Ed’s Rec Room

We usually come here for all-​you-​can-​bowl on Thursdays. There are a good amount of lanes and bowling balls available. The pricing for all-​you-​can bowl is pretty good. However, the service is terrible. They’re not helpful. The lanes break down at least once every single time we’ve been there. Every time we needed any assistance they give you the expression that you’re bothering them. Heck, they even give you attitude. They sit behind the counter and chit chat while only one person is working. There’s quite a line and only one person doing anything while the rest were just chilling around. Also with the amount of lanes they have, there are several of the lanes that closed. They say it’s because the lanes aren’t working but that has been the same excuse every single time we ever came.
So, –1 star for broken lanes & –1 star for not so good service.

Ed’s is a nice enough facility but the customer service we received in no way justified the price ($ 31.00 for two games and shoes) and we likely will not be returning.
The girl working the front cash rang both my friend and I in together without asking if we wanted to pay separate or together and when I told her that we wanted it split between the two of us she just stared at me as if I was speaking french. I finally just paid it and we settled it up between the two of us after she gave me the receipt.
After that we went for our shoes and the gentleman who looked after us there informed us «you guys are on lane 8 just incase she didn’t let you know out front».So we wandered down there and sat down on one of the couches to lace up our shoes but then a couple walked up and started throwing balls down our lane. I got up and informed them we were on lane eight and they walked back to the shoe area to speak with an attendant about the mixup.
Two minutes later they were back and informed me that one of the guys at the shoe counter told them that lane eight was theirs but he really did not look like he knew what was going on. That was their words and not mine by the way. So we wandered back and talked to yet ANOTHER young man who seemed very confused and informed us to go bowl on lane 4.
So we got down there and… you guessed it! The lane was occupied by another group so we trudged back to the shoe counter again and dealt with the same very confused young man who greeted us with «there was someone there too??» Ummmm im pretty sure that is YOUR job to know which lanes are in use and not mine sir. He sent us down to 3 and I made sure to inform him this was the last trip we would be making and if I had to come back I would be coming back for a refund.
So we got to 3 and punched our names into the scoreboard and then waited… and waited. Nothing was happening so I punched the service button on the scoreboard hoping to beckon my «friend» from the front desk down to our lane to see what was up. Thankfully the pins did eventually get placed and im not sure if it was due to something they did up front or if the machine that does that was just running a little slow but im grateful either way as NO ONE came down to our lane despite me punching that button.
The customer service here is poorly organized and just atrocious. For heavens sakes there was four of them standing behind that shoe counter but only one of them doing any work. Also how can you not know what lanes are in use? Even the smallest mom and pop operations have some sort of system in place that allows them to know what lanes are reserved and in use. The staff here come off as young, immature, and not really interested in offering a great customer experience. One of them could not even be bothered to come down to the far side of the building where we were to deal with a birthday party group that was lofting balls and running up and down their lane despite there being signs EVERYWHERE that such behavior was not allowed. A truly poor experience which is sad as because like I mentioned before it really is a nice facility.

I love Ed’s rec room. We go often on Tuesday’s for the toonie bowling and toonie highballs. They also have the best deep fried pickles!
I consider this to be a great date night spot because it’s casual, fun, and you can have some snacks/​appetizers or full meals. No mater what your skill level, in this relaxed atmosphere you’ll feel comfortable to do your thing… and let’s face it, bowling is one of the few sports you can enjoy even if you suck at it. :)
This is definitely a night out that won’t break the bank!

