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Bars With Arcade Games In Los Angeles

A person plays a racing game at an arcad
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Before game consoles made their way into homes everywhere, arcades used to be a major attraction for adolescents and young adults alike during the golden age of video games. Nowadays, vintage arcade games have become quite the novelty in LA with a handful of bars featuring some of the popular arcade games of the 80s when video games first went mainstream. Given the competitive nature of some of these games, it seems like the best bars with arcades in them are sports bars where you can watch some of your favorite sports teams go up against their rival competition.

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Blipsy Barcade
369 N. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 461-7067

Originally known as Miss T's Barcade up until a few years ago, Blipsy Barcade is without a doubt one of the best arcade bars in Los Angeles. It's a pretty chill environment with some great video games that were popular during the 80s. It's definitely a mellow spot to hang with friends and play some pinball arcade games and other arcade classics. The best part about Blipsy is the cheap but stiff drinks.

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The Craftsman
119 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 395-6037
www.thecraftsmanbar.com

This upscale dive bar features two vintage table-top games that have at least 30 old-school video games on them including the ever-so-popular Pac-Man, as well as Donkey Kong and Galaga. There are also board games you can play, a Jenga set, shuffleboards and a homemade photo booth. The best part about this bar is that all the food it serves is made from scratch, even the ketchup. The sliders here area a must-have.

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Busby's West
3110 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 828-4567
www.busbysla.com

It's not exactly an arcade, but it is certainly close enough. Busby's is best known for being one of best sports bars across the nation. The food is what seems to set this place apart, but all the fun activities make this place even more fun. Some of Busby's arcade-like games include basketball, foosball, ping pong and table hockey as well as traditional bar games like pool, darts and shuffleboard. Busby's even carries board games for those who feel so inclined to play in a game of backgammon, checkers or even chess.

Related:  Best Sports Bars To Watch LA Teams

US-ART-MOMA-VIDEO GAMES
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Barney's Beanery
Multiple Locations
www.barneysbeanery.com

Another bar that's definitely unique to Los Angeles is Barney's Beanery, which has a very unique ambiance. With five locations in Los Angeles, and a sixth one opening soon, the Santa Monica location is said to be the best of the lot, due to its proximity to the great Pacific Ocean no doubt. Some of the games that can be found here include Pac-Man, Street Fighter, a boxing game, basketball and air hockey as well as pool and shuffleboard.

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Sports Harbour
13484 Washington Blvd.
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
(310) 823-0933
www.thesportsharbour.com

In addition to classic games found at good sports bars such as foosball, darts and shuffleboard, Sports Harbour also has about three or four video game machines including a basketball arcade game. This venue also has a couple of pool tables. With games playing on any one of the televisions, there's plenty to keep you and your crew thoroughly entertained.

Related: Best Pool Halls Around LA

Niki Payne is a freelance writer covering all things Entertainment in Los Angeles. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.

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