user
Offworld Arcade at Checker Bar
124 Cadillac Square, Detroit, MI 48226, United States
Appearance

Comments
Lu
Review №1

First thing to know about POP + Offworld Arcade is that its upstairs from the Checker Bar. Theres a great collection of classic arcade machines all fairly well maintained. The space is well lit during the day and I felt completely comfortable bringing my 10 year with for a mid-Sunday visit. The menu consists of pretty classic bar fare including NY style pizza by the slice as well as a few other standouts like the roasted wings. Service was incredibly friendly and wed gladly go back anytime.

Ra
Review №2

This place is cool. Bring cash or change with you to play. Pizza is pretty good. Fun time for a hang out

Ca
Review №3

We loved this place! We stopped in around noon on a Saturday and it was not busy at all. The pizza was amazing, you can order a full pizza or pay by the slice in the upstairs arcade. There was surprisingly a large variety of arcade machines. The staff was incredibly friendly and went out of their way to be helpful. There was an available highchair for our one year old but no changing tables in the bathrooms. Over all great place!

Lo
Review №4

Cool spot for before a show. Very nostalgic. Love their pinball selection. Three out of the four bartenders I have encountered seem really dis-interested in the whole operation. The change machines are tricky to get working. Pizza is $2 at Happy hour, which is decent.

Sh
Review №5

More fighting games pls LoL

Da
Review №6

Took my daughter and her friends here for her birthday. The bartender has been awesome! Cool little last minute place!

Mo
Review №7

This place is great for date night or quality time with friends. The pizza was delicious and they had great vegan and vegetarian options. In addition to the great food, drinks, and video games, they had karaoke on Thursday night.

Ti
Review №8

This is the best arcade in the city of Detroit and there is nothing you can do to convince me otherwise. Make sure to get there for Sound Test night.

Ja
Review №9

Well bob had a wonderful time at this place if i only could remember where i parked

Jo
Review №10

I really enjoy coming here. The people working the bar are nice, the clientele is laid back, and its not really ever busy. Probably the only Detroit restaurant where you can catch Synthwave being played on the system.Their pizza is more New York style than any place else I can think of in the city, and its quite good. Spicy pepperoni (pepperoni + jalapeno) is a favorite, and their beer selection is full of great staples.Oh, and theres video games too.If you get a chance, I recommend visiting.

J
Review №11

So fun! Chillplace to hang out and play old school video games. Great drink prices. Great pizza! Just a fun little place downtown. Its tucked away, but worth the adventure trying to find it :-)

J
Review №12

Used to love this place but last two times I went kids were roughing up the joy sticks with their greasy hands and not even playing the games... not really trying to drink near a bunch of kids running around nearly spilling my beer... finding a new spot ASAP

Ja
Review №13

Pizza was delicious and great selection of beverages. Nice arcade upstairs and you can buy pizza by the slice. Stop here before a game

Er
Review №14

Great pinball machines here! My first time on munsters and batman66. Love it!

Al
Review №15

I wish I had something to say about the food. Everything sounded so good! Unfortunately, our waitress never came to take our order after a good 10-15 minutes. She had come by to drop off menus, but then nothing. She took the order of another group that had come in after us. On her way to drop off their order, she said she’d be right back. Another five minutes went by before we decided to leave. It wasn’t even busy. There were maybe four other groups in the front area, so they weren’t slammed or anything. I’m really hoping it was a fluke, and maybe one day I can go back with better service, but I’m not sure when that might be.Atmosphere in general was nice though. The decor was pretty neat, though we didn’t get a chance to check out the games unfortunately. We were really hungry and wanted to make sure we got our order in before we went anywhere.

Am
Review №16

Love checker! Great industry bar. Cool staff. Good food. Great dive bar ;)

Sh
Review №17

This is a very fun place, we got to play some cool 80s pinball games as well as some of the very latest pins from Stern. Throw in $2 pizza slices and some drinks and were set for the night!

Sa
Review №18

Super cool bar! I was in town visiting a friend and she took me. I really enjoyed it. Board games AND video games. I wish there was a location in Detroit!

