We visited Main Event yesterday and arrived around 4:30 PM. The ambiance is fun, energetic, and very family-friendly. There's a lot going on between the arcade, bowling, laser tag, restaurant, and bar, so it definitely has that big entertainment-center feel. It was lively without being overly crowded when we first arrived, although it got much busier later in the evening. When we walked in, we looked around and eventually seated ourselves because there was no hostess, waiter, bartender, or anyone around to direct us. We waited for quite a while without really knowing if we were supposed to order somewhere or if someone was going to come to the table. I took my daughter to the restroom and there was no paper available to dry our hands. I walked to the main register to ask for napkins or paper towels, but they didn't have any either, so I ended up walking back toward the restaurant area to grab a napkin. After waiting at the table for so long, I actually called the restaurant from my phone to ask if they were still serving food or if someone was going to come over. Shortly after, someone finally approached us and explained that they had been busy taking an order over by the bowling lanes. It definitely seemed like they were short-staffed and everyone was covering different areas. I understand that happens, but as a guest it was confusing because there was no direction and we didn't know who was supposed to be helping us. The menu was okay--not a huge selection, but we found things everyone wanted. We ordered loaded nachos, boneless chicken wings, corn dogs, a few beers, and two iced teas. The food was good and our server was okay, but the interaction felt more like taking our order than actual hospitality. He never asked if it was our first visit, explained how things worked, or recommended anything. Our kids were also never offered refills on their iced teas. After eating, we closed our tab and went to the arcade. The games were fun overall, although a few took our credits without actually working. We had to ask for assistance, but they did return the credits, which we appreciated. They also have bowling, which was pretty packed by the time we left, and we tried the laser tag. Laser tag was actually a lot of fun! My only complaint there was that the employee running it was not very friendly and gave very little explanation about how to put on or use the equipment. When you have families with younger kids, a little patience and guidance goes a long way. Overall, the atmosphere is fun and there's plenty to keep both kids and adults entertained. We enjoyed ourselves once we got into the activities, but the hospitality and organization need some improvement. A little more communication, friendliness, and attention to guests would make the entire experience much better. read more

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This is my first time here and I must admit I really enjoyed myself. Me and my coworkers went here for like a team builder activity and it was a great idea. We competed in bowling for two hours and it was a smooth process considering we were a big group. We were able to order our food and drinks and have fun with no issues....big shoutout to the general manager because he was running the entire building pretty much by himself. Also, my food was delicious. The wings were crispy. Seasoned very well. No complaints at all, and I am very picky when it comes to wings. Based on the wings alone, I definitely will be back. read more

As vs many times as I passed Main Event I had never stopped. Glad today was the day. Meeting a friend she chose Main Event. The location is huge with a large bar, dining, bowling and lots if games. We sat at the bar grabbed some beers and eventually order our burgers The burgers were served perfectly mine with a delicious runny fried egg on top. The fries were hot, delicious and plentiful. Our server was accommodating, funny and professional. I will definitely be back! read more

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Laser tag at the Main Event was fun! We had a group of 15 people ranging from all ages. It was a long wait to be able to play laser tag. We had dinner but it took a long time for our food to arrive. Our meal was not correct. The wait for a game card was very long. The wait for a drink at the bar was very long as well. read more

Main Event Jacksonville - Arcades Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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We went to go play some arcade games for a date night. Unfortunately, a lot of the machines ate up our credits as they did not work..Skeeball, basketball, etc. the workers did not preface this, there were no signs saying these machines are out of service and workers were not apologetic. Overall it was an OK experience. When we were ready to check out the prizes the workers did just left. Service and machinery can be improved. read more

wish I could give zero stars this place honestly just needs to get shut down. The whole place just smells like it's dirty and mostly everything you touch is sticky! A good amount of the games didn't work and just take your credit. We were asked to pay for our overpriced food and drinks before we bought it which was super strange to me and just rubbed me the wrong way... Staff also just couldn't even fake being nice or friendly read more

Needed something to do indoors with kids since it was storming most of the evening. Went around 6:00pm and we were surprised to walk right up and get a bowling lane. The lanes are super close together--we felt bad for the couple next to us having to be so close to some young, energetic kids. It's pretty loud in there which can be overstimulating. Food wise: we got chicken nachos, a double cheeseburger, and a chicken Caesar salad. The kids got macaroni & cheese with watermelon. Nachos could use a little work on the chicken- would prefer shredded instead of cubed chicken. The Caesar salad was good and had hard boiled egg on it which was a nice twist. The double cheeseburger had good flavor but was not as big as the picture on the menu Our time overall was fine and kept the kids entertained on a rainy evening read more

