Big Al’s
16615 SE 18th St, Vancouver, WA, 98683
Big Al’s Menu
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Address :
16615 SE 18th St
Vancouver, WA, 98683 - Phone (360) 944-6118
- Website https://www.ilovebigals.com/vancouver
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Accepts Bitcoin : No
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Fri, Sat, Sun
Coat Check : No
Smoking : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Leah N.
If you like flavorless food that you have to wait forever for, then you would love this place! I understand the wait is partially due to the fact that the servers have to walk 10 city blocks to get to the kitchen, but poor restaurant design isn't an excuse for poor service. I once complained that the soda water in my drink was flat, but they were unable to fix it, because no one could change the Co2 tank, not even the manager. If you want to go bowling, go to a bowling alley. If you want to watch a game, go to a sports bar. Don't waste your time or money here.
(2)Matthew C.
Having spent time in many bowling alleys in my youth, this place is very nice, and geared for those who don't bowl professionally, but like to have a game. While many reviews give them bad ratings for their food, they seem to forget this place is geared for more games and bowling more than fine dining. The food is quite good, and they have lots of games other than bowling for kids. I enjoy taking my family and my staff there because there is something for everyone. It can be a little pricy, but nothing too outrageous. Very clean! I will be going back again soon!
(4)Hana I.
If I could leave zero stars, I would. Our server, Stephanie, checked on us twice in 40 minutes. Our food came out 5 minutes before our first round of drinks. We thought we would run out of time for happy hour, things took that long. I don't know if she assumed we were not going to be a big-ticket table (we would have been), but we felt like we were the least important people in the world. As a couple who have almost 15 years of experience in "the industry," we know that things in a restaurant get hectic sometimes. But this was ridiculous. She had the same 4 tables (all 2-tops) the whole time we were here. My fiance and I wanted a nice date night. We don't get many since we have a nine-month old at home. This was not it.
(1)Heather D.
We come here often with the kids for some good ol' family fun! If you time when you go, the prices can be pretty reasonable. They are always running specials for bowling and even the arcade. The equipment is always in good, working order. The shoe rentals and balls are clean. It's a great place to beat the heat!
(4)Katie S.
I love the specials on bowling, which is what I usually go there for. The servers tend to be slow. Food prices are expensive, but what I've had so far was good and portions can be large for certain items. Overall the place is well kept and staff is friendly.
(4)Raja S.
I was amazed by the multiple side-by-side screens at the sports-bar. It's huge place, with several other screens as well... The bowling alleys seemed to be great as well (we haven't bowled on our visit). There are several arcade games as well with air hocket, billiard tables, dart boards... and then there's give aways as well. The service was good. Coming to food, the chicken wings (hot sauce) were good, the chicken lettuce wraps & their french fries were all good. My personal gripe with this place is that it seems in nowhere location, which means that there's absolutely no issue with parking :-).
(5)Cynce T.
Always a fun time at Big Al's. My boyfriends step father was celebrating his birthday here over the weekend so we partook in a couple games of bowling coupled with a couple pitchers of beer. Good times were had. Clean facility, lots of balls, and attentive staff. Thumbs up!
(4)Kimberly V.
Whoa now. Hold the phone. Is this really a bowling alley? Where are the old men with hangdog faces lined up at the bar? Where's the glass display case of league trophies dating back to the end of the war? Why is the bathroom so well lit? They do it differently in Vantucky, my friends. That's not always a bad thing. Although there are numerous bowling lanes at Big Al's, it's really an entertainment center straight out of the Dave and Buster box with a focus on families with kids instead of single twenty and thirty-somethings with libidos. At least, based on the mini, dainty air hockey table situated a foot lower and right next to the big kid tables. Since I got to know Big Al's through a Blazers season ticket holders' event, my experience probably isn't all that indicative of a night out with the rugrats, unless Joe Przybilla can always be found bowling a couple games here. I'm guessing he can't be. But it seemed like a fun place, staffed with fresh-faced and enthusiastic moppets who know where to hit the air hockey table to force the puck out of its insides. I didn't try much food (though the crime partner and I shared a huge scoop of ice cream, which was cheap), but got a beer at the bar in the middle nearest to the entrance. There's another bar in their dining area, too. Big Al's isn't going to let any adults waste away soberly amidst all the wholesome youth activities. But as you've probably inferred, I prefer bowling to be like dive bars. It should be ... divier, obviously, but still functional. The lanes here don't have any sandpaper strips to rough up the bottoms of your bowling shoes, and the lanes are pretty slippery. Since the special event provided bowling shoes and game time for free, I can't speak about the prices, but I was at the counter when someone was charged $3.75 for socks. Don't make that rookie mistake - always bring your socks to the bowling alley. And don't expect Donnie and The Dude in this neck of the woods.
(4)Brandi A.
We have been to big al's a few times now in the past 6 months. The wait to order your food is exceptionally long, especially if you are a child who was told no video games till after you eat. It is very kid friendly, but very rough on your pocket book. Going for dinner, games and bowling will leave you broke and wondering if it was even worth it. My suggestion would be to feed your family first and then either play games or bowl. You cant afford to do both in this economy(at least we cannot). The place is very modern, clean and fun for the kiddos. Those are my only perks.
(2)Terry T.
I actually really like bowling and hanging out at Big Al's. The facility is top notch, clean and has great bowling lanes and private lanes. The only reason it's not a 5 star is due to the price. I mean, i know it's nice, but in the end it's still bowling and there are a ton of bowling alley's that are cheaper that get the job done. Great place for events though.
(4)Michael C.
I have been to 2 different Big Als and somehow end up with the worst service I've ever had, and never handles the bills right. We always make it as easy as possible and yet they still don't get it. Management which are made to build relationships with the customers and make sure nothing gets handled incorrectly treat all customers like their the enemy and are extremely rude. Went to the vancouver Big Als to watch the BCS championship and were moved to a private bowling lane to watch the football game cause there were too many people in the sports bar. We were specifically told there would be NO bowling, and then they decided to change their mind and let people bowl. Couldn't hear a damn thing. We decided to stand for the whole game in the sports bar to watch the game, but the servers kept bumping into us and saying we need to get over into the corner and stay out of their way. We told them we were going to watch the game in the sports bar, yet the servers kept on hounding us and asking "are you guys planning on paying your bill" and "we get a lot of walk outs so you better close your tab." And when we told them the situation and why we were standing and that we were treated badly from the staff, the manager was EXTREMELY rude and didn't care for a single word we said. She even said she'd kick us out if we cause any problems. We DIDN'T do a single thing wrong, HELL we even tried to stay in the F'n corner like they told us too. The manager said that we were in the staff's way and need to find somewhere else to watch the game. She even said that we were on our last line and would have us escorted out. WHAT THE HELL!!!! I can't speak anymore nice things for this place and will never recommend going there. ESPECIALLY the one in vancouver. HORRIBLE SERVICE, HORRIBLE MANAGEMENT.
(1)Mal C.
We took a day off work and went in the middle of the day, successfully avoiding the nighttime busy teenage crowds and meat market. At first I thought the arcade part seemed kind of small, but there were actually quite a few games. Make sure you keep your money on the cards and don't convert into tokens - b/c most of the machines don't use the tokens. I learned that the hard way! The Deal or No Deal Game gave us quite a few tickets. The bowling also looked fun. On Wednesday nights they have half-price games.
(3)Iris N.
