Opening this Saturday, Jan. 28., at 292 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge is a unique and long-awaited restaurant concept that's sure to draw a crowd. That's right, people: Dust off you inner Pinball Wizard because A4cade and Roxy's Central is here to rock your world.
The brainchild of James DiSabatino (Roxy’s Grilled Cheese) and Michael Krupp (AreaFour), the dual restaurant/adult playground has been in the works for months now but is finally ready to throw its doors open to the public.
The offering is "a hybrid destination for dining, drinking and diversion. Guests can enjoy casual eats at Roxy’s Central, which is also the gateway to the city’s first arcade bar, Area Four’s A4cade, where cocktails and games galore can be found through speakeasy-style doors."
Roxy's, of course, has become a grilled cheese staple in these parts. This new location will offer fare both classic and updated, including grass-fed burgers, veggie dogs and hot dogs, and hand-cut fries and tater tots. Soft-serve ice cream and milkshakes are also in the mix.
Push through what appears to be "an inconveniently placed walk-in fridge" and you'll be met instead with the discrete entrance to A4cade, a throwback to the childhood you wish you had. In addition to the full food menu from Roxy's, A4cade will showcase a whimsical drink menu "served in vessels ranging from sippy cups to Dr. Who police boxes" in either "one player" or "two player" sizes. Featured drinks include The Kill Screen, their variation of the frozen painkiller; The Medicine of Life, a house-made bottled Aperol spritz; there's a hot toddy that goes by the name Your Mom’s Basement, aptly offered up in a thermos lunch box "with a snack and a note from mommy dearest." Craft beers from Cold Harbor and Notch Brewery are artfully poured into yellow Solo cups.
As for the games, here's what you can expect:
The eclectic selection of games was curated to entertain arcade buffs and casual gamers alike. Players can choose to fly solo while defending the galaxy from invaders in Galaga, team up with a trusted sidekick to fight crime in side-scrolling beat-’em-ups like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Deluxe, or go head-to-head against foes in vintage fighting games like Mortal Kombat 2. Get behind the wheel with driving games like Cruis’n Exotica, hook up an Xbox console to one of the A4cade’s TVs or unplug and settle scores with classics, including Foosball, Skeeball, Pinball or – at 18 feet – on the longest Shuffleboard table in the city.
Both restaurants are open for dinner only beginning at 5 p.m. for the first week before commencing their normal hours.
If you go: Sunday – Thursday: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.; Friday – Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. A4cade is 21+.
Images provided | Credit Zac Wolf.
