I was here for a private event on a Friday night. Had high hopes because I love video games and old arcade games can be a ton of fun. Plus I had heard there were some decent beers to choose from. We had a section off to the side away from the bar and the group filled the space. I had hoped to be able to hear the people I came to the event with but the music was so loud they were barely audible even when shouting. Our waitress also took forever because we only had one for about 50 people. Poor planning on the part of headquarters. The games were cool to see but I expected more options. Maybe I needed to explore the space more to find a bigger selection. Beer selection was decent. But it's a river north bar so you will have to pay for them. The apps they brought out for us were the redeeming part of the night. Stuffed mushrooms and sliders are crowd pleasers and the Mac and cheese was on point. (If you plan your own event though make sure they bring out serving utensils as we had none.) read more

Awesome place. A lot of cool old classic games. They did have some newer machines as well like stranger things which they wanted a dollar to play : ( and mortal combat (free) which were hits. The dollar bill machine is amazing. I wish they had a couple more machines like that but with other prizes. Claw machines are my weakness. read more

I had went to Beercade with a group of friends last night (Saturday night). There were 2 issues we ended up having while buying drinks. The first time, a guy in our group was buying multiple shots and he had told the bartender (white blonde girl) what 2 of the shots were going to be and had told her to hold on a sec to pour the other 2 while he asked us what we wanted. The bartender proceeded to pour all 4 of the shots with whiskey when we only wanted 2 of the shots to be whiskey. We asked her if she could pour us the correct drinks we had asked for and she rudely said she couldn't. Mind you....she said she already charged his card before he even told her what we all wanted. She could of easily poured out 2 of the 4 shots and switched it with what we actually wanted seeing as this was her fault to begin with. I just found it absolutely rude and inconsiderate to not correct her mistake. The second incident happened at the other bar upstairs when we had ordered another set of (I believe yager bombs??) whatever shot that you have to drop the shot glass into the bigger glass and drink. So we had already done 1 round at that second bar top. When we ordered the second round of yager bombs, for some reason the bartender decided to give us the shot glass and a shorter glass to drop our shot glass in. The shot glass didn't even fit all the way into the glass the bartender gave us so we couldn't even enjoy the shot. We had asked her why she gave us a shorter glass than before and her and another bartender jokingly were telling us that we can still take the shot how it was. Which is completely ridiculous that we paid money for the bartender to not even give us the appropriate shot. She acted like there wasn't any clean glasses even though I saw the correct glasses right behind her ( I've been a bartender before, I know what the glass should look like). I've worked in the restaurant business and with bartenders and I thought the treatment we were given was totally uncalled for. We were not out of control drunk by any means so we were not being rude back. I expect better service from a place like this. read more

Most of the games are free, the beer is reasonably priced, and they have a fun cocktail menu. There are not a ton of games but enough pinball machines to hang out on for a while. It was easy to find street parking nearby or walk to. read more

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

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Being from Indy, we have our own arcade bar called Tappers. Tappers has friendly, or at least courteous staff. Beercade River North does not. The staff there was rude to us several times. Tappers lets you sample different drafts and is attentive to completing your order. BRN does not. We waited 20+ minutes for a drink and finally said "screw it." Tappers plays music but you can still hear the person you're with speak. BRN does not. We were shouting and could still not hear each other. I suppose if you're a loud and obnoxious 21 year old who doesn't care about those sort of things, then you may like this place. Us, not so much. read more

Everyone who is on Yelp, I want to ask you a simple question if I may. What do you deem as casual? So right now I'm outside of Headquarters on Institute Pl in Chicago. I am currently wearing a blue T-Shirt, a black Blackhawks hat,black Jean shorts, and grey shoes (yes I have no fashion sense, but that is not the point). So I walk up to the bar entrance, and I see that both guards won't let me in due to not dressing casual enough. So, may I ask you all another question. Is what I'm wearing casual? Yea I think so too, but yet the two bouncers don't think that my current attire is casual enough. Profiling. Simple as that. read more

This place is dope good atmosphere my fish tacos were just ok I won't order that again. But I'll definitely be back here again! read more

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Great music at the Eight Bit Brunch. Chorizo egg tacos and the steak sandwich were both good. The Fuzzy Lifting Cocktail was great read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Awesome arrangements at the Eight Bit Brunch! Menu specials and so many craft beers. - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

