North Bowl

Awesome place to hang out and just chill very quiet good music drinks pool and bowling

What an awesome place. This is the future of bowling. Beautiful, modern environment inside with great quality, LED lit lanes. High-​tech scoring system even allows you take a take a picture of each bowler to have it displayed on the lane scoreboard. Wednesday Late Night Happy Hour prices were fantastic with $ 2 games, select beers, and tots. Have not tried the tots yet but looking forward to them on my next visit. Upstairs loft has even more of an upscale lounge feel, and includes more arcade games and great lounge seating. 10-​stars for having multiple pinball machines. It even includes another bar, an awesome closed-​it booth with a window overlooking the downstairs, and four more lanes! You can’t get any better than North Bowl for a night out.

North Bowl is AWESOME. Last night was my first time bowling, and I had a ball! No Pun intended. I would recommend this Bowling Alley, Game Stop, Club to anyone looking to have a good time. The food is excellent the customer service and the atmosphere is GREAT!

Walking to North Bowl from Barcade was an interesting experience –but not relevant here so I digress…
This is a bar/​bowling alley with a few games up the top floor (foosball, big buck hunter, pool etc). There weren’t any lanes open when we got there, so we were handed a buzzer, got some drinks and went up to play games.
Surprisingly quickly our buzzer went off and we headed up to the counter.
First was shoes. They take ONE shoe when you get your loaners. This is kind of annoying — if they took both, it would be a nice feature, but they don’t have the room. Instead, it feels like they don’t trust you to return the shoes (they don’t).
We were told we had time for 1 game. In the end, we got a second lane for the second game and talked the guy into letting us do a second game.
Great variety of weights for balls. The waitress was really nice and even hung out for a bit giving us advice on late night places (it was already 1:30am). Sure, one was a strip club, one was a place that may not have been.
Fun place, a tad expensive, but great give (once you get over the shoe thing)

Heather from North Bowl helped us plan our rehearsal dinner there. We wanted something low key for about 15 people with food, drinks, and bowling. Everyone had a great time and the service was great! Planning a wedding is hard enough but it was amazing having this part booked and done easily and quickly. I would highly recommended using North Bowl for any event.

After my amazing experience in a North Bowl private event… the negative reviews about them are LAUGHABLE. 5 f*****g stars. Honestly. My friends were married there about a month ago. There were a few technical difficulties with the music which made the ceremony stop and the music didn’t start at the end. The staff at North Bowl made up for it 100x over. The staff was so apologetic and accommodating. They gave the brides an extra hour for the event to make up for the inconvenience. Mary was MADE to run events. She was so warm and accommodating. Victoria was constantly asking if we needed anything and even ran back to get the brides lipstick for a touch up after the cake cutting. WHAT? WOW! The busperson Miguel was seemlessly stocking bar glasses and cleaning the area. He was very sweet. The bartender Kristen was doing the work of two people and no one ever had an empty glass. After the event Mary and her staff went to pick up the bride’s vehicle they rented and put the presents in the car. Absolutely above and beyond the call of duty. I sincerely hope management reads this review and posts it for the staff to see. I worked food and beverage for years and spent a lot of that time working private events and weddings. I understand the job can be thankless so I want to say… Thank you!!!

I have never had a bad experience here.
I have been here maybe a little over ten times. The prices are not terrible and it is a fun place to go with friends.
I have also celebrated two birthdays here before that were great.
Getting a lane does take a long time but if you plan wisely you can get one sooner, if not, there is always food, the bar, or arcade games!
Staff is always friendly and accommodating

Usual spot for my work happy hour. We always over eat and drink because the finger foods are great. I love the tater tots and sliders. The sangria pitchers is the perfect blend of fruity and sweet. And are prefect for a large group to share. I love their funnel cake fries, reminds me of the summertime fairs.
The upstairs is very spacious and there’s a lot of seating. There are a few lanes upstairs, I’m assuming for private parties. Atmosphere is very lively and music is great.
A few parking spots in there lot but we always walk since its down the block. I also heard they give discounts to bikers.
Overall I would recommend this place to everyone.

