We came here for the pinball and stayed for the fun drinks! They had a great contain menu with fun and different cocktails to try. My favorite one was the Electric Avenue. It wasn't too sweet and had a fun flavor. The place was packed with games to play like large connect four, tons of arcade games, pins bowling and of course pinball. Great spot! read more

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Tell me I can go somewhere to play games while drinking fun cocktails and I am immediately in! I've been to the Columbus location before, so I really wanted to check out this one in Cincy. While this one is smaller, it's still fun and has a lot of charm to it. With the purchase of a drink, all of the games are free to play. And there are a lot! They also have a Gamecube and Nintendo 64 plugged in with a bunch of games! Speaking of drinks, they have a ton of cool ones that you can try. I love spiking their slush puppies, a nostalgic favorite of mine. This is a really fun bar to visit, it's definitely worth a stop in. read more

It's a great place to get a beer and have a fun night! The duckpin bowling and arcade games are an absolute blast. Pins has a great vibe as it's a family oriented place early on, and as the night goes on it becomes an adult arcade. Would recommend to everyone! read more

16 bit is such a fun bar to visit. The environment is great for a large group of friends! I was with a group of 12 and there was plenty of options on the games. The drinks might be my favorite part of this bar. They have fun names and are extremely original - you will not find drinks like this anywhere else! Most of the drinks are paired with candy too! They're super delicious. All of the arcade games are free as long as you have bought a drink. There are so many options- you could spend hours upon hours in here. A lot of the games are blast from the past which makes the experience fun! I would definitely visit this bar again!! read more

16-Bit Bar+Arcade - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I LOVED going to this place! The old school arcade games and pinball machines! Also, they had all the console games (Nintendo, PlayStation, Sega, etc). It used to be the starting points of multiple Bat Crawl USA bar crawls (Harry Potter, 80's,90's, Halloween, etc)! Sadly, they had to close shop! Found out this a month or so ago when I tried to get one of my friends to visit downtown! Good news: Some of the arcade games and pinball machines have moved to Pins (about one block down and two blocks over) Or you can check out Arcade Legacy (near Cincinnati State {Not sure if they are still open...been a while} or Lower Forest Fair Mall) read more

Free Play game action at it's finest all with a drink in hand because that's what's good on every level! A barcade is pretty much my generation all grown up as now we've replaced the Hot Dog On A Stick for the delicious cold beverages that we all love to enjoy responsibly and carefully around these antiques of epic proportions! Coming here I already kinda knew what to expect as I've been to several barcades this one being up there with the best of them as I totally love the selection of games all of which are on free play except the pinball which is only a few quarters so it's more beer money it is! Around the back area and into the restroom you will find a huge chalk board for you to leave your mark or write some positive vibes to your fellow gamers so with that you really can't go wrong either as it's just another fun thing to do here! The booze selection is pretty awesome as they have something for every taste bud if that wasn't too cool they have a happy hour here too with a few bucks off drinks so with all that you really can't go wrong anyhow! Overall awesome arcade with a good amount of the classic games we all love and wanna play I'm sure I'll make it back here again at some point as this was a good time of pressing buttons and playing with joysticks! read more

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What an awesome place, stopped by after leaving Hard Rock (short walk). So many things to do between the bowling, pin ball, and video games, and arcade games. The roof was incredible, wish we had more time to spend up there, fire pits and tables were great. We didn't get to try any drinks because we had reservations. Definitely did not expect this place to be so great but it's wonderful. Wish there was a place like this in my city. Would definitely go back if ever in the area. read more

I love arcade bars. I think they are more laid back than the typical bar scene. We were visiting Cincinnati for the weekend and my friend mentioned the location in Columbus so we made sure we stopped here. They have almost every game you can think of. My favorite had to be rampage. They also have old systems like N64 if you need your nostalgia fix. What won me over was every arcade game was free to play. They have a huge drink menu. I went with a slushie and the bartender was nice enough to give the table rock candy. I will definitely have to make another stop here when I'm in Cincinnati read more

So fun. Drinks were good. The old school games were awesome! (Only wish I didn't have to pay for ski ball.) Bartender was nice and helpful. It's a small place but it's perfect size for some fun and nostalgia. If you're looking for fun and good drinks- GO! read more

