8 Cocktails From Dave And Buster's, Ranked Worst To Best

I admit, as a long-time New Yorker, Dave and Buster's doesn't always come to mind when thinking about a great happy hour or top-notch cocktails. I pass the multi-floor, expansive play palace at least once a week, as I travel through Times Square on my way elsewhere, and don't pay it much attention. However, as I recently learned, there's much more to Dave and Busters than loud noises and flashing lights.

If you're not familiar with Dave and Buster's, it's a popular hybrid arcade/sports bar/restaurant and bar, with locations in 43 states and seven international countries, including Puerto Rico and as far away as Australia. Generally, it's an environment with activities for families and lots of space for parties, and can be fun, but also a bit frenetic.

As a former bartender, and also someone who is cost-conscious living in an expensive city, I'm always curious but skeptical about happy hour deals — often there's a catch, or they're too good to be true. When I heard from a server that Dave and Buster's had "one of the best happy hours in the city," I was intrigued to learn more about drinks both on and off that list. I grabbed a good friend to check out the bar offerings and see if the cocktail menu at Dave and Busters was as attention-grabbing as the rest of the facility. While I wasn't able to try everything, here is a selection of drinks that you can keep in mind on your next visit.

I wanted to try this mixed drink mostly because of what it looked like in the picture on the menu — a beautiful, bright pink color, garnished with a prominent piece of dragonfruit. It reminded me of cocktails I've had south of the border, and I was curious about the Dave and Buster's take on a tropical drink. A twist on a typical margarita, the Perfect Pink Patrón 'Rita contains Patrón Silver Tequila, triple sec, sour mix, and dragon fruit added, with a touch of salt on the rim, a lime slice, and the aforementioned dried dragon fruit slice for garnish.

This drink comes in at the bottom of the list for me, because although it looks pretty, it's much, much too sweet for me. The dragon fruit juice added in tasted artificial (I did not see any pulp or pieces of actual fruit), so it just tastes syrupy and overpowering — I didn't get any hint of tequila at all. While someone who doesn't like margaritas might want to try this, it was just not for me. It was also not on the happy hour menu, ringing up at $17.49 with 220 calories.

The Henny's Strawberry Nirvana is not a drink I would normally order, given its ingredients. However, it was one of the four cocktails on the happy hour list at just $8.00, and also had some fresh strawberry slices as a garnish, so I was intrigued.

This cocktail contains Hennessy V.S Cognac, strawberry, mango, passion fruit, and sour mix. Just looking at that list, I was worried that it would have the same problem as the Perfect Pink Patrón 'Rita, and the sweetness of the fruit would be too much to drink comfortably. While it was definitely sugary, Henny's Strawberry Nirvana gets a bump up the list because it at least includes actual fresh fruit, and the juices mixed together gave it a nice tropical flavor.

I'm not typically a fan of drinks like cognac and brandy, so this will come down to personal preference for most. Because the Hennessy V.S already has a bit of a fruity taste, I can say the flavors blended together well — if, again, you're looking for something less complex and much sweeter. Close to the previous placement on this list, this cocktail contains 230 calories.

The second of three margaritas I tried comes in at number six on this list. Our server told us this was "one of the most popular drinks on the menu," and it also appeared to be one of the most expensive, ringing up at $22.99 (with an option to upgrade to Don Julio 1942 Añejo Tequila for an additional $12, which I did not). It is also described as a "flagship cocktail" on the menu, so it was worthy of a taste.

What's fun about this drink is that it comes with a gold glitter bomb accoutrement shaped like an ampersand, and I love an interactive moment with a cocktail! The server did recommend taking a sip first without the glitter bomb, as it contains its own flavor, to understand the difference in taste. The Million Dollar 'Rita contains Don Julio Reposado Tequila, Tuaca, Grand Marnier, orange juice, and sour mix. There is a salted rim, a lime wedge, and a dried orange slice as garnishes, as well.

I have to say — as enjoyable and satisfying as it is to drop in the glitter bomb and see the sparkles come to life, I honestly preferred this drink without the added flavor. There's already a lot going on here, and the Tuaca and Grand Marnier, combined with the orange juice, lend this drink an orange flavor that's pretty strong as is. The bomb has a vanilla taste to it, so when combined, it seems as if you're drinking a melted orange creamsicle, which bears no resemblance to a margarita. Ultimately, this cocktail, at 240 calories, looks better than it tastes, but gets points for the interaction.

At the 42nd Street location I visited in New York, this Moonshine LIT is the one drink not available on the regular menu — it's only available during happy hour for the low price of $7.00. The "LIT" stands for Long (Island) Iced Tea, so I knew going in, it was going to be a dangerously boozy choice. That being said, this may be the best bang for your buck if you want a strong drink, given how many alcohols are mixed together in the reduced price glass: New Amsterdam Vodka, Bacardí Silver Rum, and Moonshine, along with sour mix and Sprite, topped with an orange slice and maraschino cherry.

