Coworkers and friends passing through Charlotte would sometimes ask what they should do when they're in town. What's the one thing I need to do in Charlotte!? This was sort of hard to answer, particularly if you're kind of a nerd. Well now I can happily tell them Charlotte has its own barcade! And its the real deal. This isn't Dave and Busters or a handful of machines you might see in the lobby of a theatre.
Abari the arcade hits all the high notes of those lost relics of malls past. There's several pinball machines, Royal Rumble and Addams Family being my favorites. The arcade has some great classics like Joust and Ms Pac-man as well as four player Simpsons, Street Fighter II and I've heard that the crazy multiplayer Killer Queen will be there soon!
Abari the bar has several draft beer taps, although its hard for me to get anything besides PBR. The local breweries are represented of course - Abari is right down the street from Free Range, Birdsong, and NoDa.
I've only been once but I've got a jar of quarters waiting!