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Level One Bar Arcade
130 Hutchinson Ave, Columbus, OH 43235, United States
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Jo
Review №1

I love this place. Ive been going to Level One since they opened about 5 years ago. I have never had a bad experience there. Aside from all the fun arcade and pinball games, its really the people that make this place great! Starting with the staff. Simply put, they are amazing! Kim, DJ, Brittany, Alex, Brian, Dez... these have become some of my favorite people. Ive also come to know a lot of the regulars there mostly due to playing in the pinball league. Amazing people that I now consider some of my best friends. Im not what youd consider a barfly but I tell people all the time, this place is my Cheers. Stop in for some games and good vibes, you wont regret it.

Ch
Review №2

Great place to spend a Saturday! I went with a group of friends and we ended up spending the whole afternoon playing arcade games and drinking beer. Level one has a great selection of arcade games some original vintage and some later games. The games are all free to play. They have an entire side wall of pinball machines. The pinball machines do cost $.50/$1.00. Some of the machines offered 3 games for $2.00. There was a tournament happening when we were visiting so there was a lot of people however there wasn’t any significant wait to play the games.Level one has a great selection of beers and drinks. Unfortunately they don’t offer any food options.

Ch
Review №3

Love this place!They got that new Ninja Turtles !!If you know what that is, then you know how cool it is!This place is run well and staffed by some cool peeps.Yall should go see if you beat my score!See ya there.

St
Review №4

This place is outstanding if you want to take a trip down memory lane. A lot of the old school clasic games, good music and atmosphere. You play all games free as long as you buy a drink. Ill definitely will be going back.

Do
Review №5

My recent visit since covid was great. The system of knowing what tables are clean or dirty make it easy for customers. They enforce the mandates, as they should.Their new Rick and Morty pinball machine was a blast. As well as a few other recently added machines.Drinks are still top notch and staff is great. The place always felt clean but now its feels super clean. This continues to be my go-to arcade bar.

Ro
Review №6

Far and away one of the most chill, fun places in the Columbus area. The drinks are always delicious and the bartenders have, to the person, been friendly and inviting. Its also got the best pinball scene Ive seen in the area. Theyve got cool extras as well, like streaming on Twitch and hosting others on their big TVs. Definitely a must-visit if youre into classic arcade cabinets, pinball, etc.

Xa
Review №7

Fantastic bar and barcade! It’s my regular hangout. Very welcoming to everyone, adults and children (only on weekends before 5ish). Good drinks with fun 80s motifs, and a great revolving beer selection.Bartenders are super nice and attentive to EVERYONE. As a 44 year old I often get the snub at bars when trying to get a drink, but not here! Kim, Alex, and Brittany are the ones I see the most, and they always crush it. Everyone is great! They are always protective of the place and patrons, if anyone starts something unsavory.Great selection of games, and check their Facebook page for events like trivia, Mario Kart, sumo fantasy league, and pinball.No food, but they allow you to bring in carry out from nearby restaurants.When we can gather for parties again, they are very accommodating.

Ro
Review №8

I was in this place in 2019 . Had a blast. The staff was outstanding. Service was untouchable. All in all a great place to hang out and meet new friends.

6A
Review №9

First time I went there the bartender tried to charge me for an extra drink. Second time I went in bartender overcharged me couple bucks on my drink so I looked it up online to confirm. Was charged $10 for an $8 cocktail. No big deal... old north arcade has better games anyways

Be
Review №10

Great selection of games. Relaxed atmosphere. Following Covid guidelines.

De
Review №11

Really nothing but great experiences here, so I will be back. The bill was appropriate. This place has great reviews for a reason.

Ja
Review №12

Super chill spot!!! Awesome old school games and alot of pinball machines to chose from!!

Li
Review №13

I love this bar. $10 bucket of domestic beer and old school arcade games give this GenX couple a fun 2 hours out.

Da
Review №14

Friendly place. Good priced drinks and attentive employees. Cant wait to go back.

Ch
Review №15

Best arcade in town, and probably the safest during covid!

