For my 1100th review, I am going to write about my amazing experience at Level One Bar+ Arcade! I promised my brother a surprise during our trip to Columbus, OH if he passed his insurance agents license. He passed, so I took him to Level One Bar+ Arcade. I did it to have some brother bonding time. Its been years since either one of us had stepped into an arcade and really spent hours playing in one. Some of our fondest memories together occurred while playing video games and in video arcades. Thus, it was wonderful to relive those moments together and create new memories at another video arcade. Really cool place, ambience definitely is a cool classical arcade that just happens to have a bar inside. Tons of games here! You can find all the classics, Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, etc. Talk about memories... i remember playing Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat at arcades when I was in grade school. I got go relive memories when I played X-Men the Arcade Game, a game I beat at an arcade when I was in middle school. The only disappointment was with Rampage. I jumped for joy when I saw it! I loved playing as either George, Ralph, or Lizzie as gigantic monsters devouring the worlds population and destroying cities when i was younger! Alas! It was not operable! My years away from playing video games showed my rusty skills. I used to be a beast in games, i did alright but man have my skills deteriorated since college. Again, we played for hours, and had a great time together. We did not spend a lot of money, all non-pinball games are free. We also did play some pinball games like The Walking Dead, and You Only Live Twice. Level One Bar+ Arcade made our last night in Columbus, a wonderful night. I definitely recommend coming here! read more

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This place is pretty rad. A friend and I grabbed sushi next door and as we were leaving noticed this place and decided to stop in for a drink and a few games. It's pretty big and gave me total Stranger Things vibes. A little 90's esque, Christmas lights strung around, some of your old favorite games, and a few newer ones. Pro-tip - Purchase a drink at the bar and most games are free to play. Pinball will still cost you some quarters and maybe a few others. We each grabbed a drink at the bar and started with some mortal Combat and PacMan. The place was actually pretty busy for being a Tuesday night. I would definitely come back, either with friends or on a date. Heck, I would even bring my nephews here when it's all ages (only on Sundays, I think). read more

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One of my favorite places ever. Good games and great drinks. My favorite is the princess peach

Came here on a Sunday afternoon where it's all ages from 12p-6p and all games are free except pinball and skeeball. We've been going to a few different arcades in town and this place has one of the better selections I've seen compared to most. I feel like an arcade should have MOST of the following: Donkey Kong, Frogger, PacMan, Galaga, and QBert, plus a few personal faves like Rampage, Burger Time, and Contra. This place has most of those games or at least variations (I.e. Ms. PacMan instead of regular PacMan). They also have board games if you're a more analog gamer! The staff was friendly and helpful and the location is accessible (easy parking, right off the highway) My only complaint is the draft selection was pretty much all IPAs. I understand craft beers are all the rage right now, but if you want me to stay and have a few beers while I play, a nice Pilsner or lager would be ideal. Just my two cents. I'm not knocking their score for it since it's my own personal preference but it was just kind of annoying. On the flip side TONS of drink options for kids (mocktails, juice, sodas, and even Capri Sun) All in all a great experience and we'll be back. read more

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Barcades are my happy place. Of all the barcades that have popped up in Columbus, Level One is my fave. What it lacks in square footage, it makes up for in atmosphere, service, and PINBALL. So. Much. Pinball! The Level One staff keeps the place super clean and the games are almost always in good working order. Of course, the cocktail and beer offerings are top notch. It's definitely worth noting that they're kid friendly during the day. I've taken my son several times and he's had a blast. The bartenders are happy to make him a kid friendly drink - even if it's just a simple lemonade. And I'm happy with the local beer selection! Cheers, Level One! read more

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Good bar: I didn't drink TOO much last night, but the mixed drink menu looked fun and interesting, as did the extensive, diverse beer selection. Great arcade: Here is THE key point: If the games aren't in working order, it doesn't matter if they're free or not. The games at Level One are in great shape. There's a nice mixture of blockbusters (Donkey Kong, Defender, Asteroids, etc.) and more obscure, but equally fun, games (such as Elevator Action, Robotron, Tapper, and Assault). And, as an added bonus, all of the video games ARE set to free play...all the owners ask is that you buy a drink, or two. As of last night, there were 22 pinball machines. Today's tables, such as The Munsters, Iron Maiden, and Deadpool are heavily represented. But, there're also cool machines from the past (such as 1978's Bobby Orr's Power Play, Mousin' Around, Tales from the Crypt, Bonzai Run, etc.). I was surprised that ALL of the tables are in great shape. I guess you could be picky and say things like "The flippers on Medieval Madness are a little weak." You COULD say that, but if you actually DID you'd be a persnickety dick. Ok, I will say that the pinball machines are NOT set to free play; the older machines are 50 cents per play, and the newer tables are a buck...so...I guess...you have the right to complain if they're not working well. Honestly, I didn't notice if Level One served food or not. I did notice that they were hosting a birthday party, and pizza was being served...I also noticed that the pizza sauce smelled like vomitus. If you're into retro gaming and/or pinball, and you're on 23 south heading into Columbus, you owe it to your self to stop at Level One Bar + Arcade. Five stars! read more

