Sad to say this but surf bowl sucks. Rose we love you but you staff sucks. We spend a couple hundred bucks in 2 hours and get treated like tourists. Shame on you. Won't return and will spread the word locally. Surf bowl 9/15 UPDATE -Once again Surf Bowl is the place to go if you like to be in a place where employees are miserable and too busy taking smoke breaks. Still haven't returned and don't plan on it. We'll seek out another bowling alley for our once-a-year bowling outing UPDATE- You still suck Surf B BTW- What I said last time read more

Is it a little run down? Yes. Is it a little old? Yes. Could it use some maintenance? Yes. But it's a classic bowling alley, and you can't beat the price or the atmosphere. You can walk in, rent some shoes and play a couple games for 12 bucks. What more can you ask for? Nice employees too. Wouldn't recommene bringing the family Friday/Saturday night, it gets pretty crowded and hectic with high schoolers playing the unlimited bowling. But other than that, great classic bowling alley. read more

Sigh. I'm not the most familiar with the area so can't compare but I can say the last two times I've been Surf Bowl staff has had a snappy attitude and not very friendly. The last time I made a visit the bar was closed on a Saturday afternoon... Come on. Our group played one game and didn't linger much after. I wouldn't say it's really a nice place but the experience is always better with some friends and a beer in hand. Cheers! Just not here. read more

See all

I don't even know where to start. Filthy, run down, and the staff is clearly aware of all the issues but can't be bothered to fix anything. Initially went in just to get a ball at the pro shop, then decided to throw a couple games since I was already there. By the way, my experience within the pro shop was great. Pretty quickly I grew tired of walking to the desk every other throw because the lane wasn't working properly. The next day we went with some friends and their kids, paid by the hour, and it was a WASTE. We barely got through one game in an hour (even on the lane of only adults) because every other throw the lane would jam during reset. And when it did reset it would knock the pins down as the mechanism lifted from the pins. Moved us to a new lane (didn't add any time to our purchase) and the same issues continued. Every time we went to talk to the desk they acted like WE were inconveniencing THEM. Definitely working with that "if you don't like it then leave" attitude. Save yourself some money, go somewhere else and let this rat's nest wither away so something useful can take its place. read more

My daughter loves this place and has the best time of her life on family nights she even wants to go for her bday!!!

Oceanside needs a new bowling spot because this is not it. Overall environment is old, dirty, and out of date. Had to switch lanes twice till we gave up and left because pins kept falling after being set up. Balls kept getting stuck while place needs an update. read more

Interesting bowling alley. Got hungry while bowling - the food was pretty good for a bowling alley. Decent options for beers, the pitcher was slightly more expensive than the other bowling alley we usually go to. Prices were decent per game. The distance from where the chairs are to the lane are kind of close. We would run out of pins from time to time so that was a little annoying. This bowling alley has character. read more

Surf Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

I met a bunch of my friends here a few days ago and I've never regretted a decision so much in my life, and I saw Prince of Persia in theaters for full ticket price. I went up to request a lane for our group and the guy behind the counter was talking to another employee(I think it was an employee) and I stood there patiently waiting, I was early and wasn't in a hurry. The guy doesn't even turn to look at me but puts up his finger to wait a second. When he did finally turn around after 10 minutes, he just stared at me. Didn't greet me, not even a "Wha'd'ya want?" Just stared. I told him that I'd like to rent a lane and he literally just scoffed at me and walked away. I stood there for a minute and then just went to a table to wait for my friends, completely astounded at what he did. I saw one of my guy friends approach the counter and by the time I stood up and walked to him to say hi, the jerk behind the counter had given him a lane, a pair of shoes, and told him he was sorry about the wait. ?!?!???!???!? I stood beside him and the guy looked at me and literally yelled at me to get to the back of the (nonexistent) line. AFTER I hugged my friend and we talked for a second. I said that this was a friend and he still wouldn't talk to me, much less apologize. My friend asked him what his problem was and he said nothing, he's just a stickler for RULES???? Whatever. I just walked away. At the lane, the rest of our friends showed up and we had just started a game, I was going last and right when my other female friend got up to bowl, the lane went dark and the computer shut down. A couple of friends went up to ask what happened and the same guy yelled at them saying their time was up and they had to leave. We literally had just gotten to the second frame of our first game. Yeah, there were 8 of us but we're all between 29-32 and we weren't drinking, drunk, high, or even rowdy. We just wanted to get out and do something different, and this was the biggest waste of time ever. Literally go ANYWHERE ELSE. The misogynistic a**hole behind the counter is NOT WORTH IT. Go to another city and find a bowling alley. Anywhere but this one. I have absolutely no idea how their still in business when their employees are such colossal jerks. Also, one of my friends got beer and some food here and after about an hour or two got violently ill so I wouldn't eat here either. read more

Too old...balls and shoes in total disrepair. Machine only drinks. Smells bad! ..........................,.

