Ever have one of those days when you are looking for something fun to do? Maybe you are with your family, a significant other or just a group of friends. A little laugher, good food and games sounds right to me. Enter Kings Bowl as the perfect place to hang out and just have a good time.
THE ROYAL TREATMENT AT KINGS BOWL
A new community bordering downtown Chicago and Lincoln Park has recently opened called New City. Among it’s offerings is a Kings Bowl entertainment center. There are locations across the country if you want to check out their website for one near you. With the motto “Eat, Drink, Play, & Score”, my friends and I were eager to check it out for ourselves.
Just stepping foot into Kings Bowl, we were greeted with sounds of laughter as people of all ages were royally enjoying themselves. The dim lighting, high booth seating, premium bar area and mass amounts of HD TVs gave off a trendy, chic vibe.
On top of having 16 bowling lanes, there are many classic arcade games like pool, air hockey, foosball, and shuffleboard. Plus, the welcoming staff treated everyone like royalty (pun intended!).
Since food is an important part of our evening and a big part of what I like to share on Inspiring Kitchen, the Kings Bowl menu was a part of our experience. My friends and I started off our evening with the recommended Mediterranean Sampler Platter–which was delicious. The hummus was to really flavorful.
Roasted red pepper hummus served with cucumber & feta rolls, fresh veggies, marinated olives & toasted multigrain pita
We also ordered the Crispy & Spicy Calamari and the Not Your Mother’s Brussel Sprouts as starters. (We needed to get the veggies in there somehow!)
With spicy fried peppers served with sweet chili dipping sauce & cajun roasted red pepper remoulade
With smoked bacon topped with fried onion strings served with horseradish dipping sauce – seriously good!
Because our palettes vary, the diversity of the menu gave my friends and I tons of options to choose from. One friend ordered the Grilled Steak Tips, which she said was perfectly tender. Another one described the Spinach & Strawberry Salad as light and refreshing; an ideal dish for the summer. If you like your food with a little kick, try the Spicy Southwestern Grilled Chicken Wrap. Flavor and a little heat are on point in this filling sandwich. On the other hand, a taco complete with shrimp and mangos was a cooling addition to our menu selection.
To top off a fun filled evening of good food, friends and gaming, we checked out the creative bar menu. What you begin to notice is that the Kings drink menu is unique in all the best ways. It offers a wide range of alcoholic and mocktail drinks. There are even 26 different beer varieties to suit your palette. Here are a few of the drinks we enjoyed.
The Fundamentalist
Rye Whiskey, St. Germain, Fresh Lemon Juice, Fresh Mint & Mint Simple Syrup, topped with Soda Water
The Savage
Citrus Vodka, St. Germain, Strawberry Puree & Fresh Lemon Juice topped with Sprite & rimmed with Pop Rock
The Accent
Citrus, Pineapple & Coconut Rums, Apricot Brandy, Amaretto & Fresh Juices with a Dark Rum Float
Revelation
Mango, vanilla, coconut rums, pineapple juice, cherry juice and topped with Champagne
After sipping on our drinks and making some new friends, we decided to channel our inner youths and let the games begin! Bowling, air hockey and shuffleboard had us laughing at and with each other. I would have never guessed how competitive we were going to get! Remember when you were a child and learned to bowl and you thought if you swayed your body or arms one way, it would magically redirect the ball that way too? Well, this little girl was definitely trying to get that one last pin down!
Kings’ bowling lanes added to the atmosphere with their black lighting and lounge seating. And here is a little insider’s tip: one of the many promotional events Kings has is $2 Tuesdays, where bowling and shoe rentals are each only $2.00. With such a steal, I would recommend calling ahead and reserving an Eat & Bowl night.
Kings also offers packages for private events and corporate parties in its separate room that features two bowling lanes, lounge seating and a disco ball (for those memorable photos shown at company meetings!).
For more information on events, click here.
What struck me the most about Kings Bowl was its warm and playful ambiance. It did not matter whether people were 4, 14, 24, or 54, they were all smiling. Kings brought out the lighthearted, fun loving side of everyone as seen in the bowling alley dance party below.
So next time you are in search of where to spend a date night, a place to have a kid’s birthday or just a much deserved night on the town with friends, think Kings Bowl!
Thanks for stopping by!
That has to be the fanciest bowling alley I’ve ever seen. Ever. I could go for a night of bowling and food like that!
Now this looks like an awesome place to go bowling! We have a few places to bowl around here, but none of them look like this. I bet it is so cool to go bowling here.
Now that looks like a lot of fun! I love taking my girls out bowling. We haven’t done it in a while and I think it’s about time we go again soon. All those beverages and food look amazing as well!
Kings Bowl looks awesome. We have tons of those days where we just don’t know what to do. I love the idea of bowling and food especially in the summer heat.
This looks like a fun place for the whole family. The food looks so delicious. We love to go bowling.
I have been to a Kings Bowl here in Orlando before. It’s is amazing.Gorgeous decor, great food, and fun bowling for the family!
Wow! That place looks pretty awesome. I can’t believe the food and drinks came out of a bowling alley! Wish we lived in the area to check it out!
OMG This looks like the perfect date night….and in Chicago of all places? Score! Thank you for the detailed review.
Would you believe that I’ve never been bowling before? LOL Kings Bowl sure serves a lot of good food. I’d be sitting there eating loads of the Crispy & Spicy Calamari.