It was yet another Sunday with a full slate of NFL football games where standing or kneeling would be just as dramatic as tackling and catching. Being the entertainment addicted American I am, I pondered where I could go to see more than one game at a time. The Treasure Valley has many options, but for this eventful Sunday, my friends and I decided to try the infamous Boise Dave & Busters next to the Boise Town Square.
Dave & Busters is an arcade eatery that shows up in one of every five ads on local programming. The location is the graveyard of the once highly successful Circuit City—which you would think is somehow still haunting the locale due to the amount of glowing neon lights. D&B’s is an interesting mix that seems to work for a variety of ages, but is aimed at those with more testosterone and competitive natures.
The Sunday we went offered a uniquely adventurous deal that brought my inner teenager to life. All you can eat wings and a ten-dollar game card for only twenty bucks. My friends were not as excited by the deal, and instead opted for the Crispy Nashville Style Hot Chicken and the Pepperoni Pretzel Pull Apart. I had a rough decision due to the amazing picture of a pulled pork sandwich with macaroni and cheese on it, but I decided to get go down the path of my adolescent heart and take D&B’s up on the game and food combo.
As the waiter took their time to approach, I noticed that an exceptional amount of people around us had bloody marys and margaritas in front of them. This was soon answered as my friend found out from the waitress that on Sunday, bloody marys, margaritas, and large beers for four dollars. Along with that deal, others took part in a variety of wildly colored drinks with one table even having a large beer tower as stout as Cowboy’s lineman.
The food at the Boise Dave & Buster’s was higher quality than most football pubs in the valley. The wings were hot, had a good amount of sauce, and weren’t too fatty for the most part. The server made sure to always have more ready to go, which was a nice change for an all you can eat environment. The Hot Chicken plate my friends ordered looked as if it was prepared on a cooking show, with a display that seemed too high scale for DB’s, but was enjoyable nonetheless. The chicken was juicy, flavorful, and the accompaniments were paired well. The pretzel pizza dish was simple, and a perfect combination of comfort foods.
It was a bit hard to have in depth conversations over the meal due to the loud TV’s, radio announcers from the Ticket 93.1, and upset Seattle Seahawks fans near us. For this reason, I would not suggest DB’s for an intimate business meeting or date. On the other hand, the lights, sounds, and fun atmosphere makes it a great place for those who like excitement. Some families may be turned off by the amount of loud beer induced cursing, but that tends to happen near the bar and not the gaming area.
The gaming area is quite spectacular. It a perfect arrangement of sports, racing, fighting, and interactive games that are exemplary of what technology has to offer. For our $10 game card, we chose to play the basketball shootout, the multi-person air hockey, and a highly interactive Star Wars game. The game card went farther than I thought it would and even gave us enough virtual tickets to get some candy at the end.
All in all, the Boise Dave &Buster’s is a fun environment that could work for a variety of patrons. The food is good, the games are fun, and it offers what it proclaims too. I did come out smelling like a teenager again, which may be a downfall, or a reason to go back.
546 N. Milwaukee St.
Boise, ID 83704
Phone: (208) 901-3800
