On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Sat. 9:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Loading...
love love love love.
The only reason I couldn't give Miss T's five stars is for the lack of a full bar. The wine is cheap and good though, and they have beer and sake if you're so inclined.
If you're a big nerd and love the arcade games of your 80's youth, you will love this place. They have classic pinball games, a Pac-man table, Donkey Kong, Paper Boy... it's all there and it's all glorious.
The bar will make quarters for you if you didn't come prepared. Oh yeah, and there's a DJ on certain nights; I don't recall hating the music being spun. Unfortunately, it gets really hot in that place. I'm not sure if they don't have an air conditioner or what, but don't wear a sweater or you just might die.
I love Barcade especially since they have a proper place and its not in that little apartment where everyone smokes. The old place had a cool speakeasy vibe but way too smokey for me.
I love you because you have Rampage, I love you because you have Paper Boy, I love you because you have Ms. Pacman! I spent my youth playing video games on the Japanese Famicom and going to arcades like TILT and you take me back to those great times. I wish you had real liquor but I will drink sake for you.
I love you
Great place for a rest top or a mellow night out.
I've come here off and on for a couple of years, at first because I was visiting town and my bff recommended it. It was a great place to come for a fun couple of games and a drink, not something you find a lot of in LA.
More recently I have found it a great destination either on the way to, or from, downtown events, dinners and bars. I need to unwind with all the traffic and hectic pace of things.
Minus one star for not having hard liquor (mmm mojitos) and a hard to find location (but seriously, everyone on here should be able to look up, write down and know how to use an address).
First off a disclaimer...
I am a retro gamer. There I said it.
I love this place. I first tried to find it on a road trip to the Nerd Prom (Comic Con International) in 2008 and for the life of me could not locate the pac ghost neon sign...I felt like a loser who could spot the cool place.
My friends and I were on a road trip from Canada and I had dragged them to this place only to realize I couldn't find it. Sure, I saw the two-storey KFC across the street. I knew, I just KNEW, I was in the right place, but no Pac-Ghost?
So we left.
Fast forward a year later and I am back in L.A. with a different buddy. On the last night of my trip I throw caution to the wind and make my way back to the KFC for one more try. There it is...the ghost!
So we head inside and it is quiet. But that is cool. I strike up great conversation with the owner/bartender and start drinking. I must have drank every beer and sake bomb on the menu by the time the night was over. We also ordered the super rama which was spicy and delicious.
The games I wanted to play were working. The joint was hot I recall but I didn't care.
Highly recommended if you want to make your own fun. If you need a crowd, this may not be for you.
We chatted with many locals at the bar and enjoyed the non rushed, non-arrogant atmosphere and wished we lived in the neighborhood.
If you live in L.A. you have no excuse to not check this place out...and if you are just passing through and looking for a great place to start ANY night of the week....you must check this place out.
Are you a nerd? If so, prepare to jizz in your pants a thousand times. I was told before moving to LA that I absolutely had to check this place out... I'm so glad I did. I was a bit concerned by the fact it's located so close to a two-story KFC, but that's a different story.
I've drank some healthy portions of sake while here and spent all my quarters. Personal game favorites include Rampage and the Ms. PacMan table. The only downer is this place got majorly hot inside, and it wasn't even that packed. They had some dudes spinning some live drum & bass (I think) and an MC, so that spiced up the evening a bit before we left. I love you, Miss T's.
Finding this place is half the fun.
Really chill and relaxing spot with no crowds in sight.The video games are an added bonus but really.....they should replace the ones there or at least fix them.Spy Hunter doesn't work, Paperboy was turned off, and the pinball gets stuck on the Playboy pinball game.No Street Fighter 2 ?? Don't go in expecting a great arcade, instead you get an OK arcade with some old school games.Very low budget bar, which i don't mind at all.I think they serve food as well but i couldn't tell since the menu was taped up to the wall behind the bartender and it's drawn out like stuff you would doddle in jr high. The bar is surrounded by great looking Asian restaurants that were open late so really try those places instead.Also, as we were leaving a Taco Truck was setting up shop outside of the bar!! This is my type of place and the only thing it needs to get a much deserved 5 star is to replace the games.
