Emerald Tavern Games and Cafe

You walk in and immediately feel at home as a neurospicy human. The staff are like your new best friends. You can bring your own games or pay a little bit to rent one of their board games they have. Also, the food is far better than it has any right to be for just a cute little board game Cafe. And I don't know who comes up with their drinks, but they're an alchemist.

This is THE premier board gaming space to check out. I brought my nephew and brother up from San Antonio for a day of board gaming and from SA to Austin, there is no contest. No gaming store comes close to the level in their medieval theme and atmosphere. The retail area is spacious and not crammed next to the gaming area like some other stores. There is plenty of seating space in the main area and they also have a completely separate area that gives space for larger war gaming. The war gaming tables are set up and ready to go, no need to wait for special table modifications. While they do charge to rent games, the gaming library is well stocked and the level of diversity in the selection makes the charge well worth it. The restrooms are clean they have multiple stalls and urinals; which is nice compared to other stores in SA that only have a single toilet/urinal for its customers. This space is also kid friendly. Which might be a weird thing to mention but there are some "comparable" stores in SA that aren't kid friendly. Imagine? Running a game store and not being kid friendly? The food pricing might be a little on the steep side, however, you're paying to be able to eat a decent meal while being able to enjoy a clean, not to mention, well-lit gaming space. The menu has enough variety and selection so there's a bit for everyone. Additionally, having a bar that serves alcohol, sodas and even sachet tea is something that is greatly appreciated. Some advice for those looking to make their way, I recommend reserving a table because this store definitely can get busy with customers but that's not a deterrent by any means; they stay packed for a reason. This store is echelons above those "comparable" in SA. And even though I'm cities away, I will definitely be coming back and recommending Emerald Tavern to friends.

We didn’t get food but this place was awesome. We googled “board game bar” and found this GEM of a place. Harry was super sweet and really wanted me to buy the Owl Bear, but I didn’t fold. I wanted four specific things and they didn’t have any of them so that was the one -1 star bummer. 1. Local made games 2. Store stickers 3. Guild of Merchant Explorers expansion (they had the base game) 4. General pieces to build your own board game The Minstrel’s Mead is the absolute best.

This place is great! Store, cafe, bar, and restaurant all in one. You can play games at your table, can roll a D20 for a drink selection and keep it if you order the drink, can shop, and enjoy all of the food and drink they have to offer. Was a fun time with great service and many glittery, if rather sweet, drinks.

This place is awesome! Went here for a friend’s birthday and we had a reserved booth for board games. There were many food and coffee options and everything was great. You can also shop around for board games as they have a really expansive collection. It seems there were also arts and crafts workshops going on, so a great place to gather with friends. Would recommend!

Went here to play board games with friends and had a great time. It was $10 for the table for the day, and I played 3 games. You also have the option to bring your own board games. Ahead of going, I didn't see anyone really talk about the food, so I ordered a few things - I got the poutine, the grilled cheese, their seasonal mocha, regular mocha, and a seasonal non-alcoholic drink. I really enjoyed the poutine and would order it again. Something to do is it was a really messy dish, fries were great, but the gravy and cheese curds made it messy. The grilled cheese was okay but could have been more melty. I enjoyed all the drinks I got, especially the mocha. Would definitely come here again.

We had a fun time playing with their $10 unlimited games package. We came on a Tuesday night so it wasn’t packed like it is on weekends. The drinks were good and reasonable and so was our food.

Edit: I am so glad that Emerald Tavern is doing well. The game selection is better than ever and I am loving the novelties that they have for sale now, too. I know that a higher volume of customers is going to change the experience, but the quality of service we received at our last visit was not great. We came at around 12:30 and it took 45 minutes to an hour for our food to start coming out. The host that sat us was very informative and friendly, and our server was fine, but not friendly and our order wasn't completely correct. I ran in to someone I know while we were there and they were also off put by the service. Overall, I would definitely come back to buy a game and maybe a drink, but I wouldn't plan on staying for a meal. (Previous review) This place needs more hype. You can play board games free, the food is AMAZING (bacon and Brie sandwich is so good and I don’t like bacon), their iced chai tea is my favorite in town, they make great Moscow Mules, AND EVERYONE who works there is friendly. They’ve treated me and my partner like friends every time I visit. I love emerald tavern🍻

