I’m traveling home from my summer vacation so the Arcade reports are going to come fast and furious this week. I have an unexpected treat to kick the week of Arcade Reports off though, a gust post from my good friend Rob Miller, who recently visited an amazing new arcade while on vacation with his family in Maine…
"Rob here, checking in from the brand-new Maine Silverball Tavern, located in Saco Maine. I was fortunate, while on vacation, to check out this newest location to open in southern Maine, opening its doors to the public in early June 2022. Two owners, Jeremie Remian and Don Viger pooled their personal collections and created a spectacular space to allow the public to play some 40+ pinball machines, ranging from the 70s through today. Their collection is extremely well rounded, and all the machines (except for one or two that were turned off) looked and played fantastic! All games are set for coin drop, so you can play as little or as much as you care to spend. Tilt and replay were all set very fair, and I found myself being able to entertain myself for quite some time on the bag of quarters I had brought with me.
The space is well laid out. There is plenty of room to walk around games, which are arranged in groupings by manufacturer in three spaces, and a mix along the long wall. In addition to standard pinball machines, there are a couple of arcade machines, a shuffleboard alley, and a foosball table to entertain those who aren’t into pinball but want to hang out with those who are. They do not serve food, but allow you to bring in, or order for delivery, and have plenty of tables and chairs to sit and eat at. They do have an extensive selection of beers and non-alcoholic beverages available to purchase as well.
The tables and bar are worthy of their own special mention. Don Viger custom made the bar and the tables, and they are nothing less than spectacular. The live edge top was harvested from a tree right near the tavern. The glow from the front of the bar really makes it pop. The tables were made from recycled shuffle alleys and are also extremely attractive. The craftsmanship is amazing.
While I was there, I was fortunate to have some time to speak with Jeremie, who is excited about being able to share his passion for pinball with the community. They do run some creative contests and tournaments. Check out their Facebook page for all the details.
If you get an opportunity to make your way to Maine, I cannot recommend the Maine Silverball Tavern enough. Hopefully Jason and I can put together a New England road trip in the near future and add this stop to the list."
Here's a bunch of awesome pictures that Rob took for us. Great stuff. Thanks Rob! Hopefully I'll be able to finish my first arcade report from the trip by later today or tomorrow.
