Was visiting Minneapolis from Chicago. Decided to give this place a try and it was amazing!! Such fun games. Friendly employees Wonderful drinks. Very fair prices. Made great friends and had a wonderful time!! Highly recommend!! read more

Arcades are a dying industry so it was nice to visit up-down again, but they were having trouble keeping up shop. Pizza was good, and always nice to have the outdoor seating but just too many annoyances to give this three stars. Out of order for several games, see attached. Dirty bathroom Credit card processing fee Basketball didn't work (one hoop was just out of commission and the other had faulty sensors) Fire outside didn't work at our table N64 controllers shot One of the side-by-side arcade games didnt even have slots to insert coins so a multiplayer game was essentially solo. read more

Up-Down - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Up Down is an arcade bar in Uptown in Minneapolis. I've been here a few times, and most recently stopped by for a Yelp event. It's a buzzy space in the heart of uptown, so parking be hard to find. There are lots of arcade games -- from classics to new games. Unfortunately some of them seemed to have malfunctioning coin slots and a few were out of order. That said, they are all very fun and they offer special deals on tokens throughout the week. The pizza was great. It's 5 dollars for a normal slice and 6 for a specialty slice. A bit steep but the slices are HUGE. We liked the Cheese pizza best -- felt like comfort food at its best; but the Mona Lisa was no slouch either. read more

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First off, love the queer acceptance vibes this place gives off. Upon stepping inside I quickly noticed the pride flag banners and even a trans pride flag on the wall. Small displays like that immediately set me at ease because I know I'm in a safe space. Obviously the best part of this place is that tokens are a mere 25 cents. Considering the cost of... well, everything nowadays, that feels like a steal for some fun. Now, my preference with arcades is prize redemption games or games you win tickets, but this place doesn't have anything like that, it's all arcade cabinet games like shooters, beat-'em-ups, Atari classics, racing games, side-scrollers, skeeball, and pinball machines. It's all 80's and 90's retro stuff, so don't go expecting any turn of the millennia stuff like DDR or Guitar Hero or anything like that. The token machines accept bills only, but there are ATMs available if you need them. Many flat screen TVs hung around playing old-school movies. They had Space Balls and Beetlejuice on while I was there. The theming around the place is fun with neon and lots of 80's references like Back to the Future. Pizza is available towards the back. It's $6 for a reasonably large slice. I got the mac n' cheese pizza and it was hot and tasty. They have various drink specials and some non-alcoholic options as well. There are a couple water coolers and glasses about if you want some water. This place has a plethora of deals each day of the week, so you can visit any day and know you can take advantage of something. There's a coat rack at the entrance. You can also get your hand stamped for re-entry if you don't want to have to repeatedly show the attendant your ID. There's an outdoor area as well as an upstairs patio, though I didn't get to have a look at it on my visit since it's mid-November, it was closed. I forwarded along some photos to my brother and he commented that I was required to take him there when he comes to visit, haha. This place is for sure right up his alley. read more

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Date night at this arcade bar was a hit. If you want to escape the noise of the arcade area, there are two outdoor patios (which had a fire feature for some extra warmth) or a rooftop bar. The list of retro arcade and video games is extensive, and there is something to appeal to everyone's inner child. We spent the evening playing vintage games like Pac Man or pinball games. There is also a giant Connect 4 board, Skee ball, and so much more. Pizza is sold by the slice for $5-6 a slice. The meat slice was piping hot, cheesy, and had a decent crust. It reminded me of a NY slice. The bar had several beers on tap, specialty cocktails, and a full bar. The bar prices seemed quite reasonable. Tokens for the games are $.25, although when we were there a bar purchase scored some game tokens, too. There is metered street parking. Note: This place is LOUD; if you want to tame the noise a bit noise canceling airbuds would serve you well. read more

Up-Down - Meat pizza slice + beer - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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This arcade is always a fun spot to go to enjoy some classic games and to tap into your childhood nostalgia. I never knew there was a MJ arcade game, be we had some, heeeheee... hilarious memories made off of that game. My friend and I enjoyed some friendly wagers on ski-ball and danced for a bit on DDR upstairs. I hope DDR makes a huge comeback. I'm not the best, but totally get into it. Friday nights they do a coin and pizza promo - $5 worth of tokens for the first 100 people of the night and $2 slices until 8pm. There's some other promos on their website as well. read more

Salma was amazing. The best service and customer support. Best place for a Friday or Saturday night

The 80s kid inside me is so happy when I visit this place! Such a fun concept to have a vintage arcade bar. I didn't eat here, but drinks were good and the service was ok. Fun (5/5) I LOVE video games, especially in the early days when there was just a joystick in 2 buttons. My favs included Miss Pac-Man, Tron and Killer Bee. Value (5/5) Check out their specials since they often have 2 for 1 tokens. A friend of ours stopped in before we grabbed dinner to take advantage of their 2 for 1 tokens special that ended at 9pm today. However, I hated paying $2 per hour for parking. read more

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We had so much fun here!!! The pizzas are delicious, think crust/more nyc style slices which I loved. And super affordable if you order an entire pie. Remember to bring cash to exchange for game tokens, lots of different arcade games including dance dance revolution, pinball, and ski-ball! read more

Up-Down - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Honestly, I have not been to up down recently. However, I was speaking w a friend and suddenly the memory flooded back to my one and only experience at up down. I was in town for a wedding and we had decided to go to up down for one of the events leading into the wedding. As a gesture of transparency, we had been drinking already. Although, I wouldn't consider our group as disorderly. In fact, two of us split from the group, went to the bar to order drinks and chatted as we waited for a bartender. We were on the far end of the bar where staff enters the bar during their shift and my cousin needed a napkin. As a bartender in New York and Los Angeles, my instinct was to grab the napkin and hand it to my cousin. This was where the situation became problematic because I entered the bar slightly, to reach the napkin. In which, while I extended my arm to grab the napkin, the bartender on duty came barreling at me and then with both hands, that man shoved me; full force. I was in shock. Of course, my immediate reaction was to understand what had just happened; I recognized that I did go, slightly, and at an angle into an area I shouldn't have been. So immediately, I assumed I was guilty of wrongdoing. However, when I got back to New York, where I worked in a club that served up to 12 hundred people on a Friday or Saturday night, was when it occurred to me that there are many, many ways to handle a situation that does not include a fully developed adult male bartender to shove a female patron. I decided to write an email to their headquarters that was acknowledged but ultimately I felt it unaccountable for the experience. At the time, I let it go because what good is it to hold on to such an experience but as I just recalled the memory yesterday, the sense of physical violence going unchecked prevailed. I live in Los Angeles now, I don't have any expectation to go back to up down but I hope their team has a chance to revisit this event because it was beyond unsettling. It was physically violent. read more

Dont you wish there was a place that had retro games, retro music - with cool, trendy, quirky type people all around? It would be even cooler if they served drinks and delicious pizza by the slice. Oh yeah, and include and upstairs rooftop and giant games of connect four. Surround the place with tvs that show old school movies, current sports and classic WWE.....all with NO COVER charge. Wouldn't that be a trip? Well, it is a trip. It's called Updown. Would recommend read more

I live next-door from these guys. They have great pizza. My Son's are always buying their pizza very affordable feeds a lot. They have fast service. They have fireplaces upstairs. They have an outside. That's really warm really nice. Check it out. and good music. read more

I visited here with a friend about two weeks ago for some drinks and games. Im not very knowledgeable of drinks, but the bartender was very helpful and patient with me. A few of the games weren't working, but I still had a blast! I love the old-school vibe and I had so much fun playing all the pinball machines. I'll have to come back and try the pizza the next time I visit. read more

This place was a lot of fun. They had a variety of pinball machines and arcade games. It was very nostalgic to be able to play Pac-Man, tekken, frogger, and other games. The service was really friendly and fast. They had alcohol, thc drinks, and pizza to order. It is not a very big space so it can get crowded pretty quickly but they do offer outdoor patio areas when the weather is nice. Sounds like they have themed parties and other events as well but I have not attended those. read more

Had a great time playing all of the old school games. Especially loved skee-ball. The pizza was pretty good as well. I still have tokens to use, so am going to have to find one near my city or come back to Minnesota. Staff was mostly friendly. read more

Up-Down - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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My husband and I love this place (so much we actually did our engagement photos here). The music choices are always on point. The game variety is great. They often have new games so it's not always the same old thing and the bartenders there are very attentive. Great choice of beers and the games only cost 1 token to play (per player) unlike some Other arcades we've been to. If you're looking to avoid the crowds, go early and you'll be able to play whatever you want with little to no wait. read more

Updown is such a fun spot! There are tons of games, pinball machines and interactive game consoles (n64 smash brothers, jenga, etc). They offer pizza or cupcakes on site which is fun although we didn't get any it was nice having it as an option. The staff was kind and helpful with coins and drinks. There was a wide array of alcoholic drinks offered and giant water bins around. We ended up here around 3 on a Friday night and it was quiet but slowly filled and became very busy. If loud noises are hard for you I'd recommend planning accordingly so as to avoid busier times/ crowds. read more

For GenXers and perhaps Millenials, this is a great place to relive some of your misspent youth with a wide variety of pinball and video games along with big Jenga and skeet ball. The atmosphere is what you'd expect at an arcade- a little dungs and dark, but who cares? You're there for the game. We went early evening (5pm) on a Saturday and it was already a little crowded, but the wait for any given game was very short. It is probably much better earlier in day or on a weekend. They have a limited menu with pizza slices and a few other item. At the bar they have a wide selection of taps, a decent looking cocktail list and a decent wine selection as well. The only thing I would have liked better would have been a few nonalcoholic brews on tap, though they did have one in a bottle. A fun and not that expensive place to spend a few hours. read more

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If you're a fan of really loud, fairly crowded places then you'll probably have a great time here. We didn't wait in line too long, bartenders were all friendly and helpful. They didn't have any specialty drinks when I was in, but that may have changed. Overall I think you're mainly there for the arcade novelty than for anything else. I'm looking forward to giving this place another shot in the future, but I think it's maybe just not for me. read more

I've heard really mixed review of this place but I loved it!! Really fun vibe with lots of games, drinks, and places to hang out. They also have a by-the-slice pizza counter which is sooooo smart. Who doesn't want a slice of pizza at the end of their night?? Plus the pizza was yummy so that helps as well. Arcade games do cost money, so bring some cash if you are looking to buy tokens to play a few! I was really bummed to find that their dance-dance revolution game was out of order, but that just means I'll have to come back to try it another time! read more

This is fun. Pop some money into the change machine, get tokens, play games. Yes. Lots of pinball games, lots of classic arcade games. We played some Tron (I won), some Burger Time (I won) and some Tetris (I lost) and a bunch of other fun stuff. There is more than just the ground level so keep looking for new (old?) stuff to play. The beer is inexpensive. The pizza is cheap. The vibe here is fun times. [Review 17860 overall - 91 in Minnesota - 1381 of 2022.] read more

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Nice throwback arcade bar. One of the bartenders was lacking in service. He rather chat with his friends than provide service to actual customers. So I would improve on the customer service read more

Fun place to go out with friends and play a few games. They have a large variety of arcade games, as well as a few GameCube games and outdoor games like big agenda, connect four, shuffle board. (Unfortunately some games don't work or the controls are messed up/stuck from food or drink or overuse). We went on a Friday and did the 6 beer + 80 tokens deal for $40. (Normally it's $35 every day besides Sunday, when it's $25, but we paid extra to get white claws.) they also had $2 pepperoni and cheese pizza until 8pm, and the first 100 people at the bar got 20 free tokens! Great deal for tokens and drinks... very greasy pizza. I wouldn't get the pizza again, but what can you expect for $2 a slice? All around a fun night out! Check it out! read more

25 cent games - all the classics - super fun for an early evening stop before going out - cool little crystal shop next door - don't beat my Bubble Bobble high score please! read more

Up-Down - Bubble Bobble High Score - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Not to brag, scored 630 in skeeball and made it to level 10 in the LEGENDARY ice cold beer game. I'll be back to conquer the Deadpool pinball machine, you can mark my words. Shoutout to the $2 pizza slices and $2 UNLIMITED Shirley temple refills. Felt like a million bucks getting 3 hours of game play for $10. This place has been the highlight of my life, came here searching for something, left high on life and drunk on maraschino cherries! read more

Went to hit this spot based on a recommendation from a local. One of only 6 locations nationwide, this 21 & over arcade bar was located in uptown MPLS. The bar was pretty packed on a Thursday night. Definitely attracting more of the 21-35 yr old crowd (on this night at least), Up-Down was a pretty chill place to hang out, grab a drink and play some old school arcade games. We went on a Thursday which happens to be 10 cents per token, so my $20 went a long way. Since we're definitely not the beer drinking types, my budget went a long way and I got about 3 mixed drinks and 4 shots of Hennessy. If you do prefer beer, Up-Down offers about 60 craft brews on tap to quench your thirst. If you're looking to down those beers with some grub, you're limited to just pizza--which you can order by the slice or a whole to share with your crew. We played several games of skee ball and pretty much stuck with The Simpsons arcade game the entire night. However, if you're a 90's baby, I'm sure you'll be looking for Tetris and Mortal Kombat somewhere inside. However, since I've had one too many shots already, things started to get blurry and seemed it was all a dream... read more

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What an awesome place, I didn't even know this existed. We stopped in on a Saturday with a party of four around noon. A full bar, plus a kitchen that is cranking out pizzas all day every day. We noticed that on Saturdays it's buy one get one free with tokens, $15 lasted four of us an hour and a half plus we took some home. We also went with a whole meat lovers pizza that came out within 10/15 minutes and was piping hot. I also noticed that they had a donut vending machine, I will definitely have to check that out the next time I go. Overall, we had a lot of fun, there were multiple games that were out of commission. I really wanted to play ski ball but over half were broken and the ones that were working. We're actually technically broken as well, but still somewhat functional. I wish the GameCube also would've been working, but alas, that was also broken. Our group really enjoyed the pinball, along with the speedboat racing game. I think I would return, my entire party loved their experience and we can't wait to come back. read more

This was our 3rd Up Down we've been to. I liked the pinball lineup and the floor plan of this place. They had a pizza window just like the other places so if you're needing a quick bite, they have pizza! The lineup here was great and in a really cool location! read more

Up-Down - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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We came by randomly, just looking for something unique to do and this place didn't upset. The person at the door was really cool and we didn't even know it was free token Friday! I did think there was a restaurant, but I guess it's just pizza? We didn't come for drinks so we just enjoyed the arcade. read more

Up-Down - A wall of legends - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Up-Down is a barcade in Uptown, you must be 21+ to enter. It has a very cool vibe overall, the walls are covered in a nostalgic collage with pops of neon signage. There are a ton of games to play, and tokens are only $0.25 each. However they run a lot of deals of tokens each week so it can be even cheaper to play. However, there is always a decent amount of games that are out of order at any given time. The bar offers a wide selection of beers that come at reasonable prices ($5-10) as well as a selection of cocktails ($10-$15). In addition to drinks, they also have pizza made in house. The pizza is cheap but the quality and flavor is not! I have tried the plain, the veggie, and the mac and cheese pizza and all have been great. In addition, Up-Down hosts events throughout the year - some of which are themed or have live music. This year I attended the prom night and the emo night. Definitely a fun vibe for a good night out! read more

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First time visiting this bar after hearing great things about it. I am a big gamer so going to a bar that is full of games was perfect. Went here with two other people on a Saturday night. The bar itself was absolutely packed with people. Despite it being a big crowd, we were able to play most games we wanted to with minimal wait times. A few machines were broken, but staff seemed to tag this pretty quickly if they were out of order. They had a good mix of retro games and group games for people to play. The machines are definitely very used and it doesn't seem they get much maintenance to their buttons/joysticks which can make gameplay frustrating. You have to purchase coins to play games, but most games are just one or two coins so you actually get a good amount of gameplay in. Drinks were fairly priced; typical to any other bar. There really wasn't seating anywhere so be prepared to be on your feet the whole time. For accessibility, it would be very difficult for someone in a wheelchair to navigate through this bar just due to the amount of people alone. It was a good experience, but I might not make it my first choice just because of how popular it is. Parking was a little tough to find in the area; we ended up parking a couple of blocks away. read more

Trying to figure out what to do on a Saturday afternoon brought me to this spot. Machines line the entire place - ranging from pinball, classic fighter, racing, skeeball, and more. All plays are $0.25, which you can either get at the bar or by the change boxes posted around. The bar itself is located in the center of the arcade, with a giant beer list, cocktails, and wine. Was able.to get one of the beers on draft ($7) and play at some of the machines which include cup holders. Aside from the arcade items, they have some outdoor seating if you want to get away from it all for a bit. Love the vibe and relatively cheap prices. read more