We met another couple for a Sunday afternoon double date at Ed’s for ten pin bowling and we had a great time. There was about a 20 minute wait to play, but I think that was fair given that it was 4pm on Sunday of family day long weekend.
Once we got to the front the staff were pleasant and set us up right away. Not going to lie, I was super pumped about the adorable pink shoes that I was given! Shoe rentals are only $ 3.
The place was fairly clean and the custodian came around fairly often to pick up any garbage, bottles, etc. It looks like they have a quite extensive menu. We just had a few wobbly pops and they had the selection that we were looking for.
We ended up bowling three games and had a ton of fun — we had no problems with the lanes, pins or balls, which was nice! Games were just under $ 6 per person and the three games took us just under 2 hours. So that’s a fair price per hour entertainment in my books.
We hadn’t been to Ed’s in over 3 years. The last time were there we actually rented out the party room and two lanes and had our gift opening there the day after our wedding. And that was a blast!

It seems Ed’s Rec Room has been in a state of flux the past couple years with ongoing renovations, but it doesn’t affect ones bowling experience! The space is open, breezy and has new contemporary lighting. Lanes are each appointed with two comfortable couches and stools, a welcome change from the pew-​like seating in the bowling alleys of yesteryear.
They have also recently updated their shoes. They are all fairly new and in good shape. Make sure to bring along a pair of socks if you’re like me and wear flats all year round!
I often plan my weeks to have Tuesdays off specifically to take advantage of Ed’s Toonie Tuesday. $ 2 per game and shoe rental, a great deal when you want to try something different for date night.
During the day on Tuesday, you never have to wait for a lane — all of which are in good working order. All in all, a great bowling experience when paying full price; Toonie Tuesdays are the icing on the cake!

Ed’s is where I tend to end up on first dates. I live on the west end so it’s convenient and bowling is always an ice breaker – I mean, nobody looks cool holding a bowling ball so it instantly levels the playing field.
The staff is usually really good and friendly for the most part, I can’t think of an instance where I’ve had bad service. The only really puzzling thing in this place is why they have so many lanes when they never have all of them open. It’s like check out counters at Wal-​Mart… an endless supply but nobody ever manning them.
Anyway, the recent renos look good, the bar area is really nice now. The bartender last night was solid, he took good care of our birthday party group as we waited two hours (!!) for a lane. Everybody who had food said it was great, too.
The bowling itself was super cheap, another bonus. There’s nothing worse than a really expensive first date, especially if it doesn’t lead to a second one.

Pretty decently priced for bowling; the staff were friendly and easy going.
Food here is nothing special, just basic pub/​bar food. Drinks are the basics.
Always a good time for a group!

Best bowling lanes in Edmonton, also shittiest couches in Edmonton. Don’t sit unless you smashed your legs bowling, even then try to find a table to sit on.

One of THE strangest bowling experiences I have ever had.
We came here mid-​renos so finding the place was a mini-​Odyssey. If you’re walking from within the mall, there are a few small signs that direct you through a reaaaalllyy really long and sketchy hallway.
My advice: just park outside Entrance 5 and reach the Rec Room directly. Cause the alley is creepy as ballz.
Once inside, it was dark like a nightclub. There were screens everywhere with music videos. And glow in the dark alleys. Wednesday at 4pm. When the place was 85% filled with families with small children.
Each group only gets one couch each. Pretty squished since the couch accommodates 3 adults and most people were there in groups of 5 – 8.
Price isn’t worth it: $ 6.50 per person per game. And bowling shoe rentals on top of that.
Skip it.

Is this a bowling alley or a tacky nightclub?
Went here on a Saturday night for a friend’s birthday. She wasn’t able to reserve a lane in advance — first come first serve. Luckily she got there when a lane was available, but by the time I arrived 10 minutes later, there was a half hour wait for lanes. And there are a lot of lanes.
Prices on the weekend are super high! $ 7.88 per game per person, plus $ 3.15 for shoe rental.
It was dark. At the end of the lanes there are huge screens, with some playing sports and some playing music videos. SUPER DISTRACTING. The music is incredibly loud. It was their version of glow bowling that night, with the pins lit up in different colours and the balls glowing neon, which looked pretty cool.
The seating area was weird, with two lanes sharing a table along with the balls, and there weren’t enough balls so there was a lot of awkwardly standing around waiting for the right size ball to come out and trying to grab it before the random stranger on the other lane.
There is typical bowling alley food — pizza, wings, nachos. I didn’t have any but I glanced at the menu and it was not entirely reasonable. People all around me were eating all of the above mentioned items, and they looked pretty standard.
I noticed signs everywhere for good deals they have during the week — unlimited bowling for a certain price, toonie Tuesday, etc., but I don’t think I will ever take advantage of them since I don’t live anywhere near WEM.

