853 North Western Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
Cook County
Phone: (773) 395-3002
Fax: unknownWebsite: no website on fileEmail: no email on fileHours: unknown
by Patrick C. on F this place. Seriously. My gf and I joined a very casual bowling league through Zog Sports (awesome decision). Our team decided to get together this past Sunday to bowl somewhere and have a few beers, kick back and relax. I forget how we decided to hit up Bowlmor but I know I didn't object because the 2 times I had previously been there were tollerable. I think it's worth noting that the first time I went there I was taken by clients who footed the bill and had everything set up when we got there. The second time I remember it being expensive but I had a decent time. Nothing really jumped out at me. Like I said, our group of 5 went this past Sunday at 7pm. As we expected the place was pretty empty so we figured we wouldn't get a hard time. We paid $6 each for shoes and then $13/game. I still can't get over the fact that they can get away with charging $13 a game for bowling. On top of this the moron behind the counter said he couldn't split the bill and put it on more than one credit card. I know for a fact that that is BS because the last time I went to Bowlmor we split the bill up and put it on 4 different cards. We all had to hit the ATM which was annoying. We sat down and started our game but immediately noticed that the hard floors had slick spots on them. It was like they spilled some of the oil for the lanes on the spot where you throw the ball and didn't bother to clean up. A few of us almost totally ate it on our first frame. Definetly a hazard. Next, the machines that place the pins and clear away the ones that've been knocked down were somewhat broken. On what seemed like every 3 frame a pin would be out of place and/or missing when it wasn't knocked down. I understand these are complicated machines and they break down from time to time but when you're paying the amount of money that we were you shouldn't see the machine malfunctioning every 2nd or 3rd frame per person. I was pretty tired and wasn't drinking but they were complaining that the beer was watered down. I think the pitchers were something absurd like $17, I could be wrong though. Lastly and most annoyingly I had some jerk off bouncer (dressed like he was manning the door at some MP club) approach my gf and I and ask us to remove our hats, "we have a dress code here." I would've argued with him about this but I think I'm still in shock. We were at a run down, nasty bowling alley at 7-8 pm on a Sunday, watching the Yankees/Mets game as we're bowling and we're asked to take off our baseball hats?! This isn't a club in the meat packing district man, what a joke. Pass on Bowlmor. I will NEVER go back under any circumstances and hope you do the same. Lucky Strikes (or whatever the place is called on 42nd and the WSH) is much better as is the alley in the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The lanes in PA actually blow this sh*t hole out of the water.
by Raul T. on Something tells me that a lot of SBE's employees are required to give a positive rateclubs review of XIV before they are paid out their tips. SBE's MO is usually the same: 1.) Push the envelope in architecture design and decor of the establishment. With XIV, they've done well (compared the previous establishment at this location). It's a cool place and the design/decor is nice, but hardly genius that some people make Starck out to be. 2.) Try to sell you on decent food with decent service with a cool backdrop. Don't get me wrong, the food is good, but that goes without saying as I've had good meals at all the Michael Mina restaurants I've been to. Please note I said "good" not great. I ordered the lamb, and it wasn't as tender as I'd hoped. The drinks were stiff though. I don't think the food is absoluetly amazing. Yes, it is pricey, but complaining about overpriced food at SBE is saying you're upset your Hyundai doesn't have the finishings of a Bentley. You know what you're going to expect at a SBE establishment. The food is decent, but you're paying for the whole package. Overall I give the food a B. Not bad, but not great. If I stopped here, I would give the place 3.5 stars. But, I think the primary reason why people go to XIV is for the scene (parts 1 & 2 only serve as a backdrop for below), which leads me to 3. 3.) I preface this by saying that when you're married, your outlook on clubs and bars change. There aren't too many good things that can happen when you take your wife/husband to a club/bar. You can only get in trouble. In addition, I've just grown impatient of how insipid the people that go to places like XIV. I feel like I am literally in high school. I prefer places where US Weekly and InStyle are not people's bible reading. I've also learned that girls don't dress up for guys. Girls dress up for other girls in order to one up the other girl. And, you see that quite evident here. And, for me, the scene here is like that at every SBE establishment. I will say there is eye candy. There are attractive people. And, if I was single, I might become one of those slick debutantes hitting on every girl and spending my dollars on overpriced drinks clinging on that slight morsel of hope that she might have that drink I bought her (sarcasm). Then I wake up and realize thank God I am married. If I come back, I would come and leave before midnight.
by Alyse Gargano on WTF. this is a COMPLETE knockoff of Father's Office in LA! Cheaters!!!! HOW UN-ORIGINAL and TYPICAL OF PHOENIX. Isn't this illigal? http://www.fathersoffi...
