lane per hour as well. They have a lot of theme days and specials throughout the week. Also some bowling league opportunities. They had a lot to accommodate young kids which was nice: lane bumpers, 6lb balls and ball ramps for helping the ball glide down the lane. The venue is a time capsule for the 90s for sure- the bathrooms could use a little love but it brought back a lot of memories from my childhood which was fun. They also played Christmas music during our time. The snack bar was closed and not sure if it's operational at all. Would come back again! The parking lot in the front is small but there's excess parking in the back and I think there's an exit door out that way but we walked all the way around. Minimal staff but one nice young man came over and put away the kids ball and ramp for us. read more

Surf Bowl - Lane 32 - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Bowling is always a blast! Hard to come and have a bad time! If there is no parking in the front check the upper back lot! Weekends afternoon/evenings can get really busy heads up there! Their selection of toddler shoes is slim to none so bring extra socks to stuff in the front if bringing a little one for the first time! This alley has been here since 1949, amazing!! - Highly recommend joining a league if you've ever thought about it, it's so fun! read more

Surf Bowl - Our little toddler who just turned 2 first time bowling! - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

We wanted to go bowling and this place was our closest option. Always love to support our local bowling alleys. It's certainly on the older side since the computer you use to put in your names and track score is very "vintage". Plus, some of the lanes are worn in as evident in the photos I shared. As someone who has slightly larger fingers and needed a ball in the 11-12 pound range, the options were limited but I still was able to bowl without any issue. They did have my size 13 shoes available so that was nice. The only problems that we had were on our lane 23 since two separate times it appeared that the pins refused to reset properly and cost us about 10 minutes of our 90 minute prepaid session. When I tried talking to the man at the desk, he called it in each time but we still had lost those 10 minutes before we were switched to our adjacent lane. When we brought this up upon checking out we were comped with two free games. It's nice that this was taken care of, but I wish that the issues with our lane were resolved or that we were comped extra time without having to ask for it. We plan on returning, but hope that they eventually plan on putting in time and maintenance to address some of the issues with the pins resetting, and the noted cosmetic issues. The vending machines are cash only, so recommend preparing in advance with some petit cash since outside beverages aren't permitted. While not perfect, we enjoyed our experience at Surf Bowl and plan on returning. read more

Surf Bowl - Lanes - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Good vibes and even better people! Love this house! Join a league or just come down for some games! read more

Surf Bowl - Friday League night - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

My coworkers and I went to Surf Bowl to try to relax after work. We work at a school. One of them tried to call REPEATEDLY only to get either busy signals or "the mailbox is full" messages. The elderly man who was on duty at the time tells us that we can't bowl because of the league teams coming in almost 2 hours. They reserve ALL the lanes for them. It's about 4:40 when we arrived. League doesn't start until 6:30. I say that we could definitely bowl a full game by six. He again simply says, NO. I don't understand. Are you in business or not? TWO lanes were being used, TWO. No one answers the phone, no messages saying who is and isn't allowed to bowl. No wonder this place is nearly always empty except for during league play!!! It's ridiculous. read more

Prices are fair. There is a strong mildew smell when you walk in. This place is old school and there are tons of lanes available. We had an issue with one of our pins missing upon reset. I told the front about the issue and the man there told me, "Well, you better go find it. I guess you have to play like that". I'm not sure if he was trying to be sarcastic but it came off rude and he wasn't much help. After waiting a few minutes and playing with a missing pin, we went back and told the other employee that the pin was missing. She helped us and moved us to the next lane over. I'm not sure why the first employee was rude and didn't move us in the first place. Other than the issue with the one employee and the missing pin, we had a great time. read more

There is an awful, unpleasant, EVIL old man that works at the counter. No matter who you are, what age - child or adult - he is upset and will try to make you go away. I'm not sure how long he's been working for the company, and I'm all for someone having an "off" day or a "bad" day, but he was just straight disrespectful. He didn't even care when he would make customers uncomfortable, it was like that's what he wanted. Plus the bathrooms are horrible and everything is broken down or doesn't work. This isn't a nice dating place, or family welcoming, go somewhere else. read more

Great price if you go on the nightly specials. Definitely not the most up-to-date bowling alley however, still a great time.

