So we went on a Saturday at 6 PM and they were packed. And when I say packed, I mean PACKED The wait was about 40 minutes, no big deal we just chilled at the bar. We had a party of eight that they accommodated. Among other large parties we saw. The ambience of the place is so nice so retro. There are about 3 to 4 separate corridors within the building that hold different rooms. Two of them are JUST games. One is half tables half games and then one is just bar and tables. In the summer they have a window that lifts up where you can sit on their patio too. I got a house margarita which I ordered two of because the first one was so good. It was a celebration for my mother-in-law's birthday so she just got a regular beer, but the service was still good amongst all opinions . The bartenders were in good moods and the staff was still super nice and kind even though they were swamped. ----- The FOOD. UNMATCHED! To be THAT busy and push out food of the quality we received is mind blowing!! Good job! I've been here before but no one else had. Note! They only have tater tots. No fries. So I got the Always Sunny Totchos. HALF ORDER Their tots with queso (amazing) & SHREDDED STEAK, GRILLED ONIONS & PEPPERS To dieeee for! So delicious. Then I got wings to go; sauce on the side. COOKED TO Perfection! Buffalo, bourbon bbq, and ranch. My husband got the Mikey Likey burger and he said it was great. (ITALIAN SEASONED PATTY, WARM MARINARA, MELTED MOZZARELLA, PEPPERONI & BANANA PEPPERS) His sister got the "it's a wrap" and she enjoyed it. His mom got the "cougar bait tacos" and loved them. Can't remember what everyone else got because I was on the other side of the table, but everyone enjoyed it. Overall fantastic food! really interesting items. There are so many things on their menu I want to try. I just would probably go on a day they are not so busy. ---- Last notes, their games operate off of tokens that they have machines for that take $1, $5, $10, $20 & it's 25c for each token technically. During my visit, both were out of order so the hostess said that you have to go to the bar and you can swipe your debit card in exchange for tokens, which is a little inconvenient so we didn't do that. But no biggie. I had 4 tokens because it took $1 so she got to play Pac-Man twice and she was happy lol Additionally parking is a little rough when they are busy. Overall great place. Be patient. And maybe try a Thursday instead haha read more

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From the moment we walked in, everything felt warm and inviting! Our server was super friendly and the food came out very fast. The portions are huge so you may want to consider sharing. The ambiance was perfect. Tons of games, and the pinball room was definitely the highlight. We spent about an hour after eating play games. 4 of us ate...2 appetizer, 3 meals, 2 house margaritas and 2 draft beers. With tax and tip out the door was $115. Great value. read more

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RecBar continues to score high marks for the pretzel bites and beer cheese - and combined with the arcade games I'll never give up visiting or recommending it to Louisville visitors. My last visit was with several co-workers. The apps - besides the pretzel bites - of fried pickles and buffalo chicken egg rolls were devoured. The beer selection and tots also impressed them. This is a great spot for burger lovers. The burgers are filling. I left half of mine on the plate. If you've got someone to split with, consider it. RecBar is super casual, local, and unique. Service is typically laid back and friendly. Private room available for groups - and you can reserve a table for 25 on the main floor if you'd prefer not to book a party. read more

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Stopped in for some food and fun with the three rooms of games. The vibe is a perfect mix of retro arcade and relaxed bar--tons of games to play while you wait or just hang out. I ordered the chicken club sandwich, it was delicious! The chicken was juicy, the bacon perfectly crispy, and everything came together with fresh lettuce, green tomato, egg, and mayo just the right amount of sauce. Served with tots that were hot and crispy. Service was quick and friendly, and it's easy to lose track of time between bites and games. read more

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The food took over an hour and a half. Came out cold when we got it. We didn't get silver wear and had to find the ketchup ourselves. Also, The games to pass the time weren't the best options and the bathroom was disgusting. I would not recommend it if you want your family to have dinner in a reasonable time. read more

