Exploring our Backyard: Community Bowl in Dumont, Iowa

What does one do with two teenage boys when its 95+ degrees on a holiday weekend? And you can’t go far from home due to the hubby’s job? You take them bowling of course! And, that’s exactly what T, M, & a friend did on Saturday night of Memorial Day weekend, we headed to Community Bowl in Dumont, IA.

Community Bowl

Dumont, Iowa is a booming town of 637 (according to the 2010 census), however they do have a gas station, lumber yard, bar & grill, antique store, grocery store, and a bowling alley!  Community Bowl recently reopened with new owners at the helm and for a sleepy small town bowling alley, they are doing a fantastic job!  This small, but clean bowling alley features 6 bowling lanes, a jukebox, arcade room, bar, and PIZZA!

Over Memorial Day weekend, we couldn’t travel far from home due to T’s work and it was 95+ with heat and humidity, which means we weren’t really excited about being outside, so we headed the 10 minutes from our hometown to Dumont to Community Bowl with M and a friend!

Bowling

While the venue is small, the bowling is clean, bright (lots of windows letting in natural light, which was refreshing compared to most bowling alleys, and small and cozy.  T and I actually both mentioned that we liked the fact that it was small and we weren’t competing with dozens and dozens of lanes (and people)!  However, due to the fact that it’s small, you need to be prepared if it’s a weekend (maybe a phone call ahead of time to see how busy they are).  There were two other groups bowling while we were there using up a total of 4 lanes!

The other great thing about this venue, is how affordable it is!  Each game of bowling is only $2.50 each plus $1.00 for shoes!  Affordable entertainment doesn’t get much better than that!  The lanes are automated with computer figuring (although missing overhead screens), they are super easy to run!  The boys enjoyed bowling so much, they played two games before heading to the arcade!

Pizza

Let’s get down to the part I love, the food!  We knew heading over there that we’d be getting pizza! Teenagers never turn down pizza of any kind, but they loved this so much they cleared the entire cheese pizza we ordered for them, which was at least the size of a large at other establishments.  T and I selected the Bacon Cheeseburger pizza and it was exactly what was described.  The two things I liked most about the pizza, it’s clearly homemade crust that wasn’t greasy, and the super melty cheese!  They smelled delicious and tasted yummy!  You can select from the short list of their specialty pizza or build your own with their list of toppings!  You also have the opportunity to select their pan or thin-crust pizza!  We selected the pan and it was delicious!

They also have a small selection of appetizers if you just need a snack. Plus they offer canned pop, bottled water, and a full bar!

Arcade

In the back of the building is a small arcade, which caught the attention of the teenagers!  You can partake in pool, air hockey, a racing machine, the “claw” as we call it (using the claw to grab toys), or vintage pinball!  There is also additional seating of booths back there.  This spot would make for a great birthday party or hang out for the teenagers.

Conclusion

Good family fun can be had at Community Bowl in Dumont!  If you aren’t the bowling type, then we highly recommend you check them out for the pizza!  You can even take it to go!  Dumont and it’s surrounding communities are lucky to have this facility for families and everyone to enjoy!  Bowling alleys are a dying commodity around here, so it’s great to see one come back to life!  Grab the family and head to Dumont, you won’t be disappointed!