The Bottom Line
Pros
- Great parking
- Modest drink prices
- $15 all-you-can-play video games
- Laid-back vibe
Cons
- If there's a baseball game, you'll be paying to park
- Mixed drinks could have a bit more kick
- Not terribly trendy (if you're into that sorta thing)
- Occasionally nerd-filled (in the video game section)
Description
- Classic bar with a video game twist
- 1820 Taft, Houston, TX 77002
- (713) 875-7162
- www.joystixamusements.com
Guide Review - Review: Joystix and Bar 1820
Charlie Kalas has been involved, in one way or another, with video games nearly all of his life. He’s also been involved with alcohol for a significant portion of his life, too. So it makes perfect sense, then, that the affable Houstonian is the mind behind one of the more unique events in town: Pac-Man Fever.Pac-Man Fever is an amalgam of two of life's more addictive pleasures: alcohol and video games. Essentially, what happens is 1820, a ski-lodgesque bar located within walking distance of Minute Maid Park and marked by the lack of glammy glob that is typically associated with an excursion to downtown, opens its doors in conjunction with building neighbor and classic video game retailer Joystix.
All of Joystix’s more than 200 games, which range from old-time favorites like Street Fighter and Q-Bert to the newer Big Game Hunter and racing varieties, are set to free play, and for $15 you're giving a totally personable neon bracelet and allowed to wander back and forth between the bar and the video game showroom.
As a retail-first shop, games are cycled in and out frequently, so regular attendance isn't punctuated by retro-redundance. And despite the clear tilt towards old-school, the vibe isn't near as purposefully ironic as it is at, say, lower Westheimer's polished throwback Etro Lounge. (Which happens to be enjoyable in its own right.)
The crowd tends to hover between the more laid-back mid-20s to mid-30s sect that probably tries to avoid the Midtown glitz, and the venue is all the better for it. The classic theme, combined with the pocket-friendly price, make it a more mature destination than Jillian’s or Dave & Buster’s.
All things considered, Joystix is a more than acceptable alternative to a typical night out, even if you’re not into the digitized destruction of various cities. Ah, the joys of 1986’s Rampage.