I love the Recbar. The food is good. The pinball room is AWESOME. I lived in arcades when I was younger. So after I eat, I head to the pinball room. Highly recommend! read more

Great place to go! Kid friendly - with the kids meal, they serve a chocolate chip cookie and a little pack of coins so that they can play some games. Tons of old school arcade games for a great nostalgic atmosphere. Our waitress was great, food and drinks both came out quickly and the food was delicious. Will definitely be back. Prices were great too - we fed a family of 5, entrees, one app, and all had a fountain drink, for about $80. read more

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We started with the pretzel with beer cheese. My wife went with the Big Mac it has Mac n cheese on it with a side of tator tots (ours was crispy). While I went with steak taco (more like Philly steak). This is a Military friendly restaurant. read more

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First visit to Recbar. The food was just ok, classic pub grub of frozen then tossed in a deep fryer quality. They have some classic games, and some I've never seen before. I can't justify the cost of most of them, but if someone wants a night of fun nostalgia, especially with friends, I could see how this would be the spot. read more

I've been here a few times and just went again. Will continue to keep coming back for the games! I love retro arcades with the older games instead of the newer arcades, and this is the closest bigger one. Skeeball, mario kart racing as well as other racing, pacman, space invaders, galaga, burgertime, Lots of pinball and so much more. I only ate and drank here once. It was perfectly ok, but nothing special and kina pricy. It's just bar food so doesn't stand out, granted perfectly fine. They are friendly when you walk in the door. Less crowded when you go in the day vs at night. I love the games here! read more

Recbar - Pinball machine - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Such a great aesthetic to this place. After the Bears lost to a hail mary in 2024, I met a girl here for a first date and we played games and got trashed off vodka redubulls and closed this place out on a Sunday night read more

This bar is very fun in the sense that it has lots to do, but I found the food very lacking. We went on a Saturday night and it was beyond busy, I'm talking people piled up, waiting in corners etc. And we soon understood why there was so many people milling about was because it was an hour wait for a table. Add to the fact that so many children are running (literally running) and it becomes an unenjoyable experience. After a certain time it was supposed to become 21+ but there was still children there after they announced it multiple times. I love kids but not at bars. Overall: Cool place that could use improvement. I likely won't be back. read more

Recbar - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Other than my partner and I getting food poisoning, menus are so beat they can barely be read. That also goes for all of the games there. Expect to lose about half of your money trying to figure out what games actually work or have broken buttons/pieces that makes them unplayable. If you are looking for a place to play pinball then that's a decent choice, otherwise I'd just not waste your time. Supposedly the one in Indiana is decent. Maybe take a trip across the bridge if you HAVE to go to a rec bar read more

How have I not reviewed this place? Well, now I am. Located in the heart of JTown behind Taco Luchador sits Recbar. If you're old like me lol it sits in the former location of Blue Mule, Kirklands, Thirsty Ernie's and before it became Recbar it was Bacon Bar. Yup that many bars were there before Recbar. Depending on the day of the week or time of day, you may or may not find parking in the parking lot. We actually drove around a bit until we found public parking. We went Saturday evening so of course it was busy. I have been here a few times with a friend and we did eat here before but, it's been years. I even got take out during the pandemic. Buffalo Chicken Eggrolls were unique yet delicious. Not sure if they still have them beings our most recent visit was to just game because my friend had a bunch of gaming tokens that needed to be put to good use. We did order a drink from the bar and I forgot the name of it already but, it was good. They still have the sour patch kids margarita but did not get it this visit. We did play a few games but, spent more time in the pinball gaming room. They have a huge variety and there are some I thought never existed. I loved seeing The Phantom Menace pinball machine. Definitely worth visiting if you wanna dine out and game or just go for the games. It's basically a restaurant/bar/arcade. Family friendly too of course. read more