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They only serve drinks here, but it is very reasonably priced. All of the video arcade games were the ones back in the 80s, I do believe 16 bits(?). Regardless they have the Pacman, Joust, Centipede, Donkey Kong, Galaga, etc. and you play for free. Because they don't serve food, they allow you to bring in outside food. Nice selection of alcoholic drinks and nice ambience! read more

This place isn't bad. A cute neighborhood bar if you're in the area. I give it a 3 because there are better [more space..more ventilation] place to go in Columbus. To me its very much ok but the layout wouldnt make me spend a long time there. If you're in the area this is a cool place to to go but I wouldn't go out of my way. The games are free btw so don't take go dropping quarters unless you're trying to place pin ball. I will say they do have skee ball in addition to the 16 bit games. read more

Level One is a solid bar with a decent vibe. Some bartenders are cool, and some are kinda douchey/don't care about the games. There are always ALWAYS little kids at this bar, even at 11pm on a weeknight you will see a baby stroller/screaming babies. The Ski-Ball machine is frighteningly loud and often ruins the experience - hopefully they get rid of it and put in more pinball machines!! Pinball machines are usually in great shape for being on location, but their Wizard of Oz has been broken for over a year.. The tournaments are fun and their Twitch stream is hella entertaining to watch! read more

Level One is the coolest thing in the Crosswoods area. If you know how jammed that area is with traffic you usually avoid it. This makes it worth going to. It's attraction is the games of course. The cocktails are another reason. I hate that it's in Crosswoods. It's a pain in the ass getting around it. There's always so much traffic. If you wanted a reason to go there this would be it. There's so many of the classic arcade games and they're all free except for the pinball. It also has a full bar. There's drinks named after classic arcade games. A good one is the Galacta. The setup of the arcade is all right. Maybe it might get cramped. That's expected for a good business of course but it's not too hard to get around inside. Some of the best games include classics like Street Fighter. These are all free if you buy a drink which is no problem for me. It's only 50 cents for the pinball games. These are fun and worth it. If you like arcades and alcohol come to Level One. It's the only barcade so far in this area. This sucks getting to it but it's too fun to let that keep you. read more

Level One Bar + Arcade - Galaga - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

My wife and I decided to go on a food crawl tonight so we planned out our evening at specific spots around town. This was our fourth stop for the evening. A blast from the past. This place has so many vintage arcade and pinball games, it's awesome! Per the sign in the door on the way in, as long as you purchase a drink you can play for free. We noticed some board games in the back on a shelf. On a future visit this might be something fun to try out. This is a really fun environment that could be fun for the whole family. read more

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Visiting Columbus for work and stopped in here with my coworkers. We had a really great time.pst of the arcade is free as long as you are drinking. This was my first time going to a place like this. Even though I am not a gamer I enjoyed trying to play the different games that they had. If I'm in that area again I would certainly stop by to hang out and practice PacMan. read more

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This is really neat. We included this stop on our "food crawl" but as far as we could tell they don't have food. There is a bar at the back serving up drinks. A sign just inside the front door says the House Rules, which includes that if you drink, you play for free. I think pinball is the exception. They also have board games and several tables to play at. I was surprised to see an old Nintendo game system and an N64 available to play, but how fun and nostalgic! read more

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This is a cool bar that has a bunch of the arcade games from the 90s and some pinball games. The drinks are good too but it's more of a place to hang out with friends to play the games. You have to pay for the games and they all cost a quarter to play. read more

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The perfect place to play old school games and enjoy adult drinks. I like the Saturday and Sunday options for the kids. The bar has a lot to offer. It's a great place to celebrate your birthday no matter how old you are! The atmosphere is casual, relaxed and so much fun! read more

