Eric S.
Yelp
OMG 1T'S THE 1LLUM1NÂT1
Some things in life are just worth going out of your way for. Time, money, effort.....it's often a roll of the dice if the venue will live up to your expectations.
In the case of The Pyramid Schemei, they took my expectations, placed a block of C-4 in it, then proceeded to blow them to kingdom come.
Knowing that I was going to be spending the weekend in Muskgeon at Michigan's Adventure, I veered east about 35 minutes to Grand Rapids after seeing a large purple dot on Pinsider, indicating a large pinball population in the area.
Sure enough, I arrived just after opening (4pm on a Sunday) and what I saw before me was pure pinball nirvana. Games were aligned in 3 rows of 8 and included brand new models as well as ones from the 80's and 90's in excellent condition. They even had a custom AC/DC pinball with an ultra limited edition 'Whole Lotta Rosie' backglass, the 1st I've ever seen.
All tables were 50¢, except for Wizard of Oz and The Hobbit, which were 75¢. I encountered a few issues with coin slots on a handful of tables (damn things ate mah quarter!!) but the bartender was kind enough to reimburse me for my loss. He had a great demeanor and spent enough time talking to me where I felt like a valued patron.
Lots of beers on tap, in cans, and in bottles. Local stuff from the Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo area, imports, domestics, you name it. I tried two new beers, notably a Celestial Critter Belgian pale ale with a modest 6.4% ABV. That sh*t was delicious. No food menu, however, so if you're experiencing hunger pains I'd recommend Stella's right across the street.
It was here where I purchased quite possibly the coolest T-shirt in the history of EVER for something like $15: it's a profile/shadow view of the Alien queen (the one Ripley faces off against from the movie 'Aliens') playing a space-themed pinball. It's simply too awesome for words.....you'll just have to see me modeling it on the streets of Chicago.
Pyramid Schemei is run/owned by a pinball fanatic, which came as no surprise to me. Every table I played was in superb shape and on more than a few games I kicked way more butt than normal. I'm told they host pinball tournaments periodically during the year.
If you ever find yourself in the Grand Rapids area and consider yourself an appreciator of the art of the silver ball, then you owe it to yourself to stop by and give these dudes your toll money.