Lucky Strike In San Francisco

July 16th, 2012

I remember celebrating a milestone birthday with a group of friends at Lucky Strike in London a few years ago, so I was super excited to hear one had recently opened in San Francisco. My husband and I decided to check it out for an alternative date night. Doing a fun activity together would make a nice change from going to a restaurant.

Lucky Strike San Francisco bowling and bar

(Photo Credit: Lucky Strike)

Lucky Strike is a huge space with a glass facade on the corner of King Street and 3^rd Street, directly opposite the home of the San Francisco Giants. As you walk in the door, you are faced with a 40-foot bar where you can perch yourself with a drink and watch the game on their various flat screens or sit at their high tables and order from their classic American menu.

Lucky Strike’s corporate executive chef Bill Starbuck (whose catering credits includes the Grammys and the Pitt-Aniston wedding) prides himself on revolutionizing bowling cuisine by offering classic favorites with a twist. The choice includes truffle mac & cheese, grilled cheese sliders, soft pretzel dippers, sushi and even fondue to share with friends and family. I ordered the blue cheese sliders with pickles, which came in delicious, soft buns and were very tasty and filling. My husband ordered the crispy short rib tacos, which were very flavorful as they were braised in a special marinade for five hours.

(Photo Credit: Lucky Strike)

After our meal, it was time to get our surprisingly nice-looking bowling shoes on and hit the lanes. The San Francisco location has 12 state-of-the-art lanes lit up with neon lights and cool signage. Each lane has large leather couches for groups, next to pop art and iconic movie prints lining their exposed brick walls.

Lucky Strike supports the arts by offering local artists the unique opportunity to display their work on-line and in their locations nationwide. There is also a trivia gaming area and a fantastic black and white digital photo booth alongside dress-up props so you can get a cool memento of your evening out.

Lucky Strike is a fun venue option for group bookings such as a birthday, corporate or charity events, as there are several stylish private rooms for private parties. Their various party packages and professional event planners offer full service bar, catering, entertainment options and cutting edge audio visual systems.

When our children get older, this will be a great place to take them as a family, as there were plenty of children having a blast hanging out in groups and improving their bowling skills. Until then, we will enjoy visiting Lucky Strike for date night or future night outs with friends. We had forgotten how fun bowling can be!