Miss T's Barcade
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Music: DJ
- Best Nights: Wed, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
131 reviews
Los Angeles, CA
"Alas... no line! This place can easily be my new fave local bar! It's got a small, intimate feel to it... with a cozy little fire pit in…" read more »
69 Reviews for Miss T's Barcade
Totally didn't smell funny to me!
Cheap games, super-cool "omg I am SO hard to find" location, more beer than I can shake a stick at, and interesting artsy bits all over the walls to entertain my eyes.
Nice.
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I love Miss T's Barcade!!!
This place has been one of LA's best kept secrets since long before they moved into a legit establishment. Don't know of any place in LA that mixes old "coin op" video games, cool dj music and booze into such a unique experience. This place is more then just a bar. It's a hang!!!! Miss T and Mr. R are the best!!!
Don't let the" beer and wine only" status fool you. Try substituting your favorite hard liquor drinks with Soju. The taste is very expectable and the punch is capable of packing an equal amount of damage.
Stop by and sit down for a drink, a game or just to hang and listen to cool music. I definitely want to see this place stick around for a while!!! Matter of fact... I think I'm gonna stop by right now and say hello.
I had a dream when I was a kid. I thought that video games would be in every facet of society when I grew up. If I want to go to kitchen, I can play video game on a touch screen TV next to the fridge. When I'm in the toilet, instead of reading a dirty mag, I get to play Mike Tyson's Punch Out with a controller and TV screen on the wall above the toilet paper roller.
Those were the dream unrealized as our future haven't caught up with the need. However, that doesn't meant we can't play those games while we are drinking at a bar.
That's where Miss T.'s Barcade (Bar +Arcade = Barcade) comes into play as they are offering vintage video game arcade from the old Atari and Nintendo era as entertainment. I think I got more kick out of this as an amusement more than the spirited competition against the machine.
After spending half of a hour of nostalgia of simple games that was made for simple pleasure of fun instead of guess work of combination of buttons and joystick of the 90's games Streetfighters games, it was starting to hit me on how much I missed these games.
The bar served beers and wines, but you can get a flavored soju (rice wine) at the bar also. They can also change quarters for you on the spot instead of having you walking over to the laundromat for that tedious exchange.
This is a great place to just chill out in this dark with no glimmer to situate you at your drinking pleasure. It's a dive and they make no pretensions of any thing otherwise. For $4 for each bottles of Heinken, it was well worth just to be left alone.
The added benefit of having arcade room at this place will bring your inner child out. I just have one only bitter feeling after playing Mike Tyson's Punch Out....
I could never get to Mike Tyson as I can't never get pass Soda Popinksi. Does anyone have a code to get to the short cut to face Mike Tyson?
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Cash Only!
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I had been searching for a place like this for a long time - a venue where I could partake in one of my favorite pastimes in a public setting - namely, playing retro (i.e. 80's) video games while drinking beer with my friends. After stumbling across Barcade right here on Yelp, I brought said friends there under the guise of simply "bringing them to a new bar". We were not disappointed, and have returned many times since.
At first glance, the bar area itself seems to treat its serving of beer and wine/sake as an afterthought - opting to display Star Wars action figures, a Castle Greyskull playset, Mario, Donkey Kong, and various other late-70's / 80's paraphernalia much more prominently than its alcohol selection. This is fine with me. Gimme a few canned, $4 Bud bombers and I'm a happy camper. I've got my quarters ready, and I'm about to go jump into some 4-player Gauntlet action (and I've got dibs on the wizard!).
After you make sure to stop by the atm at the monstrous KFC across the street (only cash here), get a drink, peruse the juke that's loaded with good tunes (from The Misfits to The Chronic, and everything in between), and indulge in some acohol-imbued, 8-bit nostalgia. From my memory (which is flickering at best, and nigh-nonexistent at worst), some of the arcade cabinets they've got on hand include: Rampage, Donkey Kong, Paperboy (with fully functional handlebars!), Joust, Punch-Out, Gauntlet, and a cocktail-style Ms. Pac-Man. There's probably about six more, but my faltering, hazy sense of recall simply cannot muster their names. They also have about four pinball machines.
Beloved Barcade only loses a star because, well simply not enough people seem to frequent it. Don't get me wrong - I'd hate for it to get too popular and/or overcrowded, too - but I would like to see a few more smiling faces in there every once in a while.
