The Archives

This arcade bar in Burlington is such a blast! It’s the perfect mix of nostalgia and good energy — with plenty of arcade games that make you feel like a kid again. From pinball to classics, there’s something for everyone, and the atmosphere is pure fun. The menu is great too — lots of creative drink options with clever names that add to the experience. And if you’re a beer lover, you’ll be impressed by their extensive selection on tap. Whether you’re out with friends or just looking for something different to do in Burlington, this place is a total win. 🎮🍻

This place sums up exactly what’s wrong with Burlington, and if this kind of place survives, the real Burlington has died. Tonight, New Year’s Eve, I went out with friends, decades younger than myself. We stopped off at this place because of the reviews. Honestly, the place is actually ok and it would have been fine until….After paying for my first drink and tipping 25% I asked for a water to bring out to a girl who had been getting sick all over herself outside the bar. They told me to fill up a glass at their free water jug, but the container was actual glass so I asked for something that I could bring outside to her other than “glass”. No one could be bothered to make that happen, which was fine, and I’m a mom so I make do with what’s available. I grabbed a metal cup from the bar and poured the water into it and took it outside for the girl to drink. I left my freshly made drink on the bar and asked the kid sitting there to please watch it until I returned. Unfortunately, I was never again allowed into the bar. I had been kicked out for bringing water in a metal container to a girl who was getting sick outside their bar. Kicked out for trying to help a young girl get some water in her system on New Years Eve. Perhaps I was wrong to grab any container I could use (since no one seemed to care or try to help), but as a mom, and a Vermonter, I’d do it again a thousand times. But I will Never support a place like this. Never. Ever. There are still great places and good people and This is just Not one of them. That’s too bad.

Love the nostalgia and arcade games, dig the fall/Halloween themed cocktails. Photo is the Double Burst double IPA and The Witching Hour cocktail which is delicious the bourbon mixes well with the vanilla and pumpkin foam. Ian was awesome, super helpful, answered all my ridiculous questions. Definitely go.

So my buddy and I show up from another bar, everybody who is my friend knows that once I have a couple beers, I love doing math. I get distracted watching the pinball machines for a minute, my buddy said he needs to hit the bathroom, so I decided to grab the coins. The coin machine gives you choices. Spend small, get the normal rate. Spend $20, get 88 tokens — eight extra for free. That’s four full free pinball games. The value-to-dollar ratio was unbeatable, so of course I went all in with a twenty. The machine goes off like a slot jackpot, raining tokens endlessly. My friend actually comes back from the bathroom, finds me still standing there in a hailstorm of coins, and casually tells me, “Dude, I already bought us $10 worth.” At this point I now know there is no way we are gonna go through our stash. My pockets are stuffed with what feels like two pounds of brass tokens clanking like I swallowed a cash register. At this point, the only thing holding my pants up is prayers. But anyone who knows me knows I don’t just take the machine’s word for it. I sit down at the bar, have my friend order us drinks, and I begin to count. Stack by stack, pile by pile. When the dust settles, I’ve got 89 tokens. Not 88. I didn’t get shorted. I got an extra one. Nine free tokens in total. That’s half a pinball game more than the math even promised. Profit. Pinball here costs 2 tokens per play. But I was on fire. My games snowballed: every high score triggered extra rounds. So 2 tokens were often giving me 4, 5, even more games(thats 8 coins of value) My fun to cost ratio was insane. My 89 tokens had the effective playtime of 356+. At one point, some stranger commented on how I was crushing the boss fights on the machine. I didn’t even know pinball had boss fights, but I was wiping them out like a man possessed. My buddy and I tried a few other games — including the Budweiser Tapper, where you serve beers down a counter — but I inevitably found myself back at pinball. By closing time, my pockets were still heavy. We hadn’t even burned through half the tokens. So my buddy and I get an Uber home. And I dump all the coins out on the table. Laughing like a madman. My $20 investment had already paid out ridiculous dividends in entertainment, and the leftover tokens mean next time’s already prepaid. We usually take the bus when we go into town so we don’t got to pay parking. So I am going to have to walk half a mile with all those coins in my pocket. And it is so worth it. Epic time, bring a friend. I wish I had a third person to help me spend all those coins. 😂

Great spot with a very chill vibe and great bartenders and staff. It’s an arcade experience but with some of the best draft beers around along with their true specialty of amazing cocktails. These guys put 100% effort into creating the very best drinks to be found.

