I've passed this place so many times and finally went in with my husband while we were out on a date. It was pretty packed, but I did see there was a section reserved for an event. We arrived just before 8pm and I heard an announcement saying anyone under 21 must leave by 8. There's a big bar with a couple of TVs around but they have music playing. There are many games available to play, kind of like a mini Dave&Busters. We had to wait for a couple of games but it wasn't a big deal at all. It was a very fun night, allowing us to relax and let loose. The crowd was mostly 20's, but we felt completely comfortable in our 30's. This is a great place to go with friends or family. read more

Whoa talk about taking a time capsule to back to the 80's yasss please!! This place is amazing and it just brings back many memories of hanging out at the arcade with your friends. Well here you can do just that as an adult the difference is you can have a drinks such as beer, wine, cocktails! Yup you read correctly play whilst you drink if you want. Inside this time machine called the Boxcar Bar + Arcade you'll find all the games you played back in the 80's and more. My favorite Donkey Kong to name one of many.. I cannot even begin to tell you how many games that are inside! There are bathrooms available and the arcade is very clean. Staff walks around to see if you have any questions or need assistance. I had an awesome time here and hope to go back soon! read more

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I absolutely love this place. I'm from Chicago so brunch prices for liquor and drinks is usually a bit pricey. But not here. Amazing deals for Sunday, mixed with arcade games. You honestly can't go wrong. I've been here 3 times since I've been out here travel nursing and it's always a good time. Sometimes there is live music on the patio and that's always a treat. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a chill time with drinks and fun. read more

We decided to go here after eating dinner on and Wednesday night and were surprised by how busy they were. The only problem we had was that the token machine that takes cards would not work for us so we had to use the atm and then the cash machine for tokens. $10 of tokens is enough for to people to play an adequate amount of games. I would start with that and then maybe do another $10 afterwards if you still want to play. They have a great playlist and we had a good time. read more

This place has really great drink specials, lots of games, and reasonably price. The only thing, perhaps which can be expected, is that it's a bit dirty (I.e. the floors and games were really sticky or had drinks spilled on them). read more

Honestly, this place was pretty cool! I loved the old school arcade games! It was pretty packed on a Friday night so it did get a little difficult to play on any of the games, so we mainly were on the pinball machines. But, the bartenders were great! Be ready to order cause they are trying to get everyone served as quickly and efficiently possible while making sure you're taking care of. The atmosphere overall was great too. There was an outdoor section that you could sit down and a DJ playing which was nice as well. read more

Boxcar Bar + Arcade - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

It's always a great time at Boxcar! Boxcar is one of those unique and cool places that can work for all sorts of occasions. You can come here with your family during the day. You can come here with a group of friends for some day drinking or night time fun. It's also a cool place for a date. And don't even get me started on Sunday Funday... ($10 bottles for mimosas!) I prefer to come on Sunday afternoons or to start my weekend nights here because it can get really crowded and busy. They now have an outside bar as well which is very convenient. Also I prefer to come here when it's less crowded so I can actually play the games I like, but it's still a fun nighttime activity. I also prefer to come here when it's less crowded because it is dog-friendly and I am not a huge animal lover and have dog allergies. They have great drink specials all throughout the week, but my favorite is by far Sundays for mimosas. Unfortunately since Boxcar is not in close proximity to a lot of the other bars I don't come here as often as I'd like, but that's not the bar's fault, just wanted to include this in the review to inform others. There are few restaurants nearby if you want to grab food before or after as well. I would definitely suggest coming here for a unique bar experience you just can't get many other places. read more

Boxcar Bar + Arcade - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Okay, this place is awesome. First of all, they give you 4 tokens right off the bat just for checking in on Yelp (gosh I love Check in rewards!). Aside from the free ones, tokens are super cheap! We played games all night on a $20 bill. They also have deals every day! We came on a Thursday and it was $3 cans, $4 Jameson shots, and you could enter in a free skee ball tournament! It was so fun! Definitely a must-do if you are visiting Raleigh or living in the area! I wish I had one near me! read more

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Date night was amazing. I wanted to surprise my husband with a fun date night out so we grabbed dinner and went to Boxcar right afterwards. The parking is primarily on the street which can be a little tricky on busier nights. There weren't very many spaces available and we went on a Wednesday night. When we first walked in we were greeted by a guy at the door who asked for our id's. Which was cool. I had been there once before and this was the first time they asked for id's. Nevertheless, we got in with no problem. My husband was so excited. We went to the bar and ordered a crown + coke and a grapefruit ale and they both were good. We paid around $10 all together. The arcade was well kept and the bathrooms were decent. They have a machine that you can trade cash in for coins. We used our debit card which I thought was so convenient. They practically have ever game that you can think of. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the pin ball machines and air hockey. Last time we went they had some outdoors games but they didn't have them this time which sucked but we had an amazing time overall. I would definitely recommend this place and I would go back. read more

