Madisons new $1.3M sports bar features duckpin bowling, golf simulators and cocktails

Sometimes you have to knock a few things down to build a small town up.

For entrepreneur Stephen Myers, that's bowling pins and ice-cold beverages.

Myers aims to strike big with his recently opened Pin & Tee sports bar at 203 West Hunter Street in Madison.

The sports bar features a duckpin bowling center with virtual golf bays, a dart parlor, and a menu of clever appetizers and hefty sandwiches. There's also a miniature blimp that buzzes about overhead.

Madison is a town of about 2,200 people on the Dan River.

The juxtaposition of the 10,000-square-foot bar, in front of Fountain of Youth Ministries and opposite First Baptist Church of Madison, has amused folks, too.

Take a walk onto Pin & Tee's outdoor balcony, appointed with modern outdoor sofas, fire tables and strands of multicolored party lights, and you're sipping your mojito nearly eye-level with the Baptist steeple.

Parishioners flooded both churches with bonnets and bows on Easter Sunday. By the following Monday, Myers and his crew tapped kegs for a big crowd to watch the NCAA National Championship game and laid out themed menus and merchandise ahead of the Masters golf tournament.

"The two churches have both been such great neighbors. We've had no complaints from them,'' said Myers, 50, of Stokesdale, who also works selling structural steel. "In fact, they've been two of our biggest supporters.''

Pastor William Phillips, who heads Fountain of Youth and serves as Madison's first Black mayor, has bowled a few rounds himself, Myers said. And youth ministers from other churches have called to organize visits to enjoy bowling and golf with their tweens, he said.

The village has seen new cafes and craft beer and wine bars pop up in recent years, but folks say they've yearned for a family-friendly downtown destination with amusements.

"I grew up in Madison, and we didn't have a lot of things for young people or adults to do in this market,'' said Myers, who invested $1.3 million to renovate the vast building that once housed A&P and Piggly-Wiggly markets and a Dollar General.

"When I saw this building come up for sale, it fit the footprint of what I wanted to do - to help revitalize our downtown and build something that would interest people across all generations - young people to seniors."

So far, his plan appears to be working.

A recent night included diners with at least four babies too small to walk and three lanes of bowlers, ages 20 to 75.

Cathy Cardwell of Mayodan said she feels at home in the cozy booths, enjoying local chef Todd Dalton's Philly cheesesteak with onion rings from the venue's Spare Time Grill.

"I just like the atmosphere,'' said Cardwell, whose granddaughter Anna Casto, 20, made the scene during a weekend home from UNC Chapel Hill. "It's so full of energy, and the servers are just so great. I plan to go back and do the bowling. Anything to boost our town and give people more places to go!''

Myers said he wants families to feel comfortable at Pin & Tee, and he will host no-alcohol Family Nights on the first Wednesday of each month.

Inside Pin & Tee, a curvaceous path of marbleized red flooring winds to various entertainment stations.

Six duckpin lanes are tucked in the front of the building and feature crescents of banquette seating and tables for enjoying refreshments.

And the bowling style is accessible to folks who might find traditional bowling too difficult. For one thing, the balls weigh less than 4 pounds.

Duckpin balls have no holes, either. You simply roll them from your palm. Hate the cringe factor of rental bowling shoes? You won't need them. You stand below the lanes to bowl.

Golf simulators and other virtual games give people of all ages and abilities "something to do that is athletic without having to walk a course,'' Myers said.

Marquee lighting etches nearly every surface inside Pin & Tee, and jumbo screens hum with sportscasts in the hangout.

Country, rock and roll and techno beats have Pin & Tee thumping on most weekend nights.

Service is prompt, provided by wait staff in referee-style uniforms. Myers' crew issues handy lighted cylinders (think relay wands) to each table for service signaling.

Dalton's grill menu is a crowd-pleaser, too. Known for his "dank'' culinary style, Dalton serves up big, extra-saucy portions, perfect for sharing with fellow bowlers.

He features top-flight burgers made of 10-ounce Angus beef patties, creative mash-ups like Popcorn Shrimp and Crab Rangoon salad, and elevated appetizers, including Bacon Balsamic Brussels Sprouts and Truffle Parmesan Fries. Prices for sandwiches and burgers range from $11 to $19, while the children's "Minor Leaguer" menu options, like chicken tenders and grilled cheese, both served with a side, run about $7.

Expect to pay $2 extra for special sides, such as Brussels sprouts, onion rings, and truffle parmesan fries. Grilled chicken and grilled salmon wraps are $16 and $18, and big enough to share.

Fried mozzarella sticks, fried mushrooms, fried ravioli, sprouts, and 10-piece wings baskets are among the popular appetizers, ranging from $7-$15.

Beer buckets are popular at Pin & Tee and range from $20 to $30. Myers features a rotating selection of craft beer taps, with pints priced $5-$8 and pitchers $20-$30. Domestic beers run $5 per pint.

Cocktails are $12-$14 and feature Sideline Senorita, tart with tequila, lime and coconut or Long Island iced teas, both for $14. Try an Arnold Palmer tribute libation, The 19th Hole, featuring bourbon, iced tea and lemon, for $12.

Spring and summer will mean outdoor games like cornhole on the 1,800-square-foot upper patio and lower patio, Myers said.

Natalie Holt of Mayodan, a sophomore at Appalachian State University, said she's excited about hanging out at Pin & Tee while home from college this summer.

"I like the decor and the ambiance and all of the colorful lights - especially the upstairs patio,'' said Holt, 20. "I think it will be fun, especially for people who are still in high school and people like me who are not yet old enough to drink. It's great for us.''

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.