If you are not in the mood to get all dolled up and hit the clubs downtown on the weekend, East Village Tavern+Bowl is just the place for you.
It is a restaurant and sports lounge located in downtown, only a few blocks from Petco Park.
As you walk in, there’s a full bar to your right, plenty of seating and some flat screen televisions for you to enjoy watching your favorite sport teams conquer or get slaughtered. Go farther to the right and there is a bowling alley that gets you in the mood to challenge your friends to a game after a drink or two. At night, you bowl in the dark with some cool lighting that gives this place a hip vibe.
One thing I absolutely love about restaurants is a good appetizer menu. This place has some of my favorites: wings, pretzels and nachos all served with a nice cold local brew. If you are looking for something on the lighter side, the classic caesar salad or any of the other salads are very tasty.
The burgers and the entrees all sound so delicious, but nothing will change my mind about what I order everytime I come here: the bucket of tater tots.
Just like in the movie “Napoleon Dynamite,” Napoleon doesn’t want to give up his tater tots to the bully in his class; and neither will I. “They are crunchy and they’re good,” my waitress said before setting them on the table, a it’s a good thing to pair with any meal off the menu.
After your meal, you cannot skip out on more fun in the bowling alley. Although you might have to put your name on a waiting list on the weekends, it is well worth it. It has a different atmosphere from your average bowling alley. Booze and bowling is a perfect combination for any day, and they can accommodate anyone’s schedule because they are open seven days a week.
There’s a full bar and a great selection of beer on tap and in bottle form. My favorites are of course the variety of local brews, from Stone to Karl Strauss.
It is very affordable, as opposed to paying $15 dollars for a cranberry and vodka filled with ice at a club. But, if I may suggest, stick with an ice cold beer. You can never go wrong with a Stone I.P.A. —- my favorite.
Sorry kids, but this place enforces a 21 and over policy after 9 p.m. If you’re under 21, you can always go with an adult before the age limit is in effect.
East Village Tavern+Bowl is open Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. They are located in the East Village downtown area, at 930 Market St. (between 10th Ave. and 9th Ave.).
For upcoming events and other information, check out their website at www.tavernbowl.com/east-village-tavern.