HQ gets a Mario Brothers super star for not River North-ing their awesome concept. Instead of replacing great beer with bottle service and Pac-Man with pretentious bartenders (which I'm sure was very tempting to do) they stayed true their roots and opted for the stuff that made the location in Lakeview so popular. They still do tons of craft cans and cocktails. There's still lots of games which are free to play. They still rock Royal Rumbles and vintage American Gladiator re-runs on the tube and the crowd still leans more towards gaming/beer nerds than it does clubsters and d-bags. The only real difference is an improvement. They serve food at this one and it not only looks amazing, but is an artisanal take on old school TV dinners. If you grew up in the 90's you'll pretty much be happier than your first pair of Hammer pants. read more

Headed over to HeadQuarters one lovely Wednesday evening at around 7pm... As you would expect, on a Wednesday at 7, there aren't any lines for games...I LOVE THIS. No matter what game you want to play, if it's not free at the time, it'll be free in a few minutes. Speaking of free...the games are free to play. So yeah, if you ever wanted to beat Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, well, here's your chance to do so without spending $100 doing it (that's game is hard, yo!). The food was delicious. My gaming friend and I split a burger and Salisbury Steak. Maybe I was just really hungry, but seriously, both were outta this world. The menus were awesome. You open a school book, and bam, there's your menu. (Salisbury Steak, blend of grass-fed beef and berkshire pork oyster mushrooms, potato puree red wine sauce sweet corn succotash). (HQ Burger Time, grass-fed beef, tomato and bacon jam american cheese, dijonaise, bread and butter pickles brioche bun, kennebec fries) I can't wait to come back for some more Frogger & Mortal Kombat. read more

Headquarters River North is a huge step up from the Lakeview location. First off, they kept the wide selection of craft beers and cocktails, but it's a lot more spacious and has a better lay-out with multiple levels. Plus, there's a kitchen to order food that's not typical bar food. The best part is that it hasn't succumbed to typical River North snobbery robbery, as the staff and clientele remains mostly unpretentious. Kudos on improving on the original recipe, Headquarters. read more

About a year ago, I went to the Lakeview Beercade and had an okay experience. I believe I describe it as an excellent idea with a decent execution. My main issue was that it felt like sensory overload from the moment I walked in. Well, the River North Beercade seems to solve that problem. Having more space (and two floors) means that this HQ avoids being too cluttered, too overwhelming. There's plenty of room to move. I don't know how crowded it normally gets but on this Friday night, there were plenty of people (including a few private parties) but not claustrophobic. I dig the 80's homage going on throughout, from the Ferris Bueller mural, to the wall o' cassette tapes, the old yearbook menus and the library books that they tuck your receipt into. And both American Gladiators and Back to the Future were on the TVs, can't be mad at that. I didn't order a meal. I tried a handful of someone else's fries and hey...those are some good fries. If they're an indicator, the food should be solid. Service was easy peasy. Not much of a wait for drinks and the bartender gave me the perfect beer recommendation. Prices are a little higher overall than at the Lakeview location (drafts start at $7, there may be a few $6 cans), but you're in River North...that's to be expected. This place attracts a mixed crowd. I couldn't get an overall vibe. There were nerds, meatheads, hipsters, girls in tight skirts and heels, a little bit of everyone comes to the Beercade. I will say the crowd is probably better dressed in general at this location but again, you're in River North. There wasn't a pretentious or pushy vibe in the air and chatting strangers up generally goes well. I'd absolutely recommend checking this place out if games are your thing. Even if games aren't your thing, they may soon become your thing. Pinball is surprisingly addictive. read more

I don't know we're to start ,,,, The food is amazing but the service is the worst I ever had it not a joke .... I am giving 3* just because of the food read more

This place is pretty fun if you can overlook its sometimes frustrating tendencies. I'll start with the good: it's a spacious bar that serves a nice selection of beers, and there are old arcade games (free to play) everywhere, alongside some nice pinball machines. There are a few TVs here and there that will be playing any notable games/sporting events, but in the meantime it's just American Gladiator and wrestling 24/7. Now, onto the less-than-good. Some of the bar staff can be spotty. A couple of the bartenders I have had are great, but a couple ... suck is too strong a word. But let's just say a few of the bartenders and wait staff are subpar. That said, I will still be coming back. It's a fun place, and the mix of people (there's yuppies and hipsters and old timers and everyone inbetween) is great fun. The food is surprisingly good, in particular the fried mozzarella in fylo dough was delicious. Fun place, well located, and good times. (P.S. - There's someone who reviewed this place with 2 stars because "kids aren't allowed." No crap lady. It is a BAR, no one under 21 is allowed.) read more

This place was def different to places I usually go to on friday/saturday night but I had a great time. Barcade is a great place to meet people and play some old school video games. They have a full bar, and areas where you can just chill and have a good time. They also have a DJ if you want to dance. Most of the arcade games are free, and my fav game had to be pacman. I had a good night for sure. read more

