Bowling alleys are the only safe place for people to simultaneously sate their hunger for ball-on-pin violence and knock down meaty beer cravings. For $10, today's Groupon gets you $20 toward any combination of bowling, eating, and quaffing at The Park Tavern Bowling & Entertainment Center in St. Louis Park, City Pages' pick for 2010's Best Bowling Alley.
Serving the Minneapolis area for over 50 years with tasty bites, fresh brews, and pin-slamming pastimes, The Park Tavern offers more smashing fun than a sledgehammer in a bubble-wrap factory. Lustrous lanes waxed smoother than a buttered bathtub play host to fun family outings, where sibling rivalries can be settled with the soothing sound of scattered pins. Shoe rentals for bowler-sporting bowlers are always $3, and per-game rates vary from $3 to $4; check the website for more details.
The Park Tavern's two bars and kitchen stand ready to keep rollers fueled for picking up that final spare. Pre-game with a full pound of the spicy new Irish Fire chicken wings ($8.95) or a blackened-catfish taco ($9.95), and draw on circular inspiration with a pizza, such as the Hawaiian (Canadian bacon, pineapple, olives, and mozzarella; $11.25 small, $15.95 medium, $19.95 large). Specialty burgers, including the Amsterdam (smoked gouda, jalapeños, and bacon bits, $8.50), and the half-pound barbecue-rib basket ($8.25) provide slabs of meat on which to hang a fang. The Park Tavern also grills on the outdoor patio Tuesday through Thursday, so sop up some sunshine while enjoying the summery Dirty Banana cocktail ($6.25).
Besides strengthening arm muscles, thighs, glutes, calves, and Jeff Bridges impressions, 10-pin bowling at The Park Tavern strengthens socio-familial bonds by giving friends and families a casual, nonviolent arena to challenge each other over chitchat and fermented ales. This all-inclusive atmosphere makes The Park Tavern the perfect venue for introducing friends from different social circles. Bring your poetry friends to play your fantasy-football buddies, or build camaraderie with coworkers after a long day coworking with today's Groupon.
It's recommended to call ahead to find out if lanes are available: (952) 929-6810. This Groupon can be used in conjunction with the Groupon Summer Pass.
Reviews
Park Tavern was named Best Bowling Alley 2010 by the Minneapolis City Pages. Yelpers give it a four-star average, and Citysearchers give it an average of 3.5 stars.
- Add two bars for all your drinking needs (because honestly, who can bowl without drinking?) and great happy hour specials, and you've got everything you need for a bowling experience that dreams are made of. – City Pages
- Good bowling, beer, and food makes it one of the best bowling alleys in the cities. – Jason K., Yelp
- Fun bowling, cheap drinks, great and cheap bar food. I could go on and on. – brianknows, Citysearch
Groupon Says
Pro Bowlers Who Were Also Animals
Though professional bowling isn’t considered the most athletically demanding sport, it’s generally agreed that it’s the sport that has the highest percentage of athletes who have also been animals. Here are just some of the animals that have gone pro:
Milty the Kidnapped Hedgehog: Found on the street by a trio of hooliganish college students, Milty was brought to a bowling alley as a joke during Pledge Week. When he bowled a perfect 300, the sports agents came knocking. Milty retired after a number of spectators noticed his image on several Lost Hedgehog posters written in children’s handwriting on local telephone polls.
Jessie the Back-Talking Parrot: Never the strongest bowler on the tour, Jessie became a fan favorite for his coarse, yet often clever, trash talking during matches. Many opponents were reduced to tears after being told, “Your mother never loved you,” and, “You were a mistake,” by a bowling parrot. Jessie retired after a pin-resetting accident left him unable to speak or move.
Lassie: This girl could do anything.
Broderick the Bowling Bear: Though modern photo analysis reveals that this 1920s favorite was just a guy in a bear suit, it thoroughly convinced Prohibition-era audiences. In 1933, he ran for vice president under FDR and won, but was ruled ineligible due to bearness and was replaced by John Nance Garner.
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