For those who are over 21 and love video games, nostalgia and beer, Tappers is heaven on Earth. As someone who has plenty of fond memories of old-school, 8-bit video games from my childhood, when I heard about Tappers from some of my friends, I knew I had to go. The bar has dozens of classic arcade games, including Mortal Kombat II, NBA Jam, Punch Out, Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Paper Boy and even the first video game ever, Pong, along with many others. There are also several
TVs placed next to the entrance with classic home game consoles including a Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo and a Sega Genesis. The best part of the experience at Tappers is that they drop the “pay for each play” method used in traditional arcades. So instead of having to carry around pockets full of quarters, all I had to do I was buy one beer and I was free to play all of the games on the premises; except for
the pinball machines, which were still reasonably priced (around $1 for three plays). Along with the great games, Tappers also has a diverse selection of local and regional brews which are well-priced at about $5 to $7 per drink. Each of the arcade games has either a built-on drink holder or a ledge next to it to set a drink on. This was incredibly helpful for games in which I was very competitive against my friends. My favorite game, by far, at Tappers was NBA Jam. As a fan of both basketball and video games, I had a great time beating my roommate as the old-school Chicago Bulls. For me, most bars lose their charm after a couple of hours, or they aren’t fun unless I have already had a few drinks. However, at Tappers I found myself wanting to stay until the place closed while only having one drink the whole night. I had a blast at Tappers and only spent around $10, which is no small feat. Overall, I had a memorable and extremely fun experience at this bar. Tappers is a great place to go with a group of friends and entertain yourself for hours while spending only a fraction of what you normally would at another bar.
501 Virginia Ave #102
Indianapolis, IN 46203