To be honest, it was not as alcohol forward as I was worried it might be — it almost tasted like an alcoholic lemonade, but more tart. I was told this drink closely resembles the Ultimate Tennessee LIT on the regular menu, which also contains strawberry and Jack Daniels, and I wonder if that version might taste more like a traditional Long Island.

This drink falls about in the middle of the list, because I found it drinkable and not as sweet as the others so far, but not necessarily something I would order again. Nutritional information was not available for this cocktail, but its closest cousin, the Ultimate Tennessee LIT, has 200 calories, so this is likely similar.

We're now getting into the drinks that I did enjoy, starting with the Dangerous Waters Island Punch, available on the happy hour menu for $7.00. The Smurf-blue color of this cocktail might seem off-putting, but if you like coconut flavor, this one is for you. Containing Malibu Coconut, Blue Curaçao, pineapple juice, and sour mix, it comes with a tiny paper umbrella, a pineapple slice, and a maraschino cherry. This drink looks (and tastes) like a tropical paradise.

While yes, there was a hint of sweetness here, the sour mix and the acid of the pineapple balance it out nicely. It did feel more appropriate to be drinking by the pool or in a beach chair rather than at a Dave and Buster's, but I appreciated that this cocktail looks pretty and tastes refreshing. I definitely preferred it to the earlier cocktails with fancy colors and various toppers. At 190 calories, for those trying to be slightly more calorie-conscious, this is one of the lighter drinks, as well.

Of course, I had to try a dessert cocktail for variety's sake, and I'm pleased to say that the Carajillo is more than just an after-dinner drink. With Licor 43, Owen's Nitro Espresso, and topped with fresh mint, this cocktail is relatively simple, but delicious, for $15.49.

I found that it had a pleasant hint of chocolate, almost like a Tootsie Roll or a bowl of Cocoa Puffs, that wasn't too cloying or overpowering. If you're an espresso martini fan (which they also can make), I thought this was an interesting, and even lighter, substitution. If you've never tasted Licor 43, a golden Spanish liquor with a citrusy and sweet profile, this is an easy entryway to experience something new.

The Carajillo is a nice, airy choice to round out your meal, especially if you want one last jolt of caffeine to get you out the door. If you're looking for a low-calorie dessert option, this drink comes in at a lean 140 calories.

I'm happy to report that my number two pick for cocktails to try at Dave and Buster's comes in at an extremely budget-friendly happy hour price of $6.00. It's the third margarita I tried on this list, but far and away the best!

The Watermelon 'Rita contains Espolòn Blanco Tequila, triple sec, sour mix, and watermelon juice, with a Tajín rim and a slice of lime for garnish. I found that out of all the margaritas sampled, this one was the most tequila-forward with a generous pour (which I appreciated), and the watermelon mix was light enough that it wasn't too sweet or sour, and balanced the other traditional flavors nicely. The cocktail was refreshing, and complemented the quesadilla we ordered nicely.

This mixed drink, like the Moonshine LIT, is only available during happy hour. However, there is a very similar Strawberry Watermelon 'Rita (with, you guessed it, strawberry included) on the regular menu with 230 calories.

I've written elsewhere about my deep love of Palomas, as perhaps my favorite tequila-based cocktail, so it comes as no surprise to me that Dave and Buster's Ruby Paloma is my number one pick on their cocktail list. Unfortunately, it's not a happy hour selection, ringing up at $14.99, but I would pay that amount to have a cocktail that I not only enjoy, but want a second (or third).

While I am admittedly biased, this Ruby Paloma is a bit of a variation on the classic tequila-based drink. The Dave and Buster's version contains Jose Cuervo Tradicional Blanco Tequila, Aperol, guava, sour mix, and Owen's Rio Red Grapefruit soda. There's something about adding in the Aperol and the guava that gives it both a little more color and a little more flavor — it helps brighten up the tangy grapefruit, and makes it feel celebratory and special. Plus, it just tastes great!

The Ruby Paloma comes served in a Collins glass with a lime wedge, and absolutely went down the fastest of any of the drinks sampled on this list. With 190 calories, the Ruby Paloma is light, effervescent, and tasty.

Under normal circumstances, I would not recommend consuming eight alcoholic cocktails back to back on your own. That's why I brought a friend with me; I needed someone to help sample these drinks. As mentioned, I did go to Dave and Buster's on 42nd St in New York, and I attended during happy hour, to get the best price available on the four cocktails that were on offer. We stayed for approximately three hours and took our time spacing out the drinks to get an appropriate, specific taste of everything, but also so we could walk out without stumbling down the street.

I ordered the drinks one at a time, and made sure to drink water in between as a palate cleanser, and also ordered some food to help pad the alcohol consumption. I had at least three to four sips of everything, but the only drink I actually finished was the Ruby Paloma — I absolutely cut myself off much earlier with the cocktails I was not enjoying, so that I could make it to the end of the tasting experience.

While we did leave cocktails on the table to go back to them if we needed to compare which was sweeter, for example, I was happy to let go of the drinks more than halfway full if they were not satisfying. The good news is that there were at least a few drinks I genuinely enjoyed, and I've now revised my opinion of Dave and Buster's as a drink destination!