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There's so much to enjoy about Recbar! This place is a time capsule, featuring a large array of old arcade games and pinball machines from the 80's, 90's, and 2000's. It's extremely nostalgic, and there's nothing like being able to grab a nice drink and play these games! The food menu is pretty standard for a bar, I do very much enjoy their burgers though. There's also some items that really stand out like the frosted flake tenders which I'd recommend everyone try. It's a very laid back place but can be very lively at the same time! The staff from the servers to the bartenders offer a great experience to bring the whole thing together, with great enthusiasm in their service! read more

The idea of this place is super cool. A bar AND an arcade! What could be better for your inner, drunken nerd? They have a fair amount of games to play, mostly older ones you've never heard of but they are fun nonetheless. The start of the show: the pinball room. They had all kinds of new, crazy ones you have heard of! There was Deadpool, Spiderman, Foo Fighters, Stranger Things...and a ton more. Definitley my favorite part of the experience. Food was okay. I just go pretzel bits with spicy cheese sauce. Nothing to write home about, but I didn't hate them. Kids got some waffle pb&j thing they seemed to like. It's probably one up from bar food, but that's about it. Service is... strange. They take your order, bring the food, and then you can wander around the place and play games. We had to track down our waitres to pay... but that just seemed, well, normal. Anyway...I'd go back just to play pinball. They have trivia on Wednesday nights, too. read more

This is our 2nd trip here, Very unique place, lots of mi to brewed beers & several rooms of old pinball & arcade games. read more

Recbar - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Food was surprisingly good for a bar. Service was fast enough considering it was full. We got waters within minutes, and ordered drinks which arrived within 3 minutes. We put in the food order, and it was out in 12 minutes for a party of 4. The chicken club sandwich was the best I've had in Louisville so far. Pretty amazing for a bar to pull that off! Will say that my companions had a 50/50 experience with their food, one had a great bLT and the other two had an average experience with different styles of chicken wings. The ambiance was great, with all the old video game hits you'd remember from your childhood. It really is a fun experience, but I'm sure some of these games are hard to maintain, as I had a problem with two different machines taking money or failing, and never got refunded or free plays. I understand they were busy, but customers should be taken care of. Still, it's a fun place to go for a group, and I'd still recommend it as the food and beverages were good, and the fun factor is high. These are old machines, and they do break. read more

Recbar - Chicken club - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

This place is unforgiveable! We went there Friday night for a bite to eat and spent 2 hours waiting! The hostesses were rude and apparently forgot about us! They look to have underage foreigners working there. We finally gave up and left! read more

This place is pretty cool. You walk in and see a bunch of arcade games. When they seat you they walk you into another room with quite a few tables and booths. Look even further and you see more games. It's not as loud as I would have thought which was a relief. I met some friends there to celebrate a birthday. I've been once before and didn't recall loving what I got to eat but this time was a better experience with the food. Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich - 7.5/10 Mac and Cheese - 7/10 Loaded Tots - 8/10 The food is heavy but the place earns a 5-Star for overall food plus environment. It's a fun place with pretty good food considering there's an arcade as well. Definitely worth going for food, drinks, games or all of it. read more

Recbar - Teriyaki Chicken with Mac and Cheese - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

First thing... Tater tots! They are the best tots I have had! They are crispy and nicely seasoned. You can also get them as "Totchos" with many different toppings. They have awesome burgers too. The Pickle Rec burger was yummy! That and an order of Totchos were enough food to share with another person and be full! On top of all that many arcade games to play, pinball, etc for all different ages and they have a completely open bar! Cool spot! read more

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This is the perfect spot if you're looking to enjoy decent food and great service. I've had the pleasure to have encounter great servers and bar tenders at this location and the result is always a consistent amazing result. The best perk is of course the arcade vibe and ambiance this place has to offer. But, the food has always been 5 stars. From the pretzel bites to any sandwich on the menu. It is always a good choice if you're looking for a fun, casual joint where your options for lunch or dinner are pretty much wide open. read more

Recbar - Pretzel bites - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

This place was amazing. Came for lunch with my kids. Four rooms of classic games, all working. Food was good and great selection of beers. Staff was very attentive. Highly recommend this fun and entertaining place. read more

