Big City Bowl

Cheap bowling. Check
No balls above a 14 weight… Check
Zero bar service… Check
Stuck bowling balls on lanes constantly… Check.
There are places for the same price with much better quality lanes and balls

Super divey but a ton of fun. They have a great beer selection and the lanes are great. Our new favorite place to be on the weekends.

Super divey, and you can tell most folk are regulars.
The beers are cheap. Cheap enough that you don’t need to waste your money on Bud, considering the craft brews are the same price. but if that’s how you swing, then ride on, pony boy.
Staff is friendly. Games are cheap. Music didn’t suck.
There’s a single pool table in the small bar area.
It’s the kinda place I’d frequent if I were local.
Dig it.

Big city is a lot of fun. It’s casual come as you are fun bowling/​bar fun. You can tell there are a lot of regulars but everyone feels like part of the gang. The bartender Kylee was super cute and friendly. She greeted everyone w a smile and a cheery hi. It seemed like there were regulars who came to the bar and didn’t even bowl. Stop by for a beer and a frame or two. I am told their food at the grill is good and ask for Donna but I didn’t eat there next time!

Been here once. Probably going back tonight. I’m not a bowler per se. I have probably bowled a dozen times in my life. I happened to be working for an inbound tour agency as a Japanese language tour guide around 1990. Western Leisure. Very good people. The owner drove an old Toyota Landcruiser. They handled some of the bowlers from some bowling convention that was held that year and must of done well enough that they decided to throw a party at Sue Rich Lanes. Lots of give-​a-​ways, food, drink. They really went all out. Anyway, I’m there with Elaine Hintze. Great gal. Really wasn’t all that interested in the bowling but gave it a go. It was around 6 strikes in a row that I realized something special was happening. I think that first game ended up somewhere north of 240. I seem to remember there were a total of 8 strikes, a couple of spares and something else. It was off the charts! I ended up with prizes for most strikes, most strikes in a row, highest score, best hair, best breath… Walked home with a Nintendo that night. It was a pretty big deal.
But I’ve digressed before I’ve begun.
This place is classic. It’s everything you’d expect form a well maintained bowling alley built in the late ’50’s/early ’60’s. I think it’s awesome!
The grill is great. The food is great. I haven’t used the lounge next door because that wouldn’t be appropriate as I’m always here with my kids. Besides, my ex doesn’t need any more ammunition to support her thesis that I’m a terrible father to our kids.
Staff are friendly. The place is cozy. I say go. It’s a great place! Just be careful in the parking lot after dark!

Great bowling for a great price… Intimate atmosphere! Fun for date night!

Not fancy or anything but the owner is really nice. It’s clean and a good place to bowl for cheap.

This place doesn’t look like a 5 star bowling alley. It smells and looks like the local neighborhood alley that has been around for a few decades – probably because it has. But don’t let that stop you from coming here by any means, because I have never seen a nicer owner at a bowling alley before.
The first thing we noticed is that the place was cheap – $ 3 for a game ($ 3.50 after 5pm) and $ 2.50 for shoes. No price hikes for the weekend games either! The alley was completely empty which we thought was a bad sign, but it was the middle of the day on a Thursday so I guess it’s not completely unexpected.
The owner let us throw a few warmup frames before we started our game, which was very nice. My friend and I brought our own bowling balls, while the 3^rd person with us didn’t have his own and was trying to find one from the house selection. The owner asked if there was any specific one that our friend was looking for, and the owner ended up going to the back and bringing out his personal collection of bowling balls for us to use. He didn’t bring out just his bad ones; he had some nice ones that he was letting us try out just to be nice. He talked to us while we were bowling and asked how everything was often, making sure we were enjoying ourselves.
After our last game that we had paid for, we decided that we wanted to play again so we went to the counter and asked if we could pay for another. He said that we could just keep playing as long as we would come back to support him again. We agreed and he let us keep bowling, even though he had to get the lanes ready for the league that was starting soon after us. With the warmup/​practice frames we took, I’m pretty sure we got in the equivalent of 4 games despite paying for only 2. And the best part is, the owner encouraged us to do it.
I don’t know about the food or anything, but I’m sure it’s just like every other alley. This place is hidden and looks old, but I will recommend this alley over anywhere else in the area just because of how much the owner cares.