I went starving, and ready to eat some sort of bar food. I decided that only the beer was safe, and it would be better to go hungry and keep the beer down. I creeped a few tables, and the pizza and nachos looked real real gross, though the red white and blue chips are a great 'merica shout out, so I will give them a point for that. The games were great, and I love any place that has the real Skeeball. We "won" a great clown wig that I am sure will be passed around for years to come. Would have preferred that they did not use a card system because it seemed like a bit of an excessively wasteful process, but that is just the environmentalist in me thinking out loud. Food: -9 stars Games: 4.5 bowling: 4
(4)Dave C.
If you go for the bowling then it's a 4 star.....however, if you go for the food or the sports bar..... This is a 30-40-somethings meat market. A few cougars and the odd entertaining sabre-tooth prowl. Diamond vision screens blasting away so loud you need a megaphone to carry on a conversation with anyone further away than 3 inches from your face. Food is less than impressive to worse, beer selection is same, and service can be indifferent to non-existent. Nearly worth a go to see some of the lame-ass mating gyrations some of these self-absorbed wanks go through.
(2)Brittani B.
This place has the WORST customer service EVER. Even speaking with "Anthony" the evening manager was a waste! We proceeded to bowl almost a whole game and press the service button twice prior to anyone coming to take our order. We the requested a menu, the waitress who brought it never returned to take our order. Once we got someone to come we were told that it was an old menu, our order never got placed, we finished our games before ever receiving our food, and didn't even finish our drinks. They were not accommodating in any way. This will be the last time we spend our money there! I'd rather stay home with my screaming kids! Had to give them 1 star but wouldn't do that if I could!
(1)Amanda C.
A group of friends recently wanted to hang out one Friday night, but for some odd reason they wanted to stay in Vantucky. Baffled at this request, I had to rack my brain for ideas of what to do and while I couldn't think of anything, someone recommended we go check out Big Al's. Like every other bowling alley, I managed to pull off a really crummy score, but there was something definitely different about this bowling experience. By the time I left, I couldn't help but wonder...did I just relive a middle school social?!? With waves of déjà vu sweeping over me throughout the night, I begin to identify way too many characteristics similar to those of my odd middle school social experiences. After some observations and a bit too much analysis, I found many quintessential factor of said social experiences hidden within my visit... 1) Groups of social clicks: Once all of my friends had arrived we went to sign up for a lane and were handed a buzzer attached with a minimum 15 minute wait. Clearly being the "happening place" in Vantucky, more and more people began to pour in as we waited, which quickly transformed the lobby into small isolated clusters of people. 2) Crummy music: Oh crummymusic, you're what tipped me off to this whole middle school social vibe. Not *only* was the music pumped through the building, but projectors in the bowling lanes emitted the music videos as well. With artists like: Will Smith, The Cardigans, No Doubt, Good Charlotte, and Outkast that were very authentic to my actual middle school experience, I found myself more than ever ashamed of growing-up when I did. 3) Awkward dance moves: While the music alone sparked some interesting grooves, watching people bowl was a whole different degree of awkward movement. I personally am a big proponent of just rolling the ball down the lane, but others have a runway routine with moves that would make even Martha Graham and her fellow modern dancers question what is going on! 4) Flashy lights: This one was way too obvious. Between the arcade games and the "Galaxy Bowling" light show, all that was missing was a strobe light (and maybe a fog machine)! 5) Snacks and punch: Throughout the venue, there is a sports bar and grill as well as a bar to accommodate the desperate need for any "spiked" punch. Between the two spots, there is a variety of options to help rehydrate and refuel after busting a move. 6) Chaperones: While I didn't see any parents lurking around (side note: seriously, none...there were so many unattended children running around), the eighty bazillion security guards pacing around the inside and outside of the building were just as awkward and annoying. Overall, I will be upfront and admit that I did appreciate the friendly employees as well as clean environment, and just like those middle school socials, I suppose I had more fun than I would have if I stayed at home, but I won't necessarily be counting down the days until the next outing for this was a bit too much déjà vu for my liking.
(3)B B.
For bowling: Great! Clean, nice atmosphere, good equipment. For eating: Meh. Cold, greasy food. Sometimes takes way too long to actually get said crappy food. But, hey, it's a bowling alley. Service: Sometimes really good, sometimes amazingly bad. It's a mixed bag.
(3)Jeremy R.
I usually go for Monte Carlo and leave with more money than I came with. They have wait staff that serves the lanes. They usually have a beer special and the food is decent.
(4)Trish T.
We went to the bar for a quick bite. Over 10 minutes for the waitress to acknowledge us. The burger was bad. The bun was dry, it was cold, and even though I got a burger with gorgonzola and caramelized onions, there was NO flavor. And it wasn't that busy.
(2)Andrea V.
This is just a review of the Sportsbar. I like the bowling alley. We went here for Sunday morning football awhile back and I was really unimpressed with the service, and I'm not one to complain too much about service. My friend got her breakfast and the eggs were done wrong, so they sent the eggs back to the kitchen and left her bacon and toast, saying the new eggs would be right up. Thirty minutes later, no eggs. She ended up just ordering some chili for lunch. I ordered the wrap with turkey and avocado, and I didn't get any avocado. People order stuff with avocado specifically because of the avocado, but this always seems to happen to me at restaurants. They re-did my order, but my impression of this place had already been tarnished. Maybe the kitchen staff is just out of it, or all the servers are just too young. I've been to other places where all the servers are teenagers and I've experienced the same thing. I'll admit it's a great place to watch sports, but eat somewhere else beforehand, because the food is overpriced and not that great, if you even get your food.
(2)Steve C.
Great Customer Service, a good mix of lounge bowling lanes, arcade, and restaurant. They also feature private parties and bowling opportunities. Very clean, very busy, video screens over the bowling pins can be distracting for the serious bowler (not me!).
(4)Bill D.
Good food (had the salmon and mashed spuds with steamed veggies). Salmon was firm, NW caught and the mashed spuds were perfect as were the steamed veggies. The appetizer was the big nacho plate and it drew raves from all at the table. A fun place to go and would go back to. Service was pretty good, also. Went on a Wednesday night and place was busy but not crazy busy. Entire place was very clean. No complaints!
(4)Jason W.
Honestly, it's been months since I've been inside. The reason is that the three times I've eaten here (correction 2 times and one attempt), the servers took freakin' forever to show up. My buddy and I eventually got our food and it was ok-to-good. I asked if they had Guinness and they did, but the bar lady didn't know how to operate the device that vended the beverage... The last time I went, I found a seat and the bar guy gave me a menu. 25 minutes later as he was chatting up the bar-flys, I got up and asked how much I owed for the ice tea I had been nursing. He said, "Don't you want to eat something?" I said, "I was hungry half an hour ago when I walked in, now I'm going to go get something to eat." So a couple of the video games are fun, the bowling is enjoyable, but I won't ever try to eat there again.
(2)Bob K.
I first have to say the place is spotlessly clean. I had an end of the party for my staff and they had an awesome time, I booked it in advance and they did a great job, making sure my needs were met. I have no problem with paying the bill and I think I am a pretty good tipper, I was taken back by the fact that there was 20% added to the bill at the end. something that was not pointed out to me when I booked the party. It would not had made much of a difference since i would have gone there anyway, but it's the principle of it. I thought it was kind of excessive. On a $1400 bill that came to a $260 tip for 3 hours of work. That's not a bad tip, I hope that the 2 people that helped my party got the whole thing which again I am not sure how they distribute the tip money. They were pretty much just room attendants and they deserve to be tipped I was just taken back $260. wow, I want a job there.
