Never have I been so poorly treated as in this establishment. Our server took our order but it never arrived. I had to order my drinks from the bar and pay for them there. After waiting an hour for food, which never showed up I went up to the bar again and they said the order was never placed. I went to complain to the manager and I told him that he had the worst service ever, which he replied "thank you." I told him I didn't mean to be rude but I didn't get the service expected. Asked me where I was sitting and I told him where. He apologized but did nothing at the time to make up for the service until he saw me leaving. He offered me free game cards. Although he tried to make up for his mistake I left felling really bad because he didn't take me seriously the first time and insulted me. Don't think I am ever coming back. I came here for nice time but left feeling humiliated. Go to The Main Event instead. read more

This place is beyond awesome!!!!! The food is awesome!!! Try the quesadilla bites!!!! To die for!!!!! Their sushi is awesome too!!!! The drinks!!!! OMG!!!! I had the Pinky Punch and it will catch up to you in no time!!! The atmosphere was very relaxing. The games bring back so many memories. And the staff is just delightful!!!! Oh, please try their Power Pellets. They are like donut holes with either chocolate or Nutella in the middle. YUMMY!!!! read more

Very fun atmosphere. I absolutely love all the old school games they have there. And the prices are good. Like the old days, 25 cents to a dollar to play. I haven't eaten here yet but I plan to one day. And bowl. read more

I don't typically review on yelp but I felt I had to after seeing the negative reviews of this place. Went there tonight to celebrate my mom's birthday and all I can say is awesome! Food exceeded my expectations. Steak tartar, steak wrapped in bacon, flat iron steak, pork chop, and short ribs were crazy good. Our waiter was awesome. Even brought my 8 month old teething son some bread to crunch on. We will definitely be back. read more

We came here for lunch, my son had no school. Apparently we arrived before the chef so our food took a while. We also started with 1 waitress who never returned because she was "busy". My Mom asked "can we at least have some water?" to our next waitress who apologized. The pizza was saggy, runny and gross - could be because we got there "before the chef". The sushi was good but if I'd known it was chopped fish, I wouldn't have ordered it. We received 1 pizza for free, I would have preferred to have never gone there at all. read more

paid 40 dollars for bowling for 40 minutes and for half the time our lanes wouldn't work bad service and poor quality in shoes and balls.

I loved this place. Really great for nostalgic video games, and still fairly upscale for a place centered around Pac-Man. We went 2 nights in a row. Our food was very good. I recommend the Amish Chicken. The only negative was the bartender, Mark V. I asked for an Old Fashioned, a drink that I never order, I just thought I would try something different. The guy was no help with suggesting a good bourbon for it. He came across as a bartender that was too cool to be working at a themed restaurant. I hate guys like this. I guess even fun, family friendly places can have rude bartenders. I was also shocked that an Old Fashioned with Jim Beam cost $13, as well. Anyway, the place is great overall. Stick to beer or drinks during happy hour. read more

Really cool atmosphere, but the music is too loud. In order to have a conversation with someone, you have to be able to hear them.

The concept is great and the place is very well designed, but my boyfriend and I found the menu to be on the expensive side, and service was just okay. Food was good, but not worth the cost. I really wanted to love this place, but it was just okay. My favorite part of the restaurant was the gift shop; they have some really cute items, and I bought a cute bag with store name and pac man logo for less than $5. read more

I have to say this was our first time here and I didn't know what to expect, but from the minute we walked in I felt like the staff really cared about their jobs and went above and beyond to make sure you had an amazing experience. We started out by playing video games and it was fun not only to play the bold games, but the multiplayer versions made it seem like new games. After that we had dinner. We were will someone who had Celiac Disease and everyone was very aware of what to do and was thorough on how they did everything. I had the salmon special which was probably one of the best pieces of salmon I've ever had...the skin was perfect too. My wife had the scallops and really enjoyed them and my son had the gluten free pizza. All great choices and once again I cannot say enough about the staff as well. read more

Reserved a party for 25 guests (20 adults + 5 kids). When we arrived, the restaurant had set up a couple of long tables next to each other and for many, this would have been the ideal set-up however since we had about 3-5 kids that would require high chairs (and the table being high), the management quickly gathered a couple of additional hands to bring out a couple of low tables and 4 high chairs). This was as professional as it gets in a busy restaurant. We had a great server - BLAKE who handled a multiple tab environment and made sure everyone was happy with their food and drinks. All of us were able to play games, eat and drink for a few hours. NOTE: For anyone looking to bring kids, this is a great place, but if you do not get a booth, make note if you are bringing kids as many of the tables are HIGH TOP style. read more

