Perfect Games (bowling alley in Ames)

[josh777]

I know there was a thread that discussed this place but I searched and couldn't find it...

Went there yesterday over the noon hour with wife and kids. Monday - Thurs. they offer free bowling (have to pay $2.50 for shoe rental) from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For those that don't know, you check in at the front desk and they offer you a lane, either the regularly lighted lanes or glo-lanes. Then, a waitress comes to your lane to get your shoe sizes and any food/drink order you may want. We chose the glo-lanes and they have soft couches with a coffee table in between...behind the couches is a high table with chairs. Very nice and comfortable.

We were extremely impressed with how nice the staff were and how helpful they were. It is full service. We had a pizza and it was good and affordable.

The place is huge and spacious. Restaurant, bar, two separate sets of lanes, enormous arcade with great game choices and probably the coolest thing (at least new to me) was the laser tag room...it looks like you are walking into a haunted house. I believe it is $4-5 to play laser tag.

Definite two thumbs up for Perfect Games and with the free bowling over the noon hour, very affordable.

 

[egami]

I haven't been to a bowling alley since I was a kid.

 

[CyForPresident]

I know there was a thread that discussed this place but I searched and couldn't find it...

Went there yesterday over the noon hour with wife and kids. Monday - Thurs. they offer free bowling (have to pay $2.50 for shoe rental) from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For those that don't know, you check in at the front desk and they offer you a lane, either the regularly lighted lanes or glo-lanes. Then, a waitress comes to your lane to get your shoe sizes and any food/drink order you may want. We chose the glo-lanes and they have soft couches with a coffee table in between...behind the couches is a high table with chairs. Very nice and comfortable.

We were extremely impressed with how nice the staff were and how helpful they were. It is full service. We had a pizza and it was good and affordable.

The place is huge and spacious. Restaurant, bar, two separate sets of lanes, enormous arcade with great game choices and probably the coolest thing (at least new to me) was the laser tag room...it looks like you are walking into a haunted house. I believe it is $4-5 to play laser tag.

Definite two thumbs up for Perfect Games and with the free bowling over the noon hour, very affordable.

I was the one that started the other thread and I would agree that it is a very nice place... if you have kids. I like going bowling in a dive with cold beer and greasy food. Perfect Games is much more for middle school kids.

Its very awkward drinking beer in perfect games.

 

[josh777]

I was the one that started the other thread and I would agree that it is a very nice place... if you have kids. I like going bowling in a dive with cold beer and greasy food. Perfect Games is much more for middle school kids.

Its very awkward drinking beer in perfect games.

Yeah, I can see that. However, I believe the intent of the owners was to create a family style joint.

 

[CyForPresident]

Yeah, I can see that. However, I believe the intent of the owners was to create a family style joint.

I agree, its great that Ames has that place. I just wish I knew that before I went.

I'll stick to 20th century.

 

[Cat4ISU]

If you can't make it for the free games it's quite expensive (IMO). We tried to go when it was free but had a 30 minute waiting list. With a 4yo, 2yo, and 5 month old, 30 minutes was too much. My two kids shared a game so we only paid for 3 games with shoe rental, no food, no drink and it cost us $25. That, to me, isn't family friendly unless of course you're looking for families with more money than me! :smile:

 

[IcSyU]

If you can't make it for the free games it's quite expensive (IMO).

This is why I think it's going to struggle. It's in an area surrounded by college kids. If it was more affordable, they could make an absolute killing.

 

[JP4CY]

I went on a random night a Wednesday or Tuesday at 6-7 o'clock and saw they have Old Style on Tap. Ordered a pitcher and he gave it to me rather foamy and said that's $9.
Needless to say I thought it was incredibly over priced and the bartender sat on a stool by some girls that work there and just bs'd/watched tv with them most of the time, instead of checking on us, if we wanted more to drink, or order food.

 

[RayShimley]

I was the one that started the other thread and I would agree that it is a very nice place... if you have kids. I like going bowling in a dive with cold beer and greasy food. Perfect Games is much more for middle school kids.

Its very awkward drinking beer in perfect games.

Hmm..could you elaborate? I live in West Ames and am pretty excited to have this place close by because bowling is one of the few competitive sports I can still get my wife to play with me (apparently I'm a bit of a sore winner...). Does anyone know if they have a 21+ bar area? The bowling alley I went to regularly in Birmingham sounds very similar to how others have described Perfect Games, but you had to go back into a private 21+ area to get drinks (you could bring them out) and they also had nice pool tables and stuff back there for adults to use. I don't really have any qualms about drinking in front of familys or kids so I'll probably give it a shot anyway.

 

[Cat4ISU]

You can check it out here:
Perfect Games Website

 

[Cat4ISU]

Can somebody help me understand this because it baffles me:

Regular lanes cost $3.99/game
They also cost $36.99/hour

So, if my math is correct, one would have to bowl 10 games in an hour to make this worthwhile??? I don't think this is possible. Even if you had a group, can 10 people bowl 1 game in an hour? Can 5 people bowl 2 games in an hour?

Can someone clear this up for me?

 

[drmwevr08]

Can somebody help me understand this because it baffles me:

Regular lanes cost $3.99/game
They also cost $36.99/hour

So, if my math is correct, one would have to bowl 10 games in an hour to make this worthwhile??? I don't think this is possible. Even if you had a group, can 10 people bowl 1 game in an hour? Can 5 people bowl 2 games in an hour?

