Ah man I wish my 10 and 8 year old nephew and niece can go in here. This place was super fun and made me feel like a kid again with all the vintage arcade games and pinballs they have. Went on a Wednesday night with some co-workers and wouldn't you know... It was FREE GAME Night. What... WHAAAAAT!!! It is SO ON!!! I couldn't contain myself and despite their awesome bar with an interesting beer menu, I went straight to the FREE games. Miniboss also offers an Asian-fusion fast food restaurant that had some tasty looking wings and other intriguing dishes that smelled so alluring. Unfortunately, I had already eaten and was way too excited to play my ass off for FREE so I looked but did not eat. I played so much my fingers and forearms were sore the next day but totally worth it for the nostalgia it brought back. They'd be FIVE Star worthy if they opened a little earlier on the weekends and allowed kids until 7pm or so. Highly recommend Miniboss if you're looking for a place that's NOT Dave & Busters or Chuck E. Cheese. GAME OVER... P2P - Acceptable when games are FREE TF - Didn't try anything read more

Miniboss - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

We stumbled into this place after eating at supergood kitchen and wow was this a blast! I think it was more worth because we came on free play night so everything was free, but I was hit with so much nostalgia as I played games like Dead House and discovered the mysteries of the Star Wars pinball machine. Some fun people dragged us into a game of Three Ways to Win and overall we had a blast here and how much variety there was to play with! Not too packed on a Tuesday night. Reminded me of Portland actually. read more

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Expensive, but a pretty cool little spot. 5 out of 7 I recommend stopping by if you're in the mood to grab a drink and play some games.

This place is amazing for a date night or fun night out with friends! A variety of old school games and pinball machines, creative drinks and delicious Viet-fusion combine to create a memorable experience. Prices are so reasonable for the quality you get, both for cocktails and food. My mezcal cocktail was incredibly well balanced and unique and my husbands drink came in what looked like a pirates ball! We got the wings and omg, you need to try them. There's a bit of Szechuan spice that will leave you wanting more and the crackliness is unbeatable. Gluten free options are clearly marked and there were a good amount of options. After you eat be sure to check out all the nostalgic games! Remember to bring cash so you don't have to get rocked by ATM fees!! read more

Miniboss - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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Wednesdays are their special day of with week with free plays for all their arcade games! Other than that, their food and drinks are reasonably priced (not cheap) especially during happy hour (5-7pm). This is a great place to hang out after work, and the place isn't really that packed since it's San Jose and not San Francisco. Definitely try it out! read more

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I've been here only twice, and both experiences were alright. But my most recent experience was by far the best (sarcastic tone). My friend wanted to celebrate her birthday/halloween in downtown San Jose. Starting at Miniboss. There was a line, which wasn't a big deal it's halloween night, pretty much expected everywhere to have lines. Games were great to play, especially Mrs. PacMan. After a few games, it was time to finally head to the bar and grab some drinks. 20mins later....still waiting at the bar to be helped. While waiting my friends and I are wondering where the drink menus were. Didn't seem to find any, but there was a QR code to scan, but nowhere near us. Little advice to the establishment, have more of those around your bar top for your customers to scan. On top of that, make sure your customers can actually scan them with their phones. The QR codes did not work, so we went on your website which I guess had your OLD menu and not the halloween one. Must been some glitch on your site that night. Add on 15 more minutes to our previous wait time...whoever the bartender was that night in the Cavs jersey. Hand down the worst bartender ever experienced. Waiting nearly an hour to be helped by him, he helps everyone else to the right and left of us. Even someone who came up to the bar after us. When my friend simply wanted to get his attention asked for a vodka coke, and his response "I'm busy!" Well you don't need to be rude about it. In the end we didn't end up getting our drinks, and we left to head to paperplanes instead. read more

This is my all time favorite bar in downtown SJ. The drinks are so unique/delicious and the vibes are immaculate. It's such a fun and chill environment. My boyfriend and I enjoy coming here for the drinks and the arcade games. Some friendly competition never hurt anyone! I would definitely recommend bringing your first date/significant other or even a huge group of friends here. My favorite drinks here are... -Thunderdome -Ziggy Piggy -Double Dragon -Winter on Nibiru Definitely check this place out if you are in downtown SJ! read more

This place is a rip-off. Dont ever go here. They over charged me. And are liars when it comes to their bartneders

