Drinks were good, service was nice Honestly wish I had realized how disrespectful my chicken tender order looked before I left with tObviously old oil, should not have been served read more

1 Up Arcade Bar - Tenders cooked in burnt old oil - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

From Retro Bliss to Corporate Miss - 1Up's New Management Hits Rock Bottom... Oh, how the mighty have fallen. 1Up Arcade Bar, once my go-to haven for arcade nostalgia and friendly vibes, has devolved into a shell of its former self. Under the new management, the experience has gone from retro joy to something resembling a garish corporate money pit. If you're looking to relive the good old days of arcade glory, consider this your neon-lit warning sign to stay far, far away. First off, the bartenders. Remember last year when 1Up's bartenders were warm, cheerful, and chatty, making you feel like you were part of the family? Well, those days are deader than my high score on Pac-Man. The new bartenders treat you with the exact enthusiasm you'd expect from someone waiting at the DMV. Ordering a drink here feels like you've personally interrupted their day--and heaven forbid you ask any questions about the menu. Smiles? Gone. Friendly banter? Vanished. You're left standing there with your overpriced, uninspired drink wondering if you've wandered into a soulless high-end cocktail bar by mistake. Ah, the drinks. Once playful and creative masterpieces that added to 1Up's charm, they've been replaced with pretentious, unimaginative concoctions that scream, "We're fancy now; please empty your wallet." No fun, no spirit (pun intended), just overpriced disappointments. At their current price point, I half expected the drink to come with complimentary resentment from the staff. And don't get me started on the arcade machines. Gone are the iconic retro classics that made me feel like I'd stepped back into the golden age of arcades. Instead, the place is now stuffed with bright, flashy, wallet-draining horrors you'd find at a Dave and Buster's. What happened to the charm? The authenticity? Now it's just a playground for toddlers with no attention spans and those who value flashing lights over actual gameplay. Speaking of, if you're a Gen Z-er armed with your parents' credit card and an inability to go three seconds without dopamine overload, this place might actually be a dream come true for you. The rest of us? Not so much. Look, 1Up Arcade Bar used to be a gem, but now it feels like a soulless cash grab. Don't come here hoping for a genuine arcade bar experience because you'll leave disappointed--and poorer. Save your time, save your money, and spare yourself the heartbreak of seeing what this place has become. RIP, old 1Up. You are sorely missed. read more

Really cool appearance, I think they nailed the arcade feel for the bar. The actual game cabinets aren't anything too unique compared to a dedicated arcade, but fun to play with friends. Only real complaint was the air hockey table is pretty loud. Not sure if theres any way for them to help that, it was just hard to talk over on top the loud music. read more

1 Up Arcade Bar - Vodka cranberry, Nintendo Sunrise, Waluigi's Best Suit - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

Took my husband here for his birthday. Though it was a small arcade/bar, it was still so much fun! The decoration at the bar is super cute! The bartenders were super friendly and helpful. We will definitely be back soon. read more

1 Up Arcade Bar - a man and woman at the bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

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Cool games, strong drinks and reasonably priced! Service is friendly in general and good time would recommend. Adults only after 8pm so if you're adult only keep this in mind read more

Fun place with good energy and very attentive bartenders ... I ordered a Mario themed tequla cocktail that was refreshing and had quality ingredients ... the Donkey Kong drink is also delicious and unique !! Bartenders were killin it and the Pac Man decor is very cute... highly recommend stopping in for drinks ... I dont game, but people seemed to be enjoying the arcade ! read more