Can I give 0 stars? Crap Bowling place. Paid $57 dollars (gave $10 tip) and had a terrible experience. Alley was not working. Pins were not moving up. Had to reset all the time. Nobody came to help out. I will never come back here and do not recommend this place to anyone. They did not give me extra time to finish the game. After I talked to the guy at the front desk he asked me to pay more to continue to play. Plain crap customer service! read more

This place was just OK, it really felt dated and needs some remodeling. The balls they provided were literally greasy and hard to hold on to. They didn't have anyway to wipe down the loaner balls and the more games we played the harder it was to hold on to that greasy sucker! The customer service was good, but I'll probably find somewhere else to bowl next time. It was fun to go with a Groupon offer but it was definitely a lackluster location. read more

Surf Bowl - Mural on the wall - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

See all

Had a great time here! The facility was clean, the owner was nice and helpful, and the vibes were good. Would definitely come back.

Family fun for $40! 5 pair of shoes. One lane. One hour. Can get food if you want. Video games. read more

See all

As this bowling alley can some have some issues, we ran into an INCREDIBLE employee when someone was causing problems and he took care of everyone. I couldn't recommend a better employee for this establishment, Lamaki, YOU are amazing and we appreciate you and surf bowl wouldn't be as much of an enjoyment as it is without great employee like you. read more

What can I say, bowling has always been a passion of mine. PASSION!!!! There's something about the smooth lanes and pins that just get me so excited!! I hate when my bf makes me stand at the end of the lane tho cuz he says I look like a pin. PS great chicken wangs here too! Don't forget napkins when you're grabbing the ball tho after oopsies :) read more

This place is disgusting. This is a cash cow. They did no visible renovations during the COVID closure. This place looks the same as it did 20 years ago. Let's start from the top: I visited here when I was 21 or 22, it was a dive I only went in to drink at the bar which was a hole. Got one drink that was garbage, never returned. Fast forward two decades. I bring my kids to bowl and enjoy. Walk in and we are greeted with the rotting smell of waterlogged wood. We wait in line to get a lane and shoes. $62 for 4 people, shoes, and one lane! This is idiotic, but I decide to do it for the kiddos. I ask for a breakdown of the charges since bowling most places is not $62. There's a $10 cover per person, regardless of age. I ask what does this cover actually cover. The woman regurgitates the same vapid response: it's a cover charge. So we're paying to walk in the door. Then the other charges, old and worn shoes, and bowling for four on one lane. I pay and we get started. Carpet looks like it was installed in 1990. The stairs have a plastic covering that is in complete destitution and black duct tape is holding it in place. The cracked tile floor is dirty with black lining the adjoining edges or poles, pillars, and chairs. The ceiling tiles are falling apart and are stained with dingy brown spots. The bowling hard wood is laminate and very worn and warped. The lanes are no better, and not polished. The laminate is rising in some spots where the floor has been cut open. The balls are all chipped and scratched and nowhere near lane worthy. Imagine the bowling balls used in the Flintstones cartoon... jagged rocks in an ellipsoid shape. That is what you're throwing down the old, faded laminate strip that isn't even polished. The bumpers are just some cheap metal slapped together that rattle and rock when the ball is thrown. Gutters are uneven and balls get stuck. The ball return doesn't even have bristles or a padded wheel for the balls. Just an old, brown, worn out wheel that looks like a wooden disk for a depression era toy. The ball assist devices for kids are made of metal and are very flimsy and falling apart. The seams are exposed and are the enemy of tiny fingers. Your child will probably need a tetanus shot after bowling here. The cafe is closed and shows no sign of opening in the near future. The cafe menu sign is a faded yellow. The pro shop is crowded and filled with gear for the league bowlers. The bar is a train wreck. It is poorly constructed and looks like it did 20 years ago. No updated electronics for serving. I ordered a pitcher of Stella Artois, two cokes and one sprite. The bartender served me from 2 liters!!! TWO LITERS FROM THE GROCERY STORE. The beer was flat and hasn't seen carbonation since the brewery. There is a putrid smell like the crawl space of a house on the beach in Del Mar that was built in the 50s. There are three bar style pool tables that appear to be 80s relics. There is a small arcade with some pretty current games. Why do I say all this? Where is the $10 per person cover charge going! What the hell did the owners do during shutdown with all the decades of money they garnered? What about the money they've been taking in since reopening two or three weeks ago? My children were nauseated and asked to leave by the 6th frame. Clearly this disgusting cash cow is bursting at the seams and is designed to take any and all would be patrons for any cash they will give up. It seems geared toward a very young crowd who would otherwise not really care about aesthetics and simply want to go out, spend money, and have fun. This place is trash. You will have a much better time going to the lanes in another town, or on the Marine base. You can go to Walmart and buy a child's plastic bowling setup and have a more fulfilling experience in and alley with a six pack of cheap beer and a bag of Doritos. Stay away from this septic tank. Owners, reach out if you like. We will see how that conversation goes. Take your business elsewhere!! read more

