Dear reader, Punch Bowl Social in Ballston was an absolute triumph for a work event and made Nurses Week feel properly celebrated. We had our event there and had such a great time from start to finish. The biggest strength of the place is simply how much there is to do. There is so much space, plus games, arcade games, karaoke, and bowling, so it never felt like there was a dull moment or any risk of the group running out of entertainment. One could hardly accuse the evening of lacking activity. The food also did its part quite nicely. The appetizers we got were great, and the potstickers, pretzel bites, and fried chicken sliders were definite standouts. Everything felt easy to share and perfect for a group event, which made the whole evening run smoothly. A further point in its favour was the staff. Everyone was nice, attentive, and clearly helped make the event feel organised and enjoyable without being overly formal about it. Overall, Punch Bowl Social was lively, spacious, and genuinely fun, and it turned out to be a wonderful place for a group celebration. A very solid choice indeed. read more

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The bartender killed my vibe unfortunately. I asked for a glass of wine and he served my drink in a round martini glass. It was Saturday night and very busy so I didn't want to carry around something I could easily spill. So I kindly asked for a wine glass and he definitely didn't like my request so he dumped the wine from the martini glass into a wine glass spilling half of it over his hand onto the floor. I understand PBS is not a wine bar but his response was really disappointing and awkward, I paid for the 4oz pour to keep the peace. I used to work in the service industry so I left it alone, but I probably won't be back to PBS for a while. I really enjoyed the silent disco! Super fun and different. The person managing the headsets didn't tell me when it ended.. so the folks who also didn't know ended up paying $10 for 30min.... read more

The food here is nothing amazing but it is decently priced especially during happy hour. The drinks are similar but they do have fun seasonal menus from time to time. It is a huge space and good for events personally I enjoy the trivia nights every Tuesday overall a nice weekday activity to do with friends. read more

I have been going here off and on since it opened. I love the concept of it having games and things to do on several floors. The food is very good, and the menu has enough variety to keep me coming back. I love that they offer tasty mocktails. There is free karaoke at the ground floor bar every Friday from 9pm -12am. The groups that come through can be pretty interesting. You can belt out some songs while enjoying some good food and drinks. I wish they had more high top tables on the ground floor and less of a nightclub lounge look so that you can have a better view of the singers. You can play giant Jenga, foosball, ping pong, do bowling, do private room karaoke, play arcade games, and other games on any level. The bartenders are pretty good on the lower level but the upstairs third floor has cycled through some weird bartenders who didn't know how to make some common drinks. They seem to be better now. The security guards are on point and keep everyone safe. The super buff guy is actually really nice and was helpful when a friend lost her purse once. The bathrooms are usually clean. There is an elevator on the ground floor if you need it. There is a second elevator connected to the entire building at the entrance near the Ted's Bulletin inside which will take you to the third floor entrance main bar and bowling lanes area. Must show ID and be age 21+ to enter. read more

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We went here for a division social for my job last week. Overall, the food was good and the server was accommodating, but I gave it a 3 because of how long it took us to get drinks from the bar. There were 16 of us and only 1 server, so we didn't get the drinks until after our food came. Also, we didn't find out until the day before that the entire 3rd floor was reserved for a private party, so we weren't able to play the games up there. We got there around 11:30am on a Thursday, so it was a slow time of day which may have contributed to the limited staff. The ambience was great and it looked like a fun place, so I plan to go back and experience the evening vibes. read more

Punch Bowl Social - MOZZARELLA STICKS - VF - Gastropubs Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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The feel is a 1950's diner with Ms. Pacman and lawn games and bowling upstairs. I met a friend to hang out on a Saturday evening. We sat at the bar and ate guac and chips and some other appetizers while drinking Stellas and lager. We played a trivia game and just hung out talking. It is a nice place for that. Not too loud and solid service. At about 9pm karaoke started. It was fun. I sang True Blue, I think the crowd was slightly younger than Madonna songs, but that wouldn't stop me. In all it was a good hangout joint, with a variety of activities for those who don't enjoy sitting still. read more

