I'm so obsessed with the retro vibes of this vintage arcade bar! I loved the variety of arcade games they had, including the fun themes for pinball! My faves were the Addams family and Jaws pinball machines. I came here Wednesday night on a date and was surprised at how moderately busy the bar was. There were enough people to create a lively atmosphere, but not enough that we had to wait to play games. At the bar, I ordered a cosmopolitan, but the bartender offered me a vodka cranberry instead. The drink was refreshing, but the ice gave it that watered down taste. Halfway through the night I lost my phone and only realised when my date and I were in the car. When we returned to the bar the bartender had it with him. I love that I didn't have to go looking for it. My date and I had a great time at this bar and will definitely have to come back for some more pinball soon!! read more

I went here many times, albeit a few years ago, so my review may be a bit outdated. However, I will say that my friends and I have had some of the best nights of our lives here. They have a great variety of old arcade games with some more modern games mixed in. Overall, the vibes are absolutely amazing, and the beverages were reasonably priced. One small gripe I have is that I consistently found the bartenders up front to be almost comically cold and standoffish, even though my friends and I were familiar (local) faces, always friendly and respectful, and tipped generously. Once again, this was a few years ago, so I don't know if the snobbish employees in question still work there. Overall, this arcade bar is a truly fantastic place to spend the evening if you enjoy retro arcade games. read more

Fun and funky vibe. Drinks are available downstairs at the entry, or upstairs in the lounge. Don't expect food - beer and chips are fine for a short visit. Comedy was great, well hosted, good lighting for the event, and decent chairs. Payment is cash or Venmo. Check out the fun! read more

Add-a-Ball - Interior - Arcades Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Love this place! Go here all the time with friends to just hang out and play games for cheap. They also have cheap drinks too! The staff here is also really nice. I love the variety of games and music choices they have here. read more

Came in on a Friday night. The bar has a classic dive bar feel. Pretty limited bar, they had a few beers ciders and seltzers on tap. They had two bottles of natural wine that night. Drinks are very reasonably priced, wine was $8. Bar tenders were friendly and quick. All machines take quarters and their is an atm machine and a coin dispenser. Not too many bathrooms and a few tables. So many fun older and newer machines! Definitely going to be a place we frequent. read more

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Tucked away, hidden in plain sight. Super fun old school arcade + bar. I may or may not be a high score holder on their Ms. Pac-Man machine. Will definitely be visiting again soon with a pocket full of quarters. read more

I hadn't been back to Add-a-Ball in a few years. We decided to pop by after a nice dinner in Fremont. Add-a-Ball is tucked away in an alleyway just off Phinney, between 35th and 36th. Signage is poor, and you wouldn't even know it was a pinball establishment. (This ended up being good because I was able to surprise my date, who loves pinball. She had no idea that we were going to be playing pinball until after we had already entered the place!) The place is pretty funky, with many rooms, some small and difficult to pass through, and machines littered throughout. There's also an upstairs with even more machines. Machines very widely in age, with some vintage machines (including my childhood favorite, Eight Ball Deluxe). There are also some great vintage video games too. Service is hit or miss. When one of our machines ate our quarters due to a stuck ball, one of the staff came up to help us with the machine, spending several minutes playing the machine and giving us some pointers on how to win. Another staff member gave us a small stack of quarters, and we ended up playing that machine for nearly an hour. Great service! On the other hand, if you want a beer or a drink, you need to order at the bar, which is just inside the entrance. It can sometimes take quite a while to get a drink since the line at the bar can get quite long. At one point while we were there, when we went to get a couple of more drinks, the line was super long, and the waitperson at the counter, oblivious to the line, proceeded to stand and gab with a friend at the counter for nearly 10 minutes, taking no orders for that entire period. Of course, the line only got longer, and people were getting really frustrated. All-in-all, however, we had a great time at Add-a-Ball. If you're lowkey and chill and really like pinball (and vintage arcade), plus don't mind occasionally waiting for a drink, you'll love this place. We'll certainly be back. , and we'll certainly be back again. read more