Put our name on the wait list. We were told 45 minutes. After an hour checked where we were on the list. Was told they were clearing a table and it would be a couple of minutes. After another 30 minutes and we were still not seated we left. read more

I ordered the lasagna and we had cheese dip and chicken wings for a appetite. The food was extremely good. The lasagna could use more sauce but I still ate it. :) read more

Been twice and loved the Cuban Sandwich here and the mixed drinks, didn't play many of the games or bowl. Happy with service and servers in my experiences. read more

Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. Employees were nice, but inattentive. We had to retrieve our own food from the server. We asked several times, but never got our bowling shoes. $50 for a lane for an hour and I had to bowl in heels. read more

The food was really good and the service was great. The pizza and nachos were super good. The games were all fun and everyone had fun bowling. The place was clean and fun. The theme was pack man and was really cool. read more

Just seems to be mismanaged our waitress was covering the bar seating the bowling alley and some tables by the arcade. The food was elementary and pricey for what it is. The bar had probably 30 glasses spread across it even though there was only one guy chilling eating while the bar was completely unattended. And the bowling balls have legit holes in them terrible experience over all. read more

It was really fun! Vintage Game Works with a casual and relaxed vibe. Really enjoyed it

I love this place. I have been there twice now for dinner and both times it did not disappoint. Great atmosphere, service was good. Last night we had a server-in-training. Mike. He did a wonderful job. The trainer seriously only stood by him like once. Mike was very attentive - kind, clearly nervous at first, but warmed up. Recommended some really good dishes. I had the salmon and my husband had the Ribeye. (i mean how can you go wrong w/ a Ribeye?!) The IPA beer flight hit the spot and we had cinnamon ice cream for dessert a perfect finish to a fun evening. We have yet to actually PLAY THE GAMES, but will for sure be back for another date night! read more

This place is fantastic. It is a hidden gem in Woodfield Mall. The food is to perfection. The menu items and the quality of the food is extremely fresh and a huge selection. The staff is friendly and bring your items extremely fast. The games they offer is like stepping into your childhood. And did I mention they have bowling. I would highly recommend Level 257 to anyone that wants to have a great time and enjoy great food! read more

This was our first visit. For each adult entree ordered we got 1 hour of game time. The food was good, the service was a bit slow. The restaurant wasn't crowded on a rainy Saturday. We had fun playing games after lunch. This is a great option on a cold day. read more

Family afternoon bowling with wife and two kids. Facilities are very hip and cool. Service on there other hand... Either very understaffed or just don't care. Slow food and drinks while bowling, no napkins or silverware with food, no water after two requests. I saw very few employees throughout my visit. I doubt I will be back unless there are drastic changes. read more

Thank you Scotty and Matt! We had a great time! :) Level 257 is a very fun and unique thing to happen to the suburbs. The service was impressive- probably the best I've ever received. Food was delicious. Do get appetizers and pizzas. We tried the gnocchi, bacon wrapped dates, and something tartare? The originator pizza was perfect. I recommend them all. Oh- and don't forget dessert. Power pellets. Yum! read more

The place looks great! Nice restrooms! Great gift shop. Game lineup is very nice and the quality is high!

Excellent food, excellent service, very clean and professional. The bathrooms even have cloth towels to dry your hands! The game area is just ok. An hour of time is a bit too much unless you like to sit at one machine. Pretty cool set of traditional, vintage machines and pinball. The bowling looks great for a small party. We had a great time. read more

Feels like a waste of space to me. Not many games and all are classics. Nice bowling area. But thing that bothers me is they close to early and kids were rumning around at 10pm. Does not seem like a place for younger adults. More older adults who wana get out the house. If that's there target audience then its a nice place. read more

I decided to give this place a go. When I walked I , we were hit with a strong headache-inducing smell of chemicals. They said they had a leak and would be fixing that. It seemed like an upscale Game Works inside. The servers looked fancy. I ordered a hickory bbq burger. The bun was salty and buttery. The meat was a little dry. I did not like that it did not include lettuce and a tomato and onion on the side. The fries are a unique shape, an excellent vehicle for dipping ketchup. My spouse got the quesadilla bites. They were described as, "okay" and "nothing to write home about." $12 with get you literally one quesadilla cut into bites. The inside filling was almost puréed. Our waitress was attentive and did box up our food and labeled it. The other cool thing was that they have water there that they triple distill, and you can get it still or sparkling for no charge. The dessert was delicious. It was a chocolaty almondy Nutella raspberry deal. I forgot the name. Would we return? The spouse and I are at a maybe consensus, if they fix that awful chemical smell. read more