I went here with a large group on a Saturday night. We expected a long wait when we arrived around 9:45. They told us the wait would be an hour and a half and after going to a bar next door to our surprise when we called to check in around 10:30 they said they had 2 lanes for us next to each other. Everything was going great. Our waitress came up to us right away and took out orders. But when it came time for us to put our names in the lanes we were having some issues getting it to work and had to keep returning to the front desk to ask for help. The guy working the front was extremely rude and of little to no help. He had me write a list and when I was finished told me it was too confusing and ripped it up. He then told me we were all set after I wrote the same list over again. When I went back to my lanes the one computer was still not working. I gave up and had one of my friends ask for help again since the guy was extremely rude to me. His manners didn’t get much better when she went up to him. We finally asked for a manager after waiting 20 mins to start bowling. She was helpful and very nice and told us all we had to do was press some arrow button on the screen. A helpful hint which could have easily been relayed to us by the guy at the front.
Besides that small issue we enjoyed our time. It was around 16/​person for shoes and 2 games + food and drinks which is a little pricey but all in all its always a good time at north bowl.

I would not recommend trying to book a special event or party at this establishment unless you are prepared for:
–WEEKS of unreturned phone calls and emails
–A snarky ‘tude when you are finally able to speak to an employee (Not even an apology for the unreturned phone calls? Really?)
–Pricing that differs from what is stated on the website (PSA: Apparently food and drink packages are required to book lanes)
–Spending a minimum of $ 1,500 (not including gratuity and shoe rentals) for 2 hours worth of bowling on 4 lanes $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
But srsly, WHERE DO ALL THE NON-​ROCKEFELLERS OF PHILADELPHIA (and people who also value being treated respectfully) BOOK BOWLING LANES?
North Bowl has been a huge let down.

Went last night with 8 friends and had a great time. We waited at the bar for about 40 minutes for our lanes to be ready. We paid for two games and prices were very reasonable for a Friday night. Our waitress was great and attentive. Tots were delicious and great edamame
One of our lanes kept having malfunctions and caused quite a delay in our game. We brought the attention to management and they reimbursed for an entire game. Very appreciate for that!
Love the atmosphere and overall great time — Can’t wait to go back

Similar issues to my last visit — lane was acting up constantly (had to call maintenance at least 3 times to get it fixed). Also, our game ended early twice before it was complete. It might be from the top lanes — so definitely avoid them at all costs!

Had a ball. Literally. I used the small ball to bowl! Love it here. Love the food. The lamb chops were on point and I love lamb. I love the set up. Perfect place for adults to bowl!

The only way to get your $ worth @ this place is to go on weds nights when everything is $ 2. I was there tonight. The counter girl was awful the 2 bowling lanes I was on did not work properly. The «so called» bowling tech had no clue how to fix them. After moving us from one broken lane to another, the second lane just stopped working altogether. Yet the dimwit counter girl sent a group of 4 to bowl on the reported non operational lane. The cost to bowl is ridicules. I will say that the 2^nd floor barmaid was exceptional in her ability to pure you a glass of beer w/​o a head of foam on it. And her drinks were just right.
As stated earlier, you can’t go wrong and you won’t be disappointed on weds nights. Things are Soo cheap, you’ll have no reason to complain. Nice atmosphere for a cheap 1^st date. And this place will give you lots to talk about.

I came here for a fundraising event for a local Americorps group and was happy to pay $ 30 for bowling + a buffet. No one is lying when they say that these tater tots are AH-​MA-​ZING. I was lucky enough to have unlimited crab tots and they were perfect. There was also mac and cheese and various other things, but I was too overwhelmed by the tots. I would give the tater tots a 5.
The bowling is really fun here, of course I think it depends on the group you go with! We had the whole upstairs section to ourselves which was awesome, and endless bowling for three hours. It was so so fun! They do also have a bar that looked well stocked.
Shoes were included in my entrance ticket so I’m not sure if you have to pay more normally.

Bouncer and the girl working the front desk were great! Polite and engaging. We were told it would be a 40 minute wait (it was an hour, so we just played the the arcade.) my husband and myself were told we could order food at the bar, since we were starving!
The two people working the bar were the rudest people I’ve ever met. The girl ignored me for ten minutes while she talked with her friends and poured beer like a five year old (frothy as hell.) the guy took our order, but made me wait forever to pay. I just stood there like an idiot while he waited on everyone else but me. I’ve never had such an unpleasant interaction with a bartender… ever. Maybe we weren’t“hip” enough for them.
Bowling was fun and the food was just okay. I was kinda nervous they spit in it. Next time, I’ll go bowling somewhere cheaper and go out to dinner somewhere else.

