Button Mash

Barcades are the new new. Button Mash is the latest entry. Classic 1980s games, including my new fav, Ice Cold Beer. Sidenote — who knew getting a metal ball into a hole could be so fun? But the real draw is that the chef of Starry Kitchen is now cooking here. So come get your Starry foods on here! Doesn’t hurt that the beer selection is wide and tasty here too!

I will rip this place.
Worst Barcade ever! The only reason I gave them 2 stars is cause the selection did have truly classic and hard to find games. Let’s start with they make you buy tokens, and then don’t buy your remainder back in the end. The staff is cool-​guy/​girl-​rude. The you-can’t-sit-with-us types. They have no hard liquor. Speaking about that, the Blood Orange hard cider is terrible. They close at 12 and bug the shit out of you to finish your game. That brings me to my rant. You’re a bar and arcade. Stay open like a bar, or at lest let your patrons finish their games! I was about to beat Street Fighter and for the time this lame security guard told me they are closing and last game. If the idiot was watch (I was one out of three people still playing) he would have seen I was on the same token, and just finishing my game. After turning around to ask if I had to leave or if I can finish my game, he told me I could finish, just no more tokens. After turning away from his stupidity my game was over. Never going back. There’s too many arcades to enjoy at drink at without having to deal wit a hostile staff. #lame

Came here a few months ago with a couple of friends. My boyfriend and I were the first to arrive out of our party and the hostess told us that she would seat us as soon as everyone arrived. We decided to wait by getting a beer at the bar. The beer selection was decent and the pricing was fair.
When our entire party arrived, we got seated in the back next to all the pinball machines. It was pretty loud and we asked if we could move to a different open table, but the hostess informed us she already had it reserved for someone else. No problem.
Three of us were starving, so we decided to order the crispy tofu balls, spam fried rice, dan dan noodles, cheese corn, and ginger wings.
— Crispy tofu balls were a hit! They were so good and we had to debate whether or not to order another one of them because we were all in love
— Spam fried rice was incredibly spicy. Good, but still spicy.
— Dan Dan noodles were great. Definitely ate more of this than I anticipated because the Spam fried rice was burning a hole in my mouth.
— Cheese corn was ordered at the behest of my Korean best friend. She loved it and the dish was just as good as any other Korean spot.
— Ginger wings were tasty, but once again, hella spicy. I know I’m a weenie when it comes to spicy foods, but seriously, does everything have to make me need a glass of milk on the side?
After we stuffed ourselves full of food, we decided to order panna cotta and almond tofu for dessert. The almond tofu was alright, nothing to write home about and something I definitely wouldn’t order again. The panna cotta was better, you can definitely taste the lychee flavor.
Our bill between three people with a couple beers thrown in the mix was about $ 30 per person after tip. I thought it was a fair price and I felt stuffed with good bar food that wasn’t incredibly greasy and pretty inventive. I’ll definitely be back for more, but this time maybe with a bottle of milk or something.

This has got to be one of the coolest places I’ve hung out in a while!!! I had so much fun here and why wouldn’t I? It’s a 21+ arcade with lots of 80s and 90s games and even pinball machines! It’s a beer and wine only place but I am ok with a beer in one hand and the other hand pressing franticly on a button to kick some mortal combat a**! Friday night is a very busy night but not so much that I couldn’t get on any game I really wanted to play (street fighter seemed to be the most popular) .
All the games operate on tokens which are bought at the bar in $ 5 increments. Most games take two tokens. Not bad.
Prices for beer are moderate too. $ 5 for a tall can of house beer is actually pretty cheap here.
Parking can be tough because there is only a small lot.
Food is also served here, I didn’t try any cuz there was a long wait. Modern Asian cuisine seems to be the type of food though. Smelled so good. Service at the bar was pretty quick. I love how they bring you they check too… Inside a book that was popular in the 90’s. I got a book by R.L. Stine.
Looks like I’m Gonna hang here anytime I’m in this neighborhood !! You should check this place out!