This is the type of place that someone dreams of creating - a board game hot spot combined with a restaurant/bar combined with a store. The vibes are spot on. We came on a Saturday afternoon without a reservation and it was pretty packed, but managed to get a table. If you come with your own board games, you don't have to pay the $10 for the day pass. The tables are mostly for groups of up to 4. I did notice that the evening seemed to be the busiest time, with people waiting for tables. There are lots of tables outside too if you're willing to storm the weather. The food menu was really interesting! I wanted to get the brisket Wellington but they ran out, so I got the bison burgers and the English chips. The bison burgers had good flavor and were seasoned well, just needed to ask for ketchup on the side. I absolutely loved the fries, they're shaped in these unique twists. A friend got the latte and made it sweet and enjoyed it, and another friend got The Doctor but found it to be very bitter and it was half the size of the latte. There are even seasonal drinks available. I saw a table order what must've been poutine, which looked delicious. The servers are very kind and accommodating, shoutout to our server Mace!

Fun and unique. Board game shop with a restaurant and drinks stapled on to it, it's a great place to hang with some friends and try out some board games. Basically, grab a table, go rent a board game of choice, eat, drink and be merry. They have a pretty wide selection of games and renting a game is just $5, so good way to sample and try new games. Food wise, the food itself is decent, portions are very large. I've gotten the fish and chips twice and the chips are thick and have good crisp on it and the tartar sauce is good. Fish pieces are huge but batter is a bit thick and a bit on the greasy side - I doubt you'll finish it all. They got interesting drinks too if that's your thing. Come for the hangout and games, but the combo of food, drink and play is a winner.

One part game/hobby shop, one part pub/bar, one part rentable hangout spots, Emerald Tavern is an incredible place to visit! This was only my second visit there, but trust, if it were closer to home, I'd be there A LOT more often. We had a co-worker friend visiting from Seattle who's a D&D nerd; they wanted to get together for dinner and I suggested this place, wanting to impress our friend. Trust me, it worked. This place has such a fun folksy vibe, Ren Fairesque. Which is precisely why I donned a bardic fox outfit to go there (and all the employees complimented me, aww). In particular, the establishment serves themed food and drink items with clever D&D-reference names (there's even a d20 menu where you roll a d20-- which you get to keep-- and your luck determines which bevvie you receive from the bar!). The food is legit delicious; the kitchen knows what they're doing. Last night I got the "Draconic Wellington," and I savored EVERY bite, omg. They also regularly rotate their menu with new offerings for spring, summer, fall, and winter. For dessert I had to order off the seasonal menu and get the peppermint strawberry chocolate bundt cake. There's lots of seating both indoors and outside (the patio has a solid overhang). You can also rent a private room (which are quite roomy) if you have a bigger party wanting to game. You can rent board games if you want to try something new, but you're also completely welcome to bring in your own games from home, or of course buy something new from the store itself and take it home! ;) They have a lot of boxed board games, along with minifigures and paints, dice sets, trading cards, nerdy plushies, and more. A managed to finally cross off the last person on my Christmas list with a perfect gift find! Whew. The staff are all affable-- likely because they enjoy working at such a fun establishment. Our group was well attended to the whole visit, and we had such fun!

This is one of my favorite spots in Austin that I only discovered a few months ago. What I love: - the massive menu of a wide variety of drink (especially non alcoholic options, favorites include the Golbat, falconeer, pukei's matcha, London fog!!) and food options (the poutine, fish and chips, the curry, the burger) - affordable pricing for the all day game pass - the ability to have staff recommend a game that fits your interests - the medieval mainstream music is a vibe (wish you could hear it more though) Areas for improvement: - sometimes it takes a while to learn a new game, it would be great if we could tap employees or watch from a bank of videos that teach you how to play -service is super slow and inconsistent, the ability to order food on your phone would make the process much more friendly to customers and the employees who are working hard - more copies of popular games! Or a game waitlist This is one of my favorite spots that I hope will be a permanent fixture in Austin!

Great place to hangout, play board games and eat/drink. Great playful vibe. Staff is helpful and responsive. Very easy to spend hours and hours here. We will definitely be back!