Add-a-Ball - Playing one of their older games, Paragon. - Arcades Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Maybe it was just our lucky day but there was heavy metal soundtrack to the place when we were there on a random rainy Monday in November. The selection of beer, cider, and wine was solid nothing fancy but something for everyone. Hooks for coats and seating are all over. The selection of pinball machines was great. Most were at least $0.50 a play but some of the newer ones were more. All worth it. BYOQ or they have change machines. It is decorated in punk bar/skate park chic. There was an ATM onsite. The gentleman pouring that day gave us a good rundown of the place. If you have a few hours to kill in the Fremont neighborhood this is great option. read more

Add-a-Ball - Pinball machines - Arcades Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is a super fun bar with lots of games to play and a decent amount of seating. The staff has always been friendly when I visit! Great place in Fremont. read more

Ever since my college days, I've always loved this place. Quirky decor, eclectic games, friendly staff, cheap drinks, and fun customers: what's not to love? Around the corner through a very scary doorway you will walk into what seems to be a portal to another era. The beers and most drinks are about $6 which is pretty rare for seattle prices. The game prices do range depending on the type of game but $20 for three people took us very far; about 2+ hours of gameplay before heading back home for the night. They have a lot of options for games but mostly a lot of the machines are for pinball of various themes. Along with pinball, there is jenga (with dares written on them), pac man, air hockey, fighting games, etc. Parking: Be careful because the parking lot outside is actually one where you have to pay. Somehow we missed the sign and did get a parking ticket on a random thursday night. Very fun place and worth visiting, definitely won't be disappointed. read more

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One of our favorite spots in Seattle. Fun arcade bar with a great selection of multiplayer games, and pinball. Fun airhockey type game too! Bring quarters or cash! read more

Super fun date place! so many games and good drinks. currently playing jenga and was dared to write a review but this place deserves a good review anyway! read more

Neat arcade in the Fremont district of Seattle which had the hubby and I playing PacMan for hours and failing hard on Pong. I showed the AC/DC pinball machine who was boss though. The location is tucked around the corner in a parking lot, so don't give up because it's worth checking out. You can get your drink on if you'd like and munch on the snacks they sell. Make sure to check out every corner and wander upstairs to play the games as well. Take a picture with the awesome Bodhi mural downstairs which will have you wanting to go out and catch the big wave. read more

Add-a-Ball - Bodhi Vibes - Arcades Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Very nostalgic place. Had lots of fun using all my laundry quarters. Lots of pinball machines. Got lost playing Simpson old arcade game and time crises 2. Not many of these places exist anymore it was fun playing played for over an hour on about $8. Beers were $6 and had a good selection. Definitely recommend this place might be 21 and over since they sell alcohol. read more

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My home bar. Met my best friends here can't ask for anything more. They just added a concert venue upstairs that rocks. Come, drink, play, whatever read more

Add-a-Ball wasn't on my extensive list of places I wanted to check out while visiting Seattle, but I'm so glad we ended up there because it was one of my favorite bars! I really like checking out arcade bars and this one has so many unique games that I've never seen before, including "Bad Cats" which goes with the theme of the bar. There are cat pictures everywhere! As a cat lover, I was endlessly amused by this. I asked the bartender about it and he told me that the owner just really loves cats. Cool. Me too. The vibe inside Add-a-Ball is like being in someone's basement in the 70s. It's super funky with so much to look at! I loved the Star Wars wall over by the Pong table. When we were there on a Friday afternoon, Add-a-Ball wasn't busy at all, which was really nice as our local friend told us that it can get packed. We were able to check out all the different games, try Bad Cats, and have a couple beers. There is an upstairs level that has a tiny cash only bar which I'm sure is popular on busy nights. I loved this cool retro bar and would definitely go back to snap more photos and play some pinball during the day. read more

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I visited Add-a-Ball a Friday night with some friends. We actually ended up stopping by twice - first we checked out the location after dinner and it was too crowded to enjoy ourselves. The one bar serving drinks had a line that looped around a couple times, and most of the arcade games were occupied. We left for another bar and returned later in the night, and had much more fun the second time around. All the games we tried were enjoyable and even found a table to chill at in the back. read more

Add-a-Ball - Pinball - Arcades Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Dude. Just go. This was the best pinball we've ever played! The machines are very well maintained, and there's such a large selection! The pong was super fun as well! Could've stayed here all night! read more

