12 Essential Places To Eat, Drink and Play (2024)

Games are fun. We like playing games. We also like eating and boozing. That’s fun, too. Doing all three at once, well, that’s tough to beat. That's whywe’ve compiled a list of 12 “eatertainment” spots where you can do just that: play, eat and booze.

Barcadiashares some wisdom on its website: “You work all day, pay bills, eat salads and do all that other grown-up stuff; your fun shouldn’t be limited to trendy bars with long lines, dress codes, and drinks you can’t pronounce.” We couldn’t agree more. Here, you can find classic arcade games, pool tables, Skee-Ball machines and Jenga outside on the patio. It’s also a great place to catch a game. There are two dozen brews on tap and a menu chock-full of apps, burgers and flatbread pizzas. Even if you’re not hung over, you gotta try Barcadia’s Hangover Burger (wagyu beef, chili mayo, bacon, cheddar, a fried egg and all the other standard fixings you can think of).

BowlGames is Bowlounge’s sister hangout literally across the parking lot from Bowlounge. There’s foosball, darts and shuffleboard, but the main event here is a Frankenstein creation of football, bowling and cornhole. The idea here is to knock over bowling pins – from a distance – with a football. The full bar shakes up great co*cktails like the BowlGames Barbie (a tropical mix of coconut rum, pineapple and a splash of grenadine) or Manny’s Mexican Candy Shot (a special blend vodka with watermelon and a touch of heat). For snacking between lasering missiles like Troy Aikman in his prime at bowling pins, try the Stuffed Portobello Fiesta (Texas-grown Portobello mushroom stuffed with spinach artichoke dip and served with fire-roasted tomato compote).

Twenty bucks will get you unlimited play at Cidercade... for an entire month. Seriously. This makes Cidercade the best deal in town when it comes to entertainment niche venues. Inside, you’ll find about 140 retro (and modern) arcade games, Skee-Ball and more. Cidercade doesn’t serve its own food, but food trucks visit daily (you can find the food truck schedule here). Bringing your own grub is also an option. As for drinks – it’s right there in the name. This place is all about hard ciders from Dallas' own Bishop Cider. You can buy a five-pour flight for $18 or choose individual ciders from their 20-plus deep cider rotation.

We can’t make this list without mentioning Dave & Buster’s. This iconic eat, drink and play chain was born right here in Big D in 1982 and has since expanded to over 150 locations nationwide. There was a massive revamp this year, so it's a good time to check the place out all over again. There are arcade games, tabletop games, air hockey, ping pong and pretty much anything else you can think of. The revamped menu has new items like chicken potstickers (tossed in spicy chili) and garlic butter pretzel sticks served with white queso and Thai chili caramel sauce. Pro tip: Hit up Dave & Buster’s on Wednesdays for half-price games all day long until close.

Following years of trial and error, Electric Shuffle has perfected the ultimate shuffleboard destination and promises an experience “like nothing you’ve seen before.” Complete with custom-built shuffleboard tables and puck-tracking camera technology that automatically keeps score, this shuffleboard empire can host groups of up to 24, team-based games and tournaments. And the food and drink menu at Electric Shuffle is top shelf. While shuffleboarding, indulge in one of the many craft co*cktails on the menu, like the Notorious F.I.G. Mule (fig-infused vodka, lime and ginger beer) and salted caramel espresso martini. For bites, there are truffle mac and cheese croquettes, sweet chili pork egg rolls and elite house pizza options like the truffle and wild mushroom pizza and vanilla bourbon pear and goat cheese pizza.

With over 160 arcade games and pinball machines, Trinity Groves’ Free Play Arcade is an arcade utopia. The cost for unlimited play all day is a mere $11.99. That’s tough to beat. Free Play Arcade also claims to have one of North Texas' largest beer lists. Watch those ABVs, though. Their 8.9% ABV Frigid Underworld stout (from Hop & Sting Brewing out of Grapevine) may have you seeing double on the pinball machines. There are also daily specials like $8 pizzas on Mondays and 40% off all craft drafts on Thursdays.

Back in the day, if you wanted to ride some waves, you had to head to the coast. South Padre Island, maybe. Or load up the van and make the 20-hour drive west to the beaches of Cali. Nowadays? Just go to Deep Ellum. Yep, crazy times we live in. This spot is brand new and doesn't have a grand opening date yet, but soon you’ll be able to hit the waves at Deep Ellum’s Goodsurf. Attractions includea continuous surfable wave, beer garden, indoor and outdoor dining and a massive patio.

You’ll have to trek to Lewisville for this one, but this place is next level. Here, you’ll find high-tech AR golf, batting cage simulators, digitally scored darts, axe-throwing and immersive-tech billiards, all spanning a mammoth space of 30,000 square feet. Wild. For drinks, there’s a craft beer and wine self-serve station with over 40 options. iCompete also offers a wings, tacos and flatbreads-dominated menu (because you’ll be hungry after striking out eight times in a row on the batting cage simulator).

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A tech-infused mini-golf playground with two 18-hole miniature courses designed by the golf GOAT himself (Tiger Woods), this brand-new destination has play areas for the kiddos, open-air dining and an ice cream bar. Did we mention the beer garden? While dropping birdie putts (or double-bogeys in our case) as you navigate the course, use the PopStroke mobile app to order craft beers and artisan co*cktails, which are delivered as you play. Kind of like your own booze caddie. One price and you can play all day: $35 for adults, $21 for kids aged 3–12 and $28 for seniors.

Preston Playhouse is a pickleballer’s dreamscape. With nine indoor pickleball courts, two padel (another growing sport that fuses tennis and squash) courts and a heated indoor swimming pool, Preston Playhouse claims to be the largest facility of its kind in Dallas-Fort Worth. There are also arcade games and lounges, and coming soon: a food and booze menu so you can get your head straight with a co*cktail or three after getting skunked off the courts.

When we say Punch Bowl Social has it all, we don't kid. Everything you’ve already seen elsewhere on this list is here. Add to that bowling, Connect 4 and Scrabble. From the kitchen, order dishes like a Colorado bison patty melt, cocoa-dusted carnitas tacos and cast iron New York strips served with duck fat fries. During happy hour you can score $5 whiskey sours, daiquiris, margs, draft beers and select wines.

Spanning a combined 16,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, Sidecar Social is a mecca of unadulterated joy in Addison and Frisco. Eighteen-foot TVs, Pop-a-Shot basketball, karaoke, hacky sack, ping pong, foosball, cornhole, Skeeball, dart boards and live music. Did we miss any? If you come to Sidecar Social and don’t have a blast, you’re doing it wrong. And there are plenty of specials like Monday through Friday “social hour” from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with deals and half-price flatbreads after 10 p.m. Party top: Sidecar’s Steak and Blue flatbread is a must (44 Farms grilled Angus beef sirloin, San Marzano tomato sauce, fontina and blue cheese, and balsamic grilled onions).