Why 4 stars? Because I'm always down for an arcade! --- --- --- I'm almost always going to say yes to an arcade, so when I found out that this was going to be the site of a work outing, I was pretty pumped! I believe the place was reserved just for our group, but our group was hundreds of people. It was actually even a tad crowded with all of the people from our crazy company. There were some extra things here that would not normally be a part of the festivities at Beercade: tables of food, candy, etc, so that probably took up a significant chunk of walking space. The dance floor was fun, and who could forget the backdrop wall of old cassette tapes. The food was above average for what you'd expect to find at an arcade. The only real bummer is that every game was a traditional arcade game. Prior to my visit, I had been on a role with playing pop-a-shot much more than a normal human being, so I was looking forward to some more domination of that. But sadly, we only had games that were contained within a TV screen, so I settled for some NBA Jam. Of course, I won. I didn't stay too long, but I did enjoy my time. I would vote for a few non video games to mix it up, but Beercade was a cool spot! read more

Who doesn't love an adult Chuck E. Cheese?! I can't fathom why anyone would give this place a poor rating. The games are literally free, and there's no cover. What more do you need? They even have cup holders at almost every single game. Damn, I guess you really can't please everyone. They're probably Dave & Buster's fans. Let them spend their money on games. There's really nothing better than sipping on an ice-cold drink and playing Tetris until your eyes turn blurry on a nonchalant Friday night. It's a great stop for a tame night or casual dates. read more

Definitely late to the party on coming to check HQ out - especially since it's like 2.5 mins walking away from where I live. HQ is totally worth the visit! Come with a group of friends or even a first date - all but 3 of the vintage arcade games are free to play (free! I know right!?) They make great top shelf cocktails and have fantastic beers from all over the city. We were on a liquid diet for this particular visit, but the food looked and smelled fantastic - we will be coming back to try the food for sure. The games are so fun as is the decor! From the cassette tape wall, the vintage TVs at the bar, and the bathrooms (well at least the ladies room) - it is really well done! And for the games, there's everything from mrs. pac man to basketball shootout and skee ball. They definitely bring bag memories from my childhood and give it the adult twist. If you're looking for some kid fun with an adult twist. HQ is you the place for you!! read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Sunday Funday - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We were excited to visit Headquarters based on the number of pinball machines they have. We were disappointed to find one machine down and a few other non-pinball games in need of repair. The day we visited there were no beers available, only ciders. We had an okay time but there's room for improvement. read more

I chose this place to meet a few friends with for happy hour, because it seemed to offer a unique environment (I don't drink and didn't want a place that was just about alcohol). They had one non-alcoholic beer on the menu, but our server said they were out of stock. Also, I had messaged the venue through their FB and Insta pages about non-alcoholic earlier in the week, before visiting, but got no responses. So, as someone who doesn't drink, I give this only 3 stars, given the non-existent menu options and the unresponsive social media. However, it is otherwise a cool venue. read more