(3)chris a.
One sentence review: "You'll have more fun here if you just got paid." If you're a penny-pinching-cheap-as$ you'll hate this place. they want your money and have no reservations about taking it. once you walk in you are bombarded by bright neon lights, large spaces, large screens, and larger families who are more than willing to shell out the larger portion of their paychecks to keep their kids from embarrassing them about wanting more money for arcade games. that said, i too, am a penny pinching cheap as$. but, i did my due diligence and saved up money to blow. You will know that this place isn't vegas but your money won't know the difference. I knew this place would cost me and so being prepared, i had a great time. The video games do cost $0.50 to play, and the coin operated games run on tokens costing a quarter each. Some may think this is steep, but this is no Wunderland. The prizes are commiserate with the cost. If Wunderland had prizes like Big Al's (Wii / Rockband / PSP / Nintendo DS / GLASS cups / decent sh*t etc.) you wouldn't be playing with nickels. enough said about the arcade. I only had breakfast there. It was familiar fare to those who frequent Denny's with their standards of sausage, eggs, bacon, waffles & potatoes. it was greasy, but what do you expect? The three of us each paid $6.99 for our breakfast. The bowling is... bowling. They've got price reductions during slower times so take advantage of these if you're tight like me. Sunday mornings (9AM to Noon) are $1.75 per person/game so it's quite affordable. Shoe rental is $3.00. If you want to have a cosmic bowl experience you can try their other bowling alley. It's in the same place, but it's a little more expensive don't ask me how it is though - im cheap remember.
(4)Brant W.
This place is huge. Just like something out of Vegas. Loud and crazy. Order an expensive weak drink and their famous nachos. Not sure why they are famous, They taste like just your average run of the mill nachos. Dont know if Ill go back again, not exactly my style. Its geared for the 14 to 25 year old crowd. Im just a tad older than that.
(3)brian c.
Great Place to go bowling. Its very clean with nice modern equipment. The food is average. What do you expect for a bowling alley? Gourmet. The service comes and goes whenever they feel like it. I have been there when the girl was always right there asking me if i needed anything, and i have been there when it was a service ghost town.
(3)sue t.
Big Al's in the kind of place if I never went to again, I would not be upset. It's loud, it's full of teenagers, it's painfully bright, it's overpriced, it's in Vancouver, and it's not worth ever setting foot into again. Regardless of all of that, though, I did have fun there but it's more because my friends were there and we had Costco cake. Kim (who is new to yelp, BTW) decided to have her birthday party there this evening. Ten of us met there and had dinner before the bowling began. They could not seat us at one table so we had two booths and a weird side table for all of us. The waitress came over immediately and took our drink orders. The beer I wanted (a PBR) was not available so I ordered a Bud Light and was brought a Coors Light instead. Which was annoying but fine because she brought me something. Shari, on the other hand, ordered a hot apple pie and an order of chips and guacamole and was brought nothing. Apparently, the bartender didn't know how to make her drink so she ordered a margarita instead and what came was not even drinkable. That's one star down for the bar service. When the waitress came back to take our order for food, I asked if there was anything that didn't have meat in it besides the obligatory garden burger. She didn't think so. I ordered a meatless taco salad instead. And we sat. And we waited. The other booth got an appetizer and we got nothing. Shari got her soup and we reminded the waitress of the chips and guacamole we ordered and then we waited some more. Some entrees were starting to come out of the kitchen but not all. So some people ate and some other people stared and waited as patiently as they could. Kim's appetizer's came out with her entree so our table was overflowing with food. Others in our group said that there food was cold and inedible. My taco salad finally came out which was a quarter filled with shredded iceberg lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese and a handful of black beans. I couldn't believe that I was going to have to pay $12 for this and asked the waitress for some extra beans to make the dish somewhat worth it. Shari told her to cancel our chips and guacamole as there was no point in getting them now. At this point, we had just given up on the whole dining experience and expressed frustrations to the waitress. That's one star down for awful food The waitress finally got a manager to come and chat with us who let us know that he was sorry for our experience and was going to comp our entire meal. This was kind of him but I still hold on to my negative starts above. We finally moved into the bowling area. We were in a private area which was nice because there weren't as many unruly teenagers there. It took a good twenty minutes or so for a server to come and offer us anything from the bar. "Big Al's is not known for its quick service," I commented as she walked away. Another fifteen or twenty minutes went by before she came back. I immediately ordered another beer as she set down my first one because who knew how long it was going to take her to come back. One more star down for slooooow service. I was excited about the fact that there was an arcade but not excited about the fact that you had to purchase a card to put money on to insert into a machine to play. I didn't even bother looking to see if there was pinball because I know that I wasn't going to play it if there was. I have decided that I'm just going to stick to bowling the way it should be done. With pin shaped bottles of Bud Light, mediocre pizza, and in Portland itself.
(2)Wendy C.
Yeah! Finally: a place that does the kiddie birthday party right. Anyone who has attended a birthday party for a small child knows they can be nightmarish - and I'm guilty of hosting a few of these myself. Anything from the fly-ridden picnic at the park party to the squeezed into the living room with a bunch of relatives I don't know party to the sticky loud trashy Chuck E. Cheese party ... these things are 75% insufferable. So...good for Big Al's. You'll have to drive out to the burbs, but you'll get: *A clean, modern space with private bowling alleys and separate party rooms *A party host that moves presents to the party room, sets up the scorekeeping, keeps the root beer flowing: basically doing all the dirty work *Beer, beer, beer, and pizza that isn't great but doesn't suck *Escape options! If you're bored with the party, you can wander off to watch some videos on the big screens, play some Centipede in the arcade, or grab a G&T at the sports bar. *A reprise from dealing with flies/mystery relatives/giant rat puppets (I noticed the eyes of the parents who hosted this party bug out a bit when they were handed the bill, I'm docking a star on their behalf.)
(4)jade s.
Long story short. When they opened, the original staff completely under-trained, under-managed and under-whealming... We called and tried to book a birthday party for my son and they didn't have the skills to place our name on the calendar and take money... really! not joking... that inept. After boycotting Big Als for a while, My kid was invited to a b-day party (apparently they have learned how to work a calendar and register) i was immediately impressed by the fact that they fired all of the 17 year olds and hired 19-30 year olds to actually work. Great place to watch the blazers if you live near 164th... Everything else is not a great value proposition, unless 78 dollars for bowling is a good value? you decide... and FYI - They charge 50 cents to play video games. 50 cents? puhhh-leeease!
(3)Kevin K.
I'm reviewing both the bowling alley and the food. I haven't actually been to the restaurant, but I've had the food from the restaurant. Bowling Alley: The lanes are excellent. If I were to review the alley by itself, I would give it 5 stars! The automated system rarely flukes like other bowling alleys (however, I've seen it give strikes a couple of times). The place is very clean and classy and the service is nice. The smaller alley has very comfortable chairs and plays music videos all days and the special "Galaxy" nights are epic in the main lanes. It's probably the best bowling alley I've ever been to quite frankly. Despite its appearance, it's actually not that expensive. I would say it costs the same to bowl here than any other bowling alley in the area. Food: Eh, not so great, but it's good for an activity center. The onion rings were bland and frankly tasted awful after 5 minutes. The burger wasn't too bad actually, but it was a little overpriced. The pizza is horrible. It's a cool place to have a party, despite the questionable food.
(4)James T.