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Lets see.......
Old school videos games, beer, soju, wine, and a kick ass bartender named Murphy. I should end my review here, but i will continue. You gotta love the vibe at this bar, you cant beat the $4 beer's and i mean good beers. They dont have a liquor license so they use soju instead of vodka.
The vid games. I felt like a kid with my roll of quarters that was meant for laundry getting his ass whooped by Donkey Kong all over again but this time i was drunk.....wait, i was drunk then too. Well, i did really well in Galaga and Pac Mac but i also wanted to play Spy Hunter but it wasnt working properly.
Murphy is a really cool laid back bartenders who was extremely hospitable with our Yelp crew. I know some peeps bitched about the kitchen being closed, but umm....you come here to drink and play video games fools. If you want food, walk up or down on Western and within 3 blocks either way you will find some good KBBQ.
I will def be coming back to take my revenge on you Donkey Kong. I still cant believe i couldnt get thru the effing 1st level.
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Definitely recommend Miss T's however I have a few recommendations if anyone is listening...
I wish the machines were maintained a little better. there are way too many games that are out of order or steal your money (although the bartender always gives me my money back if I lose some.)
It's usually too cold inside and often has a funny smell.
They kitchen hours are completely unpredictable. I've never been able to order food because they always close early. One time they were actually nice enough to find me and tell me they reopened the kitchen (everyone that works here is really nice) but I was already ready to go by that time.
They need drink holders on the machines. or some place to put a drink down. I'm always putting my drinks on the floor and then they get kicked over.
Add more pacman tables! It's the best reason to go sometimes and there's always a wait to get it.
Thats all for now
Beer and Video games!
This place would have been my Jr. High school dream. Not so much my High School dream because I doubt there's a place to hide and smoke a joint in there, although....
But....beer and video games. And amazingly, the video games are the same price as they were back then. A flat round quarter. (Wonder if I can drill a hole in one, tie a thread through it and fish it down for a million free games like back in the day...)
Of course, back than all I knew was Miller Genuine Draft and Jack Daniel's, neither of which they serve here. So, what do they serve?
Stella
Fosters
Canned Guinness
Newcastle
My Stella was a cool $4. That $4 will also buy you 16 "goes" at:
Centipede!!!!!
Asteroids
Galaga
Playboy pinball
Donkey Kong
Miss Pacman
and more
Plus the place will most likely be dead which means the machines are all yours. Not like back in the day when you had to stand in line at 7/11 for a go at the Asteroids Machine.
Hey remember the dude who was so good he would earn a ton of free spaceships for his quarter and then sell them off for a couple of bucks? No it wasn't me, but I always respected his entrepreneurial spirit. Now you can play for beers!
Also, did I mention that it's dark in there? Really dark. Did I also mention the comfy booths along the wall? Put two and two together and this is a great cheap date place.
Well, I'm off to metal shop to use the drill press.
Hey, would you like a magic quarter?
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Redrum Redrum Redrum. Why did those words keep ringing in my head? I'm not crazy! Oh, it's because the walls were red.
No, I'm not seeing a menstrual cycle. No no no ... I don't have pink eye. No my eyes are not blood clot ... blood shot. The bar has all these cool barcade games ... like Punch-Out (not Ocean Spray), Galaga!!!!! (my favorite alien game) and some game where you can be one of three ogres and punch some buildings down or punch each other (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and you also get to eat helicopters and scantily clad video game hoes ... just what i ordered for dinner! A side of syphilis. mmmm ...whatcha got on me NOW LUDACRIS!
oh and minus one because the matron of honor ... ms. pacman wasn't working!!!!! hey, at least they had donkey kong ... though i never got to play it.
Little donkey, little donkey, let me "come" in.
Not by the hair on your chiny-chin-chin?
Well then I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your ... dong? in?
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Fuck glass joe. FUCK HIM IN HIS GLASS JAW!
Nearly lost to that son of a bitch. What have I become where I can barely beat the first guy on punch out? And when the FUCK was punch out made into an arcade game? Was it before or after mike tyson? I know that after he oh so softly caressed robin givens, nintendo dropped mike tyson faster than he dropped robin!
Spousal abuse is FUNNNNYYYYYY!!!!!
Miss T's only serves beer and wine, or atleast that's what the strange lady who kept bothering me said. I don't know what it is about homeless people, but they like my milkshake.
