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The Ballroom Bowl Bar Bistro
Categories: Active Life Bowling Nightlife Bars Sports Bars Bowling, Sports Bars [Edit]
145 John StToronto, ON M5V 2E4
Neighbourhoods: Entertainment District, Downtown Core
(416) 597-2695
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 2 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Tue, Fri, Wed
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
32 reviews for The Ballroom Bowl Bar Bistro
Review Highlights
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"The first floor houses 5-6 bowling lanes, a bar and an area..." In 10 reviews -
"...so nice to have a bowling alley downtown, but where are the..." In 9 reviews -
"But all that fun was had downstairs bowling." In 5 reviews
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32 reviews in English
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Review from Patio M.
Toronto, ON
3/25/2012
Let's see, the location is in the club district so there is the expectation that you will see drunk douchie people. The first time that I went, we went with a bunch of people in on a Saturday evening and we were told 2.5 hours for a lane and after 3 hours we left. (We would have left earlier if people weren't planning on joining us at various times)
I swore that I wouldn't go back but I found myself back there yesterday with friends during the afternoon. We got a lane right away but I must warn you that bowling for one hour with shoe rental will run you 20 bucks per person PLUS you have to have a drink of two while playing so add another 8 bucks per drink.
I have no idea what the food is like.
HINT: Go during the day and you will miss all of the usual weekend evening suspects PLUS if you check in on Foursquare Mon - Thurs between noon - 4:00, they will give you a free hour of bowling Mon - Thursday noon - 4pm (not including shoes). -
Review from Stephan J.
Toronto, ON
3/16/2012
More like 2.75 stars. I booked a table of 8 for my 40th birthday. All in all I had an amazing time but that was due to my amazing friends. Our servers were attentive and took care of the giant Spiderman cake my wife brought. The drinks were expensive but I wasn't buying so it didn't matter. I had the beef poutine and it was yummy. As the other reviewers have stated it was frustrating to book a lane. We arrived early and our servers said they would take care of it but after a long wait my buddy went down to the lanes and took care of it himself which is what they suggested we should have done in the first place.
A suggestion to the people who gave this place bad reviews for bowling. This is a downtown bar with a few lanes. If you want to go bowling for the night go to an actual bowling alley.
I don't think I'll return but as I said my friends made the night of my 40th a great night. -
Review from M. C. F.
Toronto, ON
3/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Following in the trend of hip alternative sport lounges like Spin (ping pong), this small bowling alley provides a fun atmosphere to do something a bit more involved and active as nightlife with friends. The fact that it's in club district makes it convenient for such a purpose.
I attended a rather successful birthday party here. People were all smiles. I didn't make reservations though, so no clue how tough it is to get a lane. I also didn't checkout their pool tables or pining pong tables.
The music was Top 40 at a volume that was just low enough for you to avoid yelling at your friends, but high enough to pump up the energy. Drinks were run of the mill.
I can't say I'll be a regular, but it's a fun place still. -
Review from Jane M.
1/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have mixed feeling about my time at the Ballroom. The food was lovely, but the way they work their bowling kind of sucks and the service in general was pretty bad.
We checked the website and saw that bowling was on a first come, first served basis so we just booked dinner (about seven of us) and figured we put our names down for bowling when we arrived.
We got there for 8pm and were told bowling was 'finished for the night' because they were already working off of a list that would bring them up to 2am (closing time). She asked did we know it was first come/first serve and we said, yes, but we didn't think it would be so full that we wouldn't get a lane at all, even if we ate until 11pm. Probably our fault, really, so at this point we asked could be put our names down anyway 'just in case.' We were there for a birthday and it would kind of suck if we didn't get to bowl. We said this to the hostess and she replied, 'Wait, did you request bowling when you booked your meal? I don't see your name here on my list' But it's first come, first ... no reservations, right? Apparently, yes, but if you mention that you want to bowl when you're making dinner reservations then you can get yourself on the list. Confusing and frustrating!
Problem number 2: All of the other games (ping pong, foosball., etc.) are in a room off to one side of the restaurant. However, this is also the room where they show the UFC fights, and so it costs $10 to get in. A hefty looking bouncer is on duty to make sure any stray customers don't try and sneak by to snag a game of pong without forking out for the fight. Boooo!
