Big Als

The waitress authorized payment using my debit card, brought the receipt for my signature and before I signed it someone ordered another menu item. The waitress provided me with the option to add the additional menu item to existing bill that I was about to sign for and I agreed. She then returned with a second receipt for my signature which I signed and included a tip. Two days later my bank checking account indicated that both the first receipt for $82.00 had been deducted from my checking account as well as the second receipt for $100.00. When I phoned Big Al's to inform them that the $82.00 amount was deducted in error they indicated that it did not show on their end that they deducted this amount therefore they would not refund the money. They also indicated that it should reverse from my account automatically. I phoned my bank to see if this would be the case and they verified, no, it has cleared my account. I phone Big AL's again and they still denied that they took out the $82.00. Still trying to resolve.

Big Al's has some tasty food and great games to play but it's too expensive. If you are just looking to go bowling with some friends, go to Crosly Lanes and save yourself some money.

Great food, great bowling, great billiards, (haven't tried their "championship shuffleboard table"), friendly bartenders/wait staff, and a below-average arcade. Try something other than burgers and fries if you eat here. They have ribs, steak, and other higher-end fare that is fantastic, and doesn't taste like something that came from a bowling-alley kitchen.

The waitstaff is always upbeat and don't seem like they're just pretending that they want to be there. The drinks (and I mean of the adult variety) are smaller and a little more expensive than I can get elsewhere, but sometimes it's worth it to know that if there's a game on TV that I want to watch, I will find it here.

The downside: The arcade is tiny, and mostly ticket-based games (you spend $3,000 to get enough tickets to claim a Nintendo Wii worth $189). They do have one pinball machine (my arcade weakness), but it is ill-maintained and therefore frustrating to play.