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Main Event gets a disappointing 2 stars. We visited for the Monday $12.99 all-you-can-play deal, which sounds great in theory but is pretty limiting in practice. You can only choose one option--billiards, bowling, laser tag, or arcade games. If you pick arcade games, be aware it excludes VR games and doesn't let you earn tickets, leaving fewer options than expected. We decided to eat while waiting for friends to arrive, but the food left a lot to be desired. The chicken sandwich and taco wrap were average, but the brussels sprouts were outright terrible. They had clearly been sitting out too long--cold, soggy, and with the sauce separating into layers, making them unappetizing. Staff also seemed eager for us to finish eating and move on, which wasn't very welcoming. As for the venue, it felt dirty and neglected. Despite being a kids' place, there was random food scattered on the ground, sticky surfaces everywhere, and the bathrooms were awful--no soap, paper towels on the floor, and overall poor maintenance. At least they had toilet paper. The saving graces were the parking, which is easy thanks to their extended lot with multiple floors, and the old-school giant Pac-Man, which was fun to play. Beyond that, I wouldn't recommend the experience. Honestly, save your money and just go to Dave & Buster's instead. They have better food, a cleaner atmosphere, and way more fun options for everyone. read more

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Service was terrible. Waited 30 minutes to get my food and got my order wrong. A guy with a ponytail. Never gave me my ranch after I asked for it. Had to ask someone else he was also rude. He stood around doing nothing made event. Please fire him. they have no food had to get different food because they didn't have what I wanted. how to choose food out of my comfort zone. read more

OH MY! I have never been to a worse place. I was going to us the ladys room and i walk in to see a very large roach and i saw several mildew spots on the ceiling and a workers were rude and rolled their eyes at me and gave me attitude like i was being a problem. I got the wrong food order, not once, but twice and the second dish wasn't even hot. read more

I was not impressed at all with this venue. Had a party of 8 for our annual team holiday gathering arrive between 3:30 and 4pm. Clearly understaffed to provide proper service, the wait to actually speak to someone in the dining area to arrange seating was the first sign. While waiting I observed overflowing trash cans, tables left with trash and food and signs on every table stating to wait to be seated by host...where's the host? Once seated, those that wanted cocktails had to go to the bar and putting in food orders was a game of catch the server when she arrives because she would be gone in a flash. Food was average bar food, first time I've ever had a caesar salad with egg and tomato in it. Very slow to arrive after ordering. Not impressed and would not recommend. read more

This is a terrible venue with terrible staff/management. In a world where there are plenty of other options, make sure to skip this one. Food, not worth the price, wait, or the terrible service you have to endure. Environment, dirty (Prepare for those sticky fingers) Games, overpriced, old, and lackluster. Staff, doesn't want to be there and it shows. Management is, rude, unprofessional, unqualified, and generally MIA. Shocked that Main Event is willing to pay to keep this place open. Even more shocked this place even turns a profit with how terrible it is. read more

melanie wasn't our server but she was very helpful while we were dining! she took our order because we had been waiting for a while, checked on us periodically, and was so sweet. today's was also her first day and she was the best! read more

Main Event Jacksonville - Cali charbroiled sandwich & Smashed Burger Tacos - Arcades Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Came with my bf and when we went to get stuff from the little shop there was no one to be found and we waited for 30 minutes and there was still no one there to help us. We tried looking around for someone but we couldn't find anyone. So disappointed in this location. read more

did a online booking and paid for 6 people for laser online but didn't get to play laser tag, I he girl at the laser tag was yelling and being rude. we went to the customer service front desk area and told the worker he then told the manager Ree( black lady with glasses and with and attitude , she said they couldn't do a refund there because it was paid for online so we had to get a refund online. we stood there to the side by the front door area , to do a refund but couldn't so we went back and Ree said she didn't know how to do the online Ree fund so she acted like she went to the front area by the dining tables to ask someone. Ree then comes back and say oh you can't do a refund online you have to do it through your bank. Ree has a nasty attitude and clearly is a lier and doesn't know what she's doing, how is she a manager.Horrible customer service! We won't be back . read more

Wife took my kids to check the place out for a possible birthday party. Waited over an hour for food, then some of the food was wrong, then waited a while before finally canceling the order. Manager was the usual excuse giver. No thanks. Then they asked for to go plates, the server dropped them on the floor then picked them up and handed it to the wife. Seriously? Plus half the games my little tried to play were not working properly. She came home disappointed. read more