This cute little restaurant and barcade is just a stroll down the street from us, so we gave it a couple tries. The atmosphere feels adolescent, but being newlyweds, so do we. Both times we walked in, we got a table right away, but that may have been because we arrived on the early side.
The servers are cheerful young dudes who do a good job of getting water and drinks to us on the quick and answering questions without making us feel, like, really old. We enjoyed the Shrimp Fried Rice, Grilled Brussels Sprouts, and Grilled Eggplant the first time, but what actually sent us back there for more were the Crispy Tofu Balls. Seriously delicious. The second time we ate there, we got the Mac and Cheese without bacon (probably a mistake because it turned out to be just overpriced mac and cheese sitting in a kiddie pool of oil), pretty tasty Cheese Corn, blah Roasted Carrots, and considered getting two orders of Crispy Tofu Balls but made the mature decision to share one dish.
By the time we’d downed our second Firestone 805s, the arcade started crowding, so we nudged our way in and dropped some tokens in the machines. I can’t for the life of me remember what we played, but I’m pretty sure we scored.

Food! Beer! Old school arcade games!
We came here on a Friday night and were lucky enough to find parking in the very small parking lot. Children are kicked out at 9 PM so plan accordingly.
We put our name on the list (they text you when your table is ready, or there’s scattered first-​come first-​served seating as well) and ordered beers and played some games during the wait time. Be sure to bring some cash so you can get tokens for the games (video games and pinball).
The draft list featured 10 beers ranging from cider to a stout on nitro. I’m super snobby with beer, and because I’ve had most of their tap offerings, I thought it was lacking. With that said, their bottle offerings were good though. But tbh, I’m not really whining because I’m happy with having any beer to go with my arcade games.
Food here is served family style, which is great because then you can order and try more dishes. We started with the tofu balls (classic), tangy wings (delish!), vietnamese egg rolls (all fried egg rolls should be wrapped in lettuce and dipped in sauce), roasted brussels sprouts (they could have used a little less time roasting, I like my brussels sprouts to have a little more bite to them), garlic ramen noodles (love the fried garlic on top of the thick and chewy noodles), spam fried rice (more brussels sprouts!), and apple fritters (think donuts with apple chunks inside with a lovely milky caramel dipping sauce). About $ 60 in total for the food! Much food. Very full.
Being that we were aficionados of the original Starry Kitchen crew/​menu/​experience, we were very pleasantly surprised that the menu featured Starry Kitchen classics (such as the balls and rolls) but also had a lot of new and fantastic items! They have definitely stepped up their game (pun intended).

Came here around 7pm on a Wednesday night & it wasn’t packed but later around 9pm we saw a line starting to form!
This place has an awesome concept-​unique beers on tap that they change often, arcade games throughout, and delicious food! My friends and I all ordered beers on tap, I can’t recall what we got but they were all yummy! And the bartender made great recommendations.
For the food, four of us split the following and it was just enough!
–tofu balls– wow the best thing I ate all night! who would of thought tofu could taste so good! It was perfectly crunchy on the outside, tender and soft on the inside, flavorful & paired well with The sauce it came with. Ahhhhhhh I wish I got more!
–Brussels sprouts– I really really liked this dish too! the Brussels sprouts were flavorful & tender, melts in your mouth almost!
–garlic chicken wings– I thought this was good but not great, but my other friends really liked it!
–spam fried rice– a good filler for us. I liked the rice texture but we all agreed you could probably get this elsewhere.
–garlic noodles-​also another filler. Good but nothing special
Overall i would come back but probably best on a weekday when it’s not too crowded !