Level One Bar + Arcade - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Adult playground! Great location for this gem. Plenty of parking and centrally located in Crosswoods in Worthington. This place has many classic arcade games for free (to those who drink) and $0.50 for the pinball machines. They have large TVs throughout so you can catch up on your sports. Tables located in the center isles to chill and tables located throughout to place your drink on while playing. Plenty of room, even on this crowded Saturday night. This place rivals 16-bit downtown. Grab a drink or two and get your game on. Whether your game of choice is Ms. Pacman, street fighter, mortal combat, NBA jam, Tron, punch out and wrestle mania and many others. read more

Level One Bar + Arcade - Lots of space to get your game on. - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Love going here for adult playtime, but also enjoy taking my son during the family friendly hours on the weekends. Drinks are pricey, but the video games are free, except for the pinball machines. Minus one star because I so wish they had a kitchen. Hunger and lack of food is usually the only thing that tears us away. Otherwise, we would likely stay much longer. To their credit, you are permitted to bring in your own food, have it delivered, or use the vending machine. They have lots of cool events, check their page for an events calendar, or the dry erase board upon entering the bar. The only thing that would make this place perfect would be having a kitchen and offering Trooper beer on tap while I play their Iron Maiden pinball machine! read more

Level One Bar + Arcade - Iron Maiden pinball! - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

We were in town for our daughter's sports event so I googled places close to our hotel. We have these similiar places in Cincy,,, mmmm, weird. Kind of nerdville with good drinks?? it was a strange but fun place. We were told the drink cost was included in the game play but the pinball costs a little more. They didn't include that the Star Wars pin ball was even a little more on top of the little more lol. I don't know.......fun concept..especially for the neighborhood. The drinks were good. Great place for a strip mall. read more

Level One Bar + Arcade - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This is a fun place. Something for everyone here. Today was our first time here. Lots of 80's arcade machines and a wall of great pinball machines. Full bar with liquor and beer (yay!) Most of the time adults only but I think Saturday and Sunday afternoons are kid friendly. Machines are free as long as your drinking but pinball machines are .50 to 1.00. We were here today for a birthday party for an 8 yr old. Kids andd adults had a great time read more

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This is a wonderful place for a child's birthday party, a Family afternoon out, or a fun date night. It's usually clean and the bar staff is friendly. I love the skee-ball. There's sometimes machines out of order but the machines are also intentionally old. Sweet nostalgia at its finest. read more

Friendly staff, wide selection of games, has a patio, good prices on drinks! Console games too all games are free with a drink except pinball and skeeball isnt free anymore but still an awesome place read more

Man, I'm so glad this opened up. Finally, a good barcade near my house, and my office! They have a good game selection (and a working Tappers!), decent mixed drinks (they're $8, and a little stiff, so I say they're about right), a good tap list, and several pin ball machines. And the layout? It's open. Like, your drunk-ass can stumble down the aisles and you won't be bumping into the players. They did a *great* job with the layout (especially the four player games), and I feel like they opted to give people more room to breathe than I've seen at other barcades. The only thing they're missing? Nearby great food (I mean, more like pizza, less like Chipotle/Sushi). This really gives me hope that the Marcus Crosswoods could come alive, again! read more

Nice hidden gem at crosswoods. We came here before our movie the other night. Many arcade games to pick from, not a huge crowd for a Saturday night so you got to move around the arcade with ease. Reasonable drink prices. You do have to pay for some of the games like pinball and skeeball. FYI. I would come back. read more

Level One Bar + Arcade - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Count me in as a "Hell Yeah" of the Barcade trend and this new far north side version gets it right. I'd seen this on Good Day Columbus and in other reviews so I already had an idea of what I was getting when I scoped it out one early Sunday afternoon. Since I had already been stealing Wi-Fi while eating next door my conscience got me in the door to buy a beer and drop a few quarters in the long row of Pinball machines here. A great mix of old and new pinball machines are the only games you'll have to pay and for the most part that's to cover the cost to keep these beauties running. There's a excellent mix of video classics and some of the newer games, all free, if you don't see credits on the screen just push the lit white buttons on the front of the cabinet to add more credits. But enough about the games, the main feature is a very cool bar with a nice selection of brews on tap from Craft Brews to their own Level One Brew cheap keg draws. A fun selection of video game inspired drinks are also offered of many colors and flavours. While this is a bar don't think of it as the domain of "Adults Only", this is a family place where the adults can be kids and the kids can join us in the fun and nostalgia that these games bring. While I'm sure kids would be out of place during the later hours of this place, I found it welcoming to anyone of any age looking for some affordable fun by themselves or with a group of friends. A good mix of tall tabletops and moveable stools makes this space adaptable to many group sizes. Plenty of huge TV's will keep everyone entertained here also. While I'm pleased to see that this long time empty space finally filled with this great business, I'm sad I just moved away from this neighborhood. Oh well, it just adds another stop when I'm back for a visit and a fun visit it will be.... On a side note: They had one of the original Tapper video game cabinets that was one of the only classic video games to include places for you set your beer (Lefty or Righty)...so many good memories, some of them a little bleary.... read more