See all

This bowling alley is your typical old school bowling place. It reminds me of MIra Mesa Bowl. There's a smell of bowling shoes in the atmosphere- the way it should be! It is kind of pricey, actually- $20 an hour and $5.25 for shoes. I'm sure they have deals on certain weekdays though. Parking is hard when it is busy- there is limited space here behind the location. read more

Couldn't get anyone to answer phone so we didn't make a reservation. Walked in it was packed on Sunday afternoon. Was told 45 min wait. We spent $20 on crappy arcade, then came back and was told it's another 45 min wait. Customer service was lacking, felt very dirty. We left. Will never go back. Then ti see other people walk up and cut the lines. No. read more

Soooooo went to this place on a wednesday for a birthday reservation on Friday. Wednesday they told me first come first serve on reservations so i showed up early friday to make sure my friends birthday party can get lanes. THEN the guy behind the counter told me no way in hell could i get a lane tonight because they reserved it for league night. WHY didn't they tell me this before ?!? It's a friday night and this has been planned for over a week. This management here is a huge bummer as well as the employees are incredibly rude. Don't bowl here. Very VERY rude employees. big bummer. Use to love coming here. read more

I'm a local and used to love this place and come here often, but NEVER again. The guy working the front desk was kind and professional, but the ginger (maybe strawberry blonde?) girl is the worst, most unprofessional customer service worker I have ever come into contact with. I've worked customer service for YEARS and would never talk to (more like yell) at a customer like that. Throughout the years I've been coming here, I've never had an issue with a staff member until now. I can't believe she was even hired, let alone has kept her job for however long. Good luck getting far in life with an attitude like that. I'll only be going to bowlero now. read more

When did bowling get more expensive than golf?!! Makes my decision easy on where to take my kids.

5 stars for Lamaki - he was the man , cleaned up several messes for us whilst remaining a homie so thanks Lamaki we will be back because of friendly staff !! read more

I would give zero stars if I could. This place is f**king trash. You'll have a better bowling experience using the plastic bowling set from Walmart. I went to this place with a party of 6. We paid for 3 games per lane(we split between two side by side lanes) whoever works there on Friday/Saturday nights, the "manager", needs to be fired. We PAID for a total of 6 games(3 per lane, remember?). Now, let me tell you about the lanes here. Normally you'd get 2 tries per turn, right? HAH. Not here! You might get 1, you might get 2, hell, you might even get 3!! OR... none at all! After countless relays to "management" about our jenky lanes, she got tired of us and told us to leave. We asked for a refund and were denied, then this "manager" called security on us. 6, paying customers were denied service because the "manager" didn't know her elbow from her asshole. Sorry your small brain can't handle bowling lane technology bro. TL;DR: GO TO BOWLERO read more

This bowling alley was a great place to bring the kids for an afternoon of bowling. The gentleman at the counter was very friendly and helpful with a fun sense of humor. Easy to get a lane, shoes and bowling balls. The kids enjoyed the arcade afterwards. The place was older than some of the other bowling alleys in the San Diego area but it was very clean. The bathrooms were very clean as well. I will bring my kids back to enjoy another fun day of bowling . read more