I like how this place is unappologetically (if I spelled that correctly someone give me a fucking quarter!) a dive bar. Somewhat narrow corridors, weird bathroom entrance (the guy said go through the door, its on the left. So I go through the door and see that in front of me is the outside. I figure, SWEET! I also use outside as a bathroom!) and old...STUFF...everywhere. I loves me my dive bars, and this fit the bill.
Oh, and they have a crap load of old 80's video games. From people not being able to go up to the SECOND FLOOR of the first level of donkey kong (presumably because they were tripping balls or just forgot that there were buttons on the machine) to extreme happiness over the thought of galaga and shooting space bugs, there is something for everyone...
Unless you want someone to stick joy sticks up your butt. There's no one there who can do that for you. I mean, I guess you'd have to get a step ladder, and like, sit on one of the machines. Then I guess you'd be straddling a video game. Which is KINDA hot, but then you gotta think...hey...can someone stick the spy hunter controller up their butt? What about the stick on joust? Think I can stick it in my pee hole?
I think I can I think I can I think I can
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When you walk in the door, this place smells funny.
It's the diviest dive bar...ever...with a handful of 80's arcade games. The place was empty besides the Yelpers.
Spy hunter: broken gear shifter means it's impossible to steer straight and/or play.
Playboy pinball: Broken right rail makes you lose. Lights broken.
Paperboy, Twilight Zone Pinball: Out of commission.
Working games include: Centipede, Joust, Gauntlet, Punch out, Rampage, Galaga, and Donkey Kong.
Parking is easy to find and the games are only a quarter. The idea is cool, but far from in working order. Try Shatto 39 Lanes a few blocks away.
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No liquor. But who needs gin when you've got Centipede?
This place is great and a bit hot. This is the type of joint that makes people social. People really come out of their shells.
"The HELL you say! Video games can't do that to people," you may be thinking as you choke down a Subway for lunch at your crypt/cubicle. But, it's true. The vibe here is great and they have plenty of quarters behind the bar.
Murphy was working the bar and was always down to make change. Murphy really helped make our experience really fun. He was upbeat and super fast at slangin' soju.
Don't half step. Come here with a crew of people on an off night all y'all will run the bar.
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I felt kinda crappy when I got home from work last night
I had an amazingly reviving shower and headed out to Miss T's Barcade
Beer/Wine/Soju only but I was cool with that on a weeknight, especially one where I was all hopped up on real sudafed
And I was not gonna complain about a 4 dollar Newcastle
And they had a good selection of beers
If you're gonna be beer/wine/soju only at least have a good selection
Miss T's definitely delivered on that
I dug the sculptures on the red walls in the front room
I didn't get to check out the games too much but for a quarter a piece not too shabby
And considering this place is like 5 minutes from my house I'd go back
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When barcade opened in it's new spot my friends and I were regulars. 1. Cheap Drinks 2. Amazing Video Games 3. Even better Quesadillas and 4. No crowd.
However slowly the crowd overwhelmed us, the music got unbearably loud, the games were always occupied, and they stopped staying open after hours.
I guess I'll give it another shot now that everyone is saying it's deserted. I did have TONS of fun here.
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Cool bar. I didn't see a name on the outside, but there is a neon sign of Inky from PacMan outside the place. I didn't know who Inky was. I didn't know the characters in PacMan had names. Here's the low down thanks to Ed:
Red ... Blinky
Purple ... Pinky
Blue ... Inky
Peach ... Clyde
Look for Inky outside and you will find this place. They also had HeMan figures inside and a lot of video games and a cool juke box. Mix that with Wine, Soju and or Beer equals fun times. The beer is reasonably priced too unlike some other divey bars.
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Sure, it smells a little funny, but where else can you play Rampage in Los Angeles? I sure as hell don't know where. I went here on Saturday night on the late side with a couple of my friends and the place was deserted. This is probably because it is ridiculously difficult to find, but we were on a mission to play games. Boy, did we play some games. I feel like it is the type of place that we need to bring a posse and mob the joint out. That or come by yourself to drink yourself stupid while playing pinball. Both of these options are perfectly acceptable for your next Barcade visit.
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Dive bar with an arcade. All the games here are OLD, 1985 and before, but that's OK! Just don't come here to play Street Fighter IV. The beer is cheap. I went last Friday and the bartender said anybody who could give him change for a $20 would get a free beer. Not a bad deal.
