Popped in here with a group of friends on a Thursday night and it was pretty fun! Everything is clean and it happened to be a free play night, so none of the arcade games required payment. There are classics like pinball and pac man, newer games like racing sims, and ton of stuff I'd never seen anywhere else. The bar area was nice -- I'll have to try a drink the next time I'm here! read more

Miniboss - Interior of the first room - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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What a great date spot! Arcade games from when I was growing up in an adult setting that serves up some yummy cocktails and food. The staff was super friendly and down to the earth. The only downside is the location and parking. There were a lot of druggies when I was there making a scene. This is a general problem in this area, I don't hold that against Miniboss but something you should be aware of. read more

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I've been coming to Miniboss since I was a little kid. I'm talking over 40+ Years of drinking and smashing out vidya! I have the highest score on almost every single arcade game here, and I have been the Beer Pong Champion since I was 7 years old, almost 70 years ago! I am also the Main Bartender. And I serve a mean, stiff stiffy! I've been pretty much drinking since I was in the womb, and alcohol is one of the greatest things on this planet! It makes everything more funner! And we like more funner stuffs! I've also been lying since I figured out how to talk. I don't know why I said any of this, man, I just wanted you to think I was cool. Anyway the place is pretty dope! Come here and make questionable decisions!! :D read more

I went to Miniboss in San Jose during their Christmas season, and it is so lovely! The most popular Christmas bar in San Jose is Paper Plane, but this place has better service and ambiance. We decided to go to Miniboss due to the long lines at Paper Plane; the lane was three times as long. We discovered that this place has the same drinks, more seating area, food, bigger bar space, free arcade games, and most importantly, way better service. For drinks, we got the Snowball Old-fashioned, Christmas Crinkle, Rudolph's Replacement, Koala Cooler, and many Naughty and Nice shots. My favorite drink was the Koala Cooler, made on the sweeter side, and my favorite Christmas shot was the naughty one. The bartender who helped us all night was named Filipe, one of the best great bartenders in San Jose. He made all of our drinks perfectly and was very friendly. The best part is that he remembered my name even after coming back an hour later; that shows that he cares about the customers. Overall, this is a great bar to go to that I would recommend, and I will be going back! This bar offers great drinks, free games on Thursday, and excellent service from Filipe! read more

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Steven is the coolest bartender ever. He really knows what he's doing when he makes you a cocktail or any mixed drink of your choice. I really like the fact that they have old retro arcade games like who doesn't wanna get wasted and feel like a child all over again lol. I definitely recommend this place 10/10, they really do make süre you are happy unlike some other places that just hand you a from get your money and act like you never existed. I always get the Tea 1000, which if you are a tequila drinker like myself you'll love. read more

Miniboss is a great spot to come for a date or to hang out and play arcade games and grab a couple drinks and food with friends. Not only does Miniboss have a plethora of unique arcade games involving zombie shooter games and traditional skii ball, but they also have multiplayer step games. At the front of Miniboss is the bar with options of beers, wines and multiple seasonal cocktails. The Winter in Noboru although supposedly sweet was not overly sweet and had strong notes of cinnamon and mint, tasting absolutely delicious. After working up a sweat from playing multiple games, individuals can head to the back room where there are more games and also a small restaurant/food court serving pizza, fries and Indian food! The indian food was surprisingly quite authentic and good, and I ended up getting the butter chicken with garlic nann, and french fries. Miniboss is a great time, affordable and chill fun vibes for anyone! read more

Miniboss - Winter in Noboru - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Came to miniboss for wing Wednesdays, where they have $.75 wings. I got five each of the crack wings, Yuzu pepper nouc mam and buffalo. All of the wings were flavorless besides the buffalo since that had sauce. If they season the wings more, it would have better flavor. The wings do not taste like anything. The Yuzu pepper had a hint of lemon pepper flavoring. And the nouc mam had flavoring if you dip it in the sauce. And Buffalo is regular. The wings were pretty small and somewhere very small. The only good thing about these wings that were very crispy. I'm not sure this warrants even for $.75 wings. Otherwise we got happy hour fries, which was a huge bucket for four bucks which was good value. Their fries were regular. Order on the phone and pick it up at the counter. I did not realize this my food is waiting at the counter for sometime. The vibes here were pretty nice. I would come for happy hour again. read more

Miniboss - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Stopped in on a Thursday around 6 before comedy down the street and was pleasantly surprised! Miniboss does in fact have FREE game play on Thursdays before 7pm. Add to that a great happy hour menu and attentive bar staff and it was quite the perfect spot. There weren't too many people at that time either, so very little waiting for any games. I'll be returning and recommending! read more