This place was so much fun! I wanted to play skeeball and get a drink for my birthday, and it seemed like Recbar was the place to go. It was busy on a Saturday afternoon, but we didn't have to wait long for games or drinks. I got the fruit punch boozy slushy, and it was tasty and festive. While many more modern (and some classic) arcades have raised their prices, here the games are one or two tokens to place (1 token = 1 quarter). I played several rounds of skeeball, Roller Coaster Tycoon pinball, and Ms Pac-Man (which I was surprisingly good at). I was surprised by the number of games available- there's a whole room of pinball machines! I loved the old school arcade feel of the place. The machines seemed to be well maintained, with only one out of order sign. All the machines I played worked well. I had an awesome time, and would definitely go back and try the food next time. read more

Rec bar is cool. My guy Ben was probably the sharpest server of all at the bar. The Fat Mac was all that despite the wait, so that made up for the weird service lol. Anyway I really wanted to play some video games, and pinbal, so I really came to eat and do that. I will come back again the dood was good. I gave 3 stars cause of the unwelcomeness of the servers. I think as servers you should greet everyone even if your not serving them. Anyway, I enjoyed myself music wasn't bad either. Check this place out of you want to play games. Low key fun spot. read more

Recbar - Fat Mac Burger and vegetables sides - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Fun place - great games, inventive cocktails and menus. Server was kind and prices were reasonable. However, I'm not quite sure how we had 10 shots and 2 drinks between the two of us and we weren't even buzzed. Makes me curious. We will probably head to the new Albany location next time. I prefer their layout as well. read more

I want to first off preface this by saying that this review is strictly based off of my experience playing games and having a few drinks. This review is not based off the level of service I received when it comes to the food or the quality of the food served. Recbar has always been a staple in Jeffersontown and the greater Louisville area for many years and has been known as the premier place when it comes to the barcade scene. Upon entering, you will be greeted by a host that will ask if you want to be seated. I would recommend that unless you want to be seated, you don't need to wait in line. Recbar features a decent variety of arcade games from Gauntlet Legends and Street Fighter II Tournament Edition to classics like Root Beer Tapper but what really shines at this particular Recbar location is their sheer amount of pinball games with a dedicated back room completely lined with nothing but pinball machines. For me, this is the best part of coming to Recbar and I will say that like most barcades, pinball machines vary from 2-4 tokens a play. The one thing that I personally do not like is that the arcade games require tokens. I've been to many barcades across the country and Recbar is one of the few establishments that charge you to play their arcade games. During this particular visit, I wanted to play their Mario Kart game which requires four tokens to play and the game did not work properly at all as with most of the other games I tried to play. While I was given my tokens back for the games that did not work I firmly believe that if you are going to charge your customers to play your arcade games that they should be in working order. I also noticed that several pinball machines were also not in working order much like Recbar's New Albany location. Having said that, Recbar is a pretty decent arcade bar but it leaves so much more to be desired such as properly maintaining the arcade cabinets as well as keeping up with cleanliness. I recommend Recbar simply because I have yet to find a barcade that is as big as them that has a huge selection of games to play but I would make sure that before you pay to play to make sure that the games you want to play are in working order. read more

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Recbar is an American food/gastro pub/arcade establishment located in the j town portion of Lousiville Kentucky off of taylorsville road. I've had this place on my wishlist for a few years now and this past Sunday around lunch time I finally took the family and knocked it off the to do list. Naturally anyone who grew up on arcades are going to be smacked right in the face with great nostalgic feelings. The decor here is phenomenal and fun. The old school games and pin ball machines is like a fountain of youth to that age demographic. I could walk around this place reminiscing for hours. For the food they have a fun and diverse menu with the names. We started with an app of buff chicken rolls and I got a Sour patcharita cocktail (tequila sprite with sour patch kids in it). The biggest chicken rolls were unique and very tasty. Honestly the best thing I tasted here. My drink was very good. Good flavor and the candy in the bottom was an interesting and tasty dynamic. For our entrees i personally got the colonels surpirse which is a Frosted Flakes breaded chicken tenders with waffles. The waffles was good and the chicken and bread was good but it was burnt or overcooked in several spots so it made the meal just decent. My two middle daughters got kids chicken tenders and had similar experiences and was not a fan. My oldest daughter for a mac me feel Gouda burger. Which was a burger with Gouda Mac and cheese on it. She was a huge fan. She said it was really good. She only ate about half of it. But I think the excitements of arcades and pinballs was calling her name. My wife got the burger of the month called the behemoth burger. She said it was really really good. Highly recommended by her. Service here was. Tad on the slow side. But I get it. I'm sure they are use to people who order then go play. So I'm sure it's a hard balance to maintain. We waited to after eating to play so maybe that's why it seemed so long. As mentioned the arcade here is super cool. Classic games all over the place and if your a pinball machine fan they had one of the largest collections of pinballs I've ever seen. Overall we had a great time and would come back. I like how the arcades proves are still what they was growing up and not inflated. My only issue is they have a lot of machines that "eat" your tokens or quarters. So a better maintenance could be used. The food was hit and miss for me. For me if they balance out the tastiness or the menu and maintain machines better this place can easily be a 5 star. That said it's still adequate and cool enough for me not to wait so long until I come back. read more

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Went Saturday night and only one waitress was working the floor. Slow service and drinks were not mixed they poured from a can for the margarita. Even though there was one waitress she was very attentive and pleasant. I will give it one more try. Won't order a margarita. read more

Honestly, i really used to enjoy this bar; it is somewhere unique and quirky. However, when i went back with my best friend, her husband and my brother on 5/27 in the late evening i had multiple poor things happen that led to a poor experience. My brother's dinner did not come out with the rest of the meals, and our server didn't even notice we were missing a meal until she came to ask how the food was. While the server was kind, the food took another 15 to 18 minutes to bring my brother's order. By the time that my brother's food came the rest of our party has already finished our meals and it was late. I asked for the general manager, but the assistant was the only one available to meet. They explained that my brothers meal would be taken off the check, but I emphasized that the order was supposed to be rushed, yet it took over fifteen minutes minimum to bring his dinner. The night manager said that they had six other tickets up so that's why it took so long. As someone who has worked and managed within the restaurant industry, the definition of a rush order is moving it ahead of the other six tickets but it's clear that the management doesn't care about making the issues right. The manager was rude and dismissed my frustration when I explained my issues with the situation. I didn't want my brothers meal comped, i wanted his food out and i wanted it replaced as quickly as possible which was not done. Clear both staff and management have gone down since my last visit, there are a million places to go in JTOWN to eat and you don't need to eat there to play the games, so eat somewhere else. read more

Love the idea and concept of the place but not the flat coke they added to my jack! They ruined a great drink!

My family came in for a birthday party today. We had 18 people. Sat down and ordered food. Manager came to us and pretty much kicked us out because it was burger week. What does burger week have to do with us coming in, eating, ordering food, drinks, and playing games. Last time I checked that's what this place was for. You just lost out on 18 people ever coming back to your establishment again. I have never experienced such terrible customer service. I will never recommend this place to anyone. read more

Loved it. Just wish they had cool shirts in store so I could've bought one. The drinks were creative and well-made. The servers were all very friendly. The appetizers exceeded my expectations. The burger was not my favorite, so I'd try something else next time. Overall, had a lot of fun here. Would recommend. read more

Love this place, first time going and I didn't want to ever leave, the vibe is very chill and the arcade games are really fun and the food is amazing!!! The servers were also extremely nice and very social and funny, they feel like friends not waiters. Plus they have bingo on Thursdays and trivia on Wednesdays! Best local spot ever. I will be coming back! read more

Cool atmosphere. Trivia night is fun. Retro games bring out the kid in me. And I like the drink themes.

