As far as Dave and Busters locations go- this one does it right. Games and machines are always in working order, bathrooms are clean and even through it can get really overstimulating with the lights and sounds in there, I always see a lot of adults and kids having a good time. What I really like is how easy they make hosting events here. I've booked a few parties, brought kiddos and friends and whether we are there for a holiday party or their happy hour, a fun time is always had. One note I I'll make is the front desk employees always seem annoyed or too busy to help but I have had great interactions with everyone else. Highly recommend Irína for you group booking needs!! read more

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This review is for D&Bs events manager, Irina, and I have to say she is phenomenal! I'm having my son's 8th bday here in July and Irina has been so helpful, accommodating and super nice! I was afraid I might not be given the same attention as a customer since I'm not hosting a huge corporate event but instead she's been super attentive and has made me and my kids bday party feel very welcomed. According to my son "this is gonna be epic bruh!" (Gotta keep reminding him not to call me bruh - but you get the gist). Also, I must add that this location is super clean, well organized and one of the best D&B locations I've been too. I haven't tried the food yet, but for my sons bday they've been accommodating of any allergies and I know all the kiddos are excited for the chicken wings :P read more

It's funny, it makes me laugh that this Dave & Busters has only 3 stars cumulatively; because it's far from accurate. I've been to Dave and Busters cross country and this is easily its best location. Here in this newly renovated mall. Management does a great job. If you have any issues, they are quick to fix anything. If a machine is down or something is awry they care about your customer experience and will immediately make it right you just have to mention it directly to them. My now 10 year old son and I have been here over 3 times. Each time we've been impressed. We went to a different location and had an opposite experience. This location is always busy, even on weekdays. The servers are quick to help. Get you what you need food, coins, drinks and leave you to have fun. Games of all kinds and prizes too! Oh the prizes. Their TVS are state of the art. Especially if you are a sports fan. Dave and Busters rivals other sports bars. I forgot the big soccer game was on tonight and they were packed. But that's the thing every thing is so well designed and spaced out that everyone still has miles of elbow room. Eric was our Server and was wonderful tonight. Engaging, smiling, friendly, clearly loves his job and does great at it. He went the extra mile and fixed something another location failed at when it wasn't his job to and he wasn't asked. People like Eric make the world go round. Thanks for Eric for being awesome, your awesomeness shines brightly in the arcade that is Dave and Buster's. The pictures I have attached are a cumulative of our different visits. read more

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We decided to have lunch at Dave & Buster's in Carlsbad today. They have a $25 card deal with menu items for $4.99. We each ordered the crispy chicken sandwich with Korean sauce and sweet potato fries. The food was excellent. The chicken and fries were both crispy which I love. Our waiter Jackie was excellent. He was attentive and personable. His service made our experience even nicer. After lunch, we went and checked out the new games. The arcade was clean and free of debris. We had a really good time and I'm sure we will be back especially since we didn't cash in our tickets. They have a good lunch and drink menu. It's just something a little more entertaining than a restaurant. read more

Dave & Buster's Carlsbad - Spicy crispy chicken sandwich with Korean barbecue sauce, and sweet potato fries - Sports Bars Near Me - Carlsbad, California

This Dave and buster location is not too bad, they have a bunch of different games and I had a great time playing! The food was not too good, tasted like it was frozen before, I wouldn't have an issue if it wasn't too pricey for frozen food. The service was not so good either, must of the people working there are teenagers/young adults so it's slow. read more

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Came here on Sunday and I actually didn't know it was half off games Sundays AND Wednesdays! Arrived around 2:30pm and apparently they were offering $5 margaritas. The bartender was so sweet and sociable, I wish I got her name so I could give her a shout-out. Ambiance wise, I think I enjoy Round1 better because 1) I'm more into the claw games, 2) it's just brighter and more cutesy. Dave & Buster's feels very casino-like, very dark with flashing lights, it gives low energy. I did appreciate that when the game I wanted to play malfunctioned, I was able to find any worker (I found a restaurant server), and they were willing to help me find the correct person to help troubleshoot the machine. The workers here at Dave & Buster's definitely seemed happier than Round1, but maybe it's also because it wasn't as packed. Drink selection is also way better at Dave & Buster's. Overall I gave this place a 3/5 because the games didn't quite interest me read more

