Cheap fun drinks, amazing pink starburst shot. Great mocktails with gushers. Fun names of the drinks too, nice employees. Lots of gaming options and some of them are free! Super cool pinball area and a few claw machines. A pizza spot in the back of the bar that is really popular. Had an amazing time here, even as a non arcade or gamer type person! read more

Old North Arcade - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Came by last night. Super packed but had a great time. Games are a kinda banged up and a little dingy

Good: Usually plenty of open games. A decent amount of seating. Lots of drink options. Outdoor patio. Bad: Cleanliness (including the bathrooms - gross). Sweetness of drinks. read more

An older, small business arcade bar that leans heavily on the video gaming vibe. With cocktails named after video games and a bar full of free games to play, it can become the star of your evening. Note: Virtually all of their cocktail menu is sugar-heavy. Not a lot of complex, bitter, or boozy flavors to be found in their cocktail menu. That's not necessarily a bad thing; just something to be aware of. Definitely order a classic cocktail if you're looking for something less sweet. PROS: -MOST of the games are free. This lets you try most of the games in here as long as you're getting some sort of drink from the bar. -Their cocktail prices are very reasonable too. As it seems every cocktail and brewery in Columbus is getting pretty pricey, you can still enjoy some great drinks here without spending a ton of cash. -Speaking of, they have a great list of mocktails too. They're all pretty sweet (like the cocktails), but they are adorably garnished, and they have just as much attention as their alcoholic counterparts. CONS: -I'm more-than-happy to play some of the paid-for games, but getting money to do that was pretty difficult. Both change machines were out of money, and we were told to go out to the laundrymat to get change. -The paid-for games can be pretty pricey too. In some cases, 75 cents or a dollar a play. Happy to pay for games, again, but if we wanted to play two player, we're looking at $1.50 or $2 for a single game. -I'm a bit spoiled by other arcade bars, but I really, really, REALLY need tables next to the arcade games. There's very few tables available to put my drinks on aside from the gigantic tables in the center of the bar. I really don't want to put my drink behind me, out of my line of sight, and I haaaaate putting my drink on top of the arcade game itself. I don't want to accidentally spill it. -Some of the games weren't working or were partially working - like a Playstation emulator who had a controller that the left button wasn't working on it. This can make some games unplayable. -In classic older bar fashion, some of the tables and surfaces were sticky. None of the controls to the games were sticky, though. read more

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If I could rate zero stars I would !! The only saving grace about this place is SOME of the staff is nice. This place is honestly so nasty!! Also they closed so early what the heck is up with that! The drinks are too sweet and everything is so sticky. I don't think the bathrooms have been cleaned in months, I had to take a picture. Gross! Do better !!! read more

Old North Arcade - Gross walls under the hand dryer!! - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I stopped in today for my first time to play some games and try some of the new pizza they started selling a couple weeks ago. The games are awesome, as they have many of the old classics. For those of us who go way back to remembering spending tons of quarters on this games, this place is a blast. They even have a vault, with ONE game in it....TRON. How perfectly fitting for an arcade. As for the pizza....wow is it good. I had the pepperoni Detroit style pizza. The sauce was spicy, the crust was soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. They even top off every pizza with extra sauce, pecorino romano and basil. This is truly some great pizza. read more

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Loveeee this place! The bartender Sammy is the best and so friendly! Everybody is friendly honestly, drinks are always good and vibes are immaculate read more

Old North Arcade, sometimes affectionately called "the barcade" is a wonderful, nostalgic hangout spot where you can sip from a variety of themed drinks while playing your favorite arcade or console games. The bar has a decent selection of drafts and and even better assortment of themed beverages from starter Pokemon to Mario characters, the teenage mutant ninja turtles, and even Loki from the MCU. Most of the games are free (air hockey and a few others cost a few dollars) and in warm weather there are outdoor tables for larger groups. read more

Old North Arcade - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Old North Arcade was a really fun experience. We went for my friends 21st birthday and had a pretty good time. I really appreciated that they enforced the mask mandate. They have a menu of drinks that are named after different video games and movies. I found that the drinks were so sweet that I couldn't finish them, and they often made my stomach hurt. I did however really appreciate that they made my friend and our entire friend group a free cupcake shot for her 21st birthday which were delicious! The staff were nice and most of the games were free to play. The only issue was that there were times where people would not leave a specific game for extended periods of time and you had to ask them if they were going to finish up soon so others could play. Make sure that you bring $1 bills to this bar so you can play games but I would recommend it was fun! It would make a great cute date! read more

Old North Arcade - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Pretty positive experience. Drinks were pretty good and the selection of games was nice! I especially liked that there was an air hockey table and skee ball. I was looking forward to the cocktails but they were a little bit uncreative to me? They were pretty and very cleverly named, but a bunch of them just seemed to be long islands in disguise. I will say i'm here for any beverage that features gushers though so that was a plus. read more

Old North Arcade - TMNT @craftedincolumbus - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This is THE Barcade. Atmosphere is spot on, all the staff is extremely friendly, and the cocktails are delicious.

