If there’s one thing Recbar has mastered, it is the art of sensory overload.

Upon entering this Jeffersontown bar, arcade and restaurant at 10301 Taylorsville Road, visitors are greeted by a blinking rainbow of lights. The cacophony of sounds unique to an arcade fills the air, matched only by the raucous banter of patrons darting from pinball machine to video game in rapid motion.

With entertainment in spades for kids and adults alike, Recbar sets itself apart from the typical arcade establishment, crafting a food and bar experience that goes beyond the generic hot dog and nacho offerings.

Comfort food is still at the heart of the Recbar dining experience, however, a whimsical approach is enlisted. Ingredients are unique — like frosted flakes used as a breading for the chicken tenders, tater tots substituted for tortilla chips on the "tatcho" section of the menu, or fruity pebbles encrusting an ice cream sandwich for dessert.

This playfulness is part of what drew me to Recbar, curious if the fanciful nature of the menu would be matched by the quality in which the dishes were prepared.

While guests enter through the arcade at Recbar, they are blissfully not forced to dine among the controlled chaos. The dining space and bar area sit in a large room adjacent to the games, the walls covered in faux wood paneling with vintage video game posters acting as decoration in addition to multiple TVs.

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The bar occupies the far end of the dining room with a list of cocktails inspired by video game characters like Luigi and Sonic the Hedgehog on hand. Several creations include some sort of high octane soda beverage or sweetener, from Surge to Red Bull to plain old cola.

I didn’t make it past the first two sips of Yoshi’s Vacation ($7). This nod to the dinosaur from Super Mario World is reflected in the drink’s neon green hue, melon liqueur, blue curacao and lemon-lime soda adding color and way too much sugar to the coconut rum and vodka base. Unless you have a flair for the artificially flavored, I would suggest sticking to the impressive beer and bourbon lists instead.

Tacos and sandwiches make up the bulk of the menu, in addition to a multitude of sharable options.

Four riffs on an egg roll are available, including the burgertime rolls ($9), which features all of the classic flavors of a bacon cheeseburger combined within a wonton wrapper and fried. Well-seasoned and served with a mayo-based "not-so-secret" sauce, these rolls represent a fun change of pace from the typical bar fare. 

Four cleverly named "totcho" dishes also bring an impressive portion of food to the table. We selected the Always Sunny Totchos ($12), a tribute to the show "Always Sunny in Philadelphia," which is a take on a Philly cheesesteak. The chopped steak was well-cooked and the queso cheese judiciously applied. I would have liked double the onions and peppers to properly round out each bite.

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The Cougar Bait fish tacos ($9), however, checked all the boxes with cod battered in a popular Kentucky-made ale and fried until crisp. Lettuce and tomato added freshness and a pineapple pico contributed a slightly sweet counterpoint to the salty fish, with a citrus aioli keeping things bright and balanced.

Seven burger variations anchor the sandwich portion of the menu, ranging from a classically prepared prime burger ($10) to the breakfast burger ($12), which forgoes the traditional bun for a waffle, syrup served on the side. We opted to try the Southern style burger ($12), which topped the 1/2-pound patty with bacon, fried green tomato and pimento cheese. The pimento cheese was a miss for me, lacking proper texture, and the burger itself was run of the mill.

The same sentiment applied to the mac and cheese side. The sauce was on the thin side and the flavor merely average. We did prefer the standard mac and cheese to the beer cheese mac alternative, though. The cheese sauce to pasta ratio was way off, with this dish bordering on soupy.

The sweet and spicy chicken sandwich ($10) delivered in both the flavor and texture department, a sriracha sauce adding fire to each bite of the well-fried chicken breast. Pineapple helped to temper the heat on each intense but tasty bite.

With a no-kids policy after 10 p.m., we left Recbar as busy and bustling as it was when we arrived. While I can’t say I was blown away by what I sampled at Recbar, it certainly sits a notch above other, not-so-homegrown arcade options in the city.

Reach freelance restaurant critic Lindsey McClave at lindsey@foodie-girl.com.

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Cuisine: Bar fare featuring tacos, burgers and sandwiches

Alcohol: Full bar including extensive beer and bourbon offerings

Access: Restaurant is handicap accessible

Parking: Available in a dedicated lot

Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday