In a noisy bar in Avalon I tried to call you.... If you understand you understand. My favorite spot…read morewhen I'm on island. Better like a dive

If sticky floors, terrible service, and being treated like your money is an inconvenience are your…read moreidea of a good time, the Marlin Club has you covered. Rachel was an exceptionally bad bartender--unfriendly, inattentive, and somehow made ordering a drink feel like we were asking her for a personal favor. Apparently being a "local spot" means you only need to provide decent service to the regulars. If you're not a local, good luck getting the impression that your business matters. And yes, I know it's a dive bar. I wasn't expecting white tablecloths and a sommelier. I was expecting a reasonably clean floor, a drink, and basic customer service. Apparently that was aiming too high. Do yourself a favor: spend a few extra dollars somewhere else. There are plenty of bars where the floors are less sticky and the bartenders don't act personally offended that you showed up with money to spend. Definitely won't be back. I'm sure they won't care--which pretty much sums up the entire experience.

I loved this place! I went 3 nights in a row. It's such a good vibe and good ambience. The drinks…read morewere good and there's a pool tables and music. And I had different bartenders and they were all great. Totally recommend.

Visited The Locker Room during a cruise port stop at Catalina Island, and I'm glad we dropped by!…read moreThe bar caught my eye with its strong reviews, and it definitely lived up to them. ​The space is spotless, cool, and offers plenty of seating. The bartender was friendly, attentive, and kept a fully stocked bar. If you like sports or just a chill atmosphere, there are flat-screen TVs mounted all over, making for a great classic vibe. ​Most importantly, the drinks are fantastic--fairly priced with just the right kick! Definitely check out The Locker Room if you're visiting Catalina Island.

Finally took the time and additional funds to see the inside of the Catalina Casino in Avalon…read moreCalifornia during a shore stop aboard the Quantum of the Sea from Los Angeles. It was a great stop, well worth the money and time. My wife and I have been to Avalon before and the outline of the Catalina Casino dominates the view from the harbor when looking North. I made the obvious mistake of thinking it was a place of gambling and didn't bother going, but later learned that during the 19th and early 20th century, the term 'casino' was used to mean 'a gathering place'. That was the goal of the original owner (William Wrigley, founder of the gum company that bears his name), when he built it in 1929, right during the times when 'talkies' started taking over the movie industry. A massive restoration occurred in 1994. It's walkable from where we got dropped off by the cruise port tender, so I bought two adult tickets online for $21.51 each, for the self-guided tour. There is also a guided tour available that takes a group back behind the stage. We got there right when it opened and the ticket taker already had our names to let us in. The first stop was the main theater on the ground floor, and as we entered it, I couldn't help by saying a long 'Wowwww'. There are 1164 original seats (reupholstered) and we sat in the very back row, admiring the theater and watching a bit of the silent movie that was playing. Cell reception did not work inside, and the free WiFi didn't work well in here either. A little while later, the guided tour came in, and we were able to listen to the guide explain the theater. Some fun facts: -- this was the first theater designed for 'talkies'. However, because it wasn't a sure thing that they would replace the old style silent movies, a Page Theatre Pipe Organ was also installed (which is now one of only three still in its original location...the others being in Indiana). It was broken for a while, but has recently been fixed. -- entire ceiling was covered in silver leaf. -- the acoustics are incredible. As the guided group talked in normal loudness near the orchestral pit in front, I could hear each conversation from the back, just as if the person was right next to me. -- the wall murals was designed by the same artist who did the mural at the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. -- architects responsible for the building of Radio City Music Hall in NYC, came for a visit to examine the acoustics, as it was that good. The guided tour ended up going backstage. We then took a winding ramp (there is no public elevator) up to the 2nd floor. Here there was one room where a TV show was on, explaining the history of the island. Another ramp took us to the top floor where the 20,000 square foot grand ballroom is. (The ramps reminded me of a ballparks, and later I learned that it was intentional: Wrigley had requested it based on something similar that he liked from his namesake ballpark). The ballroom has been beautifully restored, with wooden floors and a rotating chandelier. One can roller skate on the floor with rented skates, though nobody was doing it when we were there, thus the floor was empty. There is also a concession stand selling snacks. The height of the casino is equal to a 12-story building, and provides some really great views of Avalon, specifically the bay, from the Romance Promenade that surrounds the ballroom. My wife and I slowly circled it, admiring the views. We did notice the small cove where many snorkelers were admiring the plentiful orange-colored garibaldi. The entire stay lasted about 75 minutes which we felt was about the right amount of time. Would highly recommend if not been there before.

