Dave & Buster's
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Alcohol: Full Bar
9 reviews
Oak Brook, IL
"Honestly one of the best Indian buffets I've ever had, and I've been all over the country. Worth the effort to find the place, tucked into…" read more »
15 Reviews for Dave & Buster's
Standard restaurant style... restaurant. They got an over-priced arcade... whoop-dee-doo. Maybe try it, maybe not.
i just went here on Friday... I have to say that it was nice going here during the day it was not as crowded as i thought it was going to be the games were good i bought a 25.00 card which earned me 135 credits for games.. which i thought was a very good deal figuring it lasted about
2 1/2 hours.. Yes they got some great racing games and of course house of the dead 4... the fast paced dance game ...live boxing...and the classic galaga...Now the only downfall is drinks are a bit pricey 7.50 per mixed drink and thats not even top shelf vodka....i was very disappointed could only afford two drinks .....last the reason for losing the last star the prize selection i felt like i was inside the dollar store ..
the staff was low and no one seemed to help when i walked out to leave i was shocked i dropped over 50.00 and im just one person cant imagine if i ate dinner too...if your gonna go play the games that dont do the tickets you would probally have more fun that way ....
This was a cool place. The prize place is not the typical counter...its the size of a hotel gift shop. The games are great, too. The only reason its 3 stars instead of 4 is the fact that you couldn't go anywhere without inhaling second-hand smoke. Ugh.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (1)
On weekdays, it's a 3-star place. On weekends, especially evenings, it's a solid 1.5-2 stars.
It's about $20 for a typical game card that gets you about 12-15 plays on one of their arcade machines. $14/hour for a pool table with bar service during weekend evenings, and about $10-20 for rather uninspired food (salad, burgers, steaks, appetizers). Drinks are about $1.50-3 pricier than what you'd pay at a chain restaurant, with beers running about $5-6 per pint, and shots going about $5-7. Get dinner, drinks, play a round or two of pool and you're shelling about $50/person. Admittedly, the atmosphere is fairly classy looking, with nice pool tables and plenty of families and couples out on dates -- as long as you don't mind the droning noise from the arcade machines (in a separate hall), it's a very predictable, aptly adequate atmosphere. On some nights, that can be a good thing, especially if you don't enjoy risking finding yourself at a seedy bar just to shoot some pool.
You'd never come here for the food -- it's like TGIFridays before they figured out they could add an exotic spice or ingredient to dress up their fare to a semi-gourmet sounding repertoire. About seven out of 12 people in my party ordered some varient of steak (runs about $18-20), and it seems like they've cooked the steak at random levels of doneness -- my medium-rare came out perfectly medium, and my buddy's medium came out medium on one end, and rare on the other.
Weekend service is subpar -- you'll get more attentive and friendly service at a TGIFriday's. The host/hostess seemed annoyed and distracted, with single phrase answers and directions. The wait staff was clearly understaffed (we finally got our Tabasco sauce toward the end of our meal) and the waiter at the pool area came out twice during the hour+ we were shooting pool.
To make matters worse, for large parties that requested catering, they actually convert game tables (pool and shuffleboard) into buffet tables, which drastically reduces the # of tables for play. You'll probably wait a while to play on weekend evenings.
So far, a two-star experience, verging on one.
Things are actually much better during weekdays. For one, you have a deal where if you order a regular entree, you get a $10 game card. Service is also much better, pool's cheaper, and there's hardly a wait. I'm not sure if the quality of food improves, but it's probably a solid three-star affair.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
If you like video games, and winning tickets, you would love this place. I didn't give this place one star because I don't like games. I actually like them. Here's why:
We came here for my cousin's birthday party. He turned the big 3-0. He called three days in advance, asking to reserve a table for twenty. Yes...20. The manager promptly said, oh with 20, it will be no problem, we'll take care of you when you get here. You don't need to make a reservation.
Tonight was the big night, needless to say, we waited TWO AND A HALF HOURS for a table. When we told the hostess the situation, nothing was done. When we asked the manager, what's going on, nothing happend. FINALLY, at 10:00, our party was sat. A few minutes before we sat down, we inquired about the wait we had left. The hostess snottily replied "you've only been waiting an hour, why are you so worried?" (I kid you not!) Then we explained....blah blah blah, you get the idea.
When a friend asked to talk to a manager, of course he was no where to be found.
Fast forward to dinner. The waiter was so slow, and at this time, there was NO one in the restaurant. NO ONE received silverware, or napkins, and it seriously took until AFTER I received my dinner before I could receive my drink.
Ugh.
I will not be back.
(Sorry this is so crabby, but I am writing the night of the visit)
PS--it's way over priced, fricken hotter than hell, and super duper smokey here too.
People thought this was:
Useful (9)
Funny (9)
Cool (6)
Great place for just about everyone. I haven't seen what they have in their "theater" area, but everything else is top-notch. The pool tables can get pretty pricey, but it's fancy in that area, not smokey, so you're paying for the fancy upkeep. The games are pretty good and a lot of interactive fun. I've always had a good time here except with the food. I would give them five stars, except I always shave a bad experience whenever I have food here, I don't know why. :(
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Video games and food. Video games or food. Hmmm. For alot of people that come here, it is a tough choice. There is something for everyone, both on the menu and in the game room. The food is nothing special, and better than you would think. I personally go for the three meat sampler, in which you get two ribs, and a decent sized portion of chicken and steak served over fries. The ribs aren't bad, but I wouldn't spend more money on an entree than I have to. Besides, this is Dave and Busters, and you should be playing games.