Had an opportunity to visit here a little before the pandemic and really enjoyed my experience. The drink selection is good, particularly with 24 drafts available at a reasonable price and they have a wide assortment of different cans and cocktails as well. Compared to similar bars I've been to in Chicago, I like how this wasn't nearly as crowded and didn't have any trouble getting to good games. The crowd is also friendly and there are a good number of tables to hangout at when not playing games. read more

Awesome atmosphere with friendly staff, plenty of free activities (2 floors of arcade games and giant connect 4 etc) and a few activities that cost money but they have daily specials so we had BOGO duckpin bowling. They definitely made their money back on drinks as the mixed ones are $12 each and it's easy to spend a bunch on a date, but they have beers too. Only one or two games were out of service and they were ready to learn with the instructions on the games. Plenty of bathrooms and bowling lanes... We were often the only ones on the arcade floor. Fun experience! Ps the sign outside says pins mechanical company read more

Such a neat place with fun cocktails. They have a lot of different arcade games and other games to choose from. A great place to hangout and the rooftop during the summer is great read more

We had a lot of fun here trying to burn some time before our dinner reservations. The retro arcade games were fun to check out, and probably one of the only places to do so. The bar drinks are mostly very sweet options, but that was okay with us. They were really creative and matched well with the people their namesakes. We tried two slush puppies each which were really cheap and a great value for a chance to play around in the arcade. I also tried a Pam Anderson, which was really sweet but I liked it a lot. My boyfriend also tried a game over and found that to be very sweet and strong. He was in love with Cypruss, and set a high score on it. It made him feel super nostalgic and he told me about playing it as a kid. I liked burger time and the Star Wars game right by the front, but to be honest was not nearly as familiar with the machines as he was. Overall it's a fun place to hang out, and not nearly as loud as I would have expected. read more

Nostalgiaaaa. (that should be sung to the Sega bootup music...) I knew I was going to like this place before we even got to Cincy. And I was right! 16-Bit is a HUGE barcade in OTR in Cincy. It was in easy walking distance of our Airbnb, and to tons of other interesting bars and restaurants in the area (should you be bar-hopping, though you could easily spend all night here). We got here early on a Sunday night, had our IDs checked at the door and walked right on up to the bar to scope out the drink menu. And what a charming, funny and delicious sounding drink menu it is! They have a list of old school (recognizable) cocktails, alcoholic slush puppies, mocktails, beer, and their new wave signature cocktails. They are pretty decently priced. Primarily because they aren't particularly fancy drinks, but the garnishes are fun and they are so tasty...you will drink it in no time and need/want to buy another one! Unfortunately the one I really wanted to order, the Lisa Frank, wasn't available as they were out of two of the ingredients. But between myself and my boyfriend, we were able to try all of the rest of the new wave cocktails. I started with the Hulk Hogan, which is garnished with a popsicle and it tasty. He started with a Carrie Fisher, which is garnished with a whole stick of rock candy. Tasty and then I got to finish his rock candy :-P I think my favorite one though, was the Winnie Cooper. Really though...you can't go wrong. They are all delicious. The bartenders, too, are friendly and ready with recommendations. All of the video games are set to free play, and there are change machines so you can get all the quarters for the pinball machines (the only games that need paying for). A whole evening could be spent here for as cheap or as expensive as your taste in dranks allows. We had a grand time, playing video games terribly, sipping cocktails, having fun and wanting to stay all night. I can't wait for a future trip to Cincy when I might be able to return to this barcade! read more

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Boyfriend and I went with another couple after dinner and loved it! Great selection of games ~ kudos for the great selection of pinball machines. I haven't played in forever so - yeah- I suck. But hey nothing a shot of tequila would not cure. Gets more clubby as the night goes on but it seemed like everyone was having fun. The rooftop holds a great opportunity for a break. We were not there uberly late so cannot speak to the real late night scene but while we were there we had a lot of fun and people were cool. Well staffed and no long wait for drinks. We will be back! read more

This place is an absolute blast. We had a ton of fun. Some of these games I have not played in years and it was a ton of fun to play again. We had some of the boozy slushees and they were delicious and dangerous at the same time. There were tables set up on the side with wii connected and we were also able to play some Mario party which was a blast. If you enjoy old arcade games and great drinks this is your spot. We had a blast and would definitely come back. read more

