Was definitely a good time here as we had our company holiday party here! A lot of the same games as the Lakeview location, but the setup is quite different as there is like a basement/downstairs that we semi had to ourselves. Games are free just like the Lakeview location. Pretty good beer selection and sliders were really good. We ordered a couple of trays...I kept taking more and more when people weren't looking lol. This placed is tucked away in an uneventful part of River North which is cool read more

I've frequented this place a lot, as it is next to CPS, the school I attend. DRINKS: They only offer craft beers here, so if you are looking for Budlight, Colts, Michelob, etc, you might wanna find somewhere else. That said, they take their beers very seriously. They have some pretty interesting varieties. Their cocktails are unique, offering things like the "assault and pepper", a salt/pepper rimmed tequila drink that exceeded my tequila expectations. SERVICE: The barstaff is quick, friendly, and prepared to play my "games". I like asking for the bartenders favorite when I go out to drink. I've never had a weird look here-- they are ready. GAMES: What makes the beercade unique is their extensive offering of video games, even the old school ones that seem obscure, like the old Budweiser game. They have all of the mortal Kombats and all the tekkens. My first two times coming here, I thought the games cost money, but they don't! They are all free, which is awesome. FOOD: so, I've never had the food here, but their menu looks inventive and comprehensive. I've heard good things about the food from others. ATMOSPHERE: A bit loud, as a beercade should be, and very playful. I mean there are games. it's a playful date night, but not a very intimate atmosphere. SECURITY: Let me start this by saying that I appreciate any place that has air-tight security, because fraud is so rampant now a days. But once, I was a bit annoyed with their policy of not giving back a card that was left at the bar, even after reciting the card number, card type, and name on the card. They did however let me watch them cut it up after I requested to watch, so I knew for sure no one could somehow get the information. ALL IN ALL: would recommend, especially because there is a game for everyone. read more

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GET THE FREEZE POPS!!! It's like a popcicle with alcohol in it. Plus, they serve a tube of ice cream with each freeze pop. I loved the apple pie one. I could of had a ton of these. I had a blast playing all of the arcade games. Some of my favorites were pacman, skeeball, and mortal combat. I HIGHLY recommend you come here. One of my favorite bars ever. read more

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

I bought my girlfriend here for Valentines day and we had a great time. The food was reasonably price and the cocktails were as well. But the best part of the whole experience was the ambience of the place and the awesome amount of retro games you can play for free. Its a great place to hang out with friends or take a fun date. My new favorite bar in the city by far. read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Chili Lime Chicken Wings, Mozzarella in Crispy Filo, margarita w/ chili salt & Stiegl Radler Grapefruit Beer - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's hard to rate arcade games and booze so low, but the overall experience today was much worse than one star in terms of value. I'd been to HQ in Lakeview before they sold it to Replay and the overall experience for walk-in daily activity was 3-4 stars. HQ in River North has a beautiful space and great game selection, but the overall product they offer disappoints. Today, we went to HQ's Bippity Boppity Brunch Lion King Sing A Long. As far as the theme, HQ did a nice job of making it feel like a big deal. The operational parts of today's event failed to meet expectations. Food tickets were given out with admission and event goers were asked to stand in various lines for buffet style food (though each menu item had its own line somewhere in the venue). So, sausage and cheese muffins were paired with crab cakes and that line was downstairs. Burgers and fries were a separate line upstairs. Salad was harder to find, but sure enough, it was there the whole time. After waiting in line for burgers, I waited even after getting my burger because pickles were not available and had to be ordered when I requested them. Maybe that doesn't sound like a big deal, but waiting more than 10 minutes in line, I'd like the station to have the stuff it advertises. The lines for food at each buffet station were unbelievably long from 12-2 while the event was fresh. Much quicker to get food in the second half of the event. However, it was a major bummer to be asked to leave our gameplay downstairs at 3pm. We were four players engaged in Simpson's arcade style and couldn't finish our game. We were asked to moved upstairs because the "event is almost over" (it was scheduled 12-4). So wait... an arcade with about 40% of its games downstairs is asking us to move upstairs for 25% of the event? No Punch Out. No Simpsons. Clearly, Headquarters will take advantage of its customers so long as they keep coming back. I will not be back. Long story short, I felt I wasted my money. I didn't even talk about my three single whiskeys costing $75. If you want fun games with reasonable booze prices, go to Emporium or Logan Arcade. HQ is only feeding off of its trendy location. read more