A very great place although I don't come here too often but when I do I either watch my family bowl a few frames or for myself I would play some games in the arcades to pass some time. If I didn't have a bad knee I would also bowl a few frames, I love bowling.
(4)Andrea V.
Gabe C. was a bit too kind, me thinks. See his review if you're wondering about the Sports Bar portion of this Chuck E. Cheese for grown-ups. My "experience" at Big Al's was of the bowling and arcade variety, so I'll speak to that portion of this suburban nightmare. I'll admit some responsibility in my own doom, I bought the step-bother a Big Al's card for Christmas. So of course when its time for his birthday, off we all go. Dad ponied up for the super-de-duper bowling lane in Slider Alley, Al's high end answer to bowling ($35 per hour). Slider Alley has nice comfy couches and some cool retro looks, "lane side" food and beverage service, big screen TV's at the end of the lane (good for the step-bother, as he was multi-tasking between texting his friends, bowling and rooting for Green Bay). BIG speakers over each lane means you can't hear a damn thing your bowling partners are saying. We played with the pins lit in black light, which was sort of cool. Our server was a bit less than attentive, but the place was packed, so hard to blame her. Food was ok, and you get the feeling you're paying for the nice building and not quality food. The Arcade: first, DON'T BUY TOKENS. Buy the Al's card, that works for most of the actual games, you swipe your card. The tokens only work for those bogus kiddie games that give you tickets with which you can buy some crap that you could've bought at the dollar store. They have air hockey, which I love, so that's cool, but not much else in the way of really good games, and no classic arcade games so, meh. It got pretty crazy and I had to step on some kid just to get to skee ball. If you do succumb to the desire to play the token games, you get tickets that you get to feed to the Ticket Eater, which was cool, but not worth it. By the time I was there for 4 hours, it felt like an eternity. Not enough beer, too many small children, too much NOISE. This place will entertain teenagers, small children to some extent, its clean, its good for families (they have a regular bowling alley), the sports bar crowd will love it. Maybe next year the step-bother will have outgrown it, I can only hope.
(3)Emily Elizabeth S.
As the website proclaims, "ilovebigals" I've now gone twice in the past week. The first time we did it all -- pool, food, arcade, and bowling. Mostly because we had to.. when we first arrived we went up to the bowling counter and the 17 year old working there said it would be 3 hours (!!!!!) until a lane was available. So we went and played pool for an hour and ate dinner and then came back up to find that the "slider alley" lanes were available but the regular lanes would still be 1.5 hours or so.. We chose to do the slider alley for $38 per hour. There were 5 of us so that ended up being less money and those lanes are way cooler anyhows. There is a couch at each lane and its smaller and less filled with teenyboppers. The greatest thing: I found a Wenatchee Girl martini on the menu. I'm from Wenatchee so clearly the drink was made for me! The drink is apple infused vodka, apple schnapps, apple juice and pomegranate juice! Delish! Less tart than an appletini but not too sweet. The worst thing: There is a super -deuche -tastic security guard who was all over me for stepping over some red rope to get to the table I had been occupying for over an hour. He said I couldn't' do that, I apologized and then he continued to berate me for another 3 minutes about why I couldn't do that. I don't know how many ways to apologize to a rent a cop before they lay off your junk. ! Overall: Its really fun! If you don't mind it being crowded with teenies and sometimes long lines.
(4)Joshua M.
Big Al's is definitely a pretty decent place, especially if you're into bowling. The food was definitely so-so, although the cheesecake was somewhat redeeming. Of course one usually isn't in a bowling alley just for the food. And as far as bowling alleys goes Big Al's is pretty state of the art. I especially liked the constant stream of music videos on the flat panel TVs over the lanes.
(3)kim c.
Had a blast, but it wasn't because of the venue.... Thank goodness for fun friends!!! I was in a group of 10 to celebrate my birthday. We decided to try out their restaurant and it was 1 of the worst experiences of my life. Three different tables to seat us, appetizers arriving for some and not others, entrees arriving before or with appetizers, lettuce wraps that were all onion, a sad little taco salad that was really a small handful of lettuce in a taco bowl, and slow service. Our poor waitress had approx 15 tables without anybody to help bus or deliver food. They definitely need to hire more help. The manager did comp the entire bill without any hesitation and that was much appreciated. We then ventured into the bowling alley. Typical bowling alley that you'd find anywhere. Lots of teens, loud music, flashing lights. We had horribly slow service here as well. I will be back as the arcade had a few games that were toddler size and I know my 3 year old would have a blast bowling and playing games his size. Next time we will probably eat at Five Guys down the road before entering with empty stomachs.
(2)Mel E.
I like bowling, but I hate feeling like I'm in line waiting for free handouts of Patron just to lob a ball down a lane. If you come here on a Friday, which I did, be prepared to wait. Big Al's is packed with running, shrieking baybays and it may take a couple visits to the bar or a fierce air hockey duel to knock the edge off. Either that or twiddle your thumbs. Eventually, our party got a lane and it actually became enjoyable. The kiddies started clearing out and the server kept coming around to serve more drinks. Literally, she hovered and came back every 10 minutes to see if we wanted more. Did I have "lush" written on my forehead? Nonetheless, bowling was fun though kinda pricey.
(3)CaLiLu H.
For bowling at Big Al's I would give 5 stars. The lanes are very high tech (bumpers automatically raises for the junior set without the hassle of having to call the attendant all the time). Service was also prompt for drink orders and the cleanliness of the bowling areas was good too. However, for Big Al's food I would have to give 2 stars. Our large group of friends met up at the restaurant and had to split between 3 tables. The menu looked promising and we were surprised to see so many different choices. However, we were disappointed with the food we got. Everything we ordered was overcooked. This included my salmon, my husband's burger, and a few other dishes. Also, it should be noted that this food did not come cheap. Everything was pretty pricey considering this is basically a Chuck E. Cheese's for the entire family. Service was also something left to be desired. The kids' menus were never offered when we obviously had 4 kids among our group and when we asked for one it took at least 15 minutes to get them. Waters were not refilled and service staff was everywhere but getting their attention was difficult. All in all, we'll be back for the games but not for food.
(3)Nick D.
I essentially go there to play air hockey with my best bud... sometimes we have an occasional bowling game. I wish the arcade area was a bit larger and have games that the older crowd would find more appealing.
(4)christina w.
Went today with my mother in law and my two toddlers. The bowling was 2 bucks a pop, and shoes were the same. Not too bad for price. I know it's normally more expensive but they had a special on Thursdays. It was pretty dead except for a league in there. I think the bumpers going automatically up and down for my sons turn was the most exciting thing for me ever. The last place I lived you either had bumpers or not, you couldn't remove them for adult turns. We bowled two games (horribly) and then we ate same lunch. The food wasn't anything I'd write home about, but the service everywhere was friendly and quick. We then bought a token card thingamajig and played games for about an hour. The prices for the games are right on, especially when you're playing with a toddler. All in all we had a great time.
(4)Greg E.
Worst service I have had in a long time.Good for sports at the bar, And a fun place to Bowl. Would be 4 star if not for such bad service and food in sports bar. Oh yea its pricey bring bucks.
(2)Teek K.
Horrible service in the sports bar. Good thing I wasn't dying of thirst or hunger, because I would have been SOL. Basically the waiters act like they don't give a shi t and that you should be honored to have the chance to give them your money. Food was overpriced, typical for most sports bars. $12 burgers, $8-9 appetizers. Skip it, you'd be better off at one of the bars at a chain restaurant, at least they'd care you were there.
