Bryant-Lake Bowl

{{Short description|Bowling alley, restaurant, bar, and theatre in Minnesota}}

{{Notability|date=February 2021}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox venue

| name = Bryant-Lake Bowl

| nickname =

| image = BryantLake.JPG

| image_caption = Bowling lanes at Bryant-Lake

| address = 810 West Lake St.

| location = Minneapolis, Minnesota

| coordinates = {{Coord|44|56|54.72|N|93|17|24.52|W|type:landmark|display=title}}

| type = Restaurant, theater, and bowling alley

| genre =

| built =

| opened = 1936

| renovated =

| expanded =

| closed =

| demolished =

| owner =

| construction_cost =

| former_names =

| seating_type =

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| website = {{URL|bryantlakebowl.com}}

}}

Bryant-Lake Bowl, locally nicknamed BLB, is a bowling alley, restaurant, bar, and 90-seat theatre in Uptown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Best known for its evening entertainment and Cheap Date Night specials (two meals, drinks, and a round of bowling for $28) BLB is also a reliable brunch stop. The theatre is a venue for cabaret and wide variety of other stage productions. It is a host of the annual Minnesota Fringe Festival.

Originally a garage, the building was converted into a bowling alley in 1936. In 1959, Minnesota bowling champion Bill Drouches bought the bowling alley. Kim Bartmann bought the business in 1993, restoring the building, opening a restaurant, and converting the game room into a 90-seat theatre. In 2018, Bryant-Lake Bowl was sold by Bartmann to longtime employee Erica Gilbert.{{cite web |url= https://www.bryantlakebowl.com/about |title= About Us |author= |date= |website= bryantlakebowl.com |publisher= |access-date= 11 May 2021}}{{Citation |last = Nelson |first = Rick |title = Bryant-Lake Bowl, a Lyn-Lake landmark, is changing hands |newspaper = Star Tribune |location = Minneapolis |date = 24 October 2018 |url = https://www.startribune.com/bryant-lake-bowl-a-lyn-lake-landmark-is-changing-hands/498321721/}}

Bryant-Lake Bowl was featured in a 2008 episode of Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, hosted by Guy Fieri.{{cite web |url= https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/diners-drive-ins-and-dives/episodes/totally-unexpected |title= Totally Unexpected |author= |date= |website= |publisher= Food Network |access-date= 11 May 2021}} It has also been credited as inspiring the name of the band Lake Street Dive.{{Cite web |last=Tribune |first=Jon Bream Star |title=Lake Street Dive singer will bring her 'quieter' band to Minneapolis |url=https://www.startribune.com/lake-street-dive-rachael-price-rachael-vilray-mcduck-minneapolis-dakota-new-england-conservatory/600343110/ |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=Star Tribune}}

In 2004, Bryant-Lake Bowl hosted the signing ceremony for a city ordinance making Minneapolis restaurants and bars free of tobacco smoke.{{Citation |last = Crisp |first = Lacey |title = Minneapolis OKs smoking ban |newspaper = The Minnesota Daily |location = Minneapolis and St. Paul |date = 28 July 2004 |url = https://mndaily.com/201766/news/metro-state/minneapolis-oks-smoking-ban/}} In 2021, Bryant-Lake Bowl released an 87 second promotional video called Right Up Our Alley, made in one continuous shot by drone operator Jay Christensen, which went viral and garnered praise from several critics.{{Citation |last = Ives |first = Mike |title = A Drone Went Bowling. Hollywood Noticed. |newspaper = The New York Times |location = New York |date = 11 March 2021 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/11/us/drone-bowling-alley.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes}}

The bar's theater hosts regular shows by theater companies and musicians. Several live albums have been recorded there, including Dan Wilson's 1998 Dan Wilson Live @ Bryant Lake Bowl,{{cite web |url=https://danwilsonmusic.com/music/album/dan-wilson-live-bryant-lake-bowl/ |title=Dan Wilson Live @ Bryant Lake Bowl |last= |first= |date= |website=Dan Wilson |publisher= |access-date=2025-04-18}} Oddjobs' Live! at the Bryant-Lake Bowl, 17–18 August 2001,{{cite web|url= https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-bryant-lake-bowl-mw0000989578 |title= Live at the Bryant Lake Bowl - Oddjobs |work=Allmusic |first=Stanton |last=Swihart |accessdate=2023-05-29}} and Koerner, Ray & Glover's 1996 album One Foot in the Groove.{{Cite AV media notes |title=One Foot In The Groove |title-link= |last=Trehus |first=Mark |author-link= |first2= |last2= |author-link2= |url= |date=1996 |others=Koerner, Ray & Glover |access-date= |chapter= |page= |pages= |at= |type= |publisher= |id= |location= |ref=}}