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I came here to enjoy some nice drinks during happy hour. I had been to a Punch Bowl Social location in Sacramento previously. They had several rooms available with arcade games, bowling, darts, a full bar, and music. I was curious how the Arlington location would be. They have good happy hour specials available from 5-630pm. I was able to find a seat at the bar on the first floor. You can order some food or one of their drink options for $5. I ordered the old fashioned to try. Of course it was not a large amount. Happy hour drinks are half of what a typical drink would cost. They served it in a round glass with one large square ice cube. This of course made it difficult to reach the cherries which were on the bottom. The drinks were not very strong either which was disappointing. I came back on a Friday night to see how everything was going. There were not many options for nightlife in the Arlington area so I wanted to see what it is like. It was only a quarter full with people sitting at the bar. Some people were bowling and playing games but not much else. The DJ was playing good music which was the only highlight. It seemed somewhat dull. I left shortly afterwards. I would not say it is a great place for nightlife as previously advertised. read more

Punch Bowl Social - Gastropubs Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Food was bad. Service was slow and inattentive (but apologetic at the end). Vibes were weird. Drinks were weak. Gaming and entertainment areas were kind of dirty and grungy. This place is like an upper-scale Dave and Busters with less to do, a weirder crowd, higher prices (on some things) that's mostly designed for adults. Queso: came out cold and congealed. We sent it back. They brought new queso out, not chips. The new queso was warmer but still not hot. Wings: We ordered two orders - buffalo and the chili wings. We asked for the wings well done. They came out undercooked. The buffalo were disgusting. We sent the buffalo back and they just cooked the same ones for longer. You can tell because the color was darker and more burnt when we got them back but they were dry. We'd also bitten off of one and that one was returned to us, too, which seems super unsanitary/not hygienic/not in accordance with food safety standards. We sent them back. Mozzarella sticks: good. Marinara was bland but this isn't the world's most flavorful dish, soooo.... Rosemary fries: a tiny bit of parnesan on fries lmao... not even joking Our server was very apologetic at the end. However, there was a 15 minute period where we couldn't even flag him, and we were forced to send certain things back with the people bringing them out, who we had not interacted with up to this point. I definitely would not recommend this place or return. The food was absolutely atrocious and I didn't come in with high standards. Congealed queso? Are y'all OK? read more

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This is a great place for kids or adults. A lot of games for kids and table games for adults. They also have great food and drink options. Service can be a bit slow because of how this place is. I like the way this place was design and there are a lot of seatings and a bar. Can be a good location for social gathering event with friends or to watch sports. It is located in Ballston and there is a parking garage available next to it. read more

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Came for the Sunday Drag Brunch. 10/10. The food was great! Very filling. The mimosas were $5 each which is a steal. Let's not forget the drag performers! They were absolutely amazing! The show lasted nearly 2 hours! The server was attentive and kept the drinks flowing, she explained the menu and offered a two seater table for me and my guest. Lunch bowl social is a multi-floor arcade that is an adults dream! They offer bowling and arcade games that are sure to be a hit. Ample parking in the attached garage that's super affordable. Highly recommend! read more

Punch Bowl Social - CHICKEN & WAFFLES STEAK FRITES - GF - Gastropubs Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Came here for a date night on Friday. It's a cute concept with multiple floors with arcade and board games, pool, and karaoke. Service was great and we did not have to wait long to be acknowledged or served. We did not get food but the drinks were ok. Some of the game prices were a bit pricey, specifically pool. I wouldn't come back. read more

Fun bar to hang out at! Came here to support my friend at Punch Bowl's monthly drunk spelling bee competition. It was super fun to watch and the host did a great job! They also gave out these cute little accessories for everyone. I got the Main Squeeze Punch during HH and it tasted sweet and refreshing. The Rosemary Fries paired nicely with it as well. Loved that it wasn't overly greasy and there was plenty of rosemary/cheese on top. The quantity was very generous even during HH. Will definitely be back to try other items on the menu! read more

