A friend brought me here after dinner for some fun it was underground kind of secretive. A gentleman met us at the door checked our ID's and gave us a cup of free tokens not sure if that's a special on a Friday night or an everyday thing but was pretty nice for just going to check out the place. We ended up staying 40 minutes, there's a lot of fun older games however the longer we were there the more people who came and it seemed we were waiting in line for games. The floors were really sticky and it smelled but other than that we had a lot of fun I would definitely like to go back. read more

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I love up-down. Such a cool place to be. Unfortunately, was less than pleased tonight though. Asked for their signature old fashioned and after tasting it, I apologize, but it was awful. It tasted primarily of soda water. Asked if we could get it remade with no soda water and apologized for not realizing how much soda water was put in. We were charged for the second drink, after we asked to take the first one. Okay, no problem. Took the second drink and again, was terrible. Ordered a Des Moines IPA and paid for that. The bartender seemed as if he couldn't care less. Disappointed because we were not happy with the quality and when made a point, we were still charged. If that's your policy, I understand. But I just wish we could have been made aware because once ordered and made, we felt obligated to take the drink. read more

Up-Down is the place to go for the 21+ crowd. It is a classic arcade game/pinball bar. If you miss your days of playing Pacman, Ghostbusters pinball, or even some good old fashioned skeeball, this is the place to be! For starters, the drinks are fairly priced. Their signature drinks are all really good! (My favorite is the Princess Peach Punch.) The people working behind the bar are usually pretty friendly, however they could a lot of times use an extra person to help keep the wait time down. If you go on the Up-Down website, you can see a list of their daily specials. And they run specials everyday! You can get a good deal on your drinks, your tokens, or both! The games are mostly lined up along the walls or clustered in the middle. It is pretty easy to maneuver around, even during busier times. You can buy tokens from machines or at the bar. And this is the best part- all games are only one token (unless multiplayer)! You can play to your heart's content and never break the bank! The only complaint I have about the atmosphere is that during the summer it gets HOT in there. There really isn't much air flow. Overall, this is a great place to spend a night out. I always take friends visiting from out of town here, and they love it! read more

Not normally impressed by arcade bars, but they had super smash bros N64 to which I'm unstoppable. I'll give this bar 4 stars for that sole reason. Staff wouldn't let me take my growler of ginger beer in which I found kind of strange (I picked it from another bar intending to take home). Beer selection was not my favorite, but there was a variety. read more

My husband and I read about this place months ago. Finally we were able to get there. It is amazing. All the vintage arcade machines are in great working order. Drink prices are super reasonable. The music was great. The Jenga games were super popular. Plus there is Skee Ball. Every one loves Skee Ball. There were only a couple complaints. It is in a basement so it did smell musty. Also it was super hot. There needs to be some work on the ventilation. Ever though a couple issues, we will definitely be back. read more

My husband and I had a great time playing games and having a couple drinks together! Such a fun place for date night.

Went to Up Down for the first time and was surprised to find myself in a dank dripping basement. It was crowded and tight, understandable for a Saturday night. I was impressed by the variety of arcade machines I was defiantly taken back to the early nineties. The tokens were a good deal at 50% discount. The beer selection was average. My wife ordered the house 8 bit beer which sounded better than it tasted. Returned the glass minus two sips and we're charged anyway. Ordered a blue moon and felt better. Spent half the tokens on beating House of the Dead and had a good time. Cons out way the pros during our visit maybe we will try again later. read more

The decor is amazing and the old school wrestling matches they play are even better. Loved the game selection. Just wish they had multiple floors or some bouncers checking ID's so I wouldn't be so crowded by drunk dudes who look like they're about ten and don't know that its not cool to hover over me to make me finish my Kiss pinball game sooner. Like sorry I'm amazing at pinball. Wait your turn. Youth, amirite? read more

Swanky, cozy basement vibe with ~50 arcade games and craft drinks. Greek tokens at the door! For primarily the classic arcade games, pinball, shooters, and even super Mario world on a TV with a couch. The layout is pretty dope, with multiple rooms similar to a renovated apartment but I could see how this would become a problem with a larger crowd. Definitely a place to check out! read more

This place is full of classic arcade games. Some nights they give free tokens to the first XX people there after opening, and other nights they do 2-for-1 tokens. Full be with arcade themed specialty drinks. I have had several games eat my quarters, but beyond that, it's been a wonderful time! With a little more TLC on the games, this would easily be five stars. read more

