Bit Bar is an arcade eatery located in Salem, MA at 50 Saint Peter Street.
Arcades are not anything new, there are a handful of them all over the country, but Massachusetts has been missing a proper arcade for quite some time now. So, if you’re looking for the new hang-out, Bit Bar might just be your new favorite place to munch and set high-scores.
It all began when a group of classic-game lovers took their passion and put together pop-up arcade festivals at local breweries, coffee shops, and the like. Their success led them to open Boston’s first new-age but so retro, arcade. A place for like-minded individuals to congregate with a pint in one hand and a fistful of quarters in the other.
Bit Bar is so much more than a restaurant with a gimmick, though. The inventive and creative menu boasts adventures not only for the more casual diners, but offers interesting remixes as well as unique concoctions for the foodies in all of us. With menu items such as the Elk Burger that’s served on a Doughssant dripping with black garlic icing to the habanero deliciousness served over a bed of Fritos that is the Smoked Mango Chicken Walking Taco, there’s something to satisfy everyone’s craving.
The beverage selection is hyper local and super delicious. The beer offerings focus on local craft breweries and with the wealth of liquid that floods New England, such as Notch, Far From the Tree, Jack’s Abby, and Night Shift, you’ll be swimming in suds from all ends of the Commonwealth. That’s not where the beverages stop flowing though, another aspect of the creativity that Bit Bar exudes is in their craft cocktail menu. With cleverly named offerings such as the blue, coconut-banana Dankey Kang (yes, that one) to the spicy Ghost Eater with ghost pepper infused tequila, the menu is bursting with flavor from top to bottom.
All this talk about food and beverages, and we haven’t even mentioned the games yet. Mouth watering? Mine is. But anyways. All of the culinary masterpieces aside, the real allure to Bit Bar is the gaming glory that resides within the walls of the once prison, turned arcade located right outside of Salem’s historic downtown.
Bit Bar boasts around 30 arcade and pinball machines from classics like Donkey Kong, Galaga, and Ms. Pac-Man to some of the best co-op and competitive games such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Marvel VS Capcom, and Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers. You’re guaranteed to find a gem from your past or discover a cabinet your never got to in the 80s.
Bit Bar is undoubtedly worth the trip. The menu offers food for all diets, the game selection offer something for the casuals to the hardcore, and everyone is bound to have a blast. They also host a wide array of events throughout each month that are worth checking out when planning your pilgrimage to North Shore’s arcade mecca. If you find yourself in the Salem area stop in and let ’em know that we sent you.
Pass The Controller 