Bowl-Rite Lanes opened in 1965, when it was built above the Shop Rite supermarket, which is how the name Bowl-Rite came into existence. There have been four different owners of this center. The current owner, Rich Donohue, has owned the center since March 5, 2004. Rich started bowling at this center in 1974, when he was 5 years old. His mother Linda, used to bring him bowling every Saturday morning when he bowled in youth leagues with his sisters Cheryl and Elizabeth. Rich says that it wasn’t the competition that kept him coming back week after week and year after year. It was the friendships that he made along the way that kept him coming back.
The memories of meeting his friends every week, getting that trophy at the end of the season or just hanging out and eating a pretzel or a slice of pizza with his friends is what always kept him coming back. It is memories and friendships, such as these, that Rich is trying pass along to his current customers, and any new customers, that are looking to escape the stresses associated with everyday life. So come on by and give us a try. You never know, you may just meet some great people that you can someday call great friends.
See us featured in the movie “The Hoax”!
Luckily this review is about Bowl Rite and not my bowling skills… ’cause then I would have to give it 1 star when in actuality 4 stars are deserved because of what a gem it is!
This is a great way to spend a night with friends when you are looking for an alternative to the usual bar scene. Can’t lie, the outside is a bit shady (ominous door on the side of a concrete building type of deal) and the decor tad outdated. However, if you are looking for a place to bowl, drink and eat greasy food then Bowl Rite will not fail to deliver.
Nowadays, almost any night out ends up costing 50 dollars at minimum. Here you can have yourself quite the time while barely surpassing the 20 buck mark. Two rounds of bowling plus a shoe rental comes to $12, beers are 2 dollars a bottle and a platter of chicken fingers and fries is around 5-6 dollars and can be shared with a few friends.
There are plenty of lanes and I’ve never had to wait my turn to bowl. The staff is friendly and accommodating and they’ve got killer food and cheap beer. All systems are go- now all I’ve to do is figure out how throw up some points without my ball ending up in the gutter.
Sara M.
Jersey City, NJ
This is a great little gem of a bowling alley. Totally hidden, you have to enter through a very non-descript door and climb several flights of stairs before you reach the lobby, where they have a desk to rent shoes and a bar where you can order refreshments. They also have arcade games and a pool table, and two whole floors of bowling lanes.
Obviously there are better bowling alleys in the world, but this place is classic. It’s like the bowling alleys of my childhood, a relic right out of the 90s (even the little VH1-esque animations that show up on the screen after you get a strike are exactly like I remember them). For what it is–your standard, nothing-fancy bowling alley in an otherwise fairly residential area–Bowl Rite Lanes is pretty great. Especially if you go on a Sunday morning–you’ll have the whole place to yourself!
Charlotte J.
Dallas, TX
Let me preface this by saying I grew up in Bergen County, NJ. I’m not a big city girl, or not yet at least. So sometimes I’m taken back by divey places because I’m not used to them. That’s exactly what happened here. The Uber driver dropped us off and I saw the sign for Bowl Rite Lanes and thought it was a joke. The outside is extremely sketchy. When you walk in the door you are greeted by a sketchy stairwell that you must go up before you get to the alley.
Once I got past the initial bewilderment of the entrance, I realized it’s a pretty typical bowling alley. A night of drinks and bowling was pretty cheap. I paid about $10 for 2 games and to rent bowling shoes. The place isn’t huge we had to wait a little bit before a lane opened up but we chilled in the bar for about 10 minutes which was fine.
I’d definitely come back. It’s super close to Hoboken and easy to get to. There’s parking across the street and street parking available.
My only tip is make sure you’re prepared for literally a hole-in-the-wall type place!
Nicole S.
Dallas, TX
Do not let the outside of Bowl Rite Lanes fool you. When outside it doesn’t look the nicest – you go up two flights of stairs and it looks a little shady but when you open the door it looks like a regular bowling alley. Bowl Rite is a lot of fun and the staff are extremely friendly. We had an issue on our lane and they were right there to fix it immediately. Loved that they had a bar! Was able to drink some coronas and bowl = best night ever!
It was also fun after bowling, just to hang out at the bar and hang out. They also have a pool table which is always fun and arcade games. I would definitely go back to Bowl Rite but recommend taking a cab or uber since it is extremely difficult to find parking.
Sarah O.
Hoboken, NJ
This is one of the coolest places to bowl ever! It’s kind of hidden away. In all seriousness, this place ranks up there among my favorite places to be. This bowling alley has a pool table and bar. There are a couple of sets of arcade and prize games too. If you’re into bowling’ beer, snacks, laughter and smiling people… This is the place. The prices are fair too.
Art M.
Berwyn, IL
Clean fun and inexpensive family activity. The staff is friendly and the lanes are great, I was impressed that we could play on a lane with our children, after you input names you let the desk know who is a small child and the bumpers automatically go up and down for them! Nice touch! We ordered a pizza and mom and dad had 2 beers, pizza was impressive for a bowling alley and beers are cheap, we had a great family night and will absolutely go back
Nicole Y.
North Bergen, NJ