A take back retro nostalgic of the 80's and the early 90's place with old arcade games, and pinball machines. We went to visit Moody Bible institute and was attracted to this place because it said beercade and that sounded like a good time. So after we were done visiting at the Moody building we headed right across the street to this loud busy happening scene called " Headquarters Beercade River North." This place is really cool. It's a Friday night and there's people looking to have a good time. They check your ID's because it is an adult place fitted with heavy security and two bars. The first thing I notice when our host sat us down at the table was this huge lite sign that said " Don't grow up it's a trap." That was cool I like that, and the wall of cassette tapes with a DJ pumping the music in the place. The arcade games are free! You just have to start a tab to get some drinks or order some food. We sat down at a table and checked out their menu. We decided to tried their burgers. I had a " build your own burger." it's kinda like " Five guys" idea except better quality all around. The whole creation starts at $9 and from there add ons tack on a few more bucks. I had a cheeburger with cheddar, grilled onions, bacon and mushrooms, and it comes with pickles, onions and with fries. My husband ordered the pizza burger because their veggie sadly was not available. I guess it's a hot item here. It takes awhile to get our food about 20 minutes but that's okay because I want it done right. When our food finally came out I was hangry. I liked how they made the burger juicy and medium rare I love my meat red. They had raw onion and grilled onions in the burger. Their kitchen adds the raw onion with the grilled onions too which I thought was interesting but hey that is what they say comes on the burger so I just dealt with it. I just easily took out the raw onion in my burger. The burger comes on a nice brioche bun too so I want to people to know the right bun makes a good burger stand out too. So, how did the burger taste? It was good. Better than a " Five guys," not like " Au Cheval ," at all but a good burger. It would satisfied the burger craving inside of you if you had one. That was the case for me a hangry for beef! It was juicy, salty meaty burger. The grilled onions were sweet, bacon was crispy and mushrooms earthy enough for me to taste every ingredient I request to be on this burger. Their fries tasted fresh cut, and they were SUPER duper salty. I guess perhaps I think they want super salty fries so that they can sell us beer? If that is a marketing tactic, It worked we ordered some beer. I honestly think next time if I ever order a burger with fries I'd ask to ease up on the sodium, because not all of us want high blood pressure issues. Beeracade has a loud atmosphere with tons of people. You shouldn't be having a serious conversation about life matters at this bar. This place is created for a loud type of setting. It's about being loud, playing games and eating food that goes with drinks. It's a fun place to be and I enjoyed it. Would I come back ?Possibly if I want to hang out with friends and play some TEKKEN 2 or something like that. Check it out it if you're in the area happen to pass by it and looking for fun, beer and food. read more

As a child of the nineties on the east coast, arcades were a dieing breed where I'm from. If only they had just thought to bring beer to the formula earlier on... Anyway, they have a huge plethora of 80s classics and a couple fighting games like Marvel vs Capcom. There's basically a wing of the bar dedicated to pin ball machines. There isn't anything too recent, but you get what you pay for, and what you pay is nothing. The games here are free(for the most part), clean and working! They have good bar food here as well, and plenty of selection for beer and liquor. Growing up is a trap, so I'm glad headquarters is around to help relive my youth+beer. read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

4 stars for the Pop culture drink that they had! I've never finished a drink so quickly, it was made so so well! Only went for the drinks and games which was fun. Can't speak for the food but definitely would go back for the drinks. read more

A great spot for groups or corporate events! Fun cocktails, food, and games! We got cocktails, the pizza, and the chicken sandwich! Our favorite games were the pinball machines read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Don't be fooled. This bar offers some delicious food and around the best I've ever had as far as gastro bar food goes. I had the southern fried chicken sandwich and my date had the chicken and waffles. My chicken sandwich was HUGE and was one of the best chicken sandwiches I've had. The fries and secret sauce were amazing! I was definitely surprised in the quality of the food. The chicken and waffles were chicken bites served in a waffle cone cup like the ones used for ice cream. Not what we were expecting but maybe we missed it on the menu. It was still delicious and a great portion of food. They have a nice drink menu and talent bar tenders. Everyone there made us feel welcomed and our waitress was amazing. She was all smiles and broke down all the info after asking us if we've ever been there. This rating doesn't even include the FREE arcade and pinball games. My date enjoyed the free skeeball and basketball machines! If you are from out of town, do not hesitate to stop by. Very friendly people. read more

Fun place to hang ! Love the selection of drinks and games! Very chill place to hang out with friends . However always a line at the bar read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Fun little place to hang out on a rainy day! Cocktails were tasty although a little expensive, but that's okay with me since the games are free to play. Definitely would recommend to friends visiting Chicago! read more

Great selection of free to play vintage arcade games. Had a blast! Spent the afternoon here. Great concept and reasonable food/drink prices.