He
Review №16

Level 1 is the most amazing place. The people are amazing! The bartenders are even better!

ja
Review №17

Had lots of fun, as per usual at this place!you cant go wrong when reliving your childhood al over again.-RAD

Ca
Review №18

Love this place as long as u have anything to drink the arcade games r free and pinball is 50 cents, played Ms Pac man for over an hour!! And kids are allowed in during the day!

La
Review №19

Lots of fun, classic arcade games. When you drink you play for free! A few games cost money, but most are free.

Ro
Review №20

AWESOME retro games and drinks. Very reasonably priced. Creative and delicious cocktail options and very friendly staff. Fun place for any age. Will definitely be our new regular spot. HIGHLY recommend

Se
Review №21

This place is really cool. Drinks are reasonable prices and you can bring your own food. Only 2 games were down for service and all the rest were working great. The arcade games were free when I was there. Pinball games were great. Also had N64 and super Nintendo on big screens for free.

Ri
Review №22

Fun games and drinks for a fun night out. Staff was nice and I will be coming back here for sure! Great value for your money and fun drink options with a casual environment. Highly recommended. Only downside is I tried to get their specialty drink + cup but they were out :( Ill try to snag one next time!

Ni
Review №23

Very friendly staff and an awesome selection of standing arcade games! All youve got to d I is buy a drink and games are free all night!Exceptions are pinball, which take quarters and they have a last-man-standing pinball league on Monday that pulls in over 50 competitors every week!I highly recommend this bar

Ch
Review №24

Great place to spend some time without spending a lot of money. The cabinets are free, the drinks are reasonable, and the staff is friendly. Theres no food available, but I highly recommend either Sushiko or the new Mexican place next store. Theres a good selection of cabinets from different eras and genres.

Jo
Review №25

I’d just rather not share my experience. Totally gone downhill in the past few years. There’s other places to go. Doubt I’ll go back anytime soon.

Wi
Review №26

I love this old school arcade. Great collection of games from my youth.The location is not great. I hope they are able to find the right audience. It feels like they’d do better in a neighborhood with sidewalks and other small shops to walk to.Currently 21+. But next week they’ll be changing their hours and become all ages from 11am to 6pm. Hopefully this will help them find the right clientele. When I was in, the bar space was dominated by a handful of loud, jingoistic, self-entitled white guys. Didn’t make for a welcoming place to relax. Hopefully that crowd will move on.

Je
Review №27

I absolutely LOVE this place! I have rented it out for my wedding reception, I have rented tables for a wedding anniversary/birthday party and again today for my sons birthday party. The staff is AMAZING! They are very helpful, friendly and the service is always fantastic! I highly recommend this place for events or just to go and have a blast.

Li
Review №28

I recently got into pinball & decided to check this place out while out of town. I had a really good time. Kim was super friendly & informative. She told me a lot about pinball, tournaments, places to go & people to talk to. I spent over 3 hours here. I’ll definitely be back when in town.

jo
Review №29

Great place great decor and good vibes. Definitely the place to be or just to chill or enjoy some classic games and pins. Friendly staff and good prices will definitely frequent this rad watering hole.

Gr
Review №30

Pinball selection is awesome and the place is real clean!

Le
Review №31

This was a great first time at Level One! Great drinks, great atmosphere. I loved all the pinball and old games from when I was young. Only downside-skee ball is my favorite game and both of their machines were down for repairs.

Hu
Review №32

This place is AMAZING. I can not honestly describe how cool this place is. The drink names go with games, the princess peach is amazing. cool video games which are all FREE besides pinball and skiball. Cant wait to go back!

Ev
Review №33

Cool place if you like to drink and play arcade games. Compared to other bars like this level one has very few people which means you get your moneys worth of the games without having to wait all night. Staff were nice and respectful. Drink selections was quite larger and diverse. Over all when I get the feeling I want to play games and drink I would rather go to level one than any other place in town.

Ky
Review №34

Not a bad place to go after work for some casual fun. Theyve got plenty of classics and the skeeball is a nice touch, but it lacks the fun atmosphere of the other barcades in Columbus. 16-bit has much better cocktails and game selection.

