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Sometimes you want to do something at a bar besides drink and talk, and Philly has plenty of places for that. Pool tables, pinball, skee-ball, old arcade cabinets – whatever you’re looking for, you can most certainly find it in the city. If you want a place where the games are actually worth showing up for, these are the four to know.
Barcade
If you want a true arcade-bar experience, Barcade is a great choice. The entire premise of this bar is that it is full of old arcade cabinets people can play all night long. There are two locations in Philly, one in Fishtown and one in Center City, so wherever you’re located in the city, you can choose the spot that’s more convenient.
Both are lined wall to wall with classic arcade cabinets, the stuff you grew up on or heard your older relatives talk about. Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter, plus a ton of pinball machines and shooting games. The games run on tokens, so it feels more like a real arcade than a bar with a pinball machine or two lying around.
This bar takes its food and drinks seriously, with a rotating selection of American craft beer, craft cocktails, and a menu of creative takes on pub food. There are many good mocktail options as well.
The Fishtown location on Frankford Avenue has more of a neighborhood bar feel, the kind of place you end up at with friends after dinner nearby and stay way longer than planned. If you live in the area and you’re bar-hopping around Fishtown, or you just prefer a more casual hangout vibe, this is a great spot.
The Center City location at 13th and Chestnut is a two-floor space inside the Hale Building. It has over 70 games and 24 draft lines, which makes it the better pick if you want the widest selection of machines and beers in one place. Since it’s downtown, it’s also the easier meetup point if your group is scattered across the city, and the extra space makes it a good option for bigger groups, birthdays, and after-work outings.
Hours: Both locations are open from 2 PM to 2 AM Monday through Thursday, and noon to 2 AM Friday through Sunday.
Round1 at Fashion District
Round1 is basically a massive entertainment center that also serves drinks, and it takes up a large part of the Fashion District mall on Market Street. If your idea of a good night involves bouncing between three or four different activities, this is where you want to be. There’s a full bowling alley, private karaoke rooms you can book with a group, billiards tables, and an arcade floor as well.
The arcade selection is more modern, with rhythm games, racing cabinets, claw machines, and Japanese imports you won’t find anywhere else in the city. Because it’s in a mall and open to all ages, Round1 has more of an entertainment-center feel than a bar feel. You’ll see families and teenagers during the day, and the crowd skews younger overall.
There is a bar, and you can drink while you play, but people generally aren’t coming here for the beer list or the bar feel. It’s a strong pick for birthday parties, big groups with mixed interests, and anyone who wants a full night of activities without having to go to multiple locations.
Being in the Fashion District also means it’s easy to get to from anywhere, right off Jefferson Station, with parking in the mall. Pricing works differently from a token bar, with games running on a rechargeable card, and there are usually deals on bowling and karaoke depending on the day and time. Check their site before you go to confirm the hours, and know that weekend nights get crowded.
Hours: Open 10 AM–2 AM every day.
Craft Hall
Craft Hall is a good option when your group can’t really agree on what they want to do. It’s a giant space on Delaware Avenue in Northern Liberties that operates as a beer hall, a restaurant, a sports bar, and a game room all at the same time. If someone in your group wants to watch the game, someone wants good food, and someone wants to play skee-ball, nobody has to compromise here. The games are spread throughout the space, and there’s quite a variety: skee-ball, foosball, pool, ping-pong, air hockey, classic arcade games, Nintendo games, and board games.
Coming to Craft Hall doesn’t require any sort of commitment. You can start when you want, end when you want, and go from game to game however you want. Craft Hall is family-friendly, with a dedicated kids’ play area built around a full pirate ship. If you’re planning something with mixed ages, this is a good option. Craft Hall brews its own beer on site and has a smokehouse and bakery in the building, so you’re getting fresh beer and real barbecue food.
There are big communal tables, plenty of TVs, and enough space that even large groups aren’t fighting for room. Weekends fill up quickly, and you might want to check their calendar before going, since they host events that can take over parts of the space.
Hours: Open 4 PM–midnight Monday through Friday, 11 AM–midnight Saturday, and 11 AM–10 PM Sunday.
Dave & Buster’s
Dave & Buster’s is the one most people have either been to or at least heard of. The Philly location on Columbus Boulevard delivers exactly what you’d expect, and that’s a huge, loud, modern arcade attached to a full bar and restaurant, with enough going on to fill an entire night.
You’re getting the newest games like motion-simulator racing games, VR experiences, giant versions of arcade classics, basketball hoops, and rows of redemption games that pay out tickets. The ticket system is half the fun for a lot of people. You bank tickets all night, then cash them in at the prize counter for anything from candy to electronics. If winning something you can take home makes the night better for you, this is your spot.
Games run on a rechargeable Power Card instead of tokens or quarters, and the venue runs regular deals like half-price game nights, so it’s worth checking their promotions before you go.
The bar is a standard full-service setup with cocktails, regular drafts, and a long menu of shareable food. All of it is fine, but it’s not really the reason you would come here. The atmosphere is big, bright, and energetic, and closer to an entertainment complex than a bar you’d settle into for the night.
Birthday parties, work outings, and big gatherings all do well here because there’s something for everyone, and nobody has to commit to a single activity. It’s family-friendly during the day, with the crowd getting more adult as the night goes on, and there are TVs everywhere, which is great if there’s a game on. Weekends get packed, especially with parties, so show up early if you want the first pick of the machines.
Hours: Open 10 AM–midnight Sunday, 11 AM–midnight Monday and Tuesday, 11 AM–1 AM Wednesday and Thursday, 11 AM–2 AM Friday, and 10 AM–2 AM Saturday.
What to Know Before You Go to a Game Bar in Philadelphia
A little planning goes a long way with these spots, because the rules vary more than you’d expect.
- Age policies: Barcade is 21-plus at both locations outside of special family events, and everyone gets carded at the door. Craft Hall, Round1, and Dave & Buster’s all welcome kids, though the crowds at Craft Hall and Dave & Buster’s skew more adult as the night goes on.
- Payment works differently everywhere: Barcade runs on tokens, old-school arcade style. Round1 and Dave & Buster’s both use rechargeable game cards, so budget for loading one when you arrive. Craft Hall’s games are mostly free to use while you’re there.
- Reservations generally aren’t needed, but there are exceptions: Round1’s karaoke rooms and bowling lanes are worth booking for groups, and Dave & Buster’s takes party reservations that can eat up space on weekends.
- Food ranges widely: Craft Hall has a full smokehouse and bakery, Barcade does creative pub food, and Dave & Buster’s has a long shareable menu. Round1 is the one place where you’ll probably want to eat elsewhere in the mall.
Which Philadelphia Bar With Games Is Right for You?
Philadelphia has no shortage of places where you can grab a drink and play something, but they’re not interchangeable. The right pick depends on who’s coming and what kind of night you’re planning.
- For classic arcade games and craft beer: Barcade. If your ideal night involves a rotating draft list and a wall of vintage cabinets from the ’80s and ’90s, Barcade is the clear choice.
- For bowling and lots of activities: Round1. Round1 packs bowling, karaoke, billiards, and a massive arcade under one roof. It’s the pick when your group wants variety and doesn’t mind a mall setting.
- For families and mixed groups: Craft Hall. With a full restaurant, on-site brewery, sports on giant screens, a game room, and even a pirate ship playground, Craft Hall is where everyone from toddlers to grandparents can find something to do.
- For modern arcade and prize games: Dave & Buster’s. If your group wants ticket redemption games, racing simulators, and the newest arcade releases alongside a full bar and menu, Dave & Buster’s delivers.
Whichever direction you lean, check hours and age policies before you head out.
