I used to go here when it was Southgate Lanes, but had not been since its ownership changed and it became The Lanes. 4 of us ventured out around 7:30 on a Saturday evening for bowling, food, and drinks. It's probably just a weekend thing, but as soon as you walk in there is an off duty Cop checking bags and working a metal detector. Safety first... I had heard that the interior was redesigned to a New Orleans style decor. I didn't get that at all, but the back portion where the restaurant and lounge areas are was roped off for a comedy show. Who knew? We were able to access a small portion for drink orders only once we were given a wristband. The drinks were really good and strong by the way.
We wanted to place a food order and this turned out to be a confusing process. So you order food at the same window where you pay for bowling; not the actual food window. They do bring it to your lane though. We ordered wings, a catfish and fries meal, and a small order of mac and cheese bites. It took 40 minutes for our food to be delivered. However the other two people in our party who ordered right after us got their wings 10 mins sooner. The wings were not seasoned. The catfish was good, but very heavy on the black pepper. My highlight was the Mac and cheese bites.
Now the bowling was fun, but they have a major bowling ball shortage. The entire alley was sharing balls that were at all of our lanes. All of the ball holders around the space were empty except one that had 4 balls on it. I've honestly never seen anything like it. At least everyone was a good sport about having to share. The regulars said this is the usual so they were used to it. They did play great music videos which made for a fun atmosphere. I can't say if I'll be back though. read more