Ha
Review №35

This place is stellar! All the games are free, including skeeball and Mario Kart 64! (except pinball, which is only 50 cents) *most* games work and are in good condition~ good selection of drinks at fair prices. Staff is also friendly

Am
Review №36

Totally fun place. Great drinks and atmosphere, loved all the throw back games. Only wish there was a little more music, or multiple genres of music. Overall absolutely reccomend and would love to go again. And the names of the drinks I absolutely loved! The games are free, except the pinball, which is super cool. Also GREAT variety of liquors!!!

Ty
Review №37

Good selections of alcohol. Nostalgic arcade games for free. Best. Place. Ever.

Is
Review №38

Close in distance form my place. Usually a pretty chill environment. Lots of Arcade cabinets, several pinball machines. They have an SNES and N64 set up towards the front.

Te
Review №39

Went out with friends for my 39th bday. I had a blast took me back to the good old arcade days. Will be back

Sc
Review №40

Great place, never to busy, kids can go on saturdays and sundays during the day, which is super cheap kid date.

W
Review №41

Service can be slow on a busy Friday or Saturday but that just the way it goes at a bar sometimes. Definitely worth the tradeoff for the video game themed cocktails and free arcade machines. I always have a good time.

Ky
Review №42

Fun & Energetic surroundings providing the opportunity for reminiscing with some of the most popular, & iconic video games/arcade style games, ever made. Favorite drink in hand, you’ll never regret coming to this location, for a good time.

Re
Review №43

The drinks were great. The games were free minus pinball which was only 50 cents. Great night.

Jo
Review №44

This place is SO FUN. The staff is super friendly and the drinks are always amazing no matter what you order. All of the games are free as long as youre buying drinks, but make sure you bring a few quarters if you want to play their pinball machines. My favorite drinks are the Q*bert and the Galaga.

Al
Review №45

Held a company happy hour here, staff was friendly and drinks were great! Everyone that came enjoyed themselves and are asking to go back again soon.

Na
Review №46

Decent place. Lady at the front in charge of checking IDs was very rude, but otherwise had a great time.

Ne
Review №47

The one bar that can make you feel nostalgic for the good ole arcade days. The atmosphere is electric, the drinks are hardcore and the variety of games which are free to play by the way is simply endless. Expect to be here for a few hours if not more.

Ti
Review №48

This bar was so fun and nostalgic. All of the games are free for customers!

th
Review №49

Great pinball, great games

Za
Review №50

Thought maybe starting at level one I would rank up fast.. left the place without advancing.

Ma
Review №51

This place is great good drinks good games

Sa
Review №52

Super fun old school arcade. Most games are free to play and they have an excellent drink selection. Perfect date night.

Sa
Review №53

Awesome bar tenders and manager. Had a great time would love to come back.

An
Review №54

This place is cool. Big area, big bar. Staff is nice and helpful. DONT come here on a Saturday during the day if you dont want to be around kids. They do let kids in for a few hours on Saturday, and it is overrun. When there arent kids here, its great. The games are all super fun.

Ra
Review №55

Amazing beer selection from the local area, knowledgeable bar tenders, great games, and even kid friendly before dark.

gr
Review №56

#loveit perfect for all ages. Great fun for free. Pinball cost but worth it. Full bar as well

Na
Review №57

Fun place. Nice staff. They have all the classics and tons of pinball, too. Hit this place up before or after a movie.

T
Review №58

Cool place, pinball pay to play but all classic arcade machines free

Sa
Review №59

Great old school games, and a ton of pinball machines. Have a pretty nice bar with several gluten free drinks on tap.

J
Review №60

Fun atmosphere, quick service, great selection of free games! Donkey Kong, Simpsons, etc. It is all here!

Fi
Review №61

Free video games if you are drinking. They also had a row of pinball games you could pay to play. We had a ton of fun I felt like a kid again.

St
Review №62

A really fun evening, cool games. A few needed some repair. I wished the overhead music was quieter so that the sound of the games was more prevalent.

Ma
Review №63

Always a great time with awesome craft beer options and all the games you can play.

Sl
Review №64

Fun place to drink some local beer and play video games. They have at least a dozen pinball machines for those that like that.

Ro
Review №65

Love the older video games. Same games I played in the 80s... my kids make me go just about every other weekend.

LC
Review №66

Had an amazing birthday party here! The staff is friendly and attentive. Everyone had an awesome time and they have all our favorite retro games!

Ph
Review №67

Great place to hang out and play awesome games!

Mi
Review №68

Great place for a night of fun. Arcade games are free and the drinks are reasonably priced. We all had a blast!

To
Review №69

Very cool place. Lots of pinball. Gave me a deal on a shirt. Welcoming and has great beer. Anime trivia!!

Al
Review №70

Love it!!!! Would like some modern games. But other than that it was awesome!!!!

Ch
Review №71

This place is great. I mainly come here for the pinball and it does not disappoint. They have 15-20 machines. They have a few new modern Sterns a good amount of classics from the 90s and a few from the 80s. A solid mix of games. The video games here are all in great shape. They have most of the classics but a good amount of eclectic titles too. Service has always been top notch, even when they are crowded. No food but they have a vending machine with snacks and a lots of other options nearby.

Al
Review №72

I’ve been here twice. Once at night and once during the weekend day. Kids are welcome from 12-6pm. The staff is so kind and helpful. All of the arcade games are free! Ski ball is .25 and pinball is .50 a game. The drinks are excellent! Did I mention the staff is sweet...

Go
Review №73

Love Level One! Great place to hang out, have a drink, and lose at arcade games without wasting any quarters Last time I was there I tried a Princess Peach drink, and it was pretty great!

K
Review №74

My go to arcade bar since I live near to it. Love the atmosphere, the game selections, and the pinball machines they have. They also have a vending machine for chips which is pretty convenient. The drink prices are a tad high but good fun every time I go there.

Ju
Review №75

A fun place for a throwback night. There is an ATM and change machine in house. Food isnt served here (the only reason that Im not giving a 5 star), but there are different food places literally next door. It is kid-friendly.

Au
Review №76

I love this place a lot great prices and unlimited play they also have skeeball & pinball

Da
Review №77

I love all the bars like this. Great pinball selection, although pinball machines are pay to play. Drinks are much cheaper than 16bit downtown which also has free to play video games.

MD
Review №78

Unfortunately this is my least favorite barcade. Compared to the locations near campus its far less busy (not necessarily a bad thing) and they do strange delayed timing to the charges to your card if you dont pay in cash, which I guess is a minor inconvenience. The games are cool, although pinball all costs actual money rather than just being free like the regular coin op machines. The staff who was there when I came were not very friendly, and seemed pretty bothered to wait on me, and would even carry on conversations among themselves before walking over to the customers waiting at the bar with money out. Didnt feel much like a guy who expects a tip at the end of the night, but God forbid you leave in a drunken stupor and dont clear up your credit card tab, theyll auto charge you a gratuity (although not outrageous amounts), so be sure to clear up your tab if you wanna know how much your gonna actually be spending...Id say if your just a local looking to play some games, its cool. But if you prefer a place where theres a more lively crowd and stays open late, with bartenders who are more polite and attentive, your gonna need to look at the other barcades.

An
Review №79

Great barcade. All the games you know and love. Although I didnt see blitz. All the games were in working order when I was there. Good drink deals throughout the week.

Do
Review №80

Nostalgia fueled fun! If you like old video games (free play) and pinball (50 cents for most), this is your place! Oh yeah, they have alcohol, too! Good beer selection.

Jo
Review №81

This place was absolutely great. Loved it.

Th
Review №82

This is a fun place to just go, hang out, and play some classic arcade games. Take some friends or perhaps a date and enjoy yourselves. The bar is family friendly on Fri and Sat from Noon to 6.. However, the rest of the time its 21 and over. The arcade games are free to play but please help to support this awesome establishment by grabbing a drink at the bar (they have non-alcoholic beverages as well as alcohol). The pinball games are not free but still 100% worth a visit. I do have one caveat.. their specialty mixed drinks at the bar are really really strong. Normally I wouldnt complain..but the joy of their mixed drinks (that have the coolest names btw) get lost in the alcohols over-abundance.