We took advantage of the extra daytime hours during Winter Break. So we took the kids bowling. We love the atmosphere here. Music is much better than our local alley. I heard they were famous for tater tots and mac and cheese. So that’s what we got. Also tried the veggie quesadilla. I have to agree with my fellow Unilocalers. They were so yummy. Also enjoyed a pitcher of Sangria. Tasted a bit watered down though. More ice than any of the good stuff. Bowling was fun. Then we played a game of pool with the kids. A good time overall.

Great place! the food was delicious and absolutely pocket friendly! There was actually an hour & a half waiy in order to bowl but the time flew. Once our lane was available, we were told we could take our food with us from the bar. No one brought it over and once we brought it to the bartenders attention, he immediately made sure we had a fresh meal. The screen is a little difficult to understand while trying to get started with the game. Other than minor issues my fiancé and i had a wonderful time and we will be coming back very soon.

Tots tots tots nuff said. Bowling is fun in relaxed atmosphere, beer choices are nice, and did I mention the tots? I’m a purist so only ever order just regular tots but I’d love to try the different varieties one day. Upstairs is nice, especially when you have to wait forever for a bowling alley because that is an inevitable.

This place has a lot of potential, but due to their lack of staff, super long waits and lanes that seem to breakdown every 10mins, I am giving them 1 star.
For starters, last time I was here, I was given a rag & club soda when I asked one of the staff members if someone could wipe down the dirty table we were sat at. Wtf?! So once my custodial duty was done, me and my boyfriend began to play our first round of bowling. Not even two turns in, our lane broke. No biggie though. However, after informing staff, we waited THIRTY MINUTES for it to even be addressed! Mind you it was not busy, and they could easily have moved us over to the next lane so we could continue to play.

So… First I’d like to talk about the tots. I’m currently heading home in a tot coma. There were pizza tots, crab tots, garlic tots, and buffalo tots. #noregrets
Oh and the bowling is great too. It’s a fun ambiance and the best nights are when they have a DJ playing in the middle of the lanes. Service is really good and you’ll have a waitress come to your lane so you don’t have to miss out on the game to grab a drink!
A few downsides are that bowling is cash only, they don’t take reservations and there aren’t very many lanes. Though, they do have a full bar to hang at while you’re waiting for lanes to open up!

Very beautiful bowling alley. We visited during a weekend night and it was surprisingly not crowded. We originally parked far away in a dark area where I did not feel safe walking around. We then realized they have a few spots right in front. They should have a sign saying this parking area is for their customers only to eliminate confusion. Some nice features at this bowling alley are they have a charging station for your phone which I took advantage of, parking on-​site especially for the area, and two bars one downstairs and one upstairs. The beer selection was not anything special so I quickly switched over to cocktails which were decent tasting and not weak.
Overall an ok bowling alley but not worth going over the bridge to visit. It was mostly convenient since we were already in philly.

Great place to go any night of the week with a diverse music selection, menu that would please just about any person and of coarse, bowling!!!

Awesome tots, horrible bowling experience. Now I know why this is on livingsocial, since the lanes are barely working (#17). The pins wouldn’t reset a few times and sometimes the gate would close before the ball got to the pins! I would come back only for the tots.

Solid place in NoLibs to go bowling, grab drinks with friends, and hang out to play some arcade games. It was a rainy Saturday afternoon, so that’s exactly what we did — bowled and had some pitchers.
We were upstairs and the actual bowling part is a little tight, but when you’re in the city, you’re not going to get the same sort of space as you would in the burbs. There were a plethora of different birthday parties and people of all ages, so definitely seems like a neighborhood-​friendly establishment. I haven’t been here in a while and they seemed to have cleaned it up a bit, however, there still aren’t a lot of lanes. The good part is, while you’re waiting, their buzzer extends to Standard Tap, so you can go there for a beer while you wait if you don’t want to drink there (that’s what we did).
Overall, it’s a solid place, but the service is a bit slow upstairs, where we were bowling. A family left our lane and another family started bowling, but it took an additional 15−20min for them to come and clean the little table where the family left all of their food and drinks. Also, if you get a turkey, you get a free shot!

The layout of definitely appealing. Kudos to the interior decorator. Ironically I have never bowled here. I’m always on dates, and we always go to the bar and order drinks and food. The food is always good. they break that bad bar food standard. parking really sucks though. if coming here I’d think about leaving a little early just to find parking.