16-Bit Bar+Arcade - Slushee - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This was a lot of fun. I've wanted to head here for a while and finally got the chance to check it out. The bar is huge and gorgeous, and the vibe is really enjoyable. There's a long list of interesting drinks, and let me tell you, in my early/mid thirties, I felt completely catered to- this place was aimed at people exactly my age and it showed. The arcade games were a lot of fun and took me back to the times I'd be waiting on a pizza with my parents and been given a quarter. I'm still not any better at the games, but that didn't matter because playing was free. There were plenty of tables to set your drinks as well. The selection was wide, but it was already starting to get a bit crowded when we headed out. None the less, super fun and would be happy to go back. read more

Love this bar, perfect place to day drink and play games with friends! There's a lot of classic video games they are all free to play (except pinball) as long as you drink! It's usually hard to find bars that are open early on Sunday's but they open at 12 which I think is awesome, so this is usually my go-to spot for Sunday funday. They have a huge drink selection of both cocktails and beer. All their cocktails are very different and named after celebrities - very unique. I think at this point I've tried almost every single one of their cocktails and I haven't had one that I didn't like. read more

16-Bit Bar+Arcade - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This is one of the most amazing places on the planet and if they had a sister bar in Boston I would live there. All the best beers and fun drinks and free arcade games. Go here and give them all your money. read more

Randomly stopped in on a weekday during Happy Hour. I was toting my CityBird Tenders with coleslaw. (Cool thing about a bar without their own food menu, they allow outside food.) Lots of suits with top 3 buttons undone, mixed with hipsters and a sprinkling of locals in t-shirts and cut off jean shorts. Order your standard beer or IPA, with a shot or any of the novelty drinks on their menu. Slushies with alcohol is a grown-up dream come true! But note these drinks are designed for speed, not comfort. This is not a sip your bourbon kind of joint. Take an Uber or use a DD. Even what looked like a company party had people slurring their words and bumming cigarettes from passerbys. By 6pm the bathrooms looked like a Saturday at Japps. Delicious fun beverages, far too easy to drink. You have been warned... read more

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16-Bit delivers on the classic games from the 80's and 90's. Like the place is filled from wall to wall of every game you grew up playing. This not so typical bar in OTR really brings excitement to just another weekend out. Drinks/Bar - Busy but fast service. No need to flag down a bartender because if you don't have a drink in hand, they will be sure to offer service. Mixed drinks are themed after anything from the 80-80's. Hulk Hogan, Prince, Bill Nye - Really thought out. After trying one of the themed mixed drinks I would stick to draft beer at any future visit. The arcade games held my attention for all of five minutes, just like the gaming consoles you begged and pleaded for as a kid and then let sit and collect dust. Some games I couldn't tell if they were working or not, so I just moved on. Your experience could vary by day and time. On a late Saturday evening expect it to be filled to the brim, the perfect arena for spilled drinks on people or the games. read more

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I went to 16 bit for the first time on Valentine's Day and it was a blast! I think it's such a great deal that if you buy a drink you play for free (besides pin ball that's 50 cents). Even if you maybe are on a budget, some of the beets were only $5 or 6 dollars and the cocktail I got was $8. They had such a variety of games and the bartenders were nice even when it was crazy busy! Definitely will be going back! read more

16-Bit Bar+Arcade - Lisa frank cocktail! - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Sometimes I'm leery of midwest chains that decide to open up a storefront in Cincinnati. Having said that, 16-Bit is a gift from Columbus that I will gladly accept any day of the week. Walk in 16-Bit and find every walk of life: nerd culture, jaded thespians, hospitality industry folks, even suburbanites seem to have found refuge here. 16-Bit features over 50 classic arcade games, and most importantly... they're all FREE to play (as long as you're a customer! and pinball costs $ too)! 16-Bit features an array of "Old-School" and "New Wave" themed cocktails, paying homage to anyone from Carrie Fisher to Kevin Bacon. Step inside and you'll be transported to the 80's (as long as you're not paying attention to the clientele) and getting lots of nostalgic vibes. Stay cool 16-Bit, I'm glad you're here. read more

