Love this place! took my younger siblings and they had a blast. Minecraft and quick shot are definitely my personal favorites, and the corn dogs were so good. A perfect place for the young and old, there's something for everyone. read more

Joysticks Arcade & Eatery - Eatertainment Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

Not sure when exactly this place came into existence but it seems to have few reviews and pictures to give you any idea how nicely decorated it is on the inside. I love arcade places but many of them have an old run down feel and this one seems nice and shiny. There's lots of cool stuff to look at and rest your eyes on. I tried to take a million more pictures, but for some reason my app would not cooperate. There are still a lot of cool old school games, but they are residing in a nicer environment than other similar places. I also appreciate a place with solid single stall bathroom, but they do require a key which is kind of annoying. It's a nice place to spend a couple hours if you happen to be hanging out in downtown McMinnville, particularly if you like video games/pinball, but even if you don't it might be a fun place for a drink/meal. It's at least worth a peak inside if you happen to be out walking in the area. There are a lot of beer/ciders on tap, but only a few tables to sit at. I didn't sample the food, but witnessed a few people getting delivery. Some of the menu has a fair feel to it. I appreciated the large row of pinball machines, but found that the 1$ a game price caused my money to go by faster than I preferred. Due to the high cost I spent more time playing other games which I would have normally skipped over, but maybe this made the visit more fun. It wasn't very crowded when I visited but it was early in the day. It wasn't super clear what the covid expectations were, this has been a bit more obvious at other arcades I have visited during the pandemic. read more

Joysticks Arcade & Eatery - Row of pinball - Eatertainment Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

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I was driving through McMinnville a couple weeks ago and thought this would be a cool place to stop at. There are tons of games here and most of them are in very good condition. If you're going strictly for the games, you may have a decent time here. My first impression was quickly soured when I went to order a drink with my partner. "$17." I balked at the price internally but paid- we didn't order anything exotic, just a Dead Guy Ale and a cider on tap. I know inflation sucks and prices have gone up, but over eight dollars each? The bartender was also unfriendly and borderline hostile, so I wasn't going to inquire and moved on. We quickly discovered there were almost no tables except one right in the middle of the walkway (aside from bar seating.) We went to sit but the volume from two different TVs made it impossible for us to have a conversation or even hear our own thoughts. It was Spongebob and some other kids programming that was obnoxious; note to the owner, please keep the TV on mute! There's a reason most bars keep TVs on mute unless it's a special event. So instead we found two barstools and found a quiet corner, where we quickly drank so we could get out. It was super uncomfortable and on the verge of being miserable; we arrived wanting to order food and have a good time, and left agitated. My impression is that this place was founded by a dedicated fan of gaming who put little thought into the execution. The business model is tried and true (see Ground Kontrol in Portland or Barcade in several large cities,) so it is completely doable. More work needs to be put in to make it comfortable and accessible- as of now, it feels more like a collection where drinking/eating is secondary rather than the desired opposite. read more

Joysticks is a quaint arcade with a fair selection of rare games. I stopped in because I saw the word "Pinball" prominently displayed on the outside signage. The entire pinball selection was approximately 6 new Stern machines, so this was a bit disappointing. The interior seems crowded, and appears to have been a different business in the past. If you're in the neighborhood, it is worth stopping in, but I'd not necessarily recommend it as a destination. read more

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Fun family friendly place with good eats! Good food for the family and drinks for mom and dad. Plus FRIED OREOS AND ELEPHANT EARS

Located in downtown McMinnville. Plenty of street parking around. Would recommend for a portion of a date night, but not as a destination spot. Definitely owned by a geek who enjoys toys. Cool to just look around at all this stuff on the walls. Such potential here, but (like Retro Pizza Co in Amity) it has some red flags. First, dont come here to eat. Food looks edible- but rule #1 is: if the business doesn't give you tables and chairs, they don't believe in their food. This place had about 4-6 stools at the bar, and buddy table pulled up to bar (like people saw a lot in 2020), and one 4-seater table HORRIBLY misplaced in the front entry area- bruuuutally sandwiched between a Pong table and 4player Pacman. So, you may have WANTED somewhere to sit and chat with a beer between games, but, forget it because this place doesnt offer that. This place does offer a pretty comprehensive array of game machines. Drivers, shooters, kiddie prize machines, classics, fighters, etc. So, if you are looking to just go in and have a beer and play some games this is a good spot. The PROBLEM is they didn't put enough drink holders on the gaming floor, so there is no where to rest your beer while you play which immediately disqualifies this place from being a true Bar Arcade (if thats what they are shooting for). Most games are just a quarter. They need to remove about 15 machines and replace that space with more seating. Sometimes less is more. This is especially OBVIOUS when you look at busted up machines. Toobin's monitor was way too dim. Arm wrestling game was one step away from dying. Pole Position was...some...useless hack junk. And on and on. Just dump those and give me a chair to sit and chill at! Also, they decided to incorporate video lotto in a separate room here. Super awkward to hear some drunk, swearing women in this room (with little kids just on the other side of the paper-thin walls.) Also, bathrooms were locked. You had to retrieve a key to piss. I hate this. read more

The food is great and the tap list is long. Also a favorable selection of local fun eclectic ciders and wines. HOWEVER, there is NO comfortable seating, unless you want to sit at the bar, or outside!! The trade off is that, THE GAME OPPORTUNITIES ARE FROM MANY ERAS AND IN MULTITUDE TO. Did you enjoy Pinball in your youth, then come here. Then explore the Shooting Gallery, play Golf, Guitar Hero, Simulated Racing...the games can and will keep you busy for hours!! read more

This is a small barcade with several beer, wine, coffee, and food options. They had a selection of corn dogs, cotton candy, and other bar-type food. We unfortunately had plans to eat elsewhere, but the food options did look good! As far as the games, the selection is more limited than others I've been to, and some of the games seemed overpriced (one play of pinball for $1). We came and played everything we wanted to, and left after about 5 minutes. We love a good barcade, but this one could have a few more options for more reasonable prices. read more

Super fun new retro arcade beautiful design and architecture plus cool pinball and classic arcade games! Good beer selection and kid friendly! Also fair type fun food menu! Great service location and super clean! read more

Joysticks Arcade & Eatery - Eatertainment Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

If you love pinball...this place isn't for you. All the machines are on very difficult settings, no ball save, incredibly touchy tilt sensors etc. Some games said they are $2 for 3 plays, but only actually give you 2 plays, when I asked about it I was told to call the other location. Ever heard the expression "stepping over a dime to pick up a nickel"? This place in a nutshell. Instead of being a place I want to frequent, because I do love pinball, I have had one disappointing experience and won't be back. read more

The arcade has a nice design and appears to have a lot of fun games. The food is okay. The portions are small for the price. It would almost make up for it if they had decent pizza. The other arcade locations that share an owner, Mikey's Pizzeria & Retro Pizza, have great pizza. This location has fry bread pizza - which tastes fine, but is pretty chewy and has no indication of the size of the pizza on the menu. Hint: it is a 7"x7" square single portion for $15-$16. That is the same price the other locations sell a small pizza for, but the fry bread pizza is about the size of two slices at most. Don't come here if you're hungry and not willing spend a lot of money for a small amount of food. Also don't come here if you're craving pizza - that was my mistake. read more

Fun place. Classic games, real pinball. Good food that just bad for you, lol. Though they do have sliders and other non-fried options. I just have a weakness for a real hand dipped corndog. read more