About time a barcade graced the hip tri-​communities of Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Los Feliz!
Eileen L.‘s REFVIEW for Button Mash
RELEVANT INFO
* Starry Kitchen menu + craft brews + old-​school arcade games = win-​win-​win! — this establishment is categorized as Asian fusion + barcade… Spot on, Unilocal!
* Well-​curated selection of craft drafts
* A versatile spot for geeking out to arcade games from sunrise to sunset, for dinner, or just hanging out at a cool spot with no intentions of gaming
* A fully-​enclosed barcade with no patio — unlike Eighty-​Two and Coin Op
* Book (?) store next door
* Small parking lot in front, but you may also luck out with street parking in the residential neighborhood
EXPECTATIONS GOING IN
* Seeing an exorbitant amount of hipsters hogging the machines here
FOOD
* Crispy Tofu Balls ($ 6.50): was a little put off initially by the artificial green hue, but the deep-​fried airiness and crunch of the batter with the chewiness of the tofu was a surprisingly delightful combination, especially complemented by the sriracha aioli
* Garlic Noodles ($ 10): a liberal amount of fried garlic chips mixed into the cooked (instant) ramen noodles… Mint me, please!
* Brussels Sprouts ($ 7): delicious and a slight kick of heat
* Double-​Fried Ginger Chicken Wings ($ 8.50): Crispy, sticky and gingery… Slightly reminiscent of San Tung wings
VALUE
* Really inflated prices for Asian food — Dan Dan Men is not meant to be over $ 8!
* More reasonably priced craft drafts ($ 6-​$ 9) and wines ($ 7+)
IMPRESSION OVERALL
* Was impressed that the food came within 5 minutes of placing our order — partially since we also received unusually fast service at Spear Restaurant that night
* Traditional Chinese/​Vietnamese dishware and chopsticks were appropriate for the fare, but seemed a bit out of place for a barcade — I guess that’s the irony of this place, right?
* As is necessary, our bill came in between random pages of an elementary school book — just like Coin Op in Hillcrest
ENVIRONMENT /​AMBIANCE
* Casual, cool dimly-​lit barcade with whimsical details — I thought the figurine suspended lights were great!
* Half the space dedicated to arcade games, the other half as a restaurant
WOW FACTOR
* Mouthwatering, albeit overpriced, barcade fare

I love this place!
Team SK (Starry Kitchen) is cookin up some tasty food!
I really, really want to try that nice lookin cheeseburger but I keep stuffing my face with their old standards, noodles and (tofu) balls. Mmmmmmm. I did give the cheese corn a go and it was yummy.
The arcade is ok. There are a few older games that I enjoy playing here, especially Jungle King. I’m not sure if I would go there just for the games though.
Nice beer selection. You guys introduced me to Wiens Millennium Falconer’s IPL and I love it — I just can’t find it anymore :(
Great shop attached — the PWN Shop has cool, nerdy stuff. Really cool. I gotta get one of those Nintendo Power Glove oven mitts!

Oh, trust me. I will be the first to tell you about overpriced and hyped Asian fusion
…in Echo Park. Yes, Echo Park.
But Button Mash, you are good.
Seriously though, where else in the world can you get Dan Dan Mian, Korean Fried Chicken, and SE Asian-​style Garlic Noodles in one place? Aaaand the vintage arcade games are a nice touch with craft beer? Get my Paper Boy and Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker game in on a Saturday night.
Good local beers on tap. The night we went, they had a Star Wars-​themed beers.
Our group ordered:
*Fried Tofu Balls — delicious, best app here. even the non-​tofu lovers rejoice.
*Korean Chicken Wings — double fried deliciousness. double fried is the only way to make chicken wings, hands down.
*Corn Cheese — standard good, japo mayo is KING!
*Dan Dan Noodles — definitely different, but my chinese people of the table approved. chewy ramen noodles instead of flat flour noodles.
*Mac & Cheese — bacon-​y, cheese-​y.
*Garlic Noodles — so GOOD. a little salty for my taste, but this was a crowd favorite. garlicy to the bone.
Apple Fritters with 5 spice — barely tasted the five spice, but it was a solid fritta’.
Food so good. Ambiance so good. Beers so good. Challenge me bro.

Some friends surprised me with an outing here a couple of months ago when it was brand spanking new. Button Mash features food from Starry Kitchen, craft beers on tap and vintage arcade games. So basically, it’s going to do swell in Echo Park. We arrived around 5:30 pm on a Thursday before a line formed outside, but it was already getting crowded. We put our name in for a booth and then hung out. There’s seating at private tables, communal tables and at the bar. It can get chaotic in there.
The Asian fusion menu includes vegetarian/​vegan-​friendly options, gluten-​free options and late night options. We shared:
* CRISPY TOFU BALLS — Gotta get these!
* FRIES — Because I always want fries when I’m drinking.
* GRILLED BRUSSELS SPROUTS — Because we needed a veggie.
* SPAM FRIED RICE — Watch out for the chilies. Also, I thought this dish was even better the next day.
* GARLIC NOODLES — Serious garlicky goodness.
I really liked everything we got and there’s more I definitely want to try.

