The Twin Cities are lousy with bowling alleys, but none is more unique than Bryant-Lake Bowl. Lyn-Lake’s beloved Frankenspace rolls eight old-soul lanes, a decent restaurant, well-stocked bar, and 85-seat cabaret theater into one delightfully retro package.
Adults pay $4.50 to $5 per game, or $2 per game on Sundays after 6 p.m.; shoe rental is another $2. Stake out a spot on a Monday between 6 p.m. and midnight to take advantage of the long-running Cheap Date Night special: two entrees, a bottle of wine or two tap beers, and a round of bowling for $28. (Side note: Bryant-Lake’s vintage machines don’t keep score, so—uh, maybe bring someone who is good at math?)
Food-wise, you’re not gonna find sweaty hot dog rollers and squeeze-pump cheese up in this joint; the grub here actually leans kinda healthy-ish: turkey burgers, quinoa bowls, and butternut squash and Fuji apple salads with shaved fennel and toasted hazelnuts. (They also do soft pretzels with beer cheese, patty melts, and pulled pork sandwiches if you don’t want to be precious.) And like the burlesque performers who occasionally sashay their way across the Bryant-Lake stage, the tap list boasts an all-star local cast, too: hop-forward IPAs from Pryes Brewing and Fair State, stouts from Summit, and sours by Indeed. Score!
Bryant-Lake Bowl
810 W. Lake St., Minneapolis, MN; 612-825-3737.