If you were born in the 80s you'll love this place. The He-Man characters on the wall were a nice touch.
I can't believe I've never heard of this bar until last night, and it's so close to my home! My colleague said that we should go to this "t" bar. I was like, huh? A bar that serves tea? He said, "Naw man, it's a bar, bar that has tripped-out old-school arcades." He's a hipster.
We got there and it was dead, but the funny thing was that it didn't bother me at all. It's true, they have all the cool video games that I used to play on my Atari back in the 80s. Joust! Centipede! Asteroids! Donkey Kong! Pac Man! Awesome! And as Aunny points out, it's only 25 cents to play, but beware, I think they speed up the ghosts on Pac Man and you die faster or maybe it's the alcohol kicking in...they also have action figurines on the walls.
I didn't noticed any funny smell, and I wasn't hungry (kitchen was closed anyways), although the bartender offered me a slice of his pizza. The bartender was really nice; he let us chilled and finished our drinks after closing hours.
What's holding it from being a 5 star is that it's not a full bar. Only beer, wine, and soju. I don't drink piss water, and they only had chardoney. I don't know why bars only have chardoneys? Pinot Grigio is the way to go. Nonetheless, I would go back! I have to make sure my score is still in the top 10 for Asteroids. And who knows, I might want to practice to be the King of Kong.
The Good...
Galaga works great
Centipede great
Quarter machines!
The Bad...
Out of Mickey's Big Mouth Malt Liquor.
Kitchen is closed.
Playboy pinball machine has a broken gate.
Pac Man game out of order.
The Ugly...
Went to another bar after about 1.5 hrs here
C'mon... the kitchen is closed when there's 50+ Yelpers signed up to attend a UYE at the Barcade? Granted, Yelpers advised that I should eat elsewhere before coming here, but one of my fellow foodies wanted something quick and cheap to eat. Next door was a very expensive live seafood Korean place... a SMALL sculpin fish for $82!!! Less than 1 pound!
Granted fresh sculpin is a delicious rock fish and I've caught and eaten dozens, maybe hundreds... but it's so wrong to charge that much money for sculpin.
hokay.
So this place is how do i say...effing great. Crowds are hit and miss. sometimes its packed, sometimes its dead empty all night. either way they serve tall boys and have video games. what else do you need? its right on western so this is a great place to start the night or end the night. the bar tenders and bouncers are really friendly and its not obnoxiously loud in there.
GO NOW.
nom nom nom,
james
PS Miss T's:
two tips:
1) clean the bathrooms
2) find a way to get out the musty smell of old cigarette smoke (yes it does smell not too pretty)
Thank You!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
07/08/2008
It was the company at Miss T's and the friendly bartender and peeps there last night which got me...… Read more »
A bottle of beer and Ms. Pacman...I've died and gone to a tacky 80's heaven, except this time I didn't have to pimp the beer!
They also serve food! YAY!
No smoking! BOO!
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I just moved within walking distance of the place, and had to check it out...
I really liked the place, but I like dive bars, so that was a layup. It's a nice, dark, divey bar, with cheap beers, and what looked like cheap+good food, but I can't say I tried any of the menu ... yet.
Kind of a small place, and it wasn't too crowded at all. In fact, if you go, bring a crowd with you. The night I went, it didn't seem like a great place to sit down and meet people.
If you're looking for a good place to amuse your friends, or just kill an hour to your head, I would highly recommend the place. Cheap beers plus classic arcades games is an instant hit in my book.
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I'm not a numbers kind of gal.
I like words more better.
(Huh?)
But the numbers at Miss T's Barcade are fun!
25 cents for an arcade game. (Sweet!)
$6 for a tall boy of Boddingtons. (Eh, OK)
$1 for 4 songs on the jukebox. (Helllll yes)
But the coolest thing about the bar to me, were the quarters under the plexiglass on the bar. I was chatting it up with the rad bartender, Murphy, and he told me that the quarters are worth an undisclosed amount of money but I can't tell you how much. I'm sworn to secrecy. If I told you I'd have to kill you, and I just got out of the joint and I'm never going back. Wait, what?