Up-Down - TRON!!! - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Ran horrible. Waitress sits down a vodka water and gin and tonic without telling us which was which. I Put flavoring in the wrong drink and when asked for another one, she goes $6. I asked for a manager but he was too busy in the side office on his computer to deal with a guest complaint. He told the waitress to tell me he'll do a new drink for $3. Guess what, im in the same industry and a new bottle of well gin is approximately $8-$9 from central city liquors. Our group of 13 left and went across the street to like lounge for $1 wells and won't ever be back. So don't go to this place with $6 drinks and games that most controllers don't work and try a bar across the street that is classier and ran better. read more

This is by far one of the coolest bars I've ever been to. While killing some time before an Iowa Cubs game, we happened upon this bar (thanks in part to Yelp!), and were quickly wishing we had more time to kill! It has all the classic games of the 80s (Tetris, Mortal Kombat, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, etc.) and you can play them each for a quarter! Plus, the bar has some great beers on tap and there are tables/ledges to put your drink next to almost every game. Next time I'm in Des Moines, Up-Down is on my list of places to go! I just wish there was one near where I live. read more

Love going to this place but tonight was trash. Ordered an old fashion since it was specialty night but the first one was terrible. I thought it was due to the fact they added far too much soda water so I asked if I could get another because I didn't realize how much soda they put in an old fashion. Got the second one that was without soda and somehow it was even worse, way to much bitters and just tasted awful. Ordered a 3rd drink, a Des Moines IPA due to the fact I knew the bartender couldn't fuck it up. Had to pay for all drinks. Thanks again. read more

Some of the games could have been more fun if their sound had been audible. The skee ball scoreboards were very difficult to read/broken. However, the beer was ice cold and we had a great time. read more

Not my scene. Too grunge. Too dark. Too dirty. Too crammed. But I also appreciate what they stand for, their focus, and overall what they provide the community. It's cool. Just not for me. read more

I had such a good time. Peace tree beer was my fav! My bartender Scott was so down to earth and helped me pick out my beer!

Before there was Call To Duty, Grand Thief Auto, Minecraft and whatever other games are considered "hot" today, there was PacMan, Donkey Kong, Astroids, Tron and soooo many more classics. I just discovered this bar last night and I am telling you - I was in 80s game heaven! Such a fun vibe, good music, and plenty of beverage options. Conveniently located on Locust in the East Village near Continental. There is no doubt that I will be back there soon. read more

Lots of games, and lots of beer, lots of games and beer, other games, and more beer. Also free games like NES, jenga, Mario cart, and some games and beer. Awesome place for games and beer! read more

You will be in gamer heaven in this little dug-out. I say little, but it's actually quite spacious. Decent drink specials and good prices on non-specials. It will feel a bit like a dungeon, but it's worth the trip. You will feel nostalgic when you see the old-school pac-man and Donkey Kong games. Others include Mario cart on a big screen, ski ball, and life-size Jenga. In the East Village, it's the perfect spot to hit up right after you've finished some eats at Zombie Burger. This arcade is where it's at, and anyone who tells you differently is wrong. read more

This place was awesome...yes it's small and cramped with everyone packed in, but a bar that's also a retro arcade? Pretty damn awesome in my book...every game I played was only a single token, with a 2 for 1 deal if you bought them directly at the bar vs a machine...Even the restroom was fairly nice...Would totally come back if given the opportunity... read more

Easily my new favorite bar in DSM. We visited on Sunday to take advantage of their $25 6-pack + 1lb of tokens (which was WAY more than we needed, even when it's normally $35 for this package it's still a really excellent value) + fanny-pack, and it was easily the highlight of our weekend. First, I should admit I'm an 80's/90's culture junkie - which definitely includes loving retro video games. Between the walls coated in pictures of iconic 80's/90's pop culture, 80's music playing throughout the bar, E.T. playing on one TV while vintage WWF matches played on another, and the really well kept and maintained classic pinball and arcade machines; it was clear it was a place where the owners and staff seriously consider every facet of what this bar is supposed to be. Without a doubt, my wife and I will be back, and I'm sure we'll make it a point to bring friends - local or visiting from out of town - to join us for a great time. read more

Fun place to go to on the weekend with friends. Lots of games to play. A different way to go out and have fun without sitting at the bar all night. Get up and meet new people and play some fun games. read more

I like to go here every once and awhile with friends. Love the atmosphere and games. Downsides though are it's way too stuffy and crowded down there on weekend nights you can barely move. However have some good memories! read more

After Up-Down, don't let anyone tell you that you can't be an adult and a kid at the same time! This fun establishment combines the best of two different worlds for you; who wouldn't enjoy drinking some great locally brewed beer while playing Nintendo (while supporting local businesses!)? I personally had a blast trying out some new craft beer and playing some old arcade games I can't really find anymore. For a good time with friends, I recommend Up-Down for it's fun atmosphere and convenient location! read more

This is a great place to spend a lost afternoon and evening. I prefer late afternoons on the weekend because it's not as crowded. They have a great selection of beer and some hard liquor. The games are well-maintained and I get distracted by the pinball machines and lose track of time. If you want to do something different, head to Up-Down. read more

This place was super fun! Took my boyfriend to celebrate his birthday! Great service!