The arcade was soooooo cool and fun, but then the drinks were kinda pricey, but everything else was cool, especially the Thursday free games, always lit and cool vibes, nothing too loud or obnoxious. 10/10 reccomend Thursdays to at least try out for free. read more

Super fun bar! Most of the games are only a $.25 and they have most of the classics. Also their specialty cocktail list is super good, most expensive drink was $14. We got the first cocktail on the list which is served in an upside down pink pig with a balloon. Super cute and also really yummy! Not as sweet as we thought, which was great! Definitely coming back! read more

Miniboss - Yummy and not too sweet - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Stumbled into this bar last night with a friend because we wanted to drink on a Tuesday night. It was our first time trying bars in downtown San Jose so we weren't sure what to expect. We walked into this bar because of the vibrant atmosphere inside - lots of arcade games, a lively bar section in the middle, and a decent amount of people for a Tuesday night. The drinks are priced as what you'd expect from a bar. The bartenders were friendly and helped us choose our drinks - I ended up getting their Winter in Nibiru (creamy strawberry flavor) and my friend got the Like This and Like That, a more fruity drink. I ended up really liking my drink and ordered another one. Parking is.. well, it's downtown so either you get lucky or have fun looking for a spot for an hour. Either way, a really good first time experience in downtown, and definitely will be back here on a weekend night to check out the nightlife! read more

Same bar owners with Paper Planes. Fun, throwback vibe with video-game centered decor all around you from the menus, the cocktail names, and the walls. Tall ceilings, darker lighting, open space, and very friendly service and crowd. Arcade games available for play. Like This Like That (Wheatley Vodka, Ramazzotti Aperitivo Rosato, Passionfruit, Lemon, Sommariva Prosecco) - Sweet, sparkly, and refreshing Tri Force (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Martini & Rossi Bitter, Geijer Spirits California Spiced Liqueur, Bittercube Trinity Bitters) - Very strong, tasting more like cough syrup. Dig Dug (Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Lustau East India Solera Sherry, Frangelico, Cinnamon, Lemon, Fee Bros. Black Walnut Bitters, Fever Tree Ginger Beer) - Sparkling, not as earthy as I would like. read more

Miniboss - Like this like that; - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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A friend told me that Miniboss was a sister bar to Paper Planes! Which could explain why every cocktail was so good. During my first visit we stayed at the main bar for a majority of the time - just going down the list. The multiplayer drinks are amazing! If you like tea, I'd suggest ordering the Double Dragon with your favorite teammate! The Secret of The Ooze is a four player drink; this drink is super refreshing with cucumber notes! My favorite cocktail of the night would have to be Winter on Nibiru!! Very well balanced and spoiler alert: it contains condensed milk. Trust me, you'll love it! They play really dope 80's music - the vibe at Miniboss is awesome! I'll definitely be back to try out their food and their arcade real soon! :) ~ $15 per drink read more

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The vibe here is really cool. It feels like a futuristic, classy arcade. The drinks and quality and made well. Always fun to have something to do when you go to a bar! They have a quarter machine for the games if you only have cash. You can sit at bar stool tables, booths in the back or regular tables in the front. Highly recommend checking this place out if you have not! read more

Miniboss - Table in the front - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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Such a fun place to come hang with friends! On Wednesdays, all machines are free play so you can have hours of endless fun!! The food is also so good! I recommend the Crack Wings or the Mario Fire Pizza!! read more

Retro-style arcades are popping up all over the country. A group of 14 of us headed towards Miniboss to check out the new addition to downtown San Jose. There was a line to get in but it moved fairly quick. The bouncer at the front was incredibly friendly and good to chat with which is hard to find at times. Miniboss has their bar right in the middle which is quite convenient. They've got a row of tables along the west side, good for drinking and eating at the restaurant next door. The arcade games are scattered along the other 3 sides of the establishment. I found it to be spacious enough to move around which is good considering it was a Friday night. Although I didn't really play too many games, I was impressed that they had OG games and newer games to choose from. I was introduced to the Killer Queen, a 10-multiplayer game which was incredibly fun. I also enjoyed that they had a large video feed of the Killer Queen for people to watch and enjoy along with 2 other large screens of sports games or television shows. The drinks were really impressive which is a testament to their bartenders. The drinks were perfectly concocted and I do believe they don't skimp out on alcohol content. A very interesting drink that they have is called Winter on Nibiru which was very sweet and came with a blue mug. It is foaming along the top and sweet & smooth going down. Definitely worth a try for those who want to drink but like to hide the alcohol taste. The only tiny drawbacks were the slightly long waits to get drinks and the higher end prices. But I will say that the bartenders take their time to perfect each drink they make which I appreciate. Very impressed with Miniboss and is by far the best arcade bar that I've visited. I wish more arcade bars were like Miniboss. read more