So Miss T's serves beer and wine only which is totally fine because it's a no frills kinda joint. It's cash only and serves over 30 different kinds of beer. They have a jukebox, as previously stated, and have a DJ spin there a few nights a week. There is bar and booth seating, and a separate area for the arcade games. They serve food up until a certain point, it's nothing to write home about but people don't come here for the food, you come here for the video games. Hellllllooooooo? If you're driving South down Western Ave and you see the obnoxious KFC coming up on the left, look to your right and you will notice a little blue neon ghost in the window. That's Miss T's so find a parking spot, pull up a seat, say hello to Murphy the bartender, be irresponsible and bust out those laundry quarters that you and I both know would be better put to use on some dynamite tunes and a game of Pac Man and have at it. There is plenty of street parking out front and in the surrounding neighborhoods. Miss T's is where it's at!
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I went here alone in despair. Basically left in the same condition.
Not really crowded. Ok, it was just me. Who cares? I wasn't there to talk. I was there to drink, pull on my joystick, and push some buttons.
Had 2 beers. I didn't give a crap what kind it was. On second thought, I probably should have just went down the street to HK Supermarket and loaded up on soju and Hite.
Regardless, I brought a shitload of quarters and played some games.
Asteroids is probably my favorite. The key is to stay in the middle and fire a volley of pixels at the large asteroids coming by. This way, you can knock out most of the fragments without too much effort.
Pinball selection sucks.
Owners, if you read this, please consider purchasing the following games or pinball machines:
Street Fighter II
Mortal Kombat
Earthquake
Ninja Gaiden
Tron
Cyberball
Dragon's Lair
Dig Dug
1942
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I'm going with 3 Stars: Average because of the inconsistent experiences I've had here. I'd say overall I've been here about six times: 3 Good, 3 not so good.
In other words, give the place a shot if you're in the hood but don't make a special trip for it.
Regardless, whether the place is hopping or empty, you cant go wrong with cheap, classic arcade games.
Although I swear that Donkey Kong is the cheatinest video game ever made!
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Yo kid ! !
For reals...
Man I can't even tell ya how many times I've driven by this place either on my way home or to the BGL. One thing that always drew my attention to this place was lil' blue... http://www.yelp.com/bi... so one night, I said, "Fook it !" and brought a friend to check it out with me.
I kinda tripped out, cuz as we were walking to the place, we could hear some music but not just any music...it was different. Instantly, I knew that this place was gonna be alright in my book !!
I could hear that the DJ was spinning some underground stuff that I KNOW no one has heard of, well, maybe some select number of kiddies did, but in general, no one. Some unique stuff, for sure.
As we walk in, I am instantly hit with a sound wave of that funky azz music I had mention before. Not only that, but also a soothing warmness of nostalgia coming over me.
BAM ! !
Right off the bat...at the entrance, a Lite-Brite monitor, with a red heart on it and L.A. in white...nice...I might have to go back and secretly change L.A. to Yelp...har har...
We mozzie on up to the bar, the bartender had just left before we sat down...so while we waited, I started to scan the wall of treasured gems...
Things I saw that brought back memories...
- Castle Greyskul set up w/ Orko flying about it
- Star Wars figurines...the Snow Stormtroopers one...freakin' cool
- An assortment of GI Joes and He-Man figurines
- I think I even saw a My Little Pony...
Well, what have you...I just started to go back into my memories, crazy. My poor friend, I honestly think I forgot about her for a cool 5 min. just looking at their wall chock full of memory kickers !
\ | | /
-- pop -- Whoa ! ! Uhh...back to the review...
/ | | \
The barkeep was really cool, he hooked her up w/ a Cape Codder,
I got a TALL Bud in a can...yes...I even asked for a brown paper bag to put it in while I drank it, but alas he didn't have one. bummer.
As we talked n' took pics, we were really digging the vibe of the place.
We got up and started to look about ...oh...whaaaaa?
Not....DONKEY KONG ! ? Man, I couldn't even get a quarter outta my pocket fast enough ! ! http://www.yelp.com/bi...
After a few seconds, I was overcome with a euphoric sense of old time joy, innocence, if you will. If it weren't for the Tall in my hand, I woulda thought I was back at the Liquor Store around the corner of the apartment I grew up at.
After a few more seconds, I was digging for another quarter (yeah, I died quickly cuz I hadn't played in forever!) then another for my pal, sheesh...I didn't want to leave her out of the loop ! !
After a few minutes, we looked over the rest of the place, found more games in the back...back room and more than a few cool posters ranging from The Specials to redone fliers advertising movie nights at the Barcade featuring the original movie poster...great gag to bring in the kiddies.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time here...It was like splicing my favorite things from my childhood to the things I like most now as an "adult". I definitely see myself coming here again and soon too. Hey...lend me a quarter !
To you, Barcade...
(lift my Tall Boy)
Thank you.
http://www.youtube.com...
This totally has ROTD written all over it...yep.
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I was first and foremost impressed by the selection of games. It's hard to find arcades with a selection like that! The drinks were cheap but the lack of a/c was fairly painful. The back section was hot as hell and the place was empty. I don't care to know how hot it must get when more than 5 people are there (and dancing? do people even do that there?).
Certainly worth a check out.
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GREAT in theory, only so-so in practice. If they invested in some A/C, I would definitely add at least one more star....
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After the first five minutes I was already disappointed-bartender M.I.A., arcade area filled with some group having a discussion that filled both arcade rooms, a menu that consisted only of soju (um, huh? what's that?) and beer, and the bf having to run off to the ATM in KFC across the street because they neither take credit cards nor have an ATM of their own.
So, yes, this is essentially a three star bar that necessitates a four star review for the arcade games, which at 25 cents a pop are shockingly not price gouged (though in West L.A. I doubt that would deter anyone from making this place a huge success) and end up making up for the shortcomings. There are classics like Ms. Pac Man, Galaga, Asteroids, pinball, and Donkey Kong and if you show up during the week you will have no problem playing your game of choice. Sweet. Thank gawd my bf has saved up his change in a giant coffee can over the past year because I used up almost $10 in quarters on Ms. Pac Man because I don't like losing, but do, and yet it didn't cost us any 'real' money.
The drinks are fairly strong and delish. I had never tried Soju but after two soju Tom Collinses, I was a fan. Here I am spending 45 minutes on this review because I can't spell for shit thanks to it. I'm slurring after two plum wine drinks! But they did fill the glass 3/4 full of the stuff so I guess the $6 price tag was a bargain and my incapacitated state understandable.
Anywho, I'm drunk, I played Pac Man after not doing so for years, have drunk permasmile and am relying on spell check to not sound like a hobo in this review-the perfect cap off to my night? I think so! Yay barcades, yay soju, yay quarters, yay high as a kite djs and bartenders that make the juvenile aspect of this place undeniably clear!
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Joust, Robotron, Paperboy, Gauntlet...
What do you get when you mix, tallcans, 80's arcade games and early 90's hip hop?
Barcade.
We hit Barcade for the first time last week while on a Thirsty Thursday ride. It had plenty of "city objects" out front to accomodate more than a few bikes...so that was a good thing.
I've been to Barcade before, but never on a Thursday night. We got there around 10:00p and the music was flowing and there was good crowd both inside and out. Mostly a young, eclectic crowd who was there more for the DJ's picks than the video games. And if every Thursday was like that Thursday, we'll be back, because if the golden era of hip hop is your bag, than barcade is the fucking joint. Seriously. DJ had an ear. In unison head bobbing dotted the room and tall cans of Budweiser quenched our thirst. No hard alcohol is served, but they have a decent selection of domestic and imported beer and every Korean's friend...Soju. Soju...sogood.
On the video game front, Barcade has some timeless classics that only took ONE FUCKING quarter to play. Not like your local miniature gold/ arcade racket, where it costs you 75 cents for 2 lives. Nope, you can get your game on and not break the proverbial bank.
Other than that, not too much to tell. They do have a kitchen, but I didn't order anything, so I can't speak on it.
With that said, Barcade is cash only, so be prepared.
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This spot has such an awesome vibe. Nowhere else can you play old stand up arcade games from the 80's, drink good drinks, listen to good music and even order a fried egg sandwich.. Every Saturday they have awesome DJ's come in and it's a great place to just hang out.
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What other place now a days do you know of where you can sip on a Mickey"s grenade and set it on top of a cocktail table Pac Man game while battleing your friend or a total stranger for just 25 cents? Exactly!..... I had heard of this place thru a classic video game arcade directory and right of way had to peep it. My posse and I went this last Saturday cruisin down Western searchin for this joint. All I was told was that it was by this huge ass KFC on Western. When we found this place it stood out to me like a sore thumb because of the all black building and the dope neon blue Pac Man ghost in the window. Looking at this place from the outside I thought we were gonna have to give some type of password or something to get in. We walked in at about 9pm and there was nobody at the bar, not even the bartender/owner but he shortly walked out to take our drink order. With the sounds of Beastie Boys blastin out the PA's and the sound of Ms. Pac Man munchin down on the little ghost guys in the background and a bar to supply me with my crunk juice I felt right at home! After getting my beer (because thats all they sell there besides sake and soju) I driffted off to the back room to find my friend already sucked into a game of Donkey Kong. There was one other dude in there besides us but he quickly took off when we arrived ( he kinda looked like he had never seen or drinken a sip of beer in his whole life) ooohhh well. Now we had the whole place to ourselves, even better. The games were all in perfect working order (except for the Twilight Zone pinball machine was out of order for the night) but with classics like Donkey Kong, Punch Out, Paperboy, and Rampage, I was able to make do! There is a kewl CD jukebox that has pretty good CD's. The place got a bit poppin around 11 or so with groups of people piled around there favorite game trying to achieve there spot on the top scores! There were some turntables set up but no DJ, thats okay because all you were able to hear were people shouting at there game "STOP CHEATING" and the sounds of them beating down on there joystick and buttons.
Overall this is an awesome place to chill out, have a cold one, and play some classic vintage arcade games. I hear the foods pretty bomb but I didn't get around to trying anything on the hand written/drawn menu. I highly recommend checking this spot out, its no Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles foot clan headquarters but it does the trick.
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It pains me to give this place less than five stars, but I have to be honest... it's just not the same since it moved to a legit venue.
+The games, of course
+The food... yay ramen and gyoza!
+The music's usually pretty good
+The drinks
-The layout. This is a big drawback for me. I rarely make it to the main game room because it just feels so cluttered and crowded in there. I really liked the layout at the apartment because you could walk by and check out people's games & see what games were available.
I think if they knocked down the wall that separates the bar room from the game room, everything would feel so much more spacious and it would be a lot easier to socialize and play the games without feeling like you're in a box.
This place has two of my favorite things, booze and Galaga. This bar especially reminds me of the dive bars in Chicago, so I feel completely at home here. It's also the only arcade where my initials are actually on the high score list (look for 'em "LAL"). The night we went the bartender was screening a Japanese zombie flick. Good place to go to chill on a weekday evening, since it was totally dead on the Tuesday night we were there.
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My GT bike with Skyway handlebars ("I can ride my bike with no handlebars"), white 5 spoke tuffs, OP's, GI Joe's: I even had the special edition hooded Cobra Commander, Depeche Mode, Maui & Sons, Vans, Missile Command, Paperboy, Members Only, 7-11, the A-Team, Miami Vice, about $7-$12 worth of quarters *borrowed* from several extra change deposits, a well stocked cabinet full of alcohol that my parents had received as gifts over the years, and since they don't drink I made sure that we put it to use. Actually back than our idea of a "mixed" drink was to mix everything together whiskey, vodka, gin, coke, etc, and we drank it!
Barcade brings back all those memory's except they know how to mix (drinks/music), and every time we leave the bar without meeting anybody of the opposite sex (quite often... out of choice..ok, i'm lying), it feels even more like the 80's although I could do without that last aspect of nostalgia.
*NOTE: I don't know if they've changed anything since I've been, but the entrance is a nondescript side entrance.
Newcastle. Galaga. Pac-Man lesbians. Oh my!
Barcade = bar + arcade. The only real way of playing games, just like the only real way of swimming: the drunk way. Or else, you're just not doing it right.
Beer and soju cocktails only. Your entertainment once you're pumped up with ale: 80's arcade classics and a very rustic jukebox, both of which to relive the heyday of your high school/college years (for me, preschool). I was tempted by the soju cocktails (with names like Screwju! how could I not be?), but this establishment brought out the inner-bro, so I opted for a Newcastle, which may have enhanced or hindered my performance on Asteroid. I drink according to my surroundings, and this joint raises eyebrows to a raised pinky clutching a glass like a clutch purse.
If they had vodka here, that would be pretty dangerous. Every time you score lower than your friends, you have to take a shot.
I am perturbed by the grimey divey-ness, but I love it. Best part: walking distance!
I live here now, so let's party. The loser (you) buys the winner (me) a Boddington.
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Barcade is cool, unless it gets too packed, then it's very uncool and "sticky".
They have food that I have yet to try, just cause I