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Probably the biggest and coolest Headquarters location! We went here for Savage Bingo wednesday from 8(started at 9) to 11. Hosts were super fun and very entertaining. When you walk in the place is immense and covered in vintage TV sets and pop art. The variety of old school games here is impressive. Compared to older beercades in the city with broken games and more pinball than screens this was impressive. Drink menu is extensive as well. The food is abominable. We tried the pizza rolls and the fried cauliflower and they were soggy, limp, just freshly microwaved. The cheese dip had an odd aftertaste I wouldn't order it again. The people next to us didn't finish their $13 wings. Overall I would recommend the Savage Bingo nights and the bar as a whole for fun minus the food! read more

Great for date night, game night. Any type of fun night. If you've been before, come back to see the redesigned space and newly-developed menu feat your favorite craft beers, cocktails and upscale dining. They have fun exciting events during the week including trivia. It's truly a win win. read more

Ummmmmm Hello childhood of playing games alllll day. This place is a lot of fun! We had been to the one up North (in Lakeview) but not this location yet and was eager to give it a try. We came here with a friend of ours who was from out of town. He is also a huge fan of video games and we thought this would be a great time......and we were totally right. The beer selections were great (I only drink cider and they had a few to select from). The games were all working when we were there but the other section as closed off and not opening until the evening, we were there late afternoon. All the games are free too which is really nice. It wasn't too crowded at all either. read more

I love beercades. They give you a reason to go to bars and hang out for a long time (aka avoid your friends while playing video games). I normally live in LA, and we have our fair share of barcades there, but the atmosphere and beer selection here blew those out of the water. Every section of the bar felt different and half of the games were free play the night we went. Makes for a really fun night out, and again good for friends or also gives you a good reason to avoid them! The DJ last night was mashing up some great current pop and alternative hits for those of you who like music. read more

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

There's a lot of good going on here at Headquarters: Pinball Tetris All 3 mortal combats Malört Veggie Options Beer Security Very nice staff This place is the best read more

Came after work for drinks and the place is fantastic! Absolutely loved all the drinks. Tried the Strawberry Mangroni freeze pop and it didn't even taste like it had alcohol. The boba en rose was very tasty and would definitely come back just for that. I will say the peanut butter and jelly shot just tasted like kahlua to me but it was very popular among other people. Food wise, the flat breads (basically pizza) and other shareables are all great options but I know others enjoyed their burgers. The games are a great way to start the night and they have some classics and really fun ones, but they also have some that I had never heard or seen before. Although my group was a little annoying, our server was incredible and very accommodating. Definitely will try to come back read more

Very cool college hip place. Huge open space with games, arcades, 2 different levels with different vibe music and busy bar with food. Great place to come for pre-gaming before hitting the club or a place to just chill, drink a beer and play games all night. The staff are very friendly and welcoming read more

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

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Walk into the establishment and you can go upstairs or downstairs. Both floors have seating, tons of arcade games, and a full bar. There are a few machines in the downstairs that you will need to pay money for, but overall most of the machines are free. It might be a little sticky from multiple players. Though, nothing a little personal hand sanitizer can't clean off. Beers run a little on the high end,between $7-$15 depending on what you want. Distilled beverages are your usual Chicago prices. Overall, it's a great hangout place if you're not into the night club or dive bar scene. read more

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First of all, I can't exactly rate on the quality of games, as I am terrible at games and refuse to play. It's really for everyone's benefit that I'm not seen getting frustrated at a game. Anyway, I came for a company happy hour. I ordered the Basic AF cocktail. I can't remember what it was made of but it was vodka based and came with a rosemary twig. I really liked it that I drank that the whole night. I didn't get to try anything else but my coworkers enjoyed their other cocktails. Their food seems pretty classy for a beercade. There were bacon wrapped dates, which were good, but seemed like they were sitting out for a while. The mac and cheese along with the mashed potatoes were good too. My favorite was the deep fried artichoke hearts. We got cupcakes for dessert, but I was less than impressed by them. They were previously frozen, so the icing was hard and the cake was stale. read more

Can't say enough about this place! it is awesome. The food it phenomenal, the beer selection is awesome. The only downside (really just an inconvenience) is if you open a tab at one part of the bar, you have to open another tab at one of the other bars. Since each bar has a different beer selection, it can be a bit annoying to have to open multiple tabs. The rest is PERFECT! The games are free, which is a big sell for me. The food is all "homestyle" favorites like Beef Stroganoff and Chicken and Waffles. Tuesdays they have a hot bar where you can get warm drinks. If you buy a mug ($5) you get $2 off your subsequent orders for evah!! read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Ladies room vanity - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went for the first time over the weekend. We had a blast! Playing Galaga and Skee ball were such a throwback! You must order the pepperoni pizza. Delicious! read more

