Grand Central Restaurant & Bowling Lounge

808 SE Morrison St, Portland, OR 97214, USA

Address:	808 SE Morrison St, Portland, OR 97214, USA
Phone:	+1 503-236-2695
Site:	thegrandcentralbowl.com
Rating:	3.7
Working:	11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–11PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 6

A Private User

Man, theres so much going on at this place. Theres the bowling alley, the downstairs bar/restaurant, and the upstairs lounge. Ill start with the good: NFL package, plenty of flat screens, and $2 bloody marys on Sundays. If sitting in the downstairs area, watching football on a Sunday was all there was to this place, I could give it a much higher rating, but theres so much more to it than that. The bad: The bowling here is terrible. Dark lanes, flashing lights, distracting TVs playing just over your pins... and the prices! I guess its alright for parties, but this isnt the kind of place you go if you actually like to bowl. If they tore up the lanes, put in a bunch of tables, and a huge screen against the back wall (like spirit of 77, or even big als) for the big games, it would be a huge improvement. Plus they could serve a lot more people. Seems like a win/win to me. Other than the specials, the drink prices are a dollar or two more per item than youd pay at other places in the area. The beer selection would be decent in some cities, but its sub-par for Portland (their high end is basic widmer and deschutes offerings). To picture the food, think chilis, T.G.I.F., or applebees. Again, its fine, but this is Portland, you expect something a little better and more inspired. Ive never had "good" service at Grand Central. Typically its average and passable, but on busier times, Ive faced long waits for service, and billing errors. As far as the atmosphere, the design and layout is nice. You can tell the build-out was a little more professional and well funded than your average east side spot. The crowd is what it is. Im more of a mellow craft beer drinking, vintage levis wearing, kind of guy. This place gets loud and fills up with the kind of guy that drinks AMFs and Vodka rockstars, and wears ed hardy and true religion. Cant dock any points for the scene, Im sure its great for the right kind of person, but its not my thing.

A Private User

What do you dislike about it? Share a tip.wow... BOOO! for Grand Central Bowling Lounge!!! a big fat BOOO!!!! okay, tonight is Sunday night, its 9:30 pm and my husband and I feels like bowling. come on, local Portlanders, you know what its like to want to do something spontaneous and fun... since our usual spot on N. Interstate is not open during the bewitching hours, we decide to check out this spot off SE Morrison and see what all the hype is about. So we walk up and their bouncer cannot speak in complete sentences. There is our very first BOOO!!! Then we eventually get his drift that there is a dress code enforced and sweats are not allowed after 9:00 pm. Were both wearing sweatpants because they are COMFORTABLE and that was our second and final BOOO!!! Who the hell doesnt allow sweats while bowling?? SWEATPANTS ARE COMFORTABLE WHILE BOWLING!!! I certainly dont need to feel like I, nor my husband, should be bowling in unnecessary & uncomfortable skinny jeans... So, MAJOR THUMBS DOWN FROM US TO GRAND CENTRAL BOWL, and until you change your STUPID DRESS POLICY, we will NEVER attempt to support your dumb establishment EVER!!! AND we WILL TELL ALL OF OUR FRIENDS TOO!!! I wasnt trying to visit a nightclub where it is appropriate to enforce a dresscode, I just wanted to bowl... feel me???

A Private User

Just got back from there - will never return. They charged us $66 for two games. (four people) Their justification? This is how much it costs to reserve a lane for 2-hours. We reserved the lane over the phone and was never given the option to pay-per-game. When we were done, with 40 minutes left on the clock, we were informed that they do not offer refunds for time not used. When we politely asked for a manager and, again, politely explained our situation we were given a flippant response, "boy, that IS terrible!". Pressing the issue, stating that we were really unhappy and that, given the situation (them being a new business and us being new customers) we feel its only right that we pay the per-game charge (would have been $44 ), we were, again, given a flippant response and given coupons for a future visit. Worthless. The food was good, but served in cramp conditions (we had to eat on our laps in the alley, after being told we would "lose our reservation" if we werent in the lane 20 minutes early. Boy, do i wish we had only known that if we just lost our reservation we would have saved $22. Never again.

A Private User

Wow. We JUST got back from this Upscale Craphole. We celebrated a birthday here, and were told on the phone that if we showed up at 6 and put our names in, wed be sure to get a spot. So we showed up (16 of us), put our names in for 2 lanes, and were told wed have lanes at 10:30. 10:30!! Wow. So we stuck it out. Drank overprice beer, waited 45 minutes for service any time we needed anything, and listened to their crappy music for 4 and a half hours. Then we finally got our lanes. Cool. Everything started out well, then 15 minutes in one of the lanes just stopped working. The manager told us "there was nothing he could do". We thought we should at least not have to pay for the one pitcher we had ordered since wed waiting 4 hours and run up a huge tab. He said "sorry, but since you enjoyed the beer, youre going to have to pay for it, along with an hour of bowling". The management here is lousy--complete a-holes. The bowling is OVER PRICED no matter HOW clean it is, and the music is LOUSY. Heed the ratings--I didnt and I really wished I had. This place is 1 star at the best.

Dan Webb Howard

Pros: The food was good, the staff downstairs was very friendly and provided excellent service. Cons: While the wait staff downstairs was uniformly friendly, the folks upstairs were very inattentive and almost surly. I waited at one side of the bar and was studiously ignored by the bartender while she did accounts. So I crossed over to the side of the bar where she was to make myself known, and was immediately scolded by another server for being "in the area" of a private party. (Excuse me? Theyve reserved exactly one-fourth of the bar countertop? Maybe Ill call and see if I can reserve a space between the cocktail napkins and the picked eggs.) I hate to give a bad review based on a couple of bad apples, when there were also some nice staff. However, for the prices they charge, I think its reasonable to expect uniformly friendly service. And the bowling is pretty darn expensive.

A Private User

Last night on 10/17 I was having a great time when I noticed that some individuals were being completely ignored at the upstairs bar. It wasnt anything for me to worry about until I realized the bartenders were ignoring just the asian customers. There were a large group of them, and I assumed they thought they would become a problem. Coming here before the remodel I knew there was an asian gang problem 10 years ago, but these people who were waiting patiently did not fit that profile. They were not even acknowledged as people. And when they did finally serve them, their drinks were mediocre at best. I will not be coming back to Grand Central, and I have persuaded my party as well. This is Portland and our businesses should not discriminate