This is a great place to bowl and grab drinks/​food. But, after one experience here I was really turned off. I went on a night it was slightly busy, but not packed with a group of two. We had to wait about 5 minutes for our lane to be cleared and opened. My friend and I got bottles of wine and some food. We were having a great time until about halfway through our second bottle of wine a woman from the front desk comes up to us to tell us she’s going to move us down to the other end because she needs this lane to combine the lanes next to us for another party. She did not even offer to help us carry our wine, or just do it for us. It honestly just seemed since we were only two people it didn’t matter to just move us in the middle of our good time. So we had to get rearranged at our new spot down the other end. Our server was cool, but the woman at the front desk is rude. I’ll be sure to have a bigger party if I choose to go here, simply for the fact they won’t try to move you in the middle of your night.
The Mac and cheese and tomato soup, it’s a classic. Can’t go wrong, especially if you’re drinking everything tastes better.

Been going to North Bowl since it opened and always have a good time. Plan ahead and expect to wait a bit on busy nights for a lane.
Here’s the drill: Check in, get your buzzer, go have some drinks, get some food, and play pool or some video games upstairs. Bowling is cash only, so come prepared or be prepared to use the ATM. If there is a wait, there is a two game minimum. You can pay for food and drink with a credit card at the bar or at your lane.
I am a creature of habit and order the sliders, tater tots, and the mac and cheese.
Bartenders are great. Especially Rahkia.

Super groovy, dude! I love this bowling alley.
When I first came here, I couldn’t believe how big it is inside. There are two floors, each fully equipped with lanes and a giant bar. Waiters and waitresses come around to take orders at the lanes, which is great.
The atmosphere is awesome. It has a totally retro chic vibe: the music, the lighting, the graphics, the arcade games – they nailed it. It’s a very relaxing place, and great for hanging out with friends.
The reason I have to deduct a star is the wait. The second time I came here, there was a two hour wait to bowl on a Saturday night, and you can’t make a reservation! The prices are also pretty steep.
That said, I know I’ll be back. It’s just such a fun time. Besides, nothing feels quite as good as a drunk strike!

Growing up, my uncle had two moods. Jovial and bowling. Jovial was silly, goofy and all about laughter. Bowling was a hyper competitive, intense, wildly focused dude that somehow turned a fun afternoon with family into a knock down, drag out tournament of terror.
I say this to explain why I, as a 27 year old woman, hate bowling. As a general rule, I avoid it like the plague but when 10 of my best buddies joined a league… well I didn’t have much of a choice but to become their #1 supporter. Sure, I wasn’t hitting the lanes myself (is that the verb one would use?), but that just goes to show just how fantastic North Bowl can be, even for a non-​bowler. Tasty tots and pretzel bites (it’s the simple pleasure) are just the tip of the edible iceberg, and I’ve enjoyed salads (especially a winter kale one, delish), sammies, and mac and cheese (heavy, but nice to split with a few folks). There’s a decent, reasonably diverse selection of beer options, which is always great for me.
And every now and then (but practically once a week), they’ll have a wild party or something where the upstairs becomes a dance floor. Those are my favorite nights, I think. For me, a self-​professed non-​bowler, to enjoy a spot that has the word «Bowl» in the name… well, they’ve gotta be doing something right.

This place should be called Bowling for the Boring. At first glance you expect this place to be more like a Lucky Strike, with loud music and a fun ambiance, but really it’s quite the opposite. It just happens to be really pretty in there.
The place is pretty big, two nice sized bars, they usually have some kind of drink special happening and the bartenders are very helpful. Upstairs there’s a pool table, arcade games and a nice sized lounge area. Which is all nice, except you come to a bowling alley to BOWL.
They always have an extremely long wait for a lane, so much so that the first time I came, I didn’t even get to bowl. I did bowl this last time, but it was surprising to see how bady managed the place is. There was a group of people (not kids or teens) being really obnoxious, throwing multiple bowling balls at once, extremely loud and rambunctious and nothing was done, except to say, «Please don’t do this» like a million times. If you are going to have a chill place, then maintain it that way and kick out people who are abusing the place.
As for prices, bowling here is pretty expensive at $ 30 a game, plus drinks and shoes… it’s not worth it. Go to your local bowling alley, save some money, and get a lane faster.

Got great deal on grouper and 12 of us came here. This place had great music fun lights and a cool vintage feel. We had a great time bowling and throwing back beers.
All of the screens are touch and they have features that you can aim other lanes. It was a riot and added extra entertainment.
As for drinks and food the tater tots are pretty much amazing. Normally I would never order these but they are known for them here with crazy flavors like «pulled pork» and «buffalo».
Ps Don’t forget to check in on Unilocal you get a 2 dollar beer of your choice!