900 billion stars for this place, for the fantastic beer selection, for the free video games and (expensive to maintain) pinball machines, for the awesome multicultural crowd (unique in places I visited in Chicago), and the great vibes generally. I mean, a DeLorean over the bar? You'd be crazy to visit Chicago and not stop by. read more

We came here because they offer free arcade games to play! The hostess was really nice in explaining how the restaurant/bar area worked. We wanted the flexibility to eat, drink and play games so we opted to sit at the bar. I wish they had more seats at the bar because the place was packed on a Saturday night. The bartenders were very quick and very attentive so they were able to get our drinks to us in a timely manner. The arcade machines have little pedestals next to them for you to place your drink. Unfortunately, since no one goes around to collect the empty bottles and drink glasses, the pedestals run out of room quickly for you to put your drink on. Thankfully we somehow made it work by taking turns playing the games and holding the drinks. The also serve food here. The prices were a bit high but thats because the location is more in a high end area. I didn't order any food since I wasn't hungry but the options looked very tasty. Overall we had a great time and would definitely come back! read more

This review is purely based off an event the non-profit associates board I head threw here. We scheduled our annual coat drive to be held here on a Monday night in December. The contract was drawn up with a final minimum (F&B). When we arrived for the event, we were told the minimum amount had changed. Then we were told alcohol could not be included in exchange for the tickets. After some back and forth with the manager, he agreed to allow alcohol (well cocktails) to be included due to their changing the amount on us the day of. We were grateful and the event was a success. I went back to look at the contract afterwards and noticed that alcohol WAS included all along. So they made us feel like they were working with us to make the offering better when all along it should have been a part of the event. Livid doesn't even begin to describe my reaction. We are a small board trying to help the homeless in Chicago and we gave them excellent guaranteed business on a Monday night. In return, we were given the run around and ended up paying more than we could afford because what could we do? A contract is a contract and they didn't give us notice of the terms changing until the day of. We held this same event at Emporium Arcade in Logan Square last year and they not only didn't charge us a minimum but they were extremely helpful in trying to ensure we made money based on attendance and didn't owe them anything. The only thing this place is headquarters of is scamming people. read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

FREE games! We had a blast here! We visited Chicago from California and wanted to check out some cool places. So glad we found out about this place. The drinks were really good!! (I wish I had taken a picture of the menu because I forgot what we ordered :( it was #9 and #10 though...some kind of chocolatey stout and peach cider maybe??) We didn't eat there, but we had fun playing a lot of games! Everywhere we travel to, we try to find places that have pinball. Definitely check this place out!! read more

Let's start with the really awesomely good: the games! There's no cover and 99% of the games are absolutely free. My husband and I had a blast playing some Off Road, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, and a variety of Pinball machines. They were also playing some great 90s jams that brought me back to my young and carefree days. This was overwhelmingly a college crowd, but my husband and I felt right at home as the 30-something old-heads. Now on to the less than mediocre: the food. The food was such a bummer. I know you're probably thinking that I shouldn't have been expecting much, but the menu seemed exciting! It faked us out. We ordered the sriracha chicken banh mi, mahi mahi tacos, buffalo cauliflower, and mozzarella in crispy filo. The banh mi should have not been called a banh mi. It was overly sauced, making the bread incredibly soggy. If there were pickled vegetables on there, it didn't matter because I couldn't tell. The tacos were simultaneously dry and soggy-- an incredible feat! The corn tortilla was dry but the breading on the fish was soggy. Even the mozzarella in "crispy" filo did not have the faintest hint of crisp. Although I have to say, that these mozzarella treats were extremely tasty. The buffalo cauliflower was pretty good, but again, overly sauced. Womp womp. Prices are high. Sure you get free games, but you'll make up for it by paying $9 for a beer and $15-$18 for a sandwich. You're not fooling me, HQ. Loved the great selection of beer on tap. This place is a-ok for drinks and games, but I'd skip the food unless you're really drunk and DGAF. read more

