I/O Arcade Bar

So much fun! Always love the themed drink specials with their amazing artwork. Today's were Darkwing Duck! Plenty to do even if busy and loved the TV viewing choices.

Drinks are tasty and a reasonable price. They have a lot of games mostly older arcade games with a few newer ones. I loved the amount of multi-player arcade options as well as skiiball and a load of pin ball machines. We spent about 45 minutes here while waiting for our dinner reservation elsewhere and it was a great way to kill time.

Always fun! Tons of fun games and good drinks. The staff are always friendly and helpful. Making 4 stars because the last time I went we had issues with machines not accepting or eating our quarters.

Our group of seven went to I/O Arcade Wednesday night after dinner. I've been to I/O a few times and I always enjoy it. It's a fairly large building with multiple spaces including the bar area, a table area and multiple game areas. They've got the classic arcade games I love like Ms. Pacman, Burger Time, and Dig Dug as well as a bunch of pinball machines and even skeet ball. The video games are only a quarter. Drinks are very reasonable and there are many beers and cocktails to choose from. This is a fun pl

Overall good place to meet friends, have some drinks, and play some games. Good variety of old and new games. Fun atmosphere; I would categorize it mor targeted to the adult crowds vs some retro arcades which are geared towards kids and adults. I would say the cost per game is high (4 x quarters to play 1 game of pinball) so it's not necessarily a place you would spend a lot of time in given other retro arcades are either free games with drink purchases or a set cost to play all games unlimited.

The arcade has a ton of games and a solid beer selection. The games use quarters which is better than tokens. The place was easy to navigate as it was a Saturday afternoon. I imagine it would be much busier at night. Played the Simpsons arcade game and some ski ball and some pinball. It has punchout, NBA jam, a s some other retro games. It is nice that it is adults only.

I've been here 2 times and will definitely be back . They had a good mix of old school and new school games and a good combo of different types of games in general. They have hemp bevies for anyone cali sobur like myself. They have board games and tables too which is fun!

They kicked me out for no reason at all. This is the absolute worst place in Madison. They literally told me I had to go because I asked if another was homosexual/asking if it was okay to engage in conversation. I would not recommend this place to my worst enemy. Seems to be full of hypocrites.. pizza was not bad. Employees are the absolute worst. The games are mediocre at best.

We had a lot of fun here! Arcade bars are an absolute must-visit on any of our trips and this one did not disappoint. It's in an easy to get to area of Madison and there was plenty of parking around. That happy hour is worth a stop for locals or out of town guests. Any place that has skee ball is going to be 5 stars for us and posting sing along lyrics to make sure hand washing lasts long enough is genius. Thank you for the cool vibe and fun stop. We will be back next time we are in town!

Definitely a great place to hang out, play some classic games and get a good drink. Loving the modern but classic vibes. The variety and quality of games is good and same with the bar and bar menu. We will be back. It was busy when we visited, but the space is big that we never had to wait to play games.

Throwback to being a kid complete with change machines for a pocketful of quarters. Added bonuses great drink menu!

Awesome bartenders, good beer and drinks, amazing quantity of pinball machines. Decent old school video games. Highly recommend.

Great time with the hubby! Wish they had more food options. Also, like other arcade bars we've been to it would be easier to pay a flat rate instead of needing quarters for each game.

Easily my favorite hangout spot in Madison. I cannot tell you how many hours I've spent here on the pinball machines. Very clean place with friendly bar staff and good drinks. Check out the happy hours on weekdays and bring some quarters (though if you don't there's an ATM and change machine).

Madison is very lucky to have an arcade bar this robust. As any arcade should, i/o has the classics like pac-man, q-bert, street fighter 2, etc. But the bar shines in their selection of new games. They have a number of very fun NEW arcade games like Nidhogg, Perfect Pour, Enter The Gungeon, and new high-tech pinball machines. They also have board games and a Switch for patrons to use. Super fun place!

I've been to many barcades and play Pinball in a weekly tournament. I've never seen such a great collection of games in that good of working order ever. Every pinball was working, every'80s and '90s classic had a good monitor working buttons. Very impressed very fun

A friend I was visiting suggested this spot, and it was amazing! Great selection of beer and games! We didn't stay till 2:30 AM(I believe they close around this time on Saturdays) but the few hours we were there went by so fast! Highly recommend checking out this spot if you're a gamer and want a place to hang out. Do plan to bring cash! Each machine requires quarters and although they have an ATM, it would be cheaper to just bring cash and get change there instead of paying a processing fee.

The arcade bar is great but the highlight is Molly. Molly is truly one of the best bartenders and you should come in just to hangout with her. She gave great drink recommendations and made sure that our whole night was a great time.