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Man, haven't been to a D&B for a long time before this. We came back bc our toddlers were at Candeeland and we stopped here to get the husbands. But they were here drinking and eating at the bar. We decided to get food here too. I got the eat and play combo and opted for the 3 smash sliders. It came with a game card and fries. The smash burgers were surprisingly good! My toddler ate one, and I ate the other 2. It was a good smash burger, enough flavors and not too salty. The fries were really good as well. Their cocktails on the menu didn't come with prices so not sure if they just charge based on time. But beers have pricing and it was good with the beers. HH menu gave prices for some cocktails. The play area is big and my toddler was mesmerize by the lights. We'll be back when he understands the game and knows how to play. read more

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Dave and Busters.. what can I say mediocre food and watered down drinks. That's the Dave and Busters of yesterday. I don't know if this location got new management or if D&B just made a corporate change in trajectory. Our last visit in April, 2026 was a game changer. The food was amazing. The service was great. James our waiter was very attentive. If I had one recommendation it would be to add a button at the table to alert staff you have sat down and request service. read more

Dave & Buster's Carlsbad - Good fingers - Sports Bars Near Me - Carlsbad, California

If it's a Thursday then the current promo is 1$ wings. We recently visited for this deal and you can have it bone in or boneless. We were not able to sit in the immediate booths to the left or right. So we spoke to the nice host, at the entrance, and she guided us to where we could dine. There was only one server to help everyone that came in so it took a long time to be served. We put in our order and I got the sriracha honey sauce for my boneless wings. When our order came part of the order was missing so we reminded the busser that we were to have something else too. Finally it came. But in the meantime we had no utensils so I got up and grabbed them from another table because there wasn't anybody around to get us our missing items. Our server was nice enough and apologized for the situation that was put upon her that evening . Several tables were left dirty because the lack of staffing that evening. The food was just okay. It didn't leave us feeling like we wanted to rush back here for another dinner anytime soon. Unfortunately. The place looked like several others were enjoying themselves, playing the games, having dinner with their family, and or the adults having their bar treats. I feel the hype for this place has dwindled over the past years. Hope it gets its umph back cuz families need good outlets to go to with their kids, teammates, & family. read more

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I can see why this would be a great place for a family party. Food was typical of a sports bar, but seemingly better and I'm not entirely sure why. Perhaps it is because everything came out hot, plated well and was tasty. Service was fine but seemed rushed as many items were swiftly placed on the table and off they (the runners/servers) ran to service another table. I can see why this place can be challenging since there are tables everywhere, and a lot of them. The games are varied and interesting. I had fun just trying to figure out what each game did, then we would move on to another game, as my grandson would drag me to another across the huge facility. Drawback was there were many games that were not probably functioning and appeared to take your points away, but not function with any playable outcome. Kids had a good time, but I can tell that gaming adults were having fun as well. They have bar so they get an extra star. CritDicks read more

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Would not recommend eating here. We were there when they first opened. It took 1 hour and 20 minutes from when we ordered to get 3 burgers and wings. The service was terrible, and we got checked on maybe one time. I had to get our own napkins, and had to request for refills and for the check. Food was okay. But overall. Wouldn't spend this much for such terrible service. read more

The place is loud... it's suppose to be. The place is expensive... it's an arcade, unfortunately they all are. The place has an ick feeling like a casino. With ppl drinking all around and seems like some have been there all day. But my son really wanted to go. He had two gift cards we hadn't used all year so off we went. Once I ignored those drinking (no one bothered us, I just don't like being around it because I had to grow up with ppl who exceeded their limit daily. But thankfully no one bothered us. My son loved the hoop game. We played it a long time. I have to often use a walker or leg braces and this place was easy to navigate. Bathroom was disgusting though. We played til gift cards ran out and then more fun, the gift shop where you cash in your points. While he was choosing his item a little girl and her dad asked if the girl could gift her left over points. They don't live near and were leaving. How kind! It was a lot of points!!! My son used half and then said he wanted to gift the rest to a kid. And he did. So sweet. I was gifted a burger from here years ago and it was so good, the atmosphere was too much for me so I avoided it. Glad my son talked me into it. We had so much fun! My husband took his friend there for one of their bdays tonight and the 5 guys had loads of fun. It's been years since some had a guys arcade time and it was nice for them unwind. read more