The only saving grace for this place was the food (which is handy, because it's the only thing we actually got to experience). Everything on the menu here is of the comfort food variety. If you're right at home at The Ex, with its corn dogs and deep fried cheese curds, you'll love the food here (they have both on the menu). The mac and cheese was some of the best I've ever had (thick sauce, toasty bread crumbs and cheese curds and bacon thrown in for good measure) and the nachos were pretty delicious too (the chips themselves made it -- so tasty!).
Other than the copious amounts of food we enjoyed, this place was kind of meh. Luckily, after all of that disappointment, comfort food was what I needed to perk me up again, so I didn't leave in a bad mood. The cocktails we ordered were lovely but quite weak. I don't know if it's possible to get them to throw in a couple of extra shots into a pitcher, but I would definitely ask next time. The cherry cola in particular is good, but it could be great with a little more alcohol and less ice. The waitress we had wasn't very attentive, either. There was a nice group of us so we didn't mind waiting around a little but we actually had to go and look for her at one point so we could order.
I'd go again but never on a weekend. -
Review from C.B. S.
Toronto, ON
4/6/2012
Watched the Blue Jays opening day upstairs here. Was the first sports bar in Toronto I can think of that had a baseball game on all major screens, with sound, and the crowd was into it! I've been in Real Sports during the World Series and they don't even put baseball on the main screen, instead showing a meaningless Raptors game that was happening at the Air Canada Centre, across the street.
I had no expectations of this place, but the Southern Fried Chicken and Corn Dogs were quality sporting event style food.
There aren't many bowling lanes, but if you eat and get drinks at the restaurant upstairs, you are put at the top of the wait list for bowling, and they will phone you when a lane is ready. Had no trouble getting a lane this way. The bowling is not cheap, but if you're with a fun group, you will have a good time. Instead of chairs, they have leather couches near the lanes, to give it a Las Vegas feel. Of most importance, the bowling balls are colour-coded, with baby blue and pink being the lightest, which is a perfect opportunity to question any male player's manhood if they try to get away with using the easier balls to throw down the lane. -
Review from Marcus Y.
Toronto, ON
1/23/2012
Good overall... IF you get to use their facilities. There should definitely be a special preference given to customers who want to dine first and then bowl.
I had my birthday party here on Saturday and was unable to book a lane at a convenient time after dinner, so guests had left by the time the downstairs had been clearing out. Not only that, but I was NEVER informed that there was a private party function, so I could not access the pool tables. To add to THAT, there was a UFC match going on so me and my guests could not access the Xbox or foosball table without paying to get into the area. What was originally a great place to host a party turned out to be just another sports bar.
My lovely guests made it a nice birthday, but the Ballroom failed to fully deliver. -
Review from Jonathan S.
York, ON
10/4/2011
I've never been a fan of dance clubs; a fact that I chalk up to a particularly traumatic friend's birthday party at the Mad Hatter when I was a kid. The screaming, the grossness, the noise, the strobe lights and the nosebleed from a particularly vicious pillow fight all led to a regrettable evening spent puking my guts out.
All of which was long before I discovered alcohol.
In university, a certain amount of clubbing was inescapable. I didn't yield to other forms of peer pressure, but I allowed myself to be dragged into places with sticky bars, stickier dance floors, and frighteningly sticky underlit washrooms in the name of a good time. I'd grin and bear it for an hour or two, then take off, looking forward to the day when I could socialize more on my terms.
Much as I like to dance my sweet ass off, I always figured that the point of hanging out with friends is to, you know, actually communicate with said friends. If I can't hear them over the din, or be heard myself, I'm left feeling like a spectator, checking out the eye candy, but unable to do anything about it.
It's like the Mad Hatter all over again-only the invention of the pre-hangover Advil-and-Maalox cocktail provides some measure of relief.
The Ballroom faithfully recreates this dynamic, only with the added soothing noise of a frickin' bowling alley on-site.
Really?
Really?
Because if there's one thing better than straining to hear the pretty girl who's screaming about her Masters Degree in your ear over music I avoided in high school, it's straining to hear the same pretty girl tell you about her boyfriend while some D-bag tries to nail a seven-ten split a few paces away from you.
