Thunderbird Lanes

This place is a hidden gem in the northeast. It’s small and homie, perfect for a private party or an impromptu date night.
I loved the staff, super nice and down to earth. They really know what customer service is.
Me and boyfriend said this is our new alley, always a good time.
It’s an olé school alley with olé school lanes, olé school balls and olé school smells. Wouldn’t trade it for another alley. It has exactly what you need, no frills, strobe lights, just good music, good customer service and a good time!
Two dollar Tuesday’s from 9pm to close is a pretty sweet deal…

I’ve drove past this small location dozens of times and although I always intended to give them a try I never did until today. I promised my daughter I would take her bowling as a reward for her stellar behavior (read: bribery to encourage continuance of said behavior) so off we went. Since my car was being repaired I needed something that was fairly close.
Thunderbird Lanes sits right in the cozy confines of Oxford Circle, directly across the street from the Burger King on Oxford Ave. It’s a really small venue and at 1 pm on a Saturday we were one of 2 families in the building. They have 16 individual lanes (or 8 sets) that feature automatic scoring and (optional) metal bumpers. They also have a handful of arcade games (inc. Guitar Hero), lockers, vending machines, and a small pro shop.
I paid $ 12.50 for 1 game (2 participants) and 2 shoe rentals. The woman working the lanes was pleasant, she offered to raise the bumpers for my 2 children without me asking. She also didn’t mind at all when she had to retrieve a ball for my son that didn’t make it all the way down the lane.
The biggest disappointment was that they don’t offer food. Honestly, I’ve never seen an alley that doesn’t offer food until today. It’s hard for me to imagine an extended day at the lanes without the possibility of chicken wings, fries, and beer. Greasy fingers have always been the true test of bowling skills. The pro shop really would be better suited as a small concession area.
This is a solid spot, particularly for families, if your only objective is bowling. I’d definitely go again, just not on an empty stomach.

Okay… named after my favorite wine, Thunderbird Lanes suits those of us who don’t think Bowling is so «hip, retro, and best mixed with martinis» (sorry Lucky Strikes).
I don’t bowl really, but I’ve been out here a couple of times, and it’s the way bowling OUGHT to be. It’s old people, it’s arcade games, it’s those smells, and it’s just great old fashioned blue-​collar America.
On Sundays, they do ‘all u can bowl’ pretty cheaply, I forget how much… but specials like these are hard to beat.
If you want to avoid NJ, this is great old school pin-​pounding right in the backyard.