I love this place. They have all the classic games all around the walls of the venue, from PACMAN to Galaga to multiplayers like The Simpsons and TMNT. There are a few racing games as well. If they had some fighting games like Street Fighter or Tekken, I would have been all over that. That's the only thing they lacked on. The bar has a nice setup and have really good selection of craft beers on tap. It felt more like a hipster bar more than anything. The bar area is open and there are bar tables at the center to hangout. There is also several group tables at the corner for a more intimate group. Our group stayed in that bar area since there were coathooks underneath the table. There were a decent number of people on a Sunday Night with the next day being a holiday. It wasn't too noisy and you can hold a conversation within the group. Their bar food here is really good as well. We ordered the meat and cheese tray. I didn't know they served wine as well so that explained why they served it. We also had the quesedilla type food and the nachos which were also above par when it comes to bar food. Overall a great hangout spot to chat, snack and in-and-out of convo to play some games. 21+ and they have change machines for the tokens. read more

First time here a couple weeks ago and I liked it a lot. Beer selection was decent and the bartender knew his stuff well enough to recommend stuff for me which I liked. Food was meh. I wouldn't recommend it, but it was okay. Games were fun although a bit outdated. I wish they had some newer or more games. There's a bar arcade (Emporium) in Chicago I went to that had Capcom vs. Marvel, Turtles in Time and Street Fighter, etc and I just kind of wish this one did too. Oh well. I went with coworkers on a Friday night and we had a lot of fun though. We played the TMNT game for I think hours. :) Fun times. I liked it. read more

Barcade is pretty damn awesome--take this 20s/30s crowd who love a good craft beer (or liquor!) and video games to remind us we are young at heart! Upon entering, you may find yourself overwhelmed with arcade choices. I found most of these games being games I played in the 90s, so seeing them was like a child in a candy store. My friend and I spotted two exchange machines for tokens, one in the back by the coat rack and one to the right between an arcade machine and the bar. No need to bring quarters! There are a lot of games to choose from and everybody will find something fun to play for a while. People are respectful (at least the night I went) about time spent on a game to keep the rotation of games going on. They also have an extensive craft beer menu. As a beer fanatic, this place is good! Reasonably priced (~$7), they boast East Coast brews, so way to represent the local community, but they also have some other popular brews (I'm looking at you Ballast Point!). Yes to the arcade and bar, go Barcade! read more

It has many beers on tap. So go for the beer or if you are into video games this is the place for you. They do have a full bar. We went on a weekday so the place was pretty empty. The service was mixed. Some of the bartenders were efficient while some just didn't care. read more

Went this past Saturday with a guy friend, in the afternoon and it was a packed house. It was great. We had a chance to drink hard liquor way before 5pm lol. The old school arcade games are pretty nostalgic. I really love this place. And I got some cool points from the guy because he thought it was pretty cool too. read more

Barcade - Two player Tetris. Of course I won - Bars Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

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Barcade... That's where I'll be when I'm feeling blue. Stiff drinks, quarter machines, retro arcade games, dingy as fuh. They should get a jukebox and a pool table. That would earn them another star (wink wink) PS good luck beating my Galaga score, suckers. read more

Barcade is amazing. That being said, what is up with the pinball machines? I feel like I drop my tokens and then every ball finds its way between the flippers, as if the balls are being drawn via magnet. I'm a horrible pinball player, so it could be me; I'm just putting it out there. I love Barcade and I remember days of old where I could enjoy a game for more than 15 seconds. I half expected someone to be all, "I know, bro" today. If it's just me, no worries--I shall return. read more

I had been referred to this place by a few friends that live in the Grove Street area in downtown Jersey City. The store front looks really rustic and almost beachy with the horizontal wooden window panels. When you first come in there is a security guard to check id - minors beware - and he seemed friendly. My first impression as I walked in was, 'loud!" Between the music, noise from the arcade games along the walls and the general chatter from people at the bar and among the tables, it was almost unbearable. After about 45 minutes my friend and I had to leave. It got to the point where I really couldn't think. Heading to the bar, the selection of brews and drinks was pretty standard with a little twist - local and speciality brews on tap. As far as food is concerned, forget about it. There isn't much to choose from which was a shame considering it was around dinnertime and I was hungry. I sat at a table near the front windows waiting for a friend and I started to smell something burning. Happy to know I wasn't crazy when a group of guys sitting next to me reacted alarmed. Never figured out was it was but it was none the less disturbing. The bathrooms are well maintained and the place is pretty spacious, if it wasn't it would definitely feel cramped. I might try again for the game aspect since that is their 'theme' (aka the name of the bar Bar-Cade). Highlight: games, space, selection of brews. Downfalls: noise and weird smells. read more

This place is absolute trash. I honestly have never been to a place with worst service. I mean that. Piss poor......terrible.

