The Archives

Nick M

10 months ago

So my buddy and I show up from another bar, everybody who is my friend knows that once I have a couple beers, I love doing math. I get distracted watching the pinball machines for a minute, my buddy said he needs to hit the bathroom, so I decided to grab the coins. The coin machine gives you choices. Spend small, get the normal rate. Spend $20, get 88 tokens — eight extra for free. That’s four full free pinball games. The value-to-dollar ratio was unbeatable, so of course I went all in with a twenty. The machine goes off like a slot jackpot, raining tokens endlessly. My friend actually comes back from the bathroom, finds me still standing there in a hailstorm of coins, and casually tells me, “Dude, I already bought us $10 worth.” At this point I now know there is no way we are gonna go through our stash. My pockets are stuffed with what feels like two pounds of brass tokens clanking like I swallowed a cash register. At this point, the only thing holding my pants up is prayers. But anyone who knows me knows I don’t just take the machine’s word for it. I sit down at the bar, have my friend order us drinks, and I begin to count. Stack by stack, pile by pile. When the dust settles, I’ve got 89 tokens. Not 88. I didn’t get shorted. I got an extra one. Nine free tokens in total. That’s half a pinball game more than the math even promised. Profit. Pinball here costs 2 tokens per play. But I was on fire. My games snowballed: every high score triggered extra rounds. So 2 tokens were often giving me 4, 5, even more games(thats 8 coins of value) My fun to cost ratio was insane. My 89 tokens had the effective playtime of 356+. At one point, some stranger commented on how I was crushing the boss fights on the machine. I didn’t even know pinball had boss fights, but I was wiping them out like a man possessed. My buddy and I tried a few other games — including the Budweiser Tapper, where you serve beers down a counter — but I inevitably found myself back at pinball. By clo

Arielle

7 years ago

Nice bar/arcade with more than 5 working pinball machines including a few Stern's and a DataEast. They have unique and interesting drinks as well. They also have an extensive beer menu and a cheese plate. I would highly recommend this place to anyone with an interest in pinball. Only issue I had as an archivist was that the menu featured acidic paper and non-rustproof brads ;)

Gavin R

4 years ago

Pretty awesome Barcade, with good selection of classic games to play for a great price! Drinks are average price and a good selection for most. It was super crowded but still pretty easy to find games to play, especially because everyone is always rotating. Only annoying thing is showing vaxx proof but was not a problem for us - make sure to have a copy of your card on your phone or in print.

Larry Gianakis

3 years ago

Great bar, really enjoyed the old arcade games, pinball, and especially the cocktails. The Devil’s in the Details was my favorite drink, it was perfectly balanced and well crafted. The atmosphere was great and it was extremely clean. I will definitely be back next time I’m in Burlington.

Eric Finkelstein

4 years ago

This is a perfect bar: - They carry many world class beers both on draft and in cans/bottles, including many from Hill Farmstead, The Alchemist, and Lawson's. - They list their menu on Untappd and regularly update it. - Their physical menu shows what's coming next. - They offer small (5oz pours). - They excellent cocktails as well. Our favorite was probably the clarified milk punch. We were particularly impressed by how they use an unusually clear ice cube. It made me more critical of cocktails everywhere else. - Both indoor and outdoor. Indoor also has an area they sometimes keep the wall-windows open. - 20+ arcade games. I visited while traveling and usually I take a "checklist" approach, probably to a fault, hitting every place exactly once. But here, on a 5 day trip, we visited 3 times.

David Van Benthuysen

9 months ago

Fun spot with great beer and game (video, pinball, board) selection. Reasonable prices.

Eric Byrd

year ago

Great spot with a very chill vibe and great bartenders and staff. It’s an arcade experience but with some of the best draft beers around along with their true specialty of amazing cocktails. These guys put 100% effort into creating the very best drinks to be found.

Haley Schist

7 months ago

Love the nostalgia and arcade games, dig the fall/Halloween themed cocktails. Photo is the Double Burst double IPA and The Witching Hour cocktail which is delicious the bourbon mixes well with the vanilla and pumpkin foam. Ian was awesome, super helpful, answered all my ridiculous questions. Definitely go.

Jackson Bruce

month ago

This place is awesome and has an excellent vibe. Fairly good number of pinball machines with some modern Stern machines and a few classic Williams/Sega others. Good drinks and friendly bartenders. Other classic arcade games available as well.

Sarah Nguyen

8 months ago

This arcade bar in Burlington is such a blast! It’s the perfect mix of nostalgia and good energy — with plenty of arcade games that make you feel like a kid again. From pinball to classics, there’s something for everyone, and the atmosphere is pure fun. The menu is great too — lots of creative drink options with clever names that add to the experience. And if you’re a beer lover, you’ll be impressed by their extensive selection on tap. Whether you’re out with friends or just looking for something different to do in Burlington, this place is a total win. 🎮🍻