Add-a-Ball - Arcades Near Me - Seattle, Washington

good vibes, good games, good people, good music, good bartender, good jenga, best time of my life

Our first visit to Add-a-Ball. Lots of nostalgia with the old arcade games and pinball. I vibed with the lighting. Great bands, great atmosphere. read more

This place is a fan favorite among my friend group and I finally got the chance to see what it was all about. It's not a huge place and is actually hidden away and not easily seen. There are tons of pinball machines everywhere and has a small upstairs as well with a couple more games. You might have to wait to play during the busier times because it was really crowded on a Saturday night. Some games that we wanted to play had queues for up to about five people. We played this Pac-Man game that was $2 for four players and seven rounds. It was just really fun to be competitive with friends while still having fun and laughing. We played that for most of our time there. Rainiers were $3 and well drinks were $5 which is really cheap. I always love places with cheap drinks and cheap entertainment! read more

Add-a-Ball - Arcades Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I love Add-a-Ball! It is a very small space and has a tendency to get a little crowded - I like to go on the earlier side to avoid this. The drinks are reasonably priced and the staff has always been friendly. They have recently taken out a lot of machines (likely due to COVID) and their prices went up ($0.75 per play) - still a very affordable and fun way to spend the day. read more

This is the most punk rock arcade I've ever been to and I LOVE it! We weren't sure how to get in at first as there's no entrance on the main street. There was a band playing the back, and we discovered that going past the band WAS the entrance! The place is just loaded with nostalgia. Lots of older pinball tables as well as arcade games. They're serving pizza slices and slinging drinks while the best music plays overhead. In the back area was more space to sit down in almost feels like a Chuck - E - Cheese wonderland. Everything here had its place and I'm thrilled to come back for more. read more

Add-a-Ball - VHS Tapes and decor! - Arcades Near Me - Seattle, Washington

As a tourist, I came here for the "deep Seattle vibes". A waitress at a Neighboring restaurant recommended it as a fun "very Seattle" place so we had to go. We got there right when they opened at 4pm on a Saturday (we were day drinking) and I think we were the only ones there except for the bartender. I actually had a lot of fun playing the games. They had some cool old school games I had never played that were fun. I wasn't sure what to make of the place because it is a lot of sensory overload but I loved the quirkyness of it. Bartender was nice too. Drinks were very basic dive bar drinks with limited liquor / mixer selection. I wish they would have had some hand sanitizer around though because I'm sure those game get pretty grimey, Covid or not lol. read more

Add-a-Ball - Arcades Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Fun and unique atmosphere. I've walked by this place so many times and glad I finally wondered in. Lots of games, makes for an entertaining experience. read more

I'll be honest... a part of me doesn't know whether I really love this place OR I think it's a clusterf*ck... haha. Soooooo that's why I'm going with the 3/5 stars. Friends and I visited on a Saturday night and the place was JAM PACKED with people... it's clear this place is popular. Their selection of games seems really great, but not all of them seem to actually *work*. I had quarters eaten by a game - that was then discovered to be not-functioning - on more than one occasion. My friends and I also tried to grab a booth in the upstairs, but the only free table actually had vomit on it. One of my friends asked if we could perhaps get someone to, you know... CLEAN the table. The staff person in the upstairs area didn't seem to have any interest whatsoever in cleaning up the table though. *cringe* So we went back downstairs and ultimately went outside for a bit (so many people inside can make it quite toasty) before heading back inside, playing some more games (whereby I realized I really need to up my pinball game, but I'm blaming my awfulness instead on getting repeatedly bumped into - ha!), and then managing to snag a booth for some drunken Jenga shenanigans... because drunken Jenga shenanigans. Ultimately, the place is pretty divey and full of people... but if you're in the mood for some retro pinball and arcade games then you should definitely try and hit this place up. It's an experience. read more

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Difficult to find but a fun dive with a decent beer selection and tons of pinball and old style arcade games. Had a blast with my dad. Everything is coin operated so bring cash to get quarters! read more

The corn is fantastic pop corn is sublime. You come here.........AND YOU FEEL FANCY. Plus a band of furry guys play in the mens room.

