1Up Arcade Bar- Farmington — Restaurant in Farmington

From Retro Bliss to Corporate Miss – 1Up’s New Management Hits Rock Bottom

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. 1Up Arcade Bar, once my go-to haven for arcade nostalgia and friendly vibes, has devolved into a shell of its former self. Under the new management, the experience has gone from retro joy to something resembling a garish corporate money pit. If you’re looking to relive the good old days of arcade glory, consider this your neon-lit warning sign to stay far, far away.

First off, the bartenders. Remember last year when 1Up's bartenders were warm, cheerful, and chatty, making you feel like you were part of the family? Well, those days are deader than my high score on Pac-Man. The new bartenders treat you with the exact enthusiasm you’d expect from someone waiting at the DMV. Ordering a drink here feels like you’ve personally interrupted their day—and heaven forbid you ask any questions about the menu. Smiles? Gone. Friendly banter? Vanished. You're left standing there with your overpriced, uninspired drink wondering if you've wandered into a soulless high-end cocktail bar by mistake.

Ah, the drinks. Once playful and creative masterpieces that added to 1Up’s charm, they’ve been replaced with pretentious, unimaginative concoctions that scream, “We’re fancy now; please empty your wallet.” No fun, no spirit (pun intended), just overpriced disappointments. At their current price point, I half expected the drink to come with complimentary resentment from the staff.

And don’t get me started on the arcade machines. Gone are the iconic retro classics that made me feel like I’d stepped back into the golden age of arcades. Instead, the place is now stuffed with bright, flashy, wallet-draining horrors you’d find at a Dave and Buster’s. What happened to the charm? The authenticity? Now it’s just a playground for toddlers with no attention spans and those who value flashing lights over actual gameplay. Speaking of, if you’re a Gen Z-er armed with your parents’ credit card and an inability to go three seconds without dopamine overload, this place might actually be a dream come true for you. The rest of us? Not so much.

Look, 1Up Arcade Bar used to be a gem, but now it feels like a soulless cash grab. Don’t come here hoping for a genuine arcade bar experience because you’ll leave disappointed—and poorer. Save your time, save your money, and spare yourself the heartbreak of seeing what this place has become. RIP, old 1Up. You are...

Stumbled upon this place a while ago, spent a wonderful date night out between here and burger bar. 10/10 experience that evening, to the point that I wanted to come back with my friends for my birthday. Once ID’s were checked, the bartender said “has the 11th (my birthday) already happened?” Weird, because I’m 25 and have a horizontal ID, but okay. They asked for my temporary since it was stamped as void since i just renewed it. Unfortunately i only had the receipt on me for my transaction instead of the temp (totally my fault), i tried to let them know i was 25, not freshly 21, but kept getting cut off and told no. Was also told that the Secretary of State ALWAYS staples your temp paper to your ID. Welp, my SOS office didn’t, so idk what you want me to do about that but it doesn’t mean I didn’t renew my license. Whatever, frustrating, but i understand not accepting a voided license without the temporary. My fault for not having the right paper.

Bad review is because of the following. We went to eat at the burger bar downstairs and our waitress informed us/apologized for getting “stopped upstairs” especially “right after your 21st!” ….. i said I’m 25, born in 1997… clearly on my license. She seemed really confused but clearly felt bad and apologized on their behalf after i said i did in fact try to tell them i was 25, not 21, but kept getting talked over. The whole experience was really frustrating and REALLY embarrassing, especially that they told everybody i was basically a 21 year old with a voided ID trying to buy alcohol. I really loved this place but after this situation just don’t want to ever go back. My friends already made plans to go back, so i guess you’re welcome for...

Focusing mostly on the arcade and service, I said I had a good time. For the quality of the arcade, I'd say there's a pretty expansive lineup. Fighting, racing, 2D shoot em ups, rail shooting, even some rare stuff like an up to date Mortal Kombat 4 and Galaga 88 which I've NEVER seen even in Namco's game collections I have. No loose buttons, firm resistance on joysticks with mostly circle gate based directions, fair pricing at the usual 25-50 on most. Now being it's above a bar and besides another, there's no big hook stuff like a modern DDR machine. Nor is there post-2004 games you'd see in Gameworks or Round One. It's a very humble spread that will be mostly for the small group crowd to party on. Finally, I will have to say this place really came out before it was ready when I was there. Sign wasn't delivered for promotion, cabinets still being worked on, Overall, it's a welcome up and comer to Farmington with no real adult primetime entertainment outside the gimmicks and usual booze. I just believe it needs to get...