16-Bit Bar+Arcade - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

16 Bit is definitely a Cincinnati favorite for its free video and arcade games, witty signs and coasters, and ranks high on my list of favorite Cincinnati bars for unique cocktails and drinks - however you definitely pay for its uniqueness as each drink is roughly $8 and the portions are small. I've visited 16 Bit multiple times for work happy hours, birthdays, and just regular nights out and each time I try to test out a new drink they have since they do have such a wide array of cocktails and they often include fun things like Swedish Fish, little umbrellas, rock candy, etc. which you often cant find at other local bars. Over the winter holidays I've tried a "Cindy Lou-Who," and in the summer tried the famous "Hulk Hogan," I've also tried the "Patrick Swayze", the "Daryl Hannah" and the "Molly Ringwald" and the frozen alcoholic slushes among other drinks, and unfortunately, I always come to the same conclusion after each drink: they are tasty and delicious, but DEFINITELY overpriced. I most often only order one of these fancy drinks (mainly to get a good snap/insta story) and then go straight to draft beer to be cheaper and save some $$. 16 Bit is definitely a sort of tourist attraction in OTR and I've taken visiting family/friends there, but only ever for 1 or 2 drinks - I mean we aren't trying to go broke drinking at a free video game arcade! So if you are looking to bar hop and just check the box and say you've visited, I suggest going as early on in the day as possible as the place is jam packed at night and ordering a drink or playing a game becomes difficult. Rankings on the Morgan scale: Experience: 9/10 Drink Price: 5/10 Food Price: N/A read more

16-Bit Bar+Arcade - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

TAKE ALL OF MY MONEY! This is one of the best/funnest bars I've been too!! The drinks are all unique and tasted awesome!! Please everyone, try the hulk hogan with the bomb pop!! The games are all free with purchase of drinks and they have a ton of classic and fun choices! The vibe of the bar was fantastic playing a mix of todays and classic 90's songs that everyone was really grooving and enjoying! Bartenders were fun, the theme kicked ass, drinks were a hit , and it's a spot I wish we had at home! We cannot wait to be back! read more

16-Bit Bar+Arcade - The Lisa Frank - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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We were really looking forward to this place, but kind of left disappointed. It looks great, has a great reasonably priced drink menu, and lots of unique decor. It may just chalk up to the atmosphere the night we came. It was a holiday, it was fairly early for a bar, and we've been to other similar places in bigger cities so we had high expectations. The best thing here was the opportunity to play Gauntlet for the first time since I've been an adult. I loved this game as a kid! I also really enjoyed the chalk board walls. The place was dead and the few people that were there all seemed to be fairly to very intoxicated. A few games were out of order (no big deal, they had signs posted). We were looking forward to SNES and classic but couldn't find either. One controller was broken on the game cube so we couldn't play together. Other patrons seemed to be holding games (do they bring their own?) as we'd see them playing one we liked (Mario Kart and Smash Bros) and then when they took a break it would be mysteriously gone or they would walk up after we'd gone through games and start playing it when it wasn't there when we browsed. An hour or so after we got there a customer got loud and rowdy and security understandably got loud back with them but we figured it was about time for us to go. Ho hum. read more

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First time visiting on Saturday night it was super busy ! The atmosphere was super cool , I was expecting more arcade games . Drinks were good ! read more

16-Bit Bar+Arcade - Carrie fisher & strawberry old fashioned - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Love this place. Not for gamers-only, any one can have fun here! Gaming is free for customers. Lots of fun throwback arcade games, and pinball machines as well. Fun drinks with clever names, and quick service at the bar. Even when it is busy you can normally find an open game or spot at a table. The games are generally kept clean and well-maintained - as a bit of a germaphobe I love that I don't leave feeling yucky like some other arcade chains make me feel. read more

This place is a fun time for gamers... but the drinks are blah and way too sweet. I'd recommend going on another night than Friday/Saturday WAY too Crowded. If you're super into video games... Check it out. If you're into excellent cocktails... Go to Japps. read more

16-Bit Bar+Arcade - Courtney Love - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Very cute atmosphere. Lots of fun with a friend and a quick cocktail. Music is good and diverse. The drinks are easy too small for ten bucks though. But they're strong at least. I want a fan of the dude cocktail. The bitters drown out the rumchata so if ask for no bitters and extra liquor of your choice. The Dolph Lundgren was good though! Similar to a margarita? That's my best description. The Carrie Fisher is good. A LOT of coconut but I like that. The hulk hogan is sweeter than I thought but delicious! Games are fun! The console bar fills quick though so come early. Bathrooms are ok too. No food though so gotta find a place to eat soon. Remember: $2 off drink M-F from 4-7 read more