Fun spot with great beer and game (video, pinball, board) selection. Reasonable prices.

I would give this place top marks for the beer selection and games alone, but the service as well is top! My daughter left her wallet when we were up visiting family and it wasn't until we got back to Boston I finally called. They had the wallet and OVERNIGHTED it to us! Super nice staff when were there as well.

We stopped in to play a few vintage video games. (They're vintage now, we played them new when we were kids.) Had a great time. Place was clean and employees nice. Young person place so we played our games and left. My 28 year old self would return.

My absolute favorite bar in Burlington! They have a wider selection of arcade games (pinball, classic cabinet games, shooters) than most arcades and barcades, but that's not the only thing Archives has to offer. The bar has a sophisticated and chill ambience that gives almost a speakeasy-type vibe and the bartenders are always extremely friendly and attentive. To top it off, they have a vast selection of delicious (and fairly cheap) local beers and exceptional cocktails. My go-to is either a Hill Farmstead Edward or a Tanquerey negroni to sip on while I explore their games and feed my nostalgia. NOTE: they clear the high scores on each game every day so you may get a nice confidence boost seeing your score in the top 3.

Arcade bar in downtown Burlington with a super cool vibe. They have a long bar in the center and then arcade games all around. We just went for a drink and they have really great cocktails. I got a vodka drink and it was delicious. Super chill bar and if you like games I would make a stop!

The "barcade" has been a stable of "cool" (and even un-cool) lower 48 cities for... a while now. As is custom, we still don't have one in Anchorage, or even Alaska. While this isn't anywhere near as good as my all-time favorite, which would easily be UP-DOWN in Kansas City (KC is a cool city, BTW, if you don't believe me go visit yourself!): https://www.yelp.com/biz/up-down-kansas-city It's still a pretty solid representation of arcade games. The games here are probably most heavily-concentrated from the early 80's to the mid 90's. Gen-X and geriatric Millennials are most likely to have the maximum 'memberberry load, but there really is something for everyone here. My favorite is always the Konami X-MEN game. They have the awesome double-screen, 6-player version here. My only complaint is that the CRT screens don't exactly match so it can create a lot of eye-strain. The other thing that made me sad is that, I dropped in on a team 3 players, to help battle the forces of Magneto and...the other patrons seemed...almost annoyed? Maybe that's more just a Burlington cultural thing though. Definitely no fault of this space! As with just about everywhere else in Burly, beer selection was strong!

We have gone here a couple times as they make unique delicious drinks and playing the games is fun! Most games were working which is awesome as they are old and coins to play them are fair. Our bartender Thomas was beyond amazing at making us delicious drinks, laugh and going truly above and beyond to make our friends cold brew coffee something more to her liking! People don't do that these days and it was much appreciated!

When asking about a beer on tap we were offered samples. The staff were very welcoming and helpful. Had such a great time Friday night, we visited again on Saturday.

What a great spot! In town visiting and I went here twice. Great craft beer selection, and well made cocktails and good price. Great people and good vibe and nice pinball selection

Old school videos surround the amazing bar. Great cocktail menu and good beer selection. The bartenders are friendly and attentive. Cool vibe!

Cool spot, the games take yah back to your arcade days, love it. Service is always good and the vibe is good.

