Splitsville: Bowling in Arlington

It’s only fitting that Arlington, TX’s Highland lifestyle center is home to the fun and fabulous Splitsville Lanes- the newest thing in bowling experience. The International Bowling Hall of Fame and Museum is moving from St. Louis to Arlington. Splitsville is equal parts Rat Pack era martini bar, corporate retreat, and pin party.

http://www.splitsvillelanes.com/

We have blogged here about Pin-Up Bowl in St. Louis’ The Loop district, and The Corner Alley in downtown Cleveland, but Splitsville has locations in Tampa’s Channelside Bay Plaza, the eight floor in Miami’s The Shops at Sunset Place, and is coming to San Antonio and Dallas. What other attraction offers great lunch or dining, the world’s only outdoor bowling lane (Arlington, complete with full bar, plenty of plush seating, flat screen t.v. outdoors, and live music out there on Thursdays), lanes separately placed so groups of 700 and 200 can bowl and not even know the other is there, and a wait staff that is at once attentive and attractive? You’ll love the touches, all conceived by the owners (UNC-Chapel Hill guys) themselves from the ’60’s-to-90’s music, the menus with a cover logo that reads “7/10″, and flooring from vintage 1950’s bowling lanes. In Arlington, the generous banquette style love seats swing out to create more space (for viewers that remember “The Newlywed Game”, think of how the couples’ seats used to swing out to make room for host Bob Eubanks).

Planning a reunion, bachelor or bachelorette party, retirement or conference breakout activity? You can’t go wrong in friendly, trendy Splitsville. The Cuban Reuben sandwich meets Tampa standards, and Spicy Edamame, sushi, and French Fries With Chive Dip are also worth a shot. Whether you’re a crack bowler, or haven’t been since your teens, it’s a real hoot. I wish these guys well in any future locales they branch into.

This really brands Arlington as a sports capital- major league baseball’s Texas Rangers play here, as well as the Dallas Cowboys, in their jewel-like $1.15 billion new digs. Six Flags theme park is also a city feature. No wonder  Men’s Health magazine named Arlington America’s #1 sports city!

BCB