Take the charms of an old school arcade and put them together with a welcoming bar environment and the end result is Boxcar, a bar and arcade in Downtown Raleigh’s Warehouse District on West Davie Street.
The first thing customers see upon walking into the bar is a series of throwback pinball machines, including Jack Bot, Capcom’s Airborne and Cue Ball Wizard among others, as well as a couple of arcade games from the ‘90s, such as NFL Blitz 99.
Walking around Boxcar: some of the games featured include Space Invaders, Big Buck Hunter, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Frogger, Mario Bros., Street Fighter and NBA Jam to name a few. According to their website, there are many more games on the way.
The arcade atmosphere even extends to the restrooms, where a Mario figure serves as a sign for the men’s bathroom and Princess Peach for the women’s bathroom.
In addition to having more than 50 classic arcade games, pinball, skee-ball and shuffleboard, Boxcar also has a wide variety of drinks from light and craft beers to more esteemed bourbons, such as Woodford Reserve. I tried the Foothills Hoppyum and was given two arcade tokens for the purchase.
Boxcar also features weekly specials, such as “Pint Night” where all pints are $3, and “Drink for a Cause” where each week a charity is chosen to receive 15 percent of that night’s proceeds.
In terms of draft beers, Boxcar rotates around eight to 10 new beers weekly, according to Boxcar owner and manager Jerrad Bement.
The idea for Boxcar came to Bement in Texas where he saw the potential for a fun attraction in Raleigh.
“I was in a bar in Texas and came across something similar to [Boxcar] and thought, ‘Wow, this would be really fun in Raleigh,’” Bement said. “It’s not the exact same place, but it’s similar.”
Since opening in December, Boxcar has already acquired a wealth of popularity among everyone from college students to typical families looking to have a good time.
Austin Cole, an NC State alumnus who graduated in 2010 with a sports management degree, said the arcade adds an extra element to the bar experience.
“It’s definitely something to do,” Cole said. “I’m not huge into video games, but it’s something more than just going to sit at a bar.”
According to Bement, the appeal of an arcade environment has been underestimated and he has been surprised to see a wide range of age groups enjoying what Boxcar has to offer.
“It’s really cool to see the age range difference we get,” Bement said. “We get grandparents to grandkids, 4-year-olds to 70-year-olds. I think people get nostalgic about it. The feedback has been great from people.”
William Boatwright, a graduate student at NC State studying biomedical engineering, said he enjoys Boxcar for the bar.
“I guess [I come] more for the bar, but with gaming on the side as a secondary thing to pass the time,” Boatwright said.
Chuck Holden, who runs an oil and propane company in Peabody, Massachusetts, said the games in the bar were nostalgic for him.
“I like the games. It’s a throwback to my days in Salem Willows in Salem, Massachusetts,” Holden said.
According to Bement, Boxcar didn’t turn out exactly as he originally envisioned, but he has found ways to learn and improve through trial and error to make the bar and arcade experience as fun as possible.
“It’s ever-growing; we’re learning every day in ways to get better,” Bement said. “We just want to make sure this is great for everybody and that everybody has fun here.”