Level One Bar + Arcade - Level Up! - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Fun little place with throwback arcade games. Great selection of beer! 21+, play free except pinball & skee ball. The music overhead was a throwback to the early 2000's and brought back fond memories. Im hoping we can score a date night and go back again. read more

I came to Columbus on a business trip, and the nights that I went to Level One I had a blast. The first two reasons are obvious. The Games :: They have a variety of games you probably played during your childhood, and hopping from machine to machine is a ton of fun. There are plenty of pinball machines to choose from as well. The Drinks :: Fairly priced. They have everything you would expect along with an interesting selection of draft beers. Level One also has some really cool video game themed drinks. Some of them are there for a short time. I am sad I missed out on the laughing gas shot! The Staff :: This is best thing about Level One. You can go to many places for that retro gaming barcade experience, but what sets Level One apart is the staff. They care about the place and it really shows. They are genuine, friendly, and sincere. This helped create a very fun and memorable atmosphere during my visits. Kim and Brian you two are the best!!! I am aware that Level One is starting to hold video game related events more often. If they had a video game related viewing event for something large like The International, I would not want to watch it anywhere else. Despite the fact I live very far away, I would make the trip here for an event like that. Level One is awesome, and I wish you guys all the best! read more

Level One Bar + Arcade - Guilty Gear Fight Night!! - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Most grownup barcade in Columbusland! This place is polished, sleek and cool with fun colors, a stainless steel bar top, accent lighting and seriously AWESOME GAMES. As a pinball fanatic, Level One met every expectation. They have Twilight Zone, Frankenstein, Wizard, Simpsons, Whitewater, Banzai Run, Addams Family, Centaur, Dungeons & Dragons, and a couple others! Plus maybe 20-30 other video arcade games (I was lost in my pinball world.) I love it that the pinball games were only 50 cents each! I'm not terribly familiar with this part of Columbus, but it was convenient getting there from the highway even though Hwy 23 is a trench right now! They are located in a strip mall area near the movie theatre, so there's lots of parking available, and good dining choices nearby, including the sushi place next door. Anyway, if you love pinball, this is the place!!! Oh yeah, and there's beer! read more

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I stopped in here for a drink and a few games this evening when I had to kill some time in the area. I appreciate the $2 off drafts for happy hour and the wide craft beer selection. There are some good classic games here. I like that it feels like an arcade that I would've gone into when I was younger. But something is different from the other bar arcade I've been to. I guess it feels more like a classic arcade with a bar in it than a bar with classic arcade games in it. Which I guess is okay. I had fun and it was a cool way to kill time for an hour. I'll be back. And no, that was not a reference to the T2 shooting game I played. I really will be back! read more

First this place is amazing! I went here for my birthday celebration and took about 15 friends with me. There were plenty of games to play and room to move. The deal here is if you buy a drink, you get to play the arcade games for free. Except the pinball is 50 cents. I had a drink called galaga which was very fruity and good. The rest of the night was a blur of shits, beer and games. Everyone had a blast and already wants to go back including myself. I've been to 16 bit before and this place has better games, more room and a nicer atmosphere. read more

My friends and I love going to level one Barcade. We usually go for Trivia Night and have been for a couple years. The drink specials are a good value, the different specialty themed drinks are really good too. Happy hour is until seven weekdays which is a good time. The games are clean, sanitized and well-maintained. The bar staff is wonderful and very friendly, great to laugh and joke with as well. read more

Great place, felt like it was 1982 and i was 14 again. Tempest Rules! Spent $20 on games and $5 on a beer, totally forgot i was there to get my drink on Wife enjoyed it also, she was able to get her drink on and i was the designated driver. read more