I've recently fallen in with the arcade-game crowd, so naturally I ended up here. The basic business model is to provide a large number of classic arcade games for free, to encourage you to gather and drink here. Of course as with lunches, there's no such thing as a free arcade game -- they make it back in beer -- but the beer list is reasonable and so are the prices, so you don't even end up feeling ripped off. I could nit-pick about the arcade game situation, but there are only a handful of competitors in this genre in the city so I'm not sure it's fair. A lot of the joysticks and buttons have lost their tension, and the games on the bottom floor aren't available during slow hours. But on the top floor you can find the classic Galaga, Asteroids, and Police Trainer, as well as some more modern ones like Killer Instinct. Alas, if you want to play Joust you have to go when the bottom floor is open, and they didn't seem to have Missile Command at all. I gather that the other location and the competitors are dive-ier, and maybe they focus a little more on the games. But I'd be happy here too. read more

Fun fun fun with video games We went here for a Nerd-lesque (nerd burlesque) It's the 3rd Thursday night of the month and no cover but the seating fills up quickly so get their early shows at 8:30 PM basement opens at 8 Bars upstairs and down with waitresses The food was ok for bar food the fries were hot and cooked perfectly but the Cheeseburger I wasn't impressed with but it was good just didn't wow me I'd like to try other things on the menu We had a great time and played some pinball while waiting for the burgers. Nerd-lesque is a wonderful time it's free but bring some cash to tip the performers they were all really good very entertaining show. read more

Five stars. Good variety of games. Good drinks. Bartender ok. Forgot our orders. Games awesome. We caught them on a free day. Lots of fun all around read more

There could not be a better place for games, hipsters, and nerds to hang out. Old school Street Fighter II? Check. Pinball? Check. Little tables next to games to put your drinks? Yup, got those too. The vibe here is on point. Drink menus are inside vintage yearbooks, there are little tiny lockers to charge your cellphone, a fireplace downstairs, and the checks come in ridiculously bad vintage books. The cocktails were just okay, but I didn't even care because I was having too much fun running around playing pinball and Paperboy (which is way harder than the Super Nintendo version, PS). Great beer selection and wine list too. Definite visit for having fun drinks or a really cool party. Hat Tip to AIGA Chicago for hosting a design mixer here and introducing me to its awesomeness. read more

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I visited Headquarters several times over the last 2 months and have returned not only for the incredible beer selection, food, cocktails, games, and overall look and feel of the place, but for ONE employee in particular, the one with a ponytail named Josh (not sure if there is another Josh working there lol)! My first visit was on a Wednesday and it was just me and my girlfriend. On our first round, the bartender we were served by seemed to be flustered and a little overwhelmed, so for our next round we decided to go to the other side where we saw Josh as calm as can be cracking jokes and having a good time with the people he was serving. Once he got to us we started talking and asking questions and WOW, not only did he seem to know the drinks and food front and back, we were blown away by just how knowledgeable in general he was! So polite, funny, and insightful! We walked away and played pinball where we met a couple of regulars (older couple) that overheard us singing his praises and chimmed in to let us know they have been coming here for years and that he was by far their favorite of any Bartender that has worked there. Since we have returned, not only has he remembered us but our names and likes as well, which is rare! I frequent bars all over the city, and I have honestly never met such a great bartender, truly a rare breed of what I consider "old school" that is seldom seen these days. For that, I hope he is valued and treated as an asset as I can't see going to headquarters without Josh there! Many people are quick to be negative, so I thought I would spread a good word as a change of pace. read more

Fairly mediocre place imo. The games are free so thats something for entertainment however the control (joystick and buttons) are fairly beatup. Food is under average. I wouldn't recommend the place for food and drinks but its okay to spend an hour playing free games at best. read more

Nice place to chill in downtown Chi-town. Went here to kill time before boarding my bus. They have lots of nostalgia if you are over 30. My favorite is the cassette tape wall behind the DJ booth! I almost had a wall that extensive at one point in my life! The bathroom is cute too. They use a lot of everyday items but in style that have been retired in unique ways. They also have the classic arcade games, basketball shooting game, pinball and hockey table. The sign when you walk in that says "Don't grow up it's a trap" says it all! I only say for drinks no food. Drink was strong and we'll made. The bartender made suggestions and gave me ample time to make up my mind. I went on a Sunday afternoon so it wasn't crowded. Great chill spot! read more