And that's not a euphemism.
If only you'd been able to hear her before you spent $15 on a bar rail drink in the middle of the sweatfest. You'd order food, but have no idea how the waitstaff would hear you to take the order, assuming they showed up.
You know what? A pillow to the face doesn't seem so bad in retrospect.Listed in: Jonathan's Straight-Edge Guide…
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Review from Karl R.
Updated - 5/18/2011 12 photos
Seriously. The Management decides to drop in NOW on Yelp to deal with their complete cluster fuck approach to the FabFind voucher? Really? Really guys? Read the reviews. You know who we are. Instead of dumping some hollow PR with a drive-by review, why not contact each of us personally now that you have a fancy Yelp account and make good on being turned away when we tried to use our FabFind deal in the manner laid out not only on the voucher itself but in the manner promoted by your OWN Twitter feed? We're waiting.
You people only make yourself appear even more clueless how to not only run an entertainment venue but how to engage social networks.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/13/2011
Brace yourself for the 1 and 2 star reviews. Here's the situation. Our UYE leader Nicole had a… Read more »
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Review from Chad M.
2/14/2011
CUSTOMER SERVICE FAIL ~ infinity!
We came armed with a $20 FabFind coupon to avoid paying their ridiculous $65/hour/lane fee. The girl working the bowling shoe area explained that FabFind had made a mistake and that they could not honor the coupon. Sunday afternoon wasted; Fuck me and marry me young.
So I called over the manager, who explained that everything was completely out of his control. He could not honor the coupon, because it was FabFind's mistake. He was very sorry (nope, he didn't act sorry at all), and the owner's of The Ballroom had decided not to honor any of the coupons because FabFind screwed up. He said he spoke with FabFind about the situation and that they'd Emailed everyone explaining their mistake.
Today I found out that he had completely LIED to us. Here is the text from FabFind regarding the situation.
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Thank you for taking the time to write in. To say we are displeased is an understatement. I personally made a call to the manager of The Ballroom to clarify the matter and he apologized for the mixup. We don't do business haphazardly -- every time we feature a business, there is a signed contract that guarantees the terms of the offer. In this case, a few of Ballroom's employees were unaware of the terms agreed to by the business' owner. It was an honest miscommunication, but one that should have never happened. We did not send an email to our customers because there was no reason to send one: the terms of the deal were correct.
You were 100% in the right and I profusely apologize for the mixup. We will be providing you with a full refund for both of your certificates which will still be valid and can be used at a later date. I also would like to offer everyone in your party a $10 FabFind gift card. If you can send me their email addresses, I will make sure everyone receives one electronically. I am also sending your information along to the management team at The Ballroom so they can personally apologize to you. Mistakes happen, but they should be corrected with class and generosity. That's the right thing to do.
Once again, I'm sorry that this unfortunate situation occurred. When something like this is brought to our attention, we will do everything in our power to make sure it is rectified. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you in the future."
Now THAT is how you do Customer Service.
LIES LIES LIES
1. That FabFind had gotten the details of the coupon wrong.
2. That FabFind had emailed all of us about their mistake.
3. Lied about the details of his conversation with FabFind
HOW TO IMPROVE
1. If you make a mistake, take your lumps and turn a bad situation into a positive one.
2. If someone else makes a mistake, you still do your best to make the customer happy.
3. Make the customer happy.
4. Empower your managers to be able to make these INSIGNIFICANT decisions so they don't become GIGANTIC PR NIGHTMARES
LET ME ADD
1. The Drinks I ordered were weak and very expensive. The grapefruit-vodka I ordered came as pineapple-vodka. WHAT IF I WAS ALLERGIC AND DIED YOU BASTARDS.
2. You had to pay $2 for 10 minutes of shuffleboard. They had installed after market plastic spikes to rise up through the wood after you'd exceeded the 10 minutes. Why not do what every other bar in the the world does? Sign out the equipment and let people pay when they return.
3. The place fits right in with the area. It's cheesy as HELL.
One positive note: The upstairs waitress was very nice. -
Review from Nicole H.
Toronto, ON
2/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
For a new business, the Ballroom are sure doing a good job at turning people away already with a range of poor service, expensive activities and mediocre bar offerings.
