Wilmette Bowling Center Inc

1903 Schiller Ave, Wilmette, IL 60091, USA

Address:	1903 Schiller Ave, Wilmette, IL 60091, USA
Phone:	+1 847-251-0705
Site:	wilmettebowl.com
Rating:	4.1
Working:	11AM–8PM 11AM–7PM 11AM–8PM 11AM–8PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–8PM

Location

Photos 30

Reviews 17

Debra Comess

This is the 3rd birthday party in as many years weve hosted there -- and it will be our last. It was an unbelievably stingy experience. Last week we hosted a party at WILMETTE BOWL (WB) for 17 Kids -- 11-year olds. Our extreme dissatisfaction was with the sparce amount of food and drinks they provided and the surly attitudes of the proprietor/staff. The kids left the party hungry and thirsty and us hosts felt cheated and $341 lighter. We used to like this place, but hugely disappointed by our experience. Total cost to us was $341.00 or $23 per child which included bowling for 2 hours, shoes, food (pizza and drinks), plates and cups. We bring cake, decorations, cake plates and forks. All well and good, this is what we signed up for, we knew the drill. HOWEVER, Wilmette Bowl provided 3 large (and were talking NOT large at all) very thin cheese pizzas, 2 bottles of Sprite and a pitcher of water for 17 KIDS...and a few parents who happened to be helping. Thats it. After an hour, I had a lot of hungry and thirsty kids on my hands, Wilmette Bowl brought out 1 large thin crust pizza - 10 minutes later they brought a second pizza. Then 2 bottles of Sprite, a pitcher of water and exactly 17 paper cups. That was it. It felt like prison rations. Not everyone even got 1 piece of pizza. We had to argue with them to get more drinks (We were told when we booked the party thered be lemonade, orange crush, Sprite, etc.) A bottle of lemonade finally appeared. We asked for a few more cups. I was told there were 17 kids bowling and they had provided us with 17 cups - she even went so far as to count the paper cups on the table. We had to haggle with them to get a few more cups and a third pizza. Those were eventually provided, but in meantime the kids went to the drinking fountain instead. Thing is, WB doesnt allow you to bring your own food so we couldnt run out to the grocery store or pizzaria down the street to augment the sparse offering. So we were stuck there hungry and thirsty. They should served AT THE VERY LEAST 5 pizzas and 7 bottles of drinks for 17+ people. Also, some of the adults bought alcoholic beverages for themselves - at least those had some usable calories. This was also embarrassing for us - it was an early evening party, parents expect their kids will be fed at least a lite dinner, not starving when theyre picked up. Well be taking a good long break from WB - weve liked the intimate 10-lane bowling alley and easy parking, but the shoddy and stingy treatment will take a while to get over. Future parties? No way.

A Private User

This place used to be awsome, but now you should avoid it like the plague. I had so many great fond childhood memorys of this place. i went there with schools, camps, friends, reletives and always had a good time. I had heard rumors about how the place had been bought by so lawyer guy and i wanted to go back. But when i did my opinion about the place was changed. Getting a lane was easy but the scoring machines were impossible to use and the staff were to busy watching some Steven Seagal movie to help us. Then after we (on our own) impropely set up the scoring machine needed the bumbers up. So we went over to the nearest imploye and asked him to put them up. He replyed "ok just a second though" and waited till the next commercial break! When we went up to pay we were told we had played 8 games which would cost $44. I told the casheir "their are only two of us and we played twice how could we have played 8 games?" he swore a few times and called someone. After 15 minutes of repeatedly telling the person on the phone "I think they trying to cheat us" he said "I have to charge you for all 8 games you played." So i told him one last time "we only played twice we must have set the machine up wrong" we had to pay the full $44 dollers. Willmette Bowling Center :Bad food :Bad service :Bad machines :Rude and lazy staff

Megan Ray

We called to ask questions about the lanes and was hung up on. Again, treated rudely after we called from a different number after being ignored. "Call back later" we were told when asking if lanes were free. Two were free and we get there and they decided to close early.

Walker Lawrence

An old school 10 lane bowling ally. Nothing fancy here. The balls are beat up. The lanes old. The computers are running DOS. Its a great place to go with kids and just bowl. None of the fancy stuff you get (and pay for) at the major chains.

Matthew Diener

This is a great little bowling alley. They have Cosmic Bowling with black lights, pizza and apps, cheap beer in cans, and gutter guards for the kids. A very family-friendly place for bowling a few games.

Ashley Kunecke

It was a little dingy, but over all a great little bowling alley. Pizza left something to be desired.

Mei Mei Gaetz

Its a decent kids party place. If you are serious bowler, maybe not the place for you

Eric Carty-Fickes

Really friendly and helpful staff, even when its crowded.

Noela Scarano

We love this place! Local and perfect for kids.

Kosuke Koshijima

Good old school bowling for families

Badih Alkhatiib

Great place to take the family