The Most Flavorful Bowling in Cincinnati

Super Bowl Bellewood

★★★★☆ 3.9 (7)

"I love to bowl, but I hate how the industry and sport has tried to glamorize itself for a new millennium. There's something delightfully old-fashioned and decidedly non-advanced about going to the ole bowling alley, Lebowski kitsch notwithstanding. Bellewood Lanes is one of those bowling alleys that seems stuck in the late 80s, and it's perfectly content to do so, and you wouldn't want it any other way.Nestled in a residential Newport neighborhood, Bellewood is blissfully free of no-smoking policies, so the first thing you get when you walk in the door is that great, sort of musty, smoky smell that reminds you, this is a bowling alley: not a dance club, not a restaurant, not a video arcade. The digital scoring system is probably the most advanced piece of equipment they have, and even it seems trapped in 1992, with hokey 3-D animations from the dawn of semi-advanced computing. It is, however, cheap and fun, as bowling should be. They recently invested in a new batch of shoes, and there is a good selection of ball sizes to choose from, with lighter kid-friendly weights available behind the counter. The lanes are old, but they're well-maintained and definitely properly oiled. The ball returns can be cranky, eating balls and spitting them out in a procession five minutes later, but what bowling alley doesn't have those kinds of technical difficulties?Bellewood also has a fairly substantial bar, offering buckets of domestics at 5 for $12--somewhat overpriced, I know, but worth it to keep a business like this one afloat. They also have mixed drinks and wine coolers, as well as snack menu that consists of wonderful-smelling but somewhat greasy burgers, chicken fingers, and fries. It's a bit disheartening to see the staff unwrap a frozen chicken strip and plop it directly into the fryer, but you don't really go to a bowling alley for the food, do you?The staff consists of mostly older folk, who are consistently warm and friendly, no matter how boisterous your crowd may get, delivering snack bar orders to you in person and tidying up your empty beer bottles. Bellewood is a great place to have a group or a league: their leagues are especially active, which gives me hope for keeping the dream of classic bowling alive. All in all, it's a fun little place to throw a few pins, relax and hang out, which really is what bowling should be all about."

Western Bowl

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (39) • $

"I signed up for the Kids Bowl Free Plan and a family of four adults and all kids can bowl for free. You still have to pay for shoe rental but you bowl for free until Aug 31st. This is one of the locations that honors the pass. The pass itself cost $30 but so does two games with two adults a child and show rental. I went with my family and we had a great time. Watching my 5 year old son throw balls down the alley was hilarious and he was so excited he couldn't contain himself. I look forward to spending more time bowling here this summer. It was low-key and relaxing and I had not been bowling in a while. For 5 year old entertainment and activity it's pretty cheap too!Not so humbly submitted,Michael C."

Poelking Lanes South

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (15)

"I just stopped into Poelking Lanes to grab my celebratory grilled cheese before closing on another home! I love tradition and being fat! Rachael makes the best grilled cheese ever BTW. Next to my Mom of course! Come get yourself some! #GrilledCheese #BigKid #Celebrate"

Velocity Esports Newport

★★★★☆ 4.3 (11)

"Great day at Velocity. I took my kid there first time today since it changed to Velocity and I have such great experience today. First off, the check in at bowling was great, very helpful with nice greeting. As far as I can see, the place look great and clean. We also order some food and they come out fast and pretty good. The bartender was super sweet also. Then we go up for arcade games and the customer service there was great too. I been to places that I was turned off by bad services. So I feel the need to let people know where should they go to get good service and experience. This def is The Place To Go. Thank you for giving me such great experience today. Definitely recommended!!!I forgot to add, the seating outside is setup with fire place too. Nice for little date!"

Poelking Lanes

★★★★☆ 4 (9) • $

"I went here with my girlfriend Saturday, April 13, 2024. It's an older bowling alley in a strip mall. Upon entering, there is small bar on the right where you can order drinks, food, and play Keno. The bar is small but the drinks and food are reasonably priced and the food tastes good. Service was good and the bartender/server was friendly. The patrons, likewise, were friendly.There are lottery machines conveniently located just outside the bar where you can purchase lottery tickets and Keno tickets. We were told it was easier to get out Keno tickets from the machines rather than the server trying to enter them for us.The bowling alley itself is well lit and nice. It has regulation lanes and a few bowling balls, but the bowling ball selection is limited. My girlfriend and I were able to play one hour, which included shoes, for $32. The price seemed reasonable.The scoreboard machine has a variety of themed options. For example, there was an Angry Birds option where you could play five frames. There are also just straight up options with scoring only and 10 frames of play. It had been awhile since either my girlfriend or myself had bowled. However, we both had a blast and our hour of time went by quickly.This bowling alley is older looking but it is nice, clean and all of the employees were very friendly. I know I've went by this strip mall many times and didn't even know a bowling alley was even in there. It's kind of a hidden gem but I would go again. Service was great and it was not overcrowded. I highly recommend. My girlfriend and I had a lot of fun!"

