Barcade Philadelphia Reviews

If you’re searching for Barcade Philadelphia reviews, you’re probably wondering if it’s all it’s hyped up to be.

A lot of people wonder if it’s actually fun, if the games are worth going for, and they worry that it’s unbearably crowded on the weekends. There’s also the Center City location and a Fishtown location, so people wonder which one is “better” (I wouldn’t say one or the other is). 

Plus, for people who don’t want to get drunk and just want to play games, they wonder if there are mocktails. 

Well, as someone who has been a Barcade regular on and off for several years (mostly the Center City location and sometimes to Fishtown), I can speak to a lot of those questions. My latest visit was around 12:30 pm on a Saturday, so I’ve got a lot of stories to tell.

Barcade (Philadelphia Locations) Review at A Glance

Here’s my quick overview:

• Barcade Philadelphia is Best For: Classic arcade games, casual dates, friend groups, craft beer fans, and people who want an activity without paying a ton of money
• Potential Downsides: Weekend crowding, particularly later in the evening
• My Timing Recommendation: Lunchtime, afternoon, or a weekday if playing the games is your priority
• Philadelphia Locations: Fishtown and Center City
• Cost Model: No cover charge; games are played with traditional Barcade tokens, currently 25 cents each, and most games require 2 tokens, with some pinball machines requiring 3.
• Overall: Definitely worth visiting if you like arcade games; choose your timing carefully

We’ll get into a lot more details below, so you can get a better idea of whether this is the right activity for you and your friends. 

What is Barcade?

For those of you not in-the-know, Barcade is exactly what it sounds like. A bar plus an arcade – but, they’re really serious about it and put a lot of pride into their locations.

Barcade takes care of its arcade games in-house and keeps the original screens and hardware, rather than replacing them with modern equipment. The games on offer change now and then, but you’ll mostly find old-school arcade favorites and classic pinball machines.

The thing that keeps me going back is that it’s a fun night out with games I used to play when I was growing up, though honestly, these games would be fun for anyone. There’s also plenty of food and drink options.

The thing that keeps me going back is that it’s a fun night out and has games that I used to play when I was growing up, though honestly, these games would be fun for anyone. There’s also plenty of food and drink options.

What To Expect When You Walk In

Here’s what Barcade is actually like, for anyone who wants to get a better idea of the actual logistics (mostly based on the Center City location), but it’s similar in Fishtown as well. There’s no cover charge when you enter the venue. You walk in, and are immediately asked for ID to make sure you’re 21, so keep this in mind when deciding what to do if you have friends who aren’t of age yet.

The games use physical Barcade tokens rather than quarters or a credit card. There are token machines on site, and each token is currently 25 cents. Most games cost 2 tokens, but the range is anywhere from 1 to 4 tokens per game. If you want to eat, you order at the bar; there is no table service. As you wait for your food and drinks, you can drift around and play some games, or just sit and talk to your friends.

Center City vs. Fishtown: Which Philadelphia Barcade Should You Visit?

Since there are two locations, it makes sense to have some information about each of them so you can decide which one you want to go to.

Barcade Center City

Center City is the newer of the two, having opened on December 30, 2023, in the historic Hale Building at 13th and Chestnut. This building is from 1887 and has distinctive High Victorian Gothic architecture, which definitely makes it more memorable than a lot of other bar locations. 

There are two floors with more than 70 games in total, 24 draft beers, and a full food menu.

The fact that this location has two floors genuinely changes the experience. It’s much bigger than the Fishtown location, and the size gives groups a chance to spread out, and wandering around and going from game to game on each floor can be part of the fun. 

The surrounding blocks also offer options afterward, whether it’s a restaurant, another bar, the F1 Arcade, or the Lucky Strike bowling alley. 

Barcade Fishtown

The Fishtown location is the original Philadelphia Barcade, and it opened on Frankford Avenue in 2011. It fits pretty naturally into Fishtown’s bar, restaurant, and live-music environment. It feels more neighborhood-oriented than Center City. I’ve only made it out to this one once or twice, so I know Center City a bit better, but I had a good time when I went to the one in Fishtown as well. 

There are a surprising number of machines for a smaller space, so there are still a lot of really good options if you’re looking for an arcade bar but don’t want to be in Center City. 

When it comes to which one you decide to go to, neither is objectively better. They have different vibes, and it depends on where you’re located and what you’re looking for. Center City obviously has more space, so this can appeal if you have a large group. Also, if you’re already downtown, this is an easy choice. 

Fishtown makes more sense if you’re already doing a Fishtown night and/or you want a neighborhood-bar feel.

How Good Is the Game Selection?

