Old-School Pinball Arcade Hosts Grand Opening At Upside On Moore

ROSSLYN, VA — Some things are just made to happen, like an Arlington pinball arcade opening a new location inside an upscale food court in Rosslyn. It just made sense.

Upside on Moore is a 30,000-plus-square-foot food hall and private event venue located above the Rosslyn Metro Station on Level MR at 1700 North Moore St.

“We opened about a year ago,” CEO Nick Freshman said. “We took the space over from a previous operator, renamed it, rebranded it, and curated it with all distinct local DMV concepts. That is a big part of our identity.”

The food hall is packed with restaurant brands that most people in the DMV should be familiar with — Ghostburger, Kam & 46, La Michoacana, Stellina Pizza, Lightning Coffee Co., Lili’s, Little Tiger Dumplings, and The Bar at Upside on Moore.

“The thing I've learned about food halls is that, somewhat paradoxically, the food is not enough,” Freshman said. “You really need to activate the space to get people there, to do them well.”

On Saturday, from 12-10 p.m,The Pinball Basement is hosting a grand opening of its new location inside Upside at Moore. A $10 arcade entry fee will allow guests to play pinball all day long. There will also be an all-day happy hour and giveaways, including day passes, gift cards.

After owners Fred Freimark and Jason Good successfully launched their first pinball arcade inside the ACME Pie Company back in 2024, the Arlington entrepreneurs spent more than a year trying to find the right place for a second arcade.

That’s when they met Freshman and Sam Groh, Upside’s director of operations.

“It was the perfect space,” Freimark said. “People can get food from eight different places. They can order beer, beverages from the bar.”

Pinball Basement’s 2,000-square foot storefront inside Upside at Moore includes more than 20 pinball machines, as well as video games, foosball and more to come.

“It's like a real old-school arcade now,” he said. “It adds to the entertainment, adding another draw for the food hall.”

Designed as an all-ages venue, The Pinball Basement offers All-Day Passes for $15 and Monthly Passes for $50, allowing for unlimited play.

Freshman sees the addition of the arcade as a way to attract people to Upside on Moore and give them a reason to linger. It also enhances the event aspect of the venue.

“Everyone always wants something different for an event,” Freshman said. “What's exciting about a hotel ballroom? Nothing. Now you can rent a space where you get to play all of these games, but also have food from, half a dozen different vendors all on one single catering menu.

The Pinball Basement is also launching a Pinball League at its new location. On May 22, at 7 p.m., players can match their skills against others. The first pinball tournament has already been scheduled for June 7, at 12 p.m.

Upside at Moore is located on Level MR at 1700 North Moore St., above the Rossyln Metro Station. The food hall is open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. The Pinball Basement at Upside is open Monday-Friday, 4-9 p.m., and Saturday, 1-10 p.m.