Melissa Babler
Fun atmosphere with a decent selection of arcade games, good drinks, and friendly staff. Great selection of board games too. Pizza wasn’t the best but holds you over enough if you’re really hungry at midnight. Lol
… moreDory
It was clean, the games we played were in working order. Friendly bar staff, drinks were ok. A nice selection of modern pinball machines- The Evil Dead pinball was a blast! The bathrooms are “choose your own adventure”- to the left for urinal options and to the right for stalls only. There is a nice selection of board games to play if you like also.
… moreRTFM
Overall good place to meet friends, have some drinks, and play some games. Good variety of old and new games. Fun atmosphere; I would categorize it mor targeted to the adult crowds vs some retro arcades which are geared towards kids and adults. I would say the cost per game is high (4 x quarters to play 1 game of pinball) so it’s not necessarily a place you would spend a lot of time in given other retro arcades are either free games with drink purchases or a set cost to play all games unlimited.
… moreAnonymous User
I/O Arcade Bar does not respect or care about the safety, dignity, and privacy of women at their establishment. I was recently here for a Mesh meetup event and was horrified to learn that I/O doesn’t have female only restrooms! I had to walk to the Wisco to go to the bathroom, and I basically returned, finished my drink/closed my tab at I/O, and left to go back to the Wisco. I feel safer at a biker bar than at an arcade bar!
Women deserve single-sex spaces! Men do too! Shame on you for disrespecting your customers like this. It’s disgusting, and how this is legal is beyond me. I’m going to tell everyone I know not to come here.
… moreFranklin Lake Improvement Association
Great space and location. Not crowded at all and diverse areas to socialize along with a ton of wall to wall arcade games. Also has an area for playing provided table games for free. Bartenders were super nice and polite when I asked for a non-alcoholic beverage. Definitely will be returning to burn some quarters!
… moreKristine Gallagher
Had just heard of I/O ARCADE yesterday. Servers Molly & Zoe were total dolls! They anticipated my every need! Karaoke with Katie was real fun and packed the house! Super-comfy barstool and uber-friendly patrons. Enjoyed a Sal’s pizza too!
… moreJason
The arcade has a ton of games and a solid beer selection. The games use quarters which is better than tokens. The place was easy to navigate as it was a Saturday afternoon. I imagine it would be much busier at night. Played the Simpsons arcade game and some ski ball and some pinball. It has punchout, NBA jam, a s some other retro games. It is nice that it is adults only.
… moreOwen Warmuth
Easily my favorite hangout spot in Madison. I cannot tell you how many hours I’ve spent here on the pinball machines. Very clean place with friendly bar staff and good drinks. Check out the happy hours on weekdays and bring some quarters (though if you don’t there’s an ATM and change machine).
… moreLswaN 1
Vibes are great. They’ve got a nice drink selection, and some fun house cocktails. It’s also far enough from campus to not be overflowing on weekends. Note, there’s two types of arcade bars. Some charge an entry fee and then games are unlimited, others are classic arcades where you pay quarters at every machine. I/O is the second kind. They’ve got an ATM on site, but it’s a good idea to bring some cash when you go.
… moreRoel Orduno
A friend I was visiting suggested this spot, and it was amazing! Great selection of beer and games! We didn’t stay till 2:30 AM(I believe they close around this time on Saturdays) but the few hours we were there went by so fast! Highly recommend checking out this spot if you’re a gamer and want a place to hang out.
Do plan to bring cash! Each machine requires quarters and although they have an ATM, it would be cheaper to just bring cash and get change there instead of paying a processing fee.
… more