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Boxcar Bar & Arcade

4.5

621 Foster St
Durham, NC 27701
Phone: (984) 377-2791
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Google Reviews

Photo of Robert Dixey Robert Dixey
Jan 14, 2024 5

This place is a great addition to the things to do in the area. It's extremely laid back but busy at the same time. Usually, arcade games cost more than they should because of prizes that are generally not worth anything. This place seems to put more into the entertainment value. $5 got me enough to casually play 5 games without feeling like I got ripped off or wasted my money. I will go back again when i am in the area.

Photo of Heather Scott Heather Scott
Jan 1, 2024 5

Great atmosphere. Spacious indoor and outdoor areas, arcade games, corn hole & ping-pong. Outdoor areas are heated and have large firepits also.

Photo of Doren Tripp Doren Tripp
Dec 31, 2023 5

Let me start by saying I am not a fan of bar atmospheres and I rarely drink so my review is coming from someone who went it thinking it’s a cool idea for a bar and expecting the photos from online to come to life… and then I was blown away and thoroughly enjoyed my night here with my wife. The arcade was quite extensive and had wonderful vintage machines and nostalgic games that were super fun. Actually great prices too. On average a game is $0.50 to $1 per game. My wife had a great drink and I had a non alcoholic beverage that was very fruity and tasted like a juice you’d get at the checkout line at WholeFoods. Not something to write home about but a dependable drink that didn’t leave me disappointed but also was just a good drink. Where my wife and I saw Boxcar shine was the pizza. After playing the games for a while and getting drinks we finally gave in to the amazing smells coming from the kitchen. We went in trusting the staff’s inspiration and recommendation on what to get… and they recommended the Pickle Pizza. Sooooooo good! Not only was the dough great, a wonderful sauce, but my wife and I are now craving pickles on every pizza we get now. It had a twinge of sour but the creaminess of the sauce and the light dough made every bite compliment it’s self. The complexity of each bite didn’t feel like a middle school pizza made on a dare but an actual artistic and well thought out expression of flavor. The staff we all super attentive and although there was a large crowd everything was fast from the drinks to the fresh bake of the pizza. So go for the pizza, stay for the games, and leave impressed by the quality and care throughout your whole experience.

Photo of Jennifer Nein Jennifer Nein
Dec 28, 2023 5

This is a great spot for some arcade fun for young and old! Old school arcade games and newer games make this a perfect combination of fun. My favorite thing was the thoughtfulness behind the ladies bathroom - a spot for your drink so you don't have to leave it unaccompanied and info about the halo shot.

Photo of Jake Neurer Jake Neurer
Dec 24, 2023 5

Fun place to get silly late night after dinner. -- they do also serve pizza & pretzels if you're hungry. Craft beers and mixed drinks at a somewhat steep price but that's kinda expected. They had a pretty awesome patio with fire pits and granite top ping pong tables (free) which ended up being the highlight of my night. Not a bad place to have a laugh while in Durham.

Photo of Kenya Hairston Kenya Hairston
Oct 10, 2023 5

This is a great place to go on a first date or even just to go hang out with friends. I love going here right before a concert and motorco so I can get good parking and just play games while I wait for the show to start. The pizza is so good and I think is pretty fresh. Oh and the mimosa deal on Sunday is a great way to catch up with friends and reconnect over a boozy weekend. Excited to have my next adventure here.

Photo of K. O'Keefe K. O'Keefe
Oct 10, 2023 5

We took teenagers on a weekend afternoon and had a great time - staff is really welcoming and nice. Pizza / salad / soda are what you'd expect for this kind of place - which means fine and not overly priced. Food service was prompt and friendly - I screwed p my order and the guy was really nice about helping me fix it. Games are all about $1 a piece. Fun afternoon.

Photo of Cantor Yakov Cantor Yakov
Jul 22, 2023 5

Impeccable collection of pinball tables. Most of them are the super modern Jersey Jack type but there is also Attack From Mars. Would be great if you could play for less than $1 / play of course...

Photo of Lisa Quinn Lisa Quinn
Jul 10, 2023 5

This location has pizza making it far superior to the Raleigh location! It had pinball and old arcade games, Dance dance revolution and skee ball! I really enjoyed the ping pong table outside which Raleigh's also didn't have. Great lighting, fun environment! Love it!

Photo of Jonathan McMahel Jonathan McMahel
Jun 28, 2023 5

This one is even better than the Raleigh Boxcar because it has - a lot more room for games - a nice outdoor area open year-round and - a great little pizza window across from the bar serving up - pizzas with a perfect thin crust - salads and - three varieties of hot pretzel until midnight every night.

Photo of Victoria Garner Victoria Garner
Jun 19, 2023 4

The pizza and pretzel were really good and well priced, came out a little slow but don't know how many orders they had in before me. Hot and fresh so made up for the wait. Service was pretty good too, only had trouble at the bar once with one bartender but everyone has bad days I suppose. Atmosphere was good, exactly what we expected. I do think it would be beneficial to place some turf outside versus the gravel. It's uneven to walk on and it gets pretty dusty out there with lots of people and made me cough. But that's just my thoughts. The games were all awesome, super enjoyable, pingpong outside and corn hole and Jenga. Reasonable prices for tokens and allows you to play a vast amount of all the games. It's $20 for 80 tokens. Roughly $30 for a good sized pizza and huge pretzel. So if you don't get alcohol it's a pretty budget friendly date.

Photo of Quintin Coppola Quintin Coppola
Jun 10, 2023 4

I remember visiting their Raleigh location for the first time - it was awesome. The Durham location is fun, but it doesn't have quite the same vibe as the Raleigh location - Raleigh's atmosphere is a bit "louder" on the inside. I still had fun and they serve a good list on draft. You can get your tokens with cash or card. Time Crisis 4...just take all my money. Still wish Indy had one, or one that was decent.