Great arcade with well-kept machines and pinball. Nothing was out of order, and the variety of games was fantastic. It was especially nice to see a couple modern indie cabinets sitting alongside old classics. The bar was nice and well stocked, and the bartenders were great. Overall, the vibe of this place is upbeat and playful. It's easy to float around, interact and chat with strangers, which can make for a much better evening than camping out at a table and peeling labels off of beer bottles. Also: brav

Beautiful arcade bar. Lots of great games and a quality selection of pinball machines. The bar is huge and has lots of space. The bartenders were nice enough. I love the wallpaper! It's custom and badass. The whole place is big and should support large parties or groups..

Had a blast, Bartenders are super friendly, the arcade selection is excellent from the early 80s to recent ones, the Pinball section was quite good, had a blast with friend and even had a free brew due to breaking a high score in an arcade. Recommended.

Literally the best place on Earth! It's a haven of safety and comfort for so many people I know. The owner is incredible, truly caring and dedicated to his employees. It's a nostalgic haven, filled with laughter, best friends, and video games. What's better than that?

First time at their new location and had a great time! Was a bit disappointed they no longer have Alt beer which is gluten free beer. They only have seltzers and ciders, which is not the same. I'd give them the full five stars if they still had a GF BEER option. Probably won't go back because they don't have that anymore.

Favorite place in Madison. Always the right song playing. Always the right movie on. All the games you could want to play. Great beer and vibes. Thank you!!!

This place is amazing. My cousin took me there for the first time last week. Apparently they had moved locations and this is bigger? Anyway, not only were the games nostalgic, but their selection of drinks was top notch. Loved the creative approach to the specialty drinks paying homage to game titles. And they all seemed to fit the flavor... People seemed nice, bathrooms were nice and clean. When I find myself back in Madison again, I'm definitely coming back and will be taking an Uber/Lyft/whatever cuz pla

The place has just opened at time of writing, so I try to account for that. I/O is a solid spot but needs a little TLC to hit its full potential, yet their "soft open" gives a pretty good look at what to expect. The place is clean and well laid out, but lacks the real chattery atmosphere of a typical barcade (though preferences may vary on that) and yet could use some sound treatment to adjust the echoey room noise reflecting off the concrete, glass storefront, and high ceilings that make it seem loud even

Such a cool place! There is a wide variety of games and they aren't super expensive to play. It looked like they had some cool drink choices as well, and a tap for self service water.

I don't really indulge much in arcade games so really couldn't judge on what games were available. There seemed to be a huge variety though. I mostly went to play skeeball, which they have 4 but 2 were broken. They're kinda crammed in the corner so not much wind up space. They weren't true skeeball machines either so a little different set up. The drinks on the menu were cool sounding, and I had 1 of them that was pretty good. I had a really great old fashioned as well and they have great beers on tap.

This place rocks. Great drinks, extremely fun games, best atmosphere and events, and cool art! (Plus, a massive roof skeleton that is routinely dressed in new holiday gear).

Really awesome and fun place! I highly suggest coming with a group of friends, because playing arcade games with your posse is way better than coming alone. My main game in Area Site 4, so please don't beat my high score, as it's going to be my legacy to pass on to my kids.

Went with the wife to play some Midevil Madness and really liked the place. Pack was on, drinks were good, but creeps kept trying to follow her into the bathroom, we were both shocked to see how the people of Madison really are. Those bathrooms are a problem if people are acting like that

OMG, I love this place! Nice selection of pinball & old school video games. Really really good tap selection. Even a couple ciders for SWMBO. Favorite game... Godzilla pinball!

Me and my wife had our first night out since having a baby, and they did not disappoint us. We had a lot of fun. Only thing I did not like was their margarita did not taste good, other than that everything was great!

Great night, but when pinball League is there show up early. Ms. Pac Man was great. Always a good time. Games always in great shape.

Awesome place! Great games and great drinks! Would be 5 star if it wasn't for the gender neutral bathrooms. Lots of weird people around and when you get them drinking I could see it being an issue. The wife definitely didn't feel safe going in there alone.

great arcade. fairly amazing selection of latest titles. everything plays super well. a lot of money invested to keep this place superb. but it is SO DAMNED LOUD during peak (i.e. weekend) hours. during the weekday afternoons it's great. but it is headache inducing loud during weekend hours.

Great game selection and cocktails. Pizza is solid too

They have a place to chill with board games which is good for when you want to eat and drink something. Otherwise I'm not sure where we would have our pizza. The space is tight but there are lots of games to choose from. Many are just a quarter to play. I wish there was someplace to put coats. It got really hot and sweaty in there so we left after a couple drinks. Try the Puck Futin.

