Hooch & Blotto's
Eat, Drink, Bowl!
Located adjacent to Splash Lagoon is a unique stop called Hooch & Blotto's. A restaurant / sports pub that happens to include a bowling alley. We actually stopped in on Friday night after arriving in town and had so much fun, we decided to go back a second time after a day of exploring Erie!
Honestly, we weren't really expecting much here due to past experiences with niche restaurants, especially ones affiliated with waterparks, where you oftentimes just get a cookie cutter establishment with the same old bar food lacking of flavor and any kind of interest. Really just there to add to the resort (& assist in draining your wallet in the meantime), However Hooch & Blotto's has a real uniquely fun energy you notice from the moment you cross the threshold. From the many Tv's to the everpresent smell of food floating thru the air like bacon on a Sunday morning, the energy is high and the sound of bowling balls cracking pins and people cheering only adds to the excitement!
Behold Poutine, Heaven on a plate! Fries, White cheese curds & Mushroom Gravy
Piled high and loaded up, this is the stripped down version due to the kids taste buds.
You can easily make a pizza look good, but taste horrible. thankfully H&B were able to make it taste as good as it looks!
Very generous portions for a kids meal
Classic cheese for Chips, she loved it!
Another item Mj Scarfed down
don't ask how the center piece is missing..
I couldn't tell you how good they were because well, Mj basically inhaled them before anyone else could try..
Don't turn your back!!
The menu contains all of the usual staples you'd expect at this kind of joint and even those are done extremely well. All kids meals are $5 and includes a side and a drink which for a baseball team like ours is a lifesaver as we can easily rackup half a year's salary worth of food at other establishments. The portions are rather large for a kids meal and for a side they can choose Fries, Tots, Broccoli or Coleslaw for the kids that don't stick to the norm.
Chipmunk & Scoop both ordered Grilled Cheese and had a "Cheese Pull" contest because as Scoop says "This is the most cheese i've ever seen in my LIFE!". Munch chose the Cheese Pizza and Fries while Mj ordered off the adult menu (I guess you can't force a 15 year old to eat like he's 3... unfortunately😒 ). A Buffalo Chicken wrap and Pot stickers were his choice and let me tell you, the Pot Stickers looked good and came with a orange dipping sauce that smelled great! I asked for one but Mj inhaled them so fast that, well, the only thing left was the dipping sauce.
As I scanned the menu two things jumped out at me (honestly 3 but I hear gluttony is a sin), the first was Poutine, as I read the ingredients I felt that the chef and I knew each other in another life. Consisting of Crispy French Fries, melted white Cheese Curds and Mushroom Gravy. Listen my friend, I wish there was a H&B closer to me because I could eat this everyday. It's like those days when you don't have a complete meal at home, but instead you find several odd's & ends, whip them all together in a pot like a scientist and BOOM a masterpiece! I mean everyone's done this at some point in time right? RIGHT?
I also ordered the Tater Tot Mountain! Piled high with Tater Tot's and smothered with Sour Cream, Cheddar Cheese, Jalapenos & Bacon. Because I wouldn't be able to eat it all by myself and knew I would eventually have to share (Hey Mj, the key word is "share") with the youngsters, I only ordered it with Bacon & Cheese and they were a hit with everyone, even Vegas which is surprising because he's the picky eater out of the crew.
Let Em' Roll!!!
What initially called our attention to Hooch & Blotto's was Bowling and now it was finally time to "Get the pin's a crackin'" with the Crew! We called over and made reservations for 9 PM and were saddened that they were booked for the rest of the night but took our name down in case someone cancelled. Thankfully just a couple of minutes after hanging up the phone rang and they had space for us! Let this be a lesson for all to make your reservations well ahead of time!
The alley uses smaller balls which are cool because it allows everyone to bowl as the weight of the balls aren't an issue (Vegas could roll them with no problems). This really makes it fun for the family and gives the younger ones a sense of independence because they won't have to wait on you to assist them with anything.
Another difference is where other lanes only allow you to enter in your name, here you not only enter your name, but the kiosk will also take several pictures of yourself to insert into different scenarios on the scoreboard. This is a fun addition as the kids couldn't wait to see how they would appear next.
We had so much fun here and I think the smaller balls allowing the kids to be more independent made it that much more exciting vs regular bowling. This place is serious fun and a must visit destination regardless if your destination is Erie or you're just passing by!
A special thanks to Steve and James of Hooch & Blotto's for always being attentive and playful with the kids! That means alot and adds to the family atmosphere.
8071 Peach Street
Erie, Pa 16509
814-217-1140