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Headquarters is a really cool bar they offer a lot of good IPAs as well as mixed drinks from skilled bartenders not to mention most of the arcade games here are free to play you can come in here and absolutely kill a day I wouldn't leave if it didn't close at 2 I recommend everyone take a shot on this place read more

Amazing barcade. It has two levels!!!! I think we went at around 1am and it was packed. They have sooooo much variety of drinks here in terms of beers, mixed drinks and even shots. Drinks are decent and average priced. Another thing that makes this place five stars is the fact that all the games are free!!! read more

First time here and it was SO MUCH FUN. Drinks are pricey but it makes up for it with free games. I had such a great time!

The service at the bar, hands down, is the best in the city. Door guys deserve a big digital handshake as well, great individuals. I go out a lot in Chicago and only leave reviews when a place is top to bottom first rate. Nice work by everyone here, especially the video game machine repairman/guru/Jesus Jr. Fucking heaven on earth, coming from an atheist, when there's RARELY even ONE machine on the floor that isn't working perfectly. p.s. to whoever stole the steering wheel off the Off Road Racing machine game....I wish you well my friend, due to the fact that karma is real & you should be going through some pretty rough personal circumstances during your lifetime that bring you to your knees in psychological, physical, & spiritual torture until you're lucky enough to be six feet under & with the devil himself. That game was my "yoga"--I haven't stretched in months...dick. read more

Enclave turned videogame arcade! It's a blast! Games are free. No cover. 1980s at it's best. Mike Tyson's Punch Out, Donkey Kong, Pac-man, Asteroids, Galaga,...etc. and of course pinball! Cool vibe. Hip music. Great Drinks. The menus are refurbished children books. Sideways TVs line the walls, as well as kitchen sinks and an actual bath tub behind the bar! Funky place, which makes it artistic, interesting, and unique. read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Don't grow up it's a trap - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was the highlight of a my wife and I's Chicago visit. Out of all the arcades that I've visited across the country, this is easily the best one I've ever been to. I'm used to going into arcades where at least 25% of the machines are broken. I was happy to see that every machine in Beercade was not only operational, but in above average condition. Sure there were a few joysticks that were a little "sticky," but overall every machine worked. I enjoyed the variety of games as well. From Pinball to Crus'n USA and everything in between, Beercade has a game for anyone. The seasoned fries that I ordered were also better than I expected. The beer list is pretty good and the service was very friendly. Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend Beercade to anyone in town. It's definitely worth your time! read more

If you're looking for something fun to do with a lower budget, I highly recommend hitting up HQ. I've gone three times now and it's a blast to be able to play free arcade games, from Pac-Man to vintage Mario games to pinball--I've had a great time every time I've gone. You don't even have to buy a drink once you're there. The drinks were okay, but the games, music choice, and lively atmosphere make me stay and feed a vintage arcade game addiction I didn't know I had. read more

Super good food and fun cocktails. Think the best part tho is all the arcade games and the fun decor!

I love pinball and Ms. Pac-Man, so I was really excited to learn that there's a place in Chicago that can accommodate my nerdiness and love for beer! We went on a Sunday afternoon and ended up staying for several hours. The only machine that wasn't working was the Michael Jackson Moonwalker, which was kind of a bummer because it looked awesome. All of the pinball machines are great, but The Addams Family is the best. The draft beers are a bit pricey, but maybe that's because I'm from Utah where draft beer is 3.2% and horrible. The bartender was very sweet and let me sample a bunch of the pumpkin beers before I decided on anything. Great selection. The menus are cool too, they're old school library books with the menus added in on every other page. My favorite thing is the ladies restroom. It's beautiful... not a term I would usually use to describe a restroom, haha. Next time I'm in Chicago I'll be here! Especially with how conveniently close it is to the train! read more