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1 Up Arcade Bar is a blast!! Booze and video games...need I say more!! I've been to several arcade bars including Ready Player One, Pop + Offworld, and Pinball Pete's and 1 Up is probably my favorite!!! It's great that it's local and easy to get to. It's located in Downtown Farmington above Basement Burger Bar. The entrance is behind the building and there's plenty of parking behind the building too. I also like that it's not as tight, compact, and crowded as Ready Player One can get. I also had less problems with machines eating quarters or games getting stuck. The barcade itself is super cute and themed perfectly. The bar area has a giant light-up Pac-Man backdrop and all of the drinks on the menu are themed after old school video games. There's the Pac-Man old fashioned and Ms. Pac-Man cosmopolitan, a Ginball Wizard G&T, and a Diddy Kong banana flavored cocktail made with Screwball peanut butter whiskey. The craft cocktails are $9. They also have super delicious frozen cocktails! My favorite cocktail here is the frozen Donkey Kong! Do yourself a favor and order this! You will thank me later lol. It's a frozen banana cocktail with dark rum, cinnamon and vanilla. The best part: they actually flambé a banana and top the cocktail with the caramelized banana....yum!! The frozen cocktails are huuugee!! 23 oz for only $11. It's so large, it's the only drink you'll probably need for the night. I thought I had ordered the big one by mistake but apparently the big one is 51 oz and looks like a giant fish bowl to share for $22. They also have frozen Pac-Man cocktails called Blinky (raspberry), Inky (blue curaçao spin on a pina colada), Pinky (watermelon colada), and Clyde (whisky peach smash), and also a Kirby froze. They also have some craft beers on tap, some tasty $4 shots, and some bar snacks including chips, popsicles, Fun Dip and candy cigarettes for $1-$2. There's plenty of seating at the bar and also 1-2 tables throughout the barcade. Service was great! Bao was our bartender and he was super helpful, friendly, fast, efficient, and knowledgeable. Cocktails ordered come with 4 tokens for a game, and beers come with two tokens for a game. You can use tokens or regular quarters on all of the games and they have a couple change machines throughout the barcade. Most games require about two quarters/tokens and bigger games require four. I would say about $8-$10 is what you would need for tokens/quarters here to enjoy between two people for a fun night. They also have little tables by every video game to set your drink and drink holders at the pinball machines. They have about 5-6 pinball machines. I played the Pirates of the Caribbean one and it was super fun! I like how the pirate ship came to life. They have lots of nostalgic video games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Mortal Kombat, and Street Fighter vs. X-Men. They have some of my faves like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They have some driving games like Mario Kart and a game where you shoot zombies and of course an air hockey table which is always a blast. I've been here a couple times recently and before the pandemic, they even had a DJ spinning on the weekends. It's a fun spot to start your night with friends and maybe head to karaoke at BBB after or Swing Dancing in the park/pavilion. It also makes a great date night too!! I came here for a date and started the evening with tacos across the street at Masa and it was a lot of fun! They're closed on Mondays and Tuesdays but are open Wednesday & Thursday from 5pm to 12am, Friday from 5pm to 2am, Saturday from 12pm to 2am, and Sunday  5pm to 10pm. I highly recommend stopping in! Feels like you're at Chuck-E-Cheese minus the scary animatronic singing robots plus now I can have cocktails, yay! You will have a blast guaranteed! read more

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This place is so much fun. I feel like no one knows about it and that's a great thing because it's never really packed and you can always play the game you want or have a bartenders attention quickly. First, it's an actual arcade so they have lots of games like Tekken, Mario Kart, Mortal Kombat, and a basketball game where you can show off your skills or lack their of. On top of having arcade. Also there is a Nintendo Wii U (or it might be a Switch) hooked up to a TV that about four people can play. They're usually playing either Mario Kart or Smash Bros. In addition to the games there's actually a DJ that plays music here and while you hang. Although there's no dance floor its nice to have music to listen to. Now on to the DRINKS. They have their own Nintendo/Pac-Man styled drinks and they're amazing. Now, they're definitely not cheap, but well worth the price as they're so tasty. My favorite one to get is the "Inky" as the coconut rum really knocks it out the park. If you're ever in the area and looking for a fun time with some tasty drinks definitely stop by. read more