Really fun spot, with vintage games and a nice selection of beers. We got 2 delicious local ones- sip of sunshine, and one that was more of a sour beer. It's cool how they have tables in between the games for resting your drink. I think it would be cooler if they added some more games to the selection- such as a basketball one, a Simpson one (a personal favorite), or a Donkey Kong one. It's a little heavy on the pinball games (that being said, they're really cool, fun, machines- like a South Park one), and the fighter games. Who knows, maybe I'm just mad I kept losing to my boyfriend at the fighter games :/.

There were a lot of beverages to choose from, some comfortable and familiar, some crafty and new. Bartender was amazing!

This was a fun place to play some retro games and enjoy some artfully created cocktails! I had the F'in Vodka Drink and it was delightful- I could've put back three or four of those if I wasn't careful! We got $15 of tokens (each token is slightly less than a quarter) and we ended up spending almost 2 hours there playing games! Some favorites were pinball, Tetris, marble madness, and Galaga. We'll look forward to coming back here next time we're in Burlington!

Great bar! Was here last weekend for a bachelorette party. Drinks are affordable and worth it! Definitely worth playing the games for something different. Nice service friendly staff! Would go again! It could have been cleaner but it is a bar and it only appeared to have 2-3 staff members on the floor.

Best Cocktails in Burlington!!! Fresh and creative cocktails that are absolutely delicious!!! The arcade is just the added bonus. If you are looking for amazing craft cocktails this is the place to go!! Loved every cocktail they made for us.

So lemme guess: you're not feeling upscale tonight, and even though the craft brewery scene in Burlington is rather awesome sauce, that whole vibe doesn't appeal, either. Something about drinking more than a couple cold ones surrounded by college kids, nah, you're more about darker spaces, complex cocktails served by unpretentious mixologists, and some old school games and pinball. There's a bar like that in every decent size metro, and around here, it's The Archives. We weren't too worried about budget so the bill was hefty, but so were my drinks, and my honey had a couple lighter, fruitier concoctions, just perfect on a night when we were really swooning over this city. This is that local spot that, should the rest of town be smothered, you can still anticipate finding a seat somewhere. Oh, and the beer selection looked promising. And no food, but you can bring your own.

Cute little bar that's packed with a bunch of fun arcade games. We came here one night to grab a quick drink before going out in the area. The location of this is perfect, and it's pretty cool that they have so many games. It was busy since it was a Friday night, but we all had fun!

This is my first time here. I'm coming from VA. I cannot say I've tried the food, but I will say the service has been nothing but wonderful. The bartender named Skipper has made me feel welcomed and was very attentive. This place was clean and tidy (including the bathrooms). The GM was also welcoming and kind.

Really cool vibe! Love the ambiance and interior design with wood, concrete and brick. They have a bunch of beer choices and a full liquor bar. The have several tables seated outside in the shade. And the best part, plethora of cabinet arcade games and pinball.

This bar is so fun! They have an extensive tap/drink list. I have never been to an arcade bar, but this one seems better priced and more local than most commercial "barcades." Many of the games are super retro too

The Archives was hands down one of my favorite places on this trip. Located right in downtown Burlington, it's an arcade bar but with a classy twist as their cocktail menu is extensive and upscale. The bartender mixing our drinks was super attentive even when the place got busy, happy to suggest drinks and answered all of our questions. They have an extensive tap list as well. I had a frose since that seemed to be my drink of choice on this trip (see: Misuta Chow's). I also got a recommendation from the bartender to try the Peach emoji - I was worried it would be too sweet or too peachy, and it was neither. Instead, it was fruity without being cloying, and sophisticated. Watching the bartenders was so much fun - you can really tell they care about the craft of cocktails and put a lot of heart into making them. Note that the machines all take tokens so you'll need cash to exchange for tokens. We had fun playing a bunch of different games. One of the absolute best things about this arcade bar is that they have designated spots in between every single game to set drinks - genius. At the previous arcade bar, we had to switch off holding each other's drinks while the other person played. Small thing, but really well thought out. They don't have food besides one cheese plate so keep it in mind as these cocktails can pack a punch! Next time I'm in Burlington I'm definitely going back to The Archives.

