Discovery Ventura

I like Discovery Ventura. It has a modern & casual vibe. I like the chill ambiance. Its like a bowling alley for adults. Although I haven’t bowled yet myself, I will some time in the future. I come here mostly for the concerts especially reggae nights. Discovery has Great service, great food & a full bar.
Some reggae bands I’ve seen here:
Katchafire
Mystic Roots
The Oles
Hirie
And more. (Can’t remember, lol good times)
Good To Know:
–They have TV’s
–Full Bar
–Restaurant
–Bowling
–Shoe rental extra
–Happy Hour (weekdays)
–Dj’s during events & weekend nights
–Big Dance floor
–Good Music
–All ages welcome

We went to their gluten free night a few weeks ago and it was great! The food was amazing and safe! I have celiac disease and not a lot of options… so this was amazing! We had the gluten free fish and chips and they were delish! Would definitely recommend it and will return! Loved it!

AWESOME! Took my Dad and Husband for Father’s Day Brunch, great food and a very fresh variety. We liked that they also catered to kids. My dad was so happy with the experience there. We bowled right after brunch with my grandaughter, It was her first time and she loved it. Hands Down a favorite place for Sunday Brunch!

Points are for atmosphere.
The negatives come from the poor quality of the food and the poor service.
The wait staff and servers’ attitudes were kind and courteous, but unfortunately their abilities were not up to par.
My girlfriend and I ordered beers and appetizers. We waited 15 minutes and had to flag down an additional waitress in order to actually receive our drinks. Wouldn’t be a big deal, except we were the only other table that needed to be served in the whole bar and patio area.
The chips were stale and the salsa tasted like the worst salsa I could buy from the grocery store.
The carne asada fries were a huge mistake. The meat tasted like fried fat and gristle. After having some of the fries, we decided that we were just gonna pay the bill and leave ASAP.
After telling the waitress that the food wasn’t good and that we wanted to pay and leave, she said «Oh! I’ll tell the manager right away!» We waited another 10 minutes for the check and no update as to whether the manager cared at all that our experience at this place was terrible.
Would I come back?
–Not for the food.
–Not for the service.

I really wanted to give this place more stars but, just couldn’t put myself to do so. Since I moved, I really haven’t gone out in VA much so we were really excited to find that there was a bowling joint that’s not Buena Lanes. Considering its $ 5 per 30 min per lane (Fri and Sat $ 15 per 30 min) and $ 4 for shoes per person, it’s a steal compared to the more established Buena Lanes. I would have liked to reserve lanes but, it’s a first come first serve basis.
Bianca Noël, she gets 5/​5, the sales and marketing manager, was at the front desk when we walked in. She was very friendly, informative, and helpful as I let her know it was our (my brother over 21 and two younger cousins under 18) first time here. There was one lane left, score! Didn’t want to wait.
There’s was a spacious dining room as well as a roomy dance floor adjacent to their bowling lanes. Music and lights were pretty good for a bowling joint. I do think they need to reconsider the seating for bowling lanes, it is very cramped and needs dividers so something as well as extra seating. We were able to start our game right away but noticed some pins that were knocked down came back up for the second round. I’m guessing it’s because it’s not traditional bowling pin system, they are hooked up to cords to bring them back up. These pins also got stuck in the gutter multiple times. Happens about 3 times during our 1.5 hours stay but, staff was quick to fix it so it’s all good.
What I really didn’t appreciate was the ridiculously slow, unwarranted service. Bianca let us know servers would be at our table shortly for drink and food orders but, a server was nowhere to be found for more than 30 minutes after arriving. We just put our drink and food orders in at the bar because we were tired of waiting and didn’t expect anyone to come back. Finally, after ~40 minutes of playing and drinking, a server comes up asking for our order. I was kind of pissed and told him don’t worry about it, we made it happen ourselves. He noticed the disappointment in my voice and proceeded to tell me about how the servers were busy attending to a big party who ordered steaks… 1) I don’t appreciate you telling me you gave priority to some customers over others 2) I don’t care about your excuses because there was literally only 3 sit down dining parties, everyone was either at the bar or bowling. There is no valid excuse unless you are literally the only server working the place. Needless to say, we didn’t tip on the drinks or food we had to pick up and take to the table ourselves. Not sure who, but, someone comped a couple of our drinks for the trouble. Thank you for that, much appreciated. The bartender, also very nice and apologetic, didn’t seem like she knew how to work the register. At first, she said our entire bill was comped but, I made her double check because we were only aware of 2 drinks being taken off. Luckily, another bartender did find our tab, it was about 30 bucks for chicken nachos, a local strawberry, and beer.
Bianca luckily came over to check on us for a second time and I explained the situation. She agreed there is no excuse and that she’d be upset too. Unfortunately, she left before the night was over. That girl deserves a raise, she clearly puts in effort to make sure customers are happy.
But, I can’t say the same for the next on duty manager, Christian Espinoza. He was nice as well but, I didn’t appreciate almost getting charged for a different lane. I looked at the bill and said no way this is ours, as it was for 6 people and not 4. And then he looked at us and said really? Unless I was on LSD, thought I was Harry Potter, and conjured up 2 more people, then, it’s still a no. Then he proceeded to name off he people in the bowling lane he charged is for, Jose and Consuela. Not to be bitchy, but my brother and I are far from Jose and Consuela. I would have understood if it was Pooja and Raj because we are both clearly South Asian. He was a little surprised, not sure why, but, quickly refunded the previous bill and charged us for the proper lane.
The Discovery Place is a great concept, but service and management (not Bianca Noël because she is on it) need A LOT of work. I appreciate the efforts to rectify any wrongs but, doesn’t change the fact that service needs to be worked on. PLEASE have someone checking on your bowling customers on a regular basis!

This could be so much better! There is a solidly great idea here but there is room for improvement. I liked this so much more than the ultra upscale attempts made in San Diego. The open lanes with sofa seating and tables is great in concept, but the actual space for bowling is problematic. We were fortunate to be the only other lane so we moved the table but even the ball returns are too close to the lanes.
Fantastic drinks, I especially liked the King Pao mule. I liked the service style and the food menu looked really good (we had eaten elsewhere but I would come back even just for food).
What is absolutely unacceptable and did not get things off «on the right foot» quite literally was the shoe situation. There were only 1 shoe in each size and they were falling apart (holes in the toes, tounges missing, etc). I would have rather bowled in my bare feet than have worn those shoes. The sole of my left shoe had something sticky on it so I could not slide correctly, and if I tried to my big toe would end up coming out of the hole. If you only do one thing to improve the shoes would be the thing to pick. I’ve been in shitty bowling alleys where I don’t even want to use the bathroom and they had a better shoe situation.

Great venue and good food. Nice patio on sidewalk. You can see the bands from wherever you sit.

We got here at 3:00 today. Sat at a table until 3:15 so I went to the bar to get a drink. A waiter came to our table at 4:00. We ordered food, which was actually pretty good. At the same time, I ordered a drink, which came to the table via a manager 20 minutes later. Get your staff on point. This place could be 5 stars if someone paid attention.

We had a wonderful time at Discovery.
I won a office party happy hour and Bianca was very hospitable as well as all the staff.
We were so impressed by the generosity of Discovery.
We had a wonderful time eating our delicious food, drinking and bowling.
Definitely our new favorite place to gather!
We will be back.
Lisa W.

So disappointed with Discovery last night. We bought tickets for the Los Lonely Boys concert months ago. The day of the concert we receive a text stating the the concert will be delayed an hour. No problem I said. We arrived at 6:30 to have some drinks for a 8:15 start of the pre band which was one guy playing acoustic guitar and trying to sing. It was terrible. Thankfully he was done by 9. The Lonely Boys were to start at 9:15. No problem. They didn’t come out till 10:15. Take it, we have been standing since 7:30 since it was standing room only. No problem. Oh, I forgot to say, the Lonely Boys’ bus arrived at 6:30 because we watched it pulling in to the Discovery parking lot. What the heck!!! The manager of Discovery came on stage to apologize for the delay. Unacceptable. I will NEVER attend another concert there.

Locally owned with an eclectic vision like take the old bowling alley, glitz it up, add a large bar, private party area, open up the front with outdoor tables on Thompson, have tasty tapas at happy hour, and as we discovered on this visit, include an extensive Sunday brunch. Why not?
Our previous visit was for some great happy hour tapas like the spicy edamame and nachos, paired with an extensive drink selection.
This visit was for the Sunday brunch, which our friend thought included bottomless mimosas, but we were told that only the first one was included, more than that was $ 12.99. One was fine for me, but my husband couldn’t resist their Jameson mule, and it really was quite tasty, and only $ 10.
We made multiple trips to the buffet which has everything from salad to lox, multiple hot dishes, hash browns, salmon, great crabcakes, and huge made to order omelets.
Service and drink pace is very leisurely but friendly. There were 3 groups of over 10 people in by the time we left, so maybe that clogged up the works a little. Just don’t be in a hurry, maybe bowl a couple of lanes and you will have a fine time. Interior is rather dark, street side is light but has traffic noise, bar area is cool looking, and hey a local saved a classic historic building, had an eclectic vision and ran with it.

I posted a very bad review about a month ago, and I’m taking it back. The owner reached out and apologized. We had a nice conversation and convicted me to come back and try again. He addressed some of my complaints and assured me the experience we had is not what he wants from Discovery. So, we went back. I have to say I was wrong and hasty with my judgment. We went just for dinner and drinks. The service was good, and the staff was polite and attentive. The food was great. We will certainly be going back again.

This was my first visit to Discovery… we were there to see Charlie Musselwhite and John Mayall for a sold-​out show. It was crowded with standing room only, regardless the host was helpful by finding us chairs since I have a bad hip and need to sit. The interior and lighting are remarkable plus the ability to get around the venue offers many views of the stage, or to just go out on the patio for some fresh air. Our waiter Evan was friendly and efficient, plus the food was served hot and was really good. We’ll definitely return when another concert catches our eye.

We have our bowling league here. Service is fine, but it can get backed up when it’s packed on a usually slow Wed night.
However, I would not come here to bowl. This is NOT your traditional bowling alley. The lanes are short, and if you have a lane near the opposite end, it’s packed in and you have to walk through other people’s games. What is most difficult is folks who walk through your game and don’t heed what is going on. It’s too cramped, and if you have 6 people in one lane, and get a lane on the opposite side, there may not be enough room for all to sit. The alley seemed like an afterthought and every time the scores get messed up or balls get stuck, you have to go to the counter. There is only one person usually manning the front, so if they are helping a large group, you might have a big delay. We had to wait 10 – 15 minutes to reset our lanes.
The bowling balls are not organized in any fashion, so you need to seek for a ball that works for you. I’m not sure if the lanes are clean since my own bowling shoes and my friend’s now have black soles after the second week of league.
The only saving grace might be the bar area and food and the general look of the place, but don’t come here to bowl. It’s priced terribly compared to other ‘high-​end’ alleys, too.

This is a breakfast buffet in a bowling alley. Family friendly and they serve a good Bloody Mary. My husband loves this place and me, not so much. All-​you-​can-​eat is just too much food for me. They have many hot entrée selections and fresh-​made omelettes, fresh fruit, pastries, bacon, sausage,…it’s a buncha food.
It looks likes they have a bowl and brunch special that a few families were taking utilizing.
Lots o’ big flat screens showing mostly surfing. Really good 70’s, 80’s, 90’s rock, at a good volume to drown out the falling of pins,
They score a lot of points for being just plain nice. our waiter Adrian was sweet and cute as a bug, the other staff were attentive to clearing plates and replenishing buffet supplies.
They loose a few for the bathrooms. Stall #1– No TP and stall# 2 latch didn’t work. There are 5 or 6 so, no waiting, ever. Clean thanks to no hand towels but super good blowers. Good for them for going green.
Plenty of free parking.

I was on the fence about rating this place 3 stars, but I do visit this venue often to check out reggae bands (both local and mainstream) and continue to eat here when I know I have the option of eating somewhere else. Their dishes do taste like they’re supposed to, however each time I’ve gone the SERVICE HAS BEEN TERRIBLY SLOW. The floor appears to be fully staffed with enough coverage to service all tables, but they lack the sense of urgency when delivering their dishes, following up on drinks, and delivering the check. My brother’s Jack and Coke arrived before our PLASTIC cups of water? Tried a few items from their menu (carne asada fries, nachos, wings, fried buffalo burger) that have been great, but nothing too amazing that I recommend you must try. Their meals are reasonable priced and portioned. They also have a relaxing outdoor patio with a nice fire place where you can smoke or just get away from the noise. For the most part, you can get a little better service at the bar. Their drinks are REALLY strong for my taste, but who really doesn’t like strong drinks at the bar? Helps you get your buzz faster for less the price! Bathrooms are always clean with plenty of room so you never have to wait in line. Marissa, who checks tickets at the front, is also really friendly!
Tip
— If you want the best view of a show, I would recommend arriving early and getting a table facing the stage. Of course, you should probably order drinks or food. Saves you from purchasing a ticket!

No complaints here, my company had a event here and if went great. The food was exceptional the drinks as well. A bit pricey for both but I didn’t pay lol. The bowling was fun even the kids had lots of fun knowing it was kind of a grown ups place. Live music is a plus and the open environment and super high ceilings are cool and make the small location look huge.

5 stars for service, 3 stars for food… as we arrived it was a Saturday night we were seated upon immediately but cause there was only 2 we had to sit outside which was very cold tonight or at the bar, so long story short neither worked I asked the greeter for a booth she said they were for party’s of 4, so I advised her that we would be leaving she then sat us on a booth they had had for 2 which worked out great. there were party’s there and we still got excellent service, they’ve got a dj, photo booth, Bowling, the bar and live bands, plus the food what more can you ask for, the place was nice… so we placed our order and recieved our food, I do believe the types of food they serve is a bit overpriced and was okay, nothing to say like it’s a must on returning…

We have had a $ 50 gift card to this place for months now and decided to check it out. Overall ambience was really awesome. We didn’t stay to enjoy bowling or any games. we just wanted to eat dinner.
It was okay.
Appetizers:
Crab fries: good
Fried pickles: really good
Dinner:
Fish and chips: good flavor… The batter was just too chewy and bendable.
Juicy Lucy: terrible… $ 16.99… When they should of just charged me for what the regular burger costs. I don’t even think they know what a juicy Lucy is. Nothing was in the middle of the patty. And the patty was over cooked.
I think the only thing I really enjoyed was their side salad.
Service was slow. But our waitress was really sweet. And the prices were too expensive for what it is.
I don’t know… I think I’m being too nice by giving 3 stars but I don’t think it’s fair to give a 2.
We’re not in a rush to go back… But I’m sure we will be back…

I take it people don’t look at reviews… I saw a few negatives about this not being a kid friendly place to go… Hello, exactly what part of this place looks like a place you’d take small kids for a Birthday Party lol. That’s like me planning a friends bachelorette party at Chuck E Cheese.
I stand corrected, I see that they do advertise as kid friendly. … I guess I just don’t see this place as anything more than an adult playground.