Cool spot to pre game before the comedy show Clean venue Customer service was friendly The fries and chicken wings were awesome! Hit the spot read more

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My friends and I were walking around after dinner and stumbled upon Miniboss. Have your ID and vaccination card ready - they check! Once we got inside, we went to the bar and asked the bartender for any recommendations. He recommended we try their Ziggy Piggy, which is served in a super cute piggy cup and comes with a pink balloon! They do require your ID to ensure you return the cup back to them, so don't forget to get your ID back. Once I had my drink in hand, I walked around and took a look at their games. They have a variety of games and pinball machines. They also serve food, but we didn't order any since we just ate beforehand...but the food smelled and looked delicious! They have plenty of tables for seating and the backroom where the pinball machines are is a little quieter than the bar area. Cute and fun spot to hangout with friends and play some games! read more

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Maybe we just had bad luck. Food was decent. Atmosphere was ok. Our bartender was extremely rude though.

I visited Miniboss with my partner on a Sunday night and absolutely loved my time here. The place is an arcade that also serves food along with drinks. They have a large bar with a decent amount of seating for small and large groups. Their arcade boasts of a tremendous selection of pinball games and video games. My personal favorites at the video games include Pac-Man, donkey Kong, racing games, combat games along with Simpsons.The pinball games were mighty creative as well. Amongst other callouts, they have a change machine which can take bills of 10$/20$ and an ATM machine as well for withdrawing cash. It can get very crowded on Saturday nights with a huge waiting line and so I'd recommend trying to come in earlier on weekends I'm definitely looking forward to visiting this next time and trying out different games. read more

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Miniboss... my favorite bar in Downtown SJ. I think what really attracts me is that the drinks are good and the interior is reminiscient of an arcade. In fact, it is an arcade. Thursdays have free games if you go. I don't go there for the games though so I couldn't say what there is, but there is Street Fighter, NBA, and a drifting game in one corner. It gets pretty crowded on Fridays and Saturdays. Now the drinks. This time I got a Double Dragon, which the concept is very unique. You get two cups to share with another person and it's like a set. It is not the same as getting the same two cocktails at another bar. It comes with candy to help down the drink. Some other favorites of mine that I've tried before are the: Phoenix Down (a very heavy drink, just whiskey and some lemon) and their drink with egg white. Although I don't remember the exact name, they like to rotate some of their drinks. The equivalent of this rotation to the egg white drink is the Shrek's Swamp which isn't as good but has the same creamy flavor. The Darksaber looks like the equivalent to the Phoenix Down. Speaking of which, their names are based off a variety of media and movies so that's pretty cool! read more

Miniboss - Double Dragon - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Great place for date night! Great vibes and a great time. Parking: There is limited parking in the area. There are a couple of garages in the area, but you will have to pay for parking. Atmosphere: The decoration at this place is amazing. They have a couple of booths-seats and stools around for the sitting area. It really is a fun, inviting vibe. Food: They are attached to Super Good Kitchen. I didn't get a chance to try their food. But everything looks delicious. Drinks: Their drinks are decent prices around $14 per drink I tried the Killer Queen which is a good drink if you like your drinks on the earthier side. The bartenders are also really nice and help walk you through a good choice of beverage for you. Games: I would bring some cash if you are planning to go to this place; so you can avoid the ATM fee. Games range between $0.25-$0.75 per play. They have three different pinball machines, street fighters, one racing game, a couple of different shooting games, and some other well-known older games. This place was a really nice change of bar scene. I would recommend this if you wanted to try a different vibe. read more

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Wow I've lived here my whole life (Santa Clara) and have never been to Miniboss. Saw the ziggy piggy on my friend's IG story, had to try! It's so cute. All of their drinks sound unique. This drink has: Reposado Tequila, Amaro, Aloe Vera Liqueur, Watermelon, Lemon, Bubble Gum Extract. Easy to drink. read more

Miniboss - Ziggy Piggy - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Mini boss is a bar/arcade with food. They currently are all decked out in Christmas themed decorations all over. I would say it's a bar with food first then arcade second. Thursday the games were free which was a cool surprise. Variety of 80s and 90s arcade games. There are pinball machines in the back. The games were street fighter, NBA jam, Simpson, pac man, double dragon, time crisis and more. Definitely a cool place to check out and grab some drinks. read more