Ja
Review №19

Tons of old school arcade games and pinball machines. My brother and I went to a few arcade bars and this was the best one in ny opinion. Good beer selection, pizza is good and ready when you get hungry... plus moat of the games are just 25 cents

Ma
Review №20

I did a bit of bar hopping with some friends and discovered this place. If youd like to revisit your childhood with some classic games Id definitely give this place a visit. If you had a few drinks about time you make it to POP like I did, Id definitely recommend the in house pizza. Ill go back eventually and offer detailed pictures

Jo
Review №21

It was extremely crowded and took forever to get a drink. Didnt try the food. I felt quite claustrophobic. I love NY style pizza and arcades so I will go back on a night that might not be so crowded.

Ky
Review №22

Ive been here once, and will continue to go back based upon a few key things that make this place an excellent place to hang out. My one singular complaint is that the A/C units they have installed here (I first visited in the summer), are completely inadequate for keeping the place cool. It gets hot, and it continues to heat up with the more people that pack themselves in there. Between all of the video games, the kitchen, and all of the people hanging out, its a bit much for me temperature wise.With that being said, this place is clean (though I didnt have to visit the bathroom so I cannot speak on that), the staff is friendly, and the games are super affordable. They also have a decent craft beer selection on draft—several of which I had never had until visiting. They also offer Mystery Beers (that come in a blank white bag so you really have no clue what youre getting) for a considerable discount. Pretty cool idea if you ask me.There is also a reason why this place puts pizza before bar and arcade in their name. The reason is, that it is incredibly delicious. I heard from friends that it was good, but I was definitely not expecting the quality of pie that I received. I would step forward and say that it is some of the best pizza that I have had to date (Ive only had Da King, so I cant speak on anything else, but my bet is that its all just as delicious).Last but definitely not least, they have a pretty good selection of older and retro video games/pinball machines—many of which I havent played in years. They are also super affordable to play (most are like a quarter and not much more).From now on I will definitely recommend this place to whomever I can, whenever I can—and for myself, I will be back as soon as I can.

He
Review №23

Definitely worth a stop. Old school arcade cool, with some pub grub. Definitely a fun date.

Ch
Review №24

Went on a Thursday, karaoke night. This place is live! One of the best hole in the wall bars youll find in the heart of downtown Detroit.

Al
Review №25

Five stars because of friendly service and the fact that its an arcade bar in Detroit! Its not a huge arcade, but it has some classics and a few pinball machines. You also get some free tokens for purchasing beverages/food. Worth a visit for sure!

Ro
Review №26

The BEST PIZZA IN DETROIT!!! I said something similar about Checker Bar. For those who dont know Checker Bar and POP+Offworld arcade occupy the same building. Checker bar being downstairs and the arcade being upstairs. The coolest arcade in the city. There are other 80s style arcades but POP+Offworld games actually work ( a slight diss to some other arcades in Detroit). I cannot say this enough THE BEST PIZZA IN METRO DETROIT!!!

Ch
Review №27

Arcade bar with plenty of pizza and decour like a rollerrink in tron. Half price pizzas on Monday as well as top rated Detroit DJs which keeps me coming back!

Ma
Review №28

Beer and arcade games. What could be better?

Ki
Review №29

The Family and I had such an amazing time. If you love great food, great service and old school arcade games, this is the place to go.

Mi
Review №30

I love this place. The only missing star is in hopes it kicks it up a notch with some pinball tables. It has a great selection but need to at some Jersey Jack tables to complete it.

Mr
Review №31

Needs work. The food and drinks are pricey while the video games are falling apart. But the live music and atmosphere are nice.

L
Review №32

Awesome experience! Great staff, perfect place for a birthday party

Ka
Review №33

Regular pepperoni and sweet and spicy pepperoni (honey drizzle)

Jo
Review №34

Wow! This place packs a more nostalgia per square inch than any other arcade Ive been to since nostalgia has been the appropriate term. Ive not seen an arcade with this much love put into keeping games operational ever... and in their original cabinets! Any controls that have been replaced have been done with parts that are nearly indistinguishable from the originals.If you ever quartered up to be the new challenger, were a bad enough dude to rescue the president, or used the force to destroy polygonal TIE fighters, this place is certainly worth a visit.

No
Review №35

Love the cheap drinks on Tuesdays. Pizza is delicious. I always order the spicy/pepperoni one. Service is usually fast and staff is very friendly. Not crowded during lunch.

An
Review №36

If you are looking for something a little different to do in the city, check out this vintage arcade above Checker Bar. Great pinball options as well as your favorite classics.

Kr
Review №37

Had a great date with my son!