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I always have such great times when I come here. I have taken my friends who visited Chicago a few times and everyone loved it. They have the best cider selections (can and draft), which change frequently. I loved their peach cider and nitro cider on my recent visit. They were $7 each I believe. They also have great wings! All the game machines are well maintained. It's so easy to spend 2-3 hours there! It's the best to come during the day as it's less crowded so you don't have to wait for the machine you want to play. read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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They don't advertise that you MUST be 21 to enter. We came for my birthday and my son was 8 hours from being 21 and they denied entrance. They pulled some BS that they could use their license. read more

Such a fun bar with a great selection of beers! We came here on a Saturday night and it wasn't too crowded but we had a blast. Being able to try new beers and play mortal combat is a winning combination. DJ was also spinning some super fun tunes and had us feeling good. Would definitely recommend because it's got a little something for everyone. read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Super fun to play games here! I really liked mortal kombat! Staff are super nice! The crowd is very lively and energetic! read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Cocktail - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Is this real life?! Free vintage arcade games and pinball, over 30 micros on deck, and awesome food! We came on Halloween night so our reservation never came to fruition. The staff were so apologetic, offering our huge group drinks and setting us up in our own little spot downstairs. We got the mac and cheese, wings, and burger to the party. Everything...was...superb! The wings were naked (unbreaded) and came with their house sauce, which was a combination of BBQ and buffalo. The skin was crispy and the meat, juicy. The mac and cheese was so melty and creamy, without leaving you feeling heavy afterwards. The burgers were hand-formed, thick meat patties, somehow remaining juicy with each bite. The tunes were definitely top 40 with a little throwback thrown into it (Bey Crazy in Love, namsayin'?). Such a good time! The security here are so chill, the guy checking IDs outside cracked jokes with us and the staff inside were running around making sure we were doing ok. I'd definitely recommend coming here if you're forever young. They also have another location in Lakeview. read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Free vintage arcade games! - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love this placeeee. Great date place/hangout spot with your friends who want to catch the game or play unlimited FREE arcade games while sipping on a drink. Street parking is limited but I always go late in the night (~10 PM) and it's fairly easy to find street parking. It's $4/hr until midnight. There are plenty of seats and there's even a lower level (that I have yet to see being open from the times that I've been there). My favorite games are Time Crisis & Mortal Kombat but they have plenty moreee. Drinks are good and strong, lots of selection for beers! There was a DJ on site on Friday night and the music was banging, kept having to Shazaam every other song. read more

I've never been to a Beercade and it was a great concept! You'd think with free games the bar would be packed but it wasn't too bad. There was always something available to play. We found a table fast and ordered food before playing as we were starving. I got chicken and waffles which were different. The chicken nuggets were great but the "waffle" was actually a waffle bowl containing the chicken. It didn't taste much like waffles. The drinks were fairly priced and there was a fair beer selection though the menus were confusing. The bathrooms were clean and very unique. The games were all working and super fun! There was a great DJ and room to dance but no dancing while we were there. read more

A great spot for adults to feel like a kid again with alcohol! Their food is also a must try. We tried their hurricane fries, and crispy chicken tacos. As for cocktails we tried their clever girl, assault and pepper, and notorious. Definitely recommend them all. Clever girl was definitely our favorite cocktail. Ps. This is a 21 and over bar! You can't forget their games. They have some fun and popular vintage arcade games that are free to play. With very few games that do require payment like basketball and skiball. Definitely a great spot to hang out with friends or date night! read more

Very cool spot to spend the night with your friends! FREE arcade games and the best cocktail in the city! We tried the portobello fries.. sooo delicious! Chicken burger. My favorite cocktail was the THIRST TRAPwith watermelon . Perfect for the summer time! read more

