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. read more

I'm kind of shocked at all these great reviews for what I found to be mostly a dump. Read on... PROS: - It's a dive bar with ~12 retro video games and 4 cool old pinball machines. Very cool idea (and trendy as hell right now). - DJ who played great music with a mix of current stuff and not-what-you-expect '80s music (Art of Noise! "Who'll Stop the Rain" by Heaven 17!). LOVE that there was good music and a real person spinning (not an iPod on shuffle), even on a pretty dead Tuesday night. - Good selection of classic arcade games (Joust, Robotron 2084, Defender, Galaxian, Pac Man, Ms Pac, Rampage, Donkey Kong, Spy Hunter, etc)... however, see below regarding the machines... - My date's Seven & Seven was REALLY strong, which led to some serious making out in a dark corner, so thank you for that heavy pour. ;-) This is what a dive bar is ALL about! CONS: - The bartender, while not exactly rude, wasn't great. When I first walked in with my friend he greeted us and got our drinks-- great. Then twice more that night I walked up to the bar to get something, and twice he was sitting on his phone, twice I just stood there like 2 feet from him (you know he knew I was standing there), twice I had to say something after standing there for a few minutes like a fool, twice he begrudgingly turned away from his phone and got me what I needed. (And yes, I took care of him with a good tip on the first round, as I have learned to always do...) EVEN THOUGH IT'S A DIVE BAR, THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS LIKE SHIT. - The machines are in terrible shape. The Joust 2p joystick is wired to the 1p joystick so you can't play two-player mode (on one of the best two-player cooperation games ever designed!). Lights were out and flippers were stuck on many of the pinball machines. Several of the machines ate my quarters. Robotron 2084 joystick didn't work in some directions. Listen, if you're selling the concept of drinking and playing video games, shouldn't you make at least some effort for the games to work? - Nowhere to set your drinks but on the floor (lame) or on top of the machines. (Hmmm, maybe that's why the machines are jacked, people put their drinks on top and then they spill down into the electronics, or something?) Anyhow, it'd be nice to have little narrow tables between every 2nd machine where you can put your glass. Not rocket science. - It's decorated... strangely. Big stuffed animals all over the place, which makes no sense (it's an arcade/bar, not a county fair) and ugh I can't even imagine how gross/sticky/smelly those animals are. Weird sort of art thing hanging from the ceiling. A LOT of assorted crap behind the bar. It looks like a hoarder put it together. Again, even though it's a dive bar, that doesn't mean it has to be a dump. Look, call a friend with some taste and who gets the whole "dive bar" vibe to come in and spend a few hours just making it look right. (Hmmm I actually know exactly the right person who could make it amazing for you on the dirt dirt cheap, if you contact me.) Slap up some paint. Ditch the stupid/gross stuffed animals. Again, you can still be a dark dive bar and a little seedy, but there's a difference between seedy and GROSS. - As many of the other reviewers have mentioned, it's really, really hot in there because of all the machines (my date and I were literally dripping with sweat after an hour). And I'm sure it's a lot worse when the place is busy. I realize this is probably a difficult problem to solve but I can't help but think there must be something-- anything-- they could do to improve the situation... exhaust fans near the ceiling blowing hot air outside? Portable a/c units? Ceiling fans? Something. BOTTOM LINE: as I mentioned above, barcades are SUPER trendy right now... I was just in Denver and a big one there had a line literally down the block of folks queueing to get in. I dig the concept and location of Blipsy Bar, but the execution is pretty poor. It could be sooooo much better with just a tiny bit of effort. I'm not suggesting it has to lose its status as a dive bar (in fact, that would suck), and I'm definitely not suggesting they put in big disco lights and jack up drink prices and attract a Westside crowd or whatever... but there are some basic issues that make this place much more shitty than it should be, and with SO little work/money it could be twice as great... and much more dive-y and cool and fun. And make me want to come back. read more

You love the 80's? I do! You love Debbie Deb? I do! You love Pac-Man and Donkey-Kong? What a coincidence! Me too! I love that we still have a small gem left. The 80's were the best man. This place has about 20 80's arcades!!!!!! There's a change machine and you begin your happiness one quarter at a time. Drinks are good and cheap. I've had great times here and will continue to come back! read more

