Gutter Bar

11/04/07

One of the Worst Experiences I've ever had going out for a Birthday. Not worth your money! Read this!

by s_shopper at Citysearch

What an AWFUL NIGHT!

I started by calling ahead Friday night to reserve a lane for Saturday night for my boyfriend's birthday. They rudely replied that they don't do reservations but it's not usually a problem. It seemed they were too Williamsburg -sheik to do something uncool like take a reservation.

I arrived early to the hipster bowling alley/bar around 7pm Saturday night and was informed there would be a 3 hour wait (which actually turned into 4 hours). I looked around and quickly realized that they don't take reservations because they get people to sit around and drink in the bar for hours waiting for their turn to bowl

It gets MUCH worse! My friends and I were sitting at a table with a low-hanging ceiling lamp not in the center of the table. It was near the side of the table, so my tall friend knocked into it when he stood up (he had had two beers but I could have easily knocked into it sober because I'm also tall). Glass went all over us and our table. The staff became enraged! We apologized and started trying to clean it up with our hands and napkins. We were not even drunk and certainly not rowdy. We practically had to beg them to give us something to clean it up. Never did anyone ask if we were okay.

It gets even worse! 3 hours later we're finally up to bowl after $150 at the bar and now we pre-paid an additional $100 for two games and rental shoes. Half way through our first game, my mildly drunk friend knocked over a lampshade on a 70s thrift store lamp on top of our bowling machine. The dear lampshade was unharmed and we put it back on. The employee became irate and kicked us out! I couldn't even get my jacket and we got NONE of our money back! He was on a major power trip. I imagine that he wakes up ever morning and practices in his underwear in front of the mirror, "YOU'RE OUTTAHERE!!"

AWFUL PEOPLE. Birthday ruined, money down the drain! DON'T GO THERE

• Pros: Only bowling alley/bar in Brooklyn
• Cons: Horrible Staff, bad vibes, bad anger management

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Comments

midgelet– March 22, 2009 at 13:21:59 PDT

it sounds like you were drunk and stumbling around breaking things. not sure why this is the bowling alley's fault. nobody made you stay there while you were waiting for your turn to come up, or made you spend a hundred fifty dollars.

why are you hanging out in williamsburg on a saturday night and then getting angry about crowds and hipster attitudes? that's like going into a McDonald's and complaining that all the food is cheap and bad for you.

midgelet– March 22, 2009 at 13:21:59 PDT

it sounds like you were drunk and stumbling around breaking things. not sure why this is the bowling alley's fault. nobody made you stay there while you were waiting for your turn to come up, or made you spend a hundred fifty dollars.

why are you hanging out in williamsburg on a saturday night and then getting angry about crowds and hipster attitudes? that's like going into a McDonald's and complaining that all the food is cheap and bad for you.

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01/09/08

Finally a (tiny) bowling alley in the 'burg.

by mitchsweat at Citysearch

I've been living in North Brooklyn for 4 years now and I have to say it certainly sweet to get a bowling alley. And with the the current trend of the city's more accessible lanes (300, Bowl Mor, etc.) to turn into modern lounges, it's nice that the Gutter has kept it real (somewhat). The Old Milwaukee-style decor of the bar are is pretty snazz. It's little dirtball touches like this that hopefully keep the Striped-shirt, date-rape crowds at bay. Fingers crossed. My only beef with the bar is their insistance on craft beer. I'm all for a Pumpkin Ale from Delaware but sometimes a man just needs a High Life or a can a of Banquet Beer while he's throwin' rocks. This is a bowling alley right?

The alley itself is rad mostly for the faux-dinge decor. From the "Dan's Tropical Fish and Pets" signs on the Lane sweeper to the bowling computers straight out of Wargames. It's a fun place to be, bowl and have a pitcher. That said, the retro equipment, as cool as it looks, isn't really reliable. My ladyfriend and I had to push the reset button at least 10 times a game. Eventually we gave up on keeping score properly. The lanes aren't in the best condish either. They seem to shudder a bit when you put the rock to them. They're kept pretty dry too.

Service was nice, we had some good shots of Rye afterward and we got a free shot when my ladyfriend started crying (woman stuff). The reviewer whose drunk friends broke a bunch of stuff had it coming and I don't think this place deserves a one star review. You don't bust people's vintage beer signs and expect them to not get miffed. Duh. Stay in midtown. Have your boyfriend's next birthday at the Martian restaurant in Times Square. They take reservations.

Ah but I digress. The gutter a fun place to have a drink and throw a few frames. It's not a place to bowl seriously. It should give you your beer and bowling fix. Especially if you don't want to leave the nabe.

• Pros: Bowling in north Brooklyn, Str8 outta Milwaukee decor, decent tunes, rye whiskey
• Cons: No Miller High Life, Unreliable equipment, cash only for bowling, only 8 lanes, not cheap

11/08/07

Strike!

by spacefoote at Citysearch

If you like bowling and loud rock and roll this place has been made for you. Good beer selection too. And pitchers. Very crowded on the weekends and it gets the Williamsburg crowd because its near Bedford. No greasy food, though you can bring your own.

• Pros: good beer, bowling alley, tons of seating
• Cons: not enough lanes

A bowling alley for nostalgia-loving Luddites who love a good brew.

by Contributor at Citysearch

Owned by the creators of Barcade, this retro-fitted bowling alley forgoes animated flat-screens and flashy light shows in favor of old-school accoutrements. Everything from balls to pins to the injection-molded orange benches by the lanes and even the '70s-style vending machine were shipped from warehouses in Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Patrons waiting for a lane can sip suds at the spacious barroom kitted out with high-backed brown leather stools, roomy booths and an ironic collection of trophies and photos won elsewhere.

Hits: Major bowling enthusiasts and fashionistas can purchase vintage bowling bags for $50-$100 a pop.

Misses: For a place billing itself as a bowling alley, it only has eight lanes. That means long waits on the weekends.