I know that Toons became Miniboss at some point and has been Miniboss for several years, but it took me today to finally check the place out. You do the math. My sister and I stopped by Miniboss around opening time on a Sunday. I really loved what they did to the place. They really came through with the arcade theme, and I felt that there was so many things around to be entertained by. What's cool was that it was happy hour at the time we stopped at the bar, so I got to take advantage of their discounted cocktails. I ordered the Thunderdome, which was a gin based drink. It was fantastic and tasted just like an orange creamsicle. I would highly recommend it if you're into Ramos Fizzes but with a twist. I thought the service was excellent. We were one of the first guests in, so we didn't have any issues with wait times. I found the bartending staff to be friendly and attentive. read more

I've come here a couple times, but I especially love coming on Thursdays because of free play day + it's less crowded. The store itself is dark but stylishly lit with its colorful decor and humming with the buzz of arcade games. I wish the space was a bit bigger because it's so packed and popular. The staff is friendly and efficient. You can grab your own cup for water on the side of the bar. There's a happy hour from 5-7pm I believe. I am always impressed by the drinks menu, which changes periodically/seasonally. The drinks are creative, unique, and not similar to what you can make at home. Here are the drinks I got recently: - X-Buster: Bright and sour, good if you like tart and fruity things. I can imagine drinking this on a tropical resort. - Coffee Cormano: Packs a punch, very smokey from the mezcal. It's rich, kind of like the opposite of the X-Buster. It's also hella strong. My friend ordered this without realizing he didn't like mezcal, so we switched. - Cinnamon Toast Crunch: Reminiscent of Rumchata. It's tasty! Overall I'm happy this bar exists in San Jose, and I hope it's here to stay! read more

Came here on a Sunday just to kill some time and grab a couple drinks. Love seeing old school games from the 80's and 90's (like Double Dragon and NBA Jam) and even some newer stuff like Stranger Things pinball machine. They even have a few arcade games in the attached SuperGood Kitchen (though I haven't tried the food here). Drinks have cool names, ie. Secret of the Ooze. We ordered Like This and Like That, and Ziggy Piggy. Both were good, not too strong but at least had good flavor. When I ordered the Ziggy Piggy, the bartender said they "required an ID to hold onto for collateral". We thought wtf?!? It's just tequila in there, lol... but when we got the the drink we understood why. Such a unique and entertaining presentation (I've never seen a balloon attached to a regular drink at a bar). Anyway, I'm not a huge video game fan so I'd probably get bored on my own, but I do like the concept of an arcade bar that's for adults, not riddled with kids running around. And with good company, it's a fun way to spend some time. It's not a huge space but there's some tables and seats all around, and also small side tables next to the arcades/games to drink and play at the same time. And as with most places downtown, get lucky with street parking, or pay for parking in a nearby garage. read more

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Mini boss is great for a hight out! The cocktails are great and unique! The games are super fun and they have a great variety! The service is always great as well! It's a fun nerdy place and it's fun bc they have movies and good amount seats! They have fun decorations as well which is very eye pleasing read more

Miniboss - cocktail - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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Came here after a round of entertainment near by, heads up BRING CASH if you are looking to play arcade. Yes they have an atm on site but the service fee of that as opposed to your bank is at your risk and or will. I did have cash by coincidence, enjoyed pin ball, shooting zombies and a few other things. The wrestling machine was broken and didn't have any out of service sings but 50 cents isn't enough to ding stars lol. They have complimentary water and a wonderful bar selection. I would return . read more

Stopped by to check out the Christmas Miracle pop up bar before Christmas in the Park. The drinks were great! You can also purchase the glassware separately ($14-$18). This was my first time back since the pandemic. Games are still a quarter each (!!!!). Sadly no Galaga still. read more

Miniboss - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

One of my favorite bars in DTSJ. Fun arcade bar and doesn't get too crowded. Checked out their Miracle on 1st pop up which has the same menu as Paper Plane. Their decor focused more on your favorite holiday movie characters and even had Home Alone playing on the projector. Definitely check it out! read more

Miniboss - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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Miniboss is one of my favorite bars in DTSJ so far! Every time my friends and I say we're going to go bar hopping in DTSJ, we end up just chilling at Miniboss for hours. The vibe in this bar is just different from other bars I've been to in DTSJ. It's a fun time even if you're just going with a friend. I've been here a couple times and I have always had Felipe as my bartender for the most part. He is super friendly, he checks up on his customers, and he makes the best drinks ever! read more

