Coin-Op Game Room

Unlike the pizza-and-pints circuit that defines most of 30th Street, Coin-Op runs on a different fuel: quarters, cocktails, and the hum of a Ms. Pac-Man cabinet that's seen more action than half the jukeboxes in this neighborhood. It's not trying to be a themed experience or a nostalgia trap — it's just a bar that happens to have a proper arcade bolted onto it, which means you can nurse an IPA while your friends burn through *Street Fighter II* without anyone making it weird.

The game selection leans classic — *Galaga*, pinball, *NBA Jam* — with enough depth that you're not just dumping quarters into the same three machines all night. Fair warning: those quarters disappear fast. Ten bucks gets you about fifteen minutes if you're bad at *Mortal Kombat*, which most people are. The cocktails hold up beyond the gimmick, and the beer list skews local without making a show of it. Outdoor seating exists if you need air between rounds.

Service is a roll of the dice. Some nights you get a bartender who treats you like a regular; other nights you get someone who clearly wishes they were somewhere else. The comedy shows in the back room draw crowds, but the space is tight — if you're claustrophobic or late, skip it.

Park on the side streets off 30th unless you enjoy circling. Weeknights are the move if you actually want to play games instead of watching someone else hog the good cabinet. Weekends turn into a scene, which is fine if that's what you're after, less fine if you just wanted to play some pinball in peace.