I was excited when I first heard a bowling alley was opening up downtown in Toronto. My face looked a little something like this :D even. I understand that a downtown location can make things pricey and I was willing to try this place regardless, but then scored a coupon for cheap bowling so decided to UYE it up with some fellow "lane sports enthusiasts" (thanks, Karl!).
My overall impression of the place itself is a glorified sports bar that's trying to throw in a few hip games and activities to draw people in and spend money. Bowling is the most expensive of the lot, but there's also pool tables, ping pong, a few video games and a mini shuffleboard table that *all* cost something to play. I understand if your main draw is bowling you're going to have a fee for it, but surely the peripheral activities could be free to encourage people to spend time in your establishment, spending money on food & booze? Curious business model, that.
Customer service is poor to non-existent - even bordering on offensive. When we had our lane come up we were told (completely erroneously) that the coupon we were going to use wasn't valid for weekend matinee bowling. When your business has matinee bowling times - not days, times - yet decides to impose day restrictions as well on a coupon that has no such information in the fine print, it's more than a little suss. And when we speak to the manager about it, and the manager does nothing to actually try and help us/make something positive out of situation and actually tells us bald-faced lies, it makes me extremely hesitant to spend time here, and I certainly won't return.
Chad M, Roma M & Karl R have spoken to our experience at the Ballroom this fated Sunday afternoon also, and I urge you to read their reviews as well. It's amazing what the Ballroom have done to shoot themselves in the foot in one afternoon - and I wonder how many more people they're driving away with their attitudes? When it could've been so easy to redeem themselves to create goodwill to paying customers, they have created a sucking black hole of hatred toward them and everything they stand for in making that part of downtown a generally shitty place to be.
Thanks, Ballroom! You've made my one-star list with a bullet. -
Review from Alana C.
4/11/2011
Expensive. Not enough lanes. You can't reserve a lane. The upstairs was the worst part. First, I asked for Creemore and was given Carlsberg. When I went up to the bartender to have this corrected because my waitress was no where in sight, she gave me a disapproving glance and said "you have to get the waitress to do it" as if I was trying to rip them off.
Our entire meal took TWO HOURS to get through. The beeper went off twice so I had to kept going downstairs to get them to keep us on the waiting list. Did I mention this was like a Monday or Tuesday? I order the grilled cheese and it was NOT GOOD. I've had about 30 different grilled cheese sandwiches in my life and this was the worst. THE CHEESE WAS NOT MELTED! If it isn't melted, it is a CHEESE SANDWICH and I can make one of those for about $1 at home. And the food was expensive, too.
If you want to bowl, go to a real bowling alley. They should have made the entire complex a bowling alley. Then again, it would probably be even slower than it is now based on their inability to run the place. -
Review from Piper M.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 3/8/2011
Hey guys, you know that second star I gave you for being kind of OK the first time I was there? Yeah, you lost it. Good job.
1. You should probably make sure that all of your lanes are indeed full before trying to tell me that my FabFind certificate isn't valid because "it's too busy". Also I don't think anyone would buy a coupon that stated "Only valid if it's not too busy" in the first place.
2. If you're going to blame the problem on the group buying site, at least get the name of the site right. I'm pretty sure if I called Groupon about my apparently invalid FabFind certificate they'd be a little confused. Also that makes it really hard to believe that you have any idea what you're talking about.
3. When you finally to honour my coupon like a decent human being, don't tell me that it's only because the "nice manager" is in today. Would I be screwed if the mean manager was in today? Why do you have a mean manager? Also don't tell me "he told me to give you the lane but you have to pay for your shoes" as if that isn't what's already stated on the certificate. As if you're doing something other than simply honouring your contract with FabFind. You're not giving me a break and you're NOT being nice. I'm not an idiot. I know that you've done this to everyone who's tried to use the certificate and I know what FabFind has to say about the "problem". I know you're lying and you're not going to scare me and my six friends away with your rudeness.
I thought that the reason you'd bother with the whole FabFind thing is to get people into your bowling lanes so that when the people buy food and drinks you can have their money. Or if they're having fun and want to bowl for another hour you can have their $50. But I guess not. I guess you don't want our $50. Bathurst Bowlerama can have my $50. They've never tried to lie to me. Why would they lie to me when they can have my money instead? My money and my continued patronage!
