Family Fun with Fresh Fare Rule at Punch Bowl Social {Schaumburg}

**Disclosure: My family enjoyed a complimentary visit in order to experience Punch Bowl and bring this review to you. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Four. Person. PacMan. Oh, my! We had so much fun playing! While we were totally enamored with our newly found arcade addiction, we had a blast exploring Punch Bowl Social's dining and full range of entertainment options as well. While fun for a night out, the entertainment-restaurant hybrid is a exciting destination for families during the day and early evening. Truly a welcome adventure when then weather outside is less than ideal!

Who can wait for the next round when playing 4 Player PacMan!

Relaxing:

Slightly different atmospheres promote relaxation throughout the venue. One floor felt quite like a lodge, so comfortable and inviting.

Sit back and relax for a few!

The main restaurant and bar area sports a swanky yet open atmosphere. The spot is quite appealing for just sitting back to a meal or enjoying a beverage.

A pleasant area for a meal.

The arcade area resembles a fully loaded rec room!

Nostalgic games help you get away from it all!

The karaoke room provides an intimate and relaxed setting for your party. I like that it is set off on its own--a little less intimidating while enjoying karaoke fun!

Karaoke Room ready for fun singing!

Playing:

The games at Punch Bowl Social beckon you to play. Larger-than-life options like Jenga and Scrabble are particularly fun for kids and parents! We did tour the entire venue but the kids in our group were immediately drawn to these large-version games. The design of this area easily invites an energetic game of Scrabble or two!

Gaming options also include ping pong, shuffleboard, darts, pinball, miscellaneous arcade games and my personal favorite--skeeball!

The arcade games are on a convenient card system which really makes it easy for us parents! No worries about tokens or change. Ok, who even has change on them these days? When you swipe, you are provided with your balance so can easily determine if you would like to reload or not. The cards easily help monitor kids' spending as well.

Of course, there are bowling lanes! While still near much of the other fun, the lanes do feel a bit tucked away. Clustered in a couple groups of four, the bowling experience does not feel as overwhelming as it can at a bowling alley on a busy day. Comfy couches delight waiting bowlers.

Bumpers and ramps help younger children. Bumpers are up based on player, so each can choose if they would like them individually. Plus, Punch Bowl has one of the largest selections of bowling bowls I have seen--so you should easily score the size you need!

Noshing:

Cauliflower Nachos

One main reason I hesitate to visit a bowling alley is definitely the food options. Perusing Punch Bowl Social's menu provides an adventure in itself. While the menu sports comfort food options, diners will find that they are kicked up a notch with some original items as well. For breakfast lovers out there, Punch Bowl serves hearty breakfasts through 3PM. One of Punch Bowl's top sellers is the cauliflower nachos pictured above. A bit addictive but I do recommend adding meat or ordering a side of chips and salsa as well to cut the cheese.

Cauliflower nachos with carnitas

I am a chips and salsa girl, so I love that we were able to order some while gaming. Plus, they were fresh---yummola!

Another favorite, chicken and waffles! Wow, the dish was piled high! Kuddos for the fresh strawberries! The dish certainly was vibrant on the plate and the chicken was more tender than expected.

Some restaurants phone it in when it comes to drinks but at Punch Bowl Social crafts works of art. I love, love, love that they make their own fruit syrups. I sipped the blueberry lemonade concocted from house made blueberry syrup and fresh squeezed lemons. So amazing that I enjoyed two!

Divine!

Parents will love to know that Punch Bowl carefully crafts all of its beverages including its milkshakes. Having so many interesting non-alcoholic beverage choices makes choosing a drink a really novelty for kids. I honestly think my daughter and her friend had more fun choosing a beverage than playing some of the games! Milkshakes, floats, fizzes and sodas--plenty to love. Unique juices are available as well.

If you are not into gaming, Punch Bowl really stands on its own in the restaurant department. Your party will surely be intrigued by the menu. Aside from a few pinball machines, the main restaurant portion is separate from the gaming so that will not intrude on your meal. Punch Bowl makes an effort to source locally and lists several of the local companies they work with on their menu.

During one of the hottest weeks in the Chicago area, we felt relieved to have a place like Punch Bowl to hang out and allow the kids to be active. Yet, the fun was engaging enough for us adults as well in contrast to other venues where you basically sit and wait for your child. Great family day with some great eats!

Tips:

• Call ahead to check on availability of lanes and other activities. You can reserve some of them. The staff can also guide you with best times to come so the kids aren't waiting too long.
• The private karaoke room would be pretty fun for a tween birthday party!
• Kids are welcome until 10PM. I do recommend visiting during the week; it does get busy later in the day on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Order things to share. The menu has so many inventive options that chances are you will want to try several.
• Order a beverage. This is not a place to stick with water. 
• Punch Bowl Social features brunch on Saturdays and Sundays with an epic Bloody Mary bar on Sundays!
• You can rent out the entire venue or portions for various events.

***This Saturday August 13, 2016 is National Bowling Day! Punch Bowl Social will have bowling for $5 per person per hour 9AM-2PM! This includes shoe rental. The Big Lebowski will be playing on select screens and adults can enjoy $5 White Russians all day.