Arts District: Wurstküche sausages, then pinball at EightyTwo until 2 a.m.
Two doors a few blocks apart in the Arts District, one grilling game sausages and pouring Belgian drafts, the other a 21-and-over arcade where more than 55 vintage machines run on tokens until 2 a.m.
Wurstküche to EightyTwo
🌭 Sausages first, since EightyTwo serves no food
Wurstküche sits at 3rd and Traction, an industrial hall where the board runs from a plain bratwurst to rabbit, pheasant and rattlesnake. Each link arrives on a baked roll with two toppings and a mustard, and the Belgian fries come in two sizes with dipping sauces. The draft list leans Belgian, Flanders reds among them, and it rotates without notice, so order a pint with the sausage. The hall closes at midnight Sunday through Thursday, an hour later on Friday and Saturday, which is why food comes first.
🕹️ Free to walk in, tokens for the machines
EightyTwo runs out of a warehouse on East 4th Place and charges nothing at the door, though the play is not free. The pinball and arcade cabinets run on tokens bought inside, so budget a few dollars beyond the bar tab. The door is strictly 21 and over at all times, and a valid government-issued photo ID is checked before entry. Hours run 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesday to Friday and 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. on weekends. Mondays are dark, and so are holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
🚶 Four minutes on foot
Two doors sit a few blocks apart in the Arts District, and the walk between them runs about four minutes. Friday and Saturday are the long version of this night, when the Wurstküche hall runs to 1 a.m. and EightyTwo plays until 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday the hall closes at midnight, and the arcade still runs to 2 a.m. except on Mondays, when it is dark. EightyTwo serves no food, so the sausage comes first. Little Tokyo Arts District station on the A and E lines is a ten-minute walk away.