Ha
Review №83

Best arcade bar in Columbus, good game selection, good, open and clean space, and good prices on drinks. The only downside is its not located more in Columbus.

St
Review №84

Now here is some great late night entertainment for those 21+!This is part bar, part arcade. They have a full bar so there are plenty of options for drinks, including some wacky specialty cocktails named after video game characters. Dont forget your ID or you wont get through the front door!The other half, arcade, is completely free as long as youve got a drink in your hand! Youll find a wide range of classic arcade cabinets including Pac Man, Joust, Donkey Kong, Tempest, and MANY more. Also featured is a large selection of various themed pinball machines, but make sure you bring quarters for these.All in all, its a safe bet for a good night out. Bring your friends and have a blast. Dont forget to tip your bartenders!

He
Review №85

This was a great blast to the past filled with classic arcade games and pinball machines. The drinks are cleverly named and quite tasty!

Ro
Review №86

Lots of vintage arcade games and pinball. Bar with good craft brews and cocktails. Good staff, good atmosphere and very good service.

In
Review №87

Really cool spot

Wa
Review №88

16 bit is so much more, and so much better.

Ru
Review №89

Lots of room there, great place for corporate events

Pa
Review №90

Area 51 lightgun arcade cabinet. Need I say more? Okay they also sell beer and liquor.

ye
Review №91

So fun, had so many arcade games. Had an amazing time. Definitely recommend.

El
Review №92

So much fun here! Good drinks, lots of games!

Sa
Review №93

Love this little gem! its in the perfect location while waiting for a movie to start. Was there last night and even though the place was busy the service was amazing! Our bartender was super friendly and so nice... she was very attentive and has a great smile.Love the affordable priced drinks

To
Review №94

Place is alright but I always drink too much and end up pissing myself so I dont actually go that often. But when I do, I do.

Je
Review №95

Great place to wind down with a drink while playing old school video games.

V
Review №96

I wish I known abt this place along time ago, nice place to go with friends and have pure fun

Ch
Review №97

This place is cool. Big area, big bar. Staff is nice and helpful. DONT come here on a Saturday during the day if you dont want to be around kids. They do let kids in for a few hours on Saturday, and it is overrun. When there arent kids here, its great. The games are all super fun.

Ja
Review №98

Awesome bar, usually busy but, not too crowded, plenty of games and it doesnt seem as dark and cramped as some of the other arcade bars in town. Bartenders and staff are professional and friendly, and pour good fun drinks (try the juice barrel) it will take you back to childhood with a fun adult twist.

al
Review №99

Great place to go kids aload till 6 then 21 and older only

Ja
Review №100

I cant say enough about this place. The staff are super friendly and go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. TJ, Brittany, Brian, Kim, and Alex have been super kind and seem very motivated to help people feel like they belong. I can say Ill come back as long as the atmosphere stays as kind-hearted and friendly as it has been.

Information
100 Photos
100 Comments
4.5 Rating
  • Address:130 Hutchinson Ave, Columbus, OH 43235, United States
  • Site:http://www.level1bar.com/
  • Phone:+1 614-681-0518
Categories
  • Video arcade
  • Bar
Working hours
  • Monday:4–11pm
  • Tuesday:4–11pm
  • Wednesday:4–11pm
  • Thursday:4–11pm
  • Friday:12–11pm
  • Saturday:12–11pm
  • Sunday:4–11pm
Service options
  • Takeaway:No
Highlights
  • Bar games:Yes
  • Fast service:Yes
  • Great beer selection:Yes
  • Great cocktails:Yes
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible car park:Yes
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance:Yes
Offerings
  • Alcohol:Yes
  • Beer:Yes
  • Cocktails:Yes
  • Happy-hour drinks:Yes
  • Spirits:Yes
  • Wine:Yes
Dining options
  • Outside food allowed:Yes
Atmosphere
  • Casual:Yes
Crowd
  • Groups:Yes
  • Tourists:Yes
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