Up-Down Arcade Bar

Vintage arcade games, craft beer & nostalgia on tap

You're a child of the 80s or 90s. You step into Milwaukee's brand-new, much-buzzed-about arcade bar and you clutch your cohort's arm. "What year is it?" Neon on the walls, skee-ball, pinball, games galore. You notice Mrs. Doubtfire playing on one of the TVs and sigh a little. Then you spot Hook on a second TV and nearly cry. When they start streaming Land Before Time on a third screen, you brace yourself on the bar to keep from falling over.






Welcome to Up-Down Milwaukee, located at the curve where Water meets Brady. The place has a knack for triggering nostalgia and happy vibes. If Robin Williams in his prime doesn't do it for you, maybe replays of André the Giant, the killer craft beer list, or the spacious patios will. The Up-Down hits all the right notes, albeit for a rather specific slice of the population.

But I'd wager kids of all ages can get stoked over coming in first in Mario Kart or gunning down oozy aliens — and all games are just 25 cents to play. Our only complaints: On the four-player Simpsons game, just one controller worked. On the super-retro Super Mario Brothers game, the screen was glitchy, making it pretty tough to play. Lastly, according to the website, we were promised Michael Jackson's Moonwalker (an arcade game in which you basically have to dance battle your enemies), but it was nowhere to be found. 

These hiccups won't keep us away. Rather, I bet we'll be back combing the Up-Down for Moonwalker over a $5 slice of pizza in no time.