| rev:text
| - In case you're late to the party, Phoenix is currently undergoing a barcade renaissance. With the giant chains in this industry on the decline, entrepreneurs are taking advantage of our nostalgia to deliver a combination of childhood pastimes and adult beverages.
Perhaps the first thing you'll notice about Bonus Round is the stark contrast to many of the valley's similar establishments. Barcades tend to be dark and narrow, but this one is broad and brightly lit. This decision in atmosphere brings attention to the benches for communal seating, board games, and food. I haven't had anything from their limited menu, but snacks like ice cream sandwiches are welcome, and personal pizzas are a plus. Because I don't come to places like these for food, I can only assume they add to the experience.
The drink menu is actually very carefully thought out. As a beer lover, their acumen for choosing the right brews is much appreciated. They even had a custom beer made by Sun Up! In addition to this, there's a small but ambitious cocktail menu prepared by their very cool bartenders.
When I say "ambitious", it is arguably to a fault. At 9-10 bucks a pop, it's competing with places like Hanny's, Valley Bar, and Sidebar...the list of above-average lounges to get a decent cocktail goes on. What I have had was not *bad*, but not something that struck me as overtly premium or even appropriate for the setting. Quite frankly, I don't think you can really get away with these in what looks and feels like a cafeteria, as I have no reason to prefer dropping beaucoup bucks on booze here over a dozen other spots. You have a casual atmosphere and food menu, so play to that strength.
The gaming itself is pretty cool, and they've committed to keeping them free! They've got the staples, like NBA Jam, NFL Blitz, and Street Fighter. Some other selections are great, like Silent Scope. Others are duds that haven't aged well, like Jurassic Park which is more fun to gawk at and pose in than play. Or their old-school Gauntlet game, which is really just a half hour button mashing session once you have unlimited lives. Overall, the selection does enough to keep you having fun for a couple hours, which is good.
I think that overall, this is the barcade for nerds. I can envision myself downing a nice draught while I play something like MTG on your tables. There seems to be great opportunities to please gaming purists in a bright and relatively quiet space like this. I'd come here again whenever I'm in the mood to play games with close pals or a date. I would not come here to get rowdy on a weekend night, mingle with new people, or imbibe fine liquors. Still, I am happy for this addition to the valley and would be content with coming back.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)