Sorry for yet another angry rant of a review... I just really don't understand why any business would allow (encourage, even) their employees to be so rude.
In summation: DO. NOT. WANT.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/14/2011
These guys really screwed me around a couple weeks ago... It was the weekend of Superbowl Sunday… Read more »
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Review from Roma M.
2/14/2011
Okay, Ballroom Bowl Bar Bistro, let's break you down to get a clear examination. First of all, your name is deceptive. There is no ballroom, nor is there any bistro. The name speaks to me and evokes pretty images of 50s-style heart-shaped necklines and a venue suitable for cutesy dates that women might actually find romantic. I'm not even that romantic a woman, and I'm repulsed at the thought of coming here with a date, let alone with my family.
The venue is not even of the girls-night-out calibre. There was also no 'bistro' in sight, unless you count getting chicken wings with your beer.
This is very much a guys-night kind of place. It's a very large sports bar that just happens to have a few bowling alleys, should you get bored of drinking beer and staring at men in yellow speedos wrestling on TV. Yes, that's how 'manly' it is.
Also, judging from the attitude received, twice, -the servers and attendants seem to be unhappy to work there.
I should note here that I came during a Yelp event where we all had the intention of using Nicole H.'s Fabfind coupon. I have used Fabfind's service several times before, and businesses have never failed to honour the coupon until now. Maybe the bowling alley should reassess their business plan, ...or the management. Why send potential customers back unhappy when you're so new in the market?
I should finally add that the crowd seems to have trickled down from out of the clubs nearby. Yes, it's that bad.Listed in: Blacklisted!
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Review from Amy P.
Toronto, ON
6/23/2011
I am also pretty surprised by the negative reviews. Came here for my birthday on a Saturday night, arrived around 7:30 with a group of 9, waited in the bar upstairs about 1/2 hour for two lanes. Had a GREAT time, and the service was friendly too. I LOVED getting drink service while I bowl. YES, it is more expensive than your typical bowling alley, due to the fact that it is 1) downtown 2) a lot nicer than your typical alley (did I mention the drink service while you bowl?!).
Anyway, it was a great way to start off the night, we had a couple of games of bowling and then took off to another bar (and didn't have to rent a car or take the subway for 1/2 hour to get to the alley - major plus). -
Review from Julia L.
Toronto, ON
2/27/2011
First of all, to echo the sentiments of several previous reviewers, the business model this place operates by sucks hard. There is no way you can reserve a lane - they're only available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Everything has to be paid up front, you have to decide at the outset how long you want to bowl for, and there's no way you can extend your time and keep your lane once you're done. I guess the employees are used to explaining all of these rules to confused patrons because they rattle them off rather robotically.
I came here for a birthday party on a Saturday evening and some people were running late, so we decided to check out the bistro and grab a bite to eat before we started bowling. Upstairs in the "bistro" (which you have to walk up a grungy set of stairs to get to), I ordered a small quinoa salad and spiced sweet potato chips. I love sweet potato, and I love chips, but these sweet potato chips were like flavourless, dried flakes of cardboard. The quinoa salad should be renamed as celery salad because that's basically what it was - there was soooo much celery. Maybe salad isn't the right thing to order at a bowl bar bistro, but I'm not planning on rushing back here to test out this mediocre theory. No bill-splitting on weekends in the bistro either, another crappy rule.
We did manage to get a lane after we were done eating, and the bowling was fun, except for the fact that I'm the worst bowler in the world. I did mangle a fingernail while hurling a ball straight into the gutter, however, so word of warning to the ladies: don't come here if you just got a nice manicure. Also, the washrooms downstairs are dutty and the whole place is so loud (the combined sound of balls being hurdled down the lanes, people whooping and hollering, etc.). I don't care if I sound like an old granny.
Five words: don't believe the hype, people. For bowling, this place is fine. But it's definitely not the palace of fun it seems to advertise itself as.
To conclude on a positive note, there was a group of 12-year-old boys here that appeared to be having the time of their lives! Ah, to be young again... -
Review from Jason S.
