For the average American family, a night out together is usually all about the children. Parents supervise while children run amok, and the adults tough their way through below average food until their children are exhausted and fight-screaming all the way home.

But at Pinstack, 45,000 square feet await family outings, first dates, girls’ nights or birthday parties, and the eats have the quality to match. The most difficult part about Pinstack is deciding what to do first. The flashing lights and sounds of the massive arcade will catch your eye, but around every corner is another adventure that is just as enticing. The arcade includes classics like skee-ball and ball toss as well as the newest first-person shooters, but what makes it unique is the updated takes on old school games like Galaga and Asteroids. Guests can purchase value cards and use them on the games, collecting tickets to be spent on prizes that bring the fun home.

“The most difficult part about Pinstack is deciding what to do first…”

Directly above the flashing lights of the video games, another adventure awaits. An innovative ropes course allows patrons to get strapped into a harness and try their hand —while suspended above the arcade. Wire bridges, tightropes and wooden steps crisscross above the games for all the risk takers out there. The elements allow the climbers to transition between challenges using joints that secure the harness, which is an efficient way to avoid using too many staff on the course.

While many might not make it past air hockey and giant foosball, laser tag is tucked in the corner for those who haven’t spent their energy on the ropes course. In this every man for himself arena, duck and dodge behind glowing pillars in a fog-filled course bumping with bass. If the laser tag wasn’t jarring enough, the bumper cars are waiting and ready, though it is probably better to do so before chowing down on a meal. Buckle up and enjoy the black-lit bumper ride. If making more room for dinner is in the plans, tackle the rock-climbing wall. LED lights lead the way up the 28-foot cliff with a range of difficulty.

Pinstack is a place where mom and dad are just likely as the kids to get distracted by all the fun, but if everyone can be rounded up, head over to the dining area hungry. The days of poorly made pizza and soda being the only options at an entertainment center are over, and Pinstack has the diverse menu to prove it. While the pizza is thin and deliciously foldable, the menu also includes a Greek appetizer plate with hummus and tapenade, mini chicken and waffles with spicy syrup, wagyu beef sliders, a Philly cheesesteak and much more. If children are involved, the quickest items to disappear will probably be the pretzel bites with Lakewood Lager cheese sauce and the mac and cheese pops, which are crunchy breaded balls of cheesy noodle goodness.

But the menu isn’t just for families. The full bar can take care of any cocktail needs, including two different sangrias and a unique take on the Moscow mule that includes cucumber. They have dozens of beers, with several local drafts on tap, and the wine list covers all the bases.

Eating can go down away from the action in the expansive dining area or can be taken to the bowling alley, where over two dozen lanes await. With big screen TVs for days, bowlers can knock out spares and strikes to their heart’s content and catch the game, or can take the party to the VIP bowling area for a more secluded experience. Both sections include food and beverage service right at your lane, so you can order in between rolls.

Whether you want to leave with a giant stuffed animal or make your date smile, Pinstack can make it happen.

Will Maddox is a writer from Dallas. He likes taking the long way, getting off the interstate and exploring Texas. He can be found hiking, playing soccer and eating gas station tacos.
Cover photo Bret Redman