Headquarters, you had me @ hello! * Free games from my childhood, yes please! * Good, strong cocktails, yes please! * Cutest bathroom decor ever, yes please! * THE BEST first date spot in Chicago so far, yes please! This place is awesome. It's quite the large space, generous amount of different arcade games (shout out to that Ninja Turtle game that I became slightly obsessed with), drinks were beyond tasty and didn't skimp on the booze-to-mixer ratio, the service was A-okay as well and the glam bathroom decor was something from a movie; so so cute. It's definitely a place I'd stick to for dates since you can sit @ a table or the bar area for drinks then go play it up with your potential future ex boyfriend/girlfriend. However, with a group of your same-sex friends, it might be a little odd. Lots of couples & not a lot of potential to "holla" @ someone you're eyeing lol. read more

It's a cool concept of a place and so large! It's easy to get lost there and live an alternative life. The drinks and food are impressive and I enjoyed my trip here. even though I didn't play any video games. read more

Well, this is a tough one. I absolutely love the concept and they seriously thought of everything. The menus and check holders are placed in your favorite childhood books, they have FREE games I haven't played since I was a kid (Castlevania ftw!), games I always wanted to play but never got to (Sega motorcycle), and even a card catalog style charging station behind the bar. It's pretty awesome and I'm glad I brought my group there. There's something for everyone. Unfortunately, the service killed it for me. I visited three different bars during my stay and only one out of the three bartenders quoted me the correct price for my beer. The downstairs bartender was the worst at $2 over the correct price. The only reason she corrected herself was because I just looked at her, then looked at the menu right in front of me with the prices on it. Who knows, maybe that extra $2 charge was for the extra eye rolls and snarky attitude I got when I asked for more information about one of the beers and, heaven forbid, a glass. I might have been able to understand had it been busy but it was a quiet early evening on a weekday. I kind of got the impression that she didn't know about the beers so it was easier to blow me off. I don't know if this normally flies with other folks, but it was highly suspicious to me. At best, the bartenders have no idea what the prices are and are just hoping no one notices, at worst, they are scamming people to make extra cash. Maybe most of their patrons are wasted and don't care. Either way, not cool. I would probably make a trip back if I had a diverse group of people to please, but I'd definitely keep an eye on my check and advise others to do the same. read more

G R E A T spot. Has all the games I wanted to play as an avid sports fan. NBA Jam, NFL Blitz, Tapper (the beer game which is hilarious) & Bubble hockey. My friend didn't win a single game of anything. I went 19-0 all night. Place also has about 15 pinball machines which I love. Didn't see a Foosball table though! But still will def be back for Blitz! read more

Craft beer is king here, food is awesome too. I had the chicken and waffles (yum) and cauliflower bites (yum) great place too have fun eat and kick a few butts in mortal combat cabinets. Fyi games are free! And parking stinks read more

Beercade has taken over the venue of Enclave Nightclub. It's near the Moody church Good food! I've tried the beef stroganoff, portobello, chicken and waffles. The grapefruit beer is probably a no brainer option for girls. You should try the peanut butter jelly shots too! This is larger than lakeview. There's Sonic, Pacman, tons of Pinballs. There's a wall of cassette tapes. the TVs show WWF from the 80's and American Gladiators. :) read more

Came in at 12:30pm. The security guard turned off all of the arcade machines at 1:20, he kicked me and my date out at 1:50 in 36 degree weather. Horrible experience in terms of customer service, everything else was ok. read more

Free arcade games and alcohol. Seriously, what more could you want? I decided to check this place out because my boyfriend and I wanted to do something fun at night during our visit, so we decided to play games and drink! They have a variety of old school games that you can play, some of which were pinball, PacMan, NBA Jam, and Mortal Kombat. They also have a ton of mixed drinks, beers, and food, so there's a lot to choose from! All the mixed drinks I chose were specifically light and refreshing, but it got the job done, and they tasted yummy! The night I came, there was live music playing (not sure if it's a regular thing or not). They also had closed off the other other floor, but we weren't too sure why. Overall though, this place is awesome, and you should definitely stop by! read more