Oh, Barcade, I want to love you. I really do. I know that beer and arcade games should be a winning ticket. Like a woman who loves sports and the smell of your farts, or a man that enjoys shopping and emotional frankness, you're a keeper--on paper. In reality, though, you let me down time and time again.
If you weren't so cramped, hot, and loud I would be all up in you every chance I got. But you'll never change, I know that now. And after one final, dissatisfying night with you, I have decided to stop fooling myself.
No one wants to say it, but it's a glaring truth that can't be denied. Just because you combine the things I love, doesn't mean I have to love you.
Awesome concept, terrible execution. I love drinking, I love video games, and I frequently mix the two. So why 2 stars?
In my opinion, only serving bottled beer hardly qualifies you as a bar. They don't serve any hard liquor but you can get some half-way-there drinks, though none of them tickled my fancy. I'm totally down with old school arcade games, but their selection was lacking and two of the games I really wanted to play were either out of order or only had one player working.
That being said, it's got a great dive vibe and good udon. The bartender was cool and on top of things. But style cannot supplant substance, especially when it comes to those most sacred things: Game and Drink.
Beer was actually frozen. came out in frozen clumps. Too cold to even taste.
Games were marginal - some didn't work. I'm not particularly a fan of the place. That said, there were some good tunes being played by the DJ. Not sure when it gets hopping - I was there at 10:30 on a saturday with a group of about 5 friends, and we were literally the only dudes in the place
I hate bars, but I love video games. With that in mind, this statement may be completely bias:
"This is the best bar ever!"
Decent selection of snacks and beer ; Stand up joint: Ms. Pac Man ate one of my quarters, so the barkeep gave me 5 free games; Not crowded; Huge Benefit: Most of the patrons are over 25. I'm almost thirty, so spending an evening at Vermont Arcade among a hundred or so ten year olds is a bit loserish (not to mention creepy).
LOVE IT! anyplace where I can wear leg warmers and a pink Tutu's in!!!
I can here for a birthday party on Saturday night. It was open bar.....SCORE!
The place is really small, very divey, dark and their are old 80's toys, games and video games. Anyplace where I can play pac-man and have a beer is all right with me!
They had a DJ in the other room spinning 80's music...
This bar is pretty awesome...very unique
Its a great place to start off a night!
I love this place. No attitude, super terrific old school games, nice and real people and the Udon soup rocks. They always play good music and the bartenders are just wonderful.
Any night is a good night, but my favorite night is the 2nd Weds of every month for Mystec Beats.
Been here for a few birthday parties and I gotta say that that is the only reason I'd come here. The place is small, gets crowded and I just don't feel that arcade games and bars mix well. That being said, it is an interesting place to check out but I can't imagine wanting to come here just for the hell of it. It is definitely a gimmicky bar.
The selection of games is varied, some classics, some more obscure. The jukebox is pretty good and under utilized, I think. They occasionally have a DJ but the dance floor is incredibly small, especially if people are playing games. I always get nervous of a fire hazard since the doorways between the rooms are narrow.
If you're into video games and drinking then this place is for you. If you prefer to socialize while drinking, this place can still be for you, just know that you'll probably only meet people who are really into video games (not that that's a bad thing, it's just not my nightlife scene).
This bar is easily one of my top 10 bars in LA. I actually think its my favorite bar in all the land.
It feels a bit like you've stumbled upon your own personal bar with everything you could possibly want or need for you and your friends. Ice cream sandos, Sapporo, video games, disco music, friendly staff, sketchy ass Korean mafia style bar next door, and if you're lucky, the odd tranny here and there. Summed up on a single word? Heaven.
After a late dinner out to BCD, our night was just not over. We stopped by HMS Bounty and Frank and Hanks, all were just too crowded. Still determined to stay in K-Town, we use Yelp, hop in the car and head over to Miss T's Barcade.
Even at 12:30am it was half full but I suppose the locals turn into by 1:00, it had emptied out the second we walked in.
First thing we notice is that they don't accept credit cards. Ask the bartender where the nearest ATM machine was within walking distance, but turned out to be too far. So with the cash I had left tried their Soju version of a cape cod. Very strong. I was surprised.
