Still bowling us over

Famed alley celebrates its 50th with a brand-new brew

Phil Strazzula Jr.’s dad always said the bowling business was recession proof. He was right: Fifty years ago, the elder Strazzula started Dorchester-based Boston Bowl with his brother Matt and brother-in-law Joe Sammartino. The bowling center, which is overseen by Phil Jr. and Joe’s son Joe Jr.,  celebrates its half-century this year by adding a sister site, Boston Bowl Hanover, formerly the Hanover Bowladrome.

“When times are good people go on fancy vacations,” explains Strazzula Jr. “When times are a little bit tougher, people tend to stay close to home. But they still need to do things with their children and with their friends. It’s good, affordable fun,” he adds, speaking from the Hanover venue, which opened in 1960, one year after Boston Bowl.

“It’s a little reminiscent of a bygone era,” he says tactfully of the old place. “It needs to be brought up into the current mode.”

Boston Bowl, which is open 24/7, underwent a face lift several years ago, adding new lane equipment and a revamped game room.

“There’s never a time when we’re not updating something,” says Strazzula Jr. The latest addition, however, sets it apart from most bowling palaces: Boston Bowl is toasting its 50th  birthday with its very own beer, brewed in-house at the Deadwood Brewery, which opened last winter.

Bowlers will recognize the name from the bowling term: Deadwood refers to the pins that fall over.
“Once it’s down, it’s deadwood,” tutors Strazzula Jr. And the Deadwood has apparently been going down well.

“I like to drink beer myself; I like microbrews. We thought this would be a neat thing to do. We have a farmer brewery license,” he laughs.

Getting through the licensing rigmarole was tougher than brewing the beer, which is in the hands of another family member, Joe Jr.’s son Matt.

Calling Boston Bowl a family business is an understatement.

“One of us is always there,  24 hours a day, seven days a week. The only time we close is Christmas Eve and we open back up Christmas afternoon at three,” Strazzula Jr. says. “By seven o’clock on Christmas Day, we’re full.”

Boston Bowl
820 William T Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester
617-825-3800
www.bostonbowl.com

Boston Bowl Hanover
58 Rockland St., Hanover
781-826-4061
www.bostonbowlhanover.com