If you are looking for a classic place to experience Seattle night-life, this is the place for you! The drinks are cheap, the games are fun, and the staff is usually super nice. The only reason I do not give it full stars is because it is hard to even move around on a busy weekend night! It is a bit overwhelming. I definitely recommend going during the week. read more

Could not believe that they haven't made efforts to social distance the machines, and that one of the staff was maskless walking about. You'd have thought they have learned since they were shut down for an outbreak last summer. Also too many loudmouths talking shit. Boo! used to be a good time. read more

Won't accept legitimate Washington issued ID due to it being against their policy. Have been accepted here multiple times yet this time am denied due to my ID not being horizontal. In Washington state verticals ID's are more than acceptable and find this policy very upsetting considering on the website there are no indications of this. "Come on down, as long as yer over 21!" Clearly this isn't the case. Wasted an hour of my time commuting here and just lost a customer. read more

This place use to be cool pre 2020, after that they sold most of their pins one positive thing I can say is they are totally dog friendly, honestly if you are looking for a variety of pins just go down the street to the ice box which is also dog friendly read more

Don't bring your dog here! Or just don't go at all. This comes up as a dog friendly bar and is well liked by some of my friends, thought I'd give it a shot for my 21st based on those two things. My friends and I went in (with my pup) and after going into the arcade area were immediatly met with an off leash small dog who aggresively snapped at us and tried to attack my dog. No owner in site and no one cared, whatever no big deal we went to another room. After about an hour we left, and the second I opened the door to leave was attacked again in the entry way the same dog. Defintely bummed me out, won't be coming back because of this. read more

Add-a-Ball - Photo of said dog just walking around with no owner or leash - Arcades Near Me - Seattle, Washington

wasted 40 minutes taking transit here to come to a show just to find out they don't accept vertical IDs. i understood and didn't push coming in anyways but suggested that if they're gonna put on a 21+ show it wouldve be nice to have a warning on their social media post so u don't have plenty of ppl wasting their time and money. one of the guys working doors told me to "be a grown ass adult and take myself down to the DMV". dude was rude as fuck when all i did was explain my frustration. i don't plan to waste my time coming here again :) read more

The bar was okay, it's quite sleazy due to the cleanliness of the place, the lighting, and the general management. The is a good concept, and there has been successful game/bars, but this one is not take care of well at all. This place is kind of hidden, but is still well known. It is packed during Friday and Saturday nights (as any bars). But what makes me not like this place is it feels like I'm going to contract hepatitis here. The games are fun and cheap, but feels sticky and gross from all the drinks that are left in the cup holders and scattered around the establishment. The bathrooms are gross with toilet paper thrown around and wet floors (probably urine). The booths and table needs a wipe down, there was food on it but they don't even serve food?? The pinball games are rigged in a way where if you score extra balls from the game, they lock it so you can hit them! What?? The only good thing about here is the cheap beer- $3 Rainier and $5 well drinks. Other than that, don't bother. read more

My friends and I came here on a whim, but we were pleasantly surprised with the good time we had here. Getting quarters to play the games was easy, and there was a decent diversity of games that kept us occupied for an hour or so. Overall a fun spot to check out. read more

My friend was completely NOT drunk and one of the bartenders took a full drink out of her hands and said she needed a water.... Really out of pocket. Would not recommend the bartender with the giant bow in her hair. Not a fan, fun bar but service was wack read more

I had no idea this place even existed until a friend told me to meet up with them here. Tucked away in a little corner among the parking lot...there lies Add-A-Ball. Even my Google Maps had a hard time finding its location. Awesome things about Add-A-Ball: Upon entering you see a small outdoor patio - perfect for enjoying a pint and hanging in the sun Pet Friendly - WOOT! All the pinball you can handle...among other sweet games Multiple rooms and levels Seating on 3rd level - good place to chill Small bar with all the goodies...I mean, who doesn't love drinking and playing games? Overall it's a fun little hideaway and would certainly return! The staff here is friendly and not to mention (paid) parking virtually onsite! read more

Around the back--welcoming service behind a scary-ass door. Get your ID checked and choose something good on tap--pass through into nostalgia. Rad murals--great pinball from across time--wish it were bigger. Bring your own quarters--deserves a great tip. read more

Literally my favorite place to hang. And they have Fernet, what?! Bring cash so you can exchange for quarters! 10/10!