Originally, I was planning to bar hop, but Paper Planes had ~50 people in line at ~6PM on a Thursday night (12/22/22, pretty cool date), I could be exaggerating, but if I can't count to 20 just by a quick eye glance, then it's way too long, especially if it's not that serious. Anyways, Miracle is a pop-up Christmas cocktail bar, so the same menu is at Paper Planes & at Miniboss, the pros at Miniboss was that there wasn't a wait for me, and it so happen to be free play arcades game night, so it's a win. The games are alright though, pinball, side scrolling actions, fighting games, etc, the most fun one for me would be the shooting game, I believe it was Time Crisis, but we all know House of the Dead is a lot better, shooting zombies and citizens never fail to make the game difficult when you get jump scares, if it weren't free to play, we all know it would suck up our pennies, just to shoot continue. The nostalgia though! If you played it on Sega Dreamcast, you are cool. Let's move on, got carried away, kind of.. I've only tried two cocktails here though, sad to say, I did not like the Holiday Spiked Chai & the Yippee Ki Yay is pretty sweet. The cocktails are ~$16, sometimes I wonder why I even started drinking, oh wellll. The atmosphere, it was decked out in holiday lights, and I love Christmas. I'd probably come back just to have a time-out on life and if it's themed, noice. 'Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal' Got my Christmas spirits up hehe. read more

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I tried all the Miracle drinks. Most of them are too sweet. Here's the run-down: I recommend the first three: 4.8: Hot buttered Rum. Has a heavy cream note to balance the boozy backbone. The flavor lingers. Not too sweet. 4.7: Snowball old fashioned. They use Rittenhouse rye. This is really good. 4.6: Yippie Ki Yay: Good coconut/ube flavor, good sweetness level. 4.4: Jingle Balls Nog. Good alcohol backbone, but the flavor was just ok. 4.4: Holiday Spiked chai. Nice swizzle style. 4.3: Mulled wine. Too sweet. Not so bad when it's piping hot; but when it cools off, the sweetness becomes cloying and masks everything. 4.4: Elfing around. Too sweet. It would be 4.7 if it were less sweet. Nice bitter grapefruit note. 4.3: Christmas Cricket. Has a funky pandan note. Nice boozy backbone. 3.5: Grandma got run over by a T-Rex: Too sweet. It's better after the ice melts for 15 minutes. Herbal note. 2.7: Santa's Little Helper. This highball is a watered down version of a real cocktail. Has a bad anise flavor. 2.5: Christmapolitan. Off-the-charts too sweet. Can't taste the flavor; the sweetness gets in the way. read more

I unexpectedly went to Mini Boss and had a great time! The food and drinks were incredibly good, and I would definitely recommend the Double Dragon beverage. It is a pleasant and reminiscing atmosphere. From pin ball to Street Fighter, a variety of vintage arcade games to play. There are 2 bars for easy convenience. I will definitely be returning. read more

Went out with a large group of friends. I think showing up earlier in the evening was a good idea because it was less crowded. It got really busy later in the evening with a younger crowd. Great fun! read more

This was a barcade in South Bay that I went to pre-Covid, and I have to say that I had a blast there! I really like the gaming decorations and vibe they have in there, as it makes it look pretty modern and unique! They have a wide variety of cool arcade-style games, with ones that range from 1 player all the way to 6 player games. Miniboss also has a separate dining area where you can order various types of foods, such as Indian, Asian, or American (with even more arcade games there as well). And of course, since it's a barcade they have a lot of different drinks and cocktails to choose from while you play the games there. One that I got was called "Winter in Noboru", which was a minty drink that I really enjoyed! The price of the games and food there is pretty reasonable, so it's a great place to go if you want to have a night-out with some friends! Overall, I would highly recommend coming here once things open back up again! I had a really great time here, and I'm sure you will too! read more

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Been here twice now and I've had so much fun every time! There isn't much to say except games and drinks! What else could you ask for? It's a great date night option or to hang out with friends for a chill night without going to a cramped bar or club. read more

Miniboss - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Fun place to play arcade games. The line outside moves relatively quickly, so don't let the line discourage you from checking out this spot! The major con is that it can get crowded, so you'll often be waiting to play a lot games and dealing with people who get unnecessarily aggressive. I probably won't come back until the place does a better job filtering out belligerent clientele so I feel safer. read more

Awesome food! Good gluten free options and they even have a dedicated gluten free fryer. I had the crack wings and garlic fries, both gluten free and they were the best wings and garlic fries I've ever had! Fries are big enough to share and you get 8 wings per serving. They have arcade and pinball games. It's very loud inside because of the games noises and they also blast music on top of it. They have small wooden platforms to the right of each game to hold your drink. read more

Miniboss - Wall mural. - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Definitely worth coming. I'm so happy my husband and I stopped to have a drink. All the hype you hear is true.

