Palos Verdes Bowl

In another lifetime your Bandit commuted daily from Koreatown to Torrance for a technology job, which is when I first stumbled upon Palos Verdes Bowl. Palos Verdes Bowl is situated in strip mall central, on a corner surrounded by a McDonald’s, an In n Out, and a AT&T mobile. Straddling the geography somewhere near where Torrance ends and Palos Verdes begins, this special alley throws down the gauntlet for bowling authenticity. Since 1958 PV Bowl has been serving up excellent lanes to the masses.

Walk in and the first thing you notice is a huge, open setup; 40 wide lanes greet you, each with lots of room for relaxing between frames. An accidental optical illusion splits the center of the alley (look for it, it’s constructed of yellow brick). Despite PV Bowl’s age these lanes are perhaps the best maintained we have used. Smudge remarked on how sturdy, smooth, and perfectly even the lanes are; your roll holds true the entire length of the lane and the retro teal ball return spits balls back with great speed.

Smudge and your Bowling Bandit ventured out to the Southland to visit PV Bowl for their unbeatable Monday night special. Nine dollars gets you shoes and all the games you can bowl from 6p-10p. With $2 hamburgers, $1 hot dogs, and $2.75 domestics as a fringe benefit you cannot beat this deal. Also, there is not any AMF mumbo-jumbo-25cents-a-game-nonsense where you really do not have enough time to get in a good roll at the “special” rate. PV Bowl is all business and we easily got in 4 games each in under 2 hours.

Your Bandit had a hot night tallying high game honors at 168. Smudge turned in a respectable 122. Other details include exposed brick walls throughout (unusual for a bowling alley), extremely powerful hand blowers (quite necessary as you beer drinkers know), and an eclectic mix of music which included Grateful Dead’s “Touch of Grey” followed by Modest Mouse’s “Float On.” This perfect blend of old and new makes PV Bowl an exceptional place to roll. And if all descriptions above do not capture your interest then consider swinging by for either Dart Night or Karaoke Night.

Our wrap on PV Bowl: bowling nirvana realized.

Palos Verdes Bowl
www.pvbowl.com 

24600 Crenshaw Boulevard
Torrance, CA 90505-5307
(310) 326-5120

Mar Vista AMF Lanes

Perhaps you have a job you love. A job you actually look forward to going back to once the weekend is over. Your Bowling Bandit does not have such a job. In a fantastic twist of irony, Bowling Bandit landed his dream job only to find it wasn’t a dream! Oh horror! As a result, Sunday afternoons can bring on a certain brand of blues. These blues arrive late afternoon and are relatively impossible to shake. They read like something between dread and outright panic. After a couple cold beverages to mull over the situation Bandit formulated a plan and took action: BOWLING!!!

With a few compadres in tow we zeroed in on the Westside and chose the AMF Mar Vista lanes. Mar Vista is a traditional AMF that has kept up with the times including a multitude of color-coded balls, upgraded lanes, uber-rapid ball returns, and brand spankin’ new scoring consoles. SuperM, Hampster, Smudge, and your devoted Bandit hit the lanes around 8pm. At that hour $6 per person lane entry gets you one game, plus $1 shoe rental, and $1 games thereafter. Translation: $8 for shoes and 2 games = Super Deal! This price bonanza is a Sunday evening promotion.

After securing the lane, we hit the bar where $5.21 got me a Dos Equis Amber. Not bad. The décor is cozy, with red vinyl booths, inviting tables, and a sturdy bar running the length of the space. If two Koreatown favorites, The Prince and The Bounty, got together and birthed a smaller baby bar with a pool table -- this bar is what it would look like.

On to the lanes, where a trippy background wall motif of purple, orange, golden, and yellow pins explodes towards the eager bowlers. Other aesthetics include many, many flat screen tvs all playing Sunday evening NFL, an amenity which garnered huge points from SuperM. Music was a resplendent mix of top-40 including “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry and a “Behind these Hazel Eyes” by Kelly Clarkson (thank you Shazzam). Not up my musical alley but entertainment nonetheless.

While Mar Vista is a traditional AMF there lies a little gem tucked deep inside. Phil Yoakum’s Bowling Supply & Pro Shop. It has been a long while since I spoke with Mr. Yoakum. But when I last did, he went out of his way to special order me a pair of pink bowling shoes, and secured the goods at the same price as Amazon, allowing your Bandit to keep the business local. Bowling balls, shoes, bags, and other rolling necessities are for sale, in all price ranges. Call for details and hours.

After a couple of frames to burn-in your Bandit found himself in the zone -- massive amounts of focus and an afternoon of drinking pushed aside those Sunday-work-is-coming-tomorrow-blues -- and he took home nightly high scores of 135 & 145.