We meet up with another friend to try their new brunch menu which is brand new this month so still working out some bugs, take that into account. It is mostly what I am going to focus on since it is the main reason we came this time. We reserved a table which ended up being right up front and took a look at the brunch menu which quite frankly is not that impressive. It has 5 main options and one of them on this trip was out of stock so just 4 choices, and they only do the limited brunch menu. No other options are available until after 2:30 pm. Even though many of them share the same stuff and same kitchen. It is not unusual to have only a breakfast menu but brunch implies lunch as well and if you have a very limited menu you might still allow a few other menu items to be ordered? Just a thought. The options are Cheesy Grits, French Toast, Steak and Eggs, Scotch Eggs, and a Full English breakfast. The Scotch eggs were out of stock so that was off the menu. There are a few al la carte items but again limited. Ellis our friend didn't like any of the options presented and was hoping for the fish and chips as we didn't know until we got there they did not serve anything off the main menu during brunch. So they sadly didn't get to eat a meal. Shana, off course, got the French Toast and I went with the Steak and Eggs. French Toast: It was Texas toast battered in their secret house recipe with cinnamon cheese cream icing and chocolate chips. They did get a fried egg on the side. Shana said it was ok, not in the top anything for French Toast but again not the worst either. Steak and Eggs: Jalapeno garlic marinated 8 oz flat iron steak, grilled medium, with two fried eggs and English chips. It was fine, nothing special, the english chips may have been the best thing. Don't get me wrong it was not awful or even bad, just kind of ok. A little bland I suppose. The back bacon was fine. The staff was all friendly and the drinks were good. Shana and Ellis did a 20 sided dice roll that got them a random drink depending on what number they landed on and you get to keep the dice so that was fun.

Emerald Tavern is such a unique and fun spot, blending a board game store with a bar and café setting--it's perfect for an afternoon with friends. My group and I had an absolute blast playing games, and we appreciated the quiet, laid-back atmosphere in the afternoon. It made for a relaxed yet engaging time. The staff, especially those in training, were a bit pushy with service at times, but they were definitely attentive and eager to help. I think they're still finding the right balance, but their enthusiasm was appreciated. Overall, it's a great place to hang out, enjoy some drinks, and dive into a variety of board games. I'll definitely be back for more game nights with friends!

$10 unlimited games or you can bring your own for free!! Enjoyed 2 beers and a London fog and it was so fun! Staff were nice and knowledgeable on games too. First time here and will be back!

Emerald Tavern is a dream come true for board game enthusiasts! They've got a huge library of games, delicious food, and even special themed menus (their Lord of the Rings anniversary menu was fantastic!). Definitely reserve a table, which includes games rentals. Keep an eye on their social media for cool events like tournaments and themed game nights. A must-visit for playful fun and tasty treats!

This was my first time trying something like this. Truly amazed to see so many game options. You basically just pay for area you reserve and you can rent any available game you like based on your party size. You can enjoy drinks and food available onsite but limited food options for vegeterian.

Roll the dice!! Rent a board game, lose the pieces, try to pretend you know the rules of the random board games. Lots of fun for big groups, don't be the one guy playing a board game by yourself.

Such a cool spot! My wife and I love to come here and check out the games, food and drinks. Awesome place to hang out

Great atmosphere. Great people. Great selection of games. However some food/drinks are grossly overpriced. One pint of stout is $12 and a single standard pretzel is $8? They used to have awesome pretzel 'logs' (you'd get two) that were fluffy, filling and worth it. But they've cheapened the quality of some items (now have a standard, skinny dry pretzel) and kept the price the same (or higher). Go enjoy the place, but check the prices before you order.

Made a reservation with friends to play some board games! We brought our own games but they also have an extensive game library to rent from. There is food and drinks available as well, but I found that most of the food was too salty to enjoy. Otherwise my friends and I had a wonderful time here!

This is such a cool place that I'd usually never go to. Luckily I came for a work event and got to experience a true tavern! there's so many board games, card games, dice games etc. available to play and purchase. There's also food drinks and even a bar. We were given a ton of games to choose from to play amongst our table. The food was buffet style and had sandwiches, fries, butter chicken and rice, tikka masala pizza, and a hamburger helper type mac & cheese. The food was surprisingly good. I didn't care for the pizza but the rest was delicious. My favorite thing I had here was the London fog tea. It was the best I've ever had! This is a cool place to take anyone who is into fantasy, role-playing, or table top games. I definitely look forward to returning playing with more friends!

