We paid cash for $10 of game tokens when we first arrived. When closing out our tab, the $10 for game tokens was added to our bill so we effectively paid $20 for $10 worth of coins. Be careful when buying game tokens at the bar. The drinks were good but not worth this extra price. Will not be back for a while because of this annoying experience. read more

**I would recommend to read some of the 1 or 2 stars reviews for this place** Our group decided to check this place out after hearing a lot of good things, but we were pretty disappointed when we arrived. As someone who enjoys arcades like Round 1 or Dave and Buster's, I was expecting a more varied experience. This place mainly features retro arcade games, but there were two major issues. First, the maintenance of the games was problematic. We had to keep inserting tokens multiple times because the machines wouldn't register them, and at one point, we even had to bang on a machine to get it to work. Several games were also malfunctioning. For example, on both Mario Kart machines, the button to release items wasn't working. Another shooting game had a non-functional reload button. The second issue was the overwhelming number of pinball machines. Around 60-70% of the games were pinball, which left us with very few other options. We ended up spending all our tokens on the pinball machines because there wasn't much else to try. On a positive note, the DJ had a solid setlist, which was a nice touch. Overall, while this place might be a hit for pinball enthusiasts, it's not the best choice for those looking for a broader arcade experience. read more

Great place to hang out if you're in Santa Ana. Its a little off the main drag but its definitely within walking distance with a decent parking garage just across the street. No wine but the bar tender recommended Huckleberry which was a great choice. Our drinks came with free tokens. We came during the day so it wasn't busy by the service was nice. read more

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This place is so much fun! Love the dj, the games and the balcony. Also love that we could go downstairs and try out the delicious food.

What a great place and a great concept. We went on a Friday, so they had a live DJ playing some 90's hip hop and other deep cuts. There were people dancing and having a great time. It was a fun because it didn't have the pretentious atmosphere of a regular night club. Everyone was dressed super casual, having fun, and playing games. They had an extremely good selection of pinball games, even the classic ones like Future Spa and a Dolly Parton classic pinball machine. Bartenders were super attentive and fast. I even had a pinball game eat my tokens and when I told the bartender he gave me 2 back from a cup on the bar. That was totally cool. I thought they wouldn't care, but he made sure I got my tokens back and didn't get jipped. 99% of the games were working, which is hard to pull off for these aging games, so props to the maintenance people at Mission Control for keeping everything in working order. A great place for a date night. Safe, chill vibe and a fun crowd. read more

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We were looking for a spot to chill on cinco de Mayo. We decided to check out mission control. A bar/arcade. Mission control is located on the 2nd floor. I like the ambiance. We purchased our drinks and hung out on the balcony then walked around the building with our drinks. The bar tender said the liquor license allows us to take our drinks any where in the building. On the first floor is a cute tropical hangout. And there is the tiki bar. Will return for sure. read more

Mission Control - Drinks from the hidden oasis - Arcades Near Me - Santa Ana, California

I personally love older arcade places. They're super nostalgic so I was excited to find out about Mission Control, located upstairs at the 4th place food hall. They had an okay amount of arcade games and pinball machines. We came on a Saturday night and it was DJ night. It was a bit too loud and crowd was young so bf wasn't feeling it. I didn't mind it - if thats your crowd. We didn't get to stay long but I'd def recommend checking it out if you're into old school arcade games. Games are about $1 each maybe? read more

Mission Control - Arcades Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Came here for the first time this past Saturday and it was a fun environment. The DJ plays all this hits and people including myself were dancing. Patio closes around 1000-1030 pm. Planet of parking available in the back of the market or the garage down the block (2 hours free). Would come back again. read more

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Fun spot to hangout and play some games! Drinks were good, they had a good mix of beers and mixed drinks for slightly high but reasonable for OC prices. The games were lots of fun, a great mix of pinball, racing games, puzzle games, and active role play games. It was easy to exchange for coins and we spent almost two hours playing as we worked our way through the games. A little crowded on a Friday night but didn't wait more than a round or two for any one game. read more