Visited:: 23Mar25...This review is directed to the food, since it's an arcade, bowling and laser tag place. The guy at the front desk was super helpful being that it was our first time. We were bummed, my girlfriend and her 7 year old son, that this location didn't have the escape room, Roblox, rock wall, mini golf. According to everything I looked for Jacksonville it didn't say at Orlando location. But we still stayed. We played 2 rounds of laser tag which was great with a decent size room. Typical arcade games. The food wasn't great. We ordered "the big stuff" the classic. pizza from any pizza joint was better. The crust was too thick, not a lot of sauce and def not extra cheesy pizza. Pizza was over done. Even the breading on the boneless wings was a lot. We didn't try the cheese bread since it also looked over done. The server was good in getting refills. Won't eat there again but will go again for the fun! Edit:: Went to website, guest relations hasn't gotten back to me and this was done as soon as the comment was posted read more

Main Event Jacksonville - "The Big Stuff" Classic - Arcades Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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We stopped by for a last minute date night. The bowling was fun, the food was good and the drinks were yummy. The games unfortunately had some issues and the service to fix them took a while so we lost some play time. Overall we weren't in a hurry, but if you are or if you had kids on a timeframe you may want to add time for ease. read more

Main Event Jacksonville - Arcades Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

We were there last Saturday 2/28 celebrating a family members birthday. We got in line (which was super long) & opted for one of all you can play activity bundles for 7 of us total which included a food entree. We arrived at 1:45pm & were advised there was a 2hr wait for a lane. No worries there as it was busy being a Saturday, we opted to play some games. After a bit we decided to get some food, waited a bit for a server but was finally seated. Server took our orders then we were pretty much ghosted. After 30 minutes still no drinks & server no where in site. We had to flag down on of the food runners just to get our drinks. After waiting over an hour some of our food arrives we eat but still missing an entree for one of our party. After almost 2 hours the final entree comes out. We were told it was busy with many orders ahead of ours but people that came in after us got thier food. You would think being busy food would be hot & fresh. It was barley luke warm at best & fries were cold & soggy. Mind you all this time we only saw our server once. Now it's 4:30pm lane still not available (should have been by 4pm) so we play more games. The bundle included many activites but the only two at this location is bowling & laser tag so that was a disappointment. Now it's 6pm been there over 4hrs & still no lane. Now it's 6pm & we decided to leave as we had other plans. Now me & my wife our home for the evening watching a move & we get a text at almost 9pm saying our lane was ready, is this a joke? So after over 7hrs we can now bowl? This was a horrible experience, so disorganized & slow. We won't be back as there are many better options to choose from. read more

I was there for my little cousin's birthday party earlier today. Horrible experience. First our attendant spent 10 minutes with us at the bowling alley and took off suddenly. And we never saw him again. As soon as that happened our bowling lane immediately stopped working for the rest of the game, and another staff member (that one of my cousin's had to drag over) even told us we wouldn't have anymore problems with our lane. WRONG. We couldn't even finish the first game. The food was okay and the only staff members that were actually doing things were the people up front and in the kitchen area. So after the cake and stuff, I went with my other cousin to the arcade and after we went to the prize shop. Everything is way too much points, most doesn't have the point price, and just a crappy teeny tiny plastic mini gun was 25 points. No one was even there at the desk. Despite all the things going terribly wrong, I still gave 2 stars since my younger cousin had a good time and didn't notice the lack of attendance. Plus years ago, i had my own birthday party there and the same things happened. If you are looking for a better birthday party for your kid, I recommend maybe Jax Lanes (for bowling), Urban Air, and Sweet Pete's. read more

Went first time today. Stated incorrect rate for bowling over the phone. Bowling area was sticky and had an odor. Server screwed up both r food and drink orders. Added extra drinks when we did not order. Reorder of correct food took over 45 mins. Most of the employees had a I don't care attitude for most we dealt with, one stated not my problem. Safe to say I will not be visiting this place or any other location. read more

I attended my grandson's birthday party here. We arrived before lunchtime and the kids got to bowl for an hour, then they had pizza, laser tag and games to finish the party up. The service was outstanding; someone was standing by for the party most of the time bringing drinks, or the shoe bin for the kiddos to put their shoes in or escorting from activity to activity. I didn't partake of the pizza from the party, I ordered a Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich and man it was so good I haven't quit thinking about how amazing it was. It had the perfect amount of hot. My mom had a juicy burger that she said was great. We had fries with our meal, they were hot and delicious. Overall I had a wonderful time the party was well organized and everyone enjoyed themselves. Success!!! read more