It’s true when I said that I had zero expectations coming to this place. I thought it was another 82 with boba shop style snacks. Man was I wrong…
However I wasn’t surprised that the food was nothing less of excellence. Having to have met Nguyen Tran at a previous Unilocal event, his food was just as prominent as his personality. Nguyen was high energy, Starry kitchen’s food was big flavors. Just the way I like it.
Everything that my party had order were all mindblowingly good. How good you ask? Well, I’m Asian AF and I hate overpaying for Asian food that you can get else where that tastes way better. When I saw the menu, saw Dan Dan noodles and garlic noodles. At $ 10 and $ 14 each, it was nothing but skepticism in my head. Little did I know, both noodles were surprisingly very special. Starry kitchen doing magic on those noodles. At the end of the meal, I thought to myself. «Yes, I would come back again and pay the $ 14s for this bowl of delicious delicious noodles.» (As the Asian in me dies a little). Both noodles had traces of flavors from their original dishes, but the flavor was very pleasing and the texture of the noodles were bouncy. It doesn’t taste traditional, but the combo just puts them on another level.
One thing you MUST get is the TOFU BALLS. It’s very special. Does not taste like any tofu I’ve ever had. Crispy outside and tender inside. It seems as if they used some sort of delicious Asian chips to substitute for the bread crumbs. It’s highly addictive.
I think this bar is only wine and beer. But I do like the choice of craft beers on tap. They are about $ 7 for a glass. It’s like the new norm in LA. So for food and drinks, this place is 5 stars all day.
Ok, now the most important part. About the «barcade»…what a Great concept. I really hope you guys read this section. Because I think the games you have all suck (with the exception of Street fighter 2). Why do you have new pinball machines but retro arcade games? Most of us who go to the bar were 90s and 00s kids. SO the type of games we like are not those games from the 80s that our previous generation appreciate. So Can you guys get some decent games like
Puzzle fighter
Street fighter 3
Metal Slug
Marvel Vs Capcom
King of Fighter 95
Bust a Move
Striker 1945
Raiden Jet fighters
NBA JAM
Final Fight
Mortal Combat
Xmen Children of Atoms
And so on… those are the type of games we really want to play but no long available. So stop being an «EightyTwo.» Get some games people would actually want to come and play.

Dinner spot + Retro Arcade spot = MY NEW FAVORITE SPOT…
Parking: They have a lot but it gets super crowded. I recommend parking on the street. Keep in mind of the steep hills. MAKE SURE YOU USE THAT E BRAKE SON!
Tofu Balls: Hands down one of the best things on the menu… Hate Tofu? Don’t know what Tofu is? Well, you’re in luck friends… It’s super crispy on the outside and amazeballs on the inside. Loved the chipotle dipping sauce too. Definitely get this.
Mac & Cheese & Bacon: YUM YUM IN MY TUM TUM… SO GOOOD.
Garlic Noodles: Definitely one of my favorites. I loved the cloves of grilled garlic and the amazing Al Dente ramen noodles they used… $ 10
Dan Dan Noodles: Delicious but not the best I’ve had. Id just opt for the Garlic noodles next time
5 Spice Apple Fritters: Great dessert. GET IT.
French Fries: Probably my least favorite. Pretty generic french fries.
Wings: I forgot which one I got but it was delicious. GET THESE.
Orange Bang: Ever tried it in a Mexican restaurant? Yep, it’s like that… Otherwise, it’s essentially an Orange Julius.
*Shout outs to the JYANG crew. SEE YOU IN 2016…
JY

I never really considered checking out barcades, but this place completely changed my mind. I’ve been here on Friday and Saturday evenings and both nights have had a decent and eclectic crowd. The ambiance is fun and includes people of all drinking ages and backgrounds.
The part which impressed me the most was the menu for both beer and food. I had the chicken fried rice, which although a bit pricey for what it is, was served in a price commensurate bowl… It was a good size! The beer list is extensive and rotates frequently. Shannon was helping my grind and I all night. She made excellent recommendations and was always prompt and professional. Really put the cherry ok top of our excellent experience.
The video games are well priced and well maintained. Everything was in working order and not sticky or dirty in anyway as I would expect them to be from all the beer and food in there. The bathrooms were equally as clean and the wallpaper leading to them was nice and funny comic strip-​styled. Feels good, man!
Entering and leaving we were greeted and bid farewell by Nataly. I’d come back just to get a «hi» from her. Truly a welcoming place and fun overall. Highly recommended.

