Bowling has sure changed since I was a kid as is evident at the revamped Brunswick’s Bowling in Marietta. The popular bowling chain has totally revamped their bowling alleys and added an upscale restaurant to boot.
Tavern 45, the restaurant at Brunswick, serves snacks, small plates, pizza, burgers and several larger plates. You don’t have to bowl to dine there. There is an entrance in front but the restaurant also has an entrance from the the bowling alley too. The menu and dining room are upscale (read: kid discouraging) which in my book is a fantastic thing. Although weekend afternoons will find children ‘o plenty at Brunswick’s.
Want to dine while you bowl? No problem. The entire menu can be ordered from right from you lane. Your server will bring you your food and your check for food and bowling, so you only have to have one transaction.
We started with Pig Candy, a slightly sweet bacon. As if we didn’t have enough swine, we also got the pork belly tacos. Add to that the fried shrimp with spicy sriracha sauce and our early dinner was off to a good start. We did dine there on a separate occasion and sampled the wings (Korean BBQ and Jamaican Jerk) which were pretty tasty as well. They have specially flavored iced teas and lemonade, but the cactus pear lemonade, while pretty, was very sweet. I took a couple sips, but I’d rather eat my calories than drink them, or at least have ones with booze.
Next we had decided the Tavern 45 burger was a must: Swiss cheese, applewood smoked pastrami and fried egg. Wowza. Never thought I would say that about bowling alley food. We opted for the house made chips in lieu of fries. They were tasty, but some got drenched in salt unfortunately. A return visit found the burger to be just as magnificent as the first time, albeit with fries instead of chips. And this time I washed it down with a moonshine cocktail. A deal at $6, the large beers are a better value, for which Brunswick’s has a surprisingly decent selection of craft beers.
Our bellies full, we headed over to get our lane setup. Here’s one thing that really stands out about Brunswick’s. They have sample bowling balls at the counter and guests test out sizes from xxs to xxl to find what fits and then staff goes back to the magic ball room and voila, your ball is in your hands. No more wandering around looking for the perfect size / weight ball.
Now, I will say it is pricey to bowl at Brunswick’s. It is $30 per hour plus $4 per person for shoes. Before beers or food you are looking at $38 for a date. If you plan on going regularly, you are better off to buy your own bowling shoes to save some dough. Brunswick’s offers unlimited bowling from 9pm-Midnight on Sunday through Thursday nights for $10 per person. And weekdays from 4-6 pm small plates are half off.
Disclosure: Brunswick’s provided me with a complimentary meal and bowling, but the opinions expressed are my own.
Brunswick’s Bowling Website
2749 Delk Road
Marietta, GA 30067
770-988-8813