Very nice classic arcade with pinball with a great staff, drink selection and pizza as well. read more

Old North Arcade - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Its a a bit a hole in the wall. It's rather dark inside. Anyway, there are several rooms full of old arcade games. There is a large outdoor seating area as well. drinks menu is fun with various drinks named after video games characters. I had Save The Princess it came with gummy peach slices & my husband had the TMNT The Secret of The Booze which came with gushers. I'm not an arcade type of person but it was fun. We had a fun little time. read more

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Best bar in Columbus. Found out a bit post-haste that most of the games don't even require quarters to play (had been putting quarters in shamelessly). The drinks are strong (so, good) and all of them have fun themed names. Recommend the Yoshi's island. Drunk air hockey is totally underrated. Sweaty but underrated. read more

awesome I go every month love the atmosphere the employees are so nice creative cocktails and mocktails

Old North Arcade is a hip bar-cade with great drinks, awesome bartenders, and countless arcade games. The bar has several consoles set up for you to play fun multi-player games with your friends, or with strangers (soon-to-be friends)! The place has a life-size poster of Carbonite Han Solo next to the bar, and a cool outdoor patio where you can relax, talk to friends at a table, or play some fun outdoor games! The bar has almost every game you can imagine, and now feature a new addition with the adjacent building being connected with plenty more games! Dance dance revolution, pacman, Super Smash Brothers, you name it! read more

Old North Arcade - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Fun games. Cool drinks. Good spot to hang. If you go early there can be a lot of kids inside. Go later for more adult vibes

The entertainment was Fun!! Playing old game! Go watch my video for the full review on my YouTube page. https://youtu.be/xwn0jN_w8qk read more

Old North Arcade - Mac and cheese, chicken wings - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

We stopped by a Sunday night and it was so dark we were afraid it was closed but they were open! They had a few hand sanitizer and wipes around for the games which was nice. You do have to sit down to enjoy your drink instead of carrying it around with you. I had the strawberry cider which was great. The only games that cost anything are skee ball and pinball. The rest of the games were free with a purchase of a drink. Only two games were not working and the space is pretty large and spread out so it worked well for our group of four. There is some parking behind the building as well as in front of the building. read more

Had a wonderful time last night. I always do when I'm here. It still shocks me that 99% of the games in here are free. My go to arcades are NFL Blitz and the side scroller fighting games. Such as TMNT, X-Men and The Simpsons. The fact that Tron has it's own dark room is fun!I tried that chicken and waffle place in the back corner for the first time and I wasn't impressed. Be sure to eat before coming here because you only get 2 chicken tenders, and they're really small, a waffle and fries. The fries were the best part. read more

Old North Arcade - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Yeah, you can't compare Old North without mentioning 16-bit. Yeah, 16-bit has more games - but I feel Old North has a better layout and more room - it still gets crowded, but you're less likely to be squeezing by someone playing a game here - you'll still weave through, but less ass-to-ass or crotch-to-ass action. I feel the drink *prices* are comparable to 16-bit - but I think they did a better job here - they're more flavorful and about the mix, then 16-bit's "it's got a bomb-pop! A slim-jim! $8!" The Princess may be the "girliest" drink, but it comes with a peach gummy, motherfucker. It's delicious. Their game rotation is solid, and they always have people hogging the game consoles. ...please don't go away Old North, I love visiting you too much. You're like a friend's really cool basement (with better booze). read more

One of my favorite places to go to in the Short North. Almost all of the games are free, drinks are reasonably priced and creative (arcade-themed!), and the bartenders will make you other classic cocktails (I got an amaretto sour for 6 bucks) for a great price compared to your standard 15-dollar Short North cocktail. Fun place to go on a date, to hang with friends, or just to feel nostalgic and pass some time. read more

Most of the drinks here are themed after popular video games. Some have candy toppers or edible glitter for a little extra fun. The games here only take quarters and can add up quickly. I like that they have games of varying skill levels so anyone can enjoy. read more

Loved it! Great atmosphere, fun drinks, attentive service and awesome classic game selections.

