*Note: Age restrictions and policies may vary by arcade. Check with your local facility for specifics.*
First-time visitors may need to sign a waiver or register for a game card. Staff are typically available to help explain games and provide tutorials. Some arcades offer newcomer specials or free play sessions to help you get started.
*Note: Policies vary by arcade. Confirm with your local facility.*
*Note: Payment methods and requirements may differ by arcade.*
*Note: Tips may vary by arcade type and location.*
*Note: Policies, pricing, and features differ by arcade. Contact your local facility for details.*
68 Commerce Ave SW
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
We came here specifically for the pinball. They have some recently released machines. While the machines were in good condition, some of the glass was very dirty and we also thought the machines were a bit pricey (used to more 2$ for 3 games rather than $1 a game which seemed to be a lot of the machines). Staff also did not seem very knowledgeable about the machines either so didn't feel like a true pinball bar. Staff also came off kind of rude, like they are too good to serve you???!!
Great bar in front with booths and pinball machines. Great draft selection. The venue area in the back is fantastic. Great place for medium sized gigs with bathrooms and another bar.
I had some fun playing the pinball machines here. The combination of those machines with a bar is a great idea, and I enjoyed a nice beer while trying some older machines. It's fun even when you're as bad at pinball as I am. Maybe I'll have better luck next time.
We saw Reggie Watts here and it was a great show. The sound was good, the lights were good, the atmosphere was good. My one complaint is it would have been nice to have some seating.
Really sweet place with 90's vibes. Was nice to meet Troy and learn all about the venue. He even recommended our dinner spot and it was great. Pinball machines and brews? How can you go wrong?
This is a great place to go for concerts and local music. They had stuff going on so often. Two different bars one in front of the house and one in the stage area in the back. There are also bathrooms in both areas. Specifically in the back, the toilets don't flush the best. The buttons are stuck and one of the soap dispensers didn't work. Prices were okay, way better than other venues prices their drinks these days. Music always sounds good here. I agree with others that the pinball machines do end up bein
Stopped in late one night after a show at Van Andel arena and what a cool place it was! Loved the atmosphere and posters & art hanging throughout. I did not play pinball, but they had so many different ones to try!
Honestly, was only in there for about 30 minutes at best, but the drink I had was good, service was nice, and I only had the one interaction/drink. Low sample size, you could say. That said, the pictures of the games found online definitely give a feeling of a larger set of games than what's really there. Was expecting more than what they had, unfortunately... and the price per game is a bit much, too. Was kinda hoping for one of those experiences where as long as you're paying for drinks, some (if not
I had a lot of fun playing arcade games for about an hour and a half. Spending most of that time connecting with someone made it even better. However, during the last 20ish minutes I was asked to get drink. I had been there for over 2 hours without a single drink. Yet, the bartender refused me service. My friend who wasn't a minority nicely shared theirs with me even though they were noticeably intoxicated .
Didn't have any food, just drinks and fun, the pinball machines are awesome. The bar tender must have been having a bad day or something, he was just not happy.. lol.. drinks were good. Atmosphere was great! Over all fun place!
I went here for an employee holiday party, it was obvious that the male bartender we had was bothered by our presence. We were pre gaming (really just talking and playing pinball) before a griffins game and it was so uncomfortable being here. I used to frequent this place in my early 20's but it's gotten worse over the years.
What an incredible place to see an underground concert! Great sight lines and thumping sound make for a wonderful show. With a good selection of foreign and domestic beers served by welcoming bartenders, your experience is sure to be just as fun as mine!
There are great combinations in life, Pints & Pinball is one of them. This is one of my favorite haunts when Im in Grand Rapids. Chill vibe, lots of machines, good beer on tap. What more do you need?
Went for a concert. The venue was great & they helped me secure handicapped seating. There's a bar with plenty of pinball machines in front
Fantastic music venue. Good sound, reasonable prices. Big enough to see the up and coming artists before they get big, and small enough to remind you of a garage show.
Fun venue for local bands to perform on stage in a high-energy, intimate, athmosphere. As this is a smaller venue, seating is limited and I would advise the 35+ crowd to arrive early, unless you don't mind standing. Be sure to pay attention to the drink specials to get the best deals. The bar area features over a dozen pinball games for a brief diversion while you are hanging out. While popular with 20-somethings, I've seen the 50+ crowd attend as well.
Fun place. Good selection of pinball. They recently jacked up the prices from 50 cents per play to a dollar per play. Be warned. There are only 2 or 3 still at 50 cents. Good selection of craft beer. Little pricey.
Hands down my favorite venue in town. Always has been, probably always will be. So many good memories of shows at this place. Oh yeah, the pinball is hella fun, too.
