St. Charles Bowl - St. Charles, Illinois

Tammie M.

We recently hosted our daughter's birthday party at St. Charles Bowl, and it was fantastic! The staff was incredibly nice and took excellent care of our group. The party area was clean and set up so cute, which made the event even more special. Everyone had a blast, and the price of everything was very reasonable. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. Highly recommend for parties and gatherings!

Jalen M.

WILL NEVER GO BACK—DO NOT RECOMMEND! OVERPRICED, DATED, DIRTY, AND RUDE STAFF.

I loved this place as a child, but my recent experience was one of the worst I’ve ever had at a venue that’s supposed to be fun and welcoming. After spending $55 for just one hour of bowling— which felt incredibly overpriced— my friend and I decided to play a game of pool. While the venue has some historic charm, it is undeniably outdated, dirty, and unwelcoming. The pool tables require coins to play, which added to the inconvenience.

After waiting around the tables and attempting to play, I asked a staff member for change. They directed us to an ATM near the pool tables— the very same area we were later rudely told to leave— where we paid a $3 fee to withdraw cash. When we returned to ask for coins, the bartender, in an unnecessarily rude and loud tone, informed us that we couldn’t play because we weren’t 21. It felt like we were being accused of something inappropriate, even though we had no idea about the age restriction.

Feeling misled, we politely asked if we could get a refund for the ATM fee, only to be met with hostility. The bartender immediately started yelling at us, making us feel embarrassed and unwelcome. We were simply trying to address the issue calmly but were instead met with aggression. From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere felt unwelcoming, and the overall cleanliness and upkeep of the place left much to be desired.

When we voiced our concerns to the manager, he appeared indifferent and dismissive. He even mentioned that the bartender “sometimes comes across as rude,” as if that excused her behavior. Instead of addressing our concerns professionally, he continued to brush us off.

Overall, this place is overpriced, outdated, and staffed with rude employees who clearly don’t prioritize customer service. Save your money and avoid the frustration— I won’t be returning, and I strongly advise others to stay away.

Terina E.

Great place for family fun. Clean bowling alley with a lot of things to do besides bowling. Stop in for something to eat or drink. Play some video slots or games in the arcade area. Remodeled and fun.
Bowling games are automatically kept track of electronically - no trying to figure out the rules of points. Automatic bumpers available as well as bowling ramps for those who can't swing the ball (great for kids and the handicapped.)
They also have an area for birthday bowling parties or other group get togethers.
I would definitely go back. I go there several times a year with a group. Great, clean, fun place

Andrew F.

great night for my son's bris . bartender swiftly rescued my boy after he got stuck in the ball return .... after that he stopped serving me but everyone had fun

Vivian R.

Your typical neighborhood bowling alley. Was here with family and friends for a charity event.
Mostly clean inside. One of the bathroom doors was broken. Far as I could see, only 2 bathrooms were in the whole place. They offer food and beverage. Very basic stuff. Fried foods, basic beers and well drinks.
They do cosmic bowling after 930 pm, so that's always fun for the kids.
Lots of parking. They have shoes to wear while bowling, although seemed to be a shortage of balls in certain weights, namely 9-11 lbs. Our particular lane was malfunctioning here and there. A person would take a turn and knock some pins down, then the lane would completely reset all over again removing the chance of getting a spare.

Bumpers for the kids. Just let them know which lane up front and the player name, and they will automatically rise up when it's that players turn.

Other billiards around, pool, darts, games.

The C.

I tried out every single bowling ball at this place and each one was as round and perfect as the last. Most insane experience I’ve ever had. Mr. John fed me a pepperoni pizza and the cheese was evenly spread making me pleasantly surprised. I keep telling my grandkids about his pizza and we are gonna come. I am thinking about it now. I will be coming in September 21st. Can’t wait.

Jordan S.

I've been bowling most of my life and have worked in a couple bowling alleys and can say a good majority of these poor reviews are people that bowl once every 3 years and expect a red carpet rolled out for them upon their arrival.

St. Charles Bowl is awesome, well maintained and even recently updated. I know the team is always looking for new menu items to keep the kitchen up to par. The machines run well and there is a great mechanic team in the back to keep the lanes running well. The staff are some of the nicest people I have met that work with people from all age ranges and expertise when it comes to bowling. St. Charles Bowl also holds many charity events that are close to my heart that I have attended.

I will forever continue going back to St. Charles Bowl and will always recommend to everyone I know!

Joseph F.

Dingy, dark, outdated. The lanes had too much bite, as my hook kept curving extremely from right to left. Looks like this place is from the 1960's, with bare minimum amenities.