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

On the way over here, our uber driver called this place the best bar in the city -- so we had high hopes! It was pretty busy on a Friday night, but not so much so that you couldn't walk around, just enough that you usually had to wait for games. On the topic of games, most of the games are free, but there are a few that cost a dollar or something. They have a lot of pinball machines, and then a bunch of other vintage arcade games. The biggest gripe I had was the fact that a lot of the games were only one person. I wish they had more games like air hockey or the basketball shooting game. It just felt like our group had to do a lot of standing around and watching someone else play. The drink selection seemed pretty good. I didn't get any drinks other than a tequila shot, but the selection looked good and my friends liked their drinks. Even if you're not into games, this is a pretty fun place to grab drinks and hangout with friends. It's not too intimate, yet you can choose to stay away from the games if not interested. HQ is definitely unique and worth a visit once! read more

First time here and I LOVED it. We didn't have any food but they had a great selection of beers on tap, canned and mixed cocktails. I really liked that they had three bars spread out around the venue. Our bartender was great! He was very friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. We had a couple ciders and cocktails that did not disappoint. My favorite cocktail was the Bobba Colada I think it's called. Basically a pina colada with a twist. All of our drinks were fairly/average priced. Especially considering that practically all of their arcade games are free!! With the exception of like two or three but those were only a dollar. (Yes they have an atm available) As far as parking goes there was limited street parking so I'd definitely recommend taking the L or an Uber. Oh and they offer coat check services for three dollars! read more

I'll have to pay this company a visit soon. One of their employees/bartenders likes to rob their customers. To be so desperate. I bought a margarita and was quoted $13 I got $7 back. I come back for another and I got $6 back. When I question him the Bartender says it's $13 plus tax, nah sir I know how it goes. Things were a bit chaotic in the moment but I'll be back to address the issue with your manager. read more

No cover, not overpriced beers, free arcades and free pinball. What's not to love about this place? While I was visiting Chicago back in April, a friend of mine asked me to meet him here. Stupid me went to the other location and even though I was on my own, I was there playing pinball and arcades for about an hour and had a lot of fun. I do not go to bars on my own because I get easily uncomfortable but Headquarters Beercade's staff was friendly and the crowd seemed friendly too so I did not feel uncomfortable at all. I eventually found my friend at this location. Friendly crowd and staff as well. Also, I kicked my friend and his friend's ass on Street Fighter. It was a great night. Headquarters Beercade is one of the reasons I want to live in Chicago. I seriously need one of these near the NY/NJ area. read more

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

my girlfriend and i come here very often..... this is the first time we've paid by card. unfortunately, big mistake. our bartender, brandy r. decided to give herself a $30 tip on my card. knowing bartenders in river north are known for shady practices, i checked my card and noticed i was charged a few separate times. went in and talked to the "owner" he acted like it was my fault even though i showed him multiple copies of my receipt. the owner was rude and even touched me!!! A real fucking weirdo. will be disputing with the bank. dont waste your money here. go to emporium for a better experience. period. pics for proof. read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Ripped off by bartender - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Man, I wish I would have found this place on my previous trips to Chicago! We were able to relive our childhood by playing pinball, NBAJamz, and Mortal Combat video games! The best part is they are all FREE!! read more

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Beercade is amazing. I love that it's walking distance from me and I can play all the games I want and it's all for free! When I first came in here I didn't know about this free game policy and ended up putting some quarters into the machine. Only $1 down and I realized there were no coin machines and a bartender informed me they were all free. Whoops. There are so many different options of games I'm really impressed! I kind of with they had pool, or a dance dance revolution machine, or a guitar hero kind of thing. But this bar is still pretty cool. I haven't tried any of their food but they have a really wide selection of beer. I'm not the biggest fan of beer but they also had good options for cider that don't start with angry which I'm really happy about! This place is also very "instagram" worthy too. A lot of good selfie options especially with the LED sign overlooking all the games! This is the kind of place you would bring your friends if they're visiting from out of town. It gets a little crowded later at night but I went sometime in the late afternoon and I had a lot of space to play all the games I needed. read more

What a cool concept for a bar. Rather than your typical food, drinks with a DJ, you can feel like a kid again by playing classic arcade games with friends. The entrance walls feature excerpts from Shel Silverstein books, which I was a huge fan of as a kid. I even really loved the women bathroom, featuring photos of classic Hollywood actresses. The biggest bonus of the arcade is all of the games are free! It's important to be courteous of other people around you and time spent on games, but there are so many to choose from. Pacman, street fighter, ski-ball and frogger are some of my personal favorites. There isn't a cover charge either so it's a pretty good deal when all you spend is whatever you decide to order at the bar. The cocktails are delicious and fun too. This place is great if you are looking for a chill but fun spot to meet with friends. read more