It’s hard to find a good spot in Nashville these days if you’re a jaded local like me who does all he can to avoid the insanity that has become downtown Nashville. Truth be told, when our Lead Music Columnist, Steven McCash, hit me up about trying out this hip new spot called the Game Terminal, I thought I was signing up for an afternoon in that insanity. But, to my delighted surprise, I found that this spot is actually located well out of all the madness – in what appears to be a sort of warehouse wasteland somewhere between Berry Hill and Murfreesboro Pike. It’s like an oasis.
We pulled in, strolled up the entrance ramp, and I felt all the giddiness of a young man riding up a rollercoaster – that feeling of anticipation that grew with every metal CLANK. We walked in, and it felt like walking into a casino. There was a bit of sensory overload at first – you’re just hit with the bright neon lights of the bar and the arcade, and you don’t even know where to begin with all of the games. I started with a Modelo and just aimlessly roamed around the place like a zombie for a little bit. Ultimately, we decided to head outside – it was a beautiful day, not too hot, not too humid, with a DJ blaring some of the greatest hits of the 80s…so a little cornhole in the sun sounded like a good time. But, the options were extensive – in addition to cornhole, you could play ping pong, giant Jenga, giant Connect Four, and best of all, giant beer pong with trash cans and a dodgeball instead of Solo cups and a ping pong ball.
After a rousing game of cornhole, we sat under the shade of…what do you call those things? Like….a canopy? I don’t know, but we were in the shade, chilling on some nice ass couches. We learned that there’s a plethora of board games that you can rent out from the bar as well – so why not get in a game of Clue while we were at it? After a couple of games, I decided it was time to head back inside and scope out what this arcade was all about. The arcade games are free of charge – each machine has its own cupholder to boot. I played Frogger until my eyes were crossing (could’ve been the Modelo, tbh). But, the pinball machines do cost tokens, which you get by exchanging dollars for them. Yep – it’s that good old fashioned arcade feel. I racked up the high score on the Royal Rumble machine before the Game of Thrones machine kicked my ass. Also, it’s worth noting that while Game Terminal doesn’t serve food, they did have a food truck posted up outside the venue. Getting food was as easy as pie – you just strolled up to the bar, ordered your food, and once it was ready, they brought it out to you. All in all, a great way to kill time in the company of good friends. It might not be chill for much longer as more and more people find out about it, but it’s hard to imagine a much better place to spend an afternoon when the sun’s out and the weather’s nice.
Pics
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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