Games? You name it, they probably have it. Shoot-em-ups, racing games, carnival/arcade games that give you tickets you can redeem for points or prizes. The trivia game is awesome. There is nothing like having one of your friends push the wrong button to a question that gives away the answer. Complete strangers were ripping on my friend. We were ripping on my friend. All of us were on the floor laughing.
The nice thing about the Addison location as opposed to the Chicago location is that the video games are cleaner, there is a better selection of carnival/arcade games, more pool tables, and the pool sticks/tables are in better shape than the Chicago location. The restaurant area is bigger, but this doesn't help when the place gets slammed.
The flipside of the Addison location- teenieboppers, and alot of them. But I tell you what. I'd rather deal with the Addison ones than the Chicago ones. At least they say 'Excuse me' or apologize as they run you over trying to get to their friends. But the Chicago location is fun cuz you get to see drunken business people trying to shoot zombies, or three pointers in the basketball game. All in all, for all it's problems, Dave and Busters is just a bigger rehash of the old neighborhood arcades that existed before Nintendo and Sega appeared on the scene. Turn back the clock, insert your tokens, I mean swipe your Powercards,, and hit 'Start.'
Pros: For anyone born after 1975, you can never out grow this concept. Forget your gaming PC or console box. Sometimes you gotta go outside and play....play on a bigger screen.
Cons: Can get pricey. Once a novelty when D&B first opened, now just another place you can goto on a Friday or Saturday night when you want to check your brain and be entertained.
To sum it up: Eat Your Food, Don't Shoot It.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
I really enjoy coming here. Good food, Good drinks and arcade fun gets 5 stars from me. Theres so much to do here and so much money to spend. They do have deals that you can catch. Great way for an adult to kick back.
For those of you who never went... it's exactly like Chuck E. Cheese, but frequented by adults. Great place to go with friends or with a first date. It's convenient because the games and restaurant are both right there. The food is delicious! Try the cream of potato soup, it'll knock your socks off! I mean it! Afterwards, get yourself a game card ($20 should be sufficient) and it'll keep you busy for a couple hours - as well as work off the food. lol. There are plenty of video and interactive games to choose from, so you won't be bored. Pool tables are available too for those who aren't into the games. Look to spend about $80 for two (for dinner and games). Only thing, it might be abit tricky to find it if you've never been to this location before, so look it up beforehand so you don't look like a schmuck on your first date - as happened to me. lol.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
If you see me or my boyfriend sitting around at Super Trivia, run. Run fast and run far. We have discovered our way to ticket superiority.
I guess, anyway. Seriously, though, This place is pretty awesome. I'm a fan of my restaurant-bar-arcades. Nice pool tables, a good selection of games (Mocap Boxing, Super Trivia, good old-style Skee Ball machines, the Skee Ball brand free throw machines, House of the Dead I - IV, Flamin' Finger arhghghgh)... the one downtown (on Clark) where I had my 21st birthday party used to have Battletech pods but they got rid of them (CURSES) so my main reason to make the trek there is out if I'm closer to another location.
The food is actually pretty decent. My steak has never been bad (any of them), my boyfriend's French Dip sandwich was supposedly pretty good (I didn't try it), the dessert fondue was pretty good (you can make S'mores out of what they give you, complete with roasted marshmallows) and the fondue waffle fries with garlic and asiago are pretty intense (delicious). A little expensive but not horribly so. And those fries were GOOD.
This location is pretty convenient and generally not too crowded. They have fun prizes, too. I am now decked out with Hello Kitty jewlery. If you can make it early enough for Power Hour you can get a lot out of a $10 in 60 minutes... you just have to try. Happy Hour exists, too, I just usually don't bother.
At this location : Pump it Up Zero - DX cabinet. It's in decent condition, 5.8 credits per play / 5.2 for Gold members. The bars are a little wobbly (esp. on P1) and the pads are seated a bit low but it's still pretty fun and not in bad condition. I've played on worse.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Ah darn. 21 and over only?
Just kidding. They did check ID when we went though.
If you're hungry, there's good food. If you want a drink, they got it. The games - they're fun.
What more can you really ask for?
Dave and Buster's is a great place to take kids. I would never go there otherwise. My 12 and 13 year old stepkids love the place. It's nice because you can send the kids off to play games while you enjoy a beer in peace! Always a good thing! The food is mostly your typical fried bar food. It's full of fat and calories and really not that nice. Go in the afternoon once you've had lunch somewhere else.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I love Dave and Busters! It's a place where adults can "be a kid". It has excellent dining, a large variety of games, fully stocked bars, and kids are out by 10. The prizes aren't of the Chucky Cheese variety, so you can win some pretty cool stuff : shot glasses, mugs, video games. Fun for everyone!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I went on a Friday night with a friend for appetizers and cocktails. This was my first time I did not venture over to the game side. I was expecting to see more of an after work crowd there, but it was not crowded so we were able to sit at the bar. However, the dining room was pretty full with families. I thought the food was good, and they had a nice selection of wine. If your looking for variety, this is the place!
Really cool place to go and hang out. They have everything in one place -- fun games, good food, and a bar. Its always filled with people and the atmosphere is really light and fun. Great place to go with friends or to meet new people!
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Hot and New
- Star Lounge Cafe
37 reviews
Neighborhood: Humboldt Park
- Kuma's Corner
392 reviews
Neighborhood: Avondale
- French Market
6 reviews
Chicago, IL
- Blue Stem Martini Lounge
39 reviews
Neighborhood: North Center
- Bin Wine Cafe
119 reviews
Neighborhood: Wicker Park