Comfort food in fine dining prep and combo. BRUNCH all day on Sunday's. SpringRewards. Excellent niche! First Date destination. NO COFFEE NO PASTRIES, CAKES for DESSERT. BANANA BREAD Fruit Ale by Wells for $7 is tasty! CHICKEN & WAFFLE rocks! My first SWEET POTATO waffle. Moist and tender FRIED CHICKEN. BLUEBERRY MAPLE SYRUP is strategically poured over chicken. You don't really need syrup for waffle as sweet potato is already sweet. FRESH BLUEBERRIES as garnish has a purpose -- great when eaten in combo with waffle. A meal and a half! 5-star SERVICE by cutie Bartender Brian K who is also knowledgeable. Water is promptly refilled. SECURITY guy gladly put my leftovers in a foil as requested so I can stuff it in my handbag. *wink* SEATING is tricky. When it's quiet/calm, sit where someone sees you. Otherwise, you don't get service. Bar also serves food. read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Chicken and Waffle - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Like a yuppy version of "Replay." Tables are wobbly and staff is not the most welcoming. I definitely feel like I'm bothering the staff with my presence. Didn't feel we could decompress and enjoy the games. read more

It's cool if you have nothing to do. I been emailing for a couple months to try to set-up an event and have received no response at all. Maybe they are making enough money that they can forego events and parties, but I think its a bit rude to completely ignore the inquiries. They have a form on their site and everything, but it seems I'm either getting snubbed or they have poor tech support. I have a series of events 20 people events, 400 people events, 200 people events and I have to find some other solution because they can't be bothered to return an email. read more

"Ever since I was a young boy, I've played the silver ball From the South Side up to Lakeview, I must've played 'em all, I ain't seen nothin' like this, in ANY amusement hall, Those people running Headquarters, sure know some good pinball" HQ River North is the best barcade in Chicago. There, I said it. It trumps Emporium Arcade Bar, beats out Logan Arcade, even surpasses the original HQ Beercade on north Sheffield. Improvements over the 'old' location include a full kitchen (which I unfortunately didn't get to try on my inaugural visit), games in vastly superior condition, and a location that's way more convenient.......for me. Like 20 minutes closer. They have dozens of cabinet games, but the real draw for me are their pinballs, which are plentiful, varied, and in outstanding shape. Quite honestly, some of the best-maintained pins I've had the pleasure of playing on. They even feature a brand new 'The Walking Dead' pinball, which is Stern's 2014 model. Did I mention 95% of their machines are set to free play? Such an awesome concept. (Pinball) tables were clean, nearly all featured an LED light show that popped like a whore's lipgloss. They played lightning-fast and a few even looked mint. There's a basement area with even MORE games and the two non-free pins, Jersey Jack's sensational 'Wizard of Oz' Limited Edition and a shopped-out version of Williams' 'Medieval Madness'. The venue has a distinctly retro look and feel to it, and in this type of arcade setting, it works perfectly. It's hip, it's happenin', it's the place that I will become the Duke of in the very near future, as they've already got a diehard fan in me. I can't wait to sample their food. Six stars. (that's a valid option, right? No? Well it should be.) read more

This was probably my favorite place out of all the places we visited in Chicago. The drinks were great and the games were FREE!! Except for a couple. And the Halloween decorations were awesome! I loved the beetlejuice scene downstairs. I could spend most of the night here playing skee ball and feeling nostalgia for the games I played as a kid on NES. Would absolutely recommend coming here and would love to return next time I am in town read more

This place is the shit! Went on a Friday night and at the barcades in my area, you pay for all the games. I asked my friend, where can we get tokens and then he muttered the magical words "they are all free." Bye. Immediately went to the pinball games and started to get cray, because pinball is my game. I think my friend muttered at some point, "you should give someone else a turn." They should have gotten there sooner. But really, I did leave after like 30 minutes and we headed downstairs and got to play some retro games. The baseball game was rigged but still cool. They also have a bar down there which was awesome because I didn't have to fight my way back to the one upstairs. Safe to say, I had fun. read more

