Game on, St. Louis. For those living in the Gateway City, there’s now a host of options when it comes to finding a bar or restaurant with a wide array of arcade and board games. From rows of blinking pinball machines to Skee-Ball scores begging to be broken, many new and old local spots hope to bring out the gamer in all of us. We’ve rounded up what’s new with five places.
Parlor
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An arcade bar is headed to The Grove, as first reported by St. Louis Business Journal. Parlor plans to open next summer, offering 15 to 20 pinball and arcade games, billiard tables, and a full bar. Sean Baltzell of Tower Classic Tattooing, Mike Cracchiolo of The Ready Room, and Casey Colgan are behind the concept. “It’s something a lot of people are doing around the city,” Baltzell tells SLM. “We felt like we had a chance to do it with our spin on it.” The games will be a mix of classic and new. The team is also collaborating with Byrd & Barrel for a permanent food truck parked on the patio. The bar will offer classic cocktails and a variety of local craft beer. 4170 Manchester.
Pieces
Soulard will soon be home to a board game bar and café. Pieces hopes to open in either December or January, and it will offer a library of 500 board games. The concept comes from James and Laura Lettau and Ameet Rawal. “The board game bar appealed to us every time we’d leave St. Louis and [visit one in] Cincinnati or New York City… Everyone was unplugged and just hanging out with friends and family,” Laura says. The trio started a Kickstarter campaign in October and (as of today) has almost doubled their goal of $5,000. Laura says Pieces will offer games at varying experience levels. Party games, such as Cards Against Humanity, will also be available. The menu is still being developed, but Laura says it’ll be comprised of unique options, including Hawaiian poke bowls. She adds that many elements to the space—tables, mugs, equipment, etc.—will be from local stores and suppliers. 1535 S. 8th.
Start Bar
Since this arcade bar opened downtown in late July, co-owner Stephen Savage says the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Guests can choose from a selection of cabinet games, pinball machines, Skee-Ball, and gaming consoles. Try one of its new additions: Killer Queen, a 10-player (five versus five) cabinet game that Savage dubs one of the most fun. Savage adds that Start Bar’s pizza menu has expanded. There’s now a build-your-own pizza option and more specialty pizzas, including its mac ‘n cheese pizza. Start Bar has also partnered with Strange Donuts to sell the beloved “dones” on Fridays and Saturdays. 1000 Spruce.
The Silver Ballroom
Steve and Shelly Dachroeden opened this South City joint in 2010. Its original lineup of about seven machines has grown to nearly 40, and the space offers 20 at a time. The current lineup includes a Ghostbusters pinball machine, Wizard of Oz, and Spooky Pinball (from a boutique pinball machine company in Wisconsin). Be on the lookout for a rare The Big Lebowski-themed machine, set to debut in the coming weeks. General manager Ian Taylor says his and Steve’s favorite pinball-machine era is the late ’80s to mid-’90s. “There’s just something really classic about them,” he says, adding most are original concept and aren’t tied to a movie or any kind of promotion. The Silver Ballroom will also host a pinball tournament on December 10. “It’s fun to watch—some of those guys are just amazing,” Steve says. 4701 Morganford.
Orbit Pinball Lounge
Orbit opened in Maplewood in 2012, and it’s now for sale on Craigslist, as first reported by the Riverfront Times. The ad was posted last week and asks for $220,000, a price that includes “all equipment, games and assets associated with the business” but not the building or property. The reason for the sale, according to the ad, is that the current owner is “looking to start a new project.” 7401 Hazel.