Service and food have improved even more since the last time we were here earlier this year. First their new brunch. We were there for the first day. The Turf burger looks intimidating, but someone in our group ordered it and ate the chicken separately and then saved some of the burger. He ended up finishing the burger a little later while we gamed. I'm not exaggerating - for me that Turf burger was the best burger I've ever tasted in my life. My hubby and I got the Eggs Benedict (forgot the exact name they used on the menu) and the Quiche. So good. The quiche was a lighter option in the fact it came with a salad and wasn't that huge. A great option - very flavorful. Eggs Benedict with pork belly...om nom nom nom. We stayed there from 3 to 9 so we got apps for the table and a few people got dinner. Mozzarella sticks - delicious as always and a hit with those who hadn't had them before. Various burgers and fries others got for dinner - I tasted my husband's HQ burger and it was really good. Those pickles they put on that one and the turf burger do something magical because to eat them alone they almost have a wasabi effect. But with the burger they have no spice but still a lot of flavor. HQ has never quite hit it on the head for cocktails for my personal taste. Someone in our group did get the HQ Yoo Hoo and it came in an adorable clear soda type bottle with a tag and tasted like french toast with hershey syrup (it has vodka in it I believe, but it's subtle) so I know if I'm ever in need of a sweet cocktail - that's the one. I also enjoy their peanut butter and jelly shot. We didn't have their Bloody Mary's this time, but I have tasted one in the past and they were good as well. I hope to try their new brunch cocktails soon so I can see if they've come up with some I'll fall in love with. Games were awesome and in working order as always. Staff was quick to fix any machine that had an issue - only had one ball get stuck on a pinball game. Told a staff member like you're supposed to do - he finished what he was doing and went over right away. Staff was really amazing - every single one of them. Our waitress, Melissa was excellent. Love this place so much! read more

Held a birthday party here for my husband and it was so much fun!! The team was super easy to work with to get my event set up and it turned out perfect. Our waitress was SUPER friendly and was having fun with our group. Tons of free games, great beer selection and we had a blast!! Overall this is a great location and would definitely hold another event here!! read more

Bingo Wednesday. Be prepared to hear the talk for an hour before the game actually begins. :-/ The headquarters in Lincoln Park was way better before they closed. Ugh I can no longer recommend bingo night read more

Just hosted an event here in their private room downstairs (called L2), and it was such an incredible venue for a fun community event, the staff was incredibly friendly, helpful, and easy to work with, and the entire experience was flexible for me to coordinate a 200 person event. The feel of the place is a hipster beer bar, bumping beets, and a huge assortment of arcade games just because. The coolness of the space carried most of the weight of my event planning which was a huge relief, and the venue was easy to work with to coordinate drink and food options that worked for us budget wise and value wise. read more

Great place awesome selection of beers and food and all the arcades you can play for free lol read more

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Saw this as a place a lot of people don't even realize exists and I can't believe it! Was got here I believe around 5pm when it was "open" however there was a private party already there. Walking in I was just brought back to my childhood. Pinball, tekken, mortal kombat, Blitz, etc. it was awesome! Drinks were great and their beer choice is pretty solid for a place that is an arcade. Drinks are a bit inflated but to counter that, the games are basically all free. I believe there was like two games that cost a dollar or less. One thing I just totally expected was that half the games wouldn't work, I was completely wrong. I don't know who their management team is, and who maintains the games but holy smokes they are fantastic. My wife and I played almost every game, And I believe one button on one game in the entire place didn't work. All the other games worked flawlessly. One thing is that it's fairly dark in there, which is a bit unsettling at times but it was a great trip down memory lane and we thoroughly enjoyed and recommend this place. read more

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Reminds of me of Dave and Buster's! Except games are free! And the place isn't as nice. It looks hole-in-the-wall-ish lol My friends love this place. We chilled out here and got some food and drinks. It was a fun outing for our first night in town... read more

Great spot! Highly recommended to have a good drink play some old vintage games. They have all of the classics, Mortal Kombat, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, NBA and many more. The place gets packed with good reason all the games are free! read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - Old Nintendo games as artwork.... - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Finally went to check out this place everybody's talking about and will definitely be back soon!Friendly and helpful securities, a welcoming atmosphere w countless old and new school arcade games. They have a claw machine with funny items to win and one or two modern pinballs with futuristic effects which were a dollar per game but everything else like Mortal Kombat (1-3!!) skee-ball or time crisis was free to play! The place is huge and there is a downstairs area with another bar and even more games. The whole bar design looked amazing -everything looked handmade and unique. The beer/ cocktail selection and even the food was beyond expectations. In general it felt like all of their staff was really friendly and helpful. Don't know what else to say except of go check it out, it's fun! read more

This is the best bar. More enjoyable is you were born in the 80s haha arcade and gladiators and 80 90 movies. Also indie music indie beers. The food is amazing.. wowo.. love it. Free arcades and pinball games. Just love it. read more

Headquarters Beercade River North - The best place - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had some beers and some late night bites. The buffalo cauliflower is good but somehow you keep wishing it was chicken. The phyllo wrapped mozzarella sticks are a bit greasy and sweet and odd. But, I hung out this time and played some games. So much fun! Most are free and working and awesome. But dude, if you haven't showered in a while because you're playing games in your mom's basement all day, please bathe before coming. We can smell your stink. And it lingers at the various game stations. Put us right off. read more

