Bowling and I have never truly agreed. I once won a trophy for the most gutter balls in my group. Talk about trauma. But, happily, our experience close to home bowling in Richmond VA at Scott’s Addition’s new alley, River City Roll, had us BOTH wanting to go back for more.
From River City Roll’s amazing food to their distinctly cool retro vibe, we loved every second of our evening with this brand new RVA bowling staple, and we bet you will, too.
First impressions of boutique bowling in Richmond VA
Even as native Richmonders, we realized River City Roll isn’t the easiest to find. Imagine our surprise at finding that it’s located right across the street from one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, En Su Boca! Facing away from the street clearly makes it pretty well-camouflaged.
The first thing we noticed when we turned into the parking lot had to be the amazing indoor-outdoor bar. Complete with bowling pins and old-fashioned lightbulbs, the retro feel of this place is immediately… STRIKING… get it?!
Ahem, anyway. When we walked in, both ladies manning the front desk greeted us brightly, and gave us a quick tour of the alley and its offerings. We got to see the other side of the bar, both sets of bowling lanes (complete with retro leather couches and colorful backlighting), and what we can only imagine to be an amazing gathering area on a weekend night. So far, very different from any other time we’ve gone bowling in Richmond VA.
Behind one set of lanes, you’ll find tabletop shuffleboard games, as well as several ski ball lanes, so you can use your hand-eye coordination however you see fit. And finally, we got to take a seat in River City Roll’s special event room. Perhaps coolest about this space is that it feels like it’s right in the center of the pin-scattering action; but, if you need quiet, you can simply pull down an insulated industrial garage door and nearly hear a pin drop.
Boyfriend Perspective: The contrast after closing that door – man, you’ll have quiet to SPARE… oh man. Bowling puns don’t get old. And I can’t even blame it on the delicious cocktails I was drinking.
Not JUST bowling in Richmond VA: River City Roll’s amazing menu
Going in, we had no idea that the chef working his wizardry in River City Roll’s kitchens also used to make magic at Le Mer, Richmond’s premier luxury restaurant located in the prestigious Jefferson Hotel. And make no mistake, this man brings every ounce of that culinary mastery to RCR, too.
Ordering from their summer menu – note, it changes seasonally! – we started off with dishes of seasoned cashews and crispy chickpeas. Now, even though the cashews were tasty, they were ultimately neglected in favor of crispy chickpea CRACK. Y’all don’t even know how good chickpeas can be!
If you’re looking for appetizers, go for the Meatballs (according to Luke), or the P.E.I. Mussels. For mains, we can enthusiastically recommend the Butterhead Lettuce With Chicken salad (which is far heartier than it sounds), and the Anchor pizza. Not that you can go wrong with any of their pizzas, but the Anchor’s truffle bechamel really sets it apart. And for dessert, don’t you DARE miss the churros. Eschewing tradition, they’re sweet, herby, spicy, nugget-sized churro bites that are still making my mouth water.
Boyfriend Perspective: Crap, I just drooled on the keyboard. Their menu is really on a…. roll. Seriously, though, the meatballs have several kinds of meat in them and they’re insanely good. As are the churros. And the salad. Now I’m hungry.
Our perfect RVA date night bowling at River City Roll
Once we finished eating, we waddled off to the lane we’d reserved to bowl a few frames.
Boyfriend Perspective: Anywhere else I’ve bowled, you pay by the game, not by time. But at RCR, your lane reservation is by the hour, so keep an eye on the clock!
While we’re used to the less-than-dignified experience of carrying our shoes from the front desk to our lane, ours came in a pretty snazzy metal basket. If the food and the environment hadn’t already tipped you off, this isn’t your typical RVA date night, or your typical experience bowling in Richmond VA. You’ll realize this as you sit on the retro leather couches to put on your retro-styled bowling shoes.
Boyfriend Perspective: Those couches are NICE. I may be in the market for one for my cave… 😛
While there are screens above the lanes for scorekeeping, there are also podiums next to the ball returns where you can take a picture of each player in the game, and keep track of all your information.
Boyfriend Perspective: This place is super clean, and there’s an assortment of balls waiting for you when you get to the lane. The music also had a super nostalgic feel for older Millennials and Gen Xers – very 90s/early 2000s. We weren’t the only ones getting a head bob on…
Finally, the moment of truth: would Meagan make a fool of herself at a bowling alley AGAIN?
Spoiler: NO! In fact, River City Roll is now a landmark for us, because this was the first time I have EVER bowled either a strike or a spare… in. my. life. I took pictures of that score card, y’all, no doubt. And Luke was happy that I stopped being so neurotic 😉
Practical information for boutique bowling in Richmond VA at River City Roll
- Address: 939 Myers Street, Richmond, VA 23230
- River City Roll hours:
- Mon – Wed: 5 p.m. to Midnight
- Thurs – Fri: 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- Sat: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- Sun: 11 a.m. to Midnight
- Age limit: 21+ after 5pm
- Rates: $25-$35 per hour/per lane, depending on day of week; shoes are $4.50/pair
- River City Roll menu (note: the menu refreshes seasonally, so if you haven’t visited in awhile, be prepared for change!)
Have you bowled in Richmond VA at River City Roll yet? Tell us about your experience below!
And don’t forget to pin… so you don’t forget… yeah 😉
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