Good games selection and fair token prices for games. Drink selection is solid and overall facility and environment are nice. Biggest highlight is that the games are largely maintained well and are functional. On pinball tournament nights you get a lot of unwashed middle aged guys with long hair who bring a particular bouquet to the building. Might be worth checking the schedule ahead of time if this isn't your jam.

This bar has a very welcoming vibe as soon as you walk in. If you enjoy retro games and drinking, this is the perfect spot to be! Everything was reasonably priced and there's ATMs/change machines

If you're looking for beer and some classic video game this is your place. Good parking classic games are still a quarter.

Great games, very easy to exchange and play, the machines run with quarter but some with 2 or 4 coins.

Such a great atmosphere. The games are 25?-75? a piece as a rule. They have an atm and change machines for convenience. You can play console, arcade, and board games that they have there. The drink options are numerous and affordable! Will continue to talk about this place and bring friends here.

Staff is super nice, games are amazing, drinks are phenomenal and tasty! Lots of things to love here.

Fantastic bar to come for games or just to sit and chat with friends! All arcade games run on quarters, but the board games are free! Rotating house cocktails are also fun to try, all themed after various ?need? topics.

An incredible addition to downtown Madison! Tons of vintage pinball and arcade games with a well priced bar. This is exactly what Madison needs right now!

Allot of games I grew up with, plus some new ones. Extensive bar with cool staff. Even a place for sit down board games or a TV with multiple player Switch platform. But what blew my mind, is that there was a food truck parked right outside! ?? I don't know how often that happens, but I love business supporting business. Local fare. Clean and welcoming environment. Eclectic and nostalgic games. There's even a toy and collectible store next door! Check out the whole neighborhood and be part of something bigg

So fun, and games are only a quarter! Mixed drinks were not that great unfortunately but staff was great and bartenders responded quickly. Must see bar within walking distance of great food and dance club.

Fun place! Great game variety and good bar selection. Lots of pinball machines!

Good music was playing upon arrival and there are some fun arcade games to play. Nice bar.

Was in Madison for the farmers market and decided to give this place a try. Asteroids, Simpsons, Ms Pac-Man, Paperboy and more brought back good memories. Pretty much plays are a quarter and there is a machine to get change. Bar in the middle with nice options, and if you want a lunchable, they got it :). There's a spot with tables and board games too. It was a great time

This place and its employees are the best. There's SO many games to choose from, the drinks are good, and the staff are super friendly!

Fun place, awesome staff, fun games, LOVE KAROKE and the food options taste good.

excellent place, great selection of pin ball machines and nearly every game has a place to put your drink down. The bartender was very friendly. Didn't get 5 stars because of too many small things, how is a bar out of sweet vermouth at 7pm on a Thursday? why is the sound turned off on the X-men game? floor layout and decor need a professional intervention and it seemed like there are a bunch of machines that are just taking up space.

Love love love this bar! Who doesn't like to feel like a kid again while drinking adult beverages? Visited this bar earlier this week and had a great time. The bar tender Ola was so nice and inviting. Had a great conversation and the other patrons made the entire experience enjoyable. Also, the best came hands down is the 4-man Pac-Man. Don't believe me, give it a try ... and make sure to have quarters on stand by :)

Fun place to visit. Good variety of pinball, arcade games and drinks! They have skeeball and guitar hero!

Fun establishment, guitar hero is probably my favorite game but a close second is having a nice pee in the gender neutral bathroom!

Such a blast! Great games, brews, and friendly bar tenders.

Awesome place, went here with some friends and the bartender gave me some pineapple juice on the house to take shots with my friends as I'm the designated driver. Overall great place, lots of arcade machines and fighting games, awesome - s/o to the people working the bar tonight!

Fun. Went with my son. Decent tap beer selection. Decent variety of classic and modern arcade games.

Great game selection, awesome vibe, and friendly staff. Would definitely recommend

This place has a very welcoming vibe. A great deal of thought has been put into it's video game feng shui. The place is canon.

This is my go to for a night out with friends or a date night. We love I/O and it's great that they have gender neutral bathrooms!

Love this spot! Perfect place for a date night or spot to go with friends. Lots of old school games, pinball machines, and board games. They have dance dance revolution, skee ball, pac man, and guitar hero among many others!

I'm not an avid gamer by any means, but we stopped by to check it out and had fun. The craft beers and ciders were good, and the wide selection of pin ball machines was awesome!

Great place with some super unique games, and free water on tap.

Molly was amazing!!! She took care of us and gave my girlfriend a really good birthday.

You'll see Millennials, GenXers, and kids (Sunday morning only) mixing and having a great time with 80s and 90s arcade games plus a whole row of modern pop-culture pinball machines. Full bar included to help with the Sunday morning parenting.

A medium sized quarter arcade with lots of classic hits like NBA Jam TE, as well as lots of new age games like Death Ball, Killer Queen, and Enter the Gungeon! The classic games are entirely running on CRTs with the sole exception of Cruisn USA. Every game has a QR code sticker to report problems with the machine. A great place for both groups and serious gamers to chill!

Great vibe, good drinks, and a ton of retro, classic, and new games!

First time here in Madison. Came here for a business trip and wanted to celebrate. Server took too long to serve us a drink. Are they not use to serving an Asian person here? They avoided us for 10 mins and served everybody else even though we sat down before them. This place really killed my vibe. Don't recommend this place for anyone who's POC.

Friendly staff. Games are a quarter. Beer is reasonably priced. Lots of room for hanging out and board games as well. Within walking distance of the Sylvee. 10/10 Would nerd out again.

Good drinks, good prices, great vibes, nice staff, and fun games. I couldn't ask for more.

Fun and inclusive space! I don't go often, but when I do it's a lot of fun especially with friends and/or family!

Absolutely excellent, stand-up establishment that clearly cares about their customers. Very fun and creative space!

Love their ever-changing cocktail menu, everything is delicious. The vibes are high, music is fun, and those Sliders potato chips are the BOMB, not to mention made locally on East Wash! Bartenders are friendly, and the games are very reasonably priced.

I was there last Sunday for Karaoke. I was very excited about signing a song, so I put my name in there. Each person has to write their own name and song to sing, so I thought it would be organized and speedy. It was not. More than an hour and a half passed by until I decided to go see the list again and where my name was. Five people before me, weird but great, it was almost my time. Another 45 minutes went by and I decided to go check again, FOUR names were still before me. I decided to crossed my name an

Amazing music choices, cheap beer, great games. Most arcade bars I go to usually have bad games that are out of order. Not this place. WOOOOOOOOO cant wait to come back.

It's unfortunate that one of the bartenders here was let go from an establishment I used to own due to her inability to be a team player and get along with her direct reports. We stopped in tonight with a party of 12 and had to leave because she refused to serve me. Just disappointing to have this type of service, we've visited here numerous times and made this a yearly meeting spot for birthday celebrations. Hope to find a more welcoming establishment in the future.

Molly is an amazing bar tender not to mention always upbeat and happy make sure to order the Bomb Pop it's so good The arcade game selection is amazing I literally jumped up and down for a childhood game you never see anywhere ?BurgerTime?

Adult arcade?! YES PLEASE!!! Great beer selection, and awesome game selection too! From sitting around a table playing board/card games to putting in a few quarters and hitting up the pinball games? Amazing atmosphere. Super fun! AND if you forget to pay your tab at the end of the night, it isn't the end of the world (nearly but not quite!) they will close it out with 20% gratuity. *phew* Yes. I forgot to close my tab. THANKFULLY they have excellent customer service, and communicated with me well about it v

Awesome bar,and amazing arcade! Even have mocktails which is nice,being sober.

The cocktails here were fun and tasted good, and the selection of games was fairly wide but mostly appealed to my personal 90s nostalgia. My partner and I had the most fun with deathball but also enjoyed the pinball machines. I think either some short tip sheets or notices would make the games less likely to eat coins (which they seemed to do a lot), and also a fair few machines were out of order, which is natural but still a bummer.

I've been here a few times and I am impressed with the place. It is just a fun place to hang out, with Sal's tomato pies, a bar, and TONS of games. I overheard a group of people complaining about a machine eating their quarters but I experienced no problems at all. Sure, the buttons on Dig Dug are just a tad mushy or the pinball machine dumbs your ball three times unceremoniously down the skip chute but that's the authentic arcade experience! A machine eating your quarters is a rite of passage at the arcad

THIS IS THE SINGLE GREATEST HUMAN EXPERIENCE ON THE PLANET!!! Shoutout to every bartender especially i believe her name is margot or margaret but she was so kind and served me and my boyfriend so well! All of them know what theyre talking about and if you go on weekdays when they open the college crowd isnt there and its a very family oriented experience to be honest.

Molly is a diamond in the rough. Weird way of saying, service is great here.

Great little arcade bar. Killer queen is aloy of fun and if your low on quarters you can always play Smash. A great place to game and hang with buds.

I had a great time tapping into nostalgia. On top of that, it was affordable (games and drinks). Nice spot to spend a couple of hours with friends, solo destressing, or for date night.