Up-Down - Inside - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Absolute great nostalgic vibes all around. An arcade like you remember when you were a kid. 25 cent games, great pizza, old-school movies on the TV, and a wonderful and welcoming staff. Perfect place for a date. read more

Only reason it's not five stars is that there is nothing else worth going to nearby. The last man standing in Uptown, fun times every time we go just a bummer that it has no supporting places around. Games are awesome and vibes are good, venue is really awesome in the summer when the outdoor upstairs is open! read more

Fun, fun, fun! We arrived around 7:30 on a Saturday night and the place was lightly packed. The space was open through and through with exits to the front and back patio in addition to their rooftop deck. The vibes are good here. People were out and about to have a good time and generally super friendly. It was fun to try a bunch of different arcade games. There was such a nice variety of things to play. My favorite was Dance, Dance, Revolution. Eventhough I sucked, it did not matter becuase I still had fun. Folks were so generous to give us UpDown coins when they had left over before leaving. This was so considerate. I dont think we had to pay for any extra coins because of this kindness. It surprised me at how free flowing everything was. I guess its nice when things go smoothly and a good time is not spoiled. By 9:30 we decided to leave and grab an actual meal in Uptown. Up Down has pizza but its not really set up for eating a meal. Its more of a spot to drink. The place was fully packed by this time of night, which made for a great time to exit. Up-Down is cool, so if you want a game night out I would reccommend for sure. read more

I respect Up-Down as being a great place for a first date. The video games and other games such as Skee-ball are nostalgic for 80' and 90's babies. It is a fun environment that helps even the stuffiest of people to let loose. I have been here pre-covid as well and this place seems to always have a good crowd yet I have never had to wait longer than a couple of minutes to play a game. I ate her pre-covid and remember the pizza just being decent. Not enough to write home about. I am not a beer drinker but I have heard that this is pretty decent here and they have a vast selection. Alcohol + games is already a great formula for a good time. For now, I recommend eating a few doors down or any place in Uptown. Front patio includes oversized Jenga which is where you can find me. read more

I love this place! The video games are cheap and the vibe is great. The drinks and pizza are also fairly inexpensive. Up-Down is great for a spontaneous date or to just hangout with friends. There's plenty of street parking around. Also make sure to follow them on social media. There are always themed parties or video game competitions happening quite often. read more

Up-Down - Video games area - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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This has been a bar we frequent at least every month or so for the last year. The game variety is awesome with a lot of vintage or more rare finds. The classics fr available including ski ball (although a lot of these machines are usually broken), pinball, basketball, racing games, and more! Their tap list is impressive with some house made cocktails that are quite good as well. Their fanny pack deal is awesome on Sunday's ($25 for a fanny pack with tokens and 6 tall boys for your group). The view from the upper deck is beautiful and allows for a nice variation of scenery if you want to spend half your night outdoors. My only real complaint about this place is the staff are often unfriendly. I get it as a bartender that high pace places often don't leave much room for customer service but even on slow days a lot of the staff look grouchy and don't put in much effort to smile, greet you, etc. This continues to security who are often out vaping in the back but also quick to yell if you are standing somewhere you shouldn't or blocking a walkway. Good security is so needed so I don't want to ever complain, but as someone who comes often and observes, the staff as a whole just seems strange. However, the games and the vibes make it worth the trip regardless - just don't be expecting a warm welcome! read more

What's not to like, retro video games, at least 10 awesome pinball machines, and 4 lanes of skeeball. Huge bar and a food menu to boot. They also have 2 for 1 tokens on Saturday before 9pm...Score!! I really loved the energy of this place. Parking is street, but I managed a space a 3 minute walk away on 8:30p on a Saturday. read more

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I loveee this place! Barcade with good drinks, food options, and a patio, what more could you need?! I've been here a couple of times - it's always crowded! But from my experience, crowded in a good way, not in a "who just touched me" kind of way. In summers they've also got their patio and rooftop open which adds so much space! They've also got another bar on the roof. You can buy coins from the bar with your drinks which is nice. Then you can play classic games like Skee ball, Pac Man, Frogger, racing games, and they even have a console set up. If you don't want to pay for games you've also got the option for huge Connect-Four, Jenga, Cornhole, and Shuffleboard! Great spot for a group of friends or even a date! First date approved too ;) read more

Up-Down - Love a neon moment - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota