Up-Down KC

Stumbled onto this place while in KC for work. It was memorial day & most every place was closed. We almost threw in the towel when we found this gem. I was with 8 coworkers and we all had a great time. Amazing beer selection, tons of games, both old and new, and the pizza is damn decent as well. Just wished we found this place earlier.

I cannot say enough how wonderful things about this place is!!! My husband and I had a blast and we will be back.

I’m so glad the GF mentioned this place. It’s got a great atmosphere and tons of old school games! It reminded me of spending hours in an arcade as a kid, so I spent hours in this one.
The staff is very nice, but I didn’t eat or drink any. I just played. The games are all in great shape, which surprised me. You can usually find one with a bad joystick or button.
The pinballs were all in great working condition also, which made them even more fun. The current two faves for me are Walking Dead and Ghostbusters.
Skee ball and a photo booth round out the selection.
Go play!

Great place to be on Saturday afternoon. Place is hopping with activity but not so packed you couldn’t move. Great vibe! Drinks reasonably priced as well as buy one get one free tokens on Saturdays. Most games are one token play. $ 5 of tokens last a long time! Outdoor patios have games out there as well. Unexpected treat in Crossroads!

My apartment is walking distance from Up-​Down KC and it’s really grown on me.
I’m not a huge «gamer» by any means but going there after a long day at work and playing skee ball or pac-​man against the boyfriend is a great stress reliever!
They serve so many different kinds of beers that it’s hard to not find a beer that you’d like and there are tons of games. My boyfriend’s work likes hosting Happy Hour’s here and a can definitely see why.
Go in, get a cold brew and tokens, play games to your hearts delight. It’s a blast.

I didn’t know something like this existed! They have classic arcade games like «The Sinpsons» and «X-​men» and with classic prices; $.25 a play! I was in town for a conference and asked my AirBnB host what were great places to check out. This was his first suggestion for a bar and entertainment. My friend and I went to check this place out and were blown away by the collection! This is such a great idea. Whether with a friend, on a date or just want a drink and game; this is the spot. I wish this bar was back home. Kansas City, you glorious amazing city you.

Come here on a Thursday night, they run a special on tokens. you can play a long time for a few bucks.
It’s typically packed and there are several old school games to choose from. they even have N64 Mario Kart on the big screen. if you aren’t a video gamer, try one of the many pinball machines or skee-​ball. It’s all good.

Love this spot on a chill Saturday afternoon/​evening! It’s like Dave & Busters but cheaper & more hipster — in a good way :)

Awesome spot in the crossroads. I like to call it «the true adult Chuck E Cheese.» They have a bunch of old school arcade style games, skeeball, Nintendo 64, etc. They also have a great 2 level patio equipped with a few supersized games and great views of the street. Just a cool place to chill with friends and share good vibes!

This place is DOPE. I’m in town from Dallas and randomly found this spot… First off, there was a great alcohol selection. The look and feel of this place is super cool, too.
I think this place will appeal mostly to 80’s babies– it’s all the games we used to play as kids (skeeball, mortal kombat, pacman, super mario, ninja turtles). In fact my friend and I were talking about it and there was literally not a single game we played growing up that this place was missing.
Definitely a great spot, I could have spent all day here!

Videos games, beers… Need I say more? Ohh 21+ duh!!! NO KIDS! The man cave of all man caves but for ADULTS!
I’ve been here wayyy too many times for my own good lol (and yet I always forget to check in)
100 of games, about 40+ taps and bathrooms that will cause anyone to had ADD!
You have your classics to new games. pinball, skee ball, N64, giant jenga and connect 4.
Patio and roof deck are open to all! This is the place where adults can get be their inter child but still can have a drink! Like the after school mall, this is OUR after work hangout. You can’t go wrong playing 1token games!
Plus they always have some kind of specials going on for tokens and beers check ask!

Mario Kart, Skee Ball, rooftop, OH MY!
Up-​Down is a little slice of heaven for adults who are still children at heart, and I am all about it. Looking forward to more warm weather so I can throw down the gauntlet on their jumbo Jenga.
Side note, my friend may or may not have met his soulmate while playing a Ninja Turtles game here. They have been dating for 5-​months now. Who knew an arcade could bring two love birds together?

This is an abomination! I can’t believe they did it, but they did. I’m totally trying to find the words in my heart because this is a truly love at first sight kind of thing.
Let’s start by saying this «BAR» is somewhat of a generation trap. Please, allow me to explain why.
Back when we were younger, that’s when the dinosaurs roamed the earth, we had these places by the malls called arcades. Best representation was portrayed in a film titled «Pixels». I for one was a Street Fighter guy. I came with $ 1, that’s two credits to find out how many kids I can go through before I get my ass kicked.
Anyways, fast forward and Viola! Arcades disappeared and Up Down was born. The broke kids who spent their lunch money on Arcades are now young professionals with a lot of expendable income. Pair that with a voracious appetite for craft beer and you have yourself an AWESOME clientele for life.
I enjoyed my night here at Up Down. Me and my friend played X-​men, reminds me of the Pizza Hut Days growing up. Then we did the pacman, then we played Contra, then I remembered how much the game sucked. Donkey Kong is always a plus, then there’s the Ninja Turtles.
Drinking beer and playing classic arcade games is not for the young anymore. Besides, those kids, don’t know how to party like we do.

My husband and I went to meet my niece and her friends at The Up Down one Saturday and had so much fun.
I was floored by how many hip, young Kansas Citians were hanging out on a Saturday afternoon… it was PACKED.
I have heard from friends who live close that the owners did a great job in opening and have continued with the great job in running The Up Down which is great to see in The Crossroads.
I think if The Up Down had been around when I was in my 20s and 30s… I would have been even more of a lush and definitely had less money. :)
Such a fun atmosphere. Indoor and outdoor games, tons of TVs, so much space, great music.

Up/​Down is a fun and different option for adult entertainment. It is nice to see various places that are not just sit and drink popping up around the metro.
You will find many old school video games at Up/​Down. Classics you may have forgotten, and well known titles that will never die. They have a great selection of pinball machines and skee ball. They now have some internal food options, but I have to say I would like to see the food truck option return.
The upstairs patio is great to mingle and enjoy some drinks while people watching especially during First Friday.
You will be quickly reminded of some of the negatives of old arcades. Sticking buttons, slimy joy sticks, etc. Bring some hand sanitizer and have a great time.

Probably the best arcade bar in KC!
The games… the best selection of games at an arcade bar you’ll find in KC. You’ll have the pinball machines upstairs, skee ball machines, the usual arcade games, an N64 on a big screen, and a variety of oversized party games (jenga and connect four) outside on the patio.
The venue… BIGGEST positive I’ve found is that the patio is pet friendly! Though you won’t have much mobility to play arcade games. The interior can get extremely crowded on the weekends. I try to come here only during the middle of the work week (Tuesday and Wednesdays). The upstairs patio isn’t bad as well, but better as a chill/​break location to get away from the action.
Overall… I’d definitely come back here again.

Galaga, Frogger, Contra, TMNT, X-​Men, pinball, etc… This should honestly be the end of the review. I shouldn’t have to say anymore. The only thing missing here is Tecmo Bowl. Shame on you, Up-​Down. While you were busy jam packing your retro gaming mecca with traditional favorites, you neglected the greatest sports game of all time.
Located in the über-​hip Crossroads District, Up-​Down reps a demographic blend that the United Nations would be proud of. Preps, hipsters, old guys, young guys, gamers, girls, and goodness. Such an eclectic mix of personalities could only be brought together by one passion — video games
This place is a gamer’s dream land. After the fall of Aladdin’s Castle and Fun Factory, where were gamers supposed to go to find a good video game? Dave and Busters to overpay for food, drink, and games? No thanks. Up-​Down peddles all the games you remember from the 80s and 90s as well as a few new ones. At a quarter a pop (no pricey cards or $ 1.00 plays here), five bucks will take you a long way toward rekindling your childhood high scores. Beers specials are great, Thursday night ½ price plays are better, and the music and TV options leave you wanting to stay well past curfew. The last time I was here, they were re-​playing an old WrestleMania from the early 90s. Thank you, Up-​Down, thank you very much.
I came here for a Bro Summit (see Urban Dictionary) but would definitely bring my wife up here. We once spent an entire Christmas Break playing Mortal Kombat in my basement. I could relive that with her right here at Up-​Down, minus the futon and big screen TV.
Don’t miss a chance to check out Up-​Down in the old Hamburger Mary’s building off Main Street. You won’t be disappointed.
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21 and older arcade (yesssss) fills up fast. Got carded going in but no cover charge. Full service bar but no food (food truck hanging around out front). Indoor area gets crowded quick but the weather’s been so nice I’m usually on the deck, I seem to gravitate to the upstairs deck which also has a bar and I tend to play a couple rounds of connect four or Jenga (both are oversized).
In the 90’s use to tag along with my brother to the arcade, the feel of this place is awesomely similar. I recognize all of em for the most part. Sometimes he’d let me play most of the time I was just his cheering side kick, loved every minute of it. I’ve already spent some killer weekend afternoons here. Staff is chill, no surprises there. Definitely a place I recommend to any product of the 80s or 90s but it would seem even the current generation is pretty into it.

Top of the line beer selection, games for days, nostalgia factor 10/​10, rooftop patio, and in a perfect location. Drop the mic, Up-​Down KC, drop the mic.
I’m someone who always wants to do something, especially when I’m at a bar, whether it’s watch a game, play some darts, shuffleboard, even play Big Buck Hunter with friends. Over the years I’ve noticed that many of the actual steel-​tip dartboards have gone away, Buck Hunter is tucked in the back and there isn’t all that much to do at a lot of bars. Contrast that to home where I have a front porch, the Royals on the radio and games galore, it makes me not always want to jump in the car and head out.
Up-​Down is a game changer in that regard (see what I did there.) It’s jam-​packed with all the games you remember from your childhood and many that you don’t. My personal favorite was an underrated Super NES gem, Sunset Riders. Perfect arcade game because it’s easy to, ya know, not die every ten seconds and feed the token machine that ate so much of my 10 year old allowance.
You can also revive some old feuds with a game of Mario Kart. It doesn’t cost any tokens, but it’s so blurry it cost me my vision for about an hour.
The beer selection. Oh my. I’ve been a fan of Deschutes and decided to try their Fresh Squeezed IPA on tap and it was literally the best beer I’ve tasted in 2015.
The outdoor patio (s) are perfection. You can play a gigantic game of Connect 4 or life-​size Jenga while drinking a great beer with friends. I just love the view of KC from the patio. It reminds me of all the marvelous things happening in our great city.

Favorite new bar in KC!
Video games, pinball, drinks, and outdoor games. What could be better? I’m giving this place 4 stars. The only thing I took a star away for was because there wasn’t any food (somewhere where I could hang out all day — if there was) or snacks. Also, their game selection is pretty good and their happy hour for tokens is an amazing deal. We want to go back at least once a week for a couple beers, patio games like Connect 4 and Giant Jenga.
This place is going to blow up.
UPDATE: They now have a pizza window. Adding another star because that was my only con. It’s affordable and actually really tasty pizza.