Friday night My first time going, possibly going back not sure. This place is located upstairs, didn't see an elevator, so not wheelchair accessible.((could be wrong, but I saw no elevator.)) on the first floor you can find food options, real good ones! It's essentially a bar with an arcade And small dance area. Place is different which is cool! They have theme drinks! Which I loved, however when it takes about 25-30 minutes to get a drink and it wasn't so busy, kinda sucks! They have shooting games,driving games, fighting games,etc. old school games, which also is amazing but most didn't work or they just took my tokens. So just kinda lost money there. Dude that helped out at the restroom hand wash area wasn't nice. But!! Lady at the door was super sweet and chill! This places sounded so bomb when I heard about the ambiance and theme. However it was a bit of a let down. I will try this place out on a different night to hopefully have positive things to say. Because I really want to like this place! It's literally a gamers/nerds heaven! P.s. tube shots look cool only $3.25 but I'm not so sure if they even had alcohol. Mine just tasted like juice. I got a few of these and they all tasted like juice without any hint of alcohol ((didn't smell either)) [[ I don't drink often so I should be able to have tasted/smelled liquor]] Locations 7/10 Cleanliness 6/10 Service 6/10 Ambiance 8/10 Prices 8/10 I would be lying if I said I didn't have fun because I did! But some things need some changed. ***Remember to treat others how you want to be treated! Everybody has different experiences*** Got kicked out at 1:30AM on a Friday I was expecting it to close at 2. read more

Recently went here for Thursday night trivia night. I hadn't ever been here before but had an amazing time. Such a cute and fun arcade bar. The bar staff were incredibly friendly. Such a fun / chill vibe. We ended up getting a pizza from the restaurant downstairs on the first floor. read more

Their pinball game is strong. They have a bunch of the new Stern machines. Jurassic Park and Jaws in particular I think are pretty fun. They also have an awesome line up of classic machines; Attack on Mars and Sorcerer (rare to see in the wild) are the ones that stick out for me. Nice selection of classic games: Super Mario, Mrs Pac-Man, Galaga, Simpsons, etc. They also have DJ and dancing on Fridays so it's poppin', the DJs are usually good. Drinks are reasonably priced; as are the machines. Only downsides: House of the Dead 2 tends to be broken when I go, and the Venom machine tends to get the ball stuck behind the ramp and even with a tilt sometimes you can't get it back; the bar will usually refund your quarters though. read more

Mission Control - Mars Attacks - Arcades Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Came again to see if anything has changed and it did... looks like they are trying new things out. Came to see a Depeche Mode cover band but the audio was HORRIBLE! Very painful to the ears... it was a packed house until after the 3rd round of audio issues people started to clear out. To be honest, the 80's music playing AFTER the band was wayyyy better. Ordered a margarita however it's premade and you can taste it. Very similar to the Costco brand. They have a Smiths cover band coming which I'm really interested in seeing, but if the audio has the same issues I'm OUT! Also, come before they charge.... Definitely not worth paying to get in. I noticed when people started to leave they stopped charging at the door. read more

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Trying to mix up my gaming with some offline actual once in a while. Sadly LA doesn't have a lot of great options for arcades oriented towards adults. Even though this place is not that close to me I decided to bite the traffic bullet and check it out on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Parking in the lot out back is 10 bucks. After that it was a little confusing figuring out how to enter the complex, finally figured out that door right next to the lot that was closed was the one needed. As I walked in there is a authentic Mexican taco joint there affordably priced. Had a nice lunch there then went upstairs to the arcade. The barcade has a very nice bar and an assortment of about 30ish games, some retro and some brand new in a variety of genres. Retro games are only 25 cents and new ones 1 buck, very reasonable. The bar has an assortment of fairly priced and tasty beverages to choose. The barkeep even offered me samples before I decided on a purchase. I could feel at this place that the owners/staff legit care about keeping the arcade culture alive which gives us something a bit different than our usual online gaming experiences nowadays. I definitely recommend you check this place out. read more

