Best of Columbus: Pins Mechanical Company

Commute from Campus: 35 minutes

Original Location: Downtown Columbus 141 N. 4th Street Columbus, Ohio

issue 01 | winter 2022
PINS Mechanical Co.

Old School Entertainment:

Located in the heart of downtown Columbus, Pins Mechanical Co.’s original location is where the “barcade” craze turned up a notch. The 16,000 squarefoot warehouse-style building is bursting with entertainment options.

The Signature Game:

Duckpin bowling. Think regular bowling but smaller balls, shorter lanes, and pins on strings. Aim for a strike, but don’t get discouraged if the scoreboard talks a little smack. No bowling shoes required.

The Arcade Game:

Pinball. Bring your quarters (it’s 50 cents per game) or stop at the change machine before you test your skills at more than 30 different pinball machines. From AC/DC to Deadpool and Game of Thrones, find your favorite theme and try to rack up a high score.

The Table Games:

Ping pong and foosball. Rent a set of paddles and see who is at the top of their table tennis game. Foosball is 50 cents per game, so keep your wrist flick ready.

The “Bigger is Better” Games:

Giant Jenga, giant Connect 4, and Patio Pong — all the games you love on a larger scale. Find a few friends and see who has the steadiest hand, most strategic mind, or best aim. All of these games are free to play and located on the outdoor patios.

Drink + Eat:

For the 21+ crowd, there are more than 30 craft beers on tap, seasonal specialty cocktails and festive punches. Visit before 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and you score $2 off your cocktail beer or wine. But if you’re not of drinking age quite yet, don’t worry, you can sip on mocktails as you play before the space becomes 21 and over at 8 p.m.

If you’ve worked up an appetite, there’s always a food truck parked out on the side patio. Look for crowd favorites like Mexican from El Sabor and Taquitos, Middle Eastern cuisine from Zaki Grill, and American comfort food from Tasty Good.

Call a Timeout:

Ready for a break from the action? There are two full bars with plenty of stand-up tables, barstools, and TVs. You can also hang out by the fire pits on the all-season patio or grab a spot on a Chesterfield sofa and relax with friends. Once you’ve recharged, challenge your friends to another round.

Visit the Other Locations:

You can also visit the Pins Mechanical Co. at Dublin at Bridge Park (6558 Riverside Drive, Dublin, Ohio) for bocce ball, in addition to the classic games. The new Easton Town Center location is also slated to open soon with 30,000 square feet of entertainment space.

Published February 2022
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