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A/C was out. They had no ice in the back, where they fill the soda for dining room customer's. So, we were brought warm drinks. However, the machine in the non-dining area did have ice. We pointed this out to the waitress, and she said machine was for non-dining room guests. So, when we needed drink refills, I got up, walked to the non-dining room machine, filled the cups with ice and soda for our whole table. Had to do that twice. It gets better. They forgot my friends dinner salad. We had to ask for it three times. It finally came out, and everything it in warm to hot. Not very appetizing. We asked for it to just be taken off the bill, because we were done eating. The waitress told the manager, and she sprinted over to argue with my friend that it was made right. Then they wouldn't help me a gift card issue. Said it was out of their hands. I paid with my CC instead. Then we decided to leave. Went to the men's room before we left. It was dirty. The handicapped stall lacked soap, and toilet paper. I gave them two stars, because other than the salad issue, the food was good. This is a poorly run operation. read more

I haven't been to Main Event in awhile but my friends and I decided to visit after coming to the conclusion that ice skating was not an option. I had a good time and the employees were super friendly. They were able to help us immediately when the machine that distributes the cards was broken. The only downside was that we had to wait about an hour to bowl but we all had a good time and decided to hangout in the arcade. I have not comments about the food since the last time I tried was years ago. Most of the games were great. Some of them were broken and sadly could not be played. Some of the games also stole my tokens but they staff would refund it immediately and send someone immediately to help. The prize booth was not stocked. They had a variety of items but it was not fully stocked. For a busy Saturday night, we were helped with really quickly and enjoyed our time there. read more

Main Event Jacksonville - Arcades Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

I've never met so many incompetent, lazy, people in my life. We've been here for half an hour and haven't had any service. Had to flag some young man down and he said he just clocked in 15 minutes ago. I said ok, well we're here in ## lane, can you help us? He said, sure. Once he saw what our lane number was, he quickly said, oh no, that's not my lane. After the fact, he hasn't done anything in 15 minutes since he clocked in. What a joke. This place has an enormous amount of kids working here that don't care about anything. Surprised this place is even still in business. The tables were not even cleaned off, disgusting. Honestly, I would rather go to Splitz in orange park. Nobody seems to know what's going on here. Place is super filthy, and I'm better off going into their kitchen and cooking my own food or making my own drinks. Shame on corporate for letting it get like this. read more

Main event in Jacksonville has given me different experiences every time I visit. Some are better than others. Today's experience was really good as they have a special on Mondays for 12.99 is all You can play which made it a lot of fun and affordable to take the family. We ate at the restaurant area, was slow seatting, but once we got our server, it was a fast preparation, and everything was really delicious. We had a great server who took really good care of us. So we had a really fun day at the Main event and plan on. Coming back again for more Laser Tag. read more

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I'm honestly shocked seeing the reviews of this place. Everyone we encountered was so friendly. We came for bowling in the middle of the day on a Friday and Josh Gary and Tim were very helpful - answered questions and even let us see the lanes first (we went to a different bowling alley earlier and the lanes were tiny). They even gave us tips on what arcade games to play after as well. Bowling was wonderful and I love that each bowler gets to take a photo that goes on your score board. A small and silly thing but all ages enjoyed doing this from 20s to 70s. Potentially even better than the fun lanes was our amazing server Tyler. He was on top of our refills and checking in on us, we never had to even ask. Honestly the place was great, the prices were right but the people made it the best. Would definitely come again. read more

Main Event Jacksonville - Arcades Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

We came in for a work luncheon and were the first group seated to eat. After 30 minutes of waiting--and watching all of my coworkers receive and finish their meals--I still hadn't received my food. I finally asked the waitress about my chicken sandwich, and she told me there were "a lot of orders ahead," pointing to guests who had arrived 15 minutes after us. This place is extremely disorganized. If you plan on coming here to bowl or play games, make sure you've already eaten somewhere else. Definitely not coming back for the food. read more

The service is always friendly and quick and the food is pretty good, nothing crazy but its still pretty good. Only reason why its a 4 star and not 5 is due to pricing, alittle higher than it should be in my opinion but you do get your moneys worth. read more

We recently had a private company party at Main Event and it was pretty awesome. The service and food served was top notch. I was actually shocked the food was as good as it was; after all this is an arcade. They have a great selection of video games, laser tag, bowling, rockwall climbing and more. I played a lot of games here, but my favorite was the basketball hoops. I also bowled a few games, while it's a nice bowling alley in there they really need to get some new shoes and wax the floor; it was impossible to do a bowler slide. Overall it was a great time and I look forward to the next event we have there. read more