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Had a great time here last night. Had someone skip me and was a bit peeved but the atmosphere of this place is so freeing. Upon trying to order a drink I asked the bartender if they had a particular alcohol and they said "can't hear you sorry" and then walked away. Waited another 5 minutes until another bartender saw me and asked me how long I've been waiting for and apologized. Had a great amaretto sour and loved the pinball machines. Would definitely come here just not on a busy weekend. read more

I love this place! In town for a work conference, we were right next door at the BBQ place for dinner. After dinner my co-worker and I snuck away to the Boxcar. I am so glad we did! It ended up being the perfect evening! Tons of arcade games to play, and a full bar with a great staff! Once dinner was over the rest of the conference attendees ended up at the Boxcar with an open tab. The two person bartenders did a great job keeping their cool, and keeping up with everyone's orders. A great place to hang out with friends, and meet some new ones! read more

Fun place to spend some time, we had great drinks. It isn't huge but they have a large variety of games.

So much fun! A mixture of new and older arcade games with a bar if you wanna indulge in a drink. The vibe there is just right with everyone laughing and having fun at all the games. Will be back soon! read more

This place is AWESOME! We came here with some friends while visiting in town after so many people recommended this was a must visit place! We were so glad we did! There's so much to do, and it won't break the bank. We came on a Sunday afternoon, so they had a special for $10 bottles of champagne and OJ! I of course had to take advantage of this. Also, if you "check-in" on Yelp, you get 4 free tokens! Just a side note, I read a review that someone couldn't get in with her out of state ID, however I had my FL ID, and got in just fine! We played SO many different arcade games ranging from air hockey, pac man, pinball, etc. My boyfriend was especially happy with the Guitar Hero game! We also played some old school Nintendo 64 Mario Kart. What a blast from the past! Outside there are stools and TVs where you can watch sports and drink. They even have a life size Jenga! I also loved that this place is dog friendly, and I got to pet a bunch of furry friends! We stayed for a couple of hours, and I did notice that it tended to get busier the later it was. Definitely check this place out! read more

Finally had a chance to stop by Boxcar Bar + Arcade on a Sunday around noon. The place was packed from the inside to the outside. The drinks specials were affordable. Although the bar was busy, the bartender managed to grab our drinks for us. We stayed for a good hour and enjoyed ourselves. It is definitely a nice place to hang out. I highly recommend this environment for kids and adults. read more

If you like old school video games (Ms Pac-Man, street fighter, etc) then this is the place for you! We've been here several times. It's usually not extremely crowded when we go. (Usually during the week). There was a pretty decent sized crowd there that Sunday night we went. It wasn't uncomfortable at all. We didn't have to wait for people to finish playing games. We pretty much went with the flow. You get free tokens if you check in on yelp. (We appreciate that). Also, the last time we were there we got a free drink due to some promotion. And we got a couple of tokens for every drink we bought. Nothing like drinks and games! We will be coming back! read more

Fun place for date night! Love the energy! Employees were great! Every day of the week has a special - Mondays $5 all draft beers

I came here with a bunch of my friends that were working dreamville. They said my ID was FAKE! I brought my ID, birth certificate, social, and passport. They are absolute idiots. They have outdated technology that they refuse to pay for. I was treated like shit even though they were wrong. Do not go here they get you drunk and scam you for a dollar a game anyway! Save yourself. This was my favorite place the past 7 years. They suck now. Don't even try read more

My first time here and my family had a blast. I decided to do something fun with the kids and boxcar was perfect. I loved that I got to drink while the kids play lol, the only thing missing was food. I definitely have to come back without my kids. On the weekends kids have to leave by 7 pm! read more

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Got a chance to go to this place while waiting for a table to open up at The Pit Authentic Barbecue next door. This place brought back so many good memories of us going to the local video arcade when we were younger. Got a chance to play some of my old favorite games like Galaga, Centipede and got a chance to play some pinball also. Definitely would do this again if ever in the area. read more

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Years ago I enjoyed the place. Today was my second time attempting to go in two months. They are now forcing all patrons to give them your address, height, age, hair color, and sex. You also MUST take a photo for their database EVERY time you enter. They refuse to check id like a normal establishment. Have you ever traveled through China? I have, and this is exactly how citizens are treated out there. Its so eeriely disturbing that I suggest people avoid this big brother surveillance bar. read more

