I went to Decades for the first time last year while on a date. While the date didn’t go anywhere, Decades, a barcade, bowling alley and restaurant in Lancaster City, became a top recommendation of mine.
Something Decades absolutely nails is atmosphere. Giant bulbs on the ceiling that spell “Decades” letter by letter are the first thing to greet you and immediately establishes a chill vibe. Paired with the lights, comfortable seating, nostalgic decorations and friendly staff, it’s no wonder that Decades is a popular venue for community events.
One of Decades’ most popular attractions and my favorite is their collection of retro arcade games, which includes Frogger, Dance Dance Revolution Extreme, Skee-ball and more. You would think with how expensive retro arcade machines are to buy and maintain that gaming would cost a fortune. However, it is $5 for 20 tokens and each game takes one to two tokens to play, which equates to a pretty good time for a pretty low price.
The first thing I got was truffle fries because I’ve never had a bad one. You really have to try to mess them up. Thankfully, Decades delivered and I licked the plate clean.
Next, I ordered the Decades Burger with a side salad. I prefer my burgers well done or medium well, sue me, but my burger was perfectly cooked and each ingredient was fresh and tasty. It was like an upscale diner burger met a time traveler from the ‘80s, founded Decades and personally delivered my meal.
However, I would be dishonest if I didn’t mention the cost of spending an evening at Decades. The side salad I ordered came with a $2 upcharge, which is standard in the service industry, but the cost for food, across the board, was high. There is some justification for Decades’ high prices, such as inflation, high rental prices in a downtown location and being a small business.
It is hard, as a student, when a meal can easily cost $30 for a drink, entree and 20% tip, and this is not including the cost of any games you may play, bowling, gas it takes to get there due to the restaurant being in Lancaster City, etc. And, I’m sure as many student workers on campus are aware, the pay per hour isn’t anything to write home about, which makes it hard to justify an evening out at Decades without it being a special occasion.
My biggest complaint is that it is very loud, distracting and hard to converse, even with the people at your table. The acoustics are not made for second date conversation, especially when you have to keep asking, “What?” over the sound of bowling pins being knocked down.
Despite my minor gripes, Decades has many more pros than cons. It is a great place to grab food, play games and spend time with friends, especially to celebrate a special occasion.
