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Salem’s newest home for arcade games, elk burgers served on doughnut-croissant hybrids, and cocktails has softly opened its doors for a few nights of "beta," according to an announcement on Facebook. For this soft opening period, not all of the games are operational just yet, but customers will find plenty of things to eat, drink, and play.
As previously reported, the Bit Bar menu is meant to be fairly "portable" to allow easy gaming and eating — try a chorizo corn dog, for example, or pop-tart lollipops for dessert. There’s full-service table-seating in the main room, but customers can also start a tab at the bar and then roam around, playing games and ordering food as they go. Between games, there are skinny tables to hold food and drinks.
Once full hours kick in, there will be an abbreviated late-night menu available from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. (Buffalo-spiced popcorn with blue cheese aioli, smoked mango chicken walking tacos, and more). Plus, brunch will launch on weekends with dishes like a chicken and waffle sandwich and a meat & egg board.
The cocktails have arcade-related names, of course. There’s the Ghost Eater (ghost pepper-infused tequila, triple sec, lemon, lime, pineapple, and lemon lime soda), the Blanka (Macchu Pisco, lime, fresh ginger, simple syrup, ginger brew, and bitters), and more. The beer and cider selection includes plenty of locals, from Salem’s own Far From the Tree cider to Everett’s Night Shift Brewing.
Bit Bar is (softly) open today, June 20, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., as well as the same hours on Wednesday and Thursday, June 22 and 23. Accompanied minors are welcome before 8 p.m., but the venue becomes 21+ after 8 p.m. Stay tuned for details on the grand opening.
