Player 2 Arcade Bar: The Eats

We have reviewed Player 2 Arcade Bar in the past, focusing on their drinks and our experience among the vintage arcade cabinets of youth. Player 2 remains a destination for any visitors that come to see me from the era of the classic arcade, and no one has been disappointed. However, we never formally ate there. That ended one October weekend where it got too hot in my apartment for me to cook, and my husband and I needed something to do.

We arrived just before the rush came pouring into the door with enough time to order drinks and our meal from the one bartender on staff. The poor guy was managing the bar, food orders, and any malfunctions on the variety of machines in the building by himself by the time we left. Overwhelmed is one way to describe the guy by the end of our visit-- but he was as courteous then as he was when my husband and I initially ordered.

​The burger menu is an homage to characters of the 80’s and 90’s video games. Donkey Kong, Mario, The Terminator, and more have a signature burger on the regular menu for you to pick out at any given visit. They go through a special burger each month, and this month’s burger was named for that classic NFL Arcade Game: Blitz. It’s a game my husband plays every visit, and the burger he decided to get for himself.

The Blitz is constructed as part of a classic northeastern Wisconsin burger variant with a beef patty and a brat patty at the center of the bun. That’s where the classical construction ends. Cheddar and American cheeses separate the patties from each other, and slathered over the top is a thin blanket of nacho cheese with some garlic aioli. A nest of crispy onions sits on top before the bun crowns the Blitz in its cheesy glory.

I had a bite of my husband’s burger, and I found it to be exactly as he described to me: it’s an exercise in cheesy excess made even tastier by the crispy onions and garlic aioli that cut through the fattiness of the meat and cheese in tandem with one another.  Both patties were perfectly cooked-- just a little pink in the beef. There’s no way to call this a dry burger with the level of juice from the meat and the nacho cheese flow that pours out the sides.

I ate like a child: ordering their boneless wings and a side of their fries that I wax poetic about at every opportunity. The simplicity of the boneless wings made them a much better option to carry around and eat while still getting some game time in, and they also work out as a nice leftover to put into breakfast or lunch the next day. I simply don’t eat in great volume anymore, so having that reusability in something I eat when I’m out is crucial.

Since our last review, Player 2 has added a multitude of other pinball machines that exist as the centerpiece of their enterprise with once weekly pinball tournaments to draw in the crows. This Saturday was no pinball tournament, but with a Packers Home Game on the horizon, the number of people that flowed in behind us made it feel like a tournament was about to happen. We saw a wedding party at the bar, likely stopping for a drink after their pictures that early evening. It’s a destination location, for sure.

But this review is about the Eats. The burgers can be best experienced during their weekday happy hour where you can recieve a burger, a beer, and tokens for a handsome fifteen dollars. Everything is full price during the peak hours such as a Packers Home Game Saturday-- which just makes business sense. Not everyone coming in on the weekends is showing up for food, either, as we often don’t think about food during our other visits. Consider this both your reminder and mine to think about the food.

The burgers are wild and wacky in the best ways, and if you’re the type of eater that wants more than meat, cheese, and the garden-- these are the burgers for you. Go pay them a visit in Downtown Green Bay any day of the week. Kitchen hours may vary from their other open hours. Check beforehand to make sure the burgers are on the grill before you head out if that’s your number one priority.
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Their fall drink menu is officially out and available to view on their instagram or facebook page. I tasted their Loki drink during this visit, which I believe was the first weekend of the Fall Menu, and really enjoyed the way the tequila played with the lemonade. You’ll get a few more months out of this drink menu, so keep it in mind too when you’re getting ready to go out. This stays for the season-- the special burgers for just the month. The Blitz Burger won’t be around much longer.

Gen X and younger will definitely enjoy themselves here! Player 2 announces family days on their facebook from time to time, usually coinciding with a downtown Green Bay event, where kids can get in on the fun too with child friendly offerings. We’ve never attended one of these family days ourselves since we don’t have any little fellas to take and enjoy it, but the option is there for families every once and awhile. This arcade bar was a welcome addition to downtown when it first moved in, and it remains a gem in Green Bay’s crown. Thanks for delicious food and drinks and a place to unwind after a hard weekend the best way I know how-- with old video games.