Dave and Busters Fairfax : My Favorite Guilty Pleasure
Growing up I was always waiting for the day I would finally get to go to Dave and Busters. I never had one near me as a kid so when I found out that Dave and Busters Fairfax was one coming to our local mall in place of Sears which closed down, I was very excited. Any new nightlife options during the cold VA winters and I’m there!
The first time I ever went to the Dave and Busters Fairfax it was after a brewery day for one of my best friend’s birthdays and somehow my husband somehow lucked out with a D&B card that let us play an unlimited amount of times. It was glitching and never ran out of tokens.
😂 By the end of the outing everyone was taking turns using our card and we didn’t end up leaving until it was hours and hours later, after lots of basketball games and claw machine prizes. But anyway – this blog is about our most recent visit that began with a Wicked sing-along and ended up with a lot of rubber ducks.
Dave and Busters Fairfax Review
My husband, my younger sister in her 20s and I decided to go to Dave and Busters Fairfax on a Saturday night in January as an activity we could all enjoy before she went back to school. I was surprised that right up until lunch time or so on Saturday there were plenty of open reservations for five people. In the end we didn’t need a reservation because my parents decided to stay behind and we all ate dinner first. The three of us went over around 8:00pm.
The amazing Wicked movie had recently come out so we spent the car ride belting it out to the Wizard and I and the first part of Defying Gravity. The parking lot was packed, so we had to park in the next parking lot over, and with it being the coldest part of January we ran all the way to the door – without our coats because we didn’t want to have to carry them around as we played games. Once inside our first stop was the bar (now that my sister is newly 22)!
Despite the parking lot being packed full, the place was the perfect level of crowded for a Saturday night. Enough people to feel fun and lively but not so many that it felt overwhelming. I’m always surprised at how big Dave and Busters is, at least the locations I’ve been to. Between bright lights of the lit up games, big walkways and high ceilings, huge screen TVs everywhere and multiple bars, it really is a playground that both adults and kids can enjoy together. There’s no way to be bored here. 🤪
For drinks my sister and I got a few basic cocktails while my husband got a draft beer. The cushiony chairs of the bar and the fast, friendly service made me want to hangout at the bar for a while. I found myself deciding that this would be a good spot to watch football on a Sunday some time.
We quickly found out that gift cards couldn’t be redeemed via the empty card kiosks, and instead had to be used at the front desk which unfortunately had a very long line. We switched off standing in line to make a few pit stops and after about 15 minutes we were at the front of the line, where we easily redeemed our gift cards for a few D&B power cards. Time to play!
The first game we found was a three person, old school centipede game. I loved to play this game solo as a kid so playing the multiplayer version was cool. Next we found Connect Four basketball, which is one of my favorites. It’s always fun making a basket in the right one and then stacking them up for a win. As a side note, not having somewhere designated to set our things made it very easy to theoretically lose things. Although we managed to hold onto all of our belongings, I think we will get a table next time.
We made our way through the maze of games, stopping at other favorites like skeeball, football toss, Mario Kart and the fishbowl ping pong game. At one point I broke off to find the one bathroom at the back, and ended up trying a cool snowboard riding racer game on my way back where you actually stood up and controlled a snowboard that moves side to side.
As we passed games like the Ghost Busters shooter game, we were a little to sad to see that they had taken down their curtains that used to enclose the game, making it less immersive. I have memories of playing booth games like Jurassic Park and having a lot of fun, but I do get why the curtains and secrecy of the booths could be a problem. I will also forever miss the Star Wars Battle Pod which I thought had a really intense VR feel to it, which I played once at another D&B location.
At one point I walked past a billiards room I didn’t know was there with people playing under neon lights, and made a mental note to check that out one time. We noticed that two of the pop-a-shot games were massive, probably the biggest I’ve ever seen. This game is definitely aimed at just adults! I played twice and made a basket maybe four times the whole two games lol. We also played the smaller pop-a-shot game which I still didn’t win but had lots of fun at regardless.
Another bar stop, a few more fun games and a heart-to-heart bathroom trip later we got to a cluster of duck crane machines. My sister ended up winning duck after duck over and over which was really fun / reminiscent of when she used to win the jackpot at Chuck-e-Cheese often. She also won a bigger D&B bouncy ball. I spotted a gold confetti duck in the middle of the crane machine which mirrored my gold confetti nails painted for the New Year and decided to go for it. With my sister’s help we got it and I decided to take that as a sign that it would be a wealthy and abundant year. 😋
For our last game we decided to play a futuristic air hockey game where instead of a puck you’re playing with a little magnetic square. It was very hard and we all decided that regular air hockey is better for now.
One thing about Dave and Busters is that they have cool prizes that are geared toward all ages instead of the little tiny prizes aimed at little ones at other arcades. At home we have D&B juggle balls and an iridescent pint glass from past visits! With the points we got we decided to hold off and get something bigger another time, especially because everything was pretty picked over late on a Saturday night. Something that caught our eye was a PS5 for 650,000 points – wow!! You can also do taste for tickets which gets you certain food items in exchange for tickets, and I think we will use this next time.
We drove back home satisfied after a fun and long night out and belting our hearts out to the second half of Defying Gravity.
What’s Nearby Dave and Busters Fairfax?
Restaurants Near Dave and Busters Fairfax
Lazy Dog is definitely my favorite restaurant near Dave and Busters Fairfax. A great alternative is the Cheesecake Factory. Looking for something more fancy? Go for Texas de Brazil. There are also tons of quick food options in Fair Oaks Mall.
Hotels Near Dave and Busters Fairfax
The Fairfax Marriott is the best hotel near Dave and Busters at the Fair Oaks Mall although it’s a little pricer, and it’s right across the street from the mall. The Extended Stay America at Fair Oaks shares the same parking lot as Dave and Busters and is super affordable with great reviews, so this would probably be my top choice for hotels near Dave and Busters Fairfax good for a long term stay.
Dave and Busters Quick Facts
Can kids go to Dave and Busters?
Yes! Dave and Busters is made for both kids and adults, which is part of the reasons I love it here so much. One thing to note is that people under the ages of 18 or 21 (varies per location) can only enter with a guardian who is at least 25.
Dave and Busters Game Cost
When it comes to the Dave and Busters game cost, each individual game ranges between 5 and 15 chips. To play you’ll need to purchase a Dave and Busters card, which costs about $20 for 100 chips. This means that each game costs between $1 and $3 to play. Want to play for less? Visit on Wednesdays for half off games!
How much are Dave and Busters cards?
Dave and Busters cards cost between $20 and $100, and for that amount you get a corresponding amount of chips which will be redeemed at each game.
What are the best games at Dave and Busters?
This is a tough one! My personal favorite is Connect Four Hoops which I know a lot of people like. Their Jurassic World VR game is pricy but very cool. Other really good ones are the new Dodgeball game, Mario Kart DX, Halo: Fireteam Raven, classic skee ball and the giant Pac Man game (which I actually beat once..!).
Want more ideas for fun stuff to do in Fairfax? Check out all of my blogs on Northern VA here which I’m constantly updating since we live here, and make sure to leave a comment with all of your favorite NOVA spots.
Lauren Kessel
Lauren Kessel is the author of this blog post and the creator of the Inspired Backpacker travel blog. She is a passionate digital nomad, with the mission to make slow travel a more accessible way of life for everyone. Lauren believes travel is an important means of education and more importantly, a way for people of different cultures to come together and understand each other better. She has a BS in Tourism and has planned countless domestic and international trips for herself, her family and friends, having visited over 12 countries and 30 states so far.
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