Miniboss is the type of bar that you either start or end your bar hopping night at. The vibe is fun, the video game aesthetic is pretty unique and the arcade games are alright, although I much prefer the pinball machines in the second room more than the games, which are a lot more fun. That said, I don't really play many games unless it's free play Thursday. The drink selection is very solid, and they have pretty good seasonal drinks as well. It has gotten more expensive over the years, which has been unfortunate, but regardless I almost always drop by here when I go out for the night. read more

Came here recently on a Sunday afternoon and it wasn't too crowded. The concept of the bar was fun. They have a variety of classic arcade games all around the bar area in the main room and second room. The second room is smaller with a small bar which the bar is only open on the weekends, and the kitchen is located in the small room. They make special cocktails and delicious food. We ordered some drinks and happy hours food at the main bar. We met bartender, Elias, who was very friendly, outgoing and attentive. He made us delicious cocktails based on our preferences and we had good conversations with him. Overall, it was a fun experience with good drinks and good conversations. read more

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The drinks are great. Food is pretty good. But just too loud for me. Not a pleasant place to hang out.

Came here for a night out with a decently large group. Place was packed, there was a lot to do, and only standing room left in the area. Vibes were high energy, and the crowds didn't kick in heavy until the 11PM hour. After playing a few arcade games I got to some fried chicken and my boyfriend ordered me the Jigglypuff drink; the chicken was crispy and the drink was sweet and tasty. I'm mainly sad I couldn't get a pizza when we wanted to order some, but overall the experience was pretty good! read more

It's a cute bar with lots of arcade games inside, quite fun to hang out with friends! There's a parking garage nearby the San Pedro square, and only about 5min walk. The wait was not terrible last Friday night at 8pm. We waited for about 5min and got in. During this holiday season, they decorated the interior as Christmas themed bar, which was pretty fun. The drinks were also seasonal, the taste was fine, the vibe was excellent! read more

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I LOVE my little girl, but when I don't have her for the weekend I'm, like, "WOOOOOO!!! FREEEEEEEEEDOM!!!! Then I jump around and do cartwheels around my place. It's nice to get a break! And since my man didn't have his kid either, we had a date night at Miniboss. Actually, we wanted to eat at Super Good Kitchen but we couldn't find any seats. There was an open door connecting to MIniboss. We went to the bar to get some drinks while we waited for our food, and the bartender allowed us to eat our dinner at the bar counter. Sweeeeet!!!!! I'm a light drinker in my oldie-but-goodie age, so I only had two drinks. My first drink was called Like This and Like That. I liked how it was fruity and lemony, but it still had alcoholic spirit so it doesn't just taste like juice. I think it has Vodka and Prosecco. Yum! It was pretty small, but it was perfect for me! My second one I ordered because it's popular... so I got curious. The upside down pig container with a ballon attached to its foot is quite a glass! Attractive and cute, I get why many people order the Ziggy Piggy. Oh and it's really tasty too, slightly sweet since it has watermelon, lemon, and bubble gum extract. Interestingly, it has Aloe Vera liqueur. I have never heard of such thing, but whatever it is, I like the whole concoction in the upside down pig. Miniboss has a lot of games, but you'll need quarters! If you don't have any, there's a coin machine to change your paper bills. I don't think the machines take credit cards, though! It was crowded on a Friday night, but surprisingly, we didn't have to wait - or at least wait too long - for our turn to play the games. It was fun going down the memory lane playing Pac Man, some fighting games I used to play with my nieces and nephews (Mortal Combat?), car racing games, and pinball. I thought about how my daughter could really enjoy this place.. then I thought, NOPE! This place is for adults!!! It's my turn to have a good time! It was a nice break from routines and responsibilities. A-plus date all around - awesome company and conversation, AND we tried something new and fun! read more

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I came here bar hopping with my girlfriend, and despite being a gamer, I never thought I'd like this place as much as I did. It was a little bit intimidating because even though I've done a lot of pandemic travel, I've avoided bars, and Miniboss was packed enough to have a line out the door. It was a quick wait though. Once inside, they had a pretty solid beer list and it was funny seeing all their cocktails named after various video game liquids. From the Secret of the Ooze to Phoenix Downs, it was nerd heaven. I ordered the aforementioned Ooze for my table and the Winter on Nibiru. The ooze wasn't oozy, but it was quite refreshing and tasted what I thought a melon-y green drink would taste like. My girl liked the Nibiru. I thought it was a little weird the milky texture but it did have a solid flavor to it. I'll come back and actually game some other time because I loved the vibe. read more