Punch Bowl Social - Main Squeeze Punch - Gastropubs Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Honestly, this place was just okay. Visited for a team lunch & wasn't really vibing with many of the menu options, so decided to just go with a quesadilla. The quesadilla was very soggy. The sauce didn't feel like it complimented it well either, would have preferred if there was a salsa or just plain sour cream even. I only ended up eating half of it. There was one special mocktail which I ordered. It was pretty standard, nothing to write home about. We didn't do any of the activities, but those seemed fun and there were many options. The decor was also cute, and the staff was very friendly. Just don't think this was the place for me in terms of food. read more

Punch Bowl Social - QUESADILLAS - Gastropubs Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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An excellent place for a large group, Punch Bowl Social offers an experience for everyone: if you're a competitive person, plenty of games will offer a sporting time; if you're more of a lounger, you'll find ample seating to enjoy your drinks in comfort. With karaoke, arcade games and bowling available, you could bring a mixed-age crowd here to find common ground and bond, over an excellent cocktail menu and pretty solid snacks. It's a fun spot, and big enough that it doesn't feel too crowded or hectic, and the multiple floors allow for some fun exploration if you feel like wandering for adventure! read more

I've been to this place a handful of times now. I always have a good time bowling and the drinks are good. We recently went on Father's Day evening. It was slow inside tonight. We have a little wait for the lanes which is no problem. We walked around and played games until it was time to bowl. The bowling area had food all over the place nothing had been cleared tonight. We started bowling and waited for a server but no one came so I asked the people next to us and they said today they had to order at the bar which you usually don't. I saw someone who worked there and asked him about clearing the section and he said we could order with him. He was very nice. Tonight I just had the cheese / mozzarella sticks and the molten lava cake. I don't recommend either and they were not warm when they came out. I suggest just going to play but the drinks are usually good. read more

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Punch bowl is a cool concept. I came here on a Wednesday evening with my team for happy hour. If you wanted to step it up a notch and go against your friends or coworkers, Punch Bowl Social offer various activities such as arcade games, bowling, and table tennis. We visited the location on the 3rd floor of the Ballston Market where for the first half of happy hour, we essentially had the place to ourselves. For Happy Hour, select appetizers, draft beer, and cocktails are $5 each. The waitress came by to ask if we were ready for another round of Old Fashioned, in our party of five, we said just 3, which the waitress acknowledged 3 Old Fashioned. When the gentleman appeared at our table with the second round of drinks, we noticed he had extra drinks, and I said we only had 3, he replied "well we already made it" Fortunately I had co-workers who Uber'd to help finish the extra drinks. When it comes to serving alcohol, if the customer is cutting themselves off, the business should not be placing an additional alcoholic drink that they did not order in front of them saying "well we already made it" read more

Food is 100% better than before, and the service is much better too. Shoutout to Aniyah because she had a big table in the front and has our table on the other side of the restaurant. The manager should do a better job of organizing the sections tbh. read more

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Punch Bowl Social seems like it could be a fun date night or friends night hangout. There are things to do on all 4 floors, including a full restaurant on the 3rd. I came early Saturday evening and there seemed to be more families than anything. The drinks are relatively cheap, and I didn't try anything food-wise. read more

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I went to Punch Bowl for a Tuesday Trivia night. The vibes in this place are fun and not overwhelming, perfect for a weeknight hang. There's a wide variety of seating options and the lighting/decor gives Punch Bowl a funky feel. I don't expect much from bar food, but I gotta say, this chicken sandwich was pretty good. The batter on the chicken was so crispy and honestly pretty distinctive. I bet the chicken and waffles is good too! I think our server assumed we only wanted drinks, because we had to ask to put in food orders. Still, the waiter was very polite. If you wanna go to a bar and still want to eat dinner, I'd come here. I'd previously came for a work function and the catered food was also better than most bar food I've had before. Tons of tabletop seating for meals as well. Now to try some drinks! read more

