Reviews of Bolos Kitchen, Cantina & Candlepin (Bowling Alley)

Anne Malenfant

Great little place, took lessons there as a kid and now take my kids. Very basic, but what more do you need for bowling? they have a ramp for little kids, lots of food choices, and it is cheap!

Alice Bean Andrenyak

Where else can you Candlepin bowl and dine on great fresh locally sourced Mexican food? Rent lanes for an hour or longer. 4 can get in 2 games and drink and eat munchies if you wish. Afterward or before have a true fresh Mexican meal that caters to omnivores, vegetarians, vegans, celiac/gluten intolerances and special requests. It is noisy in the eating areas so don't expect easy conversation.

Jason Hall

Small, quaint, fun. Great customer service, a little tight and hidden.

Clayton & Cindy Putnam

A casual Tex-Mex cafe with 4 candlestick bowling lanes, in downtown Brunswick, Maine. (On Dunlap Street, I believe) So glad new owners renovated this "throw-back" bowling establishment. They reduced the number of lanes, and added side high top bar tables and chairs along the left side, so you can watch friends and families bowl together. The menu offers up most of the usual Tex-Mex foods we all know & love. The quality of my grilled chicken topped Nacho plate was very good. Our grandson devoured his tacos, while my wife enjoyed her quesadilla. Unfortunately my candlestick bowling skills are rather rusty, but our Grandson enjoyed smacking around the pins. Ah, the nostalgia recalling my younger bowling years . . . Great lunch place with kids & grandkids , or a dinner place with friends for a beer or glass of wine, talking about the "good old days" . . . and for fun, lace on your bowling shoes!

random name

Simply incredibly. The corn fritters/chicken burrito/corn, potato & jalapeno chowder are all to die for. The chowder was indefinitely my favorite. This is the only restaurant that has left me at a loss for words, it's beyond amazing. Even though it's part bowling place the food is that of a five star place. I cant recommend it enough

EZEvans1

A group of us go out each Friday to a local restaurant and this in now on our permanent rotation! We went on the opening weekend and all agreed on a great experience. The Tex Mex is very well done, the staff catered to our needs, the atmosphere is a nice and casual. The early 1900's candlepin bowling is a nice nostalgic element. Do it!

James Nall

Good food, good service, good atmosphere.

Dave White

Good was bland. Waitress didn't seem to care.

Jake Reed

Fun atmosphere and great staff!

Heather Bartlett

Good for a late night snack with friends, drinks are delicious. I've only been after 11pm so I can't comment on what the earlier crowd is like but it was a chill vibe there when we went on a Friday night.

Jamie Wall

Fun place to go. Family friendly bowling. Great food and drinks.

Crystal Tibbetts

This place was a lot of fun.The service was very good and the pineapple fig margarita was delicious. The atmosphere was cool and kitschy. I will say it has the best food of any bowling alley I've been to, but in terms of Mexican fare it left a bit to be desired. The pork belly taco special was good, but the steak was over cooked and dry. I think they'd benefit a lot if they introduced some cotija cheese and some crema to their menu. Will definitely go back, and where they're still pretty new it could definitely have been some kinks they'll work out.

Marji Moser

My first visit to Bolos last night!!!! I enjoyed the atmosphere of the place, right off! Saw friends I know, they were enjoying a family night out. The staff, is as friendly as can be!!!!! The barmaid gave me her feedback on their Nachos (which I have tast-tested all around Brunswick) I asked my questions, she explained thorough all that I wanted to know. I must say.....these Nachos were pretty darn GOOD !!! YUMMY!!! I also ordered their Tres Leche cake(a sweet cream/milk soaked cake w/whipped cream and blueberries) another GREAT score! All in all, I will definitely recommend to ALL of Brunswick, to go to Bolos; GREAT atmosphere and GREAT food !!!

Jeff N Wendy Audet

Great beans

Lisa Lane

Loved the retro feel of the bowling lanes. The waitress that brought our drinks also waited on our table after our time in the lanes was up( we booked an hour). The reservation of lanes and dinner was seamless. The cost of bowling shoe rental and all of it was in our final tab. So convenient and easy. The shoe rental attendant,the hostess and the waitress were accommodating ,cheerful and knowledgeable about all things Bolos. We were so impressed with our waitress,Emily,who mentioned that she is a native of Brunswick and had grown up bowling in these lanes! I would love to see her trophies. I hope she was too busy to see all my gutter balls! The atmosphere is that of a bowling alley,so go to have fun not quiet. The food is terrific!

Ashlie Richardson

Good Mexican food.

