This review is by Young-Eun Park, a middle school english teacher at a high-needs school in Denver, CO. She enjoys bowling for fun with her friends.
Lucky Strikes Bowling in Denver, Colorado is more than just a bowling alley. It is a lounge-bar-restaurant-bowling alley hybrid that combines the casual fun of bowling with an exciting night on the town. Although the venue is more upscale and pricier than most alleys, its ample opportunities for eating, drinking, and entertainment more than make up for it. Watching music videos on televisions that hang on the wall over the pins is another popular feature.
The neon lights and large bar makes the alley more of a night-time going-out destination with friends than a place to take your family or small children (unless they like the club/bar scene). The alley is open until 2am several nights a week and only permits ages 21 and up after 9PM no matter which day it is. A dress-code is also strictly enforced, and patrons are not allowed to wear excessively baggy clothing, athletic gear, work boots, or sweatpants.
Despite the tight restrictions on personal appearance, Lucky Strikes is a great place to go. Its location in the heart of downtown Denver in the Denver Pavilions makes it the perfect way to familiarize yourself with the downtown area and 16 Street Mall.
Even if your friends do not like bowling, they will be perfectly content playing the array of arcade games while throwing back a few drinks and relaxing on the comfortable lounge furniture (while you bowl, of course). Because of its price, I wouldn’t recommend going unless there is a special occasion (birthday party or friends visiting from out of town), but once you arrive, it’s definitely worth it to stay.
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Lucky Strike Lanes - Denver, CO,
Alex Connelly says
Well, bowling is meant to be a fun activity and guess what when I’m done working I like wearing sweatpants. Bowling for most of us is considered a recreational activity and hence recreational clothing. If the requirement to stay away from recreational clothing exists they really only leave: classy clothes (I’m not going to the opera) and athletic gear. The only problem with this is they don’t allow athletic gear either. Will there be justice for our good ol’ regular rollers, let’s hope so.
David Findley says
Mr. Connelly,
I think that it is important that you get your facts straight.
Have you ever even been to this bowling alley?
This place is not exclusive or hoity toity. It does, however, have some standards. They don’t go out of their way to inconvenience you, they simply ask that you don’t show up looking like a slob. If you really want to wear sweatpants, there is likely a McDonalds not too far away and I’m sure you could find a Home Depot or a Target in the area. Not sure what you would do there but at least you could wear your “comfy pants.”
I think that it would be awesome if you gave these guys a try. You might learn a thing or two about their alley and you might even find out that you do like jeans after all.
YE says
Actually, there is a McDonald’s about a block away.
I don’t think the dress code is opera-style, just something along the lines of the “No Shirt/Shoes, No Service” policy in many restaurants. They don’t want the first impression of the place to be negative because of the sloppy attire of the patrons there, and having everyone dress respectably is something that many establishments encourage and enforce. Just because it’s a bowling alley doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be able to demand the same values that other public places of service more or less expect. Except maybe McDonald’s, Home Depot, or Target.
PS – I think if you showed up in a t-shirt and jeans, they probably wouldn’t care that much.
Alex Connelly says
I don’t think almost anyone consciously dresses for a bowling alley. Honestly, these restrictions seem to be set to a certain group of people who wear “baggy clothes, sweatpants, athletic gear, and work boots” is there a bigger underlining sign of discrimination in the works here? I can completely understand a no shirt no shoes policy but to regulate it down to these specific items seems unnecessary. Athletic gear can be clean and very appropriate for the bowling alley. I propose instead of regulating items why not regulate cleanliness? If the bowling alley is really combating sloppy attire then make that the policy.
YE says
There are countless bars that have similar dress-codes to Lucky Strikes, and even more formal, where the bar/club-goer needs to wear nice shoes, pants, and a shirt. Would you say that they are discriminating as well? Lucky Strikes operates a bar, a restaurant, a lounge, and a bowling alley, and just because there is an alley there (albeit being the main attraction of the place) doesn’t mean that the other sections of the place should abide by casual bowling alley rules. Plus, if there was just a “look clean” rule, there would be so many arguments on what does “clean” look like.
Athletic gear is allowed on game days, I believe, the televisions in there show whatever game is on. Not sure what qualifies as “game days” though.
Additionally, people who go to Lucky Strikes usually don’t go there because they’re bored on a Saturday night and feel like bowling. It’s too expensive for that. For a special occasion, like a birthday or friends in town or people getting together to celebrate whatever, people often dress a little classier than they normally would if they plan to go out and grab drinks. That’s the type of clientele LSL would cater to, not just your regular group of people who are looking to bowl. The place is way too made up for just that.