Miniboss - Cool bar with little action figures tucked in there - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

My boyfriend and I came here for a fun night out after work! We know that this just recently opened, so we were expecting to wait for a lot of things. To our surprise, we practically waited for nothing the entire night. The wait to get inside was fast. There were no waits for a lot of games that we wanted to play. We also only waited five minutes for a bartender to help us get drinks! The security and the bartenders at Miniboss are all so extremely nice. Also, all the games are super cheap! We ended up playing one game the whole night: Killer Queen. It's sooo much fun when you have a whole group of people that are playing competitively. Miniboss is a great place to hangout with your friends and get some drinks if you're into that. The drinks were definitely on the strong side as well! read more

Miniboss - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

A fun bar with great vibes! Came here on a Saturday night with a solid crew and we had a good time. There's a wide beer and cocktail selection. Most of us got the 2-player double dragon. It comes in a small chinese cup, which is great for the instagramers out there. It definitely isn't the tastiest cocktail out there..but it was pretty strong, so it does the job ;) There's a good amount of seating for those who don't want to play games and just want to sit down and chill. We didn't actually play any of the arcade games but there's a good variety of games and I'd be down to come back and play them next time. We walked past the bar when we were wrapping up the night at ~1:15am and the place was still popping! Fun place to hit up if you're in SJ. read more

Great place. Fun -- nostalgia for days, great drink selection, great service without trying to be too much. Artwork inside is special. If you have time, and you want to spend it doing something different than the usual, check it out. Plus, they play classic/ cult favorite movies from the era. read more

Great spot to stop off at in your bar journey around San Jose. They had this classic Japanese racing game I love . Didn't have anything else really here. I'll def come back if I'm going out in San Jose again read more

Miniboss - I have no idea, ask for the pigs that fly - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Crowded, over priced, and the age range is overwhelmingly millennial. Most of the games just steal your coins and don't let you play.

This place is fun if you like arcade games!! But where it is located... It is so sketchy and scary so PLEASE BE IN A BIG GROUP SETTING!!!!

Nice bar. Dope and large variety of drinks, perfect for couples. Only downside was that a lot of the machines for the games were down and just swallowed up the coins but overall great experience nice friendly staff read more

Miniboss - Bar area - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

I love this place! Great drinks, great atmosphere, and great food right next door! Loved all the old school arcade games as well. I can definitely see this becoming a regular spot for me. Great addition to downtown SJ! read more

The only reason I'm giving this place 5 stars is because they made an Ube drink that actually elevates the taste of Ube. Get the Purple Yoshi. Whoever invented it is a true artist. read more

Miniboss - Purple Yoshi - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Miniboss is amazing! You can tell how much thought, love and passion went into this space! Everything from the art murals on the wall to the yummy drinks and delicious food is superb! If you're looking for a blast to the past and a slice of nostalgia, do yourself a favor and check it out! Beverages: I loved loved loved the Secret of The Ooze beverage (serves 4) and Winter on Niberu! Yum! Food: The Crack wings & Cheesy noodles are phenomenal! Games: Besides the menu, the games are amazing, Initial D, X-Men, PAC Man, Street Fighter and so many more! I cannot wait to go back to Miniboss, this is going to be my new favorite spot :) read more

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Drinks were really good. I got the sailor Venus and a lemon drop. Easy to drink and a good price. I also got their fries and they were pretty standard. The ambiance is nice with lots of neon lights. The games are fun but it was very busy so I couldn't play much. They have another section in the back where you pick up the food and they have pinball which was fun. I would come again, but probably during happy hour. read more