Madison Bowl

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (72) • $

"My Jules Haiku I can still taste youYou and your hot crinkled friendsWe must meet again"

Hitt's Pro Shop

★★★★★ 4.6 (13)

"Visited Hitt's Pro Shop recently to shop for a custom drilled ball. When discussing my casual use and wants out of a ball I was given a few options. Now, since I'm such a casual bowler I was tempted to go for the markdown balls but couldn't find a color I wanted from the selection. Found a nice black and gold ball in which my hand and finger positions were measured and marked on the ball. Returned a few days later to pickup the ball and looking forward to breaking it on soon."

Kittyhawk Lanes

★★★★★ 4.8 (5)

"I thought it was a great alley!Not many people, plenty of lanes, good music, and overall good atmosphere.Food was alley food...if you expect a lot you haven't been to a bowling alley. Staff is friendly, and shoes are nice looking...like haven't been used much. A plus!10/10"

Poelking Woodman Lanes

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (11)

"Woodman Lanes is my favorite bowling alley! I just finished a twelve week company bowling league, hosted by Woodman. We've received helpful and friendly service every week! The facility is clean and up to date. The pizza here is surprisingly good!! Additionally, I'd recommend the fried pickles and mozzarella sticks. I've also come to this bowling alley for their night time bowling sessions, lighted by neon lights, which was a great time! Definitely suggest stopping by this bowling alley!"

Oddfellows

★★★★☆ 3.6 (16)

"We've been here many times and each time it gets better and better. The staff have always been extremely friendly. The food was amazing and the atmosphere always vibrant. The St Patty's Day Irish beer was amazing and the Guinness beer cheese was even better. We'll be back for sure!!!! We love having this place in our town, but definitely worth the drive if it isn't local."

Hoppin' Vines

★★★★☆ 3.6 (126) • $$

"Good pizza. Nice fun atmosphere. Great extensive beer list!! We will be back for sure!"

Southern Lanes Sports Center

★★★★☆ 3.6 (7)

"See the thing is I don't care for Bowling that much but I do love volleyball. They two indoor sand courts and 3 outdoor courts. The level of play is pretty good for most of the events but they do have levels for beginners to think they are pro level. :) And their lottery play has always been a lot of fun.. So if you don't care for bowling but like Volleyball. There is hope here to play some decent ball! Only thing that keeps this from a 5 star is the smoking. It is really smells bad inside from the smoke."

Omni Funplex

★☆☆☆☆ 1.3 (20)

"This place could be so much better.Best perk is you can win a ton of tickets quickly and there prizes aren't out of reach, however, there prices aren't great either.I went for the VR experience it was good that's why they get three stars. Not to many places have the HTC vive set up. They should definitely have bigger TVs to gain more interest from bystanders and so they can see what is going on. The food options are poor and not great.Maybe the trampoline part is where it is here, that's where most people were.The parking lot is one of the dirtiest I have seen in a while, not upkept."

Strike & Spare

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (28) • $$

"Talk about bad service. I have never experienced such rude people in my life. How does a group of people have such poor attitudes when you're handing them money? I don't understand. My daughter said they were the same yesterday. But they liked their deals. I'm the type of person that would prefer to go and spend more money and not have to deal with rotten people.We did not try their food."

J.D. Legends

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (51) • $$

"Went to a concert and loved it! Took girls from work! It was a fun night. They danced a lot!"

Beaver-Vu Bowl

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (17)

"Perfect night out with friends! We decided to simply rent a lane for one hour rather than paying per game. Our party of three was able to squeeze two games into about 45 minutes, just to give you an idea. One hour is $25 and renting shoes is $3.50/person. Not too bad. I'm curious to call and ask if they have balls for young kids to play. If so, I'll definitely bring my son for a mother son date night because I already know they do have bumpers!"

Cedar Grove Bowling Lanes

★★★★☆ 4 (3) • $

"Excellent Service and great place to let you your hair down and enjoy.Fantastic cheese burgers, and of course delicious fried chicken.Staff was attentive and service was excellent..Oh by the way you can bowl also!"

Northwest Lanes

★★★★☆ 3.7 (15)

"So fun! It's nice to see a community bowling alley that's still nice and good friendly fun! We came on a Friday night around 930/10 and it was $12 for all you bowl including shoes! The music was great and they had strobe lights which was fun. They also have a full bar and restaurant if you get hungry."

Gilmore Lanes

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (11)

"Overall decent bowling lanes. Pretty old school feeling in here.The place definitely feels like it's been around for a while. The lanes do have electronic scoring so that's a plus. Our lane kept screwing up by knocking down pins before you would even thrown the ball..so they should probably check into that.Overall not the best or worst lanes I've ever bowled at. I would come here again. Didn't really deal with the staff much at all so I can't really comment on that. Everything was pretty reasonably priced."