Eugene Dietrich

The candlepin bowling is very challenging. Dank burritos, great drinks, and a whole bunch of tequila.

Ed Li

Great New England bowling

adam toothaker

This place is a hidden jewel in Brunswick! The candlepin bowling is really fun and the food is good and surprisingly fresh. I just ate best chimichanga I've had since I lived in Southern California! Highly recommend.

Daniel Rios

The food is good.. they need to expand

Brandon Riordan

Huge bar , bowling and delicious food to boot!

Molly Berberich

Best Mexican food in town, period.

Martin Murphy

Food is good and reasonable but you might slide off them tall chairs. I'd go again.

Susan deMaine

Really enjoyed. Food was good and it was fun to watch others bowl.

Steve Dolinsky

Awesome! Couldn't believe how they transformed the original bowling alley into such a cool place. Love how they kept a lot of original details. Had a blast with the family.... And the food was delicious....as well as the craft beers..... We look forward to coming back. Wish we had something like this in New York.

Bobby McInnis

Let's go bowling dude

Sam Kamin

So much fun and great food!

Ashley Fox

Was very fun! Drinks were good. Not too crowded

Jeff Drumm

Shared some nachos and had a couple of beers one Saturday afternoon late Winter. Although a nice day, the place was fairly active with bowlers and the noise level was high. Beer selection was quite good with many local brews but the nachos could have used more cheese and spent more time under the broiler. The guacamole was very good, though. The interior was utilitarian but pleasant; definitely a step up from the average bowling alley. Seems to be a good place for a quick bite and some family fun time.

Alicia Lavoie

What a great place! I was looking for a place to take my son on a rainy day while camping. So glad we found this place!

Nathan Skillings

Good atmosphere and vibe. An interesting change of pace from the typical Brunswick feel.

Scott Rizzo

Bolos is a great spot in Brunswick! A craft beer haven with good Mexican food.

Sylvanus Polky

Very good food and a great place to bowl we had a great time

Jacki Carr

What a cool place! I'm a fan of Tex-Mex, craft beer and candlepin bowling anyway, so putting all three together is a sure winner. The beer selection is fantastic, the food is delicious (and locally sourced!) and the service is excellent. We enjoyed chatting with the owner and trying homemade hot sauces. Fun, laid back but interesting atmosphere. I'll be back, and I would recommend you visit Bolos, too!

Charlene Marie Roberts

Delicious food and margaritas. Always a pleasant staff and familiar faces.

Kirk Desjardins

Pricey but good

James HUNTER

We had a lot of fun.Candlepins are so much fun.

cheryl zahares

Food was amazing! Great vibe!

Reed Copsey

Great food and a new kind of kid friendly bowling...what's not to love? This was new for me and my 15 year old daughter, but not for my older son and his wife and my two grandsons. Very good, reasonably priced Mexican food that we all enjoyed was topped off with an extremely exciting game of candlepin bowling. My 6 year old grandson was the star with a sliding-into-homeplate style that was very effective. I would defy scrooge to not smile and cheer.

Matthew Carr

Good food, great beer selection. Laid back, nice interior, fun spot.

Thom Otter

Super disappointed. I ordered a steak burrito with a side of guac and the jalapeno poppers, sadly none of it was very good which was a huge bummer as I so looking forward to it. My burrito was not made the way I ordered it and the steak was so overdone it was dry and the beans so underdone they were still hard. I requested for guac on my burrito, they gave me a side, which was about 2oz and cost me $4. Sadly the poppers tasted like the oil used to cook them was very old. They had a soggy, mealy texture to them and the cheese was bland. The service wasn't fantastic, as it seemed like they were busy when I called in my order. I was passed between a few folks before I could even get the order in. However, when I arrived in 15 minutes, the place was mostly empty. Yeah, it could have cleared out, but honestly I probably won't try them again. I'll save my $30 for sushi.

Gabriel McKusick

Super cool little candlepin bowling alley and Mexican restaurant. If you're in Brunswick and you want to have fun, good food, and great drinks, I definitely recommend Bolos. Home of the World's greatest, sassy, and fabulous Bartender! Come see Wendi and tip her well, you will want or wait for nothing!

Katherine

Best place downtown to watch men's gymnastics!

Tracy Ward

Cute place for candle pin bowling, a fun lunch, and a drink!

John Morcaldi

We make 2 or 3 trips to Maine every year from Connecticut, and we always make it a point to stop in Brunswick to visit the Bowling Bowl. It's one of the few remaining candlepin bowling spots that I'm aware of. The proprietor is as friendly and accommodating as possible, and it's probably the most fun we have on our trip. It's worth a special trip to visit.