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Great place to bring back some childhood memories. The games are fun and you get game tokens with every drink purchase. The thing that blew me away were the drinks. While they have a small beer list the craft cocktails are not what I was expecting at an arcade. I ordered the blinky, frozen raspberry margarita. You can taste the fresh raspberries in each sip. My friend got hers with whipped cream and they put a lime zest on top. We also ordered the sangria which is made per glass and not some pre-made mix. I was pleasantly surprised by the drinks and will be back. read more

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I recently won a 10 dollar gift certificate to check this place out and I'm glad I did. This place is a bar and an arcade all in one!! They have great cocktails all of which are named after video and arcade characters. I tried the Clyde which is a play on a whisky peach smash. I expected it to be orange in color so when it came out green I was a little worried. I realized after I started drinking it that it was green because of the basil! The drink was amazing. They also have about 10 beers on tap from several different breweries. The games were really cool they had pinball, mrs.pac-man, Mario kart, ninja turtles and many more. It was a fun date night!! I highly recommend coming here for a fun night out!!! read more

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Awesome arcade bar!!! I have nothing bad to say about this place! I wish it was bigger ? This place is such a hit! The environment is immersive and amazing! The staff loves what they do too! They occasionally have snacks or food but there are several local places near by! I can't wait to go here again! I can't find a recent photo but ive taken several here! the drinks here are a must try! read more

YES. THIS is an arcade bar. Not just a bar with a few arcade games. Well executed- from the decor to the music to the drinks to the games. You even get 4 tokens with each drink! Should you need more tokens, the machines also take quarters- and they have a change machine for that. The decor was super fun. Lots of bright colored paintings. They do have some little side tables next to some (not all) of the games to set your drinks down while you play. The drinks were well named. Didn't try any of the mixed drinks, though they did sound quite delicious. Will have to try them next time. Good selection of local craft beers. Good selection of liquors- nothing too fancy, but definitely some good quality stuff. Service was knowledgeable, friendly, and all around great. They do slow down when it gets busy, but I think that is to be expected. Can't wait to see what the future holds for this place. read more

They have a ton of cool games. The beer selection is solid. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of credits I got for the price.

Came on a Sunday with a few friends and it was a perfect choice of night, not too busy and good amount of people without having to wait on games. The star of the night- Space Invaders- this was the most fun game! It's $3 for two people to play but it actually lasts a while and was totally worth it. Really enjoyed being able to play my old favorites of Stargate (which I rarely see anywhere) and Ms. Pac-Man of course. Wish they had centipede but maybe they will add it someday. Most games are 50 cents or a dollar max to play. Drinks were good. I had a Pinky and my husband who doesn't drink had a virgin Clyde (named after pac man ghosts). The rest of my group liked my drink so much a couple others ordered it. Bartender was friendly and good at making our selected beverages. I recommend this place and will definitely be back to play Space Invaders again! read more

This is not my favorite place in the Detroit area for arcade and drinks... but in a pinch, it will do. The good: - There are some fun old-school games like frogger, galaga, and donkey kong. - The place is pretty open and I like the feel while sitting at the bar. Needs work: - They need more pinball machines and they need some prices that are more reasonable. - The beers they have on tap are WAY TOO HIGH in alcohol. They have like one that sits in the 5-6% range... ugh. - The wine options are very bad. Only one white and one red and both are super rando varietals - moscato and pinot noir? Really? I haven't tried any of their food - but there aren't a lot of other people in there eating either, so that should probably tell you something. Overall fun, but needs work. read more

This was our first stop for the Bachelorette party. BEST drinks in town or pretty much anywhere! Seriously, some of the best drinks I've ever had anywhere. Such attention to detail and it was reflected in the quality of the drinks. Highly recommend. I didn't have anything to eat because we had dinner just before stopping here with the party bus. The ambiance is up-beat and spirited. Nothing dull about this place. So many different games to play and a photo booth! Great time had by all! Highly recommend! read more