Miniboss - Sailor Venus - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

I went to 5 bars on this fateful evening. And this was my favorite one. a feast for your 12 and 21+ year old senses - arcade games, 3 projections on the wall allowing us humbled patrons to choose between old Kung Fu movies, anime, and/or some other live-action old movie, a gloriously liberating high ceiling matching our gloriously met high expectations of such a place, B U T I Must Say that what truly took my little alcohol loving, sentimental Asian heart, was the drink i ordered: the #11 Double Dragon. Served to you on one of those sauce holders at the end of most Asian sit-down restaurants' tables, you will find two Chinese, bright tea cups, with your Drank In Side. BuT wait ! there's more! Fancy toothpicks with absolutely delicious pineapple jelly pieces. DELICIOUS YOU FOOLS! I think that I was really sold on this drink because of how much thought went into it- the nostalgia, the complex taste of the drink itself, the fun-ness of drinking a cocktail out of a Chinese-art-ordained teacup, the interactiveness of the entire experience and how it was so playful (the twinkle in our wholesome crackhead eyes when we saw the bartender coming with the sauce holder, taking out the cups from it, looking all confused at wtf was on our toothpicks). y'all i felt like the trashier asian version of the food critic from ratatouille when he had that intense flashback to his childhood. i never give 5/5, but here we are. ty miniboss c: will b back soon read more

Miniboss - NUMBER 11 DOUBLE DRAGON. HIGHLY RECOMMEND ! - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

This review is mostly for Miniboss' arcade game-master Andy who my friend and I met last night. Andy loves pinball. Like, really loves pinball. He knows the history, strategy, game play, design and maintenance of these machines. His enthusiasm is infectious. It was cool to hang with Andy and shoot a few games. He is a gracious and friendly (unofficial) tour guide. Miniboss is a clean and fun bar. Prices on the drinks are pricey but the arcade games are very affordable (25 cents to 50 cents per game). I wasn't too keen on their featured cocktails (I like more whiskey classics). Miniboss has more sweet and fruity concoctions but their beer selection featuring rotating craft brews is solid. I have noticed that the whiskey movement has been steadily giving way to their sweeter cousins. The staff is friendly and attentive and there is plenty of room to spread out and chill. I am a fan of the self-service water taps that seem to be common in San Jose downtown bars and which Miniboss offers as well. Hydration is the name of the game. read more

Miniboss - My friend Ben drinking an incorrectly ordered cocktail (my mistake). It is called Ziggy Piggy. Too sweet for my likes. - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

San Jose's best (b)arcade. Located on the corner of First Street and Santa Clara downtown San Jose. They have 8 pinballs and more arcade cabinets. There is a killer queen too. 90 percent of the floor space is 21and up and 10 percent is all ages. The all ages is a noodle restaurant. I hope this place survives. The games are all quarter operated. No tokens or credit cards needed. The arcade games are OK selections. I would have preferred golden era titles. Asteroids, centipede or Millipede, bump and jump, Galaga, moon patrol, elevator action, 1942, Defender, araknoid. I'd also love a skiball and a Foosball and air hockey table. read more

Miniboss - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

So much fun! I visited during a birthday weekend. I really enjoyed the drink the lady bartender made for me. I think she called it "a little bit of this a little of that " read more

Okay so miniboss is pretty cool. I came here on a Saturday night because I wanted a chill spot to just grab drinks from. We got here around 10pm and it wasn't super packed which was great. One thing I remember about this place is that the security guards were super nice. I told them it was my first time and they went out of their way to explain what the place is like. When you enter, you can see the bar in the middle and arcade games all around. They also own the restaurant next door (Supergood) and you can go through the bar and to the restaurant. When the restaurant closes, they still allow access because they have seating and games there as well. I highly recommend the Thunderdome. I think there's a whole egg in there but I'm not too sure. All I know it that I really enjoyed it. It's the perfect amount of sweetness and I was definitely a fan. Highly recommend this bar! read more

Checked this place out the week after its grand opening. I loved the concept, and since the owners are also the owners for Original Gravity and Paper Plane, I knew at least the drinks would be good to entice my co-workers to check out the HH here. As everyone else has mentioned, the establishment is split into two areas: food, then drinks plus arcade games. The food area had about 4 arcade games, but no one was really playing them. The food menu was pretty limited, but since I was starving I decided to just order a bunch of stuff for our group. We ordered the wings (not bad, seasoning left my tongue feeling a little numb? 'twas weird), cheesy Korean fire noodles (burned the sh*t out of my mouth. The 3 level spice is no joke!), coffee-rubbed brisket (it was interesting, but not worth the $20), fried chicken skin (not as crispy as chicharones, but wasn't bad to eat with the dip it came with), and kitchen sink fried rice (pretty much your normal fried rice). You can get extra plates and utensils on your own if you're sharing, which is nice. I definitely got the vibe that it was kind of a self-serve place. The food was..... okay. It felt a little overpriced for the portions we received. The taste wasn't bad, but I was just expecting something amazing, especially since the drinks everyone was getting looks so nice/exotic. Miniboss is still new, and I'm sure they're working through some things as they get their processes ironed out. I'll definitely be back, but will just bring my expectations down the next time around. The vibe of the alcohol area seemed really cool and chill, though! read more