This nostalgic barcade is hidden inside McFadden Public Market in downtown Santa Ana. Two nights in a row this ended up being our starting off point for a night out and it didn't disappoint. They have an assortment of games to choose from and a fun game themed menu. We're pretty patient people but the lines at the bar did take awhile to move along even for it being fairly early in the evening. Once we got our drinks we noticed they were made really well. There's also an outdoor balcony with flame heaters in the cooler months. This area looked to be pretty popular for birthdays as half was reserved celebrations both nights. read more

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I'm mobility impaired and an ambulatory wheelchair user. I did have to do this event with a cane to make it up the stairs. I wasn't able to really walk around the bar because my legs were so tired from going up the stairs. The drinks were good and the bathroom was clean and spacious but I just couldn't enjoy this fully. read more

Been coming here for about a little over a year and the new management is invested in building better gaming experience, which is great because it was already pretty dang good. If you like cabinet games or pinball, this is the place to go. After talking with the new manager Sunny, I can tell it's in good hands and can't wait to see how this place levels up in the future. If you are a gaming nerd in the area, this is a must. Fun party atmosphere and with a jukebox and fun events too. read more

Love this place. Cool bar and chill vibes. Plenty of pinball machine options. Staff is friendly. read more

Mission Control - Nice and clean and spacious - Arcades Near Me - Santa Ana, California

This arcade bar is a must with friends or a date night. All the games were working and were super fun to play. The interior was filled with blacklight and various bright neon lights, it looked so cool. The cocktails were just alright but the lightsaber shots were pretty good. At one point in the night, a DJ came out and they opened the pinball floor for dancing. Mission Control is on the second floor of the building its in, with another bar and food court underneath it, which are perfect if you end up getting hungry. Can't recommend this place enough. read more

Mission Control - Arcades Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Awesome little place upstairs. Small to medium beer selection. Great old school games like X-Men and Simpsons arcade along with some solid pinball action and arcade multiplayer shooters. read more

I've had two completely different experiences at Mission Control: one was a lot of fun, with everyone playing pinball and arcade games. The other was filled with people standing around in front of the arcade games while listening to a DJ. Drinks have a cute theme and when people aren't standing around blocking the machines, it can be fun. Bathrooms aren't very clean, arcade games aren't very clean, but hey -- it's a bar. Don't think I need to return again, but I loved The Addams Family pinball! read more

Had an amazing Father's Day with my 22 year old son! Great drink choices and friendly staff! Drinks are reasonably priced and the selection of pinball and old school arcade games are amazing! read more

A very chill and down to earth "barcade". Tokens/quarters are accepted at the pin ball machines, some games take tokens only. $1 for 4 tokens, one pin ball game takes 2 tokens/2 quarters . We especially enjoyed the modern pin ball games, most are themed like the Deadpool, stranger things, Jurassic park and the madalorian. Spent only $8 on games in an hour. They have a variety of old arcade games as well, a neat spot to hang out in. A highly rated ramen restaurant located just downstairs, very convenient for grabbing a meal. Their snack vending machine was clutch. read more

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Great spot to grab a drink and relive your childhood with some classic arcade games (Mortal Kombat, Pac-man, pinball to name a few). All games are between 25-50 cents so you can easily be here for an hour or two and spend only a few bucks. Growing up, I played Galaga on the original Nintendo, so when I saw the arcade version here, I jumped at the chance to play (although sadly, I am not nearly as good anymore). Aside from the arcade fun, it's your typical bar vibe complete with the sticky floors. Currently, there's only one table with a few chairs in the entire place, so be ready to stand. Some people wear masks, but most don't, so if you're being extra cautious, I don't recommend a visit right now. There's also a food hall downstairs, so you can take a break and grab a bite, especially if/when the drunchies hit. read more

