Geeks are creative sorts when we put our minds to it. That’s why you’ll find a lot of innovative geeky hangouts across a country if you look hard enough. What could have been your average bar or restaurant is turned into a veritable nerd paradise! Let’s take a look at a few good examples of places to go, relax and get you geek on. Feel free to talk about YOUR favorite spots in the comments section!
The Joystick Gamebar
The Joystick Gamebar in Atlanta, Georgia is one that I’ve personally been to and also what inspired me to make this list. It’s exactly what it sounds like- a bar with a bunch of old style arcade games. The classic games you can find in this bar include Mortal Kombat, Ms. Pac-Man, Jurassic Park III, classic 80’s style X-Men and Donkey Kong. There’s also pinball, both Dolly Parton and Terminator II: Judgement Day style. Of course, the games are rotated pretty often, so you might end up finding different games at the bar at different times. This webpage will tell you what games are there currently. Just like in the old days, all these games are a quarter to play and there’s change machines at the bar. There’s also lots of board games to enjoy!
There’s also geeky drinks galore, including superhero themed cocktails like the Zatanna Zatara, Selina Kyle and Stephen Strange.
The bar has tons of events. An example is 8-bit comedy night, which features 8 comedians making jokes about their favorite video games. There’s also a costume contest where people are encouraged to dress up as their favorite video game characters and it’s hosted by folks dressed as Mario and Luigi!
Gaming tournaments and contests are very common, with events like the Atlanta Rocket League Tournament and Console Showdowns.
Of course, Joystick isn’t the only “barcade” out there. There are tons of those around and there’s actually several simply called “Barcade” that you can find in New York, Jersey City and Philadelphia
The Way Station
Brooklyn’s The Way Station advertises itself as a “music venue and nerdvana”. The bar is located on 683 Washington Avenue in Prospect Heights. The location is very Doctor Who-heavy, complete with a Tardis bathroom as well as a life-size replica of the big blue police box. There’s also a Whovian cocktail menu featuring drinks such as "the 9th and 12th Doctor Sonic Screwdrivers". Other geeky drinks are included as well, like “The Golden Snitch” in honor of Harry Potter and “The Brockman” in honor of The Simpsons news anchor Kent Brockman. The cocktail menu is considered so excellent that it was actually given the title of “best cocktail bar” by the Village Voice Readers Choice Award in 2014.
The fun doesn’t stop there because every Sunday is a celebration of nerd culture. There are screenings of various sci-fi and fantasy films and Doctor Who Episodes, not to mention geeky bands like Choirfly (featuring cosplayers and lots of pop culture references). There’s also nerd karaoke or “nerdeoke”.
AFK Tavern
This tavern is located in Everett, Washington. It calls itself “first and foremost a community center for nerds, gamers, geeks and internet socialites”. It has a full selection of geeky food, including battle-ready burgers like “The Orc” and “Link’s Vengeance”, snacks like “dwarven battle bread” and “Bluth corn balls” and “+2 Chili”. The cocktail list is truly huge, with nearly 100, boasting a drink for nearly every fandom. These include “Force Push” (Star Wars), “The Fire Ferrets” (Legend of Korra), Deadpool’s 4th Wall and "Avada Kedavra" (Harry Potter).
There’s open game nights where visitors can play Smash Bros and X-Wing to their heart’s content, nerd karaoke on Thursday and Friday nights that invites you to “reinvent a song with Pokemon lyrics” and craft classes hosted on Sundays.
Geeksboro Cinema Cafe
The Geeksboro Cinema Café is located in Greensboro, North Carolina. This is a coffeehouse-slash-movie house dedicated to the geekiest of entertainment. They show current TV shows like The Walking Dead amd Agent Carter as well as older movies like Labyrinth. There’s also lighthearted stuff like the “Wonderful World of Boning” which features a mash-up of hilariously bad old sex-ed videos and mocking commentary.
There are tons of events as well. There are gaming tournaments galore, but also elaborate tribute shows. This includes stuff like the art show “Star Wars: FANdemonium” which featured original art work, prints and memorabilia related to Star Wars. There’s also Harry Potter “Yule Balls” with a special theme- the 2015 one was called “AZKABAN” and based on the eponymous book. You can also find tribute bands and geek-themed bands giving shows at the café.
The Grillenium Falcon
The Grillenium Falcon is an Star Wars themed food truck that can be found in Fayetteville, Arkansas on West Avenue. The old-school art on the side of the truck shows the Millenium Falcon in the form of a sandwich soaring through the air. It’s a gourmet grilled cheese place that features sandwiches like the “Cheebacca” and the “Ham Solo.” There’s also references to other movies, like “Jack to the Future” and “East of Edam”.
Cafe Mox
This café found in both Ballard and Bellevue in Seattle, Washington is wholly devoted to board games. One can borrow or buy them from the adjoining store while enjoying some nice comfort food. There are plenty of fun open-play events like Dungeons and Dragons Tournaments.