I love this place and don't understand why Houston cannot have something similar :( Anyway, there's a whole bar, tons of games to shop around, tons of tables and private rooms you can reserve. If you reserve a table or room, they I close there demo library to pick games to play. Plenty of food and drink options like beer, liquor, sodas, coffees. There's shareable apps and entrees and a couple a dessert options. Ughh I wish this place was in Houston! Highly recommend this place for a nice gaming time from boards to tcg to dnd.

What a cool spot. I would've never thought to stop in here until a group of coworkers invited me to join them for lunch and board games. I brought my computer to get a little work done - they have wifi and big enough tables to game, eat and work at. My coworker ordered they half portion of the Irish nachos which was huge. I ordered the pretzels that came with several dipping options. I chose the house made beer cheese and mustard. These were probably the best pretzels I've ever had! Really soft and just the right amount of salt. My favorite thing though was the lemonade! You can choose from a laundry list of syrup options and the combo I landed on was the mango peach and it was delicious. I had to order 2. Overall this place is quite and relaxing, I had a great time working and squeezing in some time for a board game and snacks. Will definitely be back again - maybe make it a weekly visit

Super fun hang out spot for anyone trying to play board games in the midst of other enthusiasts. The food is great and they have drinks too! My favorite thing there is the London Fog. It is simply the best version of the classic drink that my friends and me have ever had. You can buy games there as well or bring your own! Only wish they stayed open later because we love it so much!

I visited Emerald Tavern once over 10 years ago and I enjoyed it. I don't know what took me so long to go back, but I'm glad that I recently did! You can pick wherever you want to sit. They have plenty of drinks and food. My husband and I had the scotch eggs and French toast off the new brunch menu. Very tasty! The environment is very welcoming and friendly. There's also a section where you can buy games, game pieces, etc. You can rent games from their library too. I had a great time playing Magic and Pokemon here. I will definitely be back.

Made an online reservation for a large table (can seat up to six people) and was able to check in at the library counter inside easily. We came on a Saturday and every table and booth was filled. It was my first time coming here and there are so many games to check out! You can also bring your own games (but you cannot bring your own food and drinks). They do have water with cups. They also sell food and drinks that you order with the QR code on your table. I got the prickly pear cactus drink and if you make it non-alcoholic, it's -$4. I also got the hamburger with house salad. The patty was completely burnt so that was disappointing. There also wasn't any sauce on the burger but the buns were nicely buttered. Definitely DO NOT get the hamburger. My friend got fries and on the bottom of the bowl, there's queso. This tasted nice and I would want to get this next time!

This place was so much fun! Admittedly I had low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised by how great the food was and how many games there were to checkout & play or buy. $10 for a day pass is a great deal and the staff were all friendly. The British bacon was delicious. I'll definitely be back here.

PROS: ----------------- (1) Complete experience. You can bring your own games, rent their games, or buy their games, and order from a broad menu of drinks and food (not just a few food items offered as an afterthought). They also host game nights for certain games. (2) Game rental is aggressively priced. $5 for one game, or $10 for a day pass for unlimited games. (3) Can reserve tables or rooms. (4) Consistently friendly and helpful staff. (5) Some vegan options. (6) Made to look like a German tavern, nice atmosphere. CONS: -------------------- (1) Finding the vegan items is a chore because: ....(a) They don't use icons or other easily identifiable words or marking to easily find the vegan items, and ...(b) They don't repeat all the vegan items in their own dedicated group where they could be easily found. (2) Many vegetarians wouldn't want their vegetables or black bean burgers cooked on the same part of the grill that meat is cooked on, because they find meat disgusting. Does ET use a separate grill, or at least a separate section of the grill and separate utensils for the veg*n foods? Who knows, because the menu doesn't say. (3) Parts of the menu are broken. For example, it's impossible to order a Bruschetta with an extra baguette and no cheese, because the system lets you choose EITHER an extra baguette, or no cheese, but not both. Once you opt to pay an extra $2.50 for an extra baguette, you can't deselect the cheese option. (4) You can order packaged water or tap water, but not filtered water. That suggests that they don't have a filter, which would mean that they're not using filtered water for cooking. (5) SMALLEST default tip on the checkout is 18%. Smallest default should be 15%, which has been the standard for decades. Yes, it's possible to enter a custom tip, but that's not the point, the DEFAULT is too high. For that matter, it would be great if ET went in the direction of places like Bouldin Creek Café and Mr. Natural, and just did away with tipping by raising their prices to be able to pay their staff a living wage.