One of the coolest parts about visiting is learning the history-most people assume it used to be a…read moregambling casino because of the name, but it actually never was! It was built as a community gathering space, and the word "casino" just meant "social gathering place" in Italian back then. Getting to explore the building at your own pace is fantastic. The inside is beautiful, and I loved seeing the massive, classic ballroom and the old roller skating area. The absolute highlight, though, is stepping out onto the terrace. The views of Avalon Harbor and the ocean from up there are stunning, and it's easily one of the best photo ops on the entire island.

Such a cool little spot to check out in Downtown LA if you're looking for something low key after…read moredinner. They have a bunch of old-school arcade games from the Nintendo/Super Nintendo days, and you actually use tokens to play, which makes the whole experience feel even more nostalgic. They also have a DJ and a full bar, and honestly, the drinks were really good! It's a fun place to hang out with friends, play some games, grab a drink, and just enjoy the atmosphere. Definitely recommend stopping by for a nightcap if you're already in DTLA and want to do something a little different.

This place is pretty sweet. I didn't get the bartenders name, but this dude with the septum ring…read morewas probably the best bartender I've had the honor of being served by. This has been in my drafts for 4 years, sorry.

I love this place! I usually get $60 for 75 tokens and every machine is 1 token. Thats such a good…read moredeal because the machines aren't rigged. If they are they are doing a good job letting people win most of the time. I think there were a few machines at time I had to try 8 times and gave up because I couldn't pick up the plushie. But usually one token I get one plushie. This place is absolutely addictive but I like it over other places because you can upgrade your plushies for bigger ones at the front desk. It's such a nice treat because if we have a bunch of little ones we don't want, and a big one we do like better, it's worth it. I leave with at least one big plushie that I exchange for 8 medium plushies, and a few more medium plushies. Total I take home each trip 1 big plushie, and 3-6 medium to little plushies. Other claw machine places I feel cheated because you either have to put a bunch of coins in to play once, or the plushies aren't easy to grab. This place is not only affordable, but you put one coin for each machine for one play. It's really fair and wants you to win. The cherry on top is the plushie upgrade exchange after you're done playing. I come here at least once a month because it's really fun

Drove all the way from Westminster by myself to check out multiple claw machines stores! Came…read moreacross this one and decided to play $20 and got lucky with 2 prizes :) owner and staff was friendly and nice !

Came here to check it out and see the speakeasy. Will be coming back because of Oakley. So helpful…read moreand was so kind. Made sure we were happy with all of our drinks and just really made our experience. If you're there and see Oakley just know you're in good hands.

Love this place! A well lit, open aired, coastal gem with a…read morefabulous horseshoe bar with great views and most importantly.........pinball! We stay in Long Beach all the time and haunt the pubs with pinball there, but sadly they are all located in sketchy neighborhoods and at great distances, but we can get to Playground in about 20 minutes on the PCH with no traffic and amazing views. Its location is the bustling downtown HB makes for an amazing day trip and we just love the energy, ambiance, and relaxed atmosphere of the place.

Mission Control is a BLAST! It's a not-so-hidden gem on the second floor of a market in DTSA, which…read moreis the perfect way to spend the evening after walking around and eating in the area. There's a variety of pinball machines and classic old school arcade games to choose from (as well as some new machines which were recently added). You can exchange cash for tokens and all the games are reasonably priced, either 2 tokens (50¢) or 4 tokens ($1). They've got a DJ bumping live music to set the mood, a couple bartenders dishing out fun themed drinks, and there's even a dance floor with a disco ball if you feel like getting down. It's got a little something for everybody, even if you're bad at the games you can still have fun with friends, on a date, or even on your own! HIGHLY recommend you check this place out, it's a guaranteed good time that isn't expensive which is rare nowadays!!

