I thought we would only spend like a half-hour here, but we ended up spending nearly 3 hours here. Awesome old-school arcade games that will make you feel nostalgic. All the games are FREE! You only need to buy a beer. Nearly set the record on The Simpson!

Unparalleled beer selection. Sometimes your favorite game(s) are inoperable, but they are 30+ years old.

The beer selection is always fresh and EXPANSIVE. Both draft and bottles/cans. The free video games are a blast from the past, the location is great. Nothing bad to say. Even have a TV/VCR in back with great old VHS tapes.

Such a great atmosphere and fun place to go. Beer selection is HUGE! Employees are very relaxed and fun. I highly recommend this place for a few craft beers and some fun retro games.

My husband went from being 36 to 4.. Between him and our son in law I felt like I went out with my younger kids for the night not adults... they bad a ball.. had to drag them out by the end of the night!!! 2019

Super cool nostalgic games and good beer. Very enjoyable!

The best selection of craft beer and ciders in the area. Service was excellent and Atmosphere would make any geek or need smile.

So much fun! They have everything from arcade gaming to board games to TV! Fairly priced drinks and so much fun in one place. Great location near nice restaurants and walking distance from many other downtown spots!

Nice place to bring back the 70s and 80s. Reasonably priced drinks,and some good old fashioned arcade. Bartender was super cool. Will definitely be a returning customer for years to come!

I go to 8 Bit 2-3 times a week. The staff is very friendly, they have a great selection of beer. What is better than beer and arcade games? If you havent been, youre missing out. 10/10

You can finally finish that game you used to spend your allowance on. Seriously. Its awesome stopping in and playing those quarter eaters without spending any quarters. The idea is simple. If youre drinking, all the games are free. So grab a cocktail or one of the many, many, many craft beers and see how your favorite video games end!

The place itself is great. Its unfortunate that theres every towing company in the world waiting to tow you even though there is no competition for spaces where they tied you from. Never going back due to that alone be sorry 8 bit. You deserve better!

Not necessarily my favorite grouping of games. I really like pinball but they do have some sweet classic games. The big winner is the beer selection. They rotate the taps and have a lot of good bottled beer too. Bar was also well stocked

Omg this place is so much fun. Short selection on whiskey and bourbon though. Truly a trip back into time. So much fun.

Would have liked to see a few pinball machines but overall a pretty great selection of games. Bartenders know what they are doing and make a good drink. One told me about his take on their bob omb drink and he used peanut butter whiskey instead of peppermint and it was really good.

Always a great time. Was told about the blue drink last night, and had it for the first time. Highly recommend.

Is good place, good beer, good game.

Almost all of the video games were working perfectly when I was there. I couldnt drink due to a medication I was taking, but they did have a good selection of beers. Also non alcoholic drinks available which is what I had. Definitely worth a stop on a pub crawl or next time you visit downtown.

Amazing service, even better selection of original cabinets. Very few were down and even less were modernized (replacement buttons/lcd screens/etc). 10/10 would definitely recommend.

Classic games that are difficult to come by these days.

Cool place. Lots of different drinks and free old school arcade games as well as a mixture of board games

...most of the games work. Decent selection of drinks. Could be better if they had better maintenance on their machines.

Really cool place. All games are free play, and they have a pretty cool selection. The back corner has q VHS player with pretty much every movie I could think of from 1990 - 2005. Beer selection is good too!

I really like this concept. Good drinks, fun games. Prices are very reasonable as well. I also like the atmosphere. Ive been both to the one in Bloomington and Peoria, and I like them equally.

Had a lot of fun and would like to bring 5 boys on a family day and get some Butches pizza. Not sure when these days will occur in Bloomington.

Their beer selection can’t be beat... and the free video games too? My favorite is that they always have an incredible stout on draft. It can be pretty pricey, even for the good stuff, but it’s worth it.

Probably the coolest bar Ive ever been into. Not only was it lined with classic arcade games but they also have games like jenga. They have a very large selection of beverages as well.

Great beer and cider selection. Although, I wish they would separate their menu from fruit beers and ciders as they are two significantly different drinks and it was sometimes hard to distinguish if a drink was a cider or a fruit beer. I did appreciate that they had a large unique selection of ciders as I always love trying new ones. They also have a large revolution brewery selection. The arcade games are good and fun, although some of them needed some TLC. Great crowd and staff and fun place to hang out.