When my bf told me that we were going to Button Mash for the food, I was skeptical and thought he was trying to trick me into going here because he wanted to play the arcade games. Had I known that Starry Kitchen’s Thi and Nyugen Tran were the team behind the food at Button Mash, that skepticism would have been replaced with excitement. Rather than an arcade with food, I would describe this as an arcade themed restaurant.
We showed up on a Friday night at 9 pm without reservations and were told the wait would be an hour and a half (woah!) but it was actually closer to 45 minutes, which went by quickly since there was a lot to entertain us — from the bar to the arcade games to the very interesting gift shop. Make sure to check out the gift shop — they have some super geeky (but also kind of cool) stuff like a table shaped like a Nintendo game controller — that actually works.
Despite the many distractions, the main event here is definitely the food. Although the menu isn’t large, it is amazing. There wasn’t a single thing on it that I wasn’t interested in trying, making it difficult to narrow down what to order. Items are fairly inexpensive and not too large, so we were able to try 5 things (plus dessert) for less than $ 50, which an additional $ 30 on drinks. They have a great craft beer selection as a chilled red wine in a can from Paso Robles that is actually pretty damn good.
GINGER CHICKEN WINGS — double fried — These were outstanding and tasted like General Tso’s chicken in wing form. A must order.
VIETNAMESE EGG ROLLS — 4 small egg rolls that you wrap in lettuce and dip in sauce to eat. Pretty good, although nothing extraordinary.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS — I am always a sprouts fan, and particularly enjoyed this Asian spin. very flavorful and cooked to the perfect crisp.
GARLIC NOODLES — If you are a garlic fan, a must get. I didn’t really taste the oyster sauce, but it was delicious nonetheless.
SHRIMP TOAST — The only pass for me. Although I love shrimp, it was just a bit too shrimpy and just not that great. We took a couple bites and didn’t finish it, despite polishing off everything else on the table.
ALMOND TOFU — I ordered this for dessert since my Mom makes it and it’s one of my favorites. Personally, I prefer my Mom’s — the almond tofu here was a bit too firm, and the pieces of tofu too large. It also wasn’t as sweet as I’m used to, and the fruits they paired it with were a bit too dry (they should be juicier). But., I’m comparing to my Mom’s recipe, which may not really be a fair comparison. This definitely won’t be for everyone.
Despite the fact that I don’t like video games, I thought the theme was really cute and it definitely played upon the nostalgia of any 80’s child. So if you get dragged here by a video game lover, don’t fret — you can still have a great time and the food is well worth the visit.

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«OMG NOOOOOOOOO»
SAFDK;HSAFDKSAFDSAFDSAFD
«**** **** ****»
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«YES! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!» *fist pump + twist jump + shake bump*
…maybe not the shake bump part. Typical Asian, ain’t got much goin’ on…
ANYWAY. Come fill up on some delicious balls and wangs, and let your fingers run free «mashing buttons.»
(Okay, I meant the delicious Crispy Tofu Balls and any of the Double-​Fried Chicken Wings.)
(I’d also recommend the Garlic Noodles and Dan Dan Noodles. Noodles so chewy!)
(And too bad Unilocal doesn’t allow up/​down/​left/​right symbols in reviews, so I had to resort to keyboard mashing.)

I liked the 1980s music and classic arcade games here and the vibe of the place. It has some good beers on tap and is just generally fun.
From a food perspective, Button Mash could certainly improve. We got the tofu balls (made vegan by omitting the aioli) ($ 6.50), the coca-​cola jackfruit sandwich ($ 10), the grilled brussels sprout ($ 7), and the grilled eggplant ($ 6).
For vegans, there aren’t a ton of options and nothing is clearly labeled.
The tofu balls were pretty decent — fried things with mushy seasoned tofu on the inside. I liked them. The jackfruit sandwich sounded interesting, but wasn’t that great tasting. The jackfruit and slaw didn’t have a ton of flavor and the white flour baguette they used was a spongy industrial nightmare.
The brussels sprout and the eggplant both fell flat. They had the same soy-​plum glaze that doesn’t taste great. In fact, almost every dish on the menu seemed to have a sticky/​sweet angle with either plum or hoisin or coca-cola…clearly the chef has a sweet tooth.
The eggplant, in particular, was undercooked — rubbery and flavorless.
If Button Mash added more and better vegan options (how about a seitan taco? or a fried tofu sandwich?) I might return. Otherwise, come here for the arcade games but don’t expect much out of the food.