Punch Bowl Social - SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH with tater tots - Gastropubs Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Went for darts, had declious appetizers. We had a lot of fun hanging out here and playing darts, were surprised by the food and the service, a good time was had by all, read more

Been here a couple of times but first time for brunch. Empty as usual and they only man the mall entrance (third floor) and leave the street level entrance completely ghosted. You walk in and you have to trust that at the end of the maze there will be service. No signs or directions. Great. Upstairs we had made reservation for patio seating but the patio was "polleny" (as our server put it) so we let it go and sat inside. Ordered their $5 mimosas and it was a perfect mix with non-fresh juice but a slice of fresh fruit. Not too sweet at all. The breakfast burrito was great. The salsa could've been more fresh. Could've used more avocado as well. The salad was on the greasy side. The biscuits and gravy had more potatoes than biscuits or gravy. Could've added a third biscuit since they're so small and just reduced the potatoes given. Otherwise tasty. The server could've been more attentive. Had to ask for additional water. We weren't given any later. She also seemed to check on us mid sentence quite a few times without any sense of finding the right moment. Otherwise staff very friendly and helpful. read more

Punch Bowl Social - BREAKFAST BURRITO - Gastropubs Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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No stop, I loved everything about this place. I would suggest starting at the top and working your way down so you don't miss anything. It seems like there's literally something for everyone. If you want a quiet date night you can find a spot, if you have a group there's plenty areas for you, if you're by yourself you can wander or sit at the multiple bars and catch a game on TV. The vibes are immaculate here and the DJ on the first floor is poppin! I didn't try the food this time but the menu looked promising. The bartenders are awesome. Love it and wish we had one in FL! read more

Punch Bowl Social - Gastropubs Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Punch Bowl Social is a sprawling complex, multiple floors with tons of games and stuff to do. There are bars and food options on each floor. We went on a weekday afternoon and it was pretty dead. I imagine on a weekend the place is really popular. We went specifically to bowl, and tried to make a reservation in advance. They only have 4 lanes and only allow 2 to be reserved so that's why we didn't get one. It was easy to get in though and they did not require bowling shoes, which was nice! We got some apps and beers, we had reeally attentive service the whole time. Beer tasted a little funky and apps were just OK. It's a unique spot that allows you to have something to do other than just eat and drink. We'd come back with friends! read more

We came in for brunch after the Immersive Gamebox and we are wait glad we did. We were about to try the brunch and we were not disappointed. Our server was Grace and she was phenomenal! She was so kind, attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. We got the chicken and waffle platter but got the chicken on a separate plate. The strawberries were sweet which we were shocked. And the chicken and waffles were great. For the most part everyone got fries for some reason but everyone really enjoyed that as well. It wasn't busy since we were there fairly early but we liked the atmosphere and would return read more

Punch Bowl Social - Chicken & Waffles Platter (Chicken on the side) - Gastropubs Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Update 22 Feb 25: Punch Bowl Social is such a fun place to chill out and play arcade games. They even have mini bowling, which reminds me of the candle pin bowling I grew up playing in Maine. Their diner style food is good as well. I ordered steak tacos and my husband ordered a burger. Both were delicous. Their margaritas and mezcal cocktails are really good. The arcade games are card operated, which is easier than coin operated and they have multiple stations to recharge your cards. I would definitely come back. Thanks! read more

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Justin was a great server! We came with a large group, and he was amazing. He checked in often and had no issues with us on separate checks. Thank you!! I found affordable metered steeet parking! There is also a garage. This place is cool. We played some fun games. I enjoyed the 'Crushing Hard' cocktail (tequila based) and the brussel sprouts (delicious). I would come back just for those brussels! read more