Can someone clear this up for me?

No, I don't believe they can, in either case.

 

[RayShimley]

That does seem expensive. I think the place I used to bowl charged ~$20/hour.

 

[Wesley]

Our big shot Thunderbird Lanes in Elkhorn NE ($5M structure built in 2006) just went bankrupt. They flat out charged bowling by the hour at $20/hour - bowl as much as you can in 60 minutes. Had several resaturants and a semi indorr theeme park. Had PBA event scheduled for the summer. They had bad timing. It was gorgeous.

 

[Frak]

I stopped there with the wife and daughter a few weeks ago. The place is nice and spacious. We didn't come to bowl or drink at the bar, so I can't comment on those. Went to the pizza place first. Their cheese balls were unbelievably good. Better than WTP, better than Hickory Park, better than the state fair's. I'd like to see what some of their other appetizers are like. If they are anywhere near that good, I'll just order appetizers next time for the meal. For the pizza, we ordered one with banana peppers, capicola, sausage and slices of hard boiled egg. It was surprisingly good...thin, but good. The service was a little slow...it looks like those waitresses have to cover a pretty big area as the bar is a long ways from the dining room.

We went to the arcade next. Played some skee ball, video games, etc. They have a blow up jumping castle for the kids. You put all of your money on a card and also deposit tickets won on your card. We had a lot of fun for $5 worth of games.

I didn't see where the entrance to lazer tag was, otherwise I would have looked around. Always thought that D&B's would do well in Ames. This may not be Dave and Busters, but it will do just fine. Nice addition to town!

 

[mplscyclone]

I agree regarding the expenses. Bowling used to be an affordable thing to do. Now you have to pay $4-$5.29 per game, plus $2.5 for shoes.

Now if people can afford it and like it, then good for them, but personally IDK if it's worth it.

If you go on a date, it turns out to be easily over $20 for this. It's sad to say it's cheaper to go to a movie and I'll be entertained for longer (no way I'm bowling for 2 hours)....

 

[Covenant Clone]

I stopped there with the wife and daughter a few weeks ago. The place is nice and spacious. We didn't come to bowl or drink at the bar, so I can't comment on those. Went to the pizza place first. Their cheese balls were unbelievably good. Better than WTP, better than Hickory Park, better than the state fair's. I'd like to see what some of their other appetizers are like. If they are anywhere near that good, I'll just order appetizers next time for the meal. For the pizza, we ordered one with banana peppers, capicola, sausage and slices of hard boiled egg. It was surprisingly good...thin, but good. The service was a little slow...it looks like those waitresses have to cover a pretty big area as the bar is a long ways from the dining room.

We went to the arcade next. Played some skee ball, video games, etc. They have a blow up jumping castle for the kids. You put all of your money on a card and also deposit tickets won on your card. We had a lot of fun for $5 worth of games.

I didn't see where the entrance to lazer tag was, otherwise I would have looked around. Always thought that D&B's would do well in Ames. This may not be Dave and Busters, but it will do just fine. Nice addition to town!

That would be the Ima da Boss. I was fairly skeptical but it was really good IMO.

 

[CyForPresident]

Hmm..could you elaborate? I live in West Ames and am pretty excited to have this place close by because bowling is one of the few competitive sports I can still get my wife to play with me (apparently I'm a bit of a sore winner...). Does anyone know if they have a 21+ bar area? The bowling alley I went to regularly in Birmingham sounds very similar to how others have described Perfect Games, but you had to go back into a private 21+ area to get drinks (you could bring them out) and they also had nice pool tables and stuff back there for adults to use. I don't really have any qualms about drinking in front of familys or kids so I'll probably give it a shot anyway.

Your surrounded by middle school kids and parents. Drinking around them is just weird because everyone is looking at you like your a pedophile or something.

 

[josh777]

I stopped there with the wife and daughter a few weeks ago. The place is nice and spacious. We didn't come to bowl or drink at the bar, so I can't comment on those. Went to the pizza place first. Their cheese balls were unbelievably good. Better than WTP, better than Hickory Park, better than the state fair's. I'd like to see what some of their other appetizers are like. If they are anywhere near that good, I'll just order appetizers next time for the meal. For the pizza, we ordered one with banana peppers, capicola, sausage and slices of hard boiled egg. It was surprisingly good...thin, but good. The service was a little slow...it looks like those waitresses have to cover a pretty big area as the bar is a long ways from the dining room.

We went to the arcade next. Played some skee ball, video games, etc. They have a blow up jumping castle for the kids. You put all of your money on a card and also deposit tickets won on your card. We had a lot of fun for $5 worth of games.

I didn't see where the entrance to lazer tag was, otherwise I would have looked around. Always thought that D&B's would do well in Ames. This may not be Dave and Busters, but it will do just fine. Nice addition to town!

The laser tag entrance is in the arcade area.

We got funnel cake fries. Just what they sound like, funnel cake in the shape of fries with powdered sugar. Pretty good but ours were a little overcooked. They come with chocolate or strawberry dipping sauce.

 

[RayShimley]

Your surrounded by middle school kids and parents. Drinking around them is just weird because everyone is looking at you like your a pedophile or something.

Hmm..that does sound a bit uncomfortable. I guess I'll have to experience it for myself.