The games were awesome for my family and Mason was kind to us and had us laughing at the prize center. We'll be back! read more

Main Event Jacksonville - Got candy with our tickets - Arcades Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Waited 45 minutes for 1 hamburger, fries, milkshake, and a slushy. No thanks. Spoke to management, acted like they didn't really cared. Never coming back to this place again. read more

Came with the family for a fun night of bowling & dinner. The arcade & bowling was great. The food, however, was gross. I ordered chicken nachos & when they came to the table the "liquid cheese" was cold. Asked them to remake them & they did. Second batch was just as cold. That liquid cheese must be just sitting there in the open in the kitchen. I ordered a no bun burger bowl & a bacon burger. They both arrived cold. They had to be remade & took forever & arrived cold as well. The salad looked more like a soup with two patties thrown on top. Note to reader, if you're coming to play come with a full stomach. read more

Main Event Jacksonville - No-Bun Burger Bowl looked more like a soup. - Arcades Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Food was great! Service was on point an I enjoyed myself. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Main Event was okay. The bowling area is cool with all of the projector-style screens playing different sports games above each lane. Six of us rented two lanes for two hours. While the women's bathroom was clean of debris, it smelled musty. The food was low-quality. My husband had boneless wings which weren't tossed in any sauce, and I had loaded nachos with chicken. Even the chips looked cheap. I took a bite of one of my husband's wings and it looked like dark meat. There is a bar and restaurant there too, so we wondered if the food was better if you sat and ate, although it may all come from the same kitchen. Our server was nice enough. The game area is incredibly loud between the sounds coming from the games and the screaming children. Either way, we always love playing arcade games. While it didn't rain when we were there, I do think it's nice they have a covered garage for guests which is where we parked, What made it a fun night was our company. I'm not in a rush to go back to Main Event, and when I do, I'm certainly not eating there again. read more

Main Event Jacksonville - Arcades Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

If, My husband and I go out, this is where we go! As a family, we bowl and play games. As a couple, we drink beer, play pool, meet new friends. Enjoy my posted pictures. I'm not sure why the ratings are low, every time we have been here, (pre COVID, during COVID, kinda past COVID), everything has been on point. Maybe someone was pissed off (excuse me) Trisha says "it's better to be pissed off, then pissed on). *Oh, forgot.... DAVID, at the bar is read more

Main Event Jacksonville - Arcades Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

We went last night and they were SO busy, there were a lot of sports events and proms going on this weekend so a lot of people were celebrating here. The staff was friendly the bartender was awesome. Unfortunately our boys never got to bowl they said wait time was an hour but we were there for over an hour waiting and never got to bowl, so they just played games. We didn't eat anything but the drinks were good and the food looked great from what I saw at the bar. The one thing I will say is the bathrooms definitely need more attention they were pretty gross and all the stalls had no toilet paper. Regardless we all had fun the kids were happy and I believe they refunded us for the bowling since we never got to play. They have a lot of things to do so all though it was packed it was a fun night. read more

Main Event Jacksonville - Outside - Arcades Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Scam. Advertise one thing but don't honor it. Service for waiting on customers for food and drinks is sub par. If it wasn't for my grandkids birthday, I won't return ever. read more

Poor resource and time management. Long lines with 5 people behind the desk and only 1 person helping customers. read more

Rating: 3.5-4 Stars We've come to Main Event a few times over the years. The bowling and atmosphere is always fun, colorful and full of life. I know some folks will complain that the decibel level is pretty high with all the screaming kids, but come on... it's an arcade/event space you come to expect a little chaos. Pricing was a little high but getting two lanes was worth it for the seven of us. We reserved bowling ahead of time for my father's birthday party. I was a little disappointed to find out that we couldn't at least bring a cake in without being charged to fee. Wish that had been different. I was also disappointed that after I filled out all of the information online (which I was not allowed to skip) including our names and shoe sizes that I still had to give all this information all over again upfront. Again, small things that we can totally get over but it just seems redundant. Food wise: we were fairly pleased by the pricing of the food we got. We got some general things like chicken tenders and pizza that tasted just fine. Not great, but nothing wrong with it. The major issue was how long the food took to get there on top of that, at some point there was a back up on drink orders? Not sure why it was taking so long to get a refill on sodas and ice tea. On the bright side, our server did his best to accommodate our needs. Overall, I'd come back and try again. Hope they can work out some of the kinks and hiccups. Definitely a fun place to bowl if you've never been! read more