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Always a pretty good time here. There is parking in the nearby structure or metered parking on the sidewalk (Free after 10pm). No free parking anywhere nearby (That I know of). I'm sad that they changed the games to take tokens instead of just quarters. But nevertheless, a lot of pinball machines and old vintage games like street fighter, time crisis, and the Simpsons. Typically good music is played by a DJ. Drinks are decently priced, they have some good drink specials/deals too. I took off 1 star because sometimes the machines would eat my tokens. read more

Mission Control - Arcades Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Pretty cool to have a bar and arcade I love their games specially street fighter, Tekken Mario kart and I also like the pinball machines that they have only thing is that most of them are broken or you put in money and it doesn't work and you can't get your money back so most of the games we tried to play we could not, but the pinball machines on the other hand was working. I wish I could give more stars but because we couldn't play most of the game and we ended up purchasing more tickets and most of our tokens were eaten by the games I'd have to give it a little lower star review. read more

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This place is a classic. Just a typical barcade that you can enjoy some drinks and games with family and friends. There is a good variety of games to play. Plenty to choose from for entertainment. One game I have played a lot is tetris. Not sure why I gravitate towards it, maybe it is the nostalgia, but that game is always a good time. What I like most about this place is the vibe. Very chill and down to earth. Everyone is nice and having a good time. The drinks are pretty good too. I've been here a few times and I remember them having a very good beer selection. There are quite a few to choose from. When it gets later in the night, the "dancefloor" comes alive. Everybody just grooving. read more

I've been going to MC since 2020. I really enjoy Friday or Saturday nights with Dj Ceaze. No cover charge. Mix drinks are prices between $12 - 15 bucks and they are strong. The Arcade games are fun. The Halloween parties are fun. I recommend MC to anyone looking to check out a new bar in Downtown Orange County. Parking: I recommend either parking on the streets or at one of the parking structures behind MC. read more

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Slid in here NYE to have a drink with the lady. Got to enjoy some PacMan + Tetris some of our childhood favorites while Ted whipped us up a fun Pineapple Tart drink that was fabulously made with Tequila vs the usual vodka on menu. This spot of lively, and kid friendly and we really enjoyed ourselves. We'll definitely be back for more very soon. Very easily located off Main + 5th in the DTSA arts district McFadden St Market cut. Thanks Ted for a great drink! read more

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Mission Control is a fun Barcade experience that I highly recommend you check out. Located in a nice area it's tucked away in a different building on the second floor (can be a little confusing as there are no signs, other than 1 LED light from a window that says arcade. I must warn you, parking is awful here and at the time of this review they are doing loads of construction on the streets so getting here is a bit tricky since most streets are closed. The drinks are fairly priced and the bar tenders are really polite and sweet. They have djs performing on weekends (I went on a Sat) so the vibe and energy is there. The don't have much sitting, 1 table inside, but outside they have a nice patio and there are a few tables outside. They have roughly 30 retro arcade machines and 15-20 pinball machines. It's not freeplay, so you do have to purchase tokens in order to play. Games range from 1 token to 6. I spent roughly 15 dollars on games alone. Not too bad. We were there for 2-3 hours for a Halloween themed night. I will be back and I truly hope you all have the opportunity to check this place out Enjoy fellow yelpers read more

Mission Control - Arcades Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Mission Control is a cool arcade located above McFadden Market and Twisted Tiki. It is an open wide room full of games, pinball machines, a bar and a DJ playing awesome music. The vibe is pretty cool mixed with some nostalgia (Pac-man? Early Simpsons?) As long as the night was progressing the place got packed, which make it difficult to walk from side to side. They have a balcony with chairs, the only ones in the whole place. I'd say the balcony was my favorite place, no smoke, moderate noise etc. Their drinks are pretty good and the beer is cold :) Good Place, recommended to have a good time! read more

