Right Around the Corner Arcade Bar

Last Wednesday night I stormed into Right Around the Corner in downtown St. Pete like a caffeinated kid on summer break with a pocket full of quarters and unfinished business. You know that heart-thumping pulse when the attract screen blinks, coins clink, and your fingers twitch before the first level even loads? That’s this place in full force. From the moment I stepped inside, I swear I heard that legendary Mario jump echo bouncing off the walls. Neon lights, pixel glow, and the rhythmic click-clack of buttons all around; it felt like I had just respawned inside a living, breathing game cartridge that Tiffani Amber Thiessen was blowing on right before sliding it into the Nintendo. My crew and I made a beeline for the bar. They rotate their local craft brews like a secret level menu, and I swear each tap feels like a new unlockable power-up. The bartender Mandy handed me this electric-blue pint that looked straight out of a Zelda potion shop; instant +50 health. Fueled up, I drifted toward the back where the real chaos lives: the arcade. Darts. Pinball. Air hockey. A couple of consoles for head-to-head combat. The air was buzzing like an overworked pinball machine. We jumped into Super Mario Bros. 3, slamming buttons like it was 1992 and my older brother Jesse just told me I’d “never beat the fortress.” Spoiler alert: I did. And I can ever get further than Bald Bull in the first go, so go suck it Jesse. Halfway through my brew, I saw it. Glorious. Unexpected. The on-screen announcement that changes everything: PIZZA. Not the frozen “microwave and pray” kind. Real, bubbling, hot-out-of-the-oven, “press start and stay awhile” pizza flatbreads. My brain hit full Mario power-up mode instantly. No more mid-game food runs; this was the ultimate side quest unlocked. I could stay. I could drink. I could eat. I could stay a kid again for as long as I wanted. (Or at least until closing time.) First up, the Hot Honey Bacon Pepperoni. This thing didn’t just arrive; it attacked. One bite and it was like Bowser exhaled a fireball straight into my taste buds. (Kinky!) That honey lullabies you in like a friendly Goomba at the start of World 1-1, and then BAM; heat level spikes and you’re dodging fireballs in the castle. The bacon? Crispy, smoky, chaotic good. Like my D'n'd character. Every bite felt like snagging a hidden 1-Up. It’s sweet, spicy, and absolutely unhinged in the best possible way. Then came the Buff Chick (and no, I don’t mean Samus Aran; though she’d definitely eat this while flexing in her armor). This beauty tastes like it was engineered by Mega Man himself, which is fitting because I’ve just nicknamed the owner Johnny Mega Man from now on. Sharp, balanced, heroic. Juicy chicken, creamy sauce, and just the right kick to make you feel like you’ve charged your blaster and cleared the level. If the Hot Honey is the boss battle, Buff Chick is the precision victory lap you take while shredding a round of Mario Kart on the big screen. After that, the night just went full tilt. Pinball lights flashing. Buttons clacking. Laughter bouncing off every wall. We all locked in the same rhythm; half nostalgia, half celebration, half rediscovery of that pure joy we all forgot we had back when Saturday mornings meant cereal and Game Genie codes. The beers kept flowing, the pizza kept calling, and my grin didn’t fade once. By closing time, I stumbled out into the night with that glowing “Game Over” screen humming in my head; but it didn’t feel like an ending. More like a respawn timer counting down to my next visit. My cursor awaits over the "Continue" button. (You know, because they have a different pizza each month.) In summary: Hot Honey Bacon Pepperoni: Bowser-tier beast. Buff Chick: Mega Man precision strike. Right Around the Corner: Pure 8-bit magic with a craft beer buzz. If you grew up with a controller in your hands and dreams of finding a place that still feels like Level 1 of your favorite game, this is it. Player 1, ready. Press Start. Go.