Super cool little space in the back. If you're new to GR, it's a must that you experience a staple of the city. Kind of an old school punk rock vibe in there. The kind of place that makes you feel safe.
Good music, good people, good times. This is a great little venue that is definitely worth checking out.
You like playing pin ball and getting drunk at the same time. This is the perfect place! They have an adequate selection of beer and a superb selection of pin ball machines knew and old. Prices of the machines are either ?50 or ?75, and guess what. THEY HAVE CUP HOLDERS ON THE SIDE! that's right drink to your hearts content. (if you canget the bartenders attention) that is one thing the bar tender sucked the night I went. I wasn't rude I wasn't uncuth but I was ignored. Like a lot. (I tipped anyway I'm not
This was such a great experience! I went to see the sold out Destroy Boys concert and it was such a great venue. The workers are great and the pinball machines up front are a nice touch. I am not sure if this applies to all shows, but you have to be vaccinated or have a PCR test within 72 hours. I look forward to coming again!
First of all this comment is coming from someone that attends 2 concerts a month. I would NEVER attend a concert at this place again. Can't cheer for an artist that you enjoy because they will kick out for being too loud. This place is a joke! If I could give less than 1 star I could. Proceed with caution.
Had a great time! Good drinks, super fun playing pinball, bought an amazing limited edition movie poster. We will definitely be back!!
Tried to get in with some buddies and a guy stumbles out of the venue. My buddy dodges him and the bouncer accuses my friend if being drunk which he wasn't. Completely rude and we were just trying to show and out of town friend grand rapids bars. I am a a frequent and I am no longer bothering with this place and suggest you do the same.
one of my the best pinball bars in the nation! (my opinion). the only other one i think of is paranoia pinball in charlotte north carolina (AS OF WRITING THIS i have learned that paranoia pinball in north carolina is either closed or moving locations, let's hope the latter). ..... most "arcade bars" are overpriced in the machines and drinks, cater to kids or nerds, put more effort into the video games (pinball is the only thing i care about), or have some kind of gimmick ie. cidercadr in austin tx (only thi
Best concert venue and pinball hub in Grand Rapids. Staff if always friendly, live shows are on point, good vibes, cool people.
Felt so good to be back at one of the best bars/venues in the state! Got our pinball fix, drank a lot of beer, and saw a great show. 100/10 would always recommend!
Being able to come here and play on the pinball machines have been a joy I like the variety of the pinball machines they have be careful you could wind up spending hours on the games. The location is pretty fair as long as you can find a parking spot near by. Comedian TurbulenceTyme ????????
Fantastic place! Bar and pinball machines galore in the front. Bar and bands in the back. Great combo! We saw the Wailers (minus Bob Marley of course) and they were incredible! We were so close to them! It was an amazing night. Decent drink prices too and the service was great!
Great beer specials! Wanted something different to do since we were only in town for the weekend and this was pretty neat! Lots of different pinball games! They had a live band you could pay a cover to see but we just wanted to play pinball.
Politically charged and intolerant environment. Good luck enjoying yourself if you just want to have a few drinks and play pinball if you dot not appear to be on drugs or homeless in this break the dam and let em all roll in dump.
The bartenders are great, the drinks are stiff and the beer list is solid. That's a 5/5. Tip well. The pinball, though? Questionable. Whoever maintains them is either going through some really, really rough stuff OR they're either a cheap sob or don't want to grow pinball. Who awards an extra ball for replays, especially on tables so poorly maintained?
Great spot to stop for a quick drink and play pinball. It looks like they have live music as well.
What a great little venue! Arcade and bar in the front, concert hall in the back. Fun beer selection, very intimate, good lighting and sound.
Been going for yearsssss! Perfect pinball and beer + music hall. Rock on!
Such a great PRIDE event. Good prices, great service! The dj was great!!
Great place to play pinball. A good mix of new releases and classics.
Girls bathroom had no toliet paper. Pinball machines need a price or how to start them because I put 3 dollars in the Halloween one and couldn't get it to work ?? love the atmosphere of front and the back venue part and FREE Water. That alone is worth 5 stars, definitely helped my night. Bring earplugs, forgot mine and the music got to loud for me and had to leave early.
In my many years of living here, I never got around to going to The Pyramid Scheme and now I'm regretting it. I should have done this years ago. Better late than never! I attended The Funeral Portrait concert here. For those who read this and have never heard of them, trust me when I say that they are amazing. Anyway, back to the description. The venue is a lot bigger than anticipated and is definitely bigger on the inside. From what little time I spent in the front bar area, it's sharp, yet casual. Fun, b
Awesome, intimate venue with tons of fantastic local bands and national acts. Everything sounds amazing, but can sometimes get a little loud for sensitive ears. Bring some hi-def earplugs and you'll be perfect. Drinks are cheap, and there are raised areas to either side where you can sit or stand when watching a show.