Great place to meet your buds for some retro games and beer!

Great beer selection from local breweries! Ive been several times now and still have fun. You can kill an hour easy. Arcade games are free as long as you buy a drink. Great place to go as part of your day. They also have several board/card games that are free to play if the arcade isnt your thing. Lastly, they have a small TV area with a couch where you can pop in an old VHS movie. Really meant for more of a nostalgic experience as it can get loud in there and you cant hear the TV. They also have pizzas that you can purchase!

Cool little bar. Great selection of drinks, found a few new favorites. Games are fun and nostalgic. Not a bad way to spend a few hours and a decent excuse to do some day drinking.

Great spot in town!

Huge beer selection, great arcade game selection---Golden tee, Galaga, Joust etc.

Turtles + X-Men + Beer = AWESOMENESS

Great games that reminded me of my childhood, plus beer, what more could you ask for?

You need to check this joint out. Old-school arcade dwellers will find themselves reliving the best of times with the treat of the best craft beer on tap and otherwise. Time absolutely flies by here, I dont know where the hours went. Im looking forward to Round 2.

Great beer selection and classic arcade games. Shares a block with Epiphany and Anju so it makes for a fun night out for dinner, drinks, and games.

I am from out of town visiting a friend, and this place was definitely one of the highlights from my trip. The room is spacious and there are a huge amount of games to choose from, with only a few closed. I am not even a huge fan of arcade games and I found myself having a wonderful time. I would absolutely recommend this spot to anyone visiting or to anyone in the area looking for a cool spot to hang. You do have to buy a drink to play the games, but nothing is free and their drinks arent overprices. its completely fair, in my opinion.

Lot of fun. Unlimited play for a one-drink minimum. Was pretty crowded at first, but crowds are now more reasonable. Good tap selection, although a bit pricey. Could use a pinball machine or two.

Beware of the drinks minimum. Also, not the friendliest staff around. Other than that, the games that were actually working were fun and a good way to kill an hour.

Fun times. All kinds of retro video games to play. Excellent.

Had so much fun visiting this bar with friends. Great IPA brews and old school gaming just brought back a lot of good memories. I have no idea why more bars dont do this. It did get really busy towards the end of our visit but it was a great atmosphere. Everyone was smiling and reminiscing. They have a corner to watch old school movies and serve food as well. I think if one thing could be improved it would be the food but its a bar so Im not complaining too much. All the arcade cabinets have glass holders so you can set your drink down while you play. You dont have to pay for the games as long as you spend a certain minimum. I cant remember what it was but we were there all day so it wasnt an issue. I would really like to go back soon and I hope they expand this idea into Springfield because itd quickly be my bar of choice. Excellent concept!

Great bar. We had a decent group of us come and the bartender was amazing. Most of the games were playable. There were a few here and there that needs repaired. But, on their part, there are a lot of drunk people coming in and yanking on the joysticks and smashing the buttons. The drinks were fantastic. I recommend the gamer fuel if you stop by.

Super fun, got second high score on dig dug- euphoria to the max with all the old games. Friendly crowd and service. Reasonable prices. Highly recommend

Never been here before but I know Ill be back. A friendly bar that made me feel like 1990 again! I swear they had every game I used to play. They also have a great alcohol menu. Their only ding was they didnt have any good vodka. Some middle of the roads, but I was having so much fun with Pacman it was alright. Definitely a destination if you are in Bloomington

On October 6, 2018 after the class reunion there at a bit arcade I proceeded to get a soda with a beer for my date and for three dollars a soda she filled up my soda glass halfway so I asked her if she could top it off please so she did and then I asked if I could close out she says you can’t have your card and less you meet the $10 minimum so I said OK can I get three more sodas so that I can close it out and leave so she made three sodas and she threw my card in my tab at me for no reason . Keep in mind she made three more sodas so that I can close my tab out so that I can meet the $10 requirement and she filled all the sodas halfway like a total brat. Generally when you go to bars soda is free especially if you’re the designated driver something that most places encourage and nobody really charges three dollars for a soda the park hotel charges 2 1/2 dollars and you’re paying for convenience even the gas stations don’t charge that much I ended up paying $16 for four sodas and one Bud Light hit or miss overall I like the atmosphere there but they can’t put a bartender behind the counter that doesn’t wants to be there and smile and treat other customers with respect I myself as a business owner take value of my clients and my customers. I’ll be sure to spread the good word about a bit arcade in their true nature of their bartender that female is a monster in the act that way behind the counter she was probably more drunk than anybody I haven’t had any alcohol that night

Were out of several selections of drinks requested but the games were great.

