Emporium Arcade Bar

Massive Multi-Level Arcade Heaven 🥰

​TL;DR: A huge, high-ceilinged retro playground on Divisadero with 35+ games, bars on both floors, and an incredibly social community vibe. Perfect for a night out—just know it's BYOF (Bring Your Own Food), so grab some local takeout before you head in!

​🕹 The Space & The Games
​The moment you walk in, the sheer scale of the place hits you. It’s a massive, beautiful space with huge high ceilings that give it a super grand, open feel. They have around 35 games packed inside, so you will never run out of things to play.

​The Variety: They have a little bit of everything— classic Pac-Man, air hockey, and basketball hoops.

​Pool Tables: If you love pool, you’re in luck. They have multiple pool tables split across both levels (a couple on the ground floor and a couple upstairs on the mezzanine).

​The Stage Screen: One of the coolest features is the giant projector screen on the main stage. They play old-school throwbacks like the original Top Gun while you hang out.

​💰 Tokens, Drinks & Food Policy
​The Math: Grab a $10 bill and feed it to the machines to get 40 tokens. YES it accepts credit and debit card as well. Since most machines only cost 2 to 4 tokens per game, a tenner goes a surprisingly long way.

​Dual Bars: You never have to wait too long for a drink because they have fully stocked bars on both the upper and lower levels, featuring great cocktails and a massive local craft beer list. They also have dedicated water stations at the bar to keep you hydrated.

​The Food (BYOF): They don’t actually have an in-house kitchen, but they are totally Bring Your Own Food. They actively encourage you to grab takeout from any of the amazing restaurants nearby on Divisadero or have food delivered right to the door. Just grab your food, claim a bench inside, and fuel up between games.

​🎒 Quick Insider Tips
​The Vibe Check: The crowd here is notoriously friendly. It’s the kind of spot where it’s incredibly easy to strike up a conversation or challenge a total stranger to a multiplayer game. On select nights, they have live DJs spinning excellent sets to keep the energy up.

​Beat the Squeeze: This place is no secret, and when it gets packed, it gets packed. The crowd can get dense enough that standing room alone becomes tough to find. If you want to casually wander the games or lock down a pool table, definitely roll up on the early side.

Don't miss the cute photo booth tucked outside near the entrance to capture the night.

​Layer Up: It's San Francisco neighborhood rules—no matter how warm it starts out, always bring a jacket because you'll be walking back to your car that you had to park a couple of blocks away. 🫠🤩

This was a really cool place. Dave is awesome, the drink was great, and Pac-Man was fun!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Cheap games. $20 went a long way. The ddr machine works but it's not the best. They had the FIFA world cup on so that was a plus.

I love this place, but I was banned after catching the bartender giving me water instead of vodka. When I asked for receipts, I was kicked out without them. Disappointing! I hope they review the cameras. I wasn’t aggressive, just called out the bartender's mistake.

came mostly for the ddr extreme cab since im visiting a friend and theres no other nearby cabinet. pads and buttons are sticky, left side up and down arrows dont work. walked out after 2 failed stages.

its a shame because its visually a great machine, until you play it. also its 1 token for 1 song. i would accept that if the machine was in a great condition but not the way it is right now.

Epic tv screen as big as a movie theater! GO HERE!

Nostalgic bar, though nostalgic is a form of depression, I thought it was cool, new experience for me tbh, kool for those old heads.

Enjoyed the barcade vibe, tokens and drink prices were very reasonable. Downside was the venue is extremely loud, they have a DJ on weekends and volume level is closer to a club than a bar/arcade. We also ordered a few cocktails, was very disappointed that the barista handled payments/cash and then added cocktail garnishes with bare hands. Very unhygienic.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 2

Emporium is always fun to come and relax and play games in the bartenders are always helpful

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Fun place to go play some pinball until 2:00 a.m.

Be careful if you go there on anime night and it says cosplay welcome, because you might be the only one who shows up wearing anything 🤷

This is my favorite place to hang out with friends, fun atmosphere, tons of arcade games, and great drinks. Always a good time.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Extremely clean, great vibes, easy access to water, and cheap games! Security was stellar (on it 100%, much appreciated and noticed!), typical bar prices for the area, but at least you're supporting a business occupying and maintaining a massive 100-year-old historic space/building! Happy 100th, Harding Theater (built 1926)!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Beverages only

Atmosphere: 5

Thank you to everyone at the Emporium for not just providing a space to relax and hang out, but also helping out the community and neighborhood when things go awry! Grateful for the different support the staff gave me this week. I will continue to frequent whenever I’m nearby!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

💜 I enjoyed it! kickin' it cool playing pool w/ some partna's. I get wrapped up in the game. The ambiance is inviting. As for the atmosphere, it was chill, no griping, no problems.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4