The locals go-to spot. I'd hate to give him the credit, but, yes, a miserable employee of a man named Darryl ruined our experience. Extremely blatantly rude. No customer service skills. Running around aimlessly. Then stopped to play the candy claw machine. All we were trying to find out is if the kitchen was still open...he managed to make a simple answer to a question a yelp review. That's how repulsive his attitude was. read more

This is a very standard bowling alley. Not terrible and not really good. It shows its age and could use some remodeling or updating. It was really busy while we were there. During our game, the score machine froze. We weren't sure what happened. I was about to go get someone when a guy ran over, jumped on the ball return and turned the score TVs on and off. He didn't say anything. He didn't look like he was an employee. I asked what he was doing. He said that the score machine lost communication. The guy was either having a bad day or just an Ahole. Either way he should have communicated what he was doing before jumping up in front of my family and our game. read more

Surf Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

At least try to make this place enjoyable whoever owns it! Smells horrible when you walk in, no food or drinks. Could really use even just one upgrade, owners much not like the place themselves. Go elsewhere, hopefully this place cleans up. read more

This was a nice little local spot we found for our friends birthday. The exterior is not as well maintained as it could be so it comes off a little sketchy looking at first. When you enter the facility it is a little stuffy so I question how well ventilated the place is. The employees are kind and the main part of what brings this place together. I would easily say its the employees that bring people in. Patience was a virtue for these guys dealing with many families at once so that's a plus. There were three pool tables behind the railing to the bowling area so you can still enjoy watching your friends bowl if you get tired of bowling for a bit. Unfortunately it's like many places where you have to pay in order to play but not such a big deal. For the drinkers out there there is a little bar in the back away from everyone else so you can enjoy a drink with your buddies while the kids are bowling in the front. They also have a few televisions so you can watch and even grab a bite to eat. Beware though, the food does not taste as fresh as one might hope. My friends and I ordered some nachos with cheese and the nachos were stale and the cheese had a peculiar taste to them. Bathroom could have been kept much cleaner; stains on the floors, tiles coming off the walls, sinks look like they are developing rust and a full trashcan. While we were bowling, there a few times our balls would get stuck in the hole. Ha ha yes I made a joke but seriously it would get a bit annoying but the employees would hurry over and fix the issue right away so the service from them was excellent, always making sure things would go as smoothly as possible. All in all, I have to admit I still had fun and this was a nice place to enjoy with my friend on her birthday. If you're looking to just go bowling around, don't expect much difference from other bowling alleys around the area. Do your best and enjoy. 'Nuf said. read more

Surf Bowl - Very clean and a cute homey place - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

See all

Family atmosphere everyone was nice that were bowling..It took awhile to be attended to but once attented to it was great. The LANES are WAY TOO OILY. read more

Good times here at Surf Bowl. Easy check in and paying for the hourly rate versus the per game price was a better value. Lanes worked great and lots of weights of balls to choose from. We came in the early afternoon and there was plenty of lanes open. Smaller than Eagle Bowl in San Marcos but was old school cool. read more

Surf Bowl - Good times!!! - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

See all

Terrible terrible terrible! And I can say this cuz I've been bowling since I was 4 and have seen a lot of bowling alleys in my 43 years. I understand they just opened back up from this corona virus junk but damn ... we had to move lanes three times due to balls getting stuck in the back. I use my own balls not house balls and this is terrible on balls. Puts chips in them! The place could also use a make over! A HUGE make over. The lady at the front desk asked what kind of ball I used. She said it must be plastic. I'm sorry but that's not an excuse for machines not working properly. Btw my ball is not plastic! We were thinking of going a league here but NOOOOOOO We won't be going back to this so called establishment. read more

Friendly staff and great Tuesday Mania price. I like the old school feel, but I think the place could spruce up a bit to have a cleaner feel. read more

I love this place it would have got five stars if the snack bar was open more than just the weekends but yeah this place kicks ass the snack bars should be open more often people that work there are great I just love them read more