Toronto, ON
3/29/2011
The concept is cool but they really need to pick it up. I checked out the bistro upstairs to watch the hockey game with my wife. She ordered a glass of red wine and the server said they were out of red wine by the glass. What?! She offered up white wine as an alternative but my wife thought this was so ridiculous that she ordered water. You can imagine how much fun it was after that. An hour later the server came by to say the red wine was available again but it was too late.
I ordered the Guinness Irish stew which was more chunky soup with a cracker on top. My wife ordered a wedge salad for something like $12 which was a slice of a head of lettuce with dressing poured on top. She had a few bites and wasn't interested. I tried it and agreed it was blah.
A few weeks later my buddy and I decided to get a lane and shoot a few balls. The server came over and said she would get my shoes for me. We waited 10 minutes while the clock ticked down then I ended up having to go over to the shoe desk myself.
Getting beer delivered to your lane is great but they are severely understaffed. This was Tues night but it was busy and they seemed to have only 1 server assigned to all the lanes. After waiting to get my empty glass replaced I went over to the bar to get my own beer. They told me to wait for my server to take my order but I told them I hadn't seen her come by in a while. I thought I could just grab one from the bar but they said nope, they just pour drinks for the servers.
The nachos were good but when you've only got the lane for one hour you better order them right away because you have to wait for them to be delivered and then you have to eat them between your throws.
Why not have a few extra servers hovering around ready to get extra beers when they're needed? -
Review from Tanya N.
5/23/2011 1 photo
*3.5 stars*
Impromptu bowling never been so fun. my friends and I decided to try it out since there were lanes available and had nothing else planned for the evening. It was pretty expensive at $50/hr with shoe rentals at $5 though I had a great time with my friends.
It's basically a sports bar & bowling rolled up into one with the 3 large tv screens at the end of the alleys. We didn't have anything to eat since we just had dinner so it was just bowling for us. It's a good alternative than simply going for a movie if you're in the area.Listed in: My .5 Reviews
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Review from Moritz H.
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
I can't review the food or drinks cause we didn't have any. But the bowling alleys are great. We paid for half an hour and extended a couple times. The place is not too big and has a good atmosphere. There are two pool tables and a pinball machine for the ones who don't like to bowl.
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Review from Dishan W.
1/29/2011
I did have a lot of fun on my evening spent here. But all that fun was had downstairs bowling. The problem is the set up and long waits along with the restaurant upstairs.
I was very unhappy with the over priced menu selection, the service is very slow and not just for food. I don't want to be too harsh since it is new and a lot of the staff seem very young but friendly and eager. Also a huge minus for me was the fact that they are "unable" to change the channel of the televisions hanging around as per customer request. And there are tons to be had, almost 1 flatscreen in perfect view for each booth. I was very disappointed with that and I hope they figure out how to reach up and change the channels on the TVs sometime soon.
At least the food was not terrible, but nothing I would look forward to eating anytime soon.
Other stuff of note upstairs is a small lounge behind the bar and a section at the back with ping pong tables, and a patio that will likely be open in the summer.
The service downstairs was absolutely no better. There are 2 bars on either end, and only the smaller hidden one serves (expensive) beer on tap. I was told to go there by the bartender behind the main bar for my beer, only to be made waiting while the guy behind the 2nd bar was pouring drinks with his back towards me until I decided to speak up. And he goes on to say that he's not able to serve me and that he will send along a waitress to our lane. So back I go having wasted some of our bowling time.
Now to the bowling, this place is designed so that you would have to be very lucky to get a lane without a big wait. Our timing worked out so that once dinner was done (in 2 hours!), our lane became available. Getting your shoes and score screen set up don't take too long and the couches are very comfortable with enough table space for your drinks. There are 3 large screens on the wall above the pins and I really appreciated that along with TVs per lane as well. Yes it's pricey, but I knew that going in and was willing to spend a lot more for bowling than in a place like Bowlerama.
It's a very clean and nice looking place that seems to attract the "young and cool" crowd of downtown. Hopefully once people get over the initial infatuation with the opening, it will be a little more pleasent to visit. But for now slow service, unimpressive menu and lack of catering to a sports fan will keep me away from the second floor here. -
Review from Lori L.