Fun place for awesome cocktails and a great selection of arcade games. A fun way to spend a few hours if you are in Burlington.

Cool arcade bar, great variety of rotating drafts and cocktails. Staff is always really helpful/nice -no food

It looked cool from the outside. I brought my covid vaccine proof on the EXCELSIOR app (App approved by places in nyc and elsewhere as proof of vaccination) because I don't just carry my vax card everywhere I travel. The bouncer said not good enough, I need the physical card, even with photo ID to go with it. When asked if this is a Vermont law he said yes and cautioned I wouldn't be able to get into any bar in VT without it. I walked 150 ft down the road and got in to fin Evan's with no issue, and the bouncer was far nicer. Not sure where bouncers get off on being unreasonable, but hey..

A pretty awesome Barcade that's along Church Street. The Archives is a good mix between cheap, retro arcade games and craft cocktails, beers and food. The games a relatively cheap, which makes sense since they're pretty dated (although that's part of the fun), running about 25-50¢ per credit. Think of games like Pac-Man, The Simpsons or X-Men arcade. The beer list there was pretty extensive and included lots of local craft beers. I didn't order a cocktail or anything off of their unique drink menu, but some of my friends did and they were pretty happy. The selection of liquors behind the bar is pretty extensive so I bet that have whatever you're looking for. Would love to come back in the future to get some food along with my games. Definitely recommend anyone in town checking out, it's a great balance between trendy craft drinks and old school games.

An awesome bar nestled in the heart of downtown BTV. Great cocktails and beer list, quick service, great ambience, and the arcade games are extremely fun. I always try to go here at least once whenever I visit home. The only downside is the lack of food, but there are so many great restaurant choices downtown that this is a moot point. Great place to start or end your night bar hopping.

Been here a few times, great beer selection and even more creative cocktails. Play old school video games like Pac-Man & Galaha, or be a Pinball wizard.

Stopped in to this bar for a quick drink while in town for an evening. We stopped in because the 'chill arcade bar' concept sounded like just what we needed for the night. Not only was it fun to play old arcade games but this was a top notch cocktail bar. We chatted with the bartender (can't recall his name, sadly) and he prepared us a ton of great drinks from their menu and a couple off menu items as well. I'd heard great things about swapping in Bar Hill Barrel Aged Gin for bourbon (not a bourbon fan. I know, I know.) and I was not disappointed. Overall great place to stop in. The atmosphere is laid back and the bartenders are extremely knowledgeable.

Ended up staying at a Airbnb above this place so wanted to check it out. Didn't disappoint. Cool bar with lots of options and then arcade games too. Was a lot of fun and would definitely return if I visit Burlington again!

Great beer menu, friendly staff, fun games from your childhood if you are an 80s or 90s kid. Bonus they let kids in until a certain time (check their hours as of this review it might be before 5) so if you are tired of shopping go get a beer or cocktail while you and the kids enjoy the games. I've also seen pub crawl groups stop by.

Cool place. Great vibe. Good selection of games. Some machines broken as inebriated button mashers attempt to dominate childhood dreams. The biggest downfall here is the bar. 2 bartenders struggle to keep up with the mixed drinks. If the added another full bartender it would prob make their life easier and for a nicer experience.

Really cute little bar just a short walk off Church St. Tasty and creative cocktails along with some fun arcade games!! Friendly bar tender too :).

Fun place with old fashioned games and good cocktails. Had lots of fun here. Coin machine does work with a credit card.

Great spot, tasty cocktails! We stopped in for a few drinks before a dinner reservation nearby. Bartenders were great and had good recommendations. We ordered 3 drinks each and enjoyed them outside. My favorite was the Lonely Hearts Club. No table service but it wasn't an issue going inside to order. We did not try them but they have arcade games and we'd definitely like to play them on a future visit.