I've been coming here for a little bit and Ethan has always been the best, Ethan has always been an amazing employee and helped me out so much and was so kind to me and helped me out in bowling, even when I was putting everything in the gutters!! Everyone should come here to bowl just because of the staff!! All of them are amazing! read more

Surf Bowl was okay overall. The food tasted decent but nothing really stood out. Portion size was fair, though the presentation could be better. Service was a bit slow, but the staff was friendly. An average experience! read more

Okay, bowling is a little old school but this place is fun. The train station stops not far from it so it is walking distance. Additionally, they are super nice people and draw a variety of people, both singles and families. They have a little bar and food and it is is, excuse the pun, a ball! read more

We hosted our niece's birthday this past weekend! The staff was so kind and helpful. Helped us set up a table and checked in frequently with our group . We had the best time, read more

Surf Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Let's just start by saying it's a bowling alley. Not a new bowling alley. That being said, we bowled and had a great time. Sure, the place is older and could use a few upgrades, but I thought it was a great place. The parking lot is very small, so you might have to look around for parking a bit if it's busy. We had about 15 people in our group and went on a Sunday morning when they opened. They had a Sunday special. We got three lanes (5 per lane) and paid to bowl for 2 hours. I thought the overall prices was extremely reasonable. There is a small game area, bar food and a full bar. The food was decent and so were the drinks. Sure, our balls got stuck several times. Yes, a couple of pins might have even dropped after racking. Overall, we still had a blast. If you are a nit picker and expecting a glamorous bowling alley, this place is not for you. If you're just hanging out having a good time, you'll be fine. read more

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I came in the bowling alley for a soda after church on a Sunday and the place was great especially the bar because it looked like the concession stand was not open tough the bowling alley is old in general so I would come back again. read more

This place is so unprofessional and unorganized. They should stop hosting the "leagues" because if the people are that professional they should go somewhere else. But yeah that's really it, if you come to have some fun there won't be any fun since majority of the time the public can't even enjoy the experience.This needs to be fixed immediately. read more

The Staff was super friendly and helpful. Great fun with our family and friends! Thank you!

I don't leave bad reviews often, but whoever was cashier 10/5 between 2-5 was the most rude customer service employees I've encountered. He acted like I was an idiot when I asked questions about the pricing and even threw my card at me during check out after I paid. He even told the players next that they won't get an "accurate score and that's just how it is here" after their lane was messing up. used to come here in 2020/2021 and it was great, but this place has gonna down hill. read more

C'mon, it is what it is. Great lil "divey" bowling alley in the Heart of Oceanside, the bar and burgers are bomb!! Staff is legit! Go see Robert on the weekends at the food counter and make sure you tip him well. He deserves it.... Peace.. read more

Surf Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

Surf Bowl is a fun place. We don't live in the Oceanside area and this was our first visit, we will come back again. The staff was very helpful with us beginner bowlers. Homey, neighborly and friendly atmosphere which we like. Prices are reasonable. A good place to take the family. read more

So sad this place used to be relatively cool. No food!?!? What happened! Someone needs to spend the money to deep clean the place and update the worn down and broken parts. read more

First time at Surf Bowl, and I have to say that I was impressed. Myself and three other family members was able to play unlimited bowling with shoes for 23.00 per person with shoe rental. So we bowled from 10:30pm to 1am. Booze prices was a bit high, though all in all we ate and had a great time. Besides me and my cousin being sore the next day we would recommend this place to anyone that is looking to have fun. read more

This place is SO fun!! Has great pricing throughout the entire week and is a great place to bring a group of friends and hangout, drink, eat, bowl and even play games. read more

I definitely would recommend this place...it has been the best therapy for a stressful day or even just a great time out on the weekend especially when they have cosmic bowling friday and saturday nights!! It may look vintage but the ppl are pretty awesome! It would be nice to have this place brought back to its former glory from back in my childhood days bowling here!! read more

Came on a Tuesday around 6 and the place was packed! Checked in at the counter and was told there was an hour wait for a lane to open up. We didn't mind so had our name put on the list. Grabbed some beers inside the bar and waited at a table to people watch, they have a small arcade to pass the time. Crowd was a mix of your typical Oceanside locals, surfers, youngsters, families, bowling teams. The grill was closed and that's why I gave 4 stars because they don't allow you to bring any outside food or drink. Bowling balls were in good condition and overall the place is pretty clean. They are short staffed but for the few that are working they are really friendly and awesome people. So remember to leave them a tip!! read more

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Well Marlin found my phone and kept it safe until I retrieved it! He even charged it!! Jenn was asking all the right questions to be sure I was the owner! Great time!! read more