Walked in on a Thursday Evening (April 7th) planning on having some drinks and playing some games. Was not acknowledged or greeted by any of the three people who were working behind the bar. I can't even say they were working, because they were actually congregated into the back corner of the bar chatting about something. As a customer, nothing makes me feel more unappreciated than not being acknowledged or greeted when walking in. So we ended up playing one game of pinball each and going downstairs to the basement burger bar. The service downstairs at the burger bar was amazing. I'm not sure if the two establishments are owned by the same owner, because if they are it doesn't show at all. I would have liked to received the same attentiveness upstairs at the 1 UP bar that I received downstairs in the basement burger bar. I hope that next time I stop by things are different. read more

Some coworkers and I stopped through here after a company convention to start our night. This barcade was very well decorated with really fun art, lights and hanging sculptures. I have to first express my disappointment that they did not have Street Fighter II but had Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct? The change machine was very finicky and didn't take a lot of our cash. (who even carries cash now??) I get that these change machines add to the authenticity of the arcade feel, but just the same, couldn't there be an updated machine that would take mobile payment or cc so we could get to playing sooner? Lastly, the machines were kind of messed up. The Ninja Turtle game ate over $2 in quarters and only allowed for 2 plays. Mortal Kombat took my 4 quarters but only gave play for one player. One of the pinball machines kept dropping the ball straight down the middle.... We had bad luck picking games to play. I understand that these machines are old and probably aren't going to be that reliable, but all these mishaps really took away from the fun. On a happier note, this bar did have some really unique drinks. I personally did not have any (since I'm allergic), the drinks looked creative, well-made, and one even had a banana with caramelized sugar! Located in the basement is a burger restaurant with some pretty great offerings if you need to take a break from arcade games for a quick bite. read more

This is a cool arcade bar. The bar area is Pac-Man themed which I love. I ordered The Pinky cocktail which is a refreshing frozen drink. You receive four tokens when purchasing a drink. I played my favorite game, Ms. Pac-Man and a few others. Overall, it's a nice arcade with cool decor and friendly staff. read more

1 Up Arcade Bar - Pinky Cocktail - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

This place was very cool! They seem to have an agreement with the burger bar downstairs, so you could get a drink either place and bring it with you to the other spot. You also got tokens from your brew purchases (at the arcade bar) to use directly on the games in the room. Super nice staff, great beer and cider selection, and a cool selection of games. They had pac man, space invaders (super intense updated version of it!), standard selection of shooting and hunting games, pinball, some racing games, and more. Really a fun time, particularly when paired with the burger bar downstairs. This is a fun night! read more

Had a fun time. A few of the arcade games weren't working, but overall great fun. Brings a lot of nostalgia playing those classic games. And brought back memories from my childhood being able to play Mario Kart on Nintendo 64. read more

Drinks are way over priced and the games are super mid. Less than 6 months ago they would give you tokens when you purchased a drink and now it's all digital and they don't even give you tokens for a game. I would not go here, this place is crappy read more

My husband and I decided to have a night out in downtown Farmington. Glad we came across this place. The bar is Pac-Man themed and so is the drink menu. You get tokens to place games when you order alcoholic drinks. The games are fun and hardly any wait time even on a busy Saturday night. They also serve warm soft pretzels and cheese (until they run out). It was delicious! Perfect when you are having some cocktails and playing games. They also had a DJ which made for a great atmosphere. Only downfall was the long lines to use the restroom. Can't wait to visit again! read more

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10/10 definitely recommend you guys to go! Basement burger food wasn't all that but the bar was definitely a vibe! read more

1 Up Arcade Bar - The outside - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

Loved it! The drinks could be stronger and I wish it had more games but overall great place for date night.