Mission Control - Arcades Near Me - Santa Ana, California

the bar is located on the second floor of the mcfadden public market. the dj played a weird mix of drake and 90s songs, so not the best but the arcade games and pinball were plentiful and fun, so overall a good time. there is also a chill balcony area which provided a nice break from the commotion inside. bathrooms were dirty/clogged but i did appreciate the hand washing stations outside. parking was a struggle esp with all of the construction happening read more

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This is such a fun place! They have lot of pinball machines and cabinet games. As an older Millennial, there is so much nostalgia. Even if you didn't grow up with these games, you will enjoy yourself. They even have a DJ and dancefloor on weekends. The beer list is great too. If you are in downtown Santa Ana, check this place out! read more

Came here last night to get out of the house. This place is cool when you want a low key kind of night without having to get dolled up or anything. The arcade games are fun and nostalgic for me (millennial). The DJ played a mix of early 2000s popular music and some newer stuff. I'm knocking off a star because some of the machines were broken without having a sign on it and instead ate up my tokens. read more

Mission Control is such a cool bar experience and serves all the nostalgia! I am not one for bar hopping in Downtown Santa Ana but a friend introduced me to this place and figured it couldn't be bad if there were arcade games and alcohol. This bar is located on the second floor of a building that has a food court on the first level. *THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO FAR TO HAVE YOUR DRUNCHIES MEAL!* The drinks themselves are very cheap. They're about $7-12 depending on what you're ordering so it does not take too much to get very drunk very quickly. The obvious highlight of the place is the famed arcade games. Each game will cost you maybe 25 to 50 cents (yes, you read that right) and you have a coin converter machine in order to exchange your bills into quarters. They also have a separate area where they have tournaments as well if you're that competitive. Overall, it's a really nostalgic place and totally worth checking out if you're a classic gamer. I definitely appreciated the experience and definitely plan to return for another visit. (1/100--2021) read more

Mission Control - Arcades Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Been here a couple times now, really good selection of pinball and arcade machines, even though the newer Sterns are pretty pricey to play ($1 a piece). A really cool vibe though, retro without feeling too kitschy. FYI Friday nights are a club night, so maybe avoid that if you're looking to seriously game. read more

Mission Control - Godzilla pinball! - Arcades Near Me - Santa Ana, California

My boyfriend and I have been here twice, and both times were great experiences. He grabbed a beer, and we immediately hit the Simpsons arcade game. After, we dabbled with the oversized pac man machine, that was lots of fun! Good Energy, great music (until someone played bad bunny) and an extended array of games to play till your heart is content. One thing to note, since there are no holders near the video games for your drinks, I am assuming others have spilled their drinks. spilled drinks made some of the buttons sticky as well as certain games unplayable. Bumski! Aside from that I would recommend, we spent a few hours playing, and enjoyed the rest of our day. A good get away for a short period of time. Make sure to check out the grub a dub dub downstairs. The taco's are mouth watering. read more

Mission Control - "Call me" - Arcades Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Very fun! I great games, good dj. Surprised at how many young people were dancing to oldies songs. Bartenders were kind. Specialty drinks were underwhelming read more

I've been here many times and it's a good barcade, don't get me wrong, but 90% of the time I've been here regardless of the day / time, they always close like an hour early before time advertised for no reason. The worker said "oh it's slow so we are closing early" however, people were still showing up a good 30 minutes before they closed probably because those people thought they closed at 10pm and not 9pm. There was about 15~ people in the establishment all playing arcade games and at least half or more with drinks. I get if you as a business make most of your money from alcohol but don't close early people are continuing and willing to playing arcade games until closing especially if you are going all in on the barcade corner of the market. (Would rate at least a 4.5 star for Mission Control if it wasn't for this very annoying reason) read more

10/10 so much fun. I am not a sit still kind of person. I really enjoyed the freedom of this place and the food options were a plus. Spent time on the balcony, playin pin ball, karaoke, and even went downstairs for a quick pizza break. The little hidden lava room was a nice touch. Quick breather to recharge and get back to the fun upstairs. read more

Mission Control - Arcades Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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