Na
Review №38

Best barcade in Detroit. Good food and drinks. Games all work most of the time. They get new ones every month or so!

CJ
Review №39

Checkers bar detroit is a great place to enjoy best of both worlds food drinks and arcade

Na
Review №40

Good spot. Wings were good. Pizza was not bad. Good happy hour specials.

Fa
Review №41

Was really excited to visit this place for the pinball! First machine I went to ate my quarters and at least two others were out of order... after settling on playing star wars for awhile, a man kept coming up to the group of girls I was in and just watching us play... he even pretended to play a game beside us but was obviously just staring. He walked away and came back repeatedly and didnt say anything to us, not even when he picked up MY beer which I snatched out of his hand... I then asked him if he was waiting for our machine and he shook his head and walked away... he came back maybe ten minutes later with four beers... one for each of us and one for him. We paced around the room avoiding him until we couldnt any longer when he tried to start handing them out to us, this is when my friend politely declined and told him we were heading home soon... he still hasnt said a word to us but he walks away and sets all of the beers down at a different table full of women. We decided to tell the bartender about our experience but she quickly defended the man claiming he was a regular and he was just really drunk-but that she didnt serve him. She even went as far as to say he must have gotten drunk at the other bar down stairs before coming up but we had been down stairs at the bar with maybe ten other people for about an hour before coming up and he was not there drinking. We also watched her serve him four unopened beers intended for us. Unprofessional, and inappropriate service. Shame on the female bartender that didnt take three uncomfortable women seriously. I hope your regular isnt making women uncomfortable regularly.

Al
Review №42

Came here for a quick drink while day adventuring in the city. Good place. Service was kind of cold. Excited to see the place after the facelift. Lots of fun retro games to enjoy.

St
Review №43

Good beeet selection cheap stuff and fancy stuff fun games as well simple great for groups

Ch
Review №44

This place is fabulous. Arcade games, pizza slices and drinks. Pizza is amazing... bartenders are the best. Even security is awesome!If youre in Detroit... you gotta check upstairs!

Je
Review №45

I love it especially karoake on thursdays

An
Review №46

Great place to play some games or pinball and have a slice. Great atmosphere and location

Om
Review №47

Nostalgic games, some variety, could be more. They will refund quarters on broken games if you ask. My favs are Centipede, Simpsons, Terminator, Mortal Kombat 2, and the star wars pinball. Food is good!

Ke
Review №48

Super fun! Loved all the arcade games.

Da
Review №49

One of my favorite destinations in downtown Detroit. The pizza is awesome I suggest the Spicy Pepperoni. The games are only $.25 cant beat that and lets not forget karaoke on Thursday night

di
Review №50

It was awesome I loved the old school arcade and there pizza tastes delicious

Va
Review №51

Absolutely love this place! The amazing pizza, a great selection of beer, the massive amount of pinball and video games for a great price and did I mention the amazing pizza? This is definitely my favorite bar!

Jo
Review №52

Great for arcade fans. Be prepared for noise and self service with the food out of the kitchen at Checker.

An
Review №53

Great place! We arrived after a Lions game so probably understaffed for the day, but the employees handled it great!

Pa
Review №54

Retro games, good pizza, good music and the drinks are good.

Pe
Review №55

This place is great. Awesome classic arcade and pinball. Good pizza. Very reasonably priced. Best arcade spot downtown.

Ek
Review №56

Fun place for drinks and arcade. I wish they had the spiderman arcade game whew!!!

Ma
Review №57

This review applies solely to the Gringo pizza—the vegan option. It is enough to keep my friends and me coming back for more. The texture and flavor are perfect! I even tried another, non-vegan pizza, and it just didn’t hold up to the beloved Gringo. Oh, I hear this spot has arcade games, too.

Ja
Review №58

Great spot for classic arcade games. Also very affordable prices for beer and pizza. Perfect spot for a relatively cheap night out.

St
Review №59

Been here a few times now and Im really digging it. The pizzas are unique and tasty. Great prices on food and drinks. And its not so crowded that you cant play the games.Good selection of old arcade games. Most are only 25 cents so it doesnt get too expensive.

Je
Review №60

Amazing deliciously fresh and creative whole and by the slice pizza offerings. Dozens of arcade and pinball offerings, with a full bar in a family friendly environment with great live music on the evenings. Kitchen open until 2am.