(1)Ann T.
For a bowling alley, this place is not too shabby. They have a nice restaurant there with decent food (although a little pricey) and giant tvs to watch sports on. The bowling alley is pretty sweet, with big-screens playing music videos. Again, a little pricey, but if you need more stimulation than just a ball and some pins, its worth the price.
(3)David D.
Great place for families with lots of lanes and evening specials suck as Buck Wild Sunday nights. This place has a huge sports bar with giant televisions and decent food. in addition they have a large arcade and friendly staff. Also great for birthdays, sports events and or a cheap fun date night. Worth the trip, not your typical bowling alley
(5)Connie C.
It was a lot of fun and the staff is super friendly. They found out it was my girls bdays and they gave us free sundays. We stayed for some arcade and a game of bowling.... it's a little spendy, but worth it.
(5)Cody S.
Great place to take my 2.5 year old. The games are great and reasonable, we were able to play for a little over an hour for about $20 and had enough tickets to get lots of candy and toys. The food is a little over priced and not great but the service was. We did not bowl.
(4)Laura Y.
Went to the Sports Bar for Dinner before Bowling - food was just ok - pretty spendy for what it was $11.00 for a cheese burger. I ordered well done and it was medium.... sent back - took forever and when I got the replacement everyone else was done. Bill was $74.00 for 4 people and that was dinner and soda only. So for what it was not impressed. Money would have been better spent eating somewhere else prior - like red robin. BUT bowling was great.... went on a Friday night - good deals and fun! Would go back just for bowling again anytime!
(3)Kerri C.
I have been here a few times and I enjoy it. Bowling is fun but really expensive, especially during peek hours. Recently I took my daughters to eat and play the arcade games. Food is ok or decent depending on what you get. It's convenient to eat here, but I would probably like eating somewhere else and then coming here for entertainment. The arcade games are fun but can be spendy after playing a bunch of games. Our favorite game is the child size air hockey table and another where you spear fish. So if you don't mind spending some money, this is a fun option for your family.
(4)Tien D.
I was initially shocked at how large this place was! On first entry you immediately see the arcade (equipped with a freaking purikura machine....hell yeah!) and the bowling lanes. Both sections looked awesome. There was a wide variety of arcade games and the area looked pretty clean and well kept for how many kids were there on a busy Saturday. Walking past the arcade and to the right, you enter their large bar area. It is pretty huge. I got the Northwest Mai Tai or something like that. It was pretty good. Definitely the best bowling alley I've ever been to. Gooooo!
(5)Carmela M.
Amazing fun pretty much every time we go. Customer service is a A+. Last week took my boys there and my 6 yr old got his card stolen because he sat it down on the edge of the game so he could play. I told an attendant and immediately they tracked it down and stopped it and replaced what was on the card. I was extremely shocked and proud of their service.
(5)Jolene D.
Yummy food, good fun and games. The games are expensive but the prizes are way better then chuck e cheeses. The food is pretty good but the prices are kind of expensive.
(4)Nate G.
Absolute awful experience .. Walk thru ..no one at front ..walk right by a manager he makes no contact or smile or hi or can I help you just busy texting ..female manager comes behind the bar twirling her keys and walking around in flip flops never engaging the guest .. Food was avg at best .. No engagement from the staff .. No personalities .. I eat out 90% of the time and am in the industry ..first time I have felt the need to do this ..never had such a poor experience in my life ..can see why this place is empty..true shame cause its a beautiful building and a very good menu selection
(1)Adam L.
Took the kids tonight . We had a blast . It was very busy due to the rose bowl game . My only complaint was some of the staff was not helpful and could learn to deal with a crowd better . Other than that lots to do great family fun
(4)Rhea H.
This was by far the nicest bowling alley I have ever seen. Wonderful and clean appearance inside and out. Plenty of awesome lanes! And insanely cheap. Good service. I would absolutely go back if back in the area. I recommend Big Al's to anyone looking for a good time with friends or family!
(5)Ashley M.
Service is terrible at the restaurant consistently. Had a coupon and the food was horrible. Thank goodness for the buy one get one free meal. I walked away pissed I had tried it again. The game section was fun for my kids. Please change food!!
(1)Mary Jane C.
Decent service, came with a big group. Was kind of hard to find our server from time to time, we'd just have to flag her down when we could. Nice little place to hang out with friends--the ones with kids were able to go bowling and play in the arcade while the adults played pool and drank/ate in the big bar/TV area.
(4)Stacy L.
This review is specific to the birthday party packages. First I want to say I had the most attentive liaison, Cassie, she did a great job of keeping us on schedule and helping with everything that came up. It was a small party for a 7 y/o they put us right next to serious bowlers, although there were many other lanes open. You can imagine how much this bugged the bowlers who are serious about their scores! Moving to the room, decorated nicely, good pizza, but the cupcakes are horrid!! They are obviously frozen and were freezer burned. The worst cupcakes and the worst icing I have ever tasted. They add a 20% gratuity to your bill, which seems a little over the top. My liaison made sure to tell me that she did not get all of that that she had to split it with many different people and I should add more if I want to compensate her. Overall so not worth the money I dished out.
(2)Nicole M.
I've been on a search for a Sports Bar in Vancouver and I wasn't having any luck. Sure, I was finding bars that had TV's tuned to the games, but the places were always empty except for a few heavy drinkers and no other sports fans. I don't know about you, but I get a little self conscious yelling "Go, go, go!", in an empty room. At one such bar, a guy told me that Big Al's was the place to be: so I got in my car, drove to Big Al's, walked in the front door, asked for the bar and was sent to an alcove the featured a half dozen tables and a few TV's. I was not impressed. Last week a friend told me that there is another, larger bar at Big Al's, so I gave it another try...and I'm glad I did! I had to seek out an employee to find the Sports Bar because they don't have signs to direct you to it. At last, a Vancouver sports bar!
(3)Johnathon C.
This is a good place to bring the family, the food is good a bit expensive but you get what you pay for. The place is very well taken care of along with the arcade. I would have to say the pool tables are one of the nicest things here. But that's just me :)
(4)Riley P.
I had such a blast in the arcade!!!! I limited myself to 20$ because... I can get pretty carried away with wanting to win tickets... Ski ball is my favorite game and the machine just kept letting me play.. Bad for them.. AWESOME FOR ME!!! One of the workers asked us if we wanted to play a new game and used his card so we could play.. That was really nice! Overall great experience and we got some fun prizes!!!
(5)Shelly F.
Went up to watch football on a Sunday morning. We got there early as we heard it could get crowded, and were quickly seated. The waitress was friendly and attentive. We both ordered breakfast and were happy with what we got. Would love to go back on a Sunday morning to watch more games.
(4)Amy L.
My favorite bowling alley. Love their giant mountain of chips and clean facilities. There's no stinky shoes here or sticky, dirty floors. Very family friendly and has a huge selection of munchies on the menu. The arcade area is great for kids to take a break from bowling and the employees have always been very friendly. I would recommend going here for family fun.
(5)Gerald K.
What happened to the happy hour menu and specials? What you offer is far from special and having to order certain beers to get $.50 off is rediculious. I guess that explains why the place was empty. I mean not one other person in bar. Menu prices went up substantially also. We had a beer and went somewhere different. Might want to quit being so greedy, and encourage people to visit your business. We used to like this place, but won't return if something doesn't change.
(1)Gracie C.
