By Dan I. Cook
As The Talking Heads would say, “This must be the place.” Yes, Game Night Arcade is the place, and there is nothing like it in West Broward County.
If you are unfamiliar with this establishment, I will break it down in simple terms. Imagine a bar/grill inspired by gamers, anime, comic books, and the 4/20 culture all wrapped up into one. This is Game Night.
To do this place justice, I decided to recruit three people in their twenties who enjoy gaming/anime/comics to assist me with writing this review. I added one reviewer who isn’t into this scene but enjoys all types of cuisines. I wanted to capture his thoughts as a so-called outsider. Overall, I want to be able to see Game Night through their eyes.
To make this happen, I bought them some drinks and a bunch of food to share. They discussed each item and critiqued them accordingly. Since none of them had met before, it was interesting to watch them interact. All of them did a great job.
My Reviewers
Sam W.
20 and a Libra
Favorite comic character- Thor
Favorite Movie- I simply cannot choose between Law Abiding Citizen and Ender’s Game. You must watch both!
Favorite video game- 50/50 between NBA 2K and Madden NFL
Hailee C.
23 and an Aries
Favorite anime- Attack on Titan
Favorite movie-either Pineapple Express or The Hunger Games series
Favorite video game-Mario Cart
Favorite 4/20 Strain-Pineapple Express because of the fruity taste of the herb when you smoke it.
Isabella S.
21 and a Pisces
Favorite Anime-Gin Ichimaru from the anime Bleach
Favorite Movie- Recently, I enjoyed watching The Good Nurse, but realistically I’m just a sucker for any suspense/thriller movie with a mildly interesting concept
Favorite Video Game-Stardew Valley! Despite my long-term obsession with the Pokemon franchise
Favorite 420 Strain- Extraterrestrial Bananas. I gravitated toward it initially based on the killer name, but I’ve been buying it repeatedly whenever it’s in stock. For me, it’s the perfect mix of mellow and awake. I’m always talking and laughing when I smoke ET Bananas.
Hunter I.
26 and a Taurus
Favorite Manga/Anime Character- Guts
Favorite Movie- The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Favorite Video Game- Resident Evil 4/FF XIV
Ambiance
It has an industrial feel to it. Imagine a cool apartment in a clean warehouse with sofas, a bar, an open kitchen, tables/chairs, video games of all types, anime figurines, and artwork for sale. This is Game Night.
I wanted to add this observation from Hailee C. because it’s something I wouldn’t have noticed: “Seats without backs, not comfortable for people who want to hang out and play games for hours straight. I get the nice look of the metal stools, but for a bar and video games, they are uncomfortable. I do like that they have a seating area with a couch. I will add they had thousands of games to choose from (video and board games).” Thank you, Hailee, for your opinion, because I agree too.
All ages are welcome at Game Night, but if you are under 21, there is a $10 cover charge which gets you a soda, some chips, and free play to all the games.
For adults 21 and older, there is a one-drink minimum to play the games for free. They do recommend an adult accompany any children.
The Food
This is not gourmet food, folks. Pretend you have the munchies and want something good but not fancy. Just chill food where no one judges the plating, except me, and if Doritos are served on the side. All that matters is the meal you are about to eat is tasty. This is Game Night.
Here is the list of everything we ordered (and yes, paid for!)
Slane Blueberry Whiskey Sour-$10
Falcon’s Punch with Bullet-$10
Granny Apple Shot-$4
Green Tea Shot-$4
Peach Milkshake-$8
Snorlax Snacks-$8
Seattle Dog-$10
Hawaiian Dog- $10
Pizza Dog-$10
Haystack Cheeseburger-$12.50
Grilled Cheese with Bacon-$12.50
Ultimate Cuban White Boy -$12.50
Justin’s 420 Special -$12.50
Ricotta be kidding Me Pizza four slices $12.00
Sam W’s Review of the Food
The Haystack Cheeseburger was my favorite. I’m a big burger person, and for this being made on a pan on an electric burner, this burger was as good as it gets. The crunchiness of the potato sticks and the crispy bacon helped a lot with the texture of the whole burger. The combination of the scratch-made bbq sauce, which had a nice twist with a taste of beer, and the mayo on the burger was a good combination with the meatiness and savoriness of the fresh hand-pressed burger patty.