Toronto, ON
1/15/2011
I ordered the quinoa salad and fried pickles, which were both OK but definitely overpriced. The decor is pretty nice and the service is good, but they clear away your old plates a little too quickly, and they took my salad away before I was done eating it :/
I like everything about this place except for the prices, but you can't complain because of the location and the quality in comparison to other bowling alleys. It also kind of sucks that you can't make a reservation for a lane... -
Review from Robin D.
6/11/2011
Came here for a company appreciation venue. Not bad overall, just nothing caught my attention. They have a patio, bar, and nice seats upstairs.
Downstairs they have the bowling alley. -
Review from jenna m.
10/20/2011
The Ballroom
Since when has bowling been chic? The Ballroom located on John at Richmond makes a strong effort to inject some playful wholesome fun into the often nefariously scandalous entertainment district. The first floor houses 5-6 bowling lanes, a bar and an area with some billiards. The decor is very kitsch. There are exposed brick walls, garage door windows, industrial light fixtures, and Victorian style leather couches with tufted brass bullets. At the end of each bowling alley is a jumbo TV screen projecting sports events. A pitcher of beer runs you $25, however, they provide table service while you roll. I am very sorry to say that the music playing while we bowled was atrocious. It was as if a burnt out skid rat had taken control of the jukebox and was subjecting us to his top picks of 80s glam metal tunes. The only thing that lifted my spirits was the fact that I bowled a turkey! (3 strikes in a row =) wow, what an athlete!) My friends were probably thinking "@#%*kin' Jenna ... that creep can roll, man."
The top floor is a designated restaurant with an outdoor patio and several fun games (ping pong, foosball, and air hockey). The menu offers typical dirty bar fare. I had the fish and chips which were actually very tasty-my palette detected a hint of coconut in the breading batter, which was a pleasant top note for the dish. It was definitely a pricey evening considering it was bowling. For some strange reason bowling emporiums tend to flourish in economic hard times, with people gravitating like magnets towards this wholesome recreation. It would be very fun to hold a corporate event, birthday party, or work party at the lanes. The ballroom might just be down your alley=) -
Review from Sam G.
Scarborough, ON
11/6/2011
Food was ok! Not great! Chicken wings taste really bad. Service wasn't great. I went back to the restaurant because I have left my personal item there and the waitress at the entrance wasn't nice at all, looked like I owe her money or something. I wouldn't go there again!
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Review from Teena D.
12/30/2010 6 photos
This is a new bowling alley/bar/bistro where Montana's Restaurant used to be (at Richmond W/John Street).
Though we didn't bowl, we had a beer while we watched others. Looked like fun!
It's $50 an hour per lane before 5pm and $75 an hour per lane after 5pm. Shoe rental is $5.
The tunes were good and and the place is loud. There are big screen TVs all over showing sports.
Upstairs is the bistro where you can have a bite to eat or play ping pong while you wait for a lane. -
Review from Kat T.
1/1/2011
I'm so happy to have an adult place to go on this corner instead of another generic club to attract 905'ers who happen to be 17-20 years old and willing to wait in line in their mini skirts and Le Chateau suits to impress each other with how many shots of overpriced alcohol they can take from their bottle service tables.
This is something I might actually get into. I was a pretty good bowler back in high school. Thank goodness "ballroom" isn't just another dance floor. -
Review from Tara Z.
1/8/2011
It's so nice to have a bowling alley downtown, but where are the lasers and the glow in the dark balls?
BRING BACK COSMIC BOWLING
IT WAS COOL IN THE 90S
Okay, okay, seriously, this place is pretty sweet. It doesn't smell like five thousand years of sweaty feet and spilled beer, like every other bowling alley I've been to. Plus the waitress brings beer right to your lane, and there's so much tasty food on offer--I'm a fan! I think it's too expensive to be a regular thing, but whatevs, that's probably what keeps this place looking so nice. -
Review from Patricia S.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 3/2/2011
Fantastic food. The nachos are amazing! Extra cheesy with yummy house-made corn chips. And the seared tuna salad is delicious and healthy!
Ok, I'll admit, the service I've received deserves about a 4 out of 5. I don't know if it's that I'm extra friendly and patient, but I haven't experienced service-wise what the others on here say they have. I've received genuinely friendly and attentive service.