Heart selection of beers, free arcade games, movies, and board games. Would be 5 stars but some of the machines were out of order

Had a GREAT time tonight! I love the combination of games and a bar. The bar tender John was was quick to get what I needed, and always was up beat and fun to talk with. Definitely going to be back again!

Games are free as long as you buy a drink. Most of the games I tried worked.

Super cool place to grab a drink and play some old school arcade games

Fix your games.. until then not worth going. I love the idea of your place but if I cant even play your games whats the point?

Old school video games & drinks! Yes, who could ask for more.

Loved this place. I got to play some of the arcade games of my childhood for free and I got to drink booze also so I would chalk this up to a win. The bartender was great and the selection of games was very good. I will definitely be back.

Very cool and different experience. Would love too see more places like this. Food wasnt flbad and service was no nice and helpful

Love the Beercade! If you like arcade games and alcohol, then check it out! Even if you dont drink, buy the cheapest beer, dont drink it, and play unlimited games. Not too hard of a concept. They have a good mix of games. Because the games were unlimited play, I tried a lot of different games Id never played before. Found some new favorites.

Like a few other reviews have said I was immediately and in my opinion rudely asked for my I.D within a second of entering the door. Not sure if it was the same person, but it was a female. I didnt see a huge selection of beers on the menu and the prices were slightly on the expensive side. As for the games I didnt find very many familiar or fun ones and a handful of them werent working. I wouldnt say I had an awful time, but at the same time I wasnt exactly impressed either.

Great beer selection and a good amount of seating. Good selection of games and when we went there was only 1 game out of order out of about 40ish games. Games are totally free to play as long as you buy 1 drink, Id recommend this place for a fun night with friends!

Lots of arcade games of all kinds, all are free to play. There is a quiet bar in the front where the drink sales fund the arcade, so it is adults only. Also has a very nice lounge area to relax in.

A cool place to check out if you havent been there. Buy a drink and play games for free. Much cheaper than any arcade.

The place is fun, though the service left a little to be desired.

Great fun, great beer selection with pretty decent pricing. My only complaint is how insanely hot it gets in busy nights. Between the body heat and the machines, that small place heats up to a point their AC cant keep up.

Fun for older nerds like me who actually remember the games, and I do enjoy a good craft beer which they have a good selection of. Some of the games were out of order, and there should be more cup holders around.

Buy one drink and play all the games. Only downside is all the games are from the late 80s and early 90s. Not that those games are bad but I would love to see some newer arcade games. I cant be mad though because it is called 8 Bit not 64 bit.

A huge variety of beer and drinks with some great games. The arcade games, especially the vintage ones are so much fun to play. I do wish all the games were repaired and working. As well the shooting games are very out of alignment. I would also appreciate a intro board on how the bar works for new customers. As well some of the games need the volume turned WAY down since they are terrifyingly loud.

They serve pizzas and the 8-Bit Pale Ale is very good. They also boast a massive selection of drinks along with the 30-40 vintage arcade machines theyve built their business around. Games are free with purchase of a 1 drink minimum. Would have liked to see a pinball machine or two but still a very wide variety.The space in the business was used well I believe. I can imagine it gets crowded at times but we were there on a Friday around 9:30 and had no problem moving around.

Love 8 Bit in Peoria so had to come visit the sister site. The bar has an awesome craft beer selection and fun retro feel. Yes some of the games are broke down, but come on people, theres 40 year old drunk guys and gals yanking on the controls. The machines are free and some older than the patrons in there, so dont be so harsh, he does the best he can at keeping them up.

Always a good time if you like old-school arcade games!

Buy one beer (most are $5 to $7) and you play as many arcade games as you like! Lots of fun especially if you played late 80s and early 90s games as a kid. They also serve a good selection of draft beers. Also found out (one was happening yesterday) that you can host parties there. We like to go there and take the short walk to Poblano Burritos after for the best authentic tacos in town. Great date night for 30 somethings! Fyi must be 21 to enter, carded at the door.

