Pinstripes Among '10 Highly Anticipated Bay Area Restaurants': List

WALNUT CREEK, CA — The foodies over at The Mercury News included Pinstripes in Walnut Creek on a list of 10 highly anticipated Bay Area restaurant openings in early 2024.

The "bistro-meets-bowling-alley-and-bocce-space," as The Mercury News put it, has been in the works in Walnut Creek for some time. After missing its debut planned for late 2022, Pinstripes is currently set to open its doors this spring at 1115 Broadway Plaza.

"Pinstripes is known for its Italian and American fare — think wood-fired pizzas, meatballs and polenta, crispy chicken sandwiches and burgers, and weekend brunch buffet — and lively atmosphere, complete with a bowling alley, bocce options and a full bar," according to The Mercury News.

"Although if your gameplay extends to a great fondness for musical chairs, you’ll want to know that Pinstripes is going into the space formerly occupied by Crate and Barrel, which has moved to the former Talbots space across the street," the newspaper said.

The Walnut Creek Pinstripes is in a two-level, 23,000-square-foot space allowing it to offer, as promised, private event banquet space for groups of 20-1,000.

The Chicago-based chain has 15 existing U.S. locations, including in nearby San Mateo and farther south in Topanga. Walnut Creek and Bellevue, Washington are among a handful of new Pinstripes in the pipeline.

"Born in the Midwest, we uniquely combine made-from-scratch Italian/American cuisine with bowling, bocce and memorable private events," the Pinstripes website states. "We celebrate extraordinary, magical connections — from the first strike, to the first bite, to the first kiss, to the first laugh — that bring out the best in everyone."

Don’t want to wait for spring? Head for the Pinstripes at San Mateo’s Hillsdale Mall. While pricing varies by market, locations share the same menu, bowling and bocce offerings, Anthony Colucci, Pinstripes’ vice president of marketing, told the newspaper.

To get the "pinside" scoop on the grand opening, go to Pinstripes.com/walnut-creek and join the email club. You'll also receive a complimentary wood-fired pizza or flatbread on your first visit once it opens.

Curious about which other Bay Area restaurants are highly anticipated in 2024? Here's the complete list.