My son and I met up with friends for dinner to celebrate my son's birthday on a Saturday late afternoon. We were greeted when we walked in and shown to a table. After a bit I finally asked a lady walking by about service, she said she was our server and asked if we were ready to order. We gave her our drink order, but I asked if they had the menu that combined the entrees with food items, she said she needed to get the menu, which she did and brought it over. Our drinks took about 10 minutes, and then she took our orders. She brought the play cards pretty quick and then disappeared. Another person brought our food out as it was done, definitely not all together, and then I asked for salt. I was told they would get it but the person never came back. We did get drink refills but only once in over an hour and a half. We were not asked about our food. It was not even busy in the restaurant. It seemed the servers wanted to socialize rather than tend to tables. The food was decent, about as expected. The restaurant was extremely loud, the music was very loud and then many TVs were on, which was fine, but I do wish the music had been down a little so people could talk to each other without having to yell. Overall it was ok, but I think the location is Mission Valley has way better service. The employees here need to care more about their tables and not socializing. read more

Horrible place !! Last time I was here they took 1 hour to bring me my food incomplete and wrong . I decided to give this place one more try and this happened Sat down for 15 minutes and nobody came to take my order. I left read more

I accidentally drove my son and his best friend here one Sunday afternoon. We were supposed to go to the one in Mission Valley, but for some reason, my GPS took us here. It's located inside Carlsbad shopping mall. The place is huge. I kinda liked it, especially since the kids love it because the games pay out more compared to the one in Mission Valley. They were both happy getting plenty of points, so the following day, my son wanted me to take him again. He specifically wanted to come back for this machine. He was enjoying it so much and was really good at it that he accumulated 8,489 points in less than one hour, which doesn't normally happen often. We were very excited picking his prize, and when we went to the cashier, for some reason, his card was locked or whatever happened--I don't understand--it took them too long to give us the prizes. One of the guys, i think he was the manager, asked us if we used the app. I was confused about what he meant by using the app. Never heard of an app as We always use the play card. He couldn't help us, so the lady stepped up and took care of it for us. It took too long, but we got our prizes, so that made us leave happy. Two weeks later, my son asked me to take him back there again, and I did, but to our dismay, they changed the program of the machine. It no longer asked for a $6 credit per swipe but $12 credits per swipe each time you want to play, and it doesn't give out as many points anymore like last time we were there, so that was kind of a bummer. It was not as fun anymore, so I guess we won't be coming back here again, but that was a fun experience, though also frustrating. read more

Dave & Buster's Carlsbad - Sports Bars Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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We reserved a table for 6 for the USA vs Belgium World Cup game. We used the offer $24.99 for all you can eat wings +fries incl an all day game card each for our 2 kids. Service 5/5 very friendly and attentive. We changed our 4 person to 6 people reservation without a problem and got seated earlier. Our waitress Jamie was very attentive. I saw who might be the manager adjusting tables to accommodate the guests. Food 5/5 for arcade food. The wings were crispy outside, tender inside. Fried were delicious. Ordered a pasta dish and the cheese flatbread for the kids and they liked it very much. That's what matters dining out with children. Ambiance 5/5 a lot of people came for the game and it was very fun to cheer together. Kids were alternating playing games and coming back for food. Cleanliness 5/5 waiters are very attentive, employees were constantly cleaning up the tables at the game area. Restrooms pretty clean. Compared to other D&B locations, this one is in the top 2. We would definitely come back for another soccer World Cup game. read more

Did receive a welcome at entry, turned an immediate left into the dining area sat for a while with no waiter or waitress in sight. I had to get up and go to the front and ask if we order somewhere or were waited on & was told that they would make sure that they got a server waited a little while and then finally got a server. No condiments at the table so I was searching for some salt and pepper ..If you know yourself and you go here on an empty stomach and you pay too much for a tropical mai tai and you have zero buzz factor, It's clear it was watered down or had no alcohol at all. Ordered fries once & liked them enough to order them again same evening. The second time they're ordered it felt like half the amount of the first order..Caesar salad just OK & probably not going back. read more

Celebrated a birthday and this was a great hangout place for the family. The kids enjoyed the games a lot and most everything looked well maintained and clean. Love that you can have a meal and hang out and play the Arcade afterwards. The food we ordered was really good. Had to deduct one star though because the birthday boys kid's meal wasn't served until we were all done eating. Total bummer. I would expect at least the kids meal to be refunded or something but nothing was offered other than the explanation that the kids meal tickets get printed differently in the kitchen and hence it was missed. I understand, however that was your mistake. If I may make another suggestion for improvement. The paper towels in the bathroom go straight into the trash bin and hang there when the dispenser is activated. That is not optimal. Other than that, a great time was had. Fun place. read more

Dave & Buster's Carlsbad - View from restaurant booth - Sports Bars Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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I celebrate my birthday here almost every single year. It's perfect because they have a full bar, good bar food, and lots of arcade games! They also have TVs where they play sports. You can order from a table or the bar and you can walk around playing games with your drink. Most games have tables next to them so you can set your drink down while you play. They use a game card for you to put points on to play games and the tickets you win are also on that card. I've had my game card for over 10 years so I have a lot of tickets I'm saving up for a really good prize one of these days. Servers have always been friendly. read more

Dave & Buster's Carlsbad - Sports Bars Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Came here for happy hour on Friday to celebrate the start of Memorial Day weekend and as we sat down, we asked for a happy hour menu and the bartender said that as of today, there is no more happy hour. Only discounts on "light beers". As we don't typically game, the only reason we came to D&B was because of the great happy hour and now that reason has been taken away. read more

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amazing so much games and food on the menu great us of money and will go all the time

Shoutout to our server Betty!! Yesterday we had a big family reservation and she was so attentive, happy and fun! I absolutely loved how even at the end she remembered it was my son's 10th birthday. This was our best visit to this location and we owe a lot to Betty for her patience, kindness and hardwork! Edwards family read more

Dave and Busters in Carlsbad merits a three-star rating. The experience was satisfactory, featuring numerous arcade games that provided entertainment. The food offerings were average, including staples such as pizza, burgers, chicken tenders, and sliders. The service was adequate; the server was courteous but did not check on us frequently. The atmosphere is predominantly lively and chaotic, with backlighting that hampers visibility. Overall, the environment can be characterized as quite tumultuous. In summary, Dave and Busters in Carlsbad warrants a three-star rating. read more

All I can say is if you don't come on a day they have a promotion be prepared to spend quite some money. Not only is it very expensive, but the time goes by very fast...... I have three kids and let's just say I always spend over $100 on just games! read more

Dave & Buster's Carlsbad - Sports Bars Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Best happy hour out there. Full bar, cocktails between 5 and 6$. Unbeatable. The bartenders are friendly and efficient. The food is ok, not great. The arcade is well maintained with good variety of games. The giant hoops connect-4 is fun. read more

We stopped by to celebrate my little sisters birthday here :) Pros -plenty of games to play -not over crowded -I don't care much for the games but found myself playing a few -prizes aren't too bad -most of the game machines looked clean -plenty of bathroom stalls and they have family bathrooms too cons -extremely warm inside I know yall can afford AC :/ -foul odor towards the back headed towards the bathrooms -plenty of abandoned unattended alcoholic drinks even on the childrens games read more

Dave & Buster's Carlsbad - Sports Bars Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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We showed up pretty last minute to watch the fight tonight and had an amazing experience with our server Carolina. And when I say we, I mean me and my 10 closest cousins (no exaggeration) we were seated daily quickly, our drinks and food came out on time and perfect. Carolina made sure we had refills, sauces and everything needed to enjoy the fight. Her vibe is so friendly and fun! Will def be back. read more

Gabe was taking care of us at the bar, we had a great time! To bad he is a dodger fan this is an amazing place to watch baseball the whole bar seems into it and are very talkative about it! read more

Was here on a Saturday around 3pm. My experience was great with our server Mitchell very attentive and friendly. Food quality was way better than the Irvine Spectrum- ordered pretzel dogs, sweet potato fries, bar burger and wings platter. It was hot and tasty. Overall a good experience. read more

Dave & Buster's Carlsbad - Main bar area. Good TV and seating area. - Sports Bars Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Excellent service outstanding. Good food. Great place to watch the Padres. Great energy

Dave & Buster's is always a fun time, and this was my first visit to this location. It was missing a few of the dance games I've seen at other spots, but overall still enjoyable. The food was consistent with other locations, pretty solid for an arcade-style restaurant. My only complaint is the boneless wings came with a dry rub and no extra sauce on the side, so they ended up a bit dry. read more

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Another great experience for our wish kid! I'm a Make A Wish, wish granter and today we brought our 15 year old wish kid to Dave and Busters to give him his itinerary for his upcoming trip to NZ. Eric, our waiter, and Jeff were both super accommodating and welcoming of our group! They really know how to treat a wish kids well! Thanks for being a partner to Make A Wish! read more

Dave & Buster's Carlsbad - Wish kid and family - Sports Bars Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Really disappointed. My wife left a pair of shoes she bought at the Bartop. We called and were told they have them and it's okay to pick them up. Being in the restaurant industry we are busy and couldnt call back until Monday/tuesday, which is most industry employees days off and the shoes were taken by an employee or manager. We get it's been a week, but the shoes were confirmed to be in the managers office. You all messed up so enjoy the bad review from a husband and wife that are also currently bartenders/servers. Staff of thieves! read more

we had a great experience dining here! the food was delicious and the staff were pleasant :) our waitress Alejandra was very sweet! excellent service! games were fun! we will be back read more

It's loud. Lots of kids and adult kids as well but that's the reason you're there. It's a good place to come with the family, have a drink, watch a game and let loose a bit (all ages). Food is decent and their menu has gotten an upgrade which is nicer than the old one. You still have your classic items plus some new ones to try. We like the Eat Play Win Combos when available to get a power card. read more

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This place was ok. When purchasing tokens, it said that you have to purchase the VR ones separately. It turns out that the VR is something separate which wasn't operating at that time. The Star Wars VR uses regular tokens. The Star Wars game was also kind of disappointing. read more

Dave & Buster's Carlsbad - Sports Bars Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Great service, good drinks and lots of fun with the family playing the arcade games! Definitely makes a great night out

We went mid-day on a Thursday. It was pretty empty. Park near the Cheesecake Factory as it is right across from it with the entrance in the inside of the mall. The place was overall very clean. Since it was not busy, we just sat ourselves down on one of the booths and had the kids explore the games near by. There were two servers of which one seems to be a new staff. Other than us having to ask for utensils the staff was good. Towards the end of our meal the staff finally started to smile so I think it was just due to being a bit nervous. Good overall was good. They were hot and came out quickly. The cheese sticks stack is 5 pieces, crispy and full of cheese. The Cali Avo salad was a bit too saucy but had an abundance of toppings and lots of chicken. I just packed the rest of the chicken home and left the salad since it would be too mushy if I packed it. Came with a lot of tomato's and croutons as well. The kids menu doesn't come with any sides but simply what you order in a small portion. So if you have kids that don't eat a lot it would be perfect. The gaming area was kept nice and clean and saw staff working around the place fixing and cleaning. A nice location to bring kids and family. read more

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We hosted our fantasy football draft here and it was such an incredible experience. We had our own room that was very professional looking along with a tv and projector screen. We were having issues getting our computer to display our draft board and the team at Dave and Busters spent like 30 minutes helping us trouble shoot it and getting it to work. It was an incredible value booking the room. We also got unlimited non ticket games all night for only a couple of dollars more. I was incredibly impressed by them and they truly blew my expectations out of the water. I'd absolutely recommend this Dave and Busters for any hosted event. read more

It's ok. It does what it's supposed to. It's a great indoor place for kids and teens to hang out.