The Spot: Lucky Strike Lanes, 50 West Jefferson Street Phoenix, 602-732-5490, bowlluckystrike.com/locations/arizona/phoenix/.
See Also: - Best Bowling 2012: Let It Roll Bowl - New Gypsy Bar at Lucky Strike Brings Video Games and Dance Club Action to Cityscape - Dick's Hideaway: Happy Hour Report Card
The Hours: Happy Hour is offered daily from 3 to 7 p.m.
The Interior: Lucky Strike is the kind of bowling alley that people with too much cash to burn go to bowl and the interior matches that intention. Huge projector-style TVs provide the backsplash to the row of ten or so lanes. Plush faux leather couches are the between turn hang-out spots. The wall art is completely obnoxious--trying too hard to prove its hipster cred with blown up celebrity mug shots, an IKEA-style painting of a kitschy spray paint can and even a super hip Native American painting.
We're sure this really excites some people, but we don't like being pandered to in a way that feels so false and unwarrantedly pretentious. It's the kind of place that opened up for all of the "cool" people in downtown to go to, but they end up with a clientele comprised solely of douche bags and then wonder why. Well we know why.
The Food: When our server passed by we asked for a drink and she said to wait because she wasn't sure if we were in her section. Strike one. When she came back and took our drink order, we asked what food was on happy hour special and she said she didn't know and had to check. Strike two. When she took our food order and our friend was shorted the side of potato chips (likely store bought) for their pretzel dog--well, that's strike three. And these aren't the good, bowling kind of strikes and all of this "service" took way longer than our game.
The pretzel dog itself was dull and kind of confusing with an overly chewy pretzel tube slitted open with a hot dog jammed inside and some sesame-tasting cabbage thrown on top. Luckily, it was only $4. We also tried the $4 chicken tostada, which was assembled in such a lackadaisical manner that the crispy tostada base was completely soggy before it got to our mouth.
The Drink: $2 Bud Light and $3 wells. We feel like there's nothing more to say about that. Wah wah.
The Conclusion: If you like bowling and aren't a bazillionaire (or you at least enjoy getting what you pay for), try any AMF alley instead. Their pricing reflects the quality and while you don't get an ultra-hip husk, you would get a few more games of bowling in along with the same (cruddy) quality food and drink as Lucky Strike for about half the price. However, if you have to be seen whilst bowling, go blow your money at Lucky Strike--just don't expect good or even moderately paced service.
Grade: D
