Barcade NYC

Looking for good music? Great atmosphere? Arcade games that you grew up on? Good time out of the house? Look no further than Barcade NYC. I was staying in Chelsea for work recently and noticed this establishment a few hundred feet from my hotel.

This chain of ‘The Original Arcade Bar’ has a convenient location located in the heart of Chelsea. I figured it was a great opportunity to visit this hidden gem for my first time.

Find your happy place

Of their nine locations, three of them are located in New York City. One of them is located in New Haven, CT, which is closer to home for me

After having some fun at the Chelsea location, I am looking forward to stopping by the New Haven one when I can get my little one a sitter.

Table of Contents

Bar Scene

Note, unlike other ‘bar arcades’, Barcade does have that bar feel. You will be carded at the door like a conventional bar or club at any hour of the day. So be sure to bring that ID, even if you do look well over 21!

As such, children are only allowed on designated ‘family’ days. Be sure to visit their website to see what days family days are! The staff is super friendly as well and will let you know if you call in.

Being a conventional bar, expect Barcade to offer a full bar with lots of beverage options. They have a number of cocktails, drinks, and a great selection of draft beer on tap. I was glad to stop in and get a few unique beers for my Untappd profile.

Unlike the Dave and Busters of the bar arcade market, Barcade will give you the variety of a local bar in your hometown. I enjoyed that they had a number of New York brews on tap.

Be sure to check out Barcade’s ‘What’s on Tap Monday’ to see the latest craft brews on tap. They do rotate their brews frequently, so stay on the lookout for new craft ales.

If you want to see what the vibe is for the day, be sure to visit Barcade’s last.fm playlist. The bar doesn’t do live bands; but, they do have fun curating their own rock playlists. They definitely played some classics that I haven’t heard in a hot minute!

glass of beer. — Barcade offers a number of craft brews on tap

Food at Barcade NYC

What goes better with games and beer? Some great bar food! If you feel like having something in your stomach to soak up the alcohol, look no further than their appetizer list.

The cheese curds paired well with my Deadhead IPA Series: TourBus New England IPA.

Looking for a little more than just an appetizer and hungry for dinner? Try one of Barcades sandwiches.

The Barcade New York menu offers fried chicken sandwiches, a Barcade burger, and a Veggie burger. You will also want to check their menu for up to date draft and food menus. There is plenty of selection to choose from!

Arcade

To those that enjoy the retro games, look no further than Barcade for a good time reminiscing the past. Be sure to play on some of the classics to make the leader board. I will say, there are some records that have been up there for awhile by some well deserved opponents.

Note, Barcade does rotate arcade games in periodically. Be sure to check their website to see what new games are in.

To play the games at Barcade, you will need to have Barcade tokens. These tokens cost 25 cents a piece. The nice thing about the tokens is they are redeemable at all Barade locations.

barcade scoreboard. — Old school arcade games at the NYC Barcade location!

As a kid, I always gravitated toward the pinball machines for a good time. I attempted playing a few games on the pinball machine and didn’t even come close to any of the records. The Iron Maiden pinball machine may have taken the majority of my Barcade tokens.

I will continue to practice on my client’s pinball machine when I visit him. For the days that I burn through all of my quarters (or feel absolutely defeated), I will stick to the Windows Pinball game. I came to love that alternative on my grandfather’s PC. I was always an OG on there!

arcade games. — The Iron Maiden pinball machine that took almost all of my Barcade tokens!

Host an Event

Want to bring more than just a friend for a fun night out? Why not host an event? Barcade offers an easy application online on their website. Just note that your event will be catered with pre-determined meal and drink options.

Subscribe to The Barcade

If you want to get the latest on all things Barcade, be sure to subscribe to their website. It was super easy to be successfully subscribed. Just scroll to the bottom of their main page and fill out your name and email. Simple!

They will keep you in the loop on Barcade news and the Barcade newsletter. Hopping to catch something good in the Barcade newsletter that will give me an excuse to come back into the city or visit my local Barcade.

Why Go Barcade NYC

Whether you enjoy playing arcade games or having a fun night out at the bar, be sure to visit Barcade if you ever frequent Chelsea. Enjoy a fun night out with friends and let your inner child out. Enjoy playing all of the games that Barcade has to offer.

FAQs about Barcade

Are the games at Barcade free?

Unfortunately, no. All of the games at Barcade NYC take Barcade tokens. These Barcade tokens costs 25 cents a piece. However, most games only cost one token to play!

Do you have to be 21 to go to Barcade?

Yes, you will be carded at the door like a conventional bar or club at any hour of the day. So be sure to bring that ID, even if you do look well over 21! However, children are allowed on designated ‘family’ days. Be sure to visit their website to see what days family days are! The staff is super friendly as well and will let you know if you call.