I hadn't been to Mission Control in about two years, so I was really looking forward to going back…read more Unfortunately, it just wasn't the same experience I remembered. There used to be an area with around a dozen pinball machines, but that area was completely bare this time. There were still pinball machines along another wall, but I remember them being in both areas, so it felt like there were quite a few fewer machines overall. A few of the other games weren't working either, including the air hockey and basketball games. I also noticed there wasn't a DJ that night. That may have been something that simply wasn't scheduled for that evening, so I'm not going to hold that against the place. I'm just mentioning what I experienced. I did get to play Galaga, which was fun, but I was hoping to play Centipede and it wasn't there that night. I ended up playing only two games before heading downstairs to the tiki bar. Maybe it was just an off night, and I may have caught Mission Control at a bad time. I just remember it being a much more lively and fun arcade the last time I was there. I was disappointed because I had really been looking forward to coming back. I hope it was just an off night, because I'd like to see it get back to the place I remember.

Took my family and kids bowling here. Its a great location with a lot of the newest arcade and claw…read moregames with some fun photo booths and ticket games for prizes. Karaoke rooms bowling lanes and the pool area and bathrooms were nice and clean. The guys who helped us Alfred and Jose? were very helpful informed and patient with our questions and requests: "We kept asking if a lane was open and how much for a group of 7". Overall we had a great time they had a nice giveaway for an anime I wasn't familiar with at the time so I guess they do events and collaborations now and then which my sister really enjoyed. Good Ice Cream and decent prices for drinks and snacks but I gave it three stars because the AC was not working eventually making it unbearable to bowl in the heat we just weren't dressed for it, and cold drinks only go so far. If they ever fix their cooling issues we would love to go back for another family party or a karaoke event that looked fun!

LEMARREE IS THE GOAT!!!!!! he was so helpful, informative, and came to assist us with the machines…read moreas soon as we requested it. however, i am fairly confident this establishment can afford ac and needs to stop being cheap. it would greatly improve the customer's experience and employee's wellbeing, especially when i find this the main draw of coming to lakewood mall. #freelemarree

Came in to check things out and it was really crowded!!…read more They have plenty of games and lots of games that dispense tickets to redeem prizes. The prices of the credit vary on amount and it can get quite expensive, the prizes are not worth the credit we spend but that isn't the point of the prizes. Also you get a reusable card which I think if you come often to make sure to bring it and just refill the amount to waive the new card activation fee. We didn't get to stay long to play the games we wanted since it was crowded and the game we wanted was pretty popular. Would like to try again next time and will bring our card for a refill!

Arcade with a view of Newport Harbor? Yes please…read more This is a great little family owned and operated arcade in the Balboa Fun Zone. Pro tip: If you need more than one card (so each kid can have their own), you can select the number of cards you need, and then the total amount with bonus credits, and it will automatically split the total credits among each card. This lets you maximize your bonus credits. Nice!

If this is not the greatest arcade in Southern California, I don't know what is…read more They still use coins for their machines here, and they still print physical tickets that you can redeem for prizes. They have over 100 games, just as much as, if not more than, your local Chucke cheese. You can host parties or just come on a casual day and have a blast. It does get packed but is not crazy packed; it's still really fun. Price point is the best selling point of the arcade; you pay in nickels exactly what the name implies. Most games cost about 5 nickels at most, which is about a quarter per game. You can order quarters in bulk, 3, 5, 9, or 10$. It is a baggie filled with nickels for whatever price point you decide to buy. You can also request additional baggies to separate your coins between People or baggies for your tickets. Admission is about $2 per person to get in, but it is not expensive at all. With $20, the four of us spent a good 1 hour and 30 minutes having fun. We were also able to get some really cool prizes at the end. My kids loved it, and although it is a drive for us from the San Fernando Valley, we will be making this trip very often because it is so worth it. Highly recommend this arcade spot.

One thing to start off is there's a $2 entrance fee, and I can't believe they kept this same fee…read morefor the last several decades from when I was a kid until now. That's pretty impressive. On the other hand, the machines here are a mix of old and new, moreso on the old. The machines in the back with free-play are great... if they work. Some of them do not work and it's unclear if management will ever fix them. Prizes are great for the kids but it does take a lot to win to get to the ticket number needed for decent prizes. Otherwise the prizes are similar to those you get at the dental office or swim school. Cleanliness could be better. I always feel like I'm about to get sick when I visit because it doesn't seem like they are able to clean fast enough between visitors and parties. Nickel NIckel is alright... I feel like my memories of it are better than me actually revisiting it in current state.