1 Up is a great addition to downtown Farmington! There is an array of old-school arcade games, pinball machines, and even a Nintento Switch hooked up to a corner TV. With your purchase of drinks you get game tokens, or you can buy them separately. I was pleasantly surprised with the cocktail menu, complete with fun on-theme names. They have beers on tap and a whole selection of frozen cocktails as well - the one I tried was delicious, and didn't seem too skimpy on alcohol. The servers were friendly and enthusiastic. For food, there is a vending machine with snacks. Some hot food items would be a great addition, but there are plenty of local eateries to get something more substantial while you're downtown. After stopping by 1 Up, you can visit some nearby attractions like Browndog Creamery, Farmington Brewing Company, get some food at Basement Burger Bar, or catch a movie at the Civic Theatre! read more

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One of the only places open late in downtown Farmington so you know it's a good time. Lots of unique drinks ($$) and tons of fun arcade games. It's a cool experience for a night out with friends! They have some tables and bar seating. It was pretty inexpensive to play games here which was great, just make sure to bring quarters! Worth checking out for sure read more

All 5 starts go to the the wonderful bartender we had. I did not get her name but she was amazing. Very funny, very nice and smiley. Knowledgeable of the liquor since they don't have the normal tequilas that typical bars have. The only complaint i have is that the only games that were fun to play were basketball and air hockey. Everything else was boring but I did enjoy playing cards at the bar so I would still come back here and also to go to the basement burger bar downstairs read more

Smaller than expected but so great to be able to play old school games great deal / entertainment. I'm @ champ~ish 1st visit not the last. The bartenders were awesome! They didn't have NA beer tho made a point to make 2 Mocktails ( they have a NA mocktail menus) as they tasted like the real thing! Was there in February 23 will be back soon read more

I've been here at least a dozen times over the years and the service is amazing! Super duper friendly staff and informative if you care to start asking questions. The cocktails are good, the beer are rotating and fun, and although the games don't change too often, they created an inclusive and communal environment. And again, I can't praise the head bartender (owner?) enough. Love this place. read more

They always have funny and kind people working. Good priced shots and a great happy hour. The whole enviroment makes you feel welcomed. They have a unique love and respect for video games, old and new. The vibes are always wonderful. read more

1 Up Arcade Bar - a view of the bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

This place is super fun! There's a DJ who plays a great mix of music, from classics to top 40. The bar décor is really cool, the bar tenders are pretty attentive and super nice. There is a chill atmosphere and the tokens they give with drinks are great to get your feet wet. We played a lot of games and stayed till 12:30am having fun. read more

Good times good games good drinks good friends good video games good themes good spirits

We have been to this place three times before today, usually no complaint. they do not offer food upstairs but the owners own the basement burger bar directly below, every other time we were served from downstairs and allowed to sit and eat upstairs. Tonight the bar tender kicked us out for eating their food from downstairs. very Inconsisten service and rules. over priced drinks and little coins to play with per drink. Not going back after today. read more

I've always loved the place. Yeah, it's not the biggest best arcade selection, but the service, the servers, and the overall fun atmosphere is why I keep going back. Plus, I'm a gin drinker, and they have some of the best gin drinks you can find. Also, the two bartenders (Adam and Bao) are very skillful when mixing drinks. Everyone is extremely friendly, and I can't say enough good about the place because of the folks that run it. 1UP has become a regular hangout for me and my friends on the weekend. read more

Bartenders were very rude and disgusting I got a lot. Mmmmmmm. I will keep writing

Took my girlfriend here on a date, and we had a blast. Solid cocktails and good games!

Always a good environment. The drinks are good. The machines are very well maintained. This place is my favorite arcade bar in Metro-Detroit! read more

Super friendly staff! Great happy hour deals! Cool retro video games! Come here for a good time!

Very fun little place. Great drinks -- had the Ms. PAC Man and it was great! Bartender was very friendly and nice -- we got tokens with our drinks to play the games with. It was great to see all the big old arcade games after all these years!! Very fun, and it looks like they have music sometimes. Fun if you're old like us and feeling nostalgic! read more