We've got the opinions of people who used the services of White Oak Bowling Lanes (Bowling Alley) in the state of Maryland.
Nowadays the business receives a score of 4.3 over 5 and that score is based on 195 reviews.
As you can see it has an average rating is positive, and it's based on a high number of scores, so we can think that the evaluation is quite credible. If people have bothered to value when they are pleased with the business, it works.
As you know, we do not usually bother to place reviews when these are good and we usually do it only if we have had a problem or incidence...
This Bowling Alley is included in the category of Bowling alley.
Good food, good prices, good service.
Old school charm beats the overcrowded but modern chain entertainment place. This place is simply fun. Bowling with duck pins is a great activity for kids of all ages, the place is well maintained and operated, decent options at the cafe.
First time going 'duck bowling'. It was a fun time! Nice way to spend an afternoon with the family
Not always crowded Quiet on weekdays.
Good prices, friendly service, not the most aesthetically pleasing. Remember it's only duck pin, not ten pen bowling.
Rather play bowling video games than go to this shi*** place
It is downstairs. Friendly staff. Duckpins only.
It ok.
Great staff! Vintage style
Great place to play Duckpin, there aren't many bowling places around so it's nice to have one nearby. Food is alright, I've always thought they had pretty good fries. Staff is friendly and if you go there enough they'll know you. Bowling is a social activity so bring your friends. If you go before 5PM you can bowl for a lot cheaper.
If you're looking for a regular bowling, this isn't it. If you're looking for duck pin or trying to learn a new game, come here! Cheap beer, amazing curly fries and chicken tenders. Come and play!
Ridiculous. They said it was bowling but it was not. It was weird and not much fun. Tiny pins, tiny balls. Waste of time.
Let me break this down World class: 1. Staff that CARES! 2. Big enough to feel legit, small enough not to attract crowds. 3. Game nights like all other bowling lanes. 4. Kid friendly. I have been bowling for many years, and I don't think I've ever had as much fun as being able to take that little bitty cannonball in sin that thing down range like a sniper. As a kid I had a hard time managing grownups bowling balls. But my son who is 10 and small for his age can match my score because he can actually get his hand around the ball. The staff is very friendly and does whatever it takes to make sure that you have a really good time. The guy that said this place was "stuck in the past" , yes, it is stuck in the past, and I like it that way. As far as rates are concerned, remember that you live in Silver Spring Maryland, two miles from Washington DC, we pay high rent for our houses, they are paying very high rent for their commercial building as well. That is why it is 2 or $3 more than normal. But it is absolutely worth it to have kids that actually enjoy coming back and bowling because they can actually accrue a score. The people that typically go there are good people, not a lot of Riff Raff, and typically has a great margin of people. I even know a few NASA guys that only bowl at this facility because they love the environment. Give it a shot, it's old, it's a little bit dirty, but it's exactly what I wanted period I should not have to dress up nice to go bowling. So I will do my bowling at duckpin bowling. And that's just how it's going to be.
Could use some updates. However, we had plenty of fun duckpin bowling. Also, we were impressed by the long list of options on their menu.
Duckpin makes you realize how much fun you can have without your phone. Anybody can do it! That, and how far we've come with gaming.
It was my first time at White Oak Bowling Lanes and I had a lot of fun.The facility itself does look like its from the 60's and the food was exactly what you'd expect. If you're looking for a fun idea for a kids birthday party - this is definitely the place to go.
Nice staffs very friendly
One of the best place to bowl duckpins! Always a pleasure to bowl here.
Love this place! Family owned and run. Well-maintained and fun for the whole family.
Needs more visitors, better food, but the guys at the counter were nice.
There are not many duckpin bowling alleys left, but the smaller balls are great for kids. My 4-year old was able to play a complete game, which would not have been possible with ten-pin bowling. White Oak Lanes is a family friendly place. They are old school - be prepared to manually score your games using paper and pencil, and each lane has a "Deadwood" and "Reset" button to clear fallen pins and start a new frame. Watch little fingers on the ball return. This place is a great indoor activity for children. There are also arcade games.
Been going here for over twenty years and love the duck pins alley, now my kids enjoy them too. Family friendly, has Saturday night bowling also with fun lights and music.