I wish my tater tots were a little crispier, and the burger patty, for me, could use a little more seasoning. This doesn’t change the fact this meal hit the spot and was delicious.
My second favorite item was the Snorlax Snacks. The cheese pull was a 10/10. The Hawaiian Rolls had a nice toast to them on the outside. The sweetness of the Hawaiian Roll was elevated by the sweetness of drizzled honey on the inside. The garlic spread added a nice, slightly pungent flavor, which was a great addition to the sweet rolls with honey. I only wish the Snorlax Snacks had more pepperoni. There was a half-moon piece in every roll, which was hardly noticeable. If every roll had 2-3 pieces of pepperoni, it would elevate the dish even more with a hint of spice and smokey flavor from the cured meat.
Two honorable mentions are the Game Night Zesty Sauce and BBQ Sauce. I am big on homemade sauces and condiments; both are worthy of being bottled and mass-produced. Whatever the Zesty Sauce is made of, it’s phenomenal to dip Doritos or tater tots in. The BBQ sauce had mixes of sweet and smokey flavors, with the possibility of beer being in there as well, adding a punch to the flavor. Both are delicious.
Hailee C’s Review of the Food
My favorite food item was the Hawaiian Dog because the quality of the hot dog was fire. The BBQ sauce on top was cooked with beer; also, they toast the buns, which I appreciate because of the amount of BBQ sauce and pineapple chucks put on top. It was a very random combination, but I was pleasantly surprised.
My second favorite food item was Justin’s 420 Special. This sandwich was a very creative food combination I would have never thought to make that pleasantly surprised me. The Doritos had a nice crunch, and they definitely did not skimp on the amount of meat they put in this sandwich. The Thousand Island Dressing tasted homemade, although I could be wrong.
Honestly, the grilled cheese was a little soggy to me, but the others seemed to enjoy it.
On the Snorlax snacks, they should rub butter on top because they came out looking very dry. If the person next to me ordered them, and I saw them, I would not want to order or question what they were. On the other hand, the flavor in them was outstanding, 10/10.
Although this is not a food item, I wanted to include the Game Night Zesty Sauce, which I loved. It tastes like mayo with ranch seasoning and something spicy (a mild heat, not too overwhelming). I would buy their sauce by the bottle. The sauce would taste good on every menu item they have to offer. It would be great for business if they sold the sauce bottles.
Isabella S’s Review of the Food
The Snorlax Snacks were my absolute favorite. They are such a simple concept for food and are so dang good. The garlic is the thing that separates it from average stoner food to great stoner food, in my opinion. I will order one of these every time I go to Game Night.
My other favorite was the Grilled Cheese with Bacon. Again the garlic/cheese combo is just plain, simple, and really good! A bit greasier than some people might be into, but if that doesn’t bother you, it’s great bar food.
Hunter I’s Review of the Food
Game Night Food Favorites-Snorlax Snacks because of the sweetness. The Haystack Cheeseburger because I love how they melt the cheese on the bun and how juicy it is.
Dan I Cook’s Review of the Food
Instead of sampling all the food these Young Thundercats ate, I went back and tried the favorite items from each reviewer. Their favorites were the Snorlax Snacks, Hawaiian Dog, and the Haystack Cheeseburger.
The Snorlax Snacks is described as King’s Hawaiian Bread baked with garlic spread, shredded cheese, pepperoni, and honey.
First, I had no idea what a Snorlax was, so I had to Google it. This is a Pokémon who is not satisfied unless it eats over 880 pounds of food every day. When it’s done eating, it goes promptly to sleep, making this a brilliant name for a savory food item. Plus, I think a Snorlax is my spirit animal.
I recommend you devour this, or all the cheesy goodness will make the bun soggy. This shouldn’t be a problem since it’s very addictive to snack on. What a simple savory dish, which is easy to see why it’s a favorite. My mind was swimming, thinking of ways to elevate this, like adding Mike’s Hot Honey, fresh grated Parmesan on top with a light butter coating, and sprinkled with parsley. No matter what, you will enjoy this for sure.
The Hawaiian Dog is described as a quarter-pound hot dog with crushed pineapple, melted cheese, bacon, and Scratch Made BBQ Sauce.
