Good Times Restaurant and Games

Update: Good Times is closed.

In a word: What the?

The specs: #0405
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at 77 Square, Cap Times.

Beth ate the Caesar salad with a coffee.
JM ate the Carolina pulled pork with a lemonade.
John ate the crab po' boy with a soda.
Nichole ate the Santa Fe salad with a decaf.
Sean ate the steak sliders and a couple beers.
The kids split some salad and fish fry.
The bill was about $90, or $12.86/person, plus tip.
John gave Good Times Restaurant and Games an A-; JM gave Good Times Restaurant and Games a B+; Beth, Nichole and Sean gave Good Times Restaurant and Games a B (see our grading rubric).

Latest Good Times Restaurant and Games news and reviews

Good Times Restaurant and Games has not changed a stick of furniture or taken down a Rat Pack photo since it took over the late Fitch's Chophouse. The owners (who also run Pancake Cafe, according to our server) have turned one front dining room into a game room with pinball, skeeball, foosball, the Claw, a couple shooting games, Deal or No Deal, and a prize counter a la Chuck E. Cheese for grownups. It is very surreal to go from dark wood paneling and dimly lit tables for two to a DDR machine playing a lousy cover of "Centerfold."

We visited on a quiet Sunday afternoon. A few patrons watched football at the bar, and we hit the game room. We found the skeeball tended to have an inconsistent ball count but still managed to pool our tickets for a few amusing plastic tschotschkes. Overall, Sean called the game room "enh at best," opining that they need more pinball and arcade titles; John and JM were only moderately impressed. And they should know, being game designers and all.

To Good Times' credit, the food is better than we expected (given that the primary competition in this field in the Cheese). Though the kids' menu was none too healthy, being mostly deep-fried meats with fries on the side, Beth asked after veggie substitutes and our able server was accommodating. The kids split a fish fry plate and shared Beth's very cheesy Caesar salad, and were pretty happy with that.

The grownups were also satisfied, John probably most so. His po' boy was imitation crab but there was lots of it, and by the end of the meal he was stuffed. Nichole's Santa Fe salad was pretty much Applebee's. JM loves him a pulled pork sandwich and, of course, the Carolina iteration with the cole slaw served on top was delightful, if a little odd to find at a place that also had a Monopoly pinball machine.

Sean took the games part seriously and played with his food. Four steak sliders with homemade dips invite experimentation, and he assembled one classic steak and onion; one with salsa and jalapeno; one with bleu cheese; and one with ketchup and pickle. While they were all tasty, no combo overpowered the basic savoriness of plain steak and onion. The side of homemade potato chips was also reasonably good.

In summary, we give kudos to the good service that let us loiter over games and food for nearly three hours and rarely left us with an empty cup. We're thinking Good Times has a narrow niche - namely, people who are looking for a good meal and a place to stick the kids while they enjoy it.

Comments

[The Dru]

I take alot of stock in your reviews, and it doesn't really sound like my kinda joint, but I am a SERIOUS pinball junkie! Any resturant w/ pinball is a +. But I have to know, what game is it? Please answer.

[The Producer]

I have been thinking of going to this place, sounds like it should be fun!

[JmSR]

Monopoly pinball and that was about it. Decent pinball game actually.

[Scott]

I'm surprised at the review. I have been there with friends and found the food to be terrible and the service even worse. The bartenders were clueless (and I quote one of them "What the hell is a Manhattan??") If it wasn't for the games (as a place to go with friends that have kids), I probably would never go there again.

[Pam]

OMG-this has got to be the worst place in the world to eat! It was dirty-especially the bathrooms, very loud and the food was so overpriced for what they give you. The waitress not only screwed up our order-but took our beverage glasses that were still half full for a refill-and charged me as if I had received 2 full beverages. A $70.00 dollar bill for a family of 4 after 1 salad, 2 burgers & 1 chicken sandwich.-REALLY ISNT WORTH IT!