This is what a bowling alley should be! The people that work there are friendly and the prices are great. There is a bar in-​building so you can get a beer while you’re playing, there is also a snack bar. I haven’t tried food there yet, but the beer is very reasonable.
Monday — Thursday 9:00 am — 11:00 pm
Friday — Saturday 9:00 am — Until Cosmic Bowling
Sunday 9:00 am — 10:30 pm
Cosmic Bowling:
Friday –Saturday SUNDOWN — 1:00 am
Lounge Hours:
Monday — Sunday 10:30 am — CLOSE
Grill Hours:
Monday — Sunday 9:00 am — CLOSE
Price List:
Game Before 5:00pm $ 3.00
Game After 5:00pm $ 3.50
Cosmic Bowling $ 4.25
Shoe Rental $ 2.50

This is a perfectly classic bowling alley. They’re SUPPOSED to be a little bit sticky everywhere and smell strongly of fried food, right? It took me right back to ‘family time’ from my childhood at the neighborhood lanes.
Hubby and I had a wonderful time throwing the ball down the lane as we watched the crazy selection of music videos on the big screens at the ends of the lanes (everything from Vanilla Ice to some guy my mom probably adored to Beyonce) and laughing at our gutter balls.
The games are really inexpensive, only slightly more than the shoe rental. We’ve never been huge bowlers, but with this so close to home, goodness gracious, it might be time to invest in some of my very own nerdy bowling shoes. I’d feel better wearing my own anyway. I was grateful that I brought protection (ie socks).
There appears to be a lounge in the back, kept separated so as to maintain a ‘family friendly’ feel, some arcade games and newly tiled bathrooms, which was a plesant surprise! Admit it ladies, the bathroom can make or break an experience.
My enjoyment of the place may have been slightly skewed by the fact that I WON (no I’m not a great bowler, I just got lucky at the end and jumped to a whopping score of 100 instead of his measly 99). But, either way, I’m positive that we’ll be back.

Pure divey goodness.
If you’re out looking for a swanky place to take a nice refined group of folks bowling, just keep driving. Big City ain’t your place. But if you’re looking for a place where you can roll up with a fun-​loving crew and get your bowl on for cheap, you’re home.
This used to be Town & Country Lanes and recently was changed to Big City Bowl. It’s off of State Street in Midvale – a little hidden and removed from State Street proper, but there’s a giant sign to point the way. They have plenty of parking. No, I mean, PLENTY of parking. Comically large parking lot.
We rolled up on a Friday night and weren’t even sure the place was open. Sure enough, we opened the front door and were immediately assaulted by the seductive smell of fried foods. Now we’re talkin.
Super friendly staff, and despite my description as «divey,» the crowd was all very clean and non-​sketchy, at least that night. It was a guy and his young son in the lane next to us with precious high-​fives after each frame, and a couple of other groups of older teens having a good time. League play available, MonteCarlo nights, and Caroline W’s quick tip vouches for the Jr. League bowling.
I went later on a Friday night so they had the lights down low for «Cosmic Bowling,» which means a dance floor feel. They have two big screens at the end of the lanes where they show music videos and pump the volume. I loved the mix – where else can you see the C+C Music Factory «Gonna Make You Sweat» video followed by Rihanna? Perfect.
There’s a small pro shop near the entrance, snack bar, shoe rental, and a wide selection of the most beat-​up bowling balls I’ve ever seen available to borrow. I didn’t go in, but there’s a 21+ lounge in the corner for those seeking adult bevvies. The cherry on top, really.
I’m for sure going back. Super cheap, really nice crew, open late, cheaper before noon, and it feels like a neighborhood hidden treasure. Questionable Mexican food place in the same parking lot, and dive bar lounge (Tradewinds) next door means you could make a night out of it.