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I have been to 257 three times now and I gotta say, the atmosphere is truly awesome! The food is surprisingly really good, beforehand I had thought it would simply be mediocre bar/arcade food but i was extremely surprised. They had a good variety of food ranging from bbq chicken pizzas to bacon wrapped filet mignon kabobs filled with cheese (thats my favorite appetizer)! In terms of the arcade they have basically any type of game you can think of & the bowling is nice due to the fact that a waiter waits on you while you bowl. During the month of july they had free bowling Monday through Thursdays and my friends and I really enjoyed that, all we needed to pay was $4 for shoes and what ever food/drink we purchased. Overall, this is a great place to simply hang out with they family, gets drinks with the guys, or host a party! read more

This place is really cool, if you like retro gaming and bar-style food. I met up with several friends here on a Sunday and it was a bit too noisy. We were right next to the bowling alley and pinball machines. Also, I think they were short-staffed because our server wasn't always around when we needed him. However, Pac-Man Entertainment always has deals for each day of the week. On that Sunday, it was "buy any entree and get a complimentary 60-minute game card." If you're in the Woodfield area, I recommend you take a look! read more

This place was awesome! It's like an adult arcade! They have a sports bar area, a bowling area, and an arcade. It was a little hard because we parked else where. We ended up having to to through the mall to find it. But there is a parking lot right in front of it next to a Sears if I recall correctly. We went for a couple of beers and to watch the NBA finals. Definitely a cool vibe with some friendly people working there. read more

Been here a few times in the past few months and service is always spectacular. But management is the worse I have ever seen. You seem them once in a blue moon. There was a time me and my husband were there for a few hours never saw them once. And when its busy you dont see them at all. It's like they dont care. I notice these things because I've worked in restaurants most of my life and hate shitty management. And they are by far the worst managers I've seen. Hope they read this and this is a wake up call for them. Be a team player just cause you're a manager doesnt mean you get to sit on your ass all day. Care about your job. read more

I went here for my birthday in late August. They had a free bowling special. I had never been. I love the Pac Man theme, and the food and beer were great. All of the employees were very attentive, and the arcade area is super fun! I recommend checking it out. read more

Middle of the day Friday, took the kids. Front desk was slow to check us in. Bowled for 30 minutes, no one came by to help us or take a food or drink order. Kids liked the Pac-Man theme but we will not be back. Bad service so we left. read more

This was my first visit to Level 257. The cocktail menu looked intriguing; I ordered the 257 Mule, which was a tasty spin on a Moscow Mule. I was torn between ordering a couple of appetizers, a burger, or a Cuban sandwich; the Cubano won. I didn't have a lot of room left, but I did try out a dessert: banana pretzel bread pudding, served hot with cinnamon ice cream and a pretty puddle of caramel. My server, David, said that it was his favorite, and I have tasted why. I was stuffed and brought half of it home. read more

The food was AVEAGE the atmosphere was very nice but the service was OKAY. I felt they could have done better, and also they messed couple of our orders. Overall it's a nice place but their employees just need to lighten up. read more

Went here for a child's birthday party. Great place for adults and kids. I like that it's upstairs so it feels a little safer for when kids are off on their own!! Great games, bowling and yummy food! read more

The service was decent, and the staff very friendly. We ordered the nachos app which were really tasty. They didn't have their drafts on the menu so I had get up from the table and to go to the bar and order off their chalk board. I then had the Thai salad, I have to stop ordering things that clearly don't belong on the menu. I thought it might be safe because they actually have a sushi menu but it came out as 90% lettuce and 8% wonton crackers and 1% avocado and 1% misc. It was not a pretty salad and they forgot the dressing as well. The server was very apologetic and brought me out the wedge salad which was fantastic. So think American arcade bar=don't order not American food and you should be fine. We then loaded $20 on a game card which surprisingly lasted as a long time. There were a number of games that were out of order. Beware of the 4 player large screen battle pac man (one of my favorites). It is really hard to complete when all of the joysticks are broken/worn out, $2 gone. All and all we had decent food at a decent price, we had fun. I want to give this place 4 or 5 stars but they really need to rethink their menu and probably replace some of the people who take care of their gaming machines. read more

The Place Has Changed In The Last Few Weeks, And Not For The Better. People Did Not Seem As Friendly. And The Game Placement Seems Stupidly Layed Out. Don't Think I'll Be Coming Back. read more

