16-Bit Bar + Arcade

Wow!
This place is like stepping back to your childhood video game years. As you stroll by all the video games, flashes of memories pop up of your favorite moments in arcade games.
You quickly realize that after 15 years of not playing the joystick style games, your skills are not as awesome as they use to be! Donkey Kong level one kicks your butt 10 times before you get to level 2. But that’s okay, you are a grown up now and you can sip on your cocktail that you just got moments before to cope.
A great place to go drink and hangout in this fun adult environment.

This place is a lot of fun, even if you suck a video games. I recommend drinking a Tawny Kitaen and yelling loudly as you play donkey kong as you realize you are not the donkey. The free games and retro drink menu are worth a visit. And with Late Night Slice next door its the perfect date night!

This is a really fantastic place. I love the nostalgia of the place. I came here for a friend’s 21^st and I like the fact that they i.d. you before you come in. So you know there wont be a bunch of 16 – 18 year olds filling up the place. The place draws a crowd of 21 – 30 year olds which is nice. The drinks were okay. I got the Hulk Hogan and that was to die for! However I would suggest staying away from the Molly Ringwald cocktail, it was just absolutely awful.
Overall: this place is fantastic! I would love to come back here again, very chill atmosphere. And on the plus side, next door is a Mikeys late night!

It’s a great place to go and play games for free! They are 21 and over only which I love! Pin ball for .50 cents, only thing is it is pretty packed but that just shows you everyone loves it!

I’m not necessarily a huge fan of video games, especially multi player ones on traditional gaming systems, but I do enjoy a good old school game of pinball, packman or such and very much enjoy the bar-​cade concept. I was excited when a co-​worker suggested that we go to this spot after work, I especially liked that they let you bring in food from the places around here.
When we arrived the place was welcoming, it wasn’t overcrowded and the front windows were open to the street and prime people watching. The drinks were more expensive than I would have thought for what is in essence a dive bar in Ohio, however since they include the games, its not unreasonable. It was a fun spot and definitely somewhere I’d frequent with friends if I lived closer.
The real reason this place gets three stars and not four, is the service. The bartenders weren’t just not great, they were borderline bad. When I asked for a beer recommendation I was treated as if that was something that was really putting her out. And then later when she was making a cocktail with lime and literally squirted lime all over my coworker, she barely apologized, not even offering him a wet napkin to help blot the juice or to make sure he didn’t have any in his eyes.

First off they use beer clean glasses which I absolutely love. They’re super friendly and it’s a fun laid back atmosphere. If I lived closer I’d go here all the time.

This is a drinking establishment.
Here they have MANY. . maybe dozens of video games and a few pinball machines,
The video games are FREE to play! The pinball machines are .50 /​credit.
They serve alcohol beverages. The place is packed.
Fun place!

Love this place great beer, great video games, cool staff and I’ll highly recommend this place.

This place is the best! Buy a drink, and play video games to your heart’s content for FREE. There aren’t many places you’ll find where arcade games are free (except for the pinball), so coming to 16 bit is a steal for some weekend entertainment. They have NFL Blitz, Donkey Kong, and more as well as regular competitions for their customers. Highly recommend this place – great service!

Fun place to go to relive your childhood. The arcade games are free to play. They have interesting drinks named after celebrities from the 80s. Got the hulk hogan with came with a bomb pop. Yum.

Stopped in here today for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. I like that you can go in, buy a drink, and play games. What a great concept! The service was good — I got the beer I ordered in a good amount of time which is all I can really ask for. I do wish they had more tvs for N64, but oh well.
I’m sure this place gets really packed on the weekends, but I will surely be back.

What was life before beercades? Beer is great. Arcade games are fun. A cool idea to take a date was never made so easy.
I think I like 16-​Bit a bit better than most of my hometown Chicago beercades. It’s not quite as huge, but had a great selection of games, a great variety of craft beers and there was always something that had no wait. I had a fun time beating down my man in Mortal Kombat and some zombie killing gun game. For the sake of his manhood, I will say he whooped my booty in a couple others.
Games at 16 Bit are free! (with drink purchase of course).
Craft beer cans were $ 6 and came with a cool 16-​Bit Bar coozie.
Crap tall boy beer cans were $ 3 if you’re being cheap and actually ‘enjoy’ the taste of Miller.
Chill high top tables at the front of the beercade for relaxing PLUS you can play Sega or Super Nintendo games while chillin’. Where was the OG Nintendo though?! I wanted to get my Duck Hunt on old school style.
Service was good and I even saw the bartenders cleaning up cans from some of the tables. That just doesn’t happen where I’m from, ha!
Bonus Points for every game having drink stands next to it. Sooooo helpful. We need a 16 Bit up in Chi!

I found this gem the perfect Monday night. Funky cocktails with Popsicles, arcade games, pinball and a couple Nintendo 64’s. Yes please

Don’t run me out of town, Columbus! I swear I’m not hatin’ on the beloved 16-​Bit — this is purely about personal preference.
There are so many pluses:
+16-​Bit really is the heart of 4^th Street, one of my favorite parts of town.
+They started the whole barcade scene here in Cbus, and I give them mad props.
+Their branding and events are ON. POINT.
+You can take the kiddos on the 3^rd Sunday of every month. (But check before you go.)
+You can bring in outside food, and with so many awesome 4^th St options — this is a big win.
But in the end, it’s just not for me. Here’s why:
–It’s always crowded. Even in the off-​peak hours, it was still a lot of people. I know it’s a bit douchey for me to knock 16-​Bit on this, but it really does impact my experience.
–The staff wasn’t very nice. I have zero tolerance for snarky service, and that’s exactly how everyone treated me. It’s hard for me to put my finger on it, but the vibe here is just kinda off. Not my style.
–I thought the drinks on the board were really confusing. Everything seemed to be jumbled together, and things I wanted weren’t available — but still on the board. I finally settled on a Patrick Swayze, which was, indeed, a tasty cocktail. Albeit an expensive cocktail.
–I didn’t actually like the games. I know this is also a personal preference, so take my taste with a grain of salt.
So in the end, there’s no hate from me on 16-​Bit. I 100% understand why so many people love it, and let’s be honest — they don’t really need me to love it. There’s such a loyal following for the original Cbus barcade, and I’m really proud of their success! Just not my thing.

Everyone in Columbus that’s ever had a bout with Donkey Kong knows about 16-Bit’s existence. It is the «big name» barcade. A great selection of games to choose from and its all paid for with your drink. The cocktails are a bit hokey in my opinion, and very sugar-​infused, but I hear that you can order up a nice scotch or a decent manhattan upon request.
You’re paying for the ambiance and environment. And the childhood whimsy. Get’s a bit busy come weekends and nights, so I suggest an afternoon for best playing capabilities.

This is one of my favorite bars in Columbus. I love the idea of free arcade games, craft beer, and hey, Dirty Frank’s hot dogs are next door and can be brought inside!
16 Bit doesn’t serve food, but there are three good restaurants on the same block (soon to be four!) so as long as you’re willing to order and carry out, you’re in good shape.
Lots of good craft brews on tap, not the cheapest, but for the experience, I’m going to say it’s worth it. So many arcade games that even on busy nights, I’ve been able to find something to play. Now I will say I’ve always gone on a weeknight (usually tends to be Thursday), never on a Friday or Saturday night.
I’m not even a huge arcade game/​video game fan, but I’ve had so much fun here. It’s a great place for groups, the service has been good, and it’s good clean fun!
I can’t wait to get back and this is the type of place I would want to take my out-​of-​town friends to show them what C-​Bus is all about!

This bar has a pretty cool concept and space right by Columbus commons. Who doesn’t love playing free arcade games while drinking? They seem to do a pretty good job keeping the games up and running. There may be a couple that don’t work but the majority are in good condition and they have little drink holders next to them which is oh so convenient!
They have a ton of specials and themed drinks, which always a hit. They had WWE themed drinks the last time I was there and one of them even included a bomb pop. I am not a huge shot person but when I come here I have a hard time not trying all the cool shots they put together.
The bathrooms are their downfall. Since this place is always packed I’m a little surprised the bathrooms are single stalls. The line for these is always ridiculous. Other that that I’ve never had an issue here and it’s a great place for parties or just to come hangout at. I’ll definitely be back!

Nice arcade bar with a great selection of games. Service was great.
I was impressed by the friendly staff, who remained helpful and alert even late into the night.
The vibes were young and hipstery. Whole place was surprisingly clean and neat!
Décor was game-​themed. Great Netflix on the TV screens. Overall a very fun place that I would definitely come back to.

This was a place that was recommended by my customer, while coming here on a business trip. This place is great and it brings me so many old memories of playing Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter II, and all the other old games like Galaga, and more…
To top it all off, you can order beer which is a great combination while playing the classic video games. Love this place. Too bad they don’t have this kind of bar here, in Cali.

Pure adult fun. We had a large group and plenty of room for us at their long tables. The bar is a nice size to allow fast and convenient service. Street parking is all around and after 6 pm the meter parking is free. They have specialty drinks named after 80s famous people. The arcade games are free but can be a wait for your favorite game. Plenty of other options to fill the time.
They do have bring your shorty day to have your little ones tag along but check their calender to find out which day and times. This bar is strictly for the 21 and older crowd. Absolutely a good time for a break in your standard bar/​patio outing.