Shrimp creole over rice, homemade gumbo, crawfish etouffee – picturing Mardi Gras and the French Quarter?

Think more along the lines of 10 pins, eight lanes and a disco ball at Kingpins Bowl and Brew.

The venue now offers authentic Cajun cuisine along with the typical bowling alley fare.

This retro, eight-lane bowling alley has more to offer customers than just a beer and fries, such as jambalaya and chicken and sausage gumbo.

Originally having only a “high end” snack bar, owner Ed Connolly decided to make a change for 2007.

“We changed the menu because there was a need for it,” Connolly said. “We didn’t want people to leave if they got hungry.”

Along with muffalattas and dirty rice, Kingpins provides hot dogs, hamburgers, wings, Italian subs and vegetarian choices.

“We didn’t want to pigeonhole the menu,” Connolly said.

“And our hot dogs are Hebrew National with all of our bread made from Big City Bread,” Chef David “Doc” Pingleton said.

“It’s not just the same old hot-dog,” Connolly said.

The wings are the most popular item, but the popcorn crawfish is starting to do well.

“We are going to start to do seasonal dishes because we want to keep the menu lively,” said Pingleton, who has been a cook since age 8.

The kitchen stays open until 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and midnight Sunday but becomes a limited menu of fried food and Italian subs after 10 p.m.

Prices range from $2.95 for a cup of homemade gumbo to $16.95 for an entire muffalatta, which could be shared. Most items, however, are between $4 and $9.

A full bar and the Spare Room Lounge set this bowling alley apart from typical neighborhood lanes.

During happy hour, which lasts from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, one game of bowling is half price (at $12.50 per hour). Pitchers of beer cost $4.50 and well drinks are $3.

The happy hour specials run until close Mondays and Tuesdays.

Eating and drinking on the lanes is another perk to Kingpins – it also is one of the few places in Athens that serves from a full bar on Sundays.

The separate dining room, which can be rented out for private parties, provides booths and tables for eating. However, enjoying cold refreshments and hot wings right on the lanes is unique to Kingpins.

This bowling alley allows bowlers a chance to meet with friends or strangers in the next lane. There’s no standard Kingpins customer – it’s a bowling alley. Anyone who wants to enjoy the game can come to Kingpins.

“We really don’t have a typical customer. Anyone from little kids to senior citizens to students and professors come here,” Connolly said. “You could end up sharing a lane with one of your professors and their friends.”

Every two lanes share a table, where servers bring food or drink. This adds a small town, neighborhood vibe to Kingpins.

Fridays and Saturdays are the most popular nights. Reservations aren’t required, but Connolly said it’s a good idea to call ahead.

The relaxed atmosphere was Connolly’s goal when he opened Kingpins Bowl and Brew in August of 2005.

“The idea of a retro, boutique bowling alley appealed to me after I visited my sister in Milwaukee,” Connolly said. “The idea appealed to me, and I thought other people would like it. I thought a smaller place would be appealing too.”

Kingpins offers spring, summer, fall and winter bowling leagues for those who want to make a four-person team. The next league will start Feb. 21. and games are Mondays and Thursday nights.