I tend to be pretty critical of arcade bars, because they just never seem to live up to what I'm hoping for. I stumbled across Dive Bar on a trip to Stock and Grain because it was across the street, and we had never heard of it before. We walked across the street just to try it out after dinner, and what a good experience!
Getting in was fast and easy, a quick scan of the ID and away you go. The bar was large, with very friendly and attentive bartenders, and prices on drinks were very reasonable. The bar is well stocked and we were happy with all the things we tried! There is both inside and outside access to the bar. I did not try food but saw they offered several options which look like they get heated up in air fryers.
The arcade games offered a large selection of mostly modern games (a departure from many establishments that put all their real estate into pinball and Pac Man). There was a very good variety and all of them seemed to be in good working order. Games are mostly priced at around $1 a play, some a bit higher, and all have card readers. You can use your debit card or Apple Pay, but they also have machines were you can get prepaid card loaded easily, which is nice if you are someone who uses cash. I opted to use a prepaid card because I didn't want dozens of small transactions on my debit card, and it also served as a way to limit myself from going overboard.
The place was reasonably crowded for a Saturday night, and it was nice to see a good turnout. The atmosphere was nice and we enjoyed ourselves. I will say that I would prefer to see games a bit cheaper, or better yet, a flat rate cover charge at the door with unlimited game play once you're inside. I'd much rather pay $20-30 at the door and know I have unlimited play, than to worry about the cost of each individual play, but I know they won't make as much money this way.
For a "we didn't know this existed" discovery, I was very happy with the experience and will come back! read more