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.
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.
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
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