This place has a lot of classic games. Defender, Asteroids, Donkey King, Spyhunter, space invaders, moon patrol, Galahad, centipede, tempest, and joust. Bar tenders seem nice. Good service. Good happy hour from 4-6. Enjoy the 80s read more

This might be my favorite place to go....ever! Classic arcade games....for free!! Decently priced beers (bucket of 5 for $10), TVs all around to watch sports, and 80's rock all night long. We went in to just have a drink and maybe play a game. Wound up closing the place. A group of guys who grew up in the 80's had a blast. Loved it!! read more

The only bar I feel comfortable going to during this pandemic. Other bars are doing very little to sanitize or enforce mask requirements. Social distancing is done right here. The staff are all amazing and the drinks are great too! I recommend stopping by for an evening with some friends to play some arcade games or pinball! read more

Oooohhhh how I enjoyed this place. I never knew there was this hidden gem and I mean hidden gem because location is kinda bad lol. Its a 90s arcade like old school northland mall. Aaawwwww the memories. U felt like a kids again but I was able to buy drinks hahahahaha. This place has something for every gamer from pin ball wizards to classic 8 biters to fighters like me HA DO KEN. I was very happy to take my kids so they were able to understand social gaming before home consoles took over. I will return and return as long as I have free time and the place is open! read more

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Of all the barcades popping up in Central Ohio--Level One is by far my favorite for a few reasons. Being in a strip center takes me back to the 80's and 90's as a kid in an arcade. It's not a hipster set up like some of their competitors. They also have a full bar and the drinks are very reasonable. But the stand alone reason for me is the amount of pinball machines they offer. Yes, you pay $.50 per game (standard at these joints), but they have so many new and old pinballs to choose from. They've got all the arcade greats including The Simpsons, Burgertime, Joust and now they offer skeeball. Sadly no tickets though. We like to meet up at Level One for games and drinks before a movie at the Marcus for a fun night out. read more

Wife's 40th birthday and they let us reserve a table and order some food to be delivered. Opened a tab and they were super helpful and friendly. Our friends enjoyed the games and the drinks were good too. They handled the clean up of the delivery as there was a ton of food left over and we left it for the staff. Appreciate their help with making it an awesome birthday! read more

We stopped in between dinner and a movie last week and were pleasantly surprised! Drinks were reasonably priced, especially when considering that you get something in addition to your drink for the price (free arcade play). We played several arcade games as well as some Mario Brothers on the original Nintendo. I'm not a big game person, but it was quite fun! The only knock was the bartender. I saw that the "house rules" sign said that arcade play was free when purchasing a drink, but wanted to check with her. When we asked how things worked, she gave us a blank stare. She also seemed impatient while we chose a beer, even though no one else was waiting at the bar. read more

I have been here a few times with my friends, and I love this location because the times we have been there it was not crowded, and the bar tenders were friendly. We don't go on weekends, just during the week in the evenings. We love the drinks and the games. I wish I had better photos of us at the bar but we enjoyed ourselves there. read more

Yasssssss. My husband is a huge fan of the barcade concept, but every time we drive by 16-Bit, it's so packed we don't even want to try to wade through it. (I'm really happy for them! But we're socially awkward.) We decided to try this one on a Saturday night because we were on the north side anyway and it looked like it had a lot of good games. At 7:30pm, Level One wasn't too terribly full but it was already starting to fill up. We got drinks first. They had a decent beer list and some cool-looking cocktails with local spirits. I have to take off one star because my cocktail was so strong that it was unpleasant; I drink a lot of liquor (cough) and like the flavor of Watershed gins, so it isn't a case of me being too delicate for the taste of alcohol. It was just really overpoweringly strong. I switched to mead for my second cocktail. I appreciated that they carried Brothers Drake mead! If you're into games and you don't like alcohol, they have soft drinks AND some virgin cocktails, so you can feel fancy without drinking. The video games appear to all be free play (but not pinball). We didn't realize this at first and fed those machines many quarters? I hope they check the machines for money, ha. We had so much fun that we didn't mind, though. The game selection is pretty great. AND THEY HAVE SKEE BALL, which is also free play. Most of the machines seemed to be up and functioning. A handful of cabinet games had signs on them, maybe three, which isn't that many compared to the overall number. The pinball machines seemed to be all up and going. They also have some console games. There's a classic Nintendo and another Nintendo system (a Wii? I didn't notice what kind it was). I saw some people playing Mario 3. They also seem to have Mario Kart tournaments! I need to start practicing. Totally recommend this barcade. Super fun. read more