This is a traditional bowling alley, which could use a little more updating, but is not in bad shape. It's more of "league house" as opposed to an entertainment venue. There are not many choices in this area, and during the afternoon's it has been quite slow here, and thus easy to get a lane or two. I've been here about 10 times over the last several years. On Thursday's they have special pricing for seniors (those over 50). Regular rates for games run $4.95 for non league bowlers. They also offer holiday specials, tournaments, offer birthday parties, etc. read more

Surf Bowl - Traditional bowling center - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Worst bowling alley I've ever been to. Don't come here if you actually want to bowl. It is a sh*thole. Whole place has never been touched with a single cleaning product and hasn't been renovated in 50 years at least. There was poop all over the toilets and the floors are covered with dirt and grime. The fans are about to fall out of the ceiling and the bowling thing you use to put in your names are wrapped in dirty duck tape to hold it together. It doesn't work and it didn't count our scores every-time we rolled to where we spent more time pressing buttons trying to reset our pins than actually rolling a bowling ball. All those rolls we did that they didn't count also were counted as actual rolls so before our game was finished it said we were out of rolls and just couldn't finish our game. So many problems every-time we've come and am definitely never coming back. Not to mention one person in our party has their own bowling ball which has never had any noticeable marks or damage from bowling a lot at multiple lanes and two trips to this place has it black with grime with so many marks. Disgusting. Not a great business, it is clear that the owner doesn't care about it at all with all these problems because despite it always having a good amount of people there and making money not a single renovation or cleaning has been done. This place needs a serious renovation and probably a new owner or to just be shut down. If I could do zero stars I would. A waste of money and am never coming back. read more

We needed a last minute New Year's Eve celebration location while on vacation, and this was the perfect spot for our family, which includes 3 teenagers!!! For $30 a person, we were able to bowl for 3 hours, price included shoes rentals, NYE swag (hats/crowns, lei's & horns), and champagne/apple cider for midnight toast!!! I feel like the price was fair for everything we got. They have a snack shop and a bar. They sell really yummy churros for $3!!! :-) The place is definitely well loved and dated, it needs a little TLC, but I think it's part of the charm. I would definitely come back if in the area. read more

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I've been here a few time throughout the years. Could it use a facelift? Yes, of course. It is fine though and you can have some fun there. Parking can be a little tight, but there's usually some space up the hill. We were there yesterday afternoon and it was pretty packed. I wish they would turned on the ceiling fans because it was warm there. Maybe because we were close to the kitchen. The internet was out and luckily we had enough cash to pay! The internet did go back on shortly after we paid. This place can attract all kind of people. Somone next to me yelled F---!!!! And there was a family on the other side of me with small children. Last Friday night, my coworkers and I were looking forward to an evening of bowling. The wait was an hour because there were leagues at that time. I thought that was interesting because you would think they would want more open lanes in the evening. We went to the bar instead and only one coworker stayed behind to bowl with her family. I don't think there was any music in the bar, so we paid for the digital juke box which seems to have limited songs. I would like to try Comic Bowling here someday soon! read more

this is a very dirty bowling alley! men had to use women's restroom. food counter never opened very outdated read more

Very poor bowling center with poor management. Lanes are constantly breaking down with very slow service for repair. The restrooms are inadequate with standing water in them from time to time. Ceiling tiles missing with roof leaks when it rains. The ceiling vent ducts are filthy. I won't be back. read more

Eclectic bowling alley that is over 50 years old. Came here for a birthday party and had a great time. Great customer service and while our lane experienced some technical difficulties we got two games in the next lane over. The snack bar was not open but a full bar was available for a pitcher of your favorite craft beer. They also allow outside food so Uber eats is an option.. read more

This is the worst experience i've ever had in my life. The lady called my nephew a "dickhead" and "dumbass" because my nephew is 6 years old and this is his first time bowling and he threw the ball in the other lane by accident and then she got mad and told us to leave. The pizza had fucking bugs in it I felt so disgusted. Never coming back don't reccomend at all. I was about to call the police. read more

Came here to do some bowling. Was originally put on lane 2 which had significant issues during the course of trying to bowl so a staff member was sent out to confirm there was an issue with our first Lane (after apparently not believing us) we were switched to lane 4 Upon being sent to lane 4 we experienced more issues we requested assistance for a second time and were told by Steven that he wasn't a mechanic and it was an old establishment and if we were unhappy with the service we could leave (while just trying to finish games that had been previously paid for & unable to do so because of active lane issues) I expressed that I was just trying to make sure we would be able to finish out at least one paid game with accurate scoring which didn't seem feasible with the current issues on our new lane and at that point Steven just told me I could leave and he would be canceling the rest of our prepaid game . read more

Surf Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California