Whats not to like? - ARCADE GAMES. They work. They are fun. - DRINKS, big selection of beer. - COIN MACHINE, you can use your credit or debit card. If you don't like games, then the Archives is not for you.

A quirky arcade and beer bar which offers a wide selection of craft beers. My husband had the Society & Solitude #5 IPA, which was beautifully fruity, with hints of grapefruit. Would definitely recommend!

It's very cool to have a barcade in downtown Burlington. They have a full bar, pinball and a ton of classic arcade games. Drinks are not cheap but if your living frugal they have your classic PBR. For those who like to indulge in fine spirits and mixtures they can surly accommodate. This is a great place to bring friends/family from out of town for something a little different. Currently, since they have just recently opened, nights have been super busy. The upside is during they day, it's pretty calm and you will have a better chance to get on that game you love and get better service at the bar. All in all, I'm happy this place opened. Come down and play a few games!

We are alway looking for new places to get good craft beer. The Archives is awesome! What a great idea! A nice bar with tons of arcade games. The restroom was spotless. Have to admit, we were the oldest ones there but we had no intentions of playing the games. The bartenders were all helpful and were happy to give us a "taste" before ordering a whole glass. One even made a suggestion when he saw which type of beer we were drinking. There is only a cheese plate for food, so eat before you come. We will surely go back to The Archives the next time we visit Burlington.

Arcade!!!!! Machines are in generally great condition. Tapper has a LCD screen vs. CRT and some pinball machine flippers are a bit off. Great beer selection!!!

Thank god I do not live in Burlington, because I would blow so much money here! The Archives blends 2 amazing things together: craft cocktails and vintage arcade games! It's pretty expansive with a ton of variety from pinball machines, to classic arcade games and things that remind you of your childhood. What brought this up to 5 stars for me is that they have the X-Men 4-player game here (I always claim Dazzler...clearly!) You can use card or cash to get quarters out of the machines and most games are 1 token...I didn't spend a lot of money to play MANY rounds of games! The cocktails were even better. I got the last item on the menu which my very knowledgeable bartender created himself (I cannot remember what it was, but it was made with yellow chartreuse which is my new 'thing')...it was insanely good. This is more than your average bar...these bartenders know what their doing and having the games is an added bonus to mix up the night!

"Well-trained" staff? Your response would be laughable if the whole situation weren't so embarrassing and offensive. I was DD that day and didn't drink. My recollection of the night is crystal clear. I hope other Yelpers find my review helpful and can see through your attempt to blame the customer instead of looking at the people you employ.

I was sad to have had an unsavory experience at The Archives on 7/22/19. My extended family and I wanted to visit but had one underage person in our party. I had tried calling multiple times that day to ask about this but there as no answer. When we arrived the brunette behind the bar told us we would not be able to stay, which is completely understandable; however, she was extremely rude and unfriendly. We left and were lingering outside on our phones trying to find a place to go instead. We hadn't been out there two minutes when she came outside and rudely told us to get off their bench. It was a Monday.. afternoon. We happily left right away, and while my husband and I have had a handful of pleasant experiences in the past at The Archives, we will not be returning, nor will we recommend it to any of our friends in the future.

So this was my first arcade bar, and I wasn't disappointed. I wasn't really wow-ed either. They do have Street Fighter, so right off the bat, that puts it ahead of the game for me. (pun intended) My gals and I heard they do really amazing cocktails. I didn't try one because I had been drinking beer all day, and I'm way past old enough to know you don't mix liquor and beer unless you want to be sick all night. However, I did see the bartender making one of these cocktails with two shakers and about a ten minute long dance and mixing process. So I'm hoping, after all that, it was one darn fine cocktail. The bar is divided into two areas and both walls are lined with vintage arcade games with pinball in the back. You have to trade your dollars in for tokens, but you get four for a dollar, and all the games we played were only a quarter a piece. I mean, if you want to go grab a beer and play some Pac-man, this is the place. But other than the games, this is just your standard pub.

Knowledgeable and friendly bartenders. Owners are extremely generous and care deeply about Burlington. Atmosphere is terrific, though it starts to die down usually around midnight to 1am as many of the patrons move to the more dance club-type bars nearby in the Lower Church Street area. On two separate occasions my friends and I were hoping to go to the Archives only to learn they were closed for the night for a private party. Wasn't terribly inconvenient, but a bit of a buzz kill given both times were Friday and Saturday nights.

My girlfriend and I have been seeking out excellent cocktail bars for a few years. The archives offered several excellent drinks. The staff is capable and knowledgeable. I'm not very much into the arcade team, but people seem to be having a good time. I'll definitely check it out again when I'm next in town.

The bar itself is cool and the beer selection is good, a copy of the now defunct Tilt in South Burlington, which the bar is based on despite them saying they copied Barcade in Brooklyn. The service is horrible, you can wait 10 minutes on a non-busy night and still not be served or acknowledged. They charge for games and don't have a console/tv setup; they would be better if they were based on Arcade MTL in Montreal...but profits.

Dope place. Came here on a Saturday night with some college friends and played cool arcade games. The place was packed even on a cold, rainy day. The drinks selection is extensive and the ambiance is very chill! Would recommend it to anyone looking to have a good time and play some old school games!

The Archives is basically like Barcade in NYC, but it's a bit more manageable when it comes to spacing and layout, as well as having an arguably better selection of beer (the sticker on the door stating that it's an authorized reseller of Heady Topper is a good start). The outside is quite innocuous, but once inside, you can mix your passion for good beer and cocktails with the games that you (and possibly your parents, for some of them) grew up with. The folks at the bar are very easygoing and get you a drink quickly, and even on a Friday night (albeit, we were there on the later end), it didn't take much time at all. There's a phenomenal selection of beer both on tap and in cans (the Alchemist beers, unsurprisingly, are served in the can), but I was told that folks also enjoyed the cocktails that were on hand as well. Don't aim to come here looking for food, though - you literally have one choice - the cheese board - although it is quite good, with the cheeses the night we were there all from Jasper Hills. There's a decent amount of seating as well, whether it be at the bar, at the counter lining the window, or with a handful of longer tables on the far side of the space away from the entrance. As for what else you can do? It's classics going at least 20 years back - old Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat machines, NFL Blitz, and ones going back as far as Galaga, Pac-Man and Centipede. Despite the age of the machines, only a couple were out of order at most. Even though you do still have to get tokens to play, the machine is (very wisely) updated to accept credit card as a payment option. It'll be easy enough for you to acquire the tokens you need and play the game of your choice to your heart's content - all while sipping on fantastic beverages. Given the lack of food, you probably shouldn't park yourself here all night, but given its proximity in central Burlington, everyone should show up and take a visit down nostalgia lane to play the video games of the past while sipping on the (much better) beer of the present/future.

Oh it's a good and clean hipster bar with all sorts of vintage video games and pinball. You can be a wizard at the Archive Bar!!! Lots of great local beers and snazzy cocktails. They have this really special drink called Rum and Coke. It's made withRum and Cola, add a lime and it's a Cuba libre!

No stars if possible! I am from Burlington, born and raised. I have a few places that are a NO GO! Archives is at the very top of my list. There is a bartender that wears a Nintendo shirt always, and he's always so mean to everyone! Don't go to this bar if you're looking for a fun time!

My wife and I really had a lot of fun here. There are a lot of games (nothing new though, so don't come in expecting that). The staff was awesome and made great drinks. We suggest The Archive and the F**king Vodka Drink (and Gansett tall boys of course). A couple of games ate tokens, but over all most were in great shape and a blast to play. I'll be here in a second the next time I end up in Burlington.