Decided to play a few games, was either blind or too stupid to notice the Paper Boy machine was on but not working, lost a quarter on that, then lost a quarter on the Donkey Kong machine.
Sat back, listened to the DJ play a few funky tunes, lost playing Miss Pacman.
The cocktails itself aren't cheap, however if you want to play some old school video games, have a few beers and not blow all of your money, this is an unassuming place that you won't have to fight off any Hollywood types to grab a drink at the bar. Totally laid back and chill.
Hope to go back soon, I'm seeking my revenge on the Paper Boy machine ;)
Arcade + Dive Bar = AWESOME GOOD TIMES! What's not to love?
The place seems to be stocked with Shochu, which isn't a bad thing, but your bar options are going to be limited. No worries, you have a wide range of choice when it comes to your choice of classic game to play.
What's my poison? Ms. Pac-man. Yup yup. It's something to do with the bow in the hair, but Ms. Pac-man is far better than the original and Jr. didn't do anything productive to the game.
Sitting at the table screen, you'll be eating up little yellow lights while being chased by ghost and drinking whatever it is you ordered. It's like growing up and NOT growing up all at the same time. Drink enough and you'll be growing bent over puking out back.. but that's neither here nor there.
Given that I like to show up early before the crowds flood the place, the bar was fairly empty for a weekday evening. Empty as ever, it was a pleasure to relax and have free range with whatever game we could want to play.
Lacking an ATM or the ability to take anything but straight up cash is a downside. Then again, I've conditioned myself to not use anything but cash at bars. It makes the tips a whole lot easier.
It may be a little hard to spot from the street but just look for the neon light of the pac-man ghost and prepare for some great times in a really dive looking bar.
The f_cking best.
The only place I will ever willingly drink at on a Tuesday night.
Hipster reviewer's unite for for five stars....
Jesus...
So you know, I am no high-falutin gentleman but i enjoy patronizing establishments that don't make feel like anything i touch may give me the HIV. Booze isn't THAT cheap, despite the fact they may not have a liquor license. (snap, hipster gossip) 3/4 of the games don't work, it smells like piss and the people here freak me out... maybe why they have a awkward private security guard. I really feel like i am coming off like a douche but i am not hard to impress, a cold drink and somewhere comfy to rest my loins... all i ask. Not here though, not here.
I kind of love this bar.
I think the first time I went there I was DJ-ing and it just always has a really good vibe. Basically, the vibe I'm speaking of is that it always feels like you and your friends owns the place.
It feels kind of like a secret clubhouse and I'm into that feeling.
I know people complain that it's cash only and beer/wine/soju only, but I always end up drunk in the just the perfect way after one of those GIANT Sapporos or from one of those mysterious soju cocktails. I've never eaten the food and I haven't actually seen anyone eat it either...Just sayin!
I think the decor is pretty cute and the lighting is good aka DARK and you can actually hear yourselves talk in the front room.
People also say the restrooms are dirty, but those people have obviously never been to a punk show or a house party. The restroom is down a somewhat creepy hallway, but has always been clean when I was there.
If you check out the Barcade Myspace page, you will see that every night is pretty much an interesting type of DJ/DJ set. I think Barcade really cares about music. I've seen live shows here, but I think they are rare maybe.
And I'm not going to lie, I haven't spent much time in the "third" total game room, but that's probably because I would rather be playing records, dancing to my friends music when they are DJ-ing (check out every third Wednesday which is Def Before Disco: http://beatconnections...
On top of all that I have mentioned, the bartender/owner, Ricardo is pretty soft on the eyes. He and his brother play in the awesome band, Very Be Careful: http://www.verybecaref.../
For the smokers, you can totally smoke outside in the front. This isn't a no-ins-and-outs kind of place.
And maybe one day they'll get an ATM machine. Sigh.
Duh, I like this place!
I like dives alot. They're comfortable and cheap, and ussually pretty relaxed with some characteristic that over comes all its short comings. The Barcade tries to over come its short comings with a collection of 1980s arcade cabinets. It only makes this place worse. Most of the games don't work, it smells (seriously, the other reviewers aren't kidding it does smell like pee in here), its hard to find, and uncomfortably laid out. If you want to get from one end of the bar to the other you will have to move chairs, tables, arcade machines, mustached hipsters, and maybe even the DJ. But who would want to go to the back of this place? That's were they keep the spy hunter machine that smells like it was pulled from a dumpster.