There are only three explanations I can think of: 1) those who have experienced bad service come across as rude and impatient themselves, 2) they've experienced bad luck and were there at a really busy/hectic time and 3) only those few that had a less than perfect experience are coming on here to review because those that have had a great experience are out having fun!
Anyway, this is the best addition to downtown Toronto in a while.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/4/2011
I came to watch the fight with some friends and eat. The service was a bit slow, but friendly. The… Read more »
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Review from Lisa S.
11/14/2011 1 photo
Over the weekend, I was in Toronto for a large conference. Saturday night, a bunch of us decided to head out for drinks, and we were looking for a bigger sports bar that could accommodate all of us. Around 5:30, we went to the second floor of The Ballroom and asked them if we could get a table (the bottom floor has bowling lanes). There were about 5 of us, but we were expecting around 20 over the next hour. The first girl acted kind of annoyed and told us they had a lot of reservations. But a second person said they had a bigger table in the back we could use, but we'd have to leave by 8pm or else we'd get charged cover.
We had the sweetest waitress, and she was really great throughout the whole night- she didn't mind people coming and going, and she managed to stay organized and give us separate checks. She made sure to check in with us regularly, and was patient and didn't mind waiting while we all made decisions. Two thumbs up for her.
The drink menu was fairly large. I ordered a margarita first, on the rocks and without salt. I think it was around $7. It came quickly, but there was basically no alcohol in it. It kinda tasted like watered down margarita mix. I chugged it quickly- not feeling any effect- and switched to wine. I ordered the house red- I believe it was Jacob's Creek Cabernet, and it was pretty decent. Some people at my table ordered the Nachos ($21 with chicken, $17 without meat). It was HUGE and they said it was delicious. Looking at it made me hungry, so I ordered the calamari ($12). It was the saltiest thing I've ever eaten in my entire life... and I love salt. It made my lips and throat burn while I ate it. But if the salt had been about 40% of what it was, it would have been really good. They had tons of TVs in the bars, which were playing college football and soccer earlier in the night, and then all of the switched over to ice hockey once the game started.
We headed out a bit before 8pm. My margarita, 2 glasses of wine, and calamari came to about $36.50- not bad at all. I asked the waitress if they would take US dollars, and since the exchange rate was equal, they said yes, which was awesome. Overall, I was neutral about the experience. My food was severely oversalted and my mixed drink was watered down, but the waitress was awesome and the food/drinks weren't too pricey. -
Review from Christina C.
8/21/2011
This place sounds good in theory, with its fun concept and snazzy branding. But at the end of the day, this is still a bowling alley. And a ridiculously overpriced one at that. The food was as weak as my bowling game and the drinks were even weaker. The only thing that made up for the whole experience was the friendly staff that made sure my friends and I all had a good time.
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Review from Scott C.
Toronto, ON
5/31/2011
I'm also surprised by the poor service reviews. The service was excellent, everyone was very nice. For my wife and I, it seemed a bit expensive to spend 90+ for one hour, plus drinks and food, but it is down town. Plus, if you have a crowd to bowl with the price isn't bad when split. Otherwise, the big couch, the music, the atmosphere was great. Lots of fun.
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Review from Maggie L.
Toronto, ON
5/23/2011
If you're coming for a night of fun here, expect to spend some money.
Food was okay and quite pricey for what you're getting. The hostesses were not the friendliest, but our waitress made up for that. She was attentive, answered our requests and was friendly.
Bowling was fine and there's a clock to help you keep track of the time you've paid for.
Overall, it's a convenient location for a night out afterwards, but won't be one of my regular hangouts. -
Review from H R.
York, ON
1/16/2011
We went with two other couples for dinner and some bowling. The food and service were quite good. We were booked to bowl after dinner and that's were our experience went sour. We had the great displeasure of dealing with an inexperienced manager. His unwillingness to listen to his customer was quite disappointing after we spent a considerable amount on dinner and drinks. A simple misunderstanding with his staff led him to argue with me in front of other customers. The interactions we had with middle management has surely put a great displeasure with the The Ballroom. If you are looking for a restaurant that doesn't offer dessert and has extremely rude management then I encourage you to try The Ballroom.