Very cool atmosphere. 80s arcade games + beer = epic win in my book. Only problem is I didn't know 95% of the beers in here...Am I not hipster enough?! read more

If you look interesting beer, look no further! The taps change all the time and they are all great. If you are like me and are not a beer connoisseur, they have handy description guides and the bartenders are really helpful. The actual bar itself is big and airy with the arcade games on the walls. Barcade does serve food but it is not your typical bar menu. I have to admit some of the ingredients I did have to google. If you are interested in interesting and local beer, this is your place. Get there early. It fills up quick. read more

Last night after work I saw the Christopher Street PATH train stop and decided what the heck, might as well visit Jersey City since I had never been there before and had no plans for the evening in particular. I wandered the streets from Journal Square all the way to Downtown JC for kicks (not the most scenic walk in the world, I have to say, until you finally get to downtown with its pretty brownstones), and Barcade seemed like a cool enough place to stop in and spend a few bucks. I like that the machines take quarters rather than tokens. I didn't stay long, but I could tell it was the kind of place that will suck you in for hours if you let it, even if all the games they have are from well before my time. I could see myself going there every now and then if I lived in the neighborhood. The chalkboard advertised that they sold "hopbacks." I've had a pickleback before and loved it, but I wasn't sure what a hopback was, so I inquired. It sounded like something I would like, though I didn't end up getting one this time. I was just amused that a place in Jersey seemed to have out-Brooklyned Brooklyn. I would have given the place more stars except there should have been more dive beer type options. It's good to have craft beer on tap, but it's also nice to be able to get cheap cans of Tecate, PBR, or what have you. A place with a dive vibe should have at least one cheap beer available. That ought to be a self-evident truth. read more

Great place! My boyfriend and I just moved in a couple of days ago and we're spending our first weekend in JC. Our friend told us about Barcade, and we were both super excited. We love arcade games, and you're telling me we can have alcohol while playing? YES PLEASE. We got there by 10:30 pm and it was packed. It was mostly a sausage fest (expected) but there were other couples there. I would recommend coming earlier if you want to try different games because some of them had a line of people waiting to play. Overall, great experience and will be back more often. Drinks are cheap $6 each and games are only $.25 each (other barcades are $.50-$1). read more

Drinks are a bit bland. I just come here for the arcade games and to hangout with a friend. Great for pairs and solo gamers alike. Their selection is mostly early 90's games and older. NBA Jams era arcade games, for example. Overall, come for the games, stay for the games, then leave so others can play (har har). read more

Barcade - You know the old wives tale from the sea - Bars Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

The beer selection could use a lot of work. I was very interested to see what all the hype was about. Craft beers and old arcade games...a match made in heaven right? First off, two bartenders on a Saturday night meant that you'd be waiting a while for your drink. Not because it was incredibly busy, but because they weren't moving with any particular sense of purpose. It kind of reminded of the days when I would wait and wait for drinks at a club...a trip down memory lane I hoped to never relive. Second, the beers that were offered weren't as diverse as I was hoping for. For me, the best beer selection I've ever encountered was Tiger! Tiger! in San Diego. They had everything from XP's to Framboise. You're not going to find that kind of selection at Barcade, and the experience suffers for it. I was relegated to drinking the same porter all night because there weren't any other beers that seemed interesting enough. Thankfully 25 cent games of Rampage, 1943, Burger Time, TMNT, Contra, and NARC kept me occupied. Man, TMNT is just as difficult 25 years later. I was hoping to find a Street Fighter of Mortal Kombat machine, but my hope was dashed. They could use a couple of more communal tables too... read more