Fun place! The pretzel bites with beer cheese were a big hit! I can't eat anything fried there, long story, so the choices seemed limited for me. I tried the pulled pork tacos. They were pretty good! Three Small grilled flour tortillas with pulled pork and Cole slaw. Good refills on the non-alcoholic bevs, and our server was pleasant and attentive. The kids loved playing games, and eh hem, so did us adults! A couple of games weren't working so hoping they are up and running next time. read more

Recbar - Pulled pork tacos - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

This spot is a whole vibe. Yesterday they were sold out and shoulder to shoulder. Today I was the only one at the bar. Had 3 Dat Mac Burgers to go and got me a 35k stout beer and tots while I waited. Beer was better than I expected, im not a stout fan, tots were just that but that burger was oh so good!!! Service was prompt and courteous. I was greeted when I got there and the opposite of a greeting when I left. Not my first time here but I live closer now, so I'll be back more often... read more

Recbar - Burger Week 502. Fat Mac Burger - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

What a grand time! I had a coupon for free tokens that I needed to use and a friend who wanted to game some, after getting our dinner on. So plans were made! For my main dish, I made the messy selection to have the pulled pork sandwich with a side of tots. It was delicious, for sure, but so so so messy! I definitely needed extra napkins from the server. I should have thought better about this, knowing I would be arcade-ing after this meal...but that is was sinks and soap in restrooms are for! And the sandwich with the tots were more than enough food...appetizers were not in anyway needed! I couldn't even finish my tots. As for drinks, I asked our server for a recommendation and ordered the Peach's Punch that she suggested. It was dangerously delicious! I get a kick and a giggle out of the names of all the specialty cocktails and food items. They definitely embraced their theme! After eating and paying (and getting one more drink to accompany our arcade-ing), I redeemed my tokens card at the bar and we got to playing. Tokens go quickly, unless you are, like, REALLY good at the games. And I am not. But there is something for everyone. Skeeball, video games, air hockey and pinbaaaaaall. So much pinball! We had a blast! It is a bit out of the way for me, but I appreciate that they have a parking lot, an outdoor area for nicer weather, and the food is a good enough draw alone without the arcade...and then you have entertainment while you are there! I would be happy to return here for a fun evening! read more

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Certainly not everyone's cup of tea. But a family safe environment to be entertained and have some fun. Great selection of various games. A full service bar. Clean bathrooms. Great service and food. read more

We visited Recbar for the first time last Saturday night, and it was packed. We had three families join us, so we had a bigger group. Fortunately we were able to get a table before the evening rush started. Recbar is four large rooms with old school arcade games in each room and dining tables in the middle. When you first arrive you check in at the hostess stand to get a table. They take your number and contact you when a table is ready, if there is a wait. In that first room there are bathrooms and a ton of classic games (Mario kart, Dance Dance Revolution, skee ball, and many more). The middle room has fewer games, but a lot of tables and a full bar. The third room has a few larger tables and basketball, a cool boomerang air hockey game, punching games, ride on horse game, etc. The final room is all pinball machines. We came with six kids - every game requires a certain number of tokens but some only require one. The kids had a great time running around with us chasing after them. They had plenty of change machines and cups on top to hold all the tokens. Did I mention they have a full bar too! So the adults were able to drink and socialize a bit in between kid fun. Food: the kids menu had some great options. My kids choose the chicken fingers with Mac n cheese and fried shrimp with Mac n cheese. Both said they were delicious and was only about $6 with a drink. We ordered the original tachos, which had bacon, sour cream and cheese on them. The tots were sweet, which was very unique. Tasted like there was sugar, as well as seasoning on them. It was definitely a unique flavor, and they were pretty good. Not sure if I'll order again due to them being so sweet. Other folks at our table ordered a house salad, sliders, pretzel bites and everything looked good. Our server was amazing and was able to keep everyone's order separate even though we all ordered at different times. Would definitely recommend RecBar for a fun time with kids or without. We will be back but on a day when it's not so busy! read more