Located inside the Kimpton The Sawyer Hotel in Midtown Sacramento you’ll find Punch Bowl Social. This venue can be best described as an entertainment and amusement hub featuring old-school meets modern games, arcades and billiards.

Inside the two story 25,000 square venue there’s bowling alleys, foosball table, giant versions of favorite board games, darts, vintage video games and more. Not to mention there’s a restaurant and multiple bars for crafted food and cocktails.

The aesthetics and decor are quirky and modern with large glass windows showing skyline city views of Downtown Sacramento. This is an ideal place for date nights or friends girls and guys night out.

I’ve been both in the daytime and at night to Punch Bowl Social. During lunch hours it’s very calm and low key lounging. But when the sun goes down the energy level kicks up and there’s twinkling lights everywhere and a buzzing scene.

Top Tips to Plan Your Visit to Punch Bowl Social in Sacramento

Make Reservations in Advance for Lunch or Dinner

Punch Bowl Social can get pretty busy during peak hours and you’re not guaranteed a table unless you’ve made reservations. This is especially important on the weekends, evenings and for brunch.

Is there parking at Punch Bowl Social in Sacramento?

Punch Bowl Social is located in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of Downtown Sacramento and there’s very limited street parking. Luckily because the venue is associated with DOCO Downtown Commons, you can park in any of their four parking garages and get it validated for up to 2 hours.

Foodies Will Love the Menu Selection

Punch Bowl Social has a lengthy menu with high quality and hip foodie-approved appetizers, main meals, sides, salads and more. They vibe is elevated and modern American classic diner food made from scratch in the kitchen.

You can expect to find favorites such as tacos, burgers, sandwiches and plates to share with friends. They also serve plenty of gluten-free and vegetarian food options on the menu.

Scroll through this blog post to see our mega lunch from one of our visits to Punch Bowl Social. We had the Knockoff Burger, Chicken ‘N’ Waffles, hummus and veggies plate, queso dip, chips and guacamole and the blueberry lemonade fizz drink.

The only bummer is that they don’t serve dessert - lame.

Craft Cocktails, Drinks and Non-Alcoholic Mocktail Drinks

For those who enjoy a fancy cocktail, Punch Bowl Social has a big drinks menu with crafted cocktails, soda fizzes and fresh juice. They have boozy punches, mimosas, bloody mary, wine and beers.

If you don’t want to drink alcohol they have plenty of non-alcoholic options. I really like the virgin Fizzes & ‘Ades which have a blend of fresh juice, syrups, sparkling water and garnishes. A fancy mocktail!

Late Night Eats and Drinks at Punch Bowl Social

Both the Kings Golden One Center and Punch Bowl Social are located in the DOCO Downtown Commons. If you’re catching a game and still want to keep the party going afterwards, Punch Bowl Social has a late night food menu and a bar open until 2 am on the weekend (they close at 12am during the week).

How Do You Reserve the Bowling Lanes at Punch Bowl Social?

Unfortunately the bowling lanes are first come, first serve and only way to reserve them is with a planned event for a larger group of people. I came to Punch Bowl Social with a group of coworkers for a company event and we had one of the bowling lanes and lounge area to ourselves for a couple hours.

At the Sacramento Punch Bowl Social location they have two areas with bowling, both with 4 lanes (8 lanes total in the venue). It costs either $14 or $16 dollars per person (depends on the time of day). Shoe rental is included in the price. Remember to bring socks or you’ll have to buy them for $7. Bowling is open all hours that the venue is open.

What kind of events can you host at Punch Bowl Social?

The Punch Bowl Social in Sacramento is a very large venue and you can plan all kinds of events to host here. Some popular things to plan are birthday parties, wedding events such as rehearsal dinners, bachelor and bachelorette parties, bridal showers and anniversaries.

This is also an ideal place for work-related team building events, networking, fundraisers and holiday parties.

Is Punch Bowl Social a Family and Kid-Friendly Place?

Despite the fact that there’s games and arcades inside Punch Bowl Social, I would definitely say that it’s more geared towards adults than to children. But technically children are allowed before 10pm in the restaurant and parts of the venue.

They do serve alcohol and have a “bar vibe” in the evenings, but it can be quiet enough in the daytime if you want to bring well behaved children. I’ve seen families with elementary aged children having lunch and it didn’t seem out of place.

Are there any free games at Punch Bowl Social?

There’s a combination of both paid and free games inside the venue. Paid games include the bowling, karaoke, arcade, billiards, giant scrabble, bonzini and foosball. See all the prices here.

The free games include board games, card games and giant Jenga.

You can pay for the vintage arcade with a credit card and the games include Miss Pacman, pinball and more.

Karaoke at Punch Bowl Social

The way karaoke works at Punch Bowl Social is you rent out a sound-proof room that is set up with a microphone, speakers and a video screen to see the lyrics to the songs. You don’t have to be concerned about people outside your party hearing your terrible singing because the rooms are designed to keep the volume inside.

You cannot make reservations for the karaoke unless you are hosting an event that includes karaoke. When you get to the venue you’ll meet with the Activity Host to see what’s the availability for the karaoke rooms.

Pricing for karaoke is 1 - 4 guests at $35 an hour for the room, 5 - 10 people at $45 an hour for the room.

Date Night at Punch Bowl Social

Most of the photos in this blog post are from a date night I had with the hubby at Punch Bowl Social. We ate dinner and then enjoyed games and drinks in the Holiday Lodge. This is a great place to be “out and about” with a special someone. It hits all the marks for a great date night.

If you want to keep the party going when you get home, see my blog post on Vintage Board Games for Date Night.

Does Punch Bowl Social in Sacramento play pay-per-view events such as boxing or UFC Fights?

As of 2022 Punch Bowl Social does not play any pay-per-view events. They do have TV screens in many areas of the venue so they might have popular sporting events playing during your visit.

Punch Bowl Social in Sacramento - Punch Bowl Social’s modern industrial interior design inside the dining area. — Punch Bowl Social’s modern industrial interior design inside the dining area.

Is there a dress code for Punch Bowl Social?

There is no designated dress code for Punch Bowl Social so you can feel free to wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. The vibes in the daytime are very casual and a little bit dressier at night.

One thing to keep in mind when selecting your outfit is that you’ll possibly be bowling or doing other physical activities so I wouldn’t wear clothes or shoes that restrict your movement.

***If you’re bowling make sure to wear or bring socks or you’ll have to buy some for $7.