Joystiq

A dope spot to chill. Bartenders are rad, and there's plenty of games to play. I accidentally spent 4 hours here. And the fried zucchini is super crunchable.

Came to Joystiq to walk off the dinner we had across the street. I was excited to see a bar with games in Downtown Merced. The inside is dimly lit with HUGE tv's along the walls, and Christmas lights strung about just in time for the holidays. The floors by the pinball machines were extra sticky for some reason. And some of the arcade games in the back were out of order. I will say they have some classic arcade cabinets though! Lots of variety and a whole row of pinball machines from Deadpool to Jaws. The bar is the central focus and there is a separate section off to the right where people can make food orders. We ordered the following drinks- regular rum and Coke double- One Piece cocktail: I really enjoyed the citrus notes, but never thought I'd like mixing beer with hard liquor. It ended up going really well together lol It was a good pour overall and I definitely felt the effects of the alcohol after even half of my drink. The person who took our drink was super nice, but left the POS in front of us. So we were able to view all the back-end of the orders she had on her tablet. Whoops lol Overall, with some better upkeep, I think Joystiq can be a go-to third place.

Came in for a Michilada after the mercado on main st. Their location is right downtown and there's plenty of TVs and seating area for your group. I really liked how they had plenty of games and entertainment. I ordered a few mixed drinks and the bartender made them just right. At the end of the night we ended up in the karaoke room. It was so much fun. Great spot to just hang out and have some good drinks.

I wanted to like this place so badly, but it was an incredible disappointment in so many ways. First, I want to say that the only reason I didn't give this place one star is because the staff members were all really nice and tried to be helpful. The bartenders were responsive and friendly. There are a ton of games and tv's and it seems like it can be entertaining, especially for groups. The ugly- it took nearly 2 HOURS to get our food and the last dish that was supposed to come out was cancelled because they ran out of shrimp, so one of my kids didn't eat. I don't know where the shortfalls lie behind the scenes, but they all lead to an epic failure in delivering to the customer. We should've walked out after we hadn't gotten our food within the first hour. It did not seem overly busy for a place of its size, but they warned us they were backed up so we gave them latitude. Lastly, after about an hour and a half, and not yet eating the food we ordered, we were told we needed to be out of our table by 9 because it was reserved for a drag queen show. We'd also need to exit the premises because we had kids under 18 with us. Anyway, this was a really disappointing experience and we likely wouldn't go here again. It seems like it could be fun, but not worth the risk.

The vibe is nice. Service was good. Plenty of spaces to gather. Karaoke room was fun. Drinks were flowing. Best part free entry just show ID.

I absolutely love coming here, always a great time with a great atmosphere! super safe and the food is fire!!!!! The bar options are amazing really love the Princess Peach!!!! Our favorite bar tender is Serena. Service is professional and friendly.

Merced's very own mini-Dave n Busters: basically an adult playground! There are a ton of arcade and bar games available! I was very happy to see guitar hero, plus you can rent out consoles (ie Wii, GameCube, XBox, Playstations, etc) to play on one of the many TVs. There's also cornhole, darts (ask a server for some darts), shuffleboard, and more comfy seating upstairs. (But no food upstairs please!) There's also a karaoke room available for rent at $30 an hour, which is an excellent price and has been long overdue in Merced!I think in theory, this place should be a hit. Especially with all the thought they put into the inner decor of this place, which is fun and whimsical! But it just falls short on the execution. If you're looking for the vibes of an extra large bar, then this is for you. If you're looking for a decent dining experience, then go somewhere else and come back here for the drinks afterwards. When you get in, it's self-seating. They have plenty of long tables in the middle and booths along the wall. When you're ready to order, go place your order under the stairs and they'll give you a buzzer that'll let you know when your order is ready. If you want to order a soft drink or water, don't forget to let them know!I ordered the skewers plate with lamb and chicken and I thought everything lacked a bit of oomf and zest (aka it was all a little bland). I also got the mango habanero wings and thank goodness they were moist and tasty...but were drenched and leaning towards almost being soggy.There's kind of a lack of service here, which is where I think this place critically falls short of its potential. It doesn't feel as cozy as it could, and they play the music really loud here. I think I would be more ok with everything if I only came here, already a little drunk, to hangout with my friends and play darts.

As someone who is a huge fan of barcades, Joystiq was pretty darn fun. Coming from the Bay Area, I'm always amazed at how much more affordable drinks are. We ordered a draft beer and a Paloma, and the bartender said $16...the Bay Area hasn't seen those type of prices in a decade, but I digress...This venue is huge and heard it gets really packed on weekends. We came before dinner across the street and it was nearly empty which was great because there was no wait for the basketball pop a shot or beer pong tables. The pop a shot is a $1 a game and it's an old school arcade that takes quarters at all the machines. They have a coin dispenser so remember to bring cash. I hadn't played beer pong in years, but safe to say, I still got it. They had two tables setup for use, with all the cups filled with water and ping pong balls to use. I really forgot how much fun I have playing BP, especially after some friendly competition with the gf. Overall, if you are looking for a fun place to play arcade games, drinking games, and affordable drinks, this is a great option in downtown Merced. Good for large groups or a competitive date night.

Tried this place for lunch on a Saturday with some coworkers. There's both street parking and a public lot.Our servers mentioned that it's a lot less crowded at lunchtime on weekends versus during the week. Needless to say, our service was good.There's a lot of old school video games and pinball machines in this place (plus other games). There's also a few TV monitors inside. There's an upstairs section that has some cornhole boards and a shuffleboard table. Fun times!I ordered a hamburger...it came with fries. When ordering, they give you a buzzer...and buzz you when your food is ready. My 1/3 lbs burger (came with cheese) was pretty good. The burger/fries order was $14.00 though! Pricey in my book...is this the new norm?Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere and my food. There was nothing to complain about nor anything to rave about. You can't go wrong stopping in here to eat or drink.

Fun games! Excellent food!! Good times!! Good drinks! Full bar! This is a fun place to visit! There are tons of pinball machines and video games. The hot wings and seasoned fries are very good!