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I've been to this bar quite a few times, and I definitely feel like the atmosphere depends on what time of day you go. Obviously, Fridays and Saturdays are going to be crazy busy. Sometimes you get lucky and can manage to grab enough seats for yourself and a few friends at the console emulators. Drink prices are a little high, but it's worth it if you enjoy the novelty names, or getting Swedish fish and popsicles in your drinks. Game selection is great, and I believe they rotate every few months. I was really surprised and excited to see Michael Jackson's Moonwalker the last time I was there. Only real complaint here is paying 50 cents for the pinball machines. I think one of the best things about this bar is that every third Sunday of the month is "Bring Your Shorty Day" and kids can come with parents and get mocktails and play the arcade games too. We've taken our daughter a few times and she loved it. Just remember the hand sanitizer stations, and to get there early before a big crowd shows up. read more

16-Bit Bar+Arcade - Carrie Fischer mixed drink - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This is a really cool bar that takes you back to the 80s/ early 90s. They have free arcade games! You can't beat free! They also have creative, yummy drinks inspired by the 80s. Whenever I go to cincy I try to stop by this bar. I am guaranteed to get a good drink and have fun playing some games read more

The drinks are amazing. Great atmosphere and the games make it a walk down memory lane. The only thing they need is food. They do not serve any food and I think that would make this a great experience if they did. Finger food and appetizers is all they need. I love how creative their drinks are. They have something for everyone. I've been to 2 of their 3 locations. My goal is to go to all three. I have to check out Cleveland to achieve my goal. The alcohol slushies are one of my favorites then I typically try the novelty drinks. They have the cutest sayings on their coasters. The bathroom and arcade are very clean. Security at the door checking IDs so I felt safe. This is a great concept and I hope they incorporate a light menu in due time. This is a great place to stop in after dinner or a concert for drinks. read more

16-Bit Bar+Arcade - Slushies - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Love 16 bit because of the games! Had a lot of the cock tails already but the Kevin Bacon seemed to be something different and tastes like maple syrup! read more

This place a hidden gem! Great date night! Free arcade games, fun environment, safe and clean

I cannot believe I haven't reviewed 16 bit yet. Seriously. I've been there so many times, I'm starting to lose track. I'm going to reach wayyyyyyyy back into the past and tell you about our first 16-bit experience, because it was memorable and one of the best days I've spent in OTR. Last year on Easter, my husband and I couldn't decide what to do with ourselves. We had not found a church we liked to regularly attend, we didn't have any family in the area, and all of our friends were spending time with their families. So, we decided to hit the town. We had heard of 16-bit from some friends and decided to check it out around 1pm on Easter Sunday. Best idea ever. It was absolutely empty, and we were free to wander around and take our pick of games without any wait. We spent two, may three hours there, wandering over to play GameCube once we tired of the arcade games. We both found our perfect drinks on this first trip. I like the "the dude" and my husband loves his "macho man." We have gotten these drinks every time we have visited since, which has been several different occasions. We have since taken my parents, both my sister-in-laws, my brother and his wife, my little brother, my best friend and her boyfriend... the list goes on. This is our go-to spot for taking guests. It's so nostalgic and fun, and the drink menu has something for everyone. I will never get tired of this place. read more

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16-Bit is great neighborhood bar in OTR right at the corner of Walnut and Mercer, you can't miss it with the corner bar & lightup of the vintage video games inside. Friendly bar service, greeted as soon as you walk in, variety of craft beer, their collaboration with Rhinegeist, Press Tart is one of my faves, as well as a full bar with a cool roundup of specialty drinks named after 80's actors. Then wander the arcade to relive the fun you had, or at least I had growing up playing video games, they're all here. Plus they also have consoles on the right side of the arcade, a coworker jumped right in to one of the games in action, I think it was Halo, but I'm for the classics, PacMan, Centipede, Asteroids Stop by for a fun time at 16-Bit Bar+Arcade in OTR! read more

Great for Day and night have fun with friends on some cool old school video games!! There is something for everyone. Even the kids drinks and games!! read more

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I have been to this place before it moved to this new building, and I came to this one a month and a half ago, still rocks and always a must go when I'm here in town for my Bengal games, heck I'm going to be here after the game tomorrow, maybe heading there soon read more

I went here on Saturday for my bachelor party. I loved the old location and amount of machines available. It's really sad to see how few machines they kept at the new location. Not only that, it certainly feels like a dungeon. Could the merger of Pins and 16-bit not have been better planned to have the arcades somewhere aside from a dungeon? I had a drink that was about average, but that was about it. I'd come back just for Ms. Pac-man, NBA Jam, and NFL Blitz, but damn... they really have just treated this as an afterthought. Very sad read more