If you have a free night this weekend, I highly recommend going to the speakeasy styled arcade in Cambridge called Roxy’s Arcade. It’s a fun, inexpensive experience that’ll let you kick back and relax while playing some classic games.
This past weekend, me and some friends decided to try it out after hearing about it from my roommate. We hadn’t done something new since last semester and it wasn’t far from our campus, so I thought it’d be a fun time! Thinking about going to a fun new arcade was my biggest motivator to get through the week.
We ordered an Uber from Emmanuel to get there, which was only a fifteen minute ride, but it’s also close to the Central Square stop on the Red Line. When we got there, we found that the arcade was stationed inside a restaurant called Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, so those who wanted to only go to the arcade had to wait outside for capacity to clear out. We were only outside for twenty minutes before the line cleared out, and after paying the five dollar entrance fee, a staff member led us inside.
The moment the entrance swung open for us, it was excitement all around! There were retro games around every corner, some I hadn’t played nor seen in years, and upbeat music blasted on the overhead speakers. For how crowded it was, the lines for games weren’t very long, and I was able to try out the pinball machines and Skeeball before I knew it. The most exciting part of the night was when we all decided to take turns racing against each other in Mario Kart – I had a blast since it was always one of my favorite games growing up!
After we had enough gaming, we decided to order food from the Roxy’s. The restaurant was relatively quiet that late at night, so we ordered and got our food quickly. I had a 3-cheese sandwich with a side of tomato soup, which really hit the spot after all the gameplay.
The owner and founder, James DiSabatino, says that, “We are so excited for Roxy’s Arcade to take off through this next year. Our team is currently revamping our events strategy. Be sure to follow us @roxysgrilledcheese on Instagram and keep up with upcoming themed parties at the arcade. Big shout out to Her Campus for supporting local businesses!”
Overall, this was a great experience, and would definitely recommend it to anyone in the Boston area who’s looking for something low-key to do during a free night!