In addition to bowling Hampster and SuperM had a chance to sample the food at Pepe’s, which is attached. Both gave solid thumbs up stating the service was down to earth and the food (BBQ Sauce Cheddar Burger with Bacon and a Tuna Melt) good. If nothing else $5 for a burger at a sit down café is easily one of the best deals around. Inside tip: opt for the ruffles potato chips over the fries.

The tally on Mar-Vista lanes: we love this spot. While it is all types of AMF, plays top-40, and does not inspire even the remotest feelings of retro-coolness there is something that just clicks. It is probably because Mar-Vista puts the bowling aspect of the alley right where it should be: first.

Mar Vista AMF Lanes
12125 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 391-5288

Hours
Mon-Thurs 9am - 11pm
Fri-Sat 9am - 1am
Sun 9am - 11pm

All Star Lanes

Sidekick Smudge here. Calamity, Donny, the Bandit, and I ventured to All-Star Lanes in Eagle Rock. We were immediately taken in by the lime green walls, accented with cream diamond patterns, which lent a decidedly vintage feel to the decor. All-star is retro without even trying -- bonus points for style right from the start. The large space, with an open carpeted area walled in by a small arcade, would be a great spot for a party or even a wedding for those who really like to roll!

The bar was dark and comfortable looking, replete with a stage that sometimes has live music acts on Sunday evenings. We saw a local crew drinking and they had big cans of Fosters, and that was good enough for the Bowling Bandit!

Up to the desk we marched and chose the hourly “lane” rate: $18 dollars (maximum 4 people) for the hour, plus $3 per person shoe rental for some shiny new shoes. I also had forgotten socks, and was able to pick up a snazzy new pair that matched the green and white theme for only $3.

With four of us on the lane, we quickly grabbed our bowling balls and it became a race against time to try to bowl two games each. Despite keeping a rapid pace and Bandit’s insistence that each bowler stand “on deck” we didn’t quite make it. Just as Calamity was about to roll in the tenth frame of her second game the lane went dark. I think it was perhaps the funny animation on the video screens lining the top of the alley, which seemed to like pointing out that you hadn’t picked up the spare more than it enjoyed announcing your strikes, which kept us from narrowly missing completion. Regardless, $4.50 a person for just about 2 games of bowling is a really good deal.

Our tally for the night, Smudge took high game honors:
Smudge: 101 & 136
Bowling Bandit: 116 & 114
Donny: 128 & 104
Calamity Jane: 78 & *103 (9 frames)

Throughout the evening we were graced with XM radio’s easy listening station, tending towards favorites such as Billy Joel and Linda Rondstadt on heavy rotation. It was a Wednesday night, and our party of four made up half of the occupancy, which was nice because there is always a thrill in having an entire bowling alley to yourself. Other details include a small arcade, (sadly, no Ms. Pacman) and a beat-up pool table. Famed indie-rock Sunday nights, where bands play in the large open area while bowlers roll the night away, also occur but have not been scheduled in the last couple months.

Our verdict: charming, retro lanes with lots of character and Foster’s big cans! Chance we will be back: definitely, and hopefully on a night with rock bands to replace some of that Linda Rondstadt!

All Star Lanes
4459 Eagle Rock Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90041
(323) 254-2579

Prices & Hours:
Shoes: $3, Socks: $3
Games: Mon-Thurs, $18 p/hour (max 4 people p/lane) or $4 game
Fri-Sun, $24 p/hour or $5.50 game

AMF Midtown Lanes (Crenshaw and Venice)

Situated just west of the stunning Victoria Park neighborhood (strolling Victoria Park is a perfect Sunday afternoon activity, highly recommended) is AMF Midtown Lanes. Midtown Lanes primarily serves the surrounding community and is typically filled with local residents, plus a smattering of Koreatowners and gentrifying neighborhood types.

Upon initial entry you will notice the awkward, but often packed, parking lot. After navigating the oddly angled spots and walking through the door you earn entry to not just Midtown Lanes but also Maria’s Café. Maria’s offers typical diner fare. My one meal at Maria’s (couple years back) was good. Sticking to breakfast and diner-style food is the suggested word on the street.


Our Wednesday evening bowling experience began in the right place, at the bar! Drinks are served in a Vegas meets Swingers-style space. $3.84 Miller High Life and $4 Blue Moon make drinking affordable. Specialties include “Big Bowl” Cocktails served in some super sized plastic container. Popcorn, from an old-style movie popper, also available. Also, the bar closes when business slows, so grab ‘em while you can.

