Dave & Buster’s Philadelphia is a large-scale family entertainment center combining a ticket-redemption arcade, a full restaurant, and a bar under one roof. It anchors the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania arcade scene with a waterfront location just steps from the Delaware River and the Ben Franklin Bridge — one of the more scenic settings of any chain FEC in the region.
On any given night the floor draws a mixed crowd of families with younger kids, teens burning through their allowance on redemption games, and adult groups splitting pitchers between rounds of racing simulators. Half-price game days are the busiest draws, and the venue is a frequent pick for birthday parties and graduation dinners. The pull here is breadth: dozens of attractions, plus the convenience of eating and gaming without ever leaving the building.
At a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Address | Philadelphia, PA |
| Phone | +1 215-413-1951 |
| Hours | Sun–Tue 10 AM–12 AM · Wed–Thu 10 AM–1 AM · Fri–Sat 10 AM–2 AM |
| Rating | 4 out of 5 from 8,900 Google reviews |
| Best For | Families, birthday parties, group outings, half-price game nights |
What Players Say
The clear draw at Dave & Buster’s Philadelphia is the size and variety of the game floor, anchored by a scenic riverside location that guests consistently call out. The consistent pain point is service: across more than two dozen mentions, the restaurant floor and the bar both feel understaffed on busy nights, and wait times for seating and refills can stretch well past twenty minutes.
“There are tons of games to play,” a Google reviewer notes, a sentiment echoed across 22 mentions of game selection. The atmosphere is described as “fun and energetic” by one Google reviewer, and a dozen more describe it as a strong pick for kids — “Plenty of games for children and adults to enjoy,” as one Google review puts it. Group visits land well too, with seven reviews calling out birthdays, graduations, and team outings as a natural fit for the space.
The recurring caveats match those themes in reverse. Service is the loudest complaint, with the short and direct take being “the service is horrible” — Google review. Parking is a close second, with one Google reviewer writing “To pay $30 for parking then to have to wait forever to be served is ridiculous” — a view shared across 16 mentions of the parking fee and access. Prize value draws its own pushback across 18 comments, with one Google reviewer noting that “Prizes are way too many points.” Machine condition is mixed across 12 reviews, with several noting that a portion of the floor sits broken or out of calibration on busy days. Food quality splits right down the middle across 30 reviews — a Google reviewer described the experience positively: “the food was amazing. The ribs were moist and flavorful” — and crowds and wait times draw another 18 negative mentions, with one Google reviewer writing “I waited 20 minutes to even get asked if I wanted something to drink.”
Games & Machines
As a full family entertainment center, Dave & Buster’s Philadelphia stocks the classic FEC formula: a wide sweep of ticket-redemption games, driving and motion-simulator cabs, sports and rhythm games, shooters, and the carnival-style staples like skee-ball and whackers. A prize counter anchors the ticket haul, and the chain is best known for running half-price game promotions on slower weekdays, a pattern borne out by reviewers who flag those nights as the best value nights to visit. The venue also leans heavily into group-friendly attractions — the kind of big-cab, multiplayer experiences that work well for birthday parties and corporate bookings. A current, machine-by-machine floor map was not available at the time of writing.
Visiting
The venue sits inside Philadelphia, PA along the Delaware River waterfront near the Ben Franklin Bridge, putting it within easy reach of Center City and the Old City entertainment strip. Doors open at 10 AM every day of the week, with closing time sliding from midnight on Sundays through Tuesdays to 1 AM on Wednesdays and Thursdays and 2 AM on Fridays and Saturdays — useful for both daytime family visits and late-night group outings.
The location combines gaming, a full restaurant menu, and a bar in a single complex, so most visitors can plan to spend an entire evening on site without needing to leave for food or drinks. Private event and birthday-party bookings are widely used here, and the venue is one of the most-celebrated group-booking destinations in town. Guests should plan ahead for parking; a $30 garage fee is the most-flagged complaint in reviews and is worth budgeting into the night.
For the latest hours, current promotions, and party booking, call +1 215-413-1951 or check the official Philadelphia location page at daveandbusters.com. Visitors weighing other options in the same neighborhood can compare nearby arcades on the arcade map or browse the full directory at find an arcade. Two other Philadelphia venues worth walking past on the same night are Barcade in Center City and the second Barcade location, both tuned toward pinball and craft beer rather than redemption games. If you operate this venue and want to update the listing, the claim form is at claim your listing.