So, many may be surprised to know there are three different games of bowling in the U.S. 10-pin (the most common, tall and fat pins, with bowling balls where fingers are inserted), duckpin (short, fat pins, where the ball has no holes and is the size of a grape fruit), and candlepin (tall skinny pins, and the same grapefruit sized ball with no holes). Duckpin bowling is prevalent in Maryland, whereas candlepin bowling is centralized in the New England states, predominantly Massachusetts (Worcester, MA is where candlepin bowling originated). As an avid 10-pin bowler, I definitely enjoy a change of pace. This was my first time bowling duckpin bowling (I have played candlepin several times). I was quite impressed with this facility. Keep in mind, as this type of bowling is a very niche sport/market, its a time-warp back to the 50's. The staff is very friendly, and will explain the sport to you in detail. The beer is cold, and, although I didn't have any of the "standard pub food", it looked great from what I saw other customers eating. I have been back several times to enjoy this unique game of bowling. If you're up for a new challenge or a nostalgic night out, I definitely recommend this place. Can't wait to go again.
Very low tech (ie manual scoring), but friendly customer service, moderately priced (about $15 per person to bowl two games) and overall a good experience.
Duckpin bowling in the basement! A true Maryland sport, this is one of the last places that offers it.
Might be a bit dated but the staff is on-point and prices are certainly better than any other bowling alley. I've you've got a kid and are looking for duckpin, this should be your first and only choice. Also a great spot if, like me, you've got a bad back but still enjoy bowling then give this place a shot!
Had a great time still the same as it was when I was a kid 20 years ago
Very cute little spot. Very outdated though. Everything is manually done by hand unlike most other bowling alleys. But me and my fiance liked that so it worked for us
It was a great experience, the equipment is a little old and stutters a bit, but the staff is quick to fix any issues. I will definitely be back.
What a great place! Everyone was so nice and the price was amazing! We will be back.
Awesome time. Duckpin bowling circa the 1970s. Friendly staff. Not fancy, but extremely fun.
my friend just got 2 rubber ducks in the claw machine :^)
An oldie but a goodie
Step back in time and enjoy the Duck pin. Typical draft beer bowling alley pizza hot dogs and half smokes. Reasonable prices fun outings for the kids.
This duck pin bowling alley is a great place to come and experience "Duck Pin" bowling at its finest. The atmosphere is classic, and mid friendly. It is a fun place to have birthday parties, and adult beverages are in tap at the counter.
I have been to White Oak at least 10 times. It's an older small ball bowling alley. No automated scoring and everything is on the aged side. The front desk is very friendly (great for kids parties) and pricing is reasonable. Family of four on a Saturday afternoon for one hour was 48 bucks.
Love this spot! Been coming for years and I love the fact that it's a mom and pop operation. Awesome people, great and unpretentious atmosphere. They have food (funnel cake anyone?), drinks and even video games
Great for the kids! Friendly service.
The staff are friendly and helpful, if a bit overworked. I came with three children, 6 and under, and the 30 minute wait for a lane wasn't too hard for them thanks to all the distracting activities. The operation of the lane, once we got there, would have benefitted from additional instruction, and it seemed we had to constantly press the reset button. This ultimately became an asset because it meant each child had a kickoff ritual before they started their turn, but I could see it getting annoying with a more focused group of players.
We enjoyed bowling here. Definitely a step back into the past. Manual scoring with a pencil. Cool ball returns. Very courteous staff. Decent food. Good bacon cheeseburgers.
Great bowling alley!
Awesome duckpin alley. Old school paper scoring which is so much faster and fun.
The staff is great! They made learning a new game a lot of fun. Highly recommended!
If you like duckpin bowling this is a great place. Folks are nice and it is a fun time.
Kids loved the duck pin bowling! We had to keep score with pencil and paper and it was very expensive and pretty run down. The gentleman that worked there was very nice and we had fun!
Throw back fun. Worth checking out.
Super friendly staff and, I'm being serious here--REALLY good pizza!!!
Old school, which is nice or not depending on your perspective, but kids had lots of fun.
Love this place and love the staff there.
First time ever duckpin bowling. Very nice place and super friendly staff. Highly recommend if you're in the area.
Really great place to go duckpin bowling, the closest bowling alley (regular or duckpin) to Downtown Silver Spring. Their prices are good and they usually always have lanes unless it's a league night. Best night to go is Saturdays for cosmic bowling. Unlimited bowling and shoe rental for a great price. Their leagues are also really great offering many options throughout the week for every level and age group.