Who doesn’t like having fun on a weekday afternoon? It was a Wednesday afternoon just before 3PM and there were lot of lanes available. The bowlers were primarily an older crowd who looked like they were enjoying a usual game with friends or practising for their league games. We were told we would need to finish before 4 as league starts then.
Shoes were just over $ 3/​person to rent. We were able to pick the lane we wanted to bowl and lots of bowling ball weights to choose from. The computer for scoring was easy to use and no issues with it. We were able to get in 3 games each and liked it wasn’t too busy. In between turns, they have sofas to sit on instead of the hard seating I’ve experienced.
No one came to ask if we wanted any food/​drink but they had a bar area and I saw staff around so we could have ordered something I’m sure. They are renovated so you have to walk through a tunnel to get inside from the mall.
At $ 4.75/game it can add up if you play lots. But they have cheap Tuesday at only $ 2/​game and other specials throughout the week. I’ll definitely be back to enjoy more bowling fun!

I have mixed emotions on Ed’s. I have had some really good times here, and then some not so good times…
It’s always pretty busy on Friday and Saturday nights. Hard to get a pool table, and even harder to get in for bowling. I have never tried bowling at Ed’s because its always a long wait and I am sure it is just like any other cosmic bowling.
I really like the pool tables, and the fact that the place is really large. The food is not good, I had over cooked nachos, and the wait times for the bar are disgusting. We actually left one night because it took over 30 minutes just to get a drink. Just seems understaffed for how busy it is.

I’ve only been to Red’s — erm, I mean Ed’s — for bowling, but it was a mega-​blast.
On a Friday night, the alleys are all lit up with neon and black lights for the ultimate nighttime bowling extravaganza experience. Prices were pretty reasonable, too, and staff members went through the line-​up really quickly.
Our lane kept having problems. The computer shut our game down too early, and pins kept getting stuck. (Which, at least, allowed me to sneak in a few practice bowls!) The staff were very friendly and helped us get everything sorted out quickly. I would go back here again, but I hope I can explore the rest of Ed’s next time, too!

I went to Ed’s once because I wanted to check out any changes made by the new owners. However, I will not go back out of principle. If you really need to cut corners that badly, maybe you shouldn’t be buying businesses! All they did was drop the R from Red’s and now it’s supposed to be a whole new place. I don’t think so.
Anyways, now that I’ve gotten that rant out of the way, Ed’s is pretty much a rec centre in West Edmonton Mall. It has bowling, pool, arcade games, TVs, it’s a rec centre. It’s a pretty nice one too. It was really busy when I went there to bowl with a group of friends but it was still fun.
The service is average. Nothing really stands out about it. I live on the south side and there is nothing amazing enough about Ed’s to make me drive ll the way to West Ed when I live so close to Gateway Rec Centre.
Sorry Ed.

Ed’s Rec Room is such as fun place. My friends and I come here to play bowling at least once a month. There are many lanes, but since the place gets extremely busy (naturally, more so on the weekends), reservations or coming as early as you can is strongly advised. As previous reviewers have already mentioned, Tuesday is the day of the week when you can bowl for cheap. Fridays and Saturday are so much more fun though, because the lights are turned off and bowling alleys glow. The atmosphere is amazing! In fact, cosmic bowling nights are so much fun, that it’s easy to lose track of time, play for hours, and then be presented with the obscene check. It’s important to keep an eye on the clock.
In addition to bowling alleys, Ed’s has quite a few pool tables, arcade room, a nice lounge, and even the stage were many live venues take place. I haven’t attended any concerts here but plan on doing so in the near future.