I never take the time to write reviews and Usually I really like this place and the atmosphere and games, but the most recent time I went, pretty much all of the best games were down (tron, galaga, ddr, etc..) and on top of it all, I was harassed by the bouncer as soon as I walked in. Didn't really make me feel very safe, so I don't know if I will return, which makes me sad because I've had good times here before! They need to make changes. read more

One of my favorite bars in Columbus! The drinks aren't too expensive and they have amazing specials! The arcade games aren't in the best condition but they're loads of fun! A great date location and it's always interesting to see what specials they have! They are a bit on the sweeter side and there's an amazing pizza shop in the bar! They also have an amazing pizza shop right in the bar! It's about the average price of a pizza starts around $12 I love their hot honey and it's a Detroit style pizza. It's a great place to have fun and enjoy some great drinks and food! read more

Wow does this place suck. Overpriced drinks made with shitty off band liquor. Filthy bathrooms. Owner talks down to female staff. What a pit, just skip it. read more

Out of all of the Arcade bars in Columbus (16-Bit, Arcade Super Awesome, and Pins, to name a few) - this is my least favorite. First of all, the sign outside said that all play inside was free. False. The skee ball machines cost money. The pinball machines cost money. The air hockey table costs money. Basically everything we wanted to do costs money. That is fine but then a lot of the arcade machines were either turned off or out of order. The only thing we found that we could play was corn hole and even that was kind of a bust since the bags were missing most of their beans. Additionally, the drinks are overpriced. The bar staff was friendly but slow and for two vodka and sodas, it cost almost $15. No thanks. The cool thing is that they have a fairly large patio and the location is central to a lot of great bars and restaurants so it allows for some hopping but in general, if you're looking for an arcade bar, I suggest rolling to one of the many others in town because you will have a far better time. read more

Went here for my 21st birthday last October and had a blast! It's a pretty small space, so squeezing around people was kind of hard at times, but I had a blast. The man at the door told me that since it was my birthday, I could show them my ID and the whole party would get birthday shots. They were AWESOME! I got like three or four other drinks during my time there. I'm a cocktail kind of girl, so it was kind of expensive, but super fun. I loved playing games with my friends, and my mom, my designated driver, had fun playing games from her childhood as well. It was overall an amazing experience. With the small space, I probably won't be back until COVID is over, but I loved my time there. read more

A model all arcades 2017 and onward should live by: free games! Bump up the price of the drinks two-fold for all we care, we'd probably be too distracted with the 90's array of consoles at our disposal. Luckily, the aptly themed drinks seem to have a low ABV, as they came off too sweet and watered-down. But hey, sugar and hydration aid in your gaming endurance, right? If gluing yourself to a screen seems like a hangover waiting to happen, there's an outside patio featuring actual, physical games. That you can touch! read more

As an bar arcade this place has no flaws (except people staying at the best games forever). I've been here twice for my Friday night adventures. When you first walk in you get treated to a fun atmosphere right away. This place can get kinda packed sometimes, but don't worry, everyone here is very friendly and just trying to enjoy their time. Also I feel like this is more of a twenty's crowd and not geeky at all. There are tons of games. They have like 3 rooms of different games. If you have a childhood favorite then it's probably here! I always stumble soon an old favorite of mine in here. The bar tenders a re quick and I never feel like I'm ignored. They have a big list of there own drinks you can order as well. I would say this is my favorite Bar-Case in Columbus at the moment. read more

Old North Arcade - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Great drink recipes. The location is great but that's where the flattery ends. The location is very...very hot inside. The layout is very poorly designed. To top it off, a lot of the machines work poorly. I do like that they have a super chexx machine as well as a air hockey but because of placement people are always bumping you. read more

Old North Arcade - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Wow, this place is truly awesome! It's such a laid back environment with some of the friendliest staff I have ever encountered! The drinks are on the cheaper side for the Columbus area coming in at $8 for a cocktail! Of course with that price I had to order two! I wasn't expecting much from a cocktail that cheap but I was blown away by how good it was, they even garnish some of them with candy! The Old North Arcade is the perfect place for a night out when you are someone like me who just wants to relax and have fun. They have tons of old school arcade games to try and gain anew score on and even a few flat screen TVs to play PlayStation on! Best news? They are free to play! Once you work up an appetite from all of the Dance Dance Revolution you'll be playing, there is an awesome little restaurant tucked in the back called Forty Chicken and Waffles! It is also a must try. I will be coming back to Old North Arcade very frequently! read more