An
Review №61

Great pizza. Most arcades are a quarter and upstairs. Pinball is more. Cheap beer. There are kids around just as an FYI. Solid A.

Sc
Review №62

Great place and a great idea. Pizza and old Arcade Games. Video and pinball. Big screen TVs. Good was good. Basic menu, but good and reasonably priced. Parking next door. Not free, but close and well lit.

Mi
Review №63

Im picky. If you go into a retro arcade, they should be playing retro music. Drinks were great. Bartender was nice. My favorite game ate my token. Food looked like bar food. Ill be back. When Im just looking for games.

Sa
Review №64

Great slices of pizza and old school games. Nice place for spring and summer when they open up the garage doors and let in the light and fresh air.

Je
Review №65

Good arcade, lots of classic games and mix of new and old pinball machines. I regularly visit when Im in Detroit.

Jo
Review №66

I really like the pizza here. It isnt fancy, obviously, but damn is it good. At least, the single slices, I havent tried ordering a full one with custom made stuff, but the slices on display are really good bar pizza if thats your thing. Besides that, standard bar (as they go nowadays), got a decent collection of craft beer on tap and some other alcohols.Also, game collection is pretty good in my opinion but I dont frequent many arcades. Lots of pinball machines, they got Street Fighter 2, Smash TV, House of the Dead 2, just for example, and plenty more. Theyre all quarter operated. Theres also some NES emulator up at the bar though I havent tried it, seems they have a very large collection of games.

No
Review №67

A great time for all!

Ke
Review №68

Fun cool place to go with friends or date night!!

Sa
Review №69

Great pizza, great beer, plenty of arcade games and some awesome pinball tables. T2 could use a little love (those flippers arent even). Some great pizza out of the window. This place does NOT deserve 1 star so I wanted to come on and write something,.

Se
Review №70

Less packed than Ready Player One but with many of the same machines and a few different ones. My friends and I enjoy coming for the games and the cheap strohs. Their crazy pizzas are also delicious.

Jb
Review №71

The place is awesome it like being back in the glory days of arcade games

Ed
Review №72

Inexpensive food and drink. Fun atmosphere

Xa
Review №73

The arcade was amazing I played so many pin ball machines. They have a large variety of games I definitely would go again.

Ju
Review №74

Love this place! Pizza is very good and not your standard fare. Games are very affordable (most only 25 cents). Often times a couple machines are out of order but this is understandable given the age of the machines present. $2 Strohs all the time keep me coming back.

IS
Review №75

We went there on Saturday. It was our first time going here.They have old school video games. They have a few Pin Ball machines. It is totally cool!! Our daughter and her friend had a Blast. As did we. We will definitely be coming here again.

Mi
Review №76

Honestly it was a let down and would have gotten more stars if it was just the games. You kind of have to figure everything out on your own when you walk in because no one greets you and there are no signs to sit down, so we just went to the bar. They did not have half of the pizzas that were listed on their website and the Coco Curry pizza that we did get had surprisingly no flavor. They have pretty good games, but be careful because some of them will just eat your quarters.

Ju
Review №77

This place is right above Checker Bar and is a great place to grab a drink and play some arcade games.

Ma
Review №78

Excellent food. Very cool atmosphere

De
Review №79

Amazing arcade with great pinball collection.

Pa
Review №80

I like this place a lot. Not sure if I want you to go there

Jo
Review №81

Really enjoy this place. Most of the cabinets are 25¢ or 50¢. Some of the bigger games are $1. Wide variety of game options new and old. Pizza is awesome and at a decent price. They have a solid bar selection, and you cant beat a $2 strohs.

J
Review №82

Good drinks, big selection of fun arcade games from back in the day. The ones you remember playing as a kid.

Gr
Review №83

Cool chill place! Little difficult to spot the first time. There is a door outside or you can go through the bar and head up the stairs on the left. 5 pinball machines: star wars, game of thrones, twilight zone, Simpsons, cant remember the last one. Serves beer and liquor and has pizza. Stage for live bands but there was none when I went.

St
Review №84

Good pizza, retro video games and Monday nights a DJ spinning great music. Love the neighborhood bar vibe feel in downtown Detroit

Re
Review №85

Hidden Detroit gem. Old school arcade games with the best pizza.