Ed’s is a pretty good place to go when you just want to have some good old fashioned fun.
It has bowling, pool and arcade games. It actually gets really busy on weekends so you have to be quick if you want to get a lane. I enjoy coming here for a few games of pool, it’s actually a nice spot if you go to West Edmonton Mall and get bored of shopping Ed’s gives you something fun to do.

I love how convenient it was for the new ownership to change the name from Reds to Eds… you can even the outlines of signs outside which just have the ‘R’ taken off. Regardless, Ed’s is appealing to a broad audience. They are equipped with a bowling alley, restaurant, arcade, billards, and a lounge. There is also the Edmonton Event Center attached just next door.
My friends and I primarily go for the bowling. They have a lot of lanes, however you should still show up early. They’re very busy during the weekends, and on Tuesday nights where they have their ‘Toonie Tuesdays’. This allows you to ‘practice’ as much as you want or fool around with friends for essentially half the normal rate. They also have neon-​bowling on Friday and Saturday nights, and it creates a much more playful atmosphere than with the lights on normally. It’s too bad you cannot reserve a lane as it gets VERY busy very quickly. If you do manage to grab a lane, you can also order from their restaurant. We usually go for their wings and veggie dip platter.
If you aren’t able to bowl, I would recommend their billards tables, or even the arcade room if you’re up for it. I never go for their prizes by collecting tickets, I just go around playing random games and having fun. As I said before, there is something for everyone at Ed’s and you can spend a lot of time there with your friends.
Hope you have fun at Red’s…erm, I mean Ed’s!

This used to be Red’s but they knocked of the «R» and re-​launched as Ed’s, although when I see the sign from outside I keep forgeting it’s called Ed’s — cause it just looks like part of the sign fell off. Ed’s is huge. If you’ve ever been on a cruise ship, Ed’s has a variety of activity spaces, restaurant, bars and lounges under one roof.
It’s endless entertainment. You could probably float around here for a whole week and never get bored. There is a pool room, video games, bowling, a dance area, restaurants, lounges, a stage and much more around every corner you turn. It’s a good place for young kids and birthday parties once you’re too old for Chucky Cheese.
Although I’ve personally never seen a band here my partner has, and it’s not that expensive to see good bands like Ween, Jurassic Five or Interpol. The venue’s neither big or small, so Ed’s can host lesser known but interesting musicians as they can sell upwards of 600 tickets. So for bands that aren’t popular enough to fill the Coliseum, Ed’s still helps them establish a presence in E-​town.

Formerly known as Red’s (what’s with the similar name?), Ed’s Rec Room offers something for everyone. Located near the Jubilations Dinner Theatre on the second level of West Ed, the rec centre houses a family bowling alley, as well as a restaurant, lounge, arcade and billiards.
It’s mainly the bowling I come for, even though I’m not much of a bowler. But it’s one of those things that are always fun, even if you really suck at it like me. Tuesday nights are cheap bowling nights at Ed’s, what they call Toonie Tuesdays (like at KFC, only with bowling balls), and it’s half the weekend rate. Monday nights are all-​you-​can-​bowl nights, when you can pay a slightly higher flat rate and bowl til your arms scream no more. My favorite nights though, are the cosmic bowling nights (Monday, Friday, and Saturday nights), when they dim the lights and have the disco balls spinning, and everything is glowing in the dark. It’s really cool!
I don’t think you’re able to reserve a lane, especially on weekend nights, but you can try. It would certainly be helpful, since they’re usually busy. The service is okay, they help you with the basics, but if you ask more from them, they might get a little snappy. The last time I went, the guy was pretty sarcastic with us because there were so many people demanding his attention.
If bowling’s not your thing, there’s always the lounge and arcade or billiards. I haven’t tried any of these other activities Ed’s offers, as I’m pretty happy with my bowling. But maybe I’ll try the restaurant one of these days, just to see what it’s like.