Wilmette Bowling Center Inc

Wilmette Bowling center offers the feel and fun of an old time bowling ally with the new modern amenities that we have come to expect out of our bowling experience (electronic scoring, flat screen tvs, good food etc).I've been coming here for years and always have a great time with my friends and family. I'm not sure what some of the other reviewers were talking about. It's a great location (corner of ridge and Schiller) with plenty of parking both on the street in the designated parking lot and if its really crowded you can park on the east side of Ridge in the Howard Park lot. This is an old time classic bowling ally that has been recently renovated and updated. While it only has 10 lanes the place has great finishes (go to pinsetter pizza next door!) and has a very comfortable feel. The food is simple but great, pizza and ice cream. For years i just ordered pizzas here without knowing where the kitchen was. Then one day I asked and the employee said, ""well theres a restaurant next door"" and he brought me back. You need to check out this restaurant! It is called pinsetter pizza, but is affiliated and connected too the bowling ally. The first thing you will notice is that the tables and counters are made out of the old lanes from when the ally was renovated, very cool! The ceiling is covered with copper and looks like an old time Chicago Bar, if this place ever gets a liquor license which i hear they are working on it would be a fantastic local place to stop for a beer on the way home from work(right now you can only bring in alcohol if you rent the place out bc they don't have a liquor license). On top of that the pizza is great. I usually get plain cheese or pepperoni, both are good. It comes on thin crust and the sauce is phenomenal. If you order a whole pizza as I often do ask for extra sauce and extra cheese, you will not be disappointed! Overall this place is the complete package of a local dig with all the modern amenities that you are looking for, I highly recommend it Pros: Atmosphere, Pinsetter Pizza!, Bowling, LCD TV's more

This is a special place for Wilmette. Originally, I understand it was redone or opened to give the children in the area a place to go to in the Winter. That great gesture by the owner can only reflect who they are. The funny thing is, all the adults have fun. I found myself wanting to play more games instead of my son and wife. We go in the winter and summer. A great place to go when it is to hot or you and the kids should have diversification with sports activites. Bowling is a great sport for all ages. In the Winter, they were out in front salting and scraping ice so the sidewalks were spotless for Adults and Seniors who make this a regular spot. Lastly, they keep re-inventing and improving. They have disco lights, great sound system, large screen TV's, and the Pizza just is great. Lucky for the pizza places they have no delivery. Go have fun for ages 4 to 104:) Pros: Bowling facility great, lots of parking, fresh pizza, Cons: Can't find one and have invited many people, 4A's more

I and many families have parties there every year since it opened, because we can depend on the quality, we see the same great guy Steve for years now. It is nice to have consistency like that. The Kids know him and it makes them feel safe. If you are a bowler, you can't ask for more. Nice bowling balls, Lanes are polished, plenty of room between lanes and really clean. We have play dates there with kids in the Winter and summer. For adults a nice funny time to see your children's scores are better than your's and they don't see it. Thanks Wilmette Bowl, your good people for doing such a nice thing for the community by bringing this bowling alley back for us. Pros: Kid Friendly, Adult Friendly. Good food, Lanes are polished Cons: None, You would have to make up a con. There just isn't any. more

There are not enough words for how great it was to open a landmark in Wilmette and really have a place for the kids can go without having to travel miles for some fun. Birthday parties are a dream there. They supply almost anything you need. The bathrooms are modern and clean. For bowlers good selection of balls. The Pizza is really good and the crust is really nice and flacky. Cozy environment. I simply cannot say enough. Thank you for having Wilmette Bowl. The town would not be the same without it.:) Pros: Really nice environment, People are friendly, very clean more

Parking lot fills quickly. Cars partially block the sidewalk near the entrance. Boring frozen pizza. Pros: Only bowling alley in Wilmette better ones nearby. Cons: Bad food, service, usually closed, and lack of parking. more

NICE PEOPLE, VERY CLEAN AND GREAT PIZZA. VERY KID FRIENDLY. WE HAD A PARTY AND THE KIDS WERE IN HEAVEN Pros: NICE PEOPLE more

Michal Strange is a babe. I stared at her the whole time. She was wearing this high waisted skirt and it was hard to peel my eyes away from her. The bowling was fun though. Recommended for families. Pros: Michal Strange Cons: Her outfits more

This place used to be awsome, but now you should avoid it like the plague. I had so many great fond childhood memorys of this place. i went there with schools, camps, friends, reletives and always had a good time. I had heard rumors about how the place had been bought by so lawyer guy and i wanted to go back. But when i did my opinion about the place was changed. Getting a lane was easy but the scoring machines were impossible to use and the staff were to busy watching some Steven Seagal movie to help us. Then after we (on our own) impropely set up the scoring machine needed the bumbers up. So we went over to the nearest imploye and asked him to put them up. He replyed ""ok just a second though"" and waited till the next commercial break! When we went up to pay we were told we had played 8 games which would cost $44. I told the casheir ""their are only two of us and we played twice how could we have played 8 games?"" he swore a few times and called someone. After 15 minutes of repeatedly telling the person on the phone ""I think they trying to cheat us"" he said ""I have to charge you for all 8 games you played."" So i told him one last time ""we only played twice we must have set the machine up wrong"" we had to pay the full $44 dollers. Pros: lighting Cons: food, service, staff, music, parking more

Mr. Strange, one of Wilmette's 10 largest landlords, a few years ago bought this historical manual pin setting bowling alley. Soon the manual pin setters lost all hope of working there when lawyer Strange automated the pin setting. The very busy carpeting and other ""improvements"" wiped out any historical feel. Pros: Ultraviolet lights. No beer. Cons: Empty or long wait. Limited legal parking, limited food & beverage selection. more

This is a nifty, very easy-going place. Friendly, helpful staff. Very child-friendly, and easy on the budget. The building has been a bowling alley forever, so it has a well-loved charm to the place. It was owned by the same family for a long time, and got new owners a while back. Shoes are available for rental, and they have a small assortment of snacks and soda available at the front. They also have 'bumper bowling' for smaller children, and lighter weight bowlingballs can be found mixed in with the others theu have. You can also order a thin-crust pizza (limited topping; not gourmet/execptional pizza but very reliable and a good option for adult snacks or lunch for hungry kids) at the front desk - they have a small pizza place attached to the bowling alley. This is not a huge bowling multi-plex with bells, whistles, light shows, etc., so if that's what you're looking for, you'll be in the wrong place. It's not high-tech and brand-spanking new. There's no video arcade or loud music or vending machines, etc. It's just a bowling alley; small - maybe 10 lanes? - music in the background and not in-your-face, kind of place. (They do have computer consoles to keep track of your game and scores.) My kids pick this place over all the other ""fancy"" bowling places in the entire area. They do fun birthday parties at a reasonable pice, too. Usually there's plenty of on-street parking. Pros: Low-key atmosphere, kid friendly, low-hassle parking, nice staff, reasonably priced Cons: No credit cards accepted, so be warned! Can get crowded on weekend mornings. more