Must remember to check in first next time. There is a YELP special so check in first! The place is very nice and clean. We usually go to the side where you pay for games as you go, but decided to go to the hourly one. Honestly, the price comes out the same when you have 4 people. Although, we probably should have gone to the pay per game so that the girls could talk and not be rushed. The servers stayed on top of you so you never had to look for a server. Good place for family or just friends. The arcade is pretty fun for grownups, too. Not just a kid arcade.
(4)Sarah A.
Wow! This place was phenomenal! The staff was attentive, had a smile on their face, and very helpful! It was adequately priced and per someone else's review we sprung for some Nachos! Delish! The arcade was also very fun! Whoever gives this less than 5 stars and a negative review must just be too picky!
(5)Lisa S.
The bowling alley is nice, clean, and it is easy to operate the lanes. The arcade is fun for people of all ages and the kids love it! The prices are reasonable and you can almost always find a coupon if you want it. The kids have always been happy with the prizes they get from thier tickets in the arcade. The restaurant and snack bar have never let us down with good food and good service. I don't watch the sports much; but the tv's are large and they always have a variety of options to choose from playing.
(5)Kendra C.
We took advantage of kidsbowlfree.com and signed up for the summer to bowl at Big Al's. It's a great place for family entertainment. In order to take full advantage of the free bowling ($24 for up to 4 adults for the entire summer) I found cheap bowling shoes on amazon for all three of us. That way we didn't have to pay for the shoe fee each time we bowled. As for the other services, don't bother. The food is terrible. The only thing I've had there that actually taste good are the onion rings. But with the shocking sticker price of $8, I'll pass. The adult beverages are terrible. Stick with wine or beer.
(3)Robert C.
wow huge TV'S good service cool pub food its good and filling. didnt play any games too busy betting on football games.
(4)Dustin C.
Was in town for a friend's party here and had a wonderful time. MacKenzie.... Sorry if I butchered that spelling... Helped us out and was absolutely wonderful. Great food, great service, great games.... What more could you ask for?? Thanks Big Al's!!
(5)Alex C.
Absolutely love this place! Great for lunch or dinner. And the service is great. My husband and I go for date nights while the kids bowl.
(5)Chris M.
It's corporate. It's big. It's impossible to stay focused on anything one particular game because there are so many TVs. It's the place to go in a pinch to watch a game.
(3)Caleb S.
Came here on a snow day to get out of the house. Staff was helpful and place wasn't too busy due to the weather. But did have a good time, and facilities are nice.
(5)Monikka M.
According to their site, you need to schedule a children's birthday party a minimum of 2 weeks in advance. When calling (spoke to MELISSA) to schedule 6 weeks in advance (we have out of town attendees who need to arrange travel), I was told that since my daughters had the misfortune of being born in December and that due to the number of corporate parties they schedule, I had to wait another month before I could call to see if my requested date/time was available. Or I could book it this far out if I booked it as an adult party (read $10-20 more per person) but they'd treat it like a kids party (meaning I pay a premium for the same level of service). When we are talking about 20 kids... that's a big difference. I asked to speak to the events manager (CARLA) and she informed me that this is their special policy for the month of December only. I said that it needs to be put on the website that no children's parties are scheduled in December unless they pay the adult rate. Although they are right down the street from our house, I am more than happy to take my business elsewhere if they don't appreciate my potential business.
(1)Skip C.
This is a House full of fun. Great bar and restaurant, an Arcade that is not only good for the kids but for the Adults as well. They have plenty of lanes to bowl on so it is not difficult to get a lane. If there is a wait they will text you when you lane is ready. We were texted in Costco down the street and when we showed back up our lane was ready. I thought our service is the restaurant was fair but don't expect too much from the actual food. Will we go back? yes
(4)Jadyn N.
So Big Al's I think it a smaller version of Dave and Buster. I have never bowl here so I can't tell you how that is, but my friends like bowling here and they said it really nice and clean. I like to hang out at Big Al's and play in there arcade area. They recently have a big PAC Man game and it really fun to play at they also have 4 person air hockey and lots of other games they aren't as big as Game Works either, but for Oregon/ Van they are the best currently with arcade games and such. They have food and drinks which make hanging out with your friend here a ideal place. There game prizes are good too if you in to playing games that gives you tickets.
(4)An L.
Would give a negative if I can. I came here today and got issue with the token machine at the first start. Another lady got the same problem that the token machine didn't give tokens and still took money. She asked for help and so we got the help too. However, they did something with our membership card that the tickets didnt come out but go directly to the card. ( actually we didn't know if the tickets really go to the card or not, they told us that after we said that we didn't have any tickets out). We didn't have any problems with the card before, and it just happened after they refund the money following the token machine issue. However, the point is that when we told them we didnt have any tickets, they looked at us like we lied about that and tried to take advantage from them. The red hair chubby one also looked at us and rolled her eyes with an attitude like shit. And she seemed to be the one on charge. What a ridiculous service!!
(1)F M.
When you hire high school kids, you probably won't get the best customer service. Sadly, the manager is no better. I lost my jacket after spending a few hours there one night, paying for overpriced games and food. (Beers were reasonably priced.) I went back the next day at 10AM to see if anyone had found it. The girl at the counter heard me out, then went over to serve another customer. Meanwhile, two other clerks stood around doing nothing when girl at counter could have asked, "Hey, can you guys check the lost & found really quick for this lady?" I was in a hurry because I had to take my friends to the airport, so I was very upset to see this lack of attentiveness. Then, finally, she calls the manager, who is no better, sadly. He calls me over by wagging his finger like I'm some dog, rather than a paying customer. He takes my number in case they find it, and of course, nothing happens. It's fine if the jacket is lost or stolen; I don't blame them for that, but a little customer service for decent human beings would be nice. I live across the street, and I've never been back.
(1)Emmanuel C.
If you can't have fun at Big Al's, that's your problem! But that doesn't mean this place is perfect. The bowling area is just really crowded. The way the seats are arranged, you can't really hangout with your friends/family. You're just crammed in next to the people using the lanes next to you. And if you go with a big group, there's just no place for everyone to sit. I've never ate the food, but what I've seen always looks/smells, ahem, objectionable. The arcade is fun! Good variety of games...really something for all ages. And who doesn't like redeeming their tickets for random tchotchkes?!
(3)Kolten L.
Fun atmosphere. Great for families. Something for everyone to do! Never have had any issues with the service.
(5)Park S.
Service is terrible. Not known for their food I know, but an hour for a cup of coffee and after having checked twice with waiter, only to be told they are completely out of coffee...completely out! Eat and drink before you go. Food sucks and so does service!
(1)Jill M.