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Visited on a Saturday night. By 9pm there was a long line outside. Not enough games/machines available to entertain the crowd. I would only plan to go before 8pm, it's not worth the wait outside. The cocktails are okay, stick to beer . read more

Miniboss - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

The food is pretty good and the drinks are interesting (one of them is a bubblegum drink in a ceramic pig tied with a balloon!), but I feel like the arcade selection was too small. Half of the machines are pinball, and the one Killer Queen machine is pretty popular, so you'll go through all of the machines pretty quickly. I'd like it a lot more if they had more arcade machines to choose from, but overall it was a good experience. read more

Miniboss - Ziggy Piggy! Where else do you get a balloon with your drink? - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Pre-partied with some friends before our high school reunion. Great cocktails! I had the middle and right ones in the top row. The middle one enticed me with its condensed milk and strawberry and mint and wound up being my favorite. Winter on Nibiru: Junipero gin, strawberry, condensed milk, lemon, vanilla, black pepper & cinnamon tincture. The one on the right enticed me with its whole egg. Thunderdome: Nolets gin, orange & rooibos sherbet, Calpico, Angostura orange bitters, malic acid, whole egg, tang rim. Sampled my friend's' cocktails and thought they were quite good too. There are also arcade games you can play, although I didn't try any that day. I would definitely come back again next time I'm in downtown San Jose looking for a cocktail bar. read more

Miniboss - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Ambience - the place had a very cool, unique and timely design. It's homage to the 80's is very nostalgic. It's very casual and fresh. There are several arcade-style gaming machines that you can play while drinking which made the experience cooler. Unfortunately the Saturday night that we went there were so many people that we didn't get a chance to play. However, It wasn't much of a problem since the rest made up for it. Customer Service - there was a lot of people on a Saturday night and it was very busy. However, everyone was very nice including security and the bouncer/host. Regardless of how busy it was, the bartender who served our drink took his time and paid attention to details embracing the experience of the bar. Drinks - Their signature drinks were pretty decent with a lovely presentation. The Life on Hi-Fi was strong but also fresh with citrus type flavors. Winter on Nibieu lived up to its name as it gave out cinnamon flavor, rum, and that horchata vibe. Overall - Miniboss was a fun, unique experience. Will definitely return here when we come back to San Jose. read more

Miniboss - WINTER IN NIBIEU and LYFE IN HI-Fi - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

As soon as you walk in, it feels like an episode of Stranger Things on Netflix. Completely 80's theme w/ Top Gun showing on the TV, Duran Duran on the jukebox and neon bright lights everywhere. Weird cocktails, wasn't the biggest fan but maybe we just made the wrong selections. I got the Tri Ponce and it tasted like robitussin, the Tri is because it's has 3 different kinds of bitters. My gf got the Winter on Nibium and it was creamy yet sour. Tasted like a weird strawberry shortcake. But the bartender was HELLA cool, and when I gave a frown, offered to make me something else. He then made a phenomenal old fashion as my replacement. But the real MVP is the arcade games. They have NBA Jam brooooo! Killer Queen, Pac-Man, The Simpson's game, Terminator, bunch of pinball machines and very likely your favorite arcade game from the 80's. read more

Went here for a friend's birthday and the place was great for a get together. Especially with one's into the arcade / drink setting. There are lots of arcade games, seatings, and drinks. Especially love their menu. Haven't had too many drinks, but I quite enjoyed their dedication to making drinks related to games! Overall, great vibe but not a place I'd return to any time soon other than to occasionally hang at. read more

This place is so cool and inviting. Love the interior design an ambiance. Cool concept that is executed extremely well. Friendly staff. The food is INCREDIBLE! You can tell the cooks take pride in their food and are total foodies. The drinks are great! Try the two player one. Great for date night and groups! Game selection is awesome...however, not gonna lie, wish there was ski ball. Check it out! You will have a blast! Just what downtown sj needed! read more

Miniboss - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California