Ke
Review №86

Foods good, fun atmosphere. The bartender with the dark hair is extremely rude. Asked for my itemized bill and she got mad, when I called out to her because I like to hand them their cash tips she rolled her eyes at me and said ‘what’. I was going to give her and the guy a $20 tip but because of her poor customer service I asked for change and told her it was because she was so rude. She then said ‘I don’t have time for this’, I’m sorry you don’t have tome for a paying customer who is tipping you!? I’ve never been so disrespected and I’ve worked in bars/restaurants for 10 years. You don’t treat you customers like that no matter if your having a bad day or not.Really sad because my girls and I do a girls night every month and we used to come here but don’t think we will be any time soon.

wh
Review №87

Cool little place with many oldie but goodie arcade games. Good service great food and drink prices

Ni
Review №88

If you love classic arcade games, this is the place to be!

Mi
Review №89

Unique arcade space above Checker bar. Majority of the games are 25 cents and he pinball machines are 50 cents. They have classics like Dig Dug, Paper boy and Simpsons. Pizza can be served single slice. The pizza I would consider gas station quality. They make a pepperoni pizza that has honey on it which can be hit or miss with people on flavor. We did order garlic bread that we thought tasted way better than the pizza.

me
Review №90

Need to fix some games kept stealing my coins.

St
Review №91

Cool place. Staff a little shorthanded and the bathrooms could use a little help.

Ra
Review №92

This place was pretty cool. The machines are old so Im not expecting perfection but most of the ones I used worked well. The space is really nicely done, plenty of room to grab a pizza or bring a group of friends. Ill be adding it to my rotation of downtown Detroit bars. Definitely does not deserve that one star review. Oh and the pizza is New York style, greasy but delicious.

Ch
Review №93

Great games and decent food

Ru
Review №94

This is my favorite new place. Excellent games, great pizza, and a good beer selection. Brings back the magical time of the 80s/early 90s with the glow of CRT screens and a soundtrack to match. Love it!

An
Review №95

Cool environment! Food and arcades what’s not to love! Pizza yum!

Ch
Review №96

Had some old school video games it was cool, could probably invest in some better furniture. The staff is all nice and friendly.

Se
Review №97

Awesome. Great spot for a slice and a drink and some old-school arcade favorites! All the machines are in excellent condition and only a quarter! Great drink selection and $2 Strohs all the time.

Co
Review №98

Tons of good games and cheap pizza. Dj always spinning some good J Dilla beats

Da
Review №99

Awesome will definitely be coming back

Al
Review №100

TIP TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN: You will need to enter Checker Bar, immediately turn left and go up the stairs. Anyone that does not know how to find Pop + Offworld will look like a doofus wandering through Checker Bar.REVIEW --> I have been a lover of Offworld since before there was a permanent location above Checker Bar. After visiting Pop + Offworld I am left a bit disappointed with how expensive it has become. I was impressed with the beer selection (Two Hearted and Soft Parade) however, I miss the Saturday events that were once a month and were only $8 to $10 for unlimited play. & the raffles for fun, older gaming systems! Id love to see these once a month events brought back to make a great experience at Pop + Offworld more affordable.

Information
100 Photos
100 Comments
4.5 Rating
  • Address:124 Cadillac Square, Detroit, MI 48226, United States
  • Site:http://checkerbar.com/
  • Phone:+1 313-961-9249
Categories
  • Video arcade
  • Bar
Working hours
  • Monday:11am–2am
  • Tuesday:11am–2am
  • Wednesday:11am–2am
  • Thursday:11am–2am
  • Friday:11am–2am
  • Saturday:11am–2am
  • Sunday:11am–2am
Service options
  • Outdoor seating:Yes
  • Dine-in:No
Highlights
  • Bar games:Yes
  • Karaoke:Yes
  • Live music:Yes
  • Live performances:Yes
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance:No
Offerings
  • Alcohol:Yes
  • Beer:Yes
  • Cocktails:Yes
  • Dancing:Yes
  • Food:Yes
  • Happy-hour drinks:Yes
  • Happy-hour food:Yes
  • Spirits:Yes
  • Wine:Yes
Dining options
  • Seating:Yes
Amenities
  • Toilets:Yes
  • Wi-Fi:Yes
Planning
  • Transgender safe space:Yes
  • LGBTQ-friendly:Yes
Payments
  • Debit cards:Yes
  • Credit cards:Yes
Similar organizations