Fort Worth's most upscale shopping center now has the swankiest entertainment option in town with the opening of Pinstripes bistro, bowling, and bocce venue on April 7. The two-story, 30,000-square-foot complex is at 5001 Trailhead Bend Way.
Pinstripes is the first entertainment venue to open at Clearfork, which has seen a full slate of luxury shops, restaurants, and bars open in the past year. An AMC theater is coming soon.
But bowling leagues should be advised: Pinstripes is not a singular destination for bowling as a movie theater is for movies. It is many things.
In addition to 12 bowling lanes, it has six indoor and outdoor bocce courts, a large patio with fire pits and Adirondack chairs, banquet spaces, an indoor-outdoor terrace — and, first and foremost, a quite posh bistro and bar.
Pinstripes calls itself "an upscale dining and entertainment concept that combines made-from-scratch dishes, a carefully curated wine list, and a rotating menu of craft beers with opportunities for family-friendly entertainment with bowling and bocce." Dining comes first there.
Dishes lean toward Italian-American food, with an exceptional wine cellar and rotating menu of craft beers and cocktails. The menu includes salads, salmon, sea bass, filet mignon, pasta, pizza and flatbreads from a wood-burning oven, and housemade gelato for dessert. Late-night, kids', and gluten-free menus are offered, too. Entrées range from $20 to $30.
Or, for $100, two people can share a five-course, "grown up" PB&J menu that features a filet mignon-peanut butter and jelly sandwich. There is also a $25 Sunday brunch buffet. Off-site catering and delivery are available, too.
From the entrance, Pinstripes oozes sophistication, with its custom stone-carved reception desk, Jerusalem stone floor, sweeping iron staircase, glass-enclosed wine cellar, and floor-to-ceiling windows. The dining areas and bowling areas are separate, so sound doesn't disrupt either experience.
While it's easier to picture groups of well-heeled young professionals gathering for happy hour there than it is groups of parents toting energetic little kids, Pinstripes offers special $3 "kids club" bowling hours, 10 am-12 noon Monday through Friday.
The biggest surprise may be Pinstripes' flexible event space, which can accommodate groups of 20 to 600, ranging from corporate breakfasts without bowling to wedding receptions with bowling. Pinstripes expects about 40 percent of its business to come from events.
CEO Dale Schwartz founded Pinstripes in Chicago in 2005 as a novel concept that would offer people an alternative way to combine fun with food and wine, while connecting with others in the community. There are now seven locations in Illinois, Minneapolis, Kansas, and Washington, D.C. Two other Texas branches are in the works: at the Wade Park development in Frisco, and the Kirby Collection development in Houston.
"We shaped the concept to accentuate the duality of bocce and bowling, Italian and American cuisine and wines, and gelato and ice cream," Schwartz says in a statement. The inclusion of bocce added a different twist and helped combat the bowling stereotype. (And if you have no idea what bocce is, here is a primer.)
Pinstripes Bistro will be open 11:30 am-11 pm Monday through Thursday, 11:30 am-1 am Friday, 10 am-1 am Saturday, and 10 am-10 pm Sunday. The venue opens daily at 10 am.
Yes, Pinstripes does weddings.