Get the cheese curds, by far the best I've ever had. Real fun place, lots of retro games and classic pinball machines. The friendly staff and gaming makes this a definite stop for out-of-towners. read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Cheese curds - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Zero beer for sale under $6 and the appetizer menu is more of a "foodie" menu than that of a video arcade. We ordered the deviled eggs- at four halves for $8 that's $2 per half. The deviled eggs weren't that great, I can comfortably say that the deviled eggs that I eat at family get-togethers consistently taste better. We also ordered the heirloom tomato toast. The heirloom tomato toast was scrumptious. What I really wanted to see on the menu was tater tots, cocktail weenies, or sliders. While standing at the bar, we realize that many of the video games are not in use, but the place is packed. The girl to guy ratio was way closer to 1:1 than I expected. On several of the large televisions played a variety of testosterone-inducing candy including a montage of Hulk Hogan wrestling matches (Ravishing Rick Rude, Nature Boy Ric Flair, One Man Gang.) Additionally, one of the Rambo movies was also playing on the screens. Headquarters is more of a scene than I anticipated. They have a menu that is unexpected, an enormous interior, overworked bartenders, clean bathrooms, a close guy to girl ratio, 80s and 90s professional wrestling matches, Rambo, and door staff that inspects your backpack for contraband when entering. After leaving, I am half-surprised they didn't offer bottle service. read more

I've been to Beercade a few times, and for the most part enjoyed my time there, but last weekend I had a really bad experience with the bartenders. Me and my group arrived that night when the bar wasn't packed and it took a while to even get greeted from the bartenders. The bartenders gave us eye contact and still ignored us like our money wasn't green with no acknowledgement. To make it worst as the night picked up and we were trying to get more drinks, the bartenders chose to service people who got to the bar after we were waiting for a long time very close to the bar. I don't like to exaggerate, but the bartenders had some selective eyes that night on who they wanted to help out first leaving us with a bad experience. read more

Free entry Free arcades Free pinball How can u not want to come here all the best 90's arcades in one building with a bar and grill. I love this place I feel like a kid again watching retro gladiators or wwf. It's open late there's nothing to complain about 2 floors of games with a live Dj. read more

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Three words. AMERICAN GLADIATOR RERUNS. Holy crap, I totally forgot about this show until I walked through the front doors. In addition to American Gladiator, they were playing Rambo and old WWE episodes. Overall, the ambiance is pretty casual. No need for tight dresses and heels ladies. Plenty of games to choose from. Kitchen closes around midnight. If you head downstairs, there are a few games that require money. Music got better as the night wore on, but was pretty terrible when we first arrived (around 10PM). Plenty of beer to choose from. Free parking on Franklin if you're interested! Only a couple of blocks away. read more

All I can say is Free Free Free! For those looking for a fun interactive date spot or just a chill spot to come with friends....this is the place. First off door people are awesome! None of that pretentious BS. There very friendly and get you in quick. The space size is pretty decent and the cost to play the games is....FREE!! I hope they never change that. We played shooting games, pinball, pac man, etc...and had such a good time. The cocktails are average price for Rivernorth. I had the punch out which was pretty sweet, but good. I wasn't really a fan of the music, but overall great place! read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here on a date and had a great time! Was there on a Friday night and it was bustling with work parties and dates like ourselves. There was a few person wait when we arrived but the bouncers moved the line quickly and no cover though we were dealing with River North. We grabbed a bite to eat at the bar and unfortunately both of us felt sick the following day (not sure what to attribute it to but we felt it was the food) and enjoyed a beer. Then we hit the games! They're free which is awesome and they have lots of old school games like This Pacman and Mortal Combat along with classic games like skeeball and pinball! Perfectly interactive for date night. Two floors, two bars, free, free, free games. Great music. Bathroom could have been more cleanly, music could've been a tad softer downstairs. Would definitely recommend for dates and groups. Though I would recommend dining elsewhere prior to. read more

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