This place is really special. The way it is designed, you as a patron are encouraged to share the experience of gaming which is hard to do. Most barcades will lock the patron in a singular experience exclusively and assume "this is what people want, right?" And while 1up knows that this is totally a valid part of a gamer's experience, they remember that sharing games with your friends is what makes gaming memories last. Thanks for creating the most unique and thoughtful space for really enjoying games and employing staff that understands that. read more

I just love this place. They have something like 2500 games and every system from Atari to Playstation 4 and everything in between. So I can get my mario fix and check out some of the newer games. (Like the newest Tomb Raider on PS4!!!! Ahhh I love it!) This place is so nostalgic for me. One game I used to play a lot as a kid is Alex Kidd on sega. So much fun to play that and think of "the good 'ol days." They have happy hour everyday from 4-7. Which means the drinks (draft beer and a simple selection of liquor) are a bit cheaper and it is drink to play. If you don't want to drink it is $5 an hour for the first hour. Up to $15 for a day pass. Or $40 something for a month pass. Considering what you can get for that it is an amazing deal. They also have food. This is the only spot that made me consider not giving 5 stars, but I love this place even if they didn't have food. It was what I imagine all teenage boys eat while playing for hours in their basement. Frozen food they pop in a convection oven. And it is all nasty. However, I do watch people eating and they seem to enjoy it. Oh! This place is 18 and up after 8. They seem to be a bit easy on this rule, but just keep it in mind when you have a hankering to play some Mario at 9pm with a teenager. Lol read more

1-Up Lounge - Arcades Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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This is a place for video game lovers. Super friendly owner. They have 2200 video games, all free to play when you order a glass of alcohol beverage. After the first game, $2 for the next game and so forth (if I remember correctly). If you don't drink alcohol, $6 (or $5?) per hour to play a game. They have Nintendo, Wii, Sega Genesis, Xbox, Play Station, etc. If you want to play longer, you may want to ask for a 1-day pass. This may be a good place to check out some games you heard about, or try out games before you decide to purchase one. Or simply get together with friends just to have fun playing games. ビデオゲームが好きな人には、なんとも嬉しいお店だと思います。 ビデオゲームの数は2200。任天堂、Xbox、プレイステーションなど、色々なゲームを取り揃えています。 アルコールドリンクをオーダーすれば、初めのゲームは無料。次のゲームからは、2ドルチャージということ。アルコールを飲まない場合は、1時間6ドル（5ドル？）。長時間遊びたい場合には、1日パスの購入を聞いてみるのもいいかも。 噂に聞いたビデオゲームを試してみたいとか、どのゲームを購入するのか迷っているときなど、ここでゲームを試してみることができるのでは。また、友達と一緒にゲームをして遊ぶのにちょっと立ち寄るのもいいかも。 read more

The food and drink was great. The service was amazing even though they were busier they did their best to serve quickly efficiently and well. And the environment was amazing, as a gamer I loved the vibe of the whole place. read more

Games galore, themed cocktails, and a vibe any gamer or appreciator of gaming culture can enjoy! The 1-up lounge seems to have a rotating selection of game inspired drinks! read more

1-Up Lounge - Drinks and mariocart - Arcades Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

This place is great! Servers are friendly, they've got a huge selection of games (video, arcade, board, something for everyone), and the drinks are yummy! read more

Good drinks at a reasonable price, the bartender was very friendly and helpful, and there are plenty of games--old and new. Great place to hang out! read more

Had the worst experience the second time coming to this bar. Hugh the owner is a sweetheart and we had a great night 2 weeks ago. Last night we went in with 6 people and the bar tender Henry was so mean. There was only 10 people including the 6 of us & he told us we were not a priority. Was very condescending and when asked to grab controller he said it wasn't on his top list to do. It's a great place and we love the games but the service was awful. read more

This is a bar and a game lounge merged into one. When I went there, there were only two other people playing games so it was very lonely. For a place like this to thrive, there has to be more people there to create a gaming atmosphere! read more

