The Racket Bar & Pinball Lounge

I really love this place. The philly cheese steaks are sooooo good.
And for you veggie folks out there, the mushroom philly is amazing. No flavor was lacking even though it was missing one of the fundamental ingredients of a cheese steak.
I am awful at pinball so I can’t say much for that. However the crane game is loaded with one of a kind creations. And unlike other crane games this one is actually moderately win-​able.
I really like that the bar is chill. And that they are a great place for lunch.
I will frequently get the hummus platter when I am just looking for a snack that isn’t as heavy as a cheese steak.
Also a great place to pre game if you’re headed to a show at the shakedown. (There is also a passageway through the two bars) so you don’t have to go out in the rain just to go watch the bands.
Bravo!

I’ll be the first to admit I was not screaming in excitement when someone mentioned a new pinball place had opened up in downtown Bellingham. In fact, it’s possible I may have yawned. Having grown up a part of Generation Video Game, pinball just sounded… well…kinda boring.
Well, I was wrong. I’ve been to The Racket three times now and have had more fun on each visit. The place is small, with a full bar (including good taps) downstairs and a long row of pinball machines brightening up the upstairs. Food can also be purchased from the legendary Shakedown kitchen right next door (um, falafel anyone?). The crowd is lively and skews toward «fun» rather than trendy, which is always a nice plus. My only complaint is it’s hotter than you-​know-​what in the pinball area — they’ve set out a fan but it doesn’t do much more than blow the warm air around. The easiest solution I’ve found to this problem (as with most temperature related problems in the Ham) is simple: wear layers!
The thing I like most about The Racket is that it’s different. And in a smaller city like we have, different is good!
BTW, the pinball machines all take quarters; but if you don’t have any cash you can use your credit card to buy a roll of quarters at the downstairs bar ($ 1 service charge). This is also a 21-​and-​over place and they do card at the door.