McArthur Lanes

What to do when it’s date night, but you don’t feel like being TOO adventurous? Why, bowling of course! It’s our go-​to spot when we don’t want to stay in but don’t feel like getting all dressed up and interacting with a bunch of people.
This isn’t a close spot — normally we hit up Merivale, but the bf insisted we play ten pin so I was vetoed. McArthur Lanes is right in the heart of Vanier, off the Parkway and just off McArthur on the left. We dropped by around 10 p.m. on a Friday and the place was pretty busy, but emptied out fairly quickly (except for some sketchy drunk guys hanging out around the arcade and by the entrance).
Okay, so the good: obviously the ten pins, if that’s your game. They’re licensed, so pitchers are readily available. Note: some people were super sloshed by the time we got there so I’m guessing it’s decently priced beer. On the more expensive side, we paid $ 30 for an hour of bowling, including our shoes. That seemed pretty intense to me. They’ve got the usual glow-​in-​the-​dark thing going on with the black lights (eff — remind me not to wear black Unilocalers — I looked like a bad Head and Shoulders ad). We didn’t hit up the arcade, but they’ve got a small one as well.
So overall, my experience was pretty average. I’m much rather hit up Merivale, but like I said, if you’re looking for ten pin this is the way to go. The staff were also really sweet and on top of things which was nice.

McArthur Lanes is a fun way to kill an evening, if you’re willing to splurge a bit just to bowl and enjoy a pitcher. This is probably the most expensive bowling alley I’ve been to, but that’s not saying much since most of my bowling days were back when I lived on PEI and it was $ 5-​$ 10 a night.
However, there were features at McArthur Lanes that I was never able to experience before, which almost makes up for the steep price. First, their bowling balls are those huge Fred Flintstone type with the holes for your fingers. They are highly enjoyable to toss down super waxed wooden floors amidst black lights and disco music. The alley also allows you to bring your drinks straight to your lane, which is a nice way to keep the game going at a leisurely pace.
I would more so recommend this alley to parents looking for a birthday party idea. They have package deals for birthday parties and kids would be more apt to love the black light disco, food and carnival-​esque games room.