Adults, meet your Chuck E Cheese (just with less screaming brats and food poisoning). I love this place. Craft beer, old school arcade games from my childhood and before -- any place with The Simpsons game deserves 5 stars on its own -- and decent prices make for a great bar experience. The best way to describe it is a throwback to the mall days of the 1980s and 1990s. Beers start at about $5, and there's a great rotating selection, so for samplers like myself, you can have a different beer every time. The games are 25-50 cents a pop, so you can get a full night's worth by throwing $10 into the machine. As for food, someone try the Nutella w/ Bacon for me...I'm not kidding, that's on the menu. Keep spending most our lives, living in a hipster's paradise... read more

Classic arcade games and alcohol. What could go wrong? This unique bar sports a big L-shaped bar with a big beer menu on the wall behind it. There are some tables scattered around the room for additional seating. The big attraction here though is the classic arcade machines surrounding the entire room. We're talking Donkey Kong, Simpsons, Turtles in Time, Pacman, etc. Not only do they sport all these awesome throwbacks, but they kept the old prices too. That's right, everything is playable for a quarter. Mix it up with good beer and good friends and you're going to have a great time. Pro Tip: try the beef jerky. If you're into something spicy, try the "hell" flavor. Bottom Line: Beer and arcade games. Do it. read more

PROS: -Great variety of beers (got some decent porter/stouts on there, awesomeness) -Excellent selection of games (Bust A Move, Rampage, Gauntlet 2, Donkey Kong, Mario Bros... oh and let's not forget Joust) -Ledges next to the arcades for your coats and drinks and things -Atm, change machine, bathrooms pretty clean -Nice, laid back atmosphere CONS: -Food was so disappointingly bad. Barcade, please improve on the food. I'm beggin you. The steak sandwich I got was unbelievably dry (it was supposed to come with steak sauce...uh... Where?) The nachos could be better. The chips weren't that bad alone (sadly, I had to eat most of it without toppings cause there were hardly any) The meat (or lack of it) tasted pretty generic, and so did the cheese. That cost $16 btw. It tasted like it cost half of that. Final advice: Stick to the beer and games, and you'll be fantastic for the night. For better quality food, luckily there's plenty of places around the area, i.e. Left Bank Burger, Gypsy Grill, Roman Nose, etc). Oh, and also, DO NOT play Frogger. You'll lose. That's why they put that one in the back of the bar. read more

Came here for my birthday this past January. Definitely try to get here early if you want a table. Good prices on drinks. Cool arcade games. Wasn't a fan of the food but I didn't go for that. Cool place to try if you want something different. Slightly hipster crowd read more

First time hear last night and I really liked it ..wasn't to happy that they Didnt have much liquor but a great selection of fresh Brew local beer ..Had long island an a shot of Jack and some nachos an the night was great . 25 cent games is a PlUS ..will be back read more

As far as Barcades go, this is by far the worst. Music is too loud, food - I'll be honest nothing has ever looked appetizing enough to bother ordering, the bar tenders have been rude / ignorant to my friends and I several times. Over priced drinks. Honestly I only dip in here for a few games, one drink, and leave. This place is just a warm up on my way to somewhere else. read more

The overall atmosphere of this place is great. They have great bartenders who are funny and attentive, the games are so much fun. They have like three different PAC Man machines you can choose from. The vodka cranberries were strong too which is always good if you want to buzzed for a cheap price they're only 7$. The only thing was the music I wish it was a bit louder to jam out too lol but besides that this place is great place for a girls night or whatever. You always end up meeting new people. read more

Really fun and highly recommend as a date place! They have cool beers and many arcade games for cheap :)

Came here on the Saturday of the Hoboken St. Patty's parade, hoping that the crowd would be small. The neighborhood is pretty decent, and the parking situation was fine that time. We came in around 10pm, about 50% full, you could still get 1 or 2 seats at the bar and possibly a table. The games were about 75% occupied. * Grab a table early on and hold onto it, it will make for a more social experience. The decor is really cool and dark, furniture is dingy but comfortable, and the music is a decent volume some songs were louder than others. I love the fact that the game prices are Sports World circa 1997 and not Dave & Busters circa 2012. (Bergen County-ans will understand the reference) The bartenders are a little abrasive, a friend ordered a "Bud-Light" not knowing the beer situation and the bar tender tossed a menu in his direction and shook his head with extreme dismay, instead of offering a (better) comparable substitute. The bathrooms have alot of writing on the walls, separate bathrooms (4 in total) make for a more expeditious bathroom experience. *Bring a marker so you could write something obscene or inspiring...or both. The prices are reasonable pints from $5-11 i believe, great variety, helpful menu layout. Friend ate the Cubano, said it was awesome. Overall sweet place to come and hangout, it's change of place from other bars. Highly recommended at least once read more

