Pinsetter Bar And Bowl Offers Something For Everyone
“We’re not a snack bar bowling alley.” That’s the mindset of Mark Platzer, owner of Pinsetter Bar and Bowl, located at 7111 Maple Ave. in Pennsauken. Long gone are the days of the old Maple Bowl. Pinsetter’s kitchen has a staff of six and a kitchen manager and head chef with a fine dining background; but the establishment still caters guests as old as three and bowlers as young as 92. “We think we have something for everybody.”
Pinsetter Bar and Bowl in Pennsauken offers a wide variety of appetizers, main dishes and desserts.
According to Platzer, 70 percent of Pinsetter’s “bar business” consists of patrons who either work or live in town. They’re not there to bowl, but rather come in for the food and drinks. It’s easy to see why. The menu is filled with a wide variety of appetizers, main dishes and desserts. Also, the bar and dining area have been recently renovated and walled off to separate it from Pinsetter’s 34 bowling lanes, a move that’s been popular with both the bowlers and bar patrons.
Megan, the server during our visit, pointed out some of the fan favorites. On her recommendation, we started off with the boneless buffalo bites, tender chunks of white meat dredged in season flour and fried to a golden brown. They were meaty and flavorful; they also didn’t overpower your palate by being drenched in sauce. Next we tried the cheesesteak spring rolls, served with spicy ketchup. We really enjoyed these; the outside was crispy but not greasy, a perfect vehicle for the steak and onions it contained. The spicy ketchup was a wonderfully complementary condiment. After that, we tasted the mac and cheese bites, which is battered and fried. These are great for kids or adults and the marinara sauce for dipping was a nice and flavorful touch.
Before we moved onto our main course, we tried one of Pinsetter’s 20 different craft beers. Daneen, who was working behind the bar that day, recommended one of the specialty craft beers they offered during the summer months. We sampled the Allagash White Ale. This was very light and refreshing, with just a hint of fruit; it was flavorful and not heavy, allowing us to save room for the main course.
Pinsetter’s burgers are very popular here and there are a half dozen to choose from. We sampled the Old Hickory Burger, topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, barbeque sauce and garnished with an onion ring. Cardiologist be damned, this was good. The burger was tasty; the ingredients were stacked well to avoid the messy burger syndrome, which often befalls specialty sandwiches; and it wasn’t overly greasy, which can ruin the burger eating experience.
With a tinge of guilt from ingesting too much red meat, we also tried the chicken mozzarella wrap, featuring grilled chicken breast, fresh mozzarella, tomato and balsamic vinaigrette. The wrap was balanced nicely and not overstuffed. Also, the balsamic offered a nice balance of flavor with each bite.
After our meal, we were too stuffed for dessert, so we headed to lanes to bowl a game. You can order from Pinsetter’s full menu as you bowl, so patrons can be served a martini and a ribeye sandwich as they’re trying to bowl a turkey. You can get turkey on the menu as well. If you’re more interested in strikes than sandwiches or thin crust pizza, you can participate in several leagues Pinsetter offers throughout the week.
Pinsetter Bar and Bowl is open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Sundays, 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. They host a variety of corporate events, fundraisers, and banquets; Pinsetter is perfect for kids’ parties too. In fact, they held 2,000 of them in 2013 alone!
For more information or to book a party, call (856) 665-3377 or visit PinsetterBowl.com.
