The Draftsman Bar + Lounge Asheville is a barcade set right on Patton Avenue in the heart of downtown Asheville, North Carolina. As a barcade, it folds arcade play into a lounge and bar setting, a format that lets visitors pair games with drinks rather than treating the two as separate outings. The address — 68 Patton Ave — places it within easy walking distance of many of Asheville’s other downtown attractions and fellow arcade-style venues.
Asheville has built a name for itself as a creative mountain city in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and its gaming scene is one of the more eclectic in the Southeast. The Draftsman shares the downtown core with several sister venues, including Level 256 Classic Arcade Bar, Asheville Retrocade, the Asheville Pinball Museum, the Grove Arcade, and Hello Sugar at the Grove Arcade. Visitors planning a longer arcade crawl can use the RetroArcade interactive arcade map to lay out a route between stops without doubling back across town.
The listing below sticks to what the venue’s public record shows — address, hours, contact details, and the user rating — without speculating about specific machines, food menus, or pricing that aren’t on file. Anyone chasing deeper detail on the cabinet lineup, drink menu, or current events should reach the venue directly.
At a Glance
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | 68 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC |
| Phone | +1 855-568-6800 |
| Hours | Sun 11:30AM–12AM; Mon–Thu 5PM–12AM; Fri 5PM–1AM; Sat 11:30AM–1AM |
| Rating | 4 out of 5 from 114 reviews |
| Best For | Adults combining drinks and arcade play in downtown Asheville |
The Scene
With no curated review summary or owner-supplied description on file, the picture of The Draftsman Bar + Lounge comes from its basic public data: it is listed as a “Video arcade” in Google’s directory and identifies as a barcade — a bar and an arcade rolled into one venue. Its 4-star average from 114 reviews places it firmly in the well-regarded category without pushing into outlier territory, and the volume of reviews is large enough to suggest a steady local following rather than a one-off tourist stop.
Visitors who want a fuller read on the room are welcome to add their own impressions after a visit, or use the RetroArcade finder directory to compare it side-by-side with neighbors like Level 256 and Asheville Retrocade. The number of nearby arcade-flavored venues — from full pinball museums to a historic shopping arcade — is one of the things that makes Asheville a strong stop for traveling players who want to mix cabinets with cocktails.
Games & Machines
The venue’s homepage analysis is not on file in this directory, so specific machines, cabinet counts, and pinball lineups are not listed here. What can be said from the category alone is that barcades of this type typically blend a curated selection of classic and modern arcade cabinets — and often a row of pinball machines — with a full bar service. Play is usually set to free-play or token systems rather than the quarter-per-play model of a traditional family arcade, which suits the lounge-style pace of the room. Anyone wanting exact titles, current pricing, or tournament schedules should check the venue’s website or call ahead using the number listed above.
Visiting
The Draftsman sits at 68 Patton Avenue in downtown Asheville, a short walk from other arcade venues and from the city’s main arts and music strips. Hours follow a clear weekend/weekday split: Saturday and Sunday open earliest, at 11:30AM, while Monday through Thursday start later, at 5PM. Friday and Saturday close latest, at 1AM, with the rest of the week wrapping at midnight.
As a bar + lounge concept, the venue is best suited to adult visitors; anyone planning to bring minors should call the venue directly at +1 855-568-6800 to confirm the age policy for the specific time of day, since barcade age rules can vary by night and by section. The official site at thedraftsmanasheville.com is the best source for any current food, drink, or event information.
If you operate The Draftsman Bar + Lounge Asheville and want the listing updated — new machine lineups, event nights, party packages — you can claim this listing through RetroArcade. Travelers comparing venues can browse the full RetroArcade arcade finder or open the interactive arcade map to see where The Draftsman fits among nearby stops like the Asheville Pinball Museum and the Grove Arcade.