We went for a late birthday celebration. It was a bite, a drink, some games and girl time. The place, on a Sunday was pretty empty considering I heard it could be super busy and full on the weekends. It is a wide open space, high ceilings, a bar, a bunch of sporadic heavy tables and the walls are lined with arcade games. There is a lovely little menu with small snacks and bigger things, like hot sandwiches. They sell chips, and nutella and bacon on toast, or quesadillas with chorizo. Many of the things on the menu are classics, easy breezy bar food with a twist-- fancy quesadillas, fun waffle sandwiches with ham and syrup, or adult grilled cheeses. I had the Ruben sandwich, which was not the typical. It looked like it could have been a diner Ruben, but it was not quite as greasy or thick. Instead of the usual swiss cheese, melty on the meat and bread, Barcade steps it up and uses gruyere on their pastrami Ruben. It also had a meager amount of beer soaked sauerkraut. There was also just a little less thousand island than I would like. But it was a different kind of Ruben, and in some ways it felt lost but still delicious. They also offer an extensive list of beers that changes frequently. The beer menu was very in depth and descriptive, each selection had a very specific list of adjectives. This was a selection varied enough for the connoisseur and explanatory enough for the beginner. The appearance of the bar is hip, nonchalant, and unplanned, but the menu and beer selection are well curated and specific. The atmosphere was fun, chill and easy going. The games, the food and the drinks make Barcade a great hangout. read more

Love this barcade! So much quieter, roomier and easier to get a drink or a game in than it's Brooklyn counterpart. Also love the food addition. This place is one of the main reasons i'm willing to make the trek here from Brooklyn to visit my Jersey city friends. read more

This is a solid bar. If you want to have some fun and drink a variety of beers, this place is great. This bar is what the name says. It doesn't have music. So you can hang out with friends and talk. It has lots of room and is overall a chill place. People are very friendly there. There is no problem sharing games with everyone. The bartenders are nice and can recommend bears if you are confused. I really like playing Tapper, Pac Man, Tetris, or Rampage. It has a really good variety of old school games. It tries to come of with a divey aesthetic, but the place is pretty clean. If I want to play some old school games and/or hang out with friends, this place is great. I have not had the food there. read more

Great spot for a date night! Tons of beer, surprisingly good food, and fun games! We got there around 430 on a Saturday and it was perfect because all the games were open. It started getting busier as the night went on, but still a great time! read more

Yay! Ridiculous selection of beers. Not really a food destination, except for the jerky. Go on a brewery night and you'll get to have beers from across a brewery's range, often with hard to find beers and vintage beers. Totally worthwhile. The arcade games really, really ought to move into the 90s. The original concept in Brooklyn of 'games that 30 year olds played when they were 15' is GREAT... but time has passed and now it's all games that 40 year olds played when they were 15, which is still cool, but not quite as compelling. (I do know that this just isn't gonna happen, but I can dream.) read more

Cool large atmosphere with lots of tables and games filling most of the perimeter of the place. Lot of bros.. definitely a stop-in for a drink and game type of joint in the midst of a downtown bar crawl. Lots of craft beers. Always a perk for my friends. Once, I asked for a lager and the girl gave me an IPA. Doesn't affect my rating because she gave me a new one, but c'mon.. The other guy is nice and works at the other barcade in ny i believe. it's a bitch getting a drink on the weekends because it gets packed around the bar, even though the place is pretty spacious. Bouncer at the door. Single stall bathrooms, but 3 or 4 of them. read more

Awesome bar with very cool arcade games! They had some games I hadn't seen in years. The beer menu had many different options to chose from and many different Liquors. The bartenders were very attentive and it took less than 2 minutes to place my drink order in a very crowded environment. At times it was difficult to find games that were open for us to play since there were so many people, but we got to use all of our tokens and had a great time. Didn't get to try the food, but Barcade is definitely a cool place and I will come back! read more