Lets start with food because that was where Level 257 (surprisingly) really shines. Food: Our server (Thomas) was prompt and very friendly and he went out of his way to make sure we had a good experience in the dining area. We were both going to get Cubanos but he suggested a Ruben and I'm glad he did. The Cubano was delicious and everything was cooked perfectly, but the Ruben was the best I'd had in a very long time (maybe 5+ years). Stellar. At $12 and $15 these were at the upper limit of what I'd even spend for a sandwich, but I'm happy to report that unlike a lot of restaurants I felt like I really was eating a $15 sandwich. Someone in the kitchen at Level 257 loves food, that much is clear. On another bright note, my 10-year old son recently had orthodontia put in so he has had some trouble eating solid foods for the past few days, and Thomas offered to make him a milkshake even though they're not on the menu. As others have said here, that's what service is all about. Overall I'd give the food and dining service here very high marks. It's pricey, but certainly within a comfortable splurging range for what it is. Decor: Pretty neat, actually! I'd seen YouTube videos and I had a couple of concerns. First, I thought a restaurant that was too-tightly themed around Pac-Man might quickly get old. Second, I was concerned that it would come across as too corporate, with sort of a Disney-level branding of every little thing to the n-th degree. I was pleasantly surprised that neither of these were the case. It didn't feel too in-your-face or corporate at all, and Pac-Man was more of a pleasant recurring theme than the entire point of the restaurant. Especially nice, and could be developed further I thought, was the inclusion of video game memorabilia in various places with some occasional explanatory signage almost like a Planet Hollywood or a Hard Rock Cafe. Not just classic arcade cabinets but, for example, shelves with boxed copies of Space Invaders or a wood-grain Atari 2600. It's nostalgic for me, but might actually constitute a piece of history to someone as young as my son, which makes them a really welcome deepening of the "retro" experience for those curious about more than just what it would be like if Wolfgang Puck ran a Chuck-E-Cheese. Games: All of the pieces were in place for this to be a total home-run: they have dynamite examples of well-cared-for classic arcade games, including rarer ones like Robotron 2048, Star Castle, and a really nice Missile Command. They had a pretty hefty selection of old and new pinball machines (cool) and some really neat one-offs that I've never seen before like a cabinet that lets you play level 255 of Pac-Man, a Pac-Man air-hockey table, and huge wall-sized versions of two-player Pac-Man and Space Invaders. Very cool. They had a variety of new machines as well, including a few of those with rumble seats and wind effects and all that. The Star Wars Battle Pod was one of these, and it was crazy-fun; like playing the old Sega Star Wars Trilogy game but in a little mini IMAX theater. Here's my main complaint: the machines are waaaay too expensive to play and, to make matters worse, they're leaning hard on those (gosh darn, but in stronger language) ticket redemption games. My son cannot resist these, and they eat through your game card credits almost instantly, because that's what they're designed to do. Ok, so Chuck-E-Cheese gets the last laugh, but at least at Chuck-E-Cheese they only cost $0.25 to play, not $1.00 or $1.50. I'll happily plunk down $2.00 to fly an X-wing in that Battle Pod but, real talk here for a second: ticket machines are the absolute pits when you're a parent. When I learned about Level 257 the first two things I heard about it were that you could pay one price and play all you wanted, and that there was a cool gift store. Neither of these were the case today, which is just a big, puzzling disappointment. It's like at Disney World where there's a gift shop at the end of every ride you don't want a souvenir of EXCEPT Captain Eo, which you do. The final flaw was when I attempted to just buy one of the ticket prizes the way every parent forks over for in every Chuck-E-Cheese, I was informed that it wasn't permitted. My son earned 138 points playing games on a $20 game card, and the little stuffed $0.75 cent Pac Man ghost my son wanted, the cheapest prize in the redemption area, was 400 tickets. My son was crestfallen to learn this and I very nearly just walked out on our dinner reservations in disgust myself. Come on, guys, do you just hate parents or something? You're making Chuck-E-Cheese look good! Get your act together: your games are why people come here, they shouldn't be a reason to stay away. Final thoughts: Something of a bummer, really; go there for the food, service, and old arcade games, but stay away from the ticket crap, don't take kids who are used to more forgiving game prices, and don't (sigh/frown) expect any cool souvenirs. read more

So so expensive. 2.00 to play a game for 2 sec. that's a rip off. Service was slow. We ordered a chocolate cookie skillet, menu said it takes 20min. We got it in 8 min and it was definitely microwaved. We also ordered the pac-man cookies,they have no taste to them. I would definitely go back if they lowered the price of the games: definitely not a place to bring a family . Go to chuckie cheese read more