Undeniably this is the best place for Pinball in the Altoona, Bedford, Johnstown region of…read morePennsylvania. Which is to say, I came here for the "Kade" and not the "Kava".
Pinball is my jam and I'm less into herbal supplements and the adjacent H.E.A.D. (Herbal Equipment And Distribution) shop. In fact, one does have to pass through the shop to get to the arcade, and the shop entrance has a fairly menacing sign about who is and who is not allowed to enter. The H.E.A.D. shop is not for kids, but the arcade is indeed for all ages.
Let's get down to brass tacks.
The pinball machines, by and large, are in incredible condition. And there are a lot of them. In addition to virtually the full lineup of modern Sterns, there are some hard to find tables including one I didn't know even existed: The Princess Bride!
Man, that was fun to play. Plus, as an added bonus, the pinball at the KavaKade costs less to play than virtually anywhere else I have been. Most machines were fifty cents per play, rather than the typical dollar one might find in big cities.
Don't have quarters? The nice folks at the head shop can give you change.
Get hungry or thirsty while you're playing? There are snacks and drinks available for purchase without any herbal supplements in them at all.
Into the herbal supplement thing and pinball? Well this may be your idea of heaven.
I do wish they were open later at night, but so it goes.
I do wish there was a separate entrance for pinball to make the experience more comfortable for families, but the warehouse design makes it challenging.
As long as I'm making a wish list, I do wish some of the machines had non-reflective glass. There are a few underneath some lights that can be a bit harder to play from the resulting glare.
But these are all small nits.
Pinballers come here to play. It's evident in the high scores that get posted. It's evident in the digital leaderboards on display. But pinballers are great peeps. Playing with, or even alongside the good ones, can help improve ones game.
This is a must stop whenever I'm in the area. My favorite meat shop and favorite frozen custard stand are also nearby. There are also plenty of antiques in the adjacent warehouse, which can be a good place to walk around, rest your eyes, and stretch out those wrists after a particularly long round playing pins.
More people should go and support this operator, because this place is a far too hidden gem, and I want it to be around for many many more years to come.
P.S. I love this place so much that I even briefly considered taking up an herbal habit just to help give them more financial support. But instead I decided to just write this review. I've had kava before, back in my California days, and it's just not really for me.