There is so much to complain about this place. It is practically hidden with no posted hours of operation. No parking. I am pretty sure that women of ill repute frequent this establishment. It is stuffy, dank, and seedy as hell. I would not recommend this place to a vast majority of people that I know. I went with my brother, and he ordered a double Jameson on the rocks. It cost him $28. The bathrooms are dirty and separate from the building and God only knows what has taken place inside of them. And this magnificent place can only exist in K-town. There are a bunch of old video games and a bar. A DJ was spinning "Madness - Uncle Sam" (a new wave British 80s song that got absolutely no air time in the United States). The DJ was dancing and this guy (by total coincidence) who I ate across from at Castle BBQ thirty minutes ago began hopping from one foot to another in front of the DJ in time to the beat. It was one of those surreal experiences that I live for. Do not go here on a first date. Do not go here with your parents. Do not go here if you are looking for anyplace "classy". That's what SoDoSoPa* is for. This place is for degenerates, and for degenerates, it simply does not get any better. *Can I please have a badge? read more

While many other establishments combine old school arcade games with alcohol, Blipsy Bar has perfected the concoction. One part dive bar, one part 80s punk, one part sexy nerd, shake vigorously and pour into a frosted collins glass of amazingness. Garnish with low prices and friendly service. Prejudicial me thought for sure that an arcade in Koreatown would be rife with Koreans and/or males, but this place was super white although much less male than I expected. A great, friendly vibe. Hop on your flying ostrich and q*bert jump your way to Blipsy Bar now because elf needs food badly. read more

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! read more

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! read more

Oh Blipsy, you're cute. You're not like your hot older barcade brother-from-another-mother all the way in Brooklyn, but you're definitely cute. Once you walk in, it's like traveling through a time warp--walls decorated with games/toys/posters and all sorts of memorabilia from the 80s and 90s. I felt like all I was missing was a denim jacket and my LA gear's. It's very small and cozy inside--about 2-3 tables/ booths and the rest of the seating is at the bar which is fully stocked. There's also a jukebox near the entrance which I'm assuming is used during earlier hours. When I got here, there was a dj who was brilliant in selection, spinning on the one's and two's. The bartender is super cool and helpful in describing what is what and what tastes best in reference to some of their interesting choice in mixology. The drinks here are good, cheap and cash only, so be sure to hit up the ATM before heading over. Though Blipsy does have the essentials like Punch Out, Centipede, Galaga, Pac Man, Paper Boy, Gauntlet, Rampage, etc., and all for only a quarter per play--I still wish there were a wider variety of games. But, I like you anyway. XX, Danna S. read more

3 Stars is not a bad thing, just not a GREAT thing. Don't get me wrong, I had fun here. It was just that the whole time I kept thinking, "I wish they had this" or "I wish they had that." This was another stop on The Man's Bday celebration. I thought the 1980's nostalgia would be befitting for his forty... *cough cough*... birthday. Ambiance is dark and divey which I love but, I just wish they had more games and more seating. The layout was not very conducive to getting lost in space, blasting asteroids into oblivion. This is more of a neighborhood bar with some ol'school video games. Not really an arcade for adults. Again, it's great to stop by, but have someplace to go after a few games or you'll probably get bored. read more

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. read more

This is my neighborhood bar. It will always have a place in my heart. That being said, I can only handle Barcade for about an hour. I go here to actually play the games. We get drinks, use their quarter machine, and basically hog Offroad. - Cash only. There is an ATM inside (but it's really dark inside and very hard to see.) - Street parking (a block over is residential, so park there.) - Get there before 11 (that's when the hipsters come out to play and just stand in front of the games.) - The drinks are strong and the machines are a quarter. So you won't break the bank. - The women's bathroom is incredibly sketchy. Take a buddy. TIP: It gets HOT in there. Make sure you're able to take off layers, no matter how cold it is outside, all those arcade cabinets heat the place up!! read more

First off, Bar check, Arcade, double CHECK, should be a LEGENDARY experience right? NOPE. Get to the bar, and it's hot as HELL. Couldn't spring for some central air? Hot as a mother F*&(#$ once you walk in. Drinks, expensive as hell. But whatever, yadda yadda yadda, you're in KTOWN, you're expected to pay up the ass for drinks. The Arcades: NON FUNCTIONING, dropped at least $1.00 on broken machines. A little sign might be nice. But anyways, could these games be any older? Pin Ball Machine?! REALLY?! Give me some classic games, Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat. SOMETHING. All we get was this crappy Double Dragon game? And WWF game? (those were the ones that were working when I played by the way) How can something so easy be this CRAPPY? Arcades, and BOOZE, easy. This place seriously SUCKED. Don't even waste your time. I was on my freakin phone playin my FREE Iron Man 3 downloaded app. TERRIBLE. read more

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. read more

Came to check this place out as I heard some great things about it. Its pretty hard to find but everyone seems to know where it is. I walked in and I thought I was in arcade heaven. They had a bar with a decent assortment of liquor and most of all, Pabst Blue Frickin Ribbon... all the reason to come here. They had a decent assortment of games but I wish they had some Sega games like Shinobi and Golden Axe but oh well, if I ever open up a barcade, I"ll make it all Sega games but that's just me. A lot of the ppl who come here are young hipsters who probably never went to an arcade because they were BORN when arcades were in their decline. Case in point, I put up a quarter on a pinball machine which in Arcadese means, "I'm next biatch". This girl looked at me with a "WTF" look like why is this asian guy giving me a quarter? OMG I hope he's not hitting on me??? Her boyfriend was giving me a "WTF, let's step outside" kinda look and I had to explain that putting a quarter up on the pinball machine or arcade machine denotes that one would like to go after their turn. After an hour the place got packed, and i must place this obligatory line from Swings, "This place is dead anyway". Well its not dead, but I needed to bounce as this place got packed in a good way. This place is a great hangout for the younger crowd as they have a great vibe going on. My only gripe is that its filled with arcade newbies but hey, at least there is an arcade to go to even if I had to educate someone on what it means to "put up a quarter". read more

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. read more

I HAD SUCH HIGH HOPES! I went Monday 2/27 and decided to take the bus to ensure I get good and liquored up while I was there. I arrived at around 5:30 PM and the place was closed (they say they are open at 2PM). It was quite a trek to get there so I decided to hang around a bit in hopes they would open later. When I came back at 6:15 after some KFC across the street, I bumped into a couple who was also trying to go for the first time. We tried the door again only to realize it was still locked. I knocked just for safety sake and still nothing. They messed up plain and simple. I had $25 in quarters I had saved up for the trip and an undying will to drink myself under the pacman table while playing pinball. It really is a shame, this place seemed awesome from the reviews. read more

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. read more

Snooty yuppies beware. A hole in the wall this bar may be... But my friends and I had a great time at this place. It combines two of the best things ever: drinking yourself silly and reliving childhood past times! I lived at the Pacman table and the Pinball machines. If you're looking for a casual, fun night with some friends then this is the place! We kicked back, drank some beers and had an absolute blast. A fair warning... The music (while excellent) is super loud and there doesn't feel like there's much AC circulating through the place. If you're on a date... All I have to say is hopefully its number 3 or 4. You'll be sweating through your shirt and you won't be able to hear anything she says. read more

TOTAL hole in the wall. i would say that this place is the unnoticed/underrated sister of eightytwo. now this place is A LOT smaller than eightytwo. but hey on a friday night it wasnt crowded nor was there a line wrapped around the block. and with $5 it will get you a cup of sailor jerrys and coke.. when i say a cup of sailor jerrys and coke, it was like, sailor jerrys.. sailor jerrrryyyysss.... and a splash of coke. THATS A DEAL DOE! hahah. a fun little game you could do while waiting for your drink, is to play i spy. why? they have all these random nic nacs hangin around the bottles! they had a dj who played some old school ambient jams, songs youd hear and totally recognized. thumbs up. better yet, they had RAMPAGE! that game is a total classic and eightytwo has got nothing on blimpsy because of that. HIGHLY recommend checking this place out. give this place a shot read more

AMAZING!!!! A dive barcade. It doesn't even have a sign. The drinks are cheap and yes, they have the best arcade game in the world: Rampage. They also have weird super old games that I've never seen before. They have tabletop Pacman!!!! Omg just go here and please keep it in business because I love it so much. read more

Blipsy Bar - :D 3 player game! - Dive Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Holy crap, was that bartender terrible. She didn't do anything to me because I just ordered a beer, but watching her serve other folks was just ridiculous to see. Rude, poured the wrong drinks frequently -- at least three separate times in a thirty minute span did I see people send their drinks back. And I saw multiple times where she would pour two of the same drink and didn't even pay attention to portions. Someone literally got two parts Jameson one part Bailey's, and her friend got two parts Bailey's and one part Jameson. If it had more than one ingredient, your drink was gonna be suspect. This is on Saturday at prime time, by the way. Come here to grab a beer and play cheap arcade games for nostalgia, but man, never order a mixed drink. There's rough-and-tumble, Dick's Last Resort type rude, and then there's just a terrible bartender trying to masquerade as such. Have your fun at the arcades, grab a beer, and then when you're bored of the games, go to a real bar where they give half a crap about you. Oh, final nail in the coffin: change machine was broken, and bartender wasn't going to entertain the idea of giving you quarters. Crowd seemed cool, though. Relaxed folks in mid-twenties. read more

Huge fan of this place as long as it's not crowded! It's a small one room bar that is lined with old school arcade games and a few pinball machines :) Nothing fancy about this place. They only accept cash and they don't serve food. The music is loud and they have DJ that comes and plays later in the evening. I'll definitely come back in the early evening. read more

Look, I get it. The Hipsters like that this place is "different". They like the really bad cabana music that blares out of an old sound system that can't equalize for shit. They dig the arcade games that haven't been taken care of and have jammed coin slots. The whole, "we store our beer in the worst way possible to the point it had balls of ice in it!" line of thinking is okay in their book as is the really poor job of mixing a simple drink. They like that and they like that it has no intention of being a GOOD bar. They love the insufferable heat that makes you feel like crap and the smell of what I can only assume is dry vomit. This is the bread and butter of hipsters, something that would not be liked by most people and is obviously flawed. I get it...but I don't fucking like it. What sucks is that the concept is so god damn outstanding and wonderful. read more

Hi! I hope someone from your staff reads this!!!!! ......I like you guys, and I also live in the neighborhood, but what keeps me from coming as often are two things: 1. Please have someone from your staff grab a roll of quarters and test out each slot on all your games for functionality. -- There are lots that eat your quarters up and it makes you guys look bad for being a bar-cade. 2. on hot summer nights, the reason why there is such a crowd out in front instead of inside isn't because all those people smoke, I hear people saying that they are TOO HOT and if it wasn't for the games eating their quarters and the heat driving them outside, the concept otherwise would make them want to be there --INSIDE-- more often. If you can invest in some good-quality ceiling fans and USE them on hot nights and maybe an industrial box fan for the back hallway to bring airflow to the back of your place. --However you chop it up, at the end of the night, you still have two significant enough problems to give merit to a couple good solutions that would make your concept otherwise work pretty well for a neighborhood bar with some pretty cool theme nights!! Cheers! Pros: Cheap drinks Staff is accessible to customers easily Cool theme nights Good music Cons: Many lost quarters and broken games that freeze-up. -- And there aren't that many games to begin with, it's almost like just a Novelty that doesn't live up to your namesake: "Bar-Cade" Too hot inside on busy nights with heat so bad, it literally drives customers out and eventually leave to go to other places better equipped. Does not accept credit cards. They have an atm in the back but in this day and age, not accepting credit cards is a "Con" to me. read more

Video Game Bar right in K-Town. Have about 25 old school games and pinball machines. Some are broken and some eat your quarters but most of them are still only $.25. Cheap drinks and a good time. read more

Blipsy Bar - Front of the bar no sign accept the Pac-Man pellets - Dive Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I love the idea of this bar, even though I don't play arcade games. But when a friend and I went there recently on Tuesday night, October 30, the bartender (who was dressed in a Santa beard for Halloween) intentionally ignored us even though we were seated at the bar right in front of him. I guess we didn't fit in with his idea of who should be frequenting this place. Screw you, schmuck. Sucky service doesn't make this a bar I would ever return to, no matter how many Pac-Man machines they have. On my "never return" list. read more

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 read more

First, it *is* hard to find. What you do is sight off the giant two-story futuristic Kentucky Fried Chicken. When you are about catty-corner from there across Oakwood, walk north a few steps past the wall of the parking lot for the laundromat (which you should *not* park in.) You will see a curtain on your left - that's it. Look. As you can probably tell from previous reviews, the experience here is wildly divergent. Some people love it, some people hate it. And that's pretty much going to be your experience too: You never know what you're going to get. Some nights you'll love it, some nights you'll hate it. They have some really great old games. Usually more than half of them aren't broken. And the ones that are broken are messed up in ways you don't realize until you start playing them ("wait, only one of the fire buttons works? But I'm right-handed!") but you can still play, man. Sometimes the bartenders are a bit broken too. Sometimes they have a DJ who plays hardass techno, sometimes it's salsa, sometimes it's both at the same time, sometimes there's the jukebox. You just can't know. But hey. You go to have a few beers or a few cocktails and to play some games you haven't seen since you were a kid, and if they don't all work perfectly, well, you have another beer. It's cool. Sometimes it's insanely crowded, sometimes it's only you and a hooker waiting to start her shift on Western. And if the hooker and the bartender start dancing to Perez Prado while you're playing Joust, then you smile and wink at them and wonder whether you should try playing Paperboy again. As an arcade, it's only so-so. As a bar, it's also kind of so-so. But as both together, it's... pretty good. Keep your expectations for each kind of place reasonable, and you can have a good time. read more

There is one reason and one reason only that I became an upright-walking, fire-breathing Yelper...Miss T's Barcade (herein referred to as Barcade). Now my facts may be slightly off, but this is how it came to be: Towards the end of 2006 I made it my mission to find Barcade. As the name would suggest, Barcade is a bar and old school arcade all rolled up into one. You see, sometime prior to 2006 Barcade operated like a secret society. The location seemed to move around and absolutely no one I interrogated could disclose any useful information about the location. It seems that it use to operate out of a loft at one point and it was only open when they decided to open (says an LA Weekly article that first turned me on to the place). Oh sure, I could consistently find teaser mentions of Barcade in places like the Weekly and some other online sites...but the address was never disclosed. My search like that for the Grail would challenge my patience and stamina. I would get all gung ho and search for leads for hours on end to no avail. Then one day in early February of 2007, a Google search brought me to Yelp. Wouldn't you know it; Yelp had the address DESPITE the fact that no one had yet reviewed the place. I heart Yelp, I really do. As fate would have it, I became seriously addicted and distracted with Yelp and forgot all about lil 'ol Barcade until I found myself entertaining visitors. My guests wanted me to show them something cool in LA so I took a chance and set off for Barcade sight unseen. If I had to choose one word to describe my first visit to Barcade it would be GLORIOUS. You see, growing up I was a video game freak. The games at Barcade are the same ones I made my bones on. Think of Barcade as a throwback Dave and Busters except it's much smaller, darker, cheaper and most of all cooler. The night was like an old Bruce Springsteen song, I was sipping a lil something, dropping quarters into video games of lore and reminiscing on the 'glory days'. The DJ was bumping old school hip-hop and the mixed crowd was elbow to elbow bumpin and grindin...good times! My only regret is that I wasn't able to try the food, no worries there's always next time and there will definitely be a next time. Even with the address in hand Barcade requires sharp eyes to find it. Simply look for the doorman next to the neon ghost you gobble up when playing PacMan. Barcade isn't a place for the elite per se, but it's definitely the place that put this Yelper on the road to becoming Elite (see cool new Elite icon next to profile!). read more

They love Selena y los Dinos there...enough said Drinks are cheap and good too,they have old arcade games that my husband loved. Kept him busy while I enjoyed my drink!!! read more

Blipsy Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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. read more

In one word: Yes. In so many words: Awesome bartenders/bartendees (girls that are actually nice to each other in the bathroom? I thought this was like a mythical happening that only occured in the fantasy world.) Awesome music (dj is spinning vinyl) Awesome old school arcade games. Around the corner from my apt. This place I just stumbled upon after walking around my neighborhood in the late evening hours, and boy shall I ever stumble upon it again. And again. And as many agains as I can get away with. This place holds a place in my heart right next to my sega genesis and duck hunt gun that can never be taken away. Plus, it's just fun to say. read more

We finally hit up the Barcade on Saturday night around 11:30-12:00. It was surprisingly not too crowded, and I spent $9.00 + tip for two beers (they were out of Amstel Light). There was no change machine that we could find, and they were out of quarters so we had to wait a few minutes for them to empty out some of the machines. Most of the games were old school up-right machines from the 80's. Gauntlet, Galaga, Centipede, etc. There were two pinball machines in the back -- Playboy and Twilight Zone. The Playboy machine worked ok, though a few lights were out and it was a little off balance. The Twilight Zone worked pretty well and the boy was kicking some ass on it. Then the ball got stuck on my turn. We let someone there know it was jacked up and then we left. The overall vibe was a-ok by me. It was very much a dive, very dark and a little creepy. (Though I could have done without the smell of ramen.) There was a dj spinning some dark, borderline industrial music. It reminded me of an underground club that would be in a horror movie; you know, the place where the girl goes and gets mixed up with the wrong guy and ends up dead? I'll be coming back, though I might hit up the laundromat next door for quarters first and hopefully I won't end up dead. read more

Nothing has changed but everything has changed... Yup. Full bar. Specials on certain nights. Try the 5 dollar 7 & 7. It's a stiff pour. The space is now bigger since they moved close to a year and a half ago. But most everything is still as you remember it. A plethora of video game slot machines, good music and a decent selection of alcohol...now with hard liquor! Ricardo (owner) is still manning the bar and keeping things flowing. But if you're lucky, you'll stop by on a night when Jimena is working. Sigh. Be still my heart. Barcade was legit a few years ago...and it still continues to be. If you're looking for frills and need a large crowd to stay entertained or to be seen, well, keep driving, I'm sure you'll find something on Hollywood Blvd. read more

Hands down the best place to chill out in L.A. Plenty of retro arcade games can be played for less than $5. I still had enough quarters left over to do laundry after playing Pac-Man and a slew of other games. I'm a simple girl. I like going to dive bars without the Top 40 hits suffocating me. The night I went was on a DJ night called "Save the Princess." It was trill. read more

Having just moved to Los Angeles, I was looking for a bar within walking distance of my new place. Just under a mile away, I decided to try out Barcade. It's cheap, nowhere near as pretentious/hipstery as you would anticipate, and overall is a good time. There are some characters here - last time I went one man was cheering on my friend at the Pac-Man table - and overall it is a laidback atmosphere. It can get a little dismal if you stay too late, even on the weekends. There are usually a couple of drunk couples 'dancing' in the middle of the bar, but they aren't doing any harm. Some of the machines are broken as well, but that's expected of an old arcade, isn't it? If you're having trouble deciding whether to stay in or go out, this is a good middle man. It's casual, has retro video games that you wish you could play drunk at home, and cheap booze. read more

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. read more

What a cute little place! Blipsy Bar is a fun "dive-y" small arcade bar with fairly inexpensive drinks and several arcade games. The selection of games isn't super extensive but it's a fun little bar if you want a more intimate small bar experience. I can't really comment on the parking situation since I walked from my apartment to the bar, but it seems like there is some street parking. The staff was friendly enough and the well drink I ordered was decent. read more

Not great! Felt like the creepy neighbor's basement. Drinks were not that cheap-2 beers (PBR) for $15.

I always live finding dive bars! This is like a cheaper older barcade, because the only other barcade I know of is in downtown and is much more expensive in terms of drinks. Cheap drinks and old school pinball machines and arcade games. Only downside is the bar is CASH ONLY and it can get a bit hot in there, seems like there is not great air circulation. read more