Crossgate Lanes

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (28)

"Crossgate is a great house for serious bowlers and just-for-fun bowlers. It's a great league house - the equipment is up to date and there's a good competitive mix of people who bowl up there. The owners and service are friendly and welcoming. The prices are right. Crossgate is one of the nicer house around and we always have a good time."

Florence Bowling Center

★★★☆☆ 2.6 (10)

"I have been wanting to come up for a year and finally made it. I've read many reviews about this place. All I can say is individual results vary and timing is everything. I called before we went to confirm the hours. The individual was professional and polite. We showed up after nine. There were some games going on but the bowlers were finishing games. The individuals we dealt with were great. They were helpful and patient with our ignorance of the bowling alley. First impressions are everything and this place and the staff made a great impression on Barbie and I. We only had time to play one game but it was a great time. She was kicking my butt until the tenth frame when I came from behind to win by one. We plan to come back with more family members next time."

RollHouse Entertainment - Fairfield

★★★★☆ 3.6 (13)

"I love this bowling center. It's clean, everyone I have met is nice and friendly and helpful! It's been updated and is modern!Very much enjoy bowling in the leagues here!"

Durbin Bowl

★☆☆☆☆ 1 (2)

"Please update your hours on google and facebook drove 30 minutes for just to find out they were closed at 6:45pm"

Fowling Warehouse Cincinnati

★★★★★ 4.7 (39) • $$

"Went there with a work group and had an absolute blast. Way harder than it looks but fun nonetheless. 10 out of 10 highly recommend."

Eastgate Lanes

★★★☆☆ 2.6 (22)

"I love bowling here! I actually grew up bowling at these lanes, as it was close to my high school; however, I think I have enjoy it now even more as an adult!Bowling here was a great activity during Covid, as it was not super crowded. Most of the evenings we went were on the weekends around 7 o'clock, and we only had to wait about 20 to 30 minutes for a lane. One of my favorite things about this place is that if you need a lighter ball, you can ask the front desk. They keep 8 pound balls in the back-- Super light, but it does not hurt my back (also great for my 81 year olds grandma who still bowls!!) There are also tons of ball options all around the interior of the building.Lots of lanes--24, in fact. It's super casual--kind of has an older bar-like feel. You do see lots of families playing together, teenagers, and an older crowd who are practicing for their leagues. It's not expensive--and it's a great place to just stop in and practice. I wouldn't call this place fancy--but it does exactly what it needs to do without the crazy crowds or prices. Do note that the weekends and anytime they have leagues will be more crowded. Check their website for deals, as one day during the week they have a two hour time slot where you can bowl all you want, as well as get some food. You do have to rent bowling shoes, so don't forget to bring your own pair of socks!"

Pohlman Lanes and Family Entertainment Complex

★★★★☆ 3.8 (14)

"My boyfriend & I visited here last fall on a Tuesday night, we had a fun time! We just missed the band which was a bummer! The place was clean, retro feel was super cool, and we pretty much had it to ourselves which was nice! The prices were also very good and the staff was friendly. Would come here again!"

Mason Bowl

★★★☆☆ 2.8 (26)

"Check their hours and call before you go. I say this to make sure you aren't let down when there could be league bowl and not open bowl since they do both. Great prices, and their summer hours are perfect for taking the kids to go bowl before lunchtime! The staff was really nice and everything was clean and tidy. I also love their score screens that are super easy to navigate and customize."

Laru Bowling Lanes

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (7)

"The lanes and bar area are nice but that's about it. The older man running the place was extremely grouchy. He kept griping at people for various reasons. Put on your bowling shoes before you leave the carpeted area, only one person on the wood when you're bowling, stay away from others tables. It felt like you were being watched the entire time and unable to have a good time. If you want your kids to learn to bowl, I'd go elsewhere. This alley prefers to keep the lanes filled with adults. Not tolerant of energy or kids at all. They don't have any real food. Vending machines $1.75 for a bottle of soda and chips/candy for $1.00. They have tortilla chips with cheese too. Our ball got stuck on both our lanes several times. The lane next to us had a pin get lodged & the family had to switch lanes in the middle of their game. They do allow smoking so beware. The man smoking at the bar area stunk up the entire place. Thankfully we had finished our game shortly after he came in. Also, their ceiling is disgusting. Between the smoke & the molded ceiling, if you have kids, asthma or just care about your health, this place isn't for you. There's much nicer and friendlier bowling allies to spend your money and not be watched if you have children."

Stones Lanes

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (41)

"Not bad at all! Typical divey bowling alley. But fun! Came here with my team for some holiday fun and it didn't disappoint. Helps that it was cheap and around the corner from the office. They have a bar and food although we didn't eat. It's a bit smaller than most bowling alleys so I'm sure at night it can be a bit crowded. We came at 2pm so not bad!"

Cherry Grove Lanes

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (30)

"This bowling alley is great. Kind of old-school. It has a lot of lanes, there's a lounge and there's sand volleyball courts too. Great prices on bowling and drinks! Friendly staff. We had a good time bowling and would stop in again when in the area."