Main Event Hoffman Estates — Restaurant in Barrington Township

I hosted my son's birthday party here recently on June 11. My intent was for bowling and game play. During the confirmation process I was advised it may be beneficial for an appetizer and a beverage to be served while my guests were bowling. I was also "up sold" on a "new" beverage, the "skittles drink" which I was told would be fun and exciting for our young guests while they bowl. I was hesitant, but admitted that something during the bowling hour would be necessary considering the timing of our party.

Upon checking in for our party, we were greeted by our host and led back to our lane. After that, we did not see our host again. About 30 minutes into our party, our geusts were thirsty and hungy and I looked around for our host, but could not find him. I had to inquire to other workers regarding our host as the beverages and appetizer were not yet served. Then a few minutes later, one of our lanes stopped working. Again, our host was not found and we had to recruit other workers to fix our lane. We were fortunate that one of our guests didn't show up and we were able to squeeze our guests onto 2 lanes, but it was not ideal for guests of this age.

Finally, with about 10 minutes left in our bowling hour, our host came out with soft drinks...not the skittles drink and not the appetizer. At this point, I advised him to just serve the appetizer with the meal but I inquired why the skittles drink had not yet been served. After our bowling hour ended, we were left without any guidance as to whether the food was ready, whether the children would be using their game card, etc. So we waited....

Our host finally arrived after the bowling had ended....with a tray of 4 skittles drinks...for 13 guests. He left to retrieve the rest while I fended off 13 7-year-olds from touching the beverages until all could arrive. Since our bowling hour was ended I inquired whether we should just be served in the private room so we then had to relocate all 13 drinks to the private room.

At this point, our pizza and appetizers were also ready. Since the kids had already been served soft drinks and now also had pizza and the dessert we had brought, the kids were not interested in the appetizer or the skittles drink (after they picked off the cotton candy). They largely went utouched.

The whole party just seemed completely unorganized and not planned well. I cannot even blame the absenteeism of my host, as I inquired who had prepared the skittles beverages to which he replied himself. Therefore, he spent our entire bowling hour creating the beverages I had been upsold rather than being a presense at our party to attend to the needs such as a broken bowling lane and a simple pitcher of water. He had no help in creating the beverages.

What I am most upset about is that I let myself be upsold by their marketing team. Honestly, this skittles drink seems like it was planned by some corporate marketing executive which was really cute...but its was elaborate and took our host away from his actual duties as a host. It was a horrible idea without any thought as to how to actually execute it being served by the team. Furthermore, I had a hard time understanding while our host was tasked to do this and why is was not prepared ahead of time by a bartender, food runner...or even a manager! Very poorly executed!.

A manager did come out to us later to refund us the price of one lane of bowling and offered us some extra game cards, but honestly, I would have preferred the money back for the items that were up-sold to me by marketing...the skittles beverages and the appetizer. But I wasn't about to aruge with a poor high school kid who was tasked with an impossible list of duties and no support from his team.

I filled out their post part survey and requested a return phone call...which I did not get....so here is my review. Don't have...

I recently had the pleasure of experiencing a fantastic date night at Main Event Arcade with my girlfriend, and it was an absolute blast from start to finish. From the moment we walked through the doors, the vibrant atmosphere and the promise of a fun-filled evening set the stage for a memorable time.

One of the highlights of our visit was playing the arcade classic, Luigi's Mansion. The immersive gameplay, coupled with the captivating graphics and challenging levels, made for an incredibly enjoyable experience. My girlfriend and I found ourselves fully engrossed in the game, working together to navigate through the haunted mansion, solving puzzles, and capturing ghosts. The cooperative nature of Luigi's Mansion added an extra layer of enjoyment to our date night, fostering teamwork and friendly competition.

The standout feature of our visit, however, was the exceptional service we received from the bar attendant. Not only did they create a welcoming and friendly environment, but their attentiveness and enthusiasm added to the overall positive vibe of the arcade. The bar area itself was well-stocked with a variety of beverages, including creative and delicious cocktails that perfectly complemented the lively atmosphere of Main Event.

What truly set the service apart was the bar attendant's genuine interest in ensuring we had a great time. They took the time to recommend games, share insider tips for maximizing our experience, and even checked in on us periodically to make sure everything was going smoothly. It's the small details like this that elevate a visit from good to exceptional.

Main Event Arcade proved to be the perfect destination for a date night, offering a diverse range of activities beyond just gaming. From bowling and laser tag and an extensive arcade, there was never a dull moment. The variety of entertainment options allowed us to switch things up and keep the energy high throughout the evening.

In conclusion, our visit to Main Event Arcade exceeded expectations, thanks in no small part to the engaging Luigi's Mansion gameplay and the outstanding service provided by the bar attendant. The combination of thrilling activities, a lively atmosphere, and top-notch service made for a date night that we'll cherish and remember for a long time. Main Event Arcade has certainly earned its place as our go-to spot for...

DO NOT GO!! SPEND YOUR TIME AND MONEY ELSEWHERE! Came here on a Monday in the summertime for my daughter's 7th birthday. It being summertime we expected there to be some camp kids running around. This place was packed with all kinds of camps all over, in the game area, in the bowling area, in the lounge, everywhere! We were put on the waiting list for bowling and when we were finally notified to go bowl, the campers had mostly finished bowling. Most of the lanes were empty at this point, but they stick another family right NEXT to us. I later asked the worker why they couldn't spread us out and she said the other lanes were for the "camps". As we are bowling the family next to us has a mechanical error on their lane and they tell us in order to fix THEIR lane we have to stop bowling on our lane. The clock on the bowling screen is ticking down and finally several minutes later they let us bowl again. The lady tells us she will add more time on the bowling game for us. She DID NOT. The time ran out and we had to stop our game. In the midst of the bowling fiasco I thought I would get some refreshments and french fries at the food stand to take back to the bowling area. There were about 20 camp kids with their money out eagerly waiting to buy sugary snacks and ice cream. I waited in the line for 15/20 minutes and realized I was missing all my bowling time standing in this line that was going nowhere! There was only one staff member helping customers and they also had to go make the drinks and the food! I got out of line and did not go back. Every table and counter was littered with half eaten pizza and dirty cups. There was not one worker around cleaning up! I asked the worker at the front desk if she can issue a playing card for the LOST bowling time - she said only for THAT day can she issue a card to play more games. Half the games either didn't work or were missing a claw or a ball to shoot. No out of order sign - and when you swiped your card it deducted credits. It was a joke. At this time we were done and ready for home. My daughter (being a kid) still had a great time - but as an adult when you go somewhere and spend over $150 for games and bowling you expect better service. Probably not returning...