Seriously, awesome. All the classic old games including Pacman, Frogger, Donkey Kong and even Qbert. There are even a good few shoot-em-up games like Silent Scope and Area 51. Most of the games are a quarter a piece (well, a single token) though the air hockey is four tokens and doesn't seem to last nearly long enough. Beer. Lots and lots of beers available and a full bar. No food, but The Pit next door can solve that problem. The only other problem is parking. I lucked out and found a meter that is only enforced until 5pm. Others didn't do so well and valet parked. It's a busy area. Good luck with that. read more

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Boxcar Raleigh is a downtown treasure. If you enjoy playing retro arcade games as much as I do, then you're in for a real treat. They have an amazing collection of pinball machines, arcade classics (equipped with drink holders!), air hockey tables, live music, outdoor patio, free popcorn, drinks and so much more. The space is impressively large, has a full service bar with a wide selection of craft beers and daily specials. Typically, games cost only a single token (quarter) to play, so the value here is unparalleled compared to today's modern arcades. When you sign-up on their website, you'll also receive free reward tokens, during your birthday month, and when you check-in on the Yelp! app. You will be transported to a much simpler time when all you had to worry about was having enough tokens to make it to the next level. It's always a fun time at Boxcar and I can guarantee you will not leave here disappointed. Game on! read more

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Great vibe, fun games! Only complaint is the fucking middle school 12 year olds holding up the Jurassic park game. & everytime you got your hopes up that you could play, george and Tommy took out their weekly allowance and started another game . What is the h e double hockey sticks. Great environment with a full bar, check it out! read more

This place is freaking awesome. Old school games, it's basically an arcade for adults. We really enjoyed ourselves. They have hand sanitizer everywhere and enforced social distancing. read more

Fun place to go for a night out if you are in the mood for arcades. Drinks, games, and outdoor space to hang out, it's the perfect adult hangout. Highly recommend going here! read more

What a special place in downtown Raleigh! All the arcade games and beer you could want. Fun vibe !

This is the most fun I've had in a bar in ages. I traveled to Raleigh to celebrate my cousin's birthday, and we stopped by Boxcar during his bar crawl. Boxcar's appeal is that it's primarily an arcade, like Flipper McCoy's and Aladdin's Castle. But in addition to throwback video games, Boxcar offers beer and liquor, thus making it a draw for adults. As a kid I dropped loads of quarters into Double Dragon; now as an adult I can do the same thing while enjoying a pint (or a few). Such a simple and genius concept. I'm sure Boxcar offers food, but I never bothered to check since I was too busy acting like a 10 year old. I couldn't comment on the service - I didn't recognize or see any employees walking the floor. I remember bartenders, that's about it, and there were change machines so you could get tokens for the video games. I read recently that a bar + arcade may be coming to downtown Norfolk. I hope it happens soon because I would love to have one locally. Thanks to Boxcar, childhood memories can translate into adulthood experiences. JV read more

If you are in the Raleigh Downtown area with friends, Boxcar Bar + Arcade is a must stop! It's one of the coolest bars I've ever been to, and has something for every fan of playing games, whether it be gaming consoles, classic arcade games, outdoor giant jenga, or pinball. There are tons of arcade games, which require tokens that can be obtained by inserting cash or card in the token machines. If you check-in on Yelp, you can get 4 free tokens from the bar! While you wait for a game to open, or just want to chill with friends, there are several small tables to stand at inside and outside. They have a very big menu of drinks, and check their website for daily drink specials! There is street parking around the neighborhood, but you might have to walk a couple blocks to find a spot. If you're in Downtown Raleigh, be sure to grab a drink, grab some friends, and check out Boxcar! read more

It's exactly what you'd expect - great vibes and good beer. Most games are about a $1 per play and the bar has great daily deals. They have a nice outdoor space when you need a break from gaming. read more

Where adults can be children while drinking alcohol! Games are pretty cheap, $.50 for ski ball... my game! Air hockey is a blast, I had never played before and I did pretty well! I'm not much into the actual video games, but there were a ton of "gamers" there having fun. Free popcorn and pretty reasonably priced drinks. A definite place for the hipsters, which is a fun people watching experience, all walks of life and it's awesome! There is a smokers patio outside that lines the entire building. read more