Bottom of the barrel customer service. Paid 35 dollars to "reserve" a table that's in the middle of a hot, noisy room just to wait over an HOUR for an Italian soda, and a cocktail. I shouldn't have expected much, as it is a game hall, and it's a very very casual atmosphere, but if you call yourself a bar and cafe, you immediately set the standard for hospitality. If you are coming here with no expectations and are just looking for an elevated "board game night" experience, sure. You can dress however you'd like, anyone of any age is welcome, so I get why the concept is good. The servers are incompetent, and when I asked why my drinks were taking so long, they looked as baffled as I did. When I asked the bar manager for a refund, they were SHOCKED that I even asked, as if it was rude. They said because I already drank it, the best they could do is take a discount off (thank you for taking two dollars off a THIRTY dollar tab. really speaks volumes on customer service values!) I work as a server/bartender as well, and I can assure you I would be kissing some feet on if drinks took even longer than 15 minutes. Don't be in hospitality if you can't handle it. And if your establishment can't handle the volume, serve soft drinks instead. Problem solved. Overall poor experience and far too expensive, not worth it if you're planning on spending any money at all. Just stay at home, trust me.

Big space for games and gatherings which is nice. Staff is a bit rude and lazy. Could have been much better.

The food was a little pricey, but super tasty. The poutine was great and so were just the regular fries. Also, the environment was so fun. Everyone playing games and in their own little world. I'll be going back.

Emerald Tavern Games and Café is a wonderful spot to reserve a table and try new games with friends and family for a small fee, while you enjoy a tasty meal. Their grilled cheese and tomato basil soup is delicious, especially the bisque, which is full of heat, flavor and a wonderful texture. Throw in a side salad and you've got a hearty meal to enjoy while you play. We love hiding out here during a rainy day while we try a new game from their collection or bring a favorite from home, like Lorcana.

So much fun, games with brunch! The best latte in town is a plus, and the brunch menu surprisingly good. Bring some friends and a game, settle at a table and enjoy n amazing drink with your snacks.

Been going to emerald tavern for three years with multiple boardgame groups. Place use to be fantastic, self seating, no waiters, just a QR code and water stations. It was convenient and easy to order and not have to wait for someone to come by. someone coming by interrupting consistently is a waste of their time and harder to place orders. Really going back to this method was not a good idea, I'm just gonna migrate to other game stores. The perk of having alcohol and food. Is now a downgrade. Please go back to QR codes, won't be spending money there until it's back.

Great food, great crowd, great games and drinks! It's a dangerous combination. I'll be back.

Large space and a ton of games to choose from. My friends came on a busy weekend night and we managed to find a table and play 2 games. Btw there's not a lot of "household name" games like Monopoly or anything lol. Food and drinks were decent and there's a variety on the menu. Nothing too special but it was good. Location is in a shopping plaza so lots of parking. Workers were really nice. Overall a great, wholesome place to play games with friends.

We like this place for several reasons. The food & drink are excellent & thoughtfully themed. This is a gaming cafe, where we can sit & play for hours. The staff is friendly & mostly competent. As I most enjoy the Caesar salad, we stop by regularly just to eat - not to sit for hours playing or visiting with friends. Usually, however, I order a Moscow Mule or one of their seasonal themed drinks. This time, I ordered unsweetened iced tea - as I usually do everywhere I go, every day - and today it became a source of disappointment. I came in today just for lunch - not to sit around leech off their tea urn all afternoon - yet they limited me to a single, small glass of iced tea at $2.55 + tax. There's no way I will ever pay $2.55 for a 10-oz. unsweetened iced tea refill! Otherwise, we love this place, so we will work within these parameters.

