Kelby Toups staff
Bowl South of Louisiana was one of the few bowling alleys located in Houma from 1992 until the damage from Hurricane Ida in 2021 forced it to close.
“It did not just tear apart the building, it also took away something that meant the most to the community,” says former Bowl South employee Jason Ledet.
Originally named East Side Bowl, it was renamed Bowl South of Louisiana in February 1992. The bowling alley consisted of a snack bar and grill, a sports bar, a pro shop, and 24 bowling lanes. Throughout its time, the bowling alley hosted many league tournaments, high school team matches, and fundraiser events for the community.
“It was like my second home,” says Larry Grabert, a long-time bowler and employee. “Both owners Marie and Terry Lirette, who never had kids of their own, became like my second parents.”
Like Grabert, it was considered by many as a second home with a large, and consistently growing community.
“That place for countless bowlers was not simply a bowling center, but it was like home,” says RJ Ugas, a former mechanic for Bowl South.
"That place for countless bowlers was not simply a bowling center, but it was like home."
On August 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida made landfall in Port Fourchon making its way north through the Houma-Thibodaux area. The hurricane wiped out many well-known landmarks including Bowl South, destroying the building and causing Marie and Terry to shut down the business.
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