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To be honest, I didn't have a reservation for bowling and I wanted to see about a walk-in experience for my wife and I. We called ahead and the woman stated "its booked for bowling but we do have walk-ins for one lane right now at 7." We entered and everything was cool, the hostess at the main entrance was welcoming and attentive. We were guided to the back where the bowling, karaoke and games were. We went to bowling attendant, a curly haired young latino man with a lot of charisma and good attitude. Here is where it got out of hand. I ask him whats the word with the bowling tonight. He states that he is waiting for reservations to come in but we can do the unlimited plan which allows us to play any of the games or activities. I said what about the bowling? He said to come see him in 35 minutes. It was 7:10pm. We ended up playing ping pong for 40 minutes or so. I had two drinks which were good (mango slushies). My date went to approach the young man again, and the worker said its going to be another 15 minutes. No worries. 15 minutes goes by and I ask him again what's going on? He said he was waiting on reservations again. My date goes up after 15 minutes and asks whats going on and if we can play because two lanes are just open with no one on them. The attendant then says "Oh its ok you are good to go just go play." The thing is the lane was not set up. We sit in the bowling lane and eventually two customers take over the lane making it obvious that a reservation had come in. I go to a different attendant who says "Let me check the reservations". Of course there is nothing. He states "Yeah its all booked for the night." This puzzles me because I would've been fine if the first attendant told me we have no more spots for the night. At this point I gave up on bowling. We walk over to darts. A whole lane is open with an unattended tablet that says 15 mins remaining. We tell the staff and they say "oh its going to be 35 minutes." So you have to reserve everything in this spot?? It was honestly frustrating and we ordered some nachos, took some cute pictures, and left. Please train your staff to be honest and transparent. We wasted a whole night going back and forth on empty promises. Granted its my fault for not making a reservation but the curly haired brother was not willing to just tell me there was no more bowling open. Paid $40 to play nothing basically. We did not get our $10 game cards either. Food and drinks were great, but that bowling staff needs training! I genuinely feel like that $40 was charity. read more

The only salvageable part of this spot is the karaoke. Upon entering, I was greeted warmly but it went downhill from there. Service was lack luster. Ordered frosé but ended up with a frozen bellini. Food was trash. Had to wait for a booth since there was a large holiday party taking place but it wasnt cleaned before we got there. It wasnt expensive so maybe something to note. I think, when it isn't so busy, I could return to enjoy the games and drinks but not at the top of my list. read more

Brandon is hands down one of the best bartenders I've ever had the pleasure of meeting! From the moment I sat down, he made me feel welcome and taken care of. His energy is upbeat but laid-back, and he has that rare ability to read the room perfectly -- whether you're looking to chat or just unwind. The drinks were spot on -- perfectly balanced and made with real attention to detail. You can tell he takes pride in his craft. He even made a few great recommendations that ended up being new favorites! On top of that, his professionalism and personality really set the tone for a great night. If you're lucky enough to have Brandon behind the bar, you're in for top-tier service, good vibes, and unforgettable drinks. Highly recommend! read more

Punch Bowl Social - Gastropubs Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

they have so many MICE!!! do not go. the staff know and they say it's due to construction but we literally saw a whole FAMILY of mice at the end of our dinner. It was honestly so unsettling. read more

The Service here is amazing! The manager Luis really made my first time experience exciting. I ordered the Cauliflower Chicken Nachos and they were delicious! read more

The server was nice, but did kinda take a while...we did go during happy hour though. The drinks tasted good but weren't that strong and the nachos were EVERYTHING!...order seconds. read more

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Nice variety of entertainment from dart boards to old school arcade games. Shout out to having a shuffleboard! read more

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Came here on a Friday night. We sat in the downstairs bar in the comfy chairs. Interesting that the bar was full, then empty, then full. A definite ebb and flow of folks. But a great bar to talk. I liked the coasters which were mini records. The bartender made the most perfect Lemon Drop martinis. They were served in a beautiful coup glass. Would like to return and try the food. read more

