Boxcar Bar + Arcade

Located at 120 West Lewis Street in Downtown Greensboro, Boxcar Bar + Arcade offers a full drink menu with two dozen craft beers on tap as well as arcade games, retro console games, pinball, air hockey, and more. There is free popcorn, and drink and token discounts rotate daily. Food is not served, but food trucks appear regularly. A private room is available for events.

As someone who doesn’t drink frequently and is disdainful of loud spaces, Boxcar does not seem like a place I should enjoy visiting, yet I definitely do. A fun concept, a great selection, and affordability all make Greensboro’s first barcade a hit.

First, a caveat: Boxcar can get very crowded (and loud) during peak hours. However, if you are open to a daytime visit (Sunday afternoons seem to be best) in lieu of Friday or Saturday nights, this becomes far less of a concern. There are a few other minor quibbles (you may find yourself elbow-to-elbow with gamers at adjacent cabinets, and you never know which cabinet will be out of order on a given day), but they are (pun intended) relatively small change.

That said, the bar comes well-provisioned with everything from IPAs to ales to ciders to pilsners as well as a few creatively named cocktails. There is a good balance of local/regional offerings (Preyer, Foothills) and nationally recognized names. Prices vary, but discounts (i.e. $1 mimosas on Sundays, two free tokens for every drink purchased during happy hour) are a regular occurrence.

The game selection makes the leap from respectable to downright impressive. Boxcar offers everything from old-school platformers to 80s beat-em-ups to fighters to rail shooters to driving games. If every you had fond memories of frequenting an arcade in your youth, you can relive that experience (and possibly find the same games) here. Most arcade games are a mere one 25-cent token apiece. Pinball, on the other hand, runs a substantially higher four tokens a play.

Infinitely more fun than your typical bar, Boxcar is a great way for Grensboroians to kill time without breaking the bank.

8.75/10