On to the bowling -- Hampster, Blue Moon, Smudge, and I were drawn in by the lure of “QuarterMania!” which promises 25 cent games from 9-11p. $10 per person entry covers shoes plus first game, and every game thereafter is 25 cents. If you bowl more than one game, “QuarterMania!” is the economist’s choice. Warning: opting for “QuarterMania!” means *everyone* on your lane must participate. So if your friend is late and only has time to bowl one game they could end up paying hefty price of $10, ouch! Our suggested strategy is to arrive early, secure your lane, and bowl fast. Three games, plus shoes, for $10.50 is a great deal. But you must arrive early and keep up the pace to make happen. League play ends promptly at 9p and clears out fast, be ready to pounce the front desk. High game of the night award to Smudge, with a come-from-behind-in-the-tenth–frame victory score of 119.

Other notable characteristics include new lanes, fast ball returns, nifty automatic scoring machine, color coded balls, and a clean and friendly atmosphere. 70s disco better left in the vault plus a smattering of Black Eyed Peas played throughout the night. For those wanting to augment their bowling with another nearby activity World on Wheels skating rink (yes, roller skating rink!) is next door.


After all these years our takeaway from AMF Midtown Lanes remains unchanged. Solid alley to enjoy a few frames. Play the “QuarterMania!” our way and you’ll walk away feeling like you just got the bowling deal of the century.

AMF Midtown Lanes
4645 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90019

Prices & Hours
Shoes: $4.75

Day Game: $4.25, Evening, Weekend & Night Games: $5.50 - 5.75
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sun: 9a - 11p, Wed: 9a - 12a, Fri, Sat: 9a - 1a

Shatto Lanes

My first trip to Shatto was 4 years ago on a rainy Thursday. I was enjoying a delightful day of hookey from work while entertaining dad and sis, in town from destinations afar. We arrived lane-side in the early-afternoon to hear Tainted Love echoing throughout the 40+ nearly deserted bowling lanes, hits from New Order and Depeche Mode followed. Needless to say, it was love at first sight. Since that fateful visit I have been back to Shatto many, many times.

In the words of their home page, "The Greatest thing about this Bowling Alley is not only the location nor the fantastic pricing, but rather the memories of what a bowling alley once was. The above ground ball returns, the dozens of early arcade machines, and the basic architectural design of the building which houses this monstrous bowling alley." So I returned, armed with Smudge, and our companion Hampster, to enjoy a few frames and kick off this little blog.

As usual Shatto delivered and the outcome was typically rad. It was Monday with most lanes filled with eager league teams. Us non-league bowlers found ourselves situated in a nice corner with a smartly dressed Asian couple to our right and a gaggle of Silverlake / EchoPark-sters to our left. A lane beyond was an Orthodox Jewish father with his three children. The mix of cultures and ethnicities that always seems present at Shatto is definitely part of the alley's allure.

First thing you notice laneside is the old-school early 80s scoring console, followed quickly by the classic above ground ball return. Lanes are in good shape. After names entered in the computer I pulled a 14lb rock off the rack and started rolling. Game 1: 143 = awesomeness.

$3 shoe rental and $5.50 a game (evening rate) puts Shatto at the lower-middle of the Los Angeles bowling price-spectrum. Domestic beers are $3.25 making Shatto an excellent location to work on getting buzzed. And for the adventerous drinker, consider the Pin-Chaser, an $8.25 concoction I have yet to order.

A few other touches worth noting. Top notch late 80s, early 90s arcade filled with all the classics: Ms. Pac Man, Centipede, Street Fighter II, and more. Pool tables for rent. Bar. Small snack shack, fries can be hit or miss, but mysteriously the mozzerella sticks are always good. Additional points for the 1980s fountain spray soda machine, stocked with Fanta and Diet Rite. You remember the kind where you drop in a buck, cup falls into place, then the ice, followed by a jet stream of soda shooting downward. If not, think Dirty Harry grabbing a soda from police headquarters and you've got it. Also, be warned the parking lot is nuts, huge columns and odd angles everywhere.

The roundup on Shatto. This is a classic alley that does not dissapoint. Great for groups, couples, or a solitary night of rolling. Gets busy on weekends but you can call ahead and reserve. The price is right from the shoe rental to the beer to the food. A perfect place to bring your east-side friends, parents, or a first date. Easily one of our favorite Los Angeles bowling alleys.

Shatto Lanes
3255 W. 4th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90020

Prices & Hours
Shoes: $3
Day Game: $3.50, Night Game: $4.50 - 5.50
Monday-Thursday: 10a - 2a, Friday-Saturday: 10a - 3a, Sunday: 11a - 2a

Welcome to Bowl-Your-Ass-Off!

We love bowling. We live in Los Angeles. We present to you candid accounts of every lane we can uncover.

Yours,

The Bowling Bandit and his sidekick Smudge