4 Great Places to Play Pinball in Buffalo, NY

Fun facts about Buffalo, NY: the temperature has never hit 100 degrees; local laws ban throwing a snowball at anyone’s head, flirting in public, wearing yoga pants, and operating a business without a spitoon; and selfies with Sharkgirl are a national treasure. 

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Buffalo, located in Western New York, is full of interesting treasures. Fans of mid-century modern architecture will love the five Frank Lloyd Wright houses. A gorgeous old church in downtown is now a concert venue, Babeville, thanks to hometown righteous babe Ani DiFranco whose record label bought the venue. The only surviving historical carousel factory in the world, Herschell Carousel Factory Museum, is still open to the public. Of course, the museum formerly known as Albright-Knox is home to some of the most famous pieces of modern and contemporary art in all of history. 

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Buffalo is home to Anchor Bar – the famed birthplace of the hot chicken wing – but the locals might direct you to go see Charlie the Butcher to get a beef on weck, then get sponge candy for dessert at Mike’s or a nutty donut from Paula’s. 

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You’ll discover plenty of pinball machines and locations while you’re out enjoying Buffalo – there is a Sopranos pinball machine at the bowling alley, Classic Lanes, and a rotating lineup at Buffalo RiverWorks. 

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But if you are looking to really flip out for a while, you have excellent options: 

Pocketeer Billiards and Bar

• Address: 2444 Clinton St. Buffalo, NY 14224
• Pinball machines: 90

Pocketeer Billiards and Bar is a destination for pinball enthusiasts for miles around. This pool hall has over 90 pinball machines to play (as of publishing) – making it one of the largest pinball arcades in the United States – with all of the most popular modern games, plus some well-maintained classics, and a few you can play for free on Tuesdays. There are also a few video arcade games, plenty of darts, and 20 pool tables. Pocketeer also offers pub grub, including pizza and wings, and a full bar. Pocketeer is family-friendly all day and 16 and up after 9pm. Highlights from their pinball collection include: Alien, The Big Lebowski, Elvira and the Party Monsters, Iron Man, Title Fight, and plenty more.

Misuta Chow's

• Address: 521 Main St. Buffalo, NY 14203
• Pinball machines: 7

Misuta Chow’s is a funky gastropub that will transport you across the globe to the bustling yokocho alleys of Tokyo City. On the main floor, Misuta Chow’s serves fried rice bowls, ramen noodles, dim sum, gua bao buns, and other Japanese street foods. Up the pink Hello Kitty stairs, you’ll find plenty of video arcade games like Q*Bert, Galaga, Frogger, and Tron, plus a nice modern pinball lineup with games like Stern's Kiss, Godzilla, and AC/DC. Enjoy craft cocktails like the Hello Kitty or a Miami Noice, and choose from an array of sake or Japanese whiskey, craft beers, and Japanese sodas. 

Buffalo RiverWorks

• Address: 359 Ganson St. Buffalo, NY 14203
• Pinball machines: 4

Buffalo RiverWorks is the city's newest premier waterfront, boating, sports, music, and entertainment destination located along the banks of the Buffalo River. This concert venue has a roller derby track, a martial arts dojo, a ferris wheel, zip lining, a ropes course, four bars, a restaurant, a brewery, two ice rinks for curling and hockey, and an arcade with bubble hockey, air hockey, and a small rotating lineup of popular modern pinball machines like Stern's Jurassic Park and Stranger Things games. 

Other Half Brewing - Buffalo Taproom

• Address: 2845 1/2 Seneca St. Buffalo, NY 14224
• Pinball machines: 3

Other Half Brewing Buffalo is brand new to Buffalo and the local pinball scene – they’re currently open in a temporary setup as they are building a kitchen and larger taproom next door. Still, the spot they’re in is spacious, the beer selection is top-notch, and there’s ski ball, foosball, and a few choice pins like Monopoly and Sega’s Star Wars Trilogy. We can’t wait to see the new digs, but this joint is a great hang in the meantime. 

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Buffalo pinball players - did we miss anything good? Drop us a line and let us know!