The drinks are about 5 bucks each, which isn't bad. But at the same time given the quality of this place you end up feeling like you should have played less.
I'll give them a star for the kitsch factor, and a second star for the fact that they actually have arcade machines. But its really not worth the effort to go here.
(phone conversation with a friend)
"Hey, Duff, what's your favorite things in the world?"
"Um ... I dunno. Why?"
"Just think." He persisted.
"Well, off the top of my head: Bodington's beer and Spy Hunter, the old school video game."
"Exactly."
***********
Bodington's and Spy Hunter. I never thought they would pair up someday. Then along came Miss T's Barcade. I was in love before I walked in - there is practically no sign, just a neon Pacman Ghost in a dark curtained window on the shady side of Western (actually, everything south of Franklin is the "shady side of Western").
The bar is nothing to write home about: they do not serve anything but beer, wine n sake. The beer selection is good.
But let's be honest: who cares. They have Spy Hunter. And Pacman. And Centipede. Pinball. Donkey Kong. All a quarter. One quarter.
Oh! Did you lose your quarter (as the games aren't fully functional sometimes)? Tell the beertender, he'll hook you up with a replacement. That's amazing.
If you haven't gone: go. It's worth it, even if you don't dig vintage vid games. The beer will help with that.
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?
---------
Cash Only!
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?
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.
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.
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, 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.
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
***ONE HUNDREDTH REVIEW***
Playboy pinball, $4 beers, The Thing playing on a screen/projector... Entertaining a visiting friend was simple. The only difficult part was keeping my quarters... Heh.
At 9:30 on a Saturday the Barcade was pretty dead (maybe the Thing came and left...). The turntables were lonely and I didn't see food anywhere. With a little music and some bodies, the place could have been a definite five.
For now, four stars for four dollar beers, y'all.
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.
I'm a child of the 80's. Atari, arcades at the mall and Nintendo were all big parts of my childhood. Unfortunately Miss T's Barcade doesn't live up to the fantasy of an arcade mixed with my new adult pastime, drinking.
The place is sort of falling apart, dirty, dark, and hot and muggy on this night. Not much of a selection of beer, one kind of cheap, grape juice wine. A few of the games weren't working, the controllers stuck, the pinball machine on a permanent tilt, with quarter eating machines. I didn't even recognize a couple of the games. Many of the classics aren't represented.
The sound system was bad, the punk music blaring at high, ear deafening decibels, then the next song would come in at a better volume. A drum set was being set up in the teeny tiny arcade room, I have no idea where people were gonna stand to listen. And once you set a band up in the room, it just became a beer bar with bad music.
If I want to play video games and drink beers with my buddies we'll hang out at my house. You're all invited.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Nice bartenders and staff.
Enjoyable games, but not a large variety.
Small space. A nice little hangout.
They also have movie nights.
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
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.
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.
Old School video games? I'm hooked. Beer? I am a fan for life. I went in on a random weekday and it was pretty much empty but the few people that were there were super cool and laid back. Anywhere they carry Stella and PBR while mixing up some Soju cocktails (it is K-Town after all) is A-Ok with me. The entrance is pretty non-descript and hard to tell if its open your first time around but just power through and plant yourself at the quarter laden bar and ask for an Asahi. Pound a beer, blow some coin on Dig Dug then talk to the bartender about music. Ask him about his band!
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Arcades
Neighborhood: Koreatown
Category: Videos and Video Game Rental
Neighborhood: Glendale
Category: Amusement Parks
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Pool Halls
Glendale, CA
Category: Videos and Video Game Rental
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
hole-in-the-wall places with that special…
You can still be a hip mama in LA (provided…
The list name says it all but for the few slow on…
I still write great reviews.. You know you're…
its saturday night, where are YOU drinking? this…
Bottoms up! An eclectic mix of some dive-ish,…
Can't always drink to the bottom of the glass.…