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Old North is how a barcade should be. It has the feel of playing games with friends in your basement when you were a kid. They have consoles (NES, Super NES, etc) hooked up to several Tv's throughout the place. A great rotation of games including Maximum Carnage, X-Men, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, NBA Jam, and more. I usually go early Saturday afternoon when there's lesd of a crowd. They have several rooms full of games and it's easy to kill several hours here. read more

Never was into arcade games, so when I started scanning there collection of arcade games, I was flippin' happy as heck when I saw their original Nintendo single-cartridge console sitting toward the back of their gaming area. Yes, folks, this barcade offers endless play of the original Mario Bros. game! Talk about a healthy dose of awesome childhood memories, as I attempted to conjure my gaming skills. Mario and Luigi have my heart ;) Several pluses going for ONA. There's a good amount of space, so games aren't squished together, and your not ramming shoulders. Of course, this first go-round it was not too busy, but I'm sure it can get crowded on busy weekends. Beer is ONA's forte, food is not their purpose. Several TVs around, so we were able to watch the fourth quarter of the OSU football game without issue. read more

Hi this place fun. A B C D E F G Now I know my xyz so that's super duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuper great because I'm great so yaaaaaaaaaaaay! read more

Super neat arcade bar. Love the location b/c its close to tons of food spots. And this arcade isn't as crowded as a few others around town can get. I visited on Friday around 12am. It wasn't super busy which was great b/c my friend and I got to play any game we wanted w/out a super long wait. I love that they have handheld games like Super Nintendo and not only arcade games. Mario is one of my favorite childhood games and I couldn't stop playing it although I kept dying. (Lol) I also wanna add that they have some really good mixed drinks. My favorites are: Arcade Lemonade and Save the Princess. I just wish they had some bar food but since they have tons of food spots nearby w/in walking distance it isn't that bad. Parking is sparse. Street parking is your best bet. This is my only downfall b/c it's stressful finding a parking spot that you won't take the risk of being towed. If it's not super busy street parking should be fairly easy. Also if you have kids they also have family hours on Sundays. We went back for family hours and I took my children and my siblings it was a nice free outing. read more

Old North Arcade - Arcade Lemonade cocktail and playing Super Nintendo - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I know that it's not always fair to make comparisons, but this place is WAY better than 16 Bit. There's plenty of room for several barcades in our fair city. Here's why this place pwns the other CBus barcades: 1. More spacious. Two rooms of gaming with ample common areas. It's much easier to move around. 2. Awesome outdoor patio between the two rooms, with Cornhole and a painted-on permanent Twister game! Drunken Twister, anyone? 3. Fantastic Happy hour with HALF OFF craft drafts from 4-7! Lots of local/Ohio beers, plus Luna Kombucha. Nice cocktail list and a cool bar. 4. Nintendo/Super Nintendo console games, Halo, air hockey, DDR, and the usual assortment of upright arcade games. I'm a bigger fan of Nintendo than arcade play, so it was nice to have variety. 5. Badass building that used to be a bank. You can play Tron in a bank vault... seriously cool. We visited during happy hour on a Wednesday and practically had the place to ourselves. The bartender was friendly and helpful, and we spent $12 on four craft beers! I know where to go next time someone suggests a barcade. read more

Old North Arcade - TRON in a bank vault! Seriously cool. - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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So after visiting multiple of these game bars, this maybe my favorite. They had a number of fun different drinks on the menu, along with a decent selection of beers. The location had a lot of room for parties, and a good selection of fun old school video games. The 4 star is for the parking. Other than that it is a fun place to hang out with friends and have a good nice drink read more

Old North Arcade - Speciality drinks/shots - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This is a fun spot to hang in between bars, if you're looking to get sentimental about the old times of playing video games. They have tons of games - from old to new including; Donkey Kong, Skiball, Punch Out, Mortal Kombat, and more. My favorite game, Skiball, costs $0.50 per play - which would be fine if it was a full size lane and normal Skiball count. Dance Dance Revolution also costs money to play - which isn't as bad because you get to play longer and as a pair. You might be asking, "Why is she complaining? The games are mostly free!" Well, most arcades have free games nowadays. The custom cocktails are all uniquely made, with custom mixes and flavors. I got an Arcade Lemonade, which was very tasty, and Hagrid's Butterbeer, which was gross! So, it was a 50/50 win. Old North Arcade has three separate rooms, two indoor and one outdoor. The outdoor area is good for hanging out, playing yard games, and escaping the music for conversation. Plenty of places for sitting and drinking. Staff is polite and serves quickly. Overall, a good time, but not my favorite arcade. read more

Old North Arcade - Fun! - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio