Entry No. 74 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: arcade-play
The Control Room
An east-side arcade bar that pairs retro cabinets and pinball with a kitchen turning out pizza, burgers, and wings. Their signature draw is the spiked slushies, built from real fruit juices, purees, and even ice cream and energy drinks. Family-friendly by day, it shifts to 21-and-up in the evening, making it an easy low-key game night for a couple.
The story
If you want to play vintage cabinets without getting jostled by downtown crowds, set your GPS for a Barnes Road strip mall on the east side. The Control Room is a veteran-owned neighborhood hangout that splits its floor space between modern Stern pinball tables and CRT-lit classic arcade cabinets running everything from Punch-Out!! and Mortal Kombat II to Rampage World Tour. But here is the move you didn't hear from us: skip the cabinet line for five minutes, sit at the booth equipped with a Super Nintendo, and ask the bartender for a pair of free retro controllers.
Instead of standard bar-well drinks and stale chips, the kitchen pulls house-made pizzas, burgers, wings, and retro fries smothered in beer cheese, bacon, and pickled jalapeños straight out of the oven. Behind the bar, slushie machines spin signature frozen drinks constructed with real fruit purees, fruit juices, ice cream, and energy drinks, backed by draft cocktails and local taps. It operates as a chill neighborhood spot where daytime family gaming smoothly transitions into an adults-only lounge once dusk hits.
What it's like
Expect a low-key neighborhood vibe where kids hit the pinball line in the early afternoon and adults take over the room past dusk. Arrive in the evening if you want to skip the family crowd and get straight to trading quarters across titles like Godzilla or Street Fighter II. Some vintage cabinets occasionally show their age with sticky buttons, but staff are quick to swap bad tokens if a machine eats your quarter. Grab a frozen spiked slushie, order a house-made pizza, and snag the SNES table before the night gets busy.
The move: Order matching spiked slushies and a pizza, then trade quarters across the pinball and arcade cabinets between bites.
📍 Before you go Family-friendly during the day; 21-and-up in the evening. Opens 3pm on weekdays, noon on weekends.
- 📍 Colorado Springs (east side)
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Big night
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 6120 Barnes Rd Ste 110, Colorado Springs, CO 80922
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Escaped In Time — Pair a custom-built, veteran-owned escape room session 1.6 miles down the road with quarter-trading over pinball and pizza.
- Kilroy's Workshop — Spend the afternoon swinging hammers at a blacksmith forge before unwinding down Barnes Road with spiked frozen slushies and retro cabinets.
- Supernova Bar and Arcade — Compare the east side's low-key neighborhood pinball collection against downtown's original arcade bar scene.
- Elev8 Premier Glass Studio — Follow up a hands-on glassblowing torch workshop on Platte Avenue with a low-key game night at the arcade bar.
Good to know
When does The Control Room transition to 21-and-up?
It remains family-friendly during daytime hours and transitions to an adults-only 21-and-up environment in the evening.
What kind of games can I play there?
The game floor features modern Stern pinball machines, classic arcade cabinets (like Pac-Man, Punch-Out!!, and Mortal Kombat), air hockey, and a free-play SNES console at the bar table.
What food and drinks are served?
They serve house-made pizzas, burgers, wings, and retro fries alongside draft beers, draft cocktails, and signature spiked slushies made with real fruit juices, purees, ice cream, and energy drinks.
What are the general hours of operation?
Doors open at 3:00 PM on weekdays and noon on weekends, though you should verify current hours before visiting.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · kineticist.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-23