Very cool space to play games with friends! My husband and I walked in at around 7:30pm on a Tuesday night. Luckily, there was one table open! All others were full! We claimed a table, ordered some drinks from the cafe, then went to the game counter and got a game to try out. You can get a single game for $5 or get a day pass for $10. They also had games for sale. Our drinks were delivered to our table while we were setting up our game. They had lots of coffee choices, alcohol choices, and sodas. I ordered a hot chocolate, and my husband ordered a blackberry French soda. The hot chocolate was delicious!! They also have a solid amount of food choices (appetizers, entrees, and dessert). We will definitely be back to play more games, and bring friends to try it out with us.

Our last time at Emerald, the location was much smaller. This location is huge in comparison with a nice selection of food and drinks. You can either order at the front, or find a table, scan the QR code, and order from the table. A great selection of games for purchase and you can rent games at either $5/game, or a day pass of $10. I ordered the Campfire Latte, which is not on their menu board on the wall, but is on their online menu. Definitely a sweeter drink, but it wasn't overly sugary due to the cinnamon and tasted great. Games were fun, and the tables were clean. Definitely a super fun place to stay cool in the summer heat.

Not a great place for groups more than 4 unless you want to pay $55+ for a table. There will be two people sitting at 6 person tables while there are plenty of 4 person tables free. You can't merge tables, or bring a chair over to seat a fifth. Hell you'll even get told you can't stand around a table if there's not enough seating. It's completely asinine. I'm a regular visiting once or twice a week and this has been an issue for a while now. I sent an email to management and they won't even reply back. In addition everything is just so expensive there. I get a small markup because the type of venue but way to expensive. The games are often double (or more) the price elsewhere too. It shouldn't be more than a 25% up charge compared to the market price. So all in all, I do not recommend this place for any groups of 5 or more at all.

The menu isn't huge, but there are a broad set of options to suite any taste. Drinks are great and, again, many options...And you can play any of their library of games for $10 all day/night! We played Horrified twice and then Villainous once, while eating dinner and having a few drinks. Wonderful night for a small to medium group! Staff was knowledge of both the menu and, more importantly, the many games in the library and for sale.

Partner & I had a blast here! We were visiting Austin en route to our New Mexico road trip and decided to keep it a little chiller after kayaking. We found Emerald Tavern on Yelp and headed over around 7 PM on a Sunday eve. Totally unassuming from the front when we first pulled up to the strip mall-esque by the highway area. The Tardis box they had out front was promising though and when we walked inside, we found a large and bustling board game cafe! You can come for just game play or to grab a bite/drink but most people were doing both. Grab a table and a game, scan the QR code and order all online and the staff comes out with your order. A good assortment of caffeinated, non caffeinated, and alcoholic beverages + a good amount of food items ranging from $7 apps-$15 entrees. We just got a mocha, Italian soda, and fries to split but I'd try their other food. They have their kitchen + tap up at the front with tables, then the middle section is full of board games for purchase, and the back has more tables for food and play. You can rent one board game for $5/game or pay $10/person for a full days' play. We opted to get one game, Jaipur, at the staff recommendation for a 2 person game. It was so much fun we bought one to take home with us ....and have been addictively playing each night since. Such a fun way to spend a day, good game selection, fair prices, kind staff, extensive menu!

Great place to have good food, a pint and hang with my kiddos while playing games. Friendly staff and fun atmosphere. I don't buy games anywhere else.

We LOVE emerald tavern. They recently changed to a full service restaurant rather than QR code ordering and we were only seen once by the waiter after 20 minutes. Food and drink is delicious but I won't be back due to the terrible service. Super disappointing because we used to love coming here...

Pull up a chair and play some games! I'd seen this place several times in passing but finally was able to visit after a friend invited me to play some warhammer. Upon stepping in I was throughly surprised at the cleanliness and how much space the place had for parties. On top of that, to it's name it has that nice tavern feel complete with both drinks and coffee. Atmosphere: A board gamers paradise. Plenty of room, selection of games, drinks, and equipment for pretty much any game out there. There's even a room in the back specifically for those large tactical games that require preset fields and such. Let your imagination go wild. Food: They have a good selection of freshly made coffee's and beers. I ended up going with a simple latte. To note their price is pretty great too, comparable to most coffee shops. Games are best when you have something to drink too. Service: Staff were all super friendly and ready and willing to assist with any questions. I'm sure if you are looking for any particular game they would be more than happy to help. Grab a group of friends and your favorite board game and come on by, this place will really give you all the things you need for a successful board game day without the hassle of having to host on your own. Along with board games it seems they have plenty of other community events such as figure painting and DND nights. This is a board gamers "pair'o'dice".

