Miss T's Barcade

For when you just have to play Ms. Pac-Man in a dive bar in Koreatown, Miss T's Barcade is your best bet.

We went to Barcade for a friend's birthday with no idea what to expect. Armed with nothing more than an address, we ventured from the familiarity of Hollywood down Western Ave into Koreatown. Watching the street numbers decrease the farther south we drove, we came across Barcade's address, or rather where it should have been. Barcade was there, but hard to spot. The small bar front was black: black paint, blacked out window and door. One lone sign aptly told us we were in the right place: a blue, neon, Pac-Man ghost.

Entering Barcade, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little sketched out, but the sketch factor added to Barcade's charm. The place was a tight cave with three rooms. I started the night off with a beer. The only choices were beer or wine, as Barcade didn't have a full liquor license. That didn't bother me though. A martini and Donkey Kong just don't go together like a Bud and Donkey Kong. Check out the bar top when you're ordering your can of PBR, it's lined with quarters.

Just over a dozen games from the '80s lined the walls. They had all the classics: Ms. Pac-Man, Paperboy, Donkey Kong, Galaga. Unfortunately, neither of the two pinball machines was working that night. We had a great time feeding the machines quarters, and I even made the high score list on Galaga. And I learned one very important lesson that night: I'm terrible at Donkey Kong.

To really cinch that aura of "WTF is this place really?" the DJ was spinning some post pre-modern, new old school, techno-esque music. But to his credit, the DJ was spinning actual vinyl.

The clientele was much more eclectic than I had expected. With arcade games and cheap beer; I expected the clientele to be mostly guys in their twenties or thirties that still acted like they're twelve. You know the kind. In sitcoms he always lives in his mom's basement. But to my surprise, there was a good mix of people. I even saw a few cute girls. Unbelievable.

With it's hidden location and offbeat vibe, Barcade feels like a secret that you've been let in on; a speakeasy for children of the '80s (and early '90s). It's not a hangout for the trendy or elite, unless off-beat is in right now. I never can keep track.


Miss T's Barcade
371 N. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90189

www.myspace.com/miss_ts_barcade