A game night out in Shelter Island / Harbor Island
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.2 mi
5:30 PMFriendly competition
2
7:00 PMDinner
Stone Brewing
Brewery
2816 Historic Decatur Rd Unit 116, San Diego, CA 92106
Shelter Island / Harbor Island
4.3
← San DiegoDate night guide · San Diego
Best arcades & games for a date in San Diego
Bowling, arcades and escape rooms, then dinner to settle the score.
28 spots · Jump to the list
A little competition gets you past first-date small talk faster than anything. Bowling, arcades, escape rooms and mini golf give you something to do with your hands and something to laugh about over dinner afterwards. Most are walk-in; escape rooms need booking.
This guide ranks 28 arcades & games in San Diego, from Hillcrest / Bankers Hill to North Park and Pacific Beach / Mission Beach. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights people planned here
Published date nights with a stop on this list.
Make a night of it
Routes around the top spots on the list, with the best-rated places nearby for the rest of the evening.
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Bar 1924
5.0(19)Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$
Allmine
4.9(25)Oceanside / Carlsbad · $$
Coin Haus
4.8(23)$
K1 Speed
4.8(17)East Village / Barrio Logan · $$
Seven Grand San Diego
4.8(15)North Park · $$
Ocean Beach Brewery
4.8(5)Ocean Beach / Point Loma · $$
The Leucadian Bar
4.6(20)Encinitas / Del Mar · $$
Escapology
4.6(12)Pacific Beach / Mission Beach · $$
1St Street Bar
4.5(25)Encinitas / Del Mar · $
Good News Bar
4.5(15)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $
Haunted Head Saloon
4.5(6)Oceanside / Carlsbad · $
Shakespeare Pub
4.4(24)Little Italy / Middletown · $
Aero Club Bar
4.4(17)Little Italy / Middletown · $
Quicksand Escape Games
4.4(17)Pacific Beach / Mission Beach · $$
Luau
4.4(5)$$
Belching Beaver North Park
4.3(7)North Park · $
Stone Brewing
4.3(4)Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$
The Tilted Stick Bar & Grill
4.2(18)$
Redwing Bar & Grill
4.1(20)North Park · $
LaFayette Hotel
4.0(16)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $$
The Golf Bar
4.0(5)Kearny Mesa / Clairemont · $$
Gilly’s House of Cocktails
4.0(5)Hillcrest / Bankers Hill · $$
Tavern at the Beach
Pacific Beach / Mission Beach · $$
Drink 182
Ocean Beach / Point Loma
Showing 1–24 of 28 spots
Good to know
- What's the best arcade or game spot in San Diego for a date?
- Our top pick is Bar 1924 in Shelter Island / Harbor Island, rated 5.0 out of 5. Allmine and Coin Haus round out the top 3.
- Which San Diego neighborhoods have the best arcades & games?
- Hillcrest / Bankers Hill (3), North Park (3) and Pacific Beach / Mission Beach (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable arcades & games in San Diego?
- Yes — Bar 1924, Allmine and Coin Haus are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Escapology and Quicksand Escape Games, while Good News Bar takes walk-ins.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a game night out: friendly competition, then dinner. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.