I do regret not reviewing before the big change. In the past I would have given 5 stars because the price was affordable and they had a larger selection of foods to choose from. Now the prices just remind me that the Californias are taking over. Which is a shame because I was so happy to have found a third space that was affordable. Will no longer be dining here anymore

Great board game lounge and cafe. The menu is downloadable, but the QR code menu seems to be the most up-to-date. The service was fast and friendly, despite the full capacity. Our little group enjoyed playing a good round of Exploding Kittens while sipping brews and eating the pretzel sticks with beer cheese. We now know that we could reserve a table or booth ahead of time to beat the rush. In addition to a variety of games to purchase, there was a great selection of games to borrow for a small fee from their library.

Went here for the first time last week and had an absolute blast. the service was incredible and the staff were friendly and super knowledgeable about the games when providing recommendations to our group. Food and Drink were good too. My only complaint was how bright it was in there! I understand the need to see your table/ game, but it was REALLY bright. I feel like dimmed light and maybe some table lighting would really go a long way with setting the mood for a game night/ "Tavern" setting.

Woke up the night after with abdominal pain and the big Dia.. In retrospect, the burger I ate had pretty pink soft meat that i should have worried about a bit more. Didn't think too hard about it at the time. But the only other things I ate that day were well cooked eggs i made myself in the morning and grapes in the afternoon. I was there with a group that's there pretty regularly and they all said the food is generally disappointing. One guy was served cold mac at my table and had kind of a resigned disappointment. Maybe this should be a wake up call that the kitchen needs to overhaul it's quality standards. That said, the burger was pretty tasty. It had a butter toasted bun that was a nice touch. Mac was meh and had surprise jalapenos in it for something just labeled "bacon Mac and cheese". Not something to surprise people with. Staff was very nice. Lighting is a bit too bright in general. Maybe just a little less bright would be nice and people could still easily read their games. Overall the take away is the food isn't worth the abdominal pain.

It's been a month of Sundays since my last visit, and the place is much improved. It was a neat space before, but now.... B E A Utiful! The shepherds pie was great and the Hot Chocolate, a work of art. Well done gang

The food here is amazing!!! I didn't realize before entering that people primarily go here to just chill and play card games but it was cool to see everyone having fun while enjoying delicious Irish foods!!!

This place is simply the best for Boardgames. Such a chill vibe. You can go in and order food through your phone, and bring your own Boardgames. You can also rent Boardgames there. The price is 5$ to rent 1 single board game for the day and 10$ to rent an infinite amount of board games for the whole day. The food is good, and drinks aren't bad either. It's not too pricey and it's great to have 2-3 people OR 8-10 people. Service is quick and staff is kind and understanding. I always recommend this place to any of my friends who want a change of scenery when deciding a board-game spot. They also have a area you can buy Boardgames too! Some specialty titles that are hard to find.

My family loves to go to Emerald Tavern for delicious food and a great environment to play board games together. We can spend an entire evening there and wonder why we don't go more often. It's great to check the games out from the library they have and see if it's something we might want to purchase. Or we bring our own games and reserve one of the rooms. Either way we get great food and lots of fun!

Came here for the first time on a Saturday night with friends. Spent a few hours eating, drinking, and playing games. We had a great time. The cafe has a very convenient ordering system, where everyone at the table can order on a separate tab. This allows everyone to order at their own pace while allowing your game to continue without interruption. There was a great selection of games (1 game for $5 and unlimited games for $10). Staff was very helpful and friendly. Bathrooms were very clean. Was a great experience, will certainly be back.

This restaurant concept is literally the coolest ever! My friends and I came here because we didn't really have anything to do and ended up staying over 5 hours. The service is so great, we got so many recommendations of games to play based on our interests. We got a bruschetta to munch on, very delicious. The bread is sourdough so very tasty. I left this place wanting to tell all my friends about it. I will definitely be back here!