Only reason 2 stars instead of one is because I have fond memories of having my birthday parties here 20 years ago. Unfortunately, this place doesn't appear to have had any updates or upgrades in those 20 years. Apparently a lane can accommodate up to 8 people, we had 5 people (4 adults and a kid) but there were only 3 permanent seats. No tables to hold your drinks nor chairs to move around. We were crammed. Other lanes around us seemed to have too many people too. Lack of space mixed with a lane that kept resetting... or trying to reset each time, caused us to leave early. My advice, don't prepay for 2 rounds because we didn't get a full refund even though our lane was a dud and we were over it. We don't plan to return unless they invest in some serious upgrades/updates. read more

It was OK but far too expensive. Not crowded not wait for a lane. Food from the snack bar came right away. But $30 for two people for two games and shoes is a little StEeP. Had fun but not sure that's the best use of our entertainment dollar read more

Surf Bowl - Bowling Near Me - Oceanside, California

Came here on a Sunday night and was able to get a lane right away. This is what you'd expect of an old school bowling alley. Pop music from multiple decades is playing, they have pizza for sale, and a few lanes have TVs with sports games on. It isn't a cheap night out though. It's more than $4 pp to rent shoes and then $5.50 pp per game, which can add up. They are in the 2018 Entertainment Book for a slight discount. Service was friendly and fast and the place was clean. There were all ages here and felt like good old fashioned fun! read more

Horrible customer service- go to Bowlero. Forgot to post this earlier in the year before covid. Just passed by and see they have "not open" up and remembered how horrible they were to begin with. Need a new operator read more

Despite some of the negative comments I see here (maybe some have a legitimate reason) my experience is good. Monday and Wednesday are to me not the best time to bowl because of leagues, but they are fun to watch. What's interesting is in my observation seeing people (some coming week after week on the same days) complain and even hassle the front desk personal because the leagues on those days take up both sides. I guess that can justify how important it is to call and confirm whether there are leagues playing or not, but ironically if some know this already, why continue coming to bowl those league nights and sometimes with more people? Crazy. Machines may have issues at times during play, but at least the mechanics seem to correct matters promptly. Have to give credit to them because at least they try to keep the flow of play moving. Snack bar has great food, and the Bartenders, Security, and Customer Service do a great job dealing with the public also, but sometimes it's incredible at times how poorly the staff gets treated on occasion. I guess some people feel that they are entitled to bring outside food and drinks in when there's clearly a sign stating that it's not allowed (FDA reasons). Some endanger themselves by walking down the middle of the lane which has oil just to get a ball (usually when people throw two balls down the lane against the rules and is smacks the sweep). Some instead of just acknowledging it get mouthy with security or customer service about it though it's about their safety. I heard one use this excuse: "They're just kids" Well do the parents have control of the kids?, or do the kids control the parents? Those who are warned about the consequences of giving their under aged friends (or those who don't have a valid I.D.) alcoholic beverages to drink. Not only do some lie after being caught on surveillance, but sometimes make a scene and cry foul because of it. "Oh I work the food and beverage industry/I'm a bartender" REALLY?! Then you should know the rules. Some have expired licenses (three, six, or nine months past) which are not considered a valid I.D. Sure complain about it all the time, but why don't you go to the D.M.V. , pay $30.00(?), stand in line for maybe an hour or two, and get a California I.D. card. How hard is that? lol "Oh the customer is always right!" well to an extent that is true, but then some customers cross the lines of respect? I wonder how some would react if the rolls were reversed and some of these people have to deal with working with the public under these conditions. It would be interesting to see this, because there are others that may be extremely demanding. Extreme bowling is always fun. The only claw to get a free game is not only telling an employee prior to bowling a strike with a colored pin in the front, but also paying the $20.00 unlimited fee. Some people do know this but it's funny how even some will try and pull a fast one when the lead gives the conditions, but yet they want to ask other employees when they know better about the terms and conditions of getting a free game (says a lot about them). Keep up the good work surf bowl staff. Also thank you for taking time out of your families to accommodate the public during the holidays when most people have the entire day off with their families. I look forward to returning. read more

Nice staff, friendly and clean. Would come back. Shoes are clean. Bowling balls are clean.

Bowling was ok. Layout was what u expect. Problems were across the board. Could not play video games because token machine was broken. Lanes 13 and 14 the balls wouldn't return so paying by the hour gave us 1 game ( not worth the money) . But the worst part was the bartender! She was awful! Kept spouting off things about Abc laws to old women while giving her friends a break on identification. She was terrible. read more