Overall, we did not have a great time.
Note: There will be a wait (maybe a long wait).
Pro tip: Put your name on the list, grab a drink from the bar and play old school games while waiting for a table.
Parking: Street or attached strip mall parking lot. Less than 20 spots in the parking lot.
Food:
Small menu items that we shared:
Crispy tofu balls — 5 balls for $ 6.50
Tried (again) tofu balls — What can I say? Cannot get enough of Nguyen’s balls in our mouths. Rating 4.2 out of 5.
Double Fried Ginger chicken wings — 6 pieces for $ 8.50
It was crispy and fried. But could hardly taste any ginger.
Rating — 3 out of 5.
Sandwich items:
Double cheeseburger $ 9
I did not try. No comment from my guest. But, he did finish it. Rating: N/​A
Rice & Noodles items:
Don Don noodles $ 14
Dandan noodles or dandanmian is a noodle dish originating from Chinese Sichuan cuisine. It consists of a spicy sauce containing preserved vegetables, chili oil, Sichuan pepper, minced pork, and scallions served over noodles.
I did not try. My guest said it was not spicy. Rating: N/​A
Large items:
Bún ch ha noi — $ 18
Vietnamese dish of grilled pork and white rice noodle (no dipping sauce)
Service: Not sure if they are still working out the kinks but definitely service was subpar.
After my two other guest had finished their entrees, I will still waiting for my Bún ch.
After waiting over 30+ minutes for my entrée (since we ordered), we mentioned it to our server. He went to check on it. No update. Nothing.
After waiting another 5 to 10 minutes, we flagged our server. Still no entrée.
Typically, we would expect the item to be subtracted from our bill. But, nope.
And, when they finally brought the dish, the server said, «if you don’t want to eat it, I will go eat it in the back.»
WTF?
Overall, we had fun playing some video games. But, honestly, I can get better Vietnamese food in Garden Grove for less $$ with BETTER SERVICE. Now if we can find another place where we can get those dayam crispy tofu ball.

Nostalgia is a hot selling item with millennials and barcades have been a popping up all over LA. The latest to open is Button Mash and it offers something that its competitors don’t, great food.
Between the beer, wine and button mashing that barcades all offer you’ll end up working up quite an appetite. Instead of settling for just snacks, Button Mash teamed up with Starry Kitchen to serve many of its past favorites in addition some new Asian driven dishes created just for this location. My current favorites are the numbing Dan Dan noodles and the stuffed brick toast a la mode.
The lines can be long and it can get pretty loud but it’s what to be expected for the new hot spot in the area. Just get some tokens, grab a local craft beer and take a trip down arcade memory lane.

We all have single friends still in the in search of The One (dodges bullets, defeats agents, and quips «I know Kung Fu»). Those friends have been saying there’s Plenty of Frogs and not royalty. And so you do something about it: set them up with someone! Button Mash meet Starry Kitchen. Whoever put this pair together should be a professional matchmaker.
After dining at their various incarnations over the years, it finally feels SK has the right long term home. It’s the best elements of the casual LA nightlife culture all rolled into one: booze, retro arcade, and spicy Asian grub.
Food: They go spicy bold and with big portions. Do eat the dan dan noodles, but watch out for the numbing peppercorns. Tofu balls and waaangs are still on the menu, but of course the chili crab is not.
Arcade: Games take tokens and there’s a change machine near the restrooms. My favorites: Outrun, Punch out, Forgotten Worlds, and Star Wars (vector graphics shooter!) Of course there are drink rests on the sides of the machines.
Venue: Strong AC which is a must! All those machines and bodies — and it never got too hot. It’s noisy though once the arcade is going full tilt and dinner chat floods the room.
I can’t wait to go back!