The game selection is fairly extensive. From my own recent visits, the four-player Pac-Man was one of the most fun things I’ve played there. It was chaotic but fun to play with a group of people.

Mortal Kombat gives you the exact dose of nostalgia and dopamine you’d imagine it would. The racing games are an easy way to get into a competition group, and among all the pinball games, shooting games, and others that I have never played before or heard of, I’ve never run out of things to do or play.

If there’s a specific game you are going there for, check the game list online before you go so you aren’t disappointed. It’s also worth mentioning what Barcade isn’t. 

It’s not Dave & Buster’s, Round1, or a giant modern arcade. You don’t get tickets, and there’s no redemption counter where you can get stuffed animals or a few pieces of candy for what’s probably the equivalent of $50.

Does Barcade Philadelphia Get Too Crowded? 

Sure, it can get too crowded, like anywhere else on a Friday or Saturday night. This is the most common criticism you’ll find in reviews of both Philadelphia locations. When it’s too crowded, the experience is definitely different. If you’re going there for a fun, relaxing vibe where you can wander around and play all the games you want, you may not end up getting that. There’s less room to wander between games, bar waits get longer, and it definitely gets louder. 

I recently went at a different time to try to combat this and see how the experience was. My latest visit was around 12:30 p.m. on a Saturday, and when I walked in, it was almost entirely empty; there were another 3 or 4 people there. They open at 12pm, so this isn’t unexpected. 

As we were there, more people came in, but it never reached the level of what it probably did later in the night. 

We played whatever we wanted, got food that was brought to us quickly, and enjoyed our time there.

What About The Food and Drinks?

Of course, another common question is about the food and drinks. American craft beer on draft is a major part of what Barcade is known for, and the draft selections rotate by location. They have 24 beers and wine on tap. It’s a full bar where cocktails and mocktails are also made. 

I went with a friend who doesn’t drink alcohol, and there were 4 zero-proof mocktails on the menu. There were non-alcoholic beers as well. 

My friend ordered the non-alcoholic margarita, which I tried, and it actually tasted like a margarita. If you’ve got a mixed group where some people drink and some don’t, this can be a good option. 

Barcade describes its menu as creative variations on classic pub food, and menus differ by location, so don’t expect identical options at Center City and Fishtown. 

We went at lunchtime and ordered BBQ chicken tenders and fries, which were very good. It was reasonably priced but nothing fancy. It’s definitely good enough that you don’t have to go somewhere else to get food at the end of the night.

How Expensive Is Barcade?

One of the benefits of Barcade is that you don’t have to spend anything if you don’t want to. There’s no cover charge, no mandatory gameplay package, and no reloadable swipe card that lets you spend more money than you realize. You buy physical tokens at 25 cents each, and each game is around 2 tokens, though some are 3 or 4. 

That means you could spend $5 or $500 on games, depending on what your budget is and what you want to play. It also means the people in your group who don’t want to play don’t have to pay for an activity at all. They can just order a drink and hang out. 

Tips I’ve Picked Up After Going a Few Times

A few things I’ve learned from my visits that I think anyone can benefit from, whether you’ve never been before or you’ve only been a few times. 

• Check the game list before going. The lineup changes, and if there’s one machine you’re going for, make sure it’s still there.
• If playing games is the priority, go earlier rather than during peak weekend hours. 
• At the Center City location, don’t get stuck on the first floor. Check both floors; some of the best machines are upstairs, and plenty of people never make it up there. There are also games right at the entrance, so don’t forget about those. 
• Save leftover tokens. They don’t expire, and they work at other Barcade locations, too.
• Check the tap list and menu ahead of time if there’s something specific you’re looking for, since the draft list rotates too. 
• Repeat visits are worth it. Between rotating games and rotating beers, the place isn’t quite the same twice. It also has a different vibe depending on what time of the day or week you go. 

Is Barcade Philadelphia Worth Visiting?

For me, yes. I’ve been going here and there for years, and still have a good time whenever I go. The games are fun, they change sometimes, and the food and drinks are good. It’s also a fun thing to do when you want something other than a typical night of dinner and drinks.

The crowd complaints are legitimate, though. If you walk into Center City late on a Saturday night expecting to walk up to any game you want and play it immediately, you may leave with a very different opinion from the one I had at 12:30 that afternoon. 

If you’re looking for classic games, an interactive date or group outing, craft beer, a bit of nostalgia, or just something casual, you’re likely to have a good time. For me, the biggest takeaway after going a bunch of times is that timing matters. I’ll still go on a busy weekend night, but if I really want to play whatever I want without waiting around, I’m going earlier.