Fun and inexpensive. Have not been here in a couple of years though; may have changed.
my little one love it. we don't keep score we just throw the balls. We had a birthday party there for 19 kids, so the party room as a bit crowded, kids could sit but parents had to wait outside. We would definitely do it again as they had a lot of fun.
Great time. Pay by hour or by game. Lots of fun
We called and the said its $30 per lane for an hour. We got there before 10pm saterday night and all of a sudden it's $17 per person! They weren't nice about it and weren't understanding.
Great place to play Duckpins.
So I am sitting here in the parking lot of this duckpin lanes. Advice for anyone planning on attending this location: my experience initially was walking in and me and my daughter being greeted by the younger lady at the register who was very helpful and immediately seated me. I went to get food and passed the older lady who seemed to be scraping tape from the floor which is no problem, me and my baby can hang with the best of them. I got my food and went back to my seat, the reason she was scrapong the tape up was to resecure the carpets black trim with what must have been industrial adhesive because me and my daughter had to stop eating because the fumes from the adhesive became a nuisance. I would expect to be asked if i would have liked to change my location if they were going to be doing renovations. Even after this i continued to play, after the fumes dissipated we finished our snacks. My daughter finished before me and returned bowling, because at this point she had a good idea how to rerack and everything. So one of the balls got stuck in the gutter which noone came over to help any of the 4 times this happened, and after seeing me clear the gutter myself, my daughter decided to give it a try. I immediately tried to stop here when i notoced but the older lady who had been adhering the floor decided rather than ask me to get my daughter she ran down to my daughter, gripped her under her arm pits to walk her back up. I was ritw behind the lady, after she scared my daughter and made her cry i immediately took my daughter from her to calm her down. I payed for my session and then spoke to the manager. He however was very helpful, offered me a refund, tried to give me coupons for future sessions, and anything a good manager would do, how ever after dealing with the staff i have no intention of returning to this location for duck pins. How ever the food prices were reasonable.
Great place for playing with the kids, small bowling balls, they enjoyed it. staff was very nice as well.
This bowling alley needs a makeover. No frills is an understatement. Same equipment as when I took my boys here for league bowling in the 90s. Don't mind spending money but won't b back until they're renovated.
We had lots of fun duckpin bowling with our grandson. Also we had great snack food such as freshly prepared burgers, onion rings and French fries.
This place is over priced, and is stuck in the past.
Use to bowl all the time as a kid with the arcade too!
Wonderful.
Love duckpin bowling at White Oak.
Very fun. Good food but bring your own ball
This is a fun place. Old school for sure. Duck pin bowling us a lot harder than regular ten pin bowling. This is a wonderful place to go with kids since they can manage the smaller balls so much easier. It's also a low key, fun place.
Cool little bowling alley, real cozy!
It was super fun and cheap. Plus we won a free game.We love it!
We had an aweful experience. First the place stunk like sewage. Then the claw machine took my sons dollar without giving him a turn. They would not reimburse us because he had checked the other machines to see if there was loose change around - calling him mischievous. Another reason given was "he already won one already anyways."
Wow so much fun!
Decent place in a great location. Honestly this place is super old looking and feeling but it's a really fun time. I would have rated lower on that basis alone but the staff was great, prices are really fair, and it was a very good time! Oh! Despite being really old they DO accept mobile pay!!!
You know, I just love this place. It's fun. It's relaxing. The staff are professional but not overly serious. It's seriously charming (the old school gravity return is awesome). It's communal. Don't second guess the location (either the strip mall or being underground). Do your self a favor and go with friends or family, have a beer, and find some true relaxation)
Love this place. Not your typical bowling alley. They use the old school duckpins. Lots of fun with friends or the family! Surprisingly their food is pretty good too. Great pizza! The staff is friendly. Definitely reccomend this place!
Lots of fun, without any electronic distractions. Good old fashioned bowling.
I had the best time here at White Oak Bowling Lanes. Their snacks and pizza are so delicious and even better when you get to have comfortable and well placed seating, so you are not cramped inside. Very socially-oriented, and they always perform higher than the expectation; going above and beyond by always having perfect service, free of careless mistakes. Welcoming anyone no matter the experience, whether you are beginner, intermediate, or an expert at bowling, they will keep the place tidy and quickly fix any issues, because they care for their customers needs and wants. VERY friendly employees!
