Chicago's first arcade bar is still one of the best, with classic offerings like NBA Jam, Mortal Kombat and Q*Bert. The bar serves 24 draft beers, and customers are welcome to bring in food from area restaurants. Emporium's narrow layout can get cramped at night, but if you show up in the daytime, you'll blow through a handful of tokens in no time.
You've probably been to a dive bar with a single pinball table, but some of Chicago's most exciting bars house entire arcades. Since appearing in trendy neighborhoods like Wicker Park and Logan Square, arcade bars have become a citywide phenomenon. Whether you want to set a new Donkey Kong high score or hang out while drinking craft beer, you can waste quarters on something other than laundry at one of Chicago's top arcade bars.
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