Sebastian

Food wasn't bad, but wouldn't say it was spectacular.

Anthony Poirier

Inexpensive family atmosphere!

Seamus McGrath

Excellent food, nice venue, and if you want, you can bowl!

Jason Prout

Fun atmosphere. Food is really good!

Lynda Young

Great

Andrew Woodring

Really fun place. Very old school feel. You keep score by hand. Staff were very friendly and helpful. They answered all first timer questions.

Justin L.

We went as a part of our date night and had a great time. Sounds of bowling and plenty of televisions keep it stimulating. The menu offers a cantina fare in which we choose the House Garden Salad for $6.00 And the Bolos Wedge for $8 both with creamy avocado dressing, And a filling for $6 each. Very satisfying

Marco Navarro

I enjoyed the atmosphere. Food was good. Try it!

Amy R

Great little place with wonderful food, friendly staff and a couple of lanes of candlepin bowling.

Amanda Edwards

Pricey but a good time

Myles LaBonte

Great food and good service. If you want to bowl, you should make a reservation ahead. They also have a good selection of beers on tap.

Molly Freighter

Great family fun!!

Soxna Dice

Nice family atmosphere with pretty good Mexican food, but very loud. The sound of the people bowling, combined with loud rock music playing and people trying to talk over the dinner was too much for me.

john gallagher

Very nice, good atmosphere, good food and beverage. Got to see some candlepin action. Friendly service, clean.

lshorette

Great food, great service, so happy they preserved the candle pin bowling! Taco Tuesday here I come!

Doreen

The concept of candlepin bowling and a cantina is great. Its not a place to go if you want to hear each other talk over the bowling and loud music or to bring your kids because of the bar atmosphere. Guacamole and chips were good. We had chicken enchiladas and a chimichanga. They were a little dry and could have used a little cheese like Cotoija or Oaxaca. The Bolos corn is a frozen corn on the cob with a sprinkle of dry rub. Chewy and tasteless. The Marguerita’s are made with fresh lime juice and a fairly nice silver tequila. Enjoyed. I would love to go back and give Bolos another try but the bar stools and all the other chairs, which are the same, are the most uncomfortable chairs I have ever sat on.

H McNabb

Old school candle pin bowling at its finest - local color & helpful friendly staff. The kids want to go everytime we visit family in Maine.

willnate35

Food was good. Nice friendly staff.

Kristen Phillips

Quaint and friendly with great food!

Jason Sirois

Ita a good place for food and bowling

Charles Jones

Food was okay. Service was, meh... No offense but service was lack luster and my bartender had two other patrons total at the bar out of 20+ empty seats, took my drink order and then took another 5 minutes to get my bottle of beer to me.

Tony Marshall

I Googled Mexican Restaurants this came up. Imagine my surprise when I saw the bowling alley! I ordered jalapeno peppers and Guac with corn chips, after I was assured they could take away the cilantro as I dont like it and a half and half ice tea all to go. There were 6 not hot peppers 3 cut in half with no filling just pepper. The guac was covered in...you guessed it cilantro! The ice tea was in a house cup so no to go there It cost $25 then a tip wont return.

Derek Morin

Bowled there every Saturday growing up. Loved it.

Solastro

Awesome time old style candlepin bowling. Cheap and fun

Toni Campbell

The atmosphere and history of this place is amazing and how they incorporated pieces of the "old" business into the "new" is thoughtful and fun. Great beer selection and the blueberry habanero salsa is superb! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because lane reservations are not yet offered online and they don't offer frozen margaritas.

Keith Norris

I come here at least once a week. There aren't many places left to enjoy candlepin bowling, but I'm glad the Bowling Bowl is so close by. The owner, Matt, is a real nice guy, and always takes the time to talk to his customers when given the chance. This is a great place to grab a beer, and roll a few games at a great price. Not once have I had a bad experience here, and I always look forward to dropping in!

Mikaila

This is a great place to go with friends/family. Everyone is super friendly and the food is delicious!

Ellen F Toomey

Had lunch there today, Monday afternoon after the Pats Super Bowl victory, and as expected the place was nearly empty. Nevertheless the barkeep came by several times to explain the menu, of which he was clearly proud for it’s tremendously local sourcing. Then one of two owners stopped by to ask how things were and charmingly described the idea to renovate the space, etc. The food was very well prepared and presented and I will definitely return. Margarita excellent!

B Swids

The staff there was wonderful! Attentive, conversational, on point. Had a blast.

Chad Rutledge

So fun