Our waiter and food were all very good, except for the broccoli on my baked potato had some brown on it...not very appetizing, but the rest was great, and the potato was soft and delicious. There were 4 of us, celebrating a birthday, and the first time for 2 of us at Big Al's. Aside from the broccoli issue, that was the only complaint on the food side. My husband had a club sandwich which was quite good, and he is hard to please! My daughter had a burger she said was great and my son a chicken ceasar salad which was also very good. The waiter was really nice and friendly and the service was great. Our biggest complaint and reason for 2 stars instead of a probable 5, was the bowling. We were there about 5:30pm on a Saturday with quite a few open lanes. It's really a beautiful and well maintained place. Our complaint arose from the fact we were 4 adults bowling, and within a short time we had 2 families on either side of us, each with at least 2 children under 6 years old running around, crossing over our lanes, standing in our alley, coming over to our table, and generally being a complete nuisance. The parents/children were using our bowling balls and completely mindless as to what their kids were doing 90% of the time. We had to physically guide their kids off our lane to bowl several times as well as listen to their tantrums and whining. If the place had been full of bowlers and no other lanes available, I would have understood the necessity of placing them next to adult bowlers - but, in fact, there were numerous lanes open ON BOTH SIDES OF US at the time, as well as other occupied lanes with families with open lanes next to them, where the behavior of small children may not have been as disruptive. We were celebrating a birthday as well, and rarely get together as a family with adult children of our own, so, this sadly ruined our fun that night. We had planned to bowl more then 2 games, but having to put up with the constant annoyance from people on both sides of us, we quit after 2. Before we left, my husband politely mentioned something to, I assume the manager on duty, as to how they might alleviate this problem, but she was dismissive and showed no interest in what he had to say, which is why I am writing this review for YELP.
(2)Tyler S.
I will never return to this establishment and I recommend you do the same. I walk in to the bar/restaurant and have to wait to be seated in an empty place...? I am then sat with one of my buddies in a booth in the bar area. It takes about 8-10 minutes till we see our waitress. Order a "happy hour" craft beer priced at $3.50 and some chicken strips. Chicken strips are sub par tasted like they were in the microwave. Order one more beer to wash that microwaved garbage down and close out shortly after. Waitress comes back with my beers being priced at the regular price. Thinking this is a mistake that will easily be resolved she states that the "craft beer" that I have chosen does not qualify for the happy hour "craft beer." This is not stated anywhere on the menu or mentioned by the server at all throughout my horrendous experience. I tell her that this might want to be something that you tell your customers and her response is "I know"...terrible customer service awful food and non existent management.
(1)Britnee L.
We've been to Big Al's many times and have always been satisfied with our experience, however our visit there today had so many unpleasant moments I'm writing this review in hopes that someone in upper management is paying attention. We arrived five minutes after the doors opened at 11:00, there were already two substantial lines at the front counter, stood in a very slow moving line for about 10 minutes when an older woman in a tall "Happy New Years" hat who appeared to be in an authoritive position declared that she wanted one line and began herding people together causing about an additional 20 people to push in ahead of us. Not great. Got our shoes and bowling lane, bowling lanes here are very lacking in seating space and I noticed that even with many open lanes they packed us all in at the same end, very crowded. The touch screens used to input bowlers names, etc are horrible, (push the letter "a" and you'd get a "q", and so on) plus the screen reset twice while trying to input information, frustrating. I should mention at this point that our group consisted of myself (experienced mom) and five young adults, all with the exception of one having varying degrees of learning disabilities. A few minutes into the first frame one of our bowlers bowling ball stalled mid gutter, I attempted to use the "service" button on the touch screen but this didn't seem to work either. The bowler not realizing she needed to wait had rolled another ball in the meantime which caught the attention of "tall hat lady". Upon arriving at our lane she was quick to reprimand us for our apparent hideous bowling foul. After I acknowledged her concerns she continued lecturing me on the proper use of a bowling lane. I was astounded at the condescending tone she was speaking to me with as well as the obvious lack of customer service skills she possessed. If the kids in our group had not been so excited for their time at Big Al's, she would have found herself on the receiving end of a verbal lashing as well as a demand for refund and six less customers. Moving on, we ordered two pizzas, they were bad, cheese on cardboard. In all fairness, other items we've ordered in past were good, so just bad pizza maybe. The only reason this review even gets two stars is because all of the other employees we had interaction with were extremely nice and very helpful and the arcade was fun.
(2)Jessica S.
love this place. I can go play some frames, watch the football game, and get some good food all in the same place. sometimes the kids get rowdy, but you're in an arcade. if you sit in the sports bar area it is ideal for watching any game you are looking for. the nachos are big enough to keep you snacking until halftime and then go let off some steam by playing some air hockey.
(4)Daren D.
Five Stars by the very definition. The new standard for today's american bowling centers. I really enjoyed bowling there. And I think they cater all budget types. Big spendy groups down to your econo-minded bowler (like myself who enjoyed the weekend mornings). Sweet jumbo tron. Nice pro shop. I appreciate the focus around wood. Definite Northwest feel. Next time, I'll try out the sports bar and experience that whole 8' x 36' of video madness. Even the bathrooms were clean, nice and bold. The one tiny complaint is the wood above the pro shop. Not sure if it's wallpaper or thin ply, but it looks warped with air pockets. Anywho, gotta check this place out and see for yourself. Really cool.
(5)Devin M.
This place is 100% amazing as always. I always come here to bowl and have fun. This place is a lot more open minded than other places around the Vancouver and Camas area. This TRULY is the bet place out of all. The Big Al's train never stops!
(5)Anthony N.
Pretty fun place for drinks, games, bowling and watching sports. This place is pretty big and has something for everyone. Food is just ok/normal bar food, drinks can be stiff depending on who your bartender is. Overall, a fun place if you and your friends can't decide.
(3)Kelly B.
The wait staff at Big Al's is terrible! We were there this past Friday evening and to our amazement, the place was half empty! (I can remember a two hour wait to bowl on weekend evenings.) After we quickly made it to our lane we hit the service button to order food and drinks for my son and his friends . And then we waited. A waitress popped over to the table next to us but then quickly turned away, avoiding contact with us. And we continued to wait. After my husband went and bought our beverages at the snack bar and brought them back himself...the waitress still didn't acknowledge us for another 15 minutes. It became a joke. We counted her visits to the lane next to us...4 visits...but she couldn't look over to see we needed help? Bizarre. Well now the kids are set so my husband and I go grab a table in the small center bar by the lanes. The bartender made eye contact with us several times and several members of the waitstaff, including a manager, walked by but no one stopped to help us. We sat there for over 10 minutes before that manager came back and asked if we had been helped...nope. After he assigned a waitress to help us we quickly received our food and drinks. We couldn't get helped but at one point there were eight employees hanging on the bar chatting and/or on their cell phones. This place has lost its appeal. The prices have gone up but the service level has dropped. How disappointing!
(2)David R.
I've been going to Big Als for years and have always had great service and food. Tonight was very different. Our family sat down in the bar for dinner. The waiter was slow to even say hello and after 5 minutes the menus came along. We ordered drinks and he mixed them all up. So he took half our food order and walked away to get the correct drinks and never came back to finish taking our order. Flagged him from bullshitting and high fiving with the girls at the bar and told him please take the rest of the tables food order. Jezz at this point how hard can taking an order? Then the food came.... My sons burger was missing the second patty and other things requested. No big deal 15 minutes later they brought out a hot meat patty and expected him to eat the rest of the food cold. Sent everything back to warm the entire meal up. Meanwhile his girlfriend was eating her club sandwich and discovered 4 hairs within the sand which. I blew a fuse and tracked down the manager. She verified it was human hair as well. I asked her if tonight was training night. No reply,,, they changed waiters and the new one was a little better and gave us two free meals but by then the damage was complete. Not sure if I'll ever go back. If I do we will eat first. Caution, inspect your food before you dig in! Nothing worse than having someone else's hair stuck in your teeth.
(1)Angela C.
Shame on this place for calling themselves a sports bar! out of town on week one of football season. Came in at 10am to be able to watch some games. Every TV had the exact same local game on. If I wanted to see that I could have stayed in my hotel room and had the free continental breakfast. This is an arcade on steroids for parents to drink while the kids play. Left and had breakfast elsewhere and kept up on the games via my cell phone.