1-Up Lounge - Outside - Arcades Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Seriously my favorite after work spot! VERY MUCH ENJOYED THEIR OFFICE TRIVIA AND AM EXCITED FOR MORE TRIVIA NIGHT. I'm stoked they serve cocktails now, and if you wanna play a little Mario party and eat greasy food, this is the place. The blue haired bartender is so lovely and hospitable and deals with our large parties with utmost grace read more

My partner and I ordered a Thanksgiving meal from here and it was excellent! Very kinda staff, great COVID precautions, and even better food. Can't wait to keep supporting this business from a distance until it's safe to go in person. Thank you!! read more

1-Up Lounge - Thanksgiving takeout - Arcades Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

This place is great! Every console game we played as kids was here and the staff was super helpful. A yummy selection of microbrews and a chill vibe. It's kinda tucked away but they have sandwich boards to help you find it. It's all ages til 8pm and then 21+ read more

This place is really fun and the cider on tap was DELICIOUS!!! Great to play the new nintendo switch. The other networked games create a fun situation where people come join in on the fun. They have a bunch of networked stations to play with other people. And every is very nice. Fun place to hangout and play! We'll be back up from Seattle. Hope they get Killer Queen Arcade cabinet soon :) read more

How cool is this place? The night before Christmas Eve we had dinner at The Black Cat and saw the signs for Best Buds so we wandered over. Owners Hugh and Alex were super nice. I asked for my favorite NES game from childhood, Pin Bot, and they had it! Then I tried California Games and Mario 2 for more nostalgia. While drinking local beers and ciders- HIGH SCORE!! You can tell they put a lot of thought into creating an inviting layout and atmosphere. Comfy couches. I like that the volume was lowered on the TVs so you didn't have all the sounds competing with each other. Good job guys, and thanks for the great hospitality!! Bf and I have a joke now that we'll open a recreational pot shop called Best Budz next door ;) read more

Chill hang out spot. Good beers, friendly employees. Tons and TONS of games and consoles. read more

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Soooooo good! Dear lord, it's nice to finally have good BBQ in Bellingham. The brisket is incredible. The owners/operators also couldn't be nicer. I love supporting a great local business! read more

Our family made our first visit here tonight with our kids because we wanted to try it out and let our kids play Nintendo. I liked the atmosphere and the setup was great. However. Our food? Was awful. By awful I wish I could give it -5 stars. Our beef skewers tasted like old expired meat and wasn't what I considered edible.. I wasn't able to eat it. My fries were cold and not cooked all the way through. My kids got pizza sticks but they didn't want to eat them. I think the concept of this place is cool and it's fun to hang out for a beer. But their food is Horrible and needs a ton of improvement. The bartender on staff was not friendly nor welcoming. Did not smile once, and acted like he hated his job. When I told the bartender/server about my poor experience with the food..he told me that it's "just the way it is and there's nothing he can do about it" and I was fully charged. I am angry I wasted my money on such a disgusting dinner of microwaved food and such poor attitude and service. We definitely won't return there. read more

1-Up Lounge - Microwaved food - Arcades Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

This place is awesome! We've come here a few times and have had a great experience every time. The last time we were here, the owner happened to be tending the bar and we ended up chatting with him for a bit. He was super personable and made us feel like valued customers. When we ordered an appetizer that they had JUST ran out of, he went out of his way to make it right and gave us a double portion of another appetizer at a discounted price. This is a really awesome place to hang out with friends or go for a date night, like we do. We've happened to come during times where it's quieter, so we've had good luck in getting to play what we wanted and not have it be too loud or rowdy in the background. The cocktails are really tasty and affordable too! 5 stars all the way. read more

Bro... what is this. Food was not hot and I'm pretty sure all microwaved. Could only eat one wing cause it was gelatinous, like raw frog legs. read more

1-Up Lounge - Postmates Photo - Arcades Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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I love best buds! The owners are wonderful, and it's a great place to play some games and get to know the person next to you.