Ah MAY ZING beer menu. And the prices are so reasonable you almost feel bad for paying so little for such excellent beers. If Peculier Pub combined with Aladdin's Castle of my youth, this would have been its gorgeous lovechild. Downside is that they don't really have much to nosh on. But most folks head over to Gypsy Grill for fantastic Turkish fare and I hear when Two Boots opens they will deliver to Barcade...but what of something sweet, my dearest Barcade? Perchance a cookie, cupcake, etc for your adoring patrons? read more

No Frills + Old School Arcade Games for 25 cents/play + Awesome Craft Beer + Laid back and happy crowd = Barcade. I love this place for what it is. Not a place to impress the ladies, but certainly a great place to grab a craft beer and revisit your childhood via arcade games. Everyone is really friendly and laid back. The other day I played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and beat the game with help of two random people I just met at the bar. It's unfortunate that some of the games are a little before my time or just not worth playing. I caution anyone playing Contra, that game just takes your money. For those of you looking for specialty cocktails, or want to order wine, you might want to try somewhere else. My main criticism is that they could swap out some of the older/crappier games with better old school games like (1) Street Fighter; (2) Duck Hunt; (3) Mortal Kombat; (4) Ninja Gaiden...you get my drift. All in all though, a solid fun place to be. read more

They have Duclaw beer from Maryland, sooo good! Along with letting me reminisce, their other beers are tasty too. Pair that with some frogger and pacman and it's an awesome night. read more

Barcade's beer list was awesome and the bartenders were nice and attentive. The beers go for $6 a pint which is pretty good for craft beers. The food was pretty good. We got deviled eggs and they were nice and spicy and flavorful. As well as the beef jerky which was good. Props to the them for running on wind power and committing to going green if that's your thing. they have 4 individual bathrooms which were good and the games are all $0.25 which provides some fun. Music from what i remember was pretty decent. Would go back here again. Definitely better than the barcade in BK read more

Fun friendly atmosphere in the heart of jersey city. Great beer on tap though not the best eatery (try the allagash triple). Oh and ALL THE GAMES! Galaga, Donkey Kong, The Simpsons, and even Star Wars for Atari! Lot of insecure arcade games like Mappy? Just one tip - the pong game table is broken and it makes me sad. Otherwise a great time with friends on a Friday night :) read more

Wine and beer is their specialty. Cool atmosphere and being able to play old school arcade games and new ones also makes it all the better

I planned my friend's bachelor party with this place being the first stop. I had gone to the Brooklyn one a few times, so I was pretty sure of what I was going to get with this installment. Not the fanciest place you'll ever come across, but it serves its purpose: if you want to get a few people together to drink a few cold ones and take a trip down memory lane with those 80's arcade games, then this is the spot to check out. Sometimes the games'll give you a hard time (eating quarters etc), other times you'll come across a game with a few free credits on it. Such is the circle of life. We were there early on a Saturday so we basically had the place to ourselves. The lunch special is hard to beat (Sandwich, chips, and a beer for 10 bucks). Most of us had their version of the Cuban and it was pretty tasty; having the choice of a wide variety of craft beers as your drink selection was a nice plus, so at least the special gives you some value. The deviled eggs were especially spicy and tasty For what appears to be a divey-type place at first glance, Barcade gives you good beer and just as good food for a respectable price. read more

Ok so, the pictures of the pulled pork sandwich with macaroni & cheese enticed me. I ordered one. The consistency of the pulled pork reminded me of wet cat food yet it was oddly dry. The macaroni was not cheesy, more like a macaroni salad. Overall, it tasted like vinegar. It was such a disappointment, considering the pictures featured on Yelp. The selection of vintage arcade games is straight up weak. I hardly recognized any of the games. The whole experience was a rip off. read more

I enjoyed the visit to barcade. I am old enough to remember some of the video games, and enjoyed playing them with a a couple of beers. The beer selection is big, and I don't know many of these microbrews, so I was guessing and the beer I had was soso. The kitchen is literally a little hole in the wall, so I wouldn''t come here to eat. Crowd is younger, but kind of a mix or rock/cool kids that are easy to hang with. read more