A piece of Mid-Atlantic nostalgia. This pearl is hidden in the basement under a modern day shopping strip. As you walk down the stairs, you feel like you have walked into a time warp... old school bowling lanes with old school furniture to match. Manual scoring adds to the experience (pay attention, Bucky, your competition might be working the numbers!). -Even the pricing of beer is reflective of times past (comparative to the modern DC beer prices -i.e. you're not going to get a Schlitz for a a dime). The staff is friendly and offer to explain how duckpin played and scored. If you live in the area or are just passing through, duckpin bowling should be on on your list and White Oaks is just the place to do it.
This place is so fun and great for younger bowlers that have a hard time holding a 6lb ball.
Great date night or family fun night
Partner mina loves marks.
Great duck pin bowling alley with full snack bar. Great fun for the whole family.
Best customer service..best food. Best staff
Went there with 4 kids. Had lots of fun as balls are kids friendly, so much so, that my 3 yr old wanted to ball all the time.
I was about to pay but then realized I had to keep score on a sheet. They do not have computerized lanes to keep score for you. What a let down!
Still looks like it did 40 years ago. Jukebox and retro games a nice touch. Duckpins always a treat for those of us living in TX - my 11 year old son wanted to keep bowling.
Best place to take small kids for there birthday
The staff are super nice. The food is tasty - so sad the new owner got rid of the funnel cake- hence 4 stars. Great for a nice family bowling night. Highly recommend!
It's the only duckpin bowling around. The staff is friendly and they have a fun New Year's Eve Cosmic Bowling party.
Duckpin bowling!
Staff is the greatest! This is a 1950's venue with no pretensions, but lots of character. There aren't many duckpin bowling venues left, so do yourself a favor and go there soon, get a beer and a philly cheese steak (they're good!), and bowl a set.
This is the best duckpins place around. The staff are friendly, helpful, and obviously work there because they love the game. And the equipment is well-maintained too. Not only that, but they have a classic atmosphere. You don't feel like you need to look like a pro to fit in. It's friendly to beginners, and just plain friendly all the way around. Love this place. It is absolutely THE BEST. You have to keep score on sheets, yes. Because they haven't made the machines for duckpins in over 50 years. Sorry they didn't have computerized bowling in 1958... guess you'll have to do extremely simple math in your head.
Very cheap and fun
Old school duck pin bowling. Could use some updating.
Duck pin bowling is amazing, we love going here with our young son.
I have been to White Oak Duckpin Lanes a lot of times i encourage everyone to go the people are nice there it's just a good atmosphere at White Oak Duckpin Lanes
Not very clean.....
I recently got together with a bunch of co-workers for duckpin bowling at White Oak Lanes. We reserved three lanes on Saturday afternoon, we all met up, got our shoes and instructions and had a blast. The staff was very accomodating, taking everyones individual food and drink orders, retail purchases, etc into a single tab that we paid at the end of the night. I was new to duckpin and found it much more flexible in play and generally more fun! The place is very retro, think hand scoring and orange seating. We loved it.
Friendly service. Great for families.
good place to have fun with the kids.
I can only play duckpin bowling when I'm on vacation (I live 8+ hours west of these lanes). Whenever I find one I will go check it out. Pros: Well kept alleys and facility. The people working there might have been the friendliest I ran across while in Maryland. I get the feeling if I was local they'd have had me in a league before I knew what was happening. Lots of families and kids. This is the busiest I've ever seen a duckpin alley. Cons: I drove by it twice as the navigation in my car kept telling me "It's right there you idiot!" And it was. It's in part of a shopping center and looks like it's a small store until you walk in and realize the doorway opens onto stairs which take you down to the basement where the alleys are located. A little hard to find, but worth finding.
Duckpin is a fun variant on bowling. Facilities are old and dirty, but I definitely recommend it.
It is very clean and interesting for everyone who like bowling. Go this please and enjoy your time
I normally don't complete ratings, but the representative Cynthia N. From the white Oak Tmobile store just went above and beyond to provide excellent customer service to me. I was so angry when I walked in the store regarding my phone not working but I was happy when I got out. She was very courteous and professional. I worked in customer service department for 16 years and that's what customer service looks like.
First time duckpin bowling. It was fun, but the facility felt outdated.
This place was adorable. Very vintage.