(1)Abbey C.
The food is always great, hot and fast! I've been working my way down the menu with each visit and haven't gone wrong once!
(5)Kelsey H.
I love big als! As a 21 year old who dosent drink its such a fun place to go for me. That way my friends can all drink and we can all have fun!
(5)Crystal M.
Service in the bar started out okay... The waitress didn't even wait until we were fully seated before asking if we wanted a drink which was fine, but when we did order drinks they were wrong. Ordered food, that came out wrong too. But The blazer game was on and that's where our minds were, for the exception of her "checking on us" every 5 minutes. Then when we are ready to leave for 15 min she is no where to be found. Listen. When you work in a sports bar you can't get upset when my eyes are glued to the TV and not on you sista. In the arcade - that's another story. Although no one is servicing you so they can't mess that up. Games are fun, expensive but it's a good time. All in all, since P-Town is so close and food is in abundance, we won't be back to eat or drink since everything came out wrong and the gal obviously saw that the drinks weren't touched but didn't ask about it (sigh).
(2)Dean R.
Not lame! And really, that's all I dared to expect from a place like this, which has the potential to be not good. But it is a great place to watch a game. Huge TVs, good service, good beer selection and shockingly decent food. Cute servers too. Might be fun to bowl and watch a game.
(4)Luke F.
Besides the mediocre service, great for bowling, arcade games and all around family fun!
(4)Jessica O.
Please learn this before taking your family to bowl. It's seriously frustrating to bowl next to people with no ettiquette. http://Http://www.pba.com/Resources/Bowling101/
(2)Sally B.
A pretty great play place offering almost everything for 10+ to adult. Not for smaller children as much. Enjoyable food, snacks and variety of game play plus bowling if that's your thing.
(5)Charrie K.
Had my little boy's 5th birthday party here yesterday and it was wonderful! Our host was awesome and he was great with the kids. They decorated our room beautifully. Overall this was such a positive experience we will come back again.
(5)Cassandra G.
This place is great for watching a game or for bowling! I don't think the arcade is amazing.. There arent that many games and there are a lot of kids that go through there so it can get crowded.. But fun, nonetheless!
(4)Ashley S.
Every time I go here our service gets messed up First time we never got our order for food on the alley an hour later I mention it to my server she says "oh you should of gotten it by now" ..... Yes I know lol that's why I'm wondering where it is ...... Second time had to ask for the Blazers game to be put on instead of music videos Seriously?!? Thought we were going for the sports theme here?!?!? Order food again and shocking some of it doesn't make it out. Missing the guacamole. Then I get brought out a half empty container of guac that had clearly been eaten out of! There was even sour cream and a chip crumb pre mixed in!!!! Gross Send my husband to tell server and she tells him it's fine. Doesn't offer to just get a new one So fine I didn't touch it. She stood close by watching like to see if I would eat it. Felt like a joke ugh was terrible Only reason it's two stars is for the dollar bowling nights. But I wasn't expecting "$1.00" type service to go with it
(2)Vincent D.
Hung out with one of my bro's on a Monday and I suggested this place. The place was pretty empty looking as you would expect on a Monday afternoon. We ordered wings and pizza, but it took a while because the server was the only one working both the bar and waiting tables. We're patient people and mostly were just too busy talking to each other to care much haha. She was extra nice and explained the whole thing to us though and told us she was taking the pizza off of our bill. So we got the most delicious pepperoni and bacon pizza for free! We also played a game of bowling after we were done and that was pretty chill. My dude had never been there before and told he "The food quality here is better than I expected, I'm glad you suggested this place!"
(5)Rory B.
Great place to take the kids, watch the game and hang out with the family. Games were reasonable. Drinks were great. Food was bar fare so not much to expect there but tasty. I'll go back next time I'm in town. I'd have given it a 5th star if the food variety was a little more.
(4)Tim S.
I've been here a few times because its close to work and I'm a horrible penguins fan. Its the only place I can redeem myself. For a sports bar of this size its really lacking on TV space and overstaffed. Overstaffed to the point that I have to wave 2 people off aside from my server each item I get. Yes I'm good, thanks. OK I'm good.. seriously go away. The happy hour is decent, beer selection is lacking. Its basically a great place for a big party otherwise go to blitz or something. Watch out for a red shirt manager who plays with toys nonstop. I couldn't imagine doing less work and being more annoying. He's like the managerial bar equivalent to carrot top.
(2)Kimberly G.
The only reason I'm giving this many stars is because of the waitress Cassie and then the nice blonde manager that replaced my very rock-hard Pita chips with tortilla chips. FIVE STARS FOR SERVICE. Cassie was awesome! Great waitress and very personable. Food was okay but overpriced. Lots of dance- type music going on in background.
(3)Haik K.
The waitress actually told me her tip was not enough after tipping her 15 percent of the bill. WTF was that...I should have gotten back the tip I gave her and left her a penny...I have company with me so I didn't go to a manager but I regret not telling a manager...worst experience I have ever had in a bar/restaurant. .. arcade was fun but that girl messed up my whole experience there....her voice sounded like she was in hailing helium every time she went back to the bar...I can't remeber but her name started with a C.
(1)Toi F.
I always enjoy Big Al's except on Sundays when they play strictly country music for a minimum of 2 hours. This happens every Sunday, after that you may get so pop and by Pop I mean Taylor Swift and only Taylor Swift. You may get 1, 2 maximum R&B flashbacks, but they are always stopped as if someone heard them and said TURN IT off!! If you ask for different music the employees explain they are not allowed to take request. They are always polite about it. it is painful to listen to. The cost of food doesn't help either. Disappointing since it is so close.
(3)F D.
Second time trying this place and will not return. Doesn't take reservations, but when you show up, they say there's an hour wait - with about 20 lanes open. This is the second time this has happened, so it's not a once-off. I guess you have to be their friend to get a lane? Not sure. They post the list of parties waiting for a lane and when our group finally came to the top, "magically" a bunch of other folks appeared ahead of us. Ummmmm...there's something rotten in Denmark. After the 90-minute wait (yes, 90, not 60) we finally get stuffed (all 7 of us) onto one lane. Took another 90 minutes to bowl one game, while other groups are taking up 2 or 3, lanes each, with fewer bowlers. To top this off, our waittress went MIA after taking our order and didn't show up for another 45 minutes. I did notice she went to all of the tables around us, though. Ended up going to the bar to get beers myself. Crappy service and an attitude to boot - goodbye and thanks for all the fish! Will not be returning here ever.
(1)Joana Z.
Huge place and fantastic for watching sports. Came from out of town to visit family and this place had plenty of space to accommodate us all. Plus a small army. It's a bowling center and arcade as well. The 3 stars is for the food. Standard American fare. Got the chicken tenders and burger. Not great, not bad. However, my margarita was terrible. Tasted like pure sweet and sour mix. They were nice enough to change it out (at which point I stuck to a soda). This place works well for a weekend get together when you want to watch every game of every sport possible.
(3)Ruben H.
I paid $108.00 for four meals and four beers with 2 appetizers. The food was not good enough to charge that much money. I will not return to this establishment for dinner and drinks.
(3)Jason B.
This place was really cool. Good games, safe clean atmosphere. We had to kill an hour before picking someone up from the airport in Portland and this worked out perfect. About 15 minutes from PDX. They even had some free play games! 20 bucks for an hour with 2 kids was just right.
(4)