Punch Bowl Social - Gastropubs Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Some of the best happy hour deals in the areas will keep me coming back here! But it comes at a cost, poor service. We were told to find our own seat and someone would serve us, after about 10 minutes of waiting we decided to order at the bar. When the first bartender saw us she avoided eye contact and moved her drinks to the other side of the bar to not have to address us. The second bar tended avoided us fora while and when he finally took out order he made sure to let us know we were a bother with his smile that didn't reach his eyes. For the food and drink, we got their queso (+guac), a Tom Collins, and a Marg. I like their guac better than the queso but both were pretty good. The drinks were strong and cheap! I don't know what was going on in those servers days, so I will try returning again and hope to have a better experience. read more

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I can't believe I'd never been here before--I was surprised by how massive it is. Located in Ballston Quarter, the space spans three floors filled with food, drinks, and activities. They also offer a solid happy hour that's definitely worth taking advantage of. We went on a Monday, so it was pretty quiet, which made it easy to enjoy the games without waiting. I also ordered the rosemary fries during happy hour, and the portion was enormous. Definitely a spot I'd check out again. read more

Great drinks, lots of fun games, reasonable prices. Games can be broken or overcrowded on weekends read more

So I was invited to visit this restaurant/activity establishment through a work event. They booked the Holiday Lodge for us, complete with food and drink and several activities. I was looking forward to this visit as the photos looked super cool, but I was sorely let down. The establishment did have a cool retro feel with lots of fun team-building games, but we were limited to pool, skee ball and foosball. I believe this was the package they bought but it was disappointing to see a Photo Booth, bowling, karaoke and more on the other side. We were limited to 1 alcoholic drink per person (also may have been the package bought) but I ended up wanting something non-alcoholic. I tried their house lemonade and sprite but they were not good. They both tasted like there wasn't enough syrup and all carbonation, cannot say I was impressed. Our food consisted of macaorni and cheese, veggie quesadillas, hamburgers doused in sauce, pork sandwiches with too many toppings, spicy chicken wings, taco and nachos bar and cupcakes. For this to be a corporate events and "buffet," the food choices were awful. Also, they called it a "buffet" yet they didn't refill the food. They eventually refilled the sliders and sandwiches but they had one single cast iron pot of macaroni and never refilled it. Of course that was probably the best food item they served that night. You can see in the picture how much was served, and please keep in mind there were at least 30+ people attending this. Options wise, if you couldn't eat spicy food or saucy items, there was practically nothing for you. The bar service was decent, although I felt like the bartenders seemed annoyed by my presence every time I asked for a new drink. We do have a location back at home for me, but I gotta say...if I ever plan to host an event, I would not consider this location. It was a let down and I was not impressed at all. UPDATE: I reached out to Punch Bowl Social after they commented on my review. They were apologetic and offered me something for the next time I visit. Although I visited during a vacation and am unsure when I will return, I appreciated the gesture. The event sales manager was fairly prompt and sincere with their answer. read more

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I've been here a few times to watch games or just hang out in Clarendon before hitting other bars. They have pin bowling. A lot of people bring their families, but I would say that there is definitely a more mid 20s vibe. I probably wouldn't bring my own kids here but there's always kids every time that we go. I haven't tried any of the food, but the drinks are always pretty good. I get the espresso martinis and they don't disappoint. read more

Punch Bowl Social - Drinks - Gastropubs Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I came here excited to try the steak frites, but unfortunately, it was a big letdown. I ordered my steak medium, and what I got was almost rare in the center--barely warm and way undercooked. On top of that, steak frites are usually served sliced, making it easy to cut and share, but instead, they brought out a whole, tough piece of steak that was hard to cut even with a steak knife. It made sharing with the people I was with really awkward and inconvenient. For a place that supposedly prides itself on this dish, it felt careless and poorly executed. Won't be coming back anytime soon. read more

Punch Bowl Social - Steak frites - Gastropubs Near Me - Arlington, Virginia