Hey, listen! If you like arcade games and booze, look no further. With a large selection of REAL arcade games (no mobile game madness here) and a beer list to match it makes me feel like a kid again. The games are on freeplay and a $10 purchase will get you unlimited fun. There were a few games were on the fritz but there was more than enough 8-bit love to go around. Go and get you some!

My daughter visited. Went to pay her tab and they had given her debit card away. Now she has to deal with having her bank account frozen and get a new debit card which could take many days. Thanks morons!

Fun place. Decent selection of free games with a 1 drink minimum. Decent selection of beers. A few on tap and bottles & cans & liquor. They only serve frozen pizza for food. They seem to have different drink specials each day.

Great place to get a drink. Plus you can play old skool video games for free.

Neat idea, good games, fun place to chill

Rude staff and several games not functioning.

Would have been a great time for a bachelor party but the bartender made us feel like she only seen one part of the bar. So unless your someone she wants to screw expect to be ignored.

Drink selection was good, game selection was good!the bad: it was sweltering hot, some of the games are to close together and make it a challenge to play when someone is playing the one next to you. On Opening night many of the games ARE NOT WORKING! screens, buttons, credit button.....great potential....if they can keep the games up and running...

Staff is very friendly and the bar has a nice selection of drinks and games.

Good beer selection. Fun concept of free 80s arcade games with beer... machines could use some maintenance however.

Called to make sure under 21 could get in ended up not being able to get in after we drove an hour and 45 minutes waste of time and people were rude do not go here.

Such a fun place!

We heard about this new gameroom so decided to check it out and we really had fun there! Were both in Recovery and were impressed with the non alcoholic drink options honestly. For $7 we both had a drink and played atleast an hour on the games which are free! Id definitely recommend it for couples or to just hang out with the guys. Plenty of games to play! They do ID so go prepared!

This is such an awesome idea and an amazing place! Plenty of games to choose from and wonderful selection of beer! Love that you can get speciality drinks that are gamer themed!

Great place to relax

Draws crowd in with the retro feel but lacks execution compared to other arcade bars in IL. A good amount of their games are broken or controls are too loose to play. Usually staffed by just one that does everything. Business model is aimed at low cost bar with higher than average drink prices.

A fun walk down nostalgia

Good beer selection. NO PINBALL!! D:

Definitely more popular with the gamer crowd, as they have video games all throughout the establishment. Other than that, its a nice bar.

Constantly improving every time I go in, more beers, new games, generally brighter and more awesome environment. Go 8-Bit!Edit: less and less games are out of commission every time I stop in.- - -Original 4 star review from a year ago:Overall its a unique bar that Bloomington can benefit from. Its not trying to be trendy and its a comfortable environment.I personally do not have an issue with the broken games. These games break down and Im sure they do get them back up and running. There are plenty of awesome games they do work.

It was great and we have group of 45 going to be there next friday.

They always have cool new beers on tap and a wide variety in bottles

Great time and great selection of beer on tap and/or bottles/cans.

A few of the games were out of service or just hard to operate. Really cool concept though. And service was good.

Fun atmosphere and extensive beer list. On busy nights there isnt a lot of space to play/walk around. Games are fun, good place to take a date and have a drink or 6.

Fun games

Good beer and whiskey selection, games are a blast from the past. Great for team outings.

A good time for causal meetings, a excellent bartender with a vast knowledge of the Beer industry and will help you to find the taste for you.

I have also come in contact with the rude manager lady. I was there Friday night, wasnt informed of the minimum drink policy upon entry. I was in the establishment less than 15 minutes total. Shortly after I had arrived, my friends and I started a game of Ninja Turtles. The manager approached us and said we needed to buy a drink before we played any games. Mind you, this is my first time learning of this policy (my friends had all purchased a drink. Two of them literally just got them and told me they were about to tell me about the drink policy before the manager said something). But I didnt really care because I planned on purchasing a pizza and probably soda (I dont drink alcohol). We hadnt finished the first level when the manager returned (probably about 3 minutes later) and told ok, this is your final warning, you need to buy a drink or leave. I went to the bar to ask where the manager was and she followed me to inform me she was the manager. She was very rude and angry looking. It appears Im not the first to experience this...she will definitely turn customers away if she cant be more tactful in enforcing the drink minimum.

Service was the worst I have ever experienced will not be coming back and I encourage others to try somewhere else.

Neat little bar with a bunch of arcade games. beer is well priced. missing pinball and ski ball though