Came here on a Sunday with some out of town friends and i loved it! It's a huge arcade with a bar....what better combo, right? The place is full of vintage throwback games and The mimosas are $1, double $2 and the bottle of champagne was $10 and came with orange juice to make your own mimosas. Before 4pm you get two tokens with every drink purchase. What's really great is you can bring your dog inside and even though there's a bar if you come before 4 you can bring kids so this place is great for a family day. I hate that it took me so long to visit this place but I'll definitely be back! Honorable mention: The popcorn in the back was better than the movie theatre! read more

Boxcar Bar + Arcade - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Lovated next to The Pit and across Davie St from the Depot in Downtown Raleigh, Boxcar is a super fun place to go relive your childhood gaming days. Along with a fully stocked bar, they have tons of arcade consoles as well as pinball machines, skeeball games, table tennis, and more. They even have free shuffleboard! The bar has 24 taps of so many rotating craft beer thats very reasonably priced ($4-7/pint)- they always have something for everyone.. they always have a couple IPAs, stouts/porters, wheat beers, etc. & they have a full liquor bar too. At the bottom of the beer menu, they have a liquor & a beer special for the day too. I think they also added a popcorn machine for your munching needs. The nostalgia of old school video games is what makes this place so wonderful. Tokens are 5 for $1, and most games are 1 or 2 tokens. Some of my favorites are the Atari games (centipede, asteroids), House of Dead 2, Pacman/Ms Pacman, Street Fighter, Mortal Combat, Donkey Kong, & old school Mario. I really love the air hockey & shuffleboard too! All in all, this is just an awesome place to bring out the inner child or gamer in you, aaand the phenomenal beer selection is just an added bonus. What's not to love about that? Do yourself a favor & stop by Boxcar soon, you won't be disappointed :) read more

Boxcar Bar + Arcade - bathrooms :) - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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The first time I visited Boxcar, it got way too crowded so we just grabbed seats at the bar and had a few beers. So, with that being said, I wanted to make it back out there to spend the rest of my coins and play some cool arcade games. I checked in on Yelp and a coupon for 10 free tokens pops up. My boyfriend and I go to the bar to order a beer, they have a nice draft beer selection, and we got 2 more tokens for each drink (this deal is available every day from 4-7pm except for Monday which is all day)! I like that the water cooler idea is catching on everywhere, it is so easy to walk up and get a glass of water yourself versus waiting at the bar. Beside that they also have free popcorn. As far as the restrooms go - Princess Peach and Mario replace the classic Men's and Women's bathroom signs, huge fan. We started off with a few competitive games of Skeeball which I beasted my boyfriend in. We also played air hockey, guitar hero, shuffle board, sports shooting USA and, my personal favorite, Big Buck. I saw that they also had Galaga which brings it back to one of my favorite games growing up. For the last few coins we played pinball, I mean how could you leave without playing a few games of pinball?! Out of all of the games we played only one game ate our coins. So much fun, I definitely recommend this place! read more

Boxcar Bar + Arcade - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Really fun spot in downtown Raleigh for a date night or night out with friends. Bartenders were nice, drink selection was adequate. Gave 4 stars vs 5 because it felt like there could've been a few more games. read more

Super friendly staff, great music, clean place. Went for an ugly sweater party and it was packed but an amazing time. All the patrons were friendly and there to have a great time. Will definitely be returning! read more

I've lived in the area for 6 years and work downtown and frequent this spot. I have never experienced such poor service until this day. the bar closed at 1am on a Thursday but by 1:01am I witnessed the entire staff telling me to chug and get out. Once the comment was made, we were trying to finish our drinks we paid for and to get out. They became hostile making offensive comments and that we needed to leave at the moment (1:02am). For what reason?! We did not continue to game or order more. Tabs were closed out before hand. We stepped aside to finish what we paid for. We were paying patrons. We respected that they were closed and were trying to finish what we paid for, but the staff staring yelling saying we need to be on the street. I will never give these people another dollar. SO RUDE!! read more

We really enjoyed the great variety of games and the drink selection. Their Mandalorian pinball game is signed by the game designer. It was very cool and had motion effects on the whole game--it rumbled. My 11-year-old said all the games were fun. He enjoyed guitar hero, but one of the guitars was not working exactly right. The air hockey tables were great too. My 13-year-old said the games were pretty cool. read more

Overrated...bad experience. At the door, no greeting, demanded ID and took photo with no explanation or customer service. Most of the games accepted tokens and then didn't work. Wouldn't go back. read more

Fun place! Lots of games, you get a cup for coins to go in, DDR was fun. The place was slightly grimy. But worth checking out