Of course, Lucky Strike Hollywood offers patrons an extremely posh bowling experience if they’re itching to plow down a few pins somewhere that’s actually cool. But, they are really more of a lounge style venue that gives people an intimate space to chat with friends, enjoy a gourmet burger and listen to some good tunes.

Walking into Lucky Strike Hollywood, all the intimate dim overhead lights, plush couches, and fashionable brick accent walls are almost enough to make you forget that there are bowling lanes there at all. Less of a bowling alley that offers drinks and food, Lucky Strike Hollywood is more like a hip sultry lounge that, along with its specialty mixed drinks and cuisine, also just happens to have a few bowling lanes in the back. Forget any idea you had of what a bowling alley should be. While you bowl, you won’t be sitting on hard plastic chairs in fluorescent lighting while you eat greasy food. Under their pleasantly diffused soft lighting, you’ll be dining on tasty hand crafted bites while you relax on leather benches, and sip a glass of wine or stir a mixed drink in between frames. Much like other places have pool tables (but aren’t pool halls), Lucky Strike has carved out a unique spot for itself in the Hollywood landscape, with bowling being a mere added bonus to all the other cool stuff going on inside its corner of the Hollywood and Highland Center. After having been around for over a decade, and having undergone a few facelifts along the way, Lucky Strike has now found the ultimate sweet spot in Angeleno culture. With their latest transformation (which will all be complete by March 2014), this venue has somehow managed to perfectly integrate all the aspects that make Hollywood a favorite neighborhood. Lucky Strike has got every type of Angeleno covered. They house modern, funky art shows, they are building a stage to get both rock and roll artists and DJs in to share their tunes, they’ve got sleek couches for lounging and chatting, they’re crafting an area to dance and check out the musical performers of the night, and they’ve still got the bowling and pool tables. No matter how diverse your group of friends is or how picky their taste, this local spot is the place to go this weekend.

Written By Darianne Doobie

Interesting Facts

Lucky Strike became what it is today after taking over Holly Star Lanes (the iconic old Hollywood bowling alley that was home to the cult classic, The Big Lebowski). Honoring its awesome heritage, Holly Star Lanes is still immortalized in Lucky Strike as

Tips

Being at the Hollywood and Highland center obviously means that street parking is an automatic no go. Save yourself the trouble and use the mall’s large garage. You can get your ticket validated for a lower fare, but beware - if you enter after 10pm you’ll be stuck with a $10 flat rate no matter what. So, come early or just suck it up and pay the piper.