This bar is my absolute favorite! I recently went to hang out with my friends for my birthday and its the sweetest experience ever! I don't recall the first bartender's name, but him and Hugh were AMAZING! The drink menu is so creative (utilizing video game references as the names) and the selection of consoles and games were awesome. I had a great time destroying my boyfriend and our friends at Super Smash Brothers Melee. I will definitely be back to just kick it. read more

I sat there for 20 mins at the bar while I'm guessing the owner sat and chit chatted with the people next to me not once asking if I wanted anything. The place was trash there's a huge puddle on the ground that you could see has been there for a while, there were flies where they "prep" the food, I saw there was no letter grade on the door for this place and I can see why. The lady who was also working had a bad attitude and claimed they were "busy" when there was maybe 10 people. I wouldn't advise anyone going here unless you want crappy service and food poisoning. read more

This is probably the best place to play games socially. Love the the selection of games. One of the great things about best buds is seeing how much it grew. A major thanks an appreciation for Alex the event slayer. She has made many events and at each event I always feel welcomed and had a great experience. Highly recommend checking out the next event with a group of friends. read more

Fantastic gaming lounge to hang out at! The owners are very friendly and the atmosphere is chill. We went in on a sunny Sunday for the first time and there was barely anyone there, which I heard is quite unusual as the place is usually packed. Awesome game and console selection. Absolutely love this place. A heaven for gamer nerds! read more

This place is popping! It's a beautiful atmosphere and chill environment. The staff is incredibly welcoming and the place just feels "homey." I've spent several hours at this establishment over the last couple days and I couldn't be more impressed. There's a crazy library of games to choose from with some excellent brews on tap, and the prices are killer. You would be hard pressed to find anything like it in the country. There's a menu full of video game esque and other nerdly named cocktails that are sure to satisfy the non-beer drinkers. The gentlemen and lady running the bar were quite attentive and social even when it was very busy and I never felt unwelcome. 10/10 highly recommend this for nerds and anyone who just wants to kick back, have a few drinks and game! read more

I like it... I can have my kid playing games while I drink beer and eat tater tots, how can this be bad?

Favourite spot in Bellingham! Great drinks, fantastic selection of games. Great spot to bring friends to play games together and have a drink! It's our Saturday night hangout spot, and it's great to see it back open again. read more

My wife and I were here just by chance over the weekend of the grand opening and let me tell you this place is the best! It was so great to have a beer and play old school smash bros and Mario cart. read more

Best buds fills a much needed niche in the Fairhaven community. With a fantastic selection of games, both nostalgic and cutting edge, there is something for everyone here. Cold beer, comfy couches, and a fun crowd, come visit once and you'll soon be a regular. read more

Great chill place to hangout and play video games. Friendly and helpful staff with a large selection of video games. Will definitely be back. read more

Count me as a big fan of Best Buds Gaming Lounge. This is a very unique place in Bellingham/Fairhaven. Think lots of couches and gaming consoles and a bar. You can play Fortnite, Overwatch, Mario Kart, retro games, etc. They have a decent drink selection, and a snack menu if you get the munchies when you're playing Zelda. The owners are really friendly and chatty. But, I have a major Quibble. And yes, this is a quibble with a capital Q. One of the bartenders (maybe all of them for all I know) has started demanding $2 for any game change. I have no idea when this new policy was declared, enacted, and implemented. It's not on the menu. But it is an oppressive gaming tax based on the pressing of a button or a changing of cartridge or disc. Game change surcharge notwithstanding, I still really like this place and it's definitely worth a visit if you are in Fairhaven. read more

Rude staff. If you're not a friend of theirs or a regular you're not going to get anything but the bare minimum of service. I noticed that in their responses to other reviews there's always some excuse for why the poor service occurred. Own up to your service issues and make changes instead of making excuses... read more

Love this place! Super kid friendly in the afternoons and then turns 18+ in the evening. TONS of games. As a parent, I also appreciate the beer on tap. read more