The Detour sits at 2200A Market Street in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood, where it operates as a hybrid restaurant, cocktail bar, and arcade. The venue reads as a social hangout first and a gaming spot second, with a full Filipino-influenced kitchen, a busy cocktail program, and a recurring calendar of themed events that draw a mix of regulars and curious walk-ins.
Originally launched as Brewcade, the space was rebranded and expanded into The Detour, picking up a full kitchen along the way and a reputation as one of San Francisco’s beloved queer arcade bars. Its sister cocktail bar, Blackbird, sits just one block away, and the two together anchor a corner of Castro nightlife that pairs pixel-perfect nostalgia with a polished, community-driven feel. The Detour is part of a broader San Francisco arcade scene that includes Emporium Arcade Bar and Round1 Bowling & Arcade, but it leans harder into the bar-and-restaurant identity than most.
At a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 2200A Market St, San Francisco, California |
| Phone | +1 415-872-5310 |
| Hours | Mon–Thu 5:00 PM–11:30 PM; Fri 5:00 PM–1:00 AM; Sat 2:00 PM–1:00 AM; Sun 1:00 PM–12:00 AM |
| Rating | 4.5 out of 5 from 1,100 reviews |
| Best For | Large groups, casual drinkers, date night, solo visitors |
The Scene
Because no aggregated review summary is available for The Detour, the picture of the venue here is drawn from the listing’s own homepage material and feature list. The space reads as a vibrant Castro neighborhood barcade that blends nostalgic and modern arcade gaming with a full Filipino-influenced kitchen and a busy cocktail program. The room leans queer-friendly and community-driven, with themed brunches, DJ nights, trivia rounds, and board game events layered directly onto the gaming.
Sunday Funday Drag Brunch is hosted on select dates (a recent edition featured host Fren Yen, with doors at 11 and show at noon), and Friday nights are given over to Detour Disco with DJ Wicks. Tuesdays host Board Game Night from 7:30 to 10:00 PM, Thursdays run Trivia Night in the same window, and Saturdays open the doors from 2:00 to 6:00 PM for an All Ages Day. The first Tuesday of every month is set aside for a 21+ Free Play All Day event, which is the only time the arcade side of the business explicitly prices itself — regular game pricing is not stated on the homepage.
The room is supported by a roving bar cart, a full late-night menu that runs Sunday through Thursday until 10:00 PM and Friday and Saturday until 11:00 PM, and a private-party program handled through the venue’s reservations page. For readers tracking the broader Bay Area gaming-and-drink circuit, the Emporium Arcade Bar in San Francisco is a useful contrast piece, as is Players Sports Grill & Arcade for a more sports-leaning take.
Games & Machines
The Detour’s homepage does not publish a machine list or a roster of signature games, so specific cabinet counts and titles can’t be confirmed from the listing data. What is clear is that the venue operates as a barcade — an arcade room running alongside a full restaurant and bar — and that the gaming leans on a nostalgic-versus-modern mix rather than a competitive or tournament-grade setup. Pricing on regular play is not stated on the homepage, and the only fixed-price event listed is the 21+ Free Play All Day on the first Tuesday of each month. Readers looking for a more traditional, machine-forward arcade can compare the lineup at Kiddleton or browse the broader arcade finder for cabinet-heavy alternatives.
Visiting
The Detour is on Market Street in the heart of the Castro, a short walk from the Castro Muni station and easy to reach by transit from anywhere in San Francisco. Street parking in the neighborhood is limited, so rideshare or public transit is the easier option on weekend evenings. Doors open at 5:00 PM on weekdays, 2:00 PM on Saturdays, and 1:00 PM on Sundays, and the room runs late on Friday and Saturday nights until 1:00 AM.
The venue is set up as a 21-and-older bar in general operation, but Saturdays from 2:00 to 6:00 PM are designated All Ages Day for families and younger visitors, and the first Tuesday of every month is a 21+ Free Play All Day event. Alcohol is served throughout the rest of the week alongside a full restaurant kitchen and a late-night menu that runs until 10:00 PM Sunday through Thursday and until 11:00 PM on Friday and Saturday. Private parties and group bookings are handled through the venue’s reservations page, and the cocktail program extends next door to sister bar Blackbird if the main room gets crowded.
For more Bay Area options, browse the interactive arcade map or use the arcade finder to filter by neighborhood, hours, and amenities. Arcade owners can claim their listing to keep hours, events, and machine rosters up to date.