I've been here a few times and it's a solid place for a show or some pinball with friends. Also very happy that they have a few non-alcoholic options at the bar. Great vibes, cool staff.
This place is fun! I've seen quite a few shows here. The front of the bar has tons of cool pinball games and bar space to chill. The concert venue is cool. If you can snag a good spot you're bound to have a good time. The cocktails and drink options in the venue are typical: poorly mixed, limited options, and expensive. But, you're there to see a show so that doesn't really matter!
We always meet up there after shows at van andel. GREAT atmosphere!
Great small venue for concerts! I saw a few rock bands there and would recommend some kind of earplugs for louder genres of music. Can't comment on prices as we didn't get anything- they did have free water in a watercooler which was nice. Great location also, nearby to parking garages (2$ per half hour). Would definitely come back in the future.
Such a fun place. Business in the front and all party in the back. So many pinball machines in the front bar area and a great music venue in the back. I got to see MC Chris for the first time. A very great performance at an amazing venue. I definitely will keep an eye out for future shows here.
The best concert venue in town. The best pinball in the state. They have many of the latest machines from Stern and some from the new companies too. Jersey Jack, Chicago Gaming, plus lots of classics.
I could spend an entire paycheck here and not be sorry. They are the home of so many registered pinball machines, it's positively dizzying. Everything from The Avengers to John Wick; they have everything you could ever want out of the arcade classic with an attentive, full-service bar and critically acclaimed musicians performing nearly every day that they're open. You're not going to find a better selection of pinball in the entire state, so do yourself a favor and go see what I'm talking about. You'll lov
Love seeing shows at this venue. Close to home, intimate setting, not a bad spot in the place. If you want to sit for the show I recommend getting there a little early depending on the popularity of the act you are seeing as there is a limited number of tables. Can't forget to mention the pinball machines in the bar(very cool).
Second time here. First time was to see Aesop Rock a few years back. Me and my wife came back because we were in town late visiting and they were the only bar open (back to normal hours). Beer is good. Prices and service good. Pinball is great. 'Nuff said.
Pinball? Yes! Beer? Yes! What more do you want? This place is awesome. End of story. Play pinball, drink booze, enjoy life.
They have pinball machines, but have witnessed drug deals happening inside this establishment. Management is in denial that anything bad is happening and I feel like the police should be watching this place. Weird seeing $500k worth of pins alongside people dealing. Avoid this hole in the wall disguised as a good venue/bar.
This place has tremendous potential, however, the place is a disaster. The pinball machines were poorly maintained and a majority didn't work properly. I had paddles not function, the ball getting stuck on damaged ramps, money taken and no credit applied. If you are looking to get blacked out and treated as an inconvenience, this is the place. Terrible drinks and service. The floors looked like they haven't been mopped in years. The Pyramid Scheme, an absolute perfect name. Cheers for being to cool for you
Nice drinks, bartenders are quite friendly and they even let you know what song is playing if you are curious to know! Amazing arcade area, busy location but good environment. Went on a Friday!
Man this place would be a 5-star but they literally turned our whole group away because our 58-year old party member (who very much looks 58) didn't have ID. They acknowledged he was obviously of age but decided that draconian enforcement of private policy was necessary (despite common practice being ID anyone who looks under 40). I kind of get it since the state does entrapment nonsense so 3 stars and not 1, but my god guys believe in yourselves to make discretionary decisions in obvious situations instea
Love pinball and Short?s beer? Look no further, you found your spot. Drink specials all day Tuesday are half off Michigan craft beers. This place always has at least 5+ Short?s beers on tap. It's a show venue too in the back with a solid rotating lineup of bands and artists.
One of the best music venues i've ever been too!
Awesome bar with tons of cheap pinball, a cool crowd and a taplist that is never short on SHORTS.
Doo me doobie !! Awesome place for entertainment ?? i enjoyed the show i attended. Beer and liquor $$ great people mature and professional staff.
Very loud (bring ear buds) but don't worry cause they sell them for 1$ at the bar!
Great place for a couple drinks and some old school pinball action.
Best music venue in the city hands down.
Great prices, awesome retro and modern pinball machines. Was only $6 for a Tall rum and coke would recommend 11/10
The bartender lets alcohol interfere with her judgement. Be careful here you never know what the staffs agenda is.
Good vibes, great people, good prices on drinks. The only downfall is that some of the pinball machines are often down or not well maintained.
My dear comrade and I attended the Sabrina Carpenter ?Tease Tease Tease? DJ night tonight put on by Davis. We were sorely disappointed when the vibes were ruined the second Davis started to yowel out the lyrics to Bed Chem. He quote on quote screeched out the lyrics ?come right on me, I mean camaraderie? while practically making out with the microphone, creating an uncomfortable sound for my ear drums. We left shortly thereafter, Davis did not have bed chem with my ears.
I've seen some great shows here. This is a really great venue.
Great concert (Man Man) caught covid on the negative side, just mild had 3 shots.
These guys don't have food on the menu but the atmosphere and overall quality service is wonderful.
Played here with my band Realm of Sheol recently and the staff and venue are amazing! Good crowd, atmosphere and sound!
Really relaxed atmosphere, felt like a college bar. Cool artwork and vintage posters hanging around the bar are for sale. Bartender was personable and gave great service. Nice selection of craft beers.
Great performance space. It is large enough to hold a good size crowd, but still small enough for intimate shows. For breaks from the shows, they have a huge selection of pinball machines.
This place is wonderful and I love coming here with my friends or even on my own. The different selections of pin ball machines are eye catching and I feel like a little kid again coming in to spend my money and get high scores. They do have a bar here but I haven't tried any alcoholic beverages yet. They also have some seating if you would like to sit after working up a sweat from playing the pin ball machines. It's a blast and come prepared to take on the variety of crazy looking machines!
Fine vibe, but beers are absurdly expensive. $8-$10 per beer? like for a two hearted?
Great Venue!! Doomfest was fantastic!! Can't wait for Doomfest 2025 ????
Small venue for a show. Can get cramped. Atmosphere is electric when themiaoc kicks in. Bar is full of beers, food options and the usual pub fare. Cherry ramp is closeby to park. About a block down.
Love this place, one of my favorite local venues. I only wish I was able to get out to shows here more frequently. Props to whomever is responsible for assembling their lineups.
The greatest pinball location on the west side. Grab a Pabst and a roll of quarters, fun way to spend an evening.
Honestly really like the vibes around here. Very fun selection of pinball machines, some more fun/player-friendly than others ;P Can't speak on the drink selection as I don't drink.
I havent had the food so no experience to share there. But otherwise I love coming to this intimate venue for shows. And also playing a ton of pinball. It's easy to walk around the city from here. Easily have a fun night out
Great club in GR - one of my faves to play!
The pinball machines here are awesome. A must stop when in Grand Rapids.
Amazing start with drinks and arcade, followed by an awesome DJ and dance floor!
Had a great time!!!! Loved the drinks and pinball, will definitely be there again!!
What a great place to see live music. The staff are friendly and truly amazing. Loved the whole vibe. Definitely will try this again when we are back in Grand Rapids.
Great staff, nice assortment of beer, pinball and usually a good show in the back.
20+ pinball machines in the front, then saw x4 local and Detroit bands in the back!
The drinks are the best prices in town, great variety! I love the pinball arcade here! The stage room in the back has no complaints either. This is a great location to have a drink relax and share good times with friends. Even came here for a date to play pinball ?? It made a wonderful second date to remember!
It’s a mix of nostalgia and high-energy fun! Many arcades blend retro classics like Pac-Man and pinball with modern VR games, racing simulators, and rhythm challenges — often with music, lights, and a social vibe.
Both can be great! Solo visits let you focus on your favorite games, while going with friends adds competition, teamwork, and laughs. Many people plan arcade meetups as a casual hangout or even date spot.
Usually just yourself and a way to pay (some arcades still use coins, others use cards or apps). If you're competitive, bring your A-game. If you're social, bring friends or meet new ones over multiplayer games.
Weekdays or early afternoons are usually less crowded — perfect for focused play. Evenings and weekends bring the buzz, especially at barcades or venues with DJs, tournaments, or themed nights.
Absolutely! Arcades attract a mix of casual players and serious gamers. Whether you're jumping into a four-player co-op or chatting between rounds, it's a fun, low-pressure way to connect over shared interests.
Not at all. While many arcades are family-friendly, there are also adult-oriented ones with full bars, 18+ nights, or vintage nostalgia themes. Arcades today cater to everyone — from first-timers to lifelong gamers.
Yes! Many arcades host regular competitions, retro nights, cosplay parties, and more. Whether you're into high scores or just want to watch and vibe, events add an extra layer to the experience.
No worries — arcades are about having fun, not being perfect. Try a variety of games, ask others for tips, and remember: the vibe is more “let’s play” than “let’s win.”
Yes, pinball tables in arcades remain a blast. Their hands-on, skill-driven gameplay delivers a thrill digital games can’t match, blending nostalgia with modern flair. Newer tables from Stern and Jersey Jack feature LCD screens and themes like Avengers or Stranger Things, keeping things exciting. Arcades are seeing a pinball resurgence with vibrant scenes and tournaments like IFPA events drawing crowds. Though less common than video games, pinball’s tactile charm and community vibe make it a standout arcade experience in 2025.