Pineapple on anything but a sundae or baked ham doesn’t make sense. Hawaiian Pizza I would never order it. So ordering this hot dog would never happen with me. I’m glad this item was picked because it forced me to eat.
The pineapple, bacon, and BBQ sauce really elevate this hotdog. This is a common theme playing out with everything I eat. Savory, sweet, and salty. These simple flavors make you want to take another bite.
The Haystack Cheeseburger is described as a grilled hamburger topped with two strips of bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, crispy onions, potato sticks, melted Provolone cheese, Scratch Made BBQ Sauce, and mayo served on a hamburger bun.
I ordered mine without mayo, and when I first saw it, I wasn’t impressed. It’s served open, and you must carefully put it together yourself.
There I was, looking at a burger patty sitting on a bottom bun, just naked. The last time I saw a presentation like this was when McDonald’s sold a McDLT with the hot burger on one side and the cold items on the other. This item was a total flop for McDonald’s. I don’t know if the person who came up with this presentation of the Haystack Cheeseburger knows about the McDLT.
I put the two sides together and pressed down. I could hear the crunch of the fried potato sticks. I took a huge bite, and I’ll be damned; this was excellent. No joke, this is probably one of the better cheeseburgers I’ve had in a while. Even though I like my burgers medium, and this comes medium well, it was juicy. Again a pure pleasure to eat with the crunch/salt of the potato sticks, the BBQ sauce, the seasoned ground chuck patty, the bacon, and even the raw spinach works—just a fantastic job.
Verdict
Sam W’s Rating
I give Game Night Three Beers. With the size of the kitchen, I was incredibly surprised by the flavor that the kitchen can pump out. Truthfully I was not expecting that level of food to be produced from the barely 10ft by 10ft area with a one-person crew at the helm.
Just be fair/open; I didn’t rate it 4 Beers because I’m not too involved in the gaming, drinking, and 4/20 community. Mr. Cook knows this but wanted my opinion to give a different point of view. I can absolutely see why somebody would rate Game Night 4 beers, though.
I will undoubtedly be returning with friends so they can get in on this hidden flavor bomb of a bar and grill!
Hailee C’s Rating
On the beer rating scale, I would say Four Beers. I’ll be back for sure!
Isabella S’s Rating
Beer Rating: I would give Game Night Four Beers! But it is important to remember that as much fun as this place is, it certainly caters to a specific audience. If the principles of Game Night appeal to you, AKA you want a laid-back atmosphere for nerding out and socializing, it’s the spot to be. All the other local barcades are missing in my mind, making a place like this special.
Hunter I’s Rating:
Four Beers because while the food is great, that’s just an added bonus of the place. It’s a bar, first and foremost, with a kitchen that can fit two people. That fact they can pump out the quality of food they do still blows my mind. But again, this a bar you go for the vibes, the people, the games, but most importantly, the people who work there, who are why I am a frequent regular.
So thank you, Spencer, Josh, Alex (Who got me to become a regular), Damien (I hope I spelled that right), Bridgette, Thomas, Adam, and Tristan; you make the place work. A great bartender can make even the worst food go down easy, but thankfully, you have no problem on the food front. The food is just a cherry on top.
Dan I Cook’s Rating:
Easy 4 Beers. First off, I know of nothing like this in Broward County. No live sports on the TVs, and no one seems to care. The customers I saw were happy playing Mario Cart or other video games and watching Science Fiction Movies.
The drinks are cheap, the service is friendly, and the food is surprisingly delicious. I highly recommend you try the Haystack Cheeseburger. Don’t get it to go; you must eat it there to truly appreciate it.
Also, don’t go here if you are in a hurry for your food. As mentioned, this kitchen is the size of the space in Van Life; it’s tiny. So be patient, grab a drink, and play some Pac-Man. Life is short, so enjoy this gem and support local. Happy 4/20, folks!
Remember to tell them Dan I Cook, CoralSpringsTalk.com, Hailee, Hunter, Sam, and Isabella sent you and Stay Hungry!
Four beers = Outstanding
Three beers = Good
Two beers = OK
One beer = Needs work
Zero beers= Sucks (No beer is never a good thing).
Game Night Arcade Bar & Grill
Coral Palm Plaza
2125 N University Drive
Coral Springs, FL 33071
Open Mondays – Saturdays, 3:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
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