Mission Bowling Club

Location: San Francisco, Mission
Cuisine type: classic American with modern twist
Atmosphere: casual, loud (also a bowling alley)
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8

Ben

A unique place - this is a legitimate bowling alley with 6-8 (?) lanes, that places a real emphasis on their food as much as the bowling. The place has an attractive, hip interior with modern looking seating and bowling lanes, and is located in the middle of the Mission neighborhood in SF. The bowling prices (on the order of ~50-60$ / hr / lane) almost certainly preclude bowling outings for the average family.The target demographic, and resulting clientele, seems to be a very yuppie / hipster place - of which there is, fortunately, no shortage of in SF. The menu is a single double sided sheet, including all the entrees (bar food, burgers / sandwiches), appetizers, beers and wines. I went with what I was advised as a favorite, the “Mission Burger” (1/2 lb aged and granulated beef patty, Monetery Jack, grilled onion, caper aioli). It was juicy and, pretty much, perfect (I had had a couple of beers at the time and I was really digging in at the moment). The fries were hashed and thinly fried to a crunchy sort of fusion between fries and potato chips that, as far as fried potatoes go, I wouldn’t call my favorite. The place is definitely lively and a lot of fun, the food was overall tasty to me and also seemed popular with the rest of group. The beer selection is a great mix of local and international favorites (be warned: $26 / pitcher adds up), and the full bar has a large selection of quality spirits. The service was timely and friendly, and the bowling section appeared to me to be as good as any. This place is definitely a lot of fun if taken for what it is; a courageous ( visionary?) type of modern upscale bowling alley / restaurant & bar attracting generally a young-professional crowd, quality bar foods and great drink selection.

Food 8
Drinks 9
Atmosphere 9
Service 9
Value 6

Nina

Judging by the name, this place would not have been my first choice for dinner - I was surprised they even served food. However, I wasn’t the one who made the reservation, so I am glad I was able to discover this unique spot. Think bowling lanes meet classic American eatery with a modern twist. The atmosphere is casual, the decor is tasteful and bowling themed (pins on the bar shelves and the menu), and the dining area is grouped at the front of the restaurant, though the noise level is pretty high due to a combination of the bowling lanes and people getting into the competitive spirit. The price for the lanes was surprisingly high ($55/hour), though I don’t really have a term of comparison in the city, while the food was reasonable though not cheap at $10-$18 for most entrees.

I shared in on some of the draft beer pitchers that were ordered at our table, and I enjoyed the variety that they offered. My entree was a jerk pork shoulder sandwich, which had a nice, deep smoky flavor from the figwood chips they used on the pork. It was topped with a fresh and crunchy jicama and grapefruit salad which created a nice balance in both texture and flavor. The citrus was more reminiscent of tangerine on my palate, though it was too dim to tell for sure which one it was - it worked great either way, so I didn’t think it mattered too much. The sandwich came with a side of home fried crispy chips - an handful, but enough to go along with the sandwich.
I couldn’t resist ordering dessert since their entire selection was quite unique - even though it was really hard to decide, I was glad I ordered the buttermilk panna cotta with baby fennel and rhubarb. It looks like they make seasonal variations to this dish in terms of garnishes, but what stays the same is the tart and sweet delicate cream of the panna cotta. The baby fennel was thinly shaved on top, with a crisp and flavorful touch. Finally, the rhubarb had a mildly pickled flavor that complemented the buttermilk tartness quite well. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this simple and small dessert despite the sweetness level being quite low.
The Mission Bowling Club is a cool trendy spot to hang out with friends, grab and drink and get competitive over a game of bowling.

Food 8
Drinks 9
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 6