I live in Los Angeles now but every time I visit Chicago, I make it a point to stop by Headquarters. Never have I seen another arcade bar that even comes close to nailing its aesthetic. I've been a fan of the original Lakeview location since its inception but the River North location is even more fully realized. Over the front door, their 8-bit rocket ship logo carved into a topiary lets you know you've arrived. Walking past the new patio and entering the building, you're immediately at the bar, featuring craft beers and retro novelties such as alcoholic Yoo-Hoo. To your left, a large pinball section. To your right, an even larger selection of vintage arcade cabinets. A DJ bay exists off to the side, surrounded by a wall of cassette tapes. There is also a lounge area and, downstairs ("Level 2"), there are even more arcade games. (This section was closed when I visited on a slow Sunday night.) TVs hang from the ceilings playing 80's movies and the room speakers blast indie pop. Most notably, at Headquarters, every game is totally FREE. This fact alone is what separates Headquarters from the pack. LA has taken a few stabs at trying to create arcade bars but I can't help but think these other places are mediocre at best because they still charge you to use the machines. And no other bar has come close to matching the distinct era vibe. My only complaint is that when I visited, they had t shirts on display I wanted to buy but when I asked, they only had size XL available. Headquarters, get more shirts so I can rep this place! Sell them online because I don't live in Chicago! Best barcade out there by far. read more

Greatest concept for a bar ever in life? Maybe. They are straight up packed with pinball games and arcade games for your enjoyment. Even better, it was free play on friday night, so grab a beer and play the night away. Why go elsewhere and sit at a table talking and "socializing" when you can be playing pac man or electrocuting your girlfriend with Raiden's lightning fingers in mortal kombat? Pac man, frogger, big buck hunter, about 20 pin ball machines and good ones, I was in heaven. So many other, more inferior, bars make you pay them to play pin ball. Headquarters knows what's up. They also have interesting, nostalgic decor, with one wall covered in cassette tapes. Two floors, too! Such a great place to chill with a beer and some friends. read more

Such a great outing! The majority of the games are free to play, with the exception of a few specialty games. I was sad that I didnt find an air hockey machine, and that there was only one skee ball game. However, overall, the games are fun and there is rarely a long wait for a game. Drinks are about $9 each, which isnt too bad either. read more

I had high hopes for Beercade, but I was a little let down... Negatives: - the food wasn't good (we ordered the mozzarella sticks and they were awful) - the cocktails are super expensive (I ordered the Ugg Lyfe, definitely not worth it) Positives: - they do have some pretty cool arcade games (my favorite is pac man & it was there) - good location & cool space read more

I don't know what this place is like on the weekend, but this was a great idea for an after work gathering. We got there right at 5 when they opened and it was nice and easy to get in on those games. I'm a fan of Tetris and Tapper and they are located RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. Dreams do come true, guys. They really do. The cocktails were delicious and the beer list pretty extensive. Prices aren't bad for the 'hood and the games are FREE, so there is that. You could be drinking the beers and slinging 'em too (if you're a Tapper fan, that is) all night. I tried the pretzel which was good and snuck some bites of a friend's "potato salad." This was like a salad with fries/potato skins on it and as a dressing hater, I even liked the dill dressing. Not too heavy. We reserved a table ahead of time which was easy and didn't cost us anything and our server was very nice. I'll definitely come back! read more

Such a solid happy hour on Tuesdays! $5 cocktails and $5 select appetizers. When I called before to ask for the HH specials, however, I was told it was $5 all appetizers. Turns out its only on 3 of them (pizza rolls, mozz sticks, and cauliflower yesterday). They were booked for corporate events so we sat at the bar. The service was kind of slow, probably bc the cocktails are so intricate and all the events. I drank the Assault & Pepper all night and it was DELICIOUS. Spicy and sweet margarita basically. Everyone else didn't love their drinks as much as me, but they have plenty of variety. We also tried the buffalo cauliflower, which is a huge yummy portion for $5. Fried cauliflower soaked in buffalo sauce. Also tried the mozz sticks, which were different. They kind of taste like baklava, but also a mozzarella stick? I wish the dipping sauce wasn't blue cheese with it. Interesting none the less. Best part, games are free... except... not anymore? They charge $1.00 for some of them. Wish they were all just free. Also wish they had a locker system or coat check. There's not a lot of tables/seats and hard to carry your coat and play games in the winter. Overall, fun place for HH. Go check it out! read more