The Pleasant Bowl – Mt. Pleasant, TX

This is a bowling alley. On the surface, it’s known as the MP Bowling & Activity Center. They have a beautiful website, a fancy new name, and big plans for the future, but this place is hiding a secret: There’s a dive bar inside!

 Mary from Mount Pleasant, Texas wrote to tell us about her favorite local hangout. It’s possibly the only bar that might require walking through a kid’s birthday party to get to the booze.

There’s a smoking area by the pool tables, but it’s easily avoided if that’s a turnoff. The bar itself is a great place to grab a snack, beer, shots, or a few select mixed drinks. Expect great specials and friendly folk, most of who grew up together.

One couple even got married in that bar, and the wedding was officiated by the owner’s wife. Talk about local history!

The bowling alley opened about 50 years ago, and something that makes this place really special is the fact that (for now) it doesn’t look like it’s seen an update since the 90s. Step back in time and enjoy a pitcher of beer with your buds while the noise of pins falling and arcade games bleeping offers nostalgic background noise.

We say “for now” because last year the place was taken over by new owners who are really working to make it a destination spot. They’re making some upgrades and adding new noise to the mix with an addition called The Venue.

At The Venue, you can see a local band playing every Saturday night. These shows are usually late-night, for ages 18+, and you can expect to pay a cover charge. After all, the bands and the people who give them a chance to play deserve our support!

Come for the live music, come for the bowling, or ignore the lanes and come for the drinks and conversation. Think of it as an average dive that offers the average entertainment selection of arcade games, pool, and a juke box—plusbowling!

 Mary tells us the bar in The Pleasant Bowl is a gathering place, and she’ll go once (sometimes twice) a day as her work shift allows. Most of the regulars are either related or went to school together. Mary’s favorite bartender, Sammi Jo, grew up in town and is “great behind the bar.” This bartender playfully claims to have multiple personalities, and she’s even named them. A fan favorite is Elizabeth.

 Be sure to tip them well!

 According to Mary, the people you’ll meet in this bowling alley bar are like family, and they all look out for each other. While the group is tight-knit, they’re welcoming, too.

Stop in and see this great little place for yourself. Do it soon if you want to experience it the way it’s been described to us because, as we’ve said, the new owners have got big plans.

There is one thing that won’t change, however, and that’s the locals who make this secret dive so special.

Find some “spare” time, “strike” up a conversation, and enjoy the classic bowling alley bar combo of beer, pizza, and good people at The Pleasant Bowl. Be sure to say hi to Mary (the bar’s favoriteregular) for us! More than likely, she’ll be there!

Location: Mount Pleasant, Texas

Be sure to try: “Literally, the coldest beer in town!”

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