One of the better bars in Des Moines. The drinks are relatively cheap and they are stocked with old school arcade games that make the night fun. I really enjoyed this place. I believe if you go before 9, you can get 2 for 1 tokens. Normally, it's 25 cents/token. One arcade game is around 1-2 tokens. read more

I love this place! Games are only a quarter which makes it one of the cheapest ways to have fun for a few hours! I go a few times a month and am there for a few hours but I rarely spend more then $5 dollars if I'm not drinking. Part of that may be because before 8pm it's double tokens if you get them at the bar. It's pretty awesome. The games are in good condition and the drinks are pretty fairly priced. When it gets crowded though, it can be hard to move around so weekend evenings might make you feel like a sardine. They are open every night which I like because it means you can go even if it's not a typical bar/party night. Very limited seating, but lots of non arcade games (supersized Jenga, supersized connect 4, skiball, super mario kart) for those not quite as arcade oriented. Anyway, lots of fun and you should go check it out! read more

What can you say? It's a bar with video games. And a great tap lineup. They do beer events every once in a while. They have video game and skeeball leagues. It's a fun place! Great place to go in between sets of a show at Wooly's (same owners). There are some free games. I quite enjoy the pinball selection (8 of them). The games and beers change over time so it's always fresh. It does get busy and crowded late at night on the weekends so go early or be prepared to rub shoulders and wait for games. It can be noisy too. Glad to see this place doing well. read more

Great bar to hang out and play games while drinking. They've got a ton of old cabinets that you'll definitely remember from your childhood, and the tabs are impressively fair priced. The atmosphere is great, they've got seating in the back for those who aren't there to play (for some reason). Skeeball, pinball, cabinets and even consoles - this barcade has it all. Try their specialty drinks, they're unique and fair priced. read more

Old school video games and a decent selection of beer are a great combo for a fun night with friends! Most of the games can be played with 1 token (token = quarter). They also have a couple of giant Jenga's and similarly sized Connect 4. This place gets busy on the weekend nights, so if you really want to play a lot of games, go early or during the week. Fun, diverse crowd. read more

I'm from out of town and I was in Des Moines for a wedding and luckily, found Up-Down on one of my first searches for things to do in Des Moines. It is so unique, so many different games you can play and best of all, the drinks are cheap! read more

Fun time waster. Old school arcade games and great beer selection. I can't personally spend a night here. It's no Dave & busters. But I can spend an hour or two here then bar hop the rest of east village. read more

Love this place! Have a beer and play Pac-man! Fun for all!

My fave bar in Des Moines, definitely. Games and craft beers are always on rotation, friendly staff, and it's pretty clean as far as most bars go. The crowd is awesome -- it's different every time I go in, but people are always friendly and not too rowdy. A great place to just chill with friends, really any time of the week. And they always have nice discounts/deals different days of the week! read more

Brings back memories! Where you can be old school and bring your inner nerd out :) They have a multiple arcade games like donkey Kong, pac man, Mario, etc etc. Also a huge jenga set and connect four. Good music playing as well. It was little cramped and floors are sticky, and the bathroom were really small and ghetto but other than that, it's a fun place! read more

Still in shock this place is real. My coworkers and I stumbled in this place out of curiosity and were surprised by the amount of things to do. Everything is reasonable priced for what you're getting and I'll definitely be stopping by any time I'm back in town. read more

Some machines stole my tokens! Not cool! It was nice to see a variety of retro cabinets.

Fun games. Can get packed and hot down there. Good place to past tho on the way when downtown

Cool arcade bar downtown. There are tons of game in this tiny little place and the staff is very friendly. The game seemed really well maintained and kept up, despite the traffic that flows through the place. Went on a Sunday afternoon and it was not too bad, but later at night the place really fills up. All games are .25 which is nice and there are 8 pinball machines which is definitely the place to be. If you are a big gamer, then Up-Down is the bar for you. read more