Boards & Brews

Came here last night for the fifth time and every other time has been amazing except last night. The server did not come back to the table and left us alone for 3+ hours, the food menu has been changed and is so small now, the food wasn't even warm or good (there was no cheese on our nachos??). Although the atmosphere is nice here, the service and menu need to be reviewed.

Tons of games and the place is packed! Decent selection of finger foods and cocktails. Luckily we were able to play games at the bar despite not reserving a table. We initially attempted to learn a new strategy-type game, but the place was just too loud for it to be enjoyable. We ended up playing a few strategy games we were familiar with and then ended the night with some simple family favorites. Overall, highly recommend - you can't beat $5 for three hours of fun and games!!!

I really wanted to like this place, I decided to come in since I'm still somewhat new to the area and was looking for a place to come weekly. A staff member came over I took my order for my drink, made it for me and gave it to me. They never came back over for my order for food. I would have ordered food but I waited for a solid 20 minutes and got no one since they were more absorbed into having a conversation with each other rather than checking up on a customer that wasn't playing the games. After that 20 minutes they came over and I paid and then left. I'm going to try again on a Tuesday when they are having the event, but for a first experience can't say I'm impressed. When I come on a Tuesday my review may change.

I wish I had 10 stars to give to this amazing gem in Manchester NH! Absolutely After a very bad day that we had at a disappointing place called “The Golden Tao” we made an excellent choice - thanks to my friend Aishu for suggesting this place! There is an amazing selection of various board games that you can play. The staff was super nice and genuinely friendly gave us excellent table. We were six and we picked up two games. We had a blast! I ordered a fairy tale tea with Oat milk and lavender syrup and a strawberry cheese cake. There were so many people playing different games. The vine was just right and we had an amazing bonding time over good games and good food and good music. Do come here! You’re just going to love it for the amazing homey time that this place is going to gift you..

It was amazing! The manager was so awesome and our server Jessie was beyond fantastic! The food was so good and we had so much fun playing games! I would totally recommend!!! And ill definitely be back

Visited recently with a friend on my first time. The whole place is wall-to-wall games of all types, all in great condition. The food and drink prices are reasonable for the area, and the staff was helpful but the setup was a little confusing. $5/person for essentially admission, you get a table and can play all the games you want. Relatively small area so you might want to get a reservation during high activity hours.

There were a wide variety of boars games and card games! Great for a date night or a fun time with friends and/or family. The chai latte, matcha tea, and the nachos with pulled pork were amazing

Staff was amazing and friendly.Food has taken a major turn downhill. All of the exciting entrees and snacks you can enjoy have been knocked down multiple pegs from their basic requirements of taste. Simple foods such as nachos, brownies and chicken sandwiches are now pathetic and over priced attempts of easy to make satisfying food.

I'd rate Boards and Brews four and a half stars. One of the best executions of a board games bar / cafe. Deal is $5 per player for 3 hours. Huge selection of games. Everything we played was clean and complete. Simply a heaven for board games. They had six beers on draft. Focus on macros. Plenty of other beverages and food items too. A few smaller tables for groups of two to four, but the majority sat groups of six to eight. There was a private game room too. Two singles occupancy restrooms rooms. The one I used was spacious. The other appeared to be handicap accessible.

This place was alot of fun! We hosted work after hours here for 20 people and our server was amazing. She was super helpful providing drink recommendations and appetizer and dessert advice. Everyone enjoyed their snacks and drinks and had a wonderful time playing games and visiting with one another. The atmosphere was comfortable. We utilized 3 wooden tables, 2 that sat 6 each and one that sat 8. It was busy as it was a Saturday night but comfortable and inviting to stick around and play games. I'd definitely come back and eat, drink, and play here again!

Located in the heart of downtown, this is the perfect board game cafe. The game selection was organized, plentiful, but not overwhelming. I appreciated the balance of familiar and new games. The place was full when we arrived, so I would suggest a reservation. Street parking is about your only option. As for food - the menu isn't very extensive, which is to be expected for this type of place. The tender sand which was fine. Not bad, not incredible. The truffle fries were yum! Swing by for a fun evening of games.

I love board game bars/cafes, and this spot takes it to another level with their substantial collection of games (2k+). They had solid drink offerings (cocktails, mocktails, NA beers, tea, coffee, etc.) and a good-looking food menu (don't think I saw any vegan options, but I could be wrong). Their loose-leaf tea was what we landed on, and it was good! The staff is very kind and helpful in explaining how the process works (finding a game, how many games you can have at once...) and I think $5/person (not $10/table as I saw advertised online) is very reasonable for the three hours of game time that they give you. Also: loved that they were playing Caroline Polachek on repeat. Good stuff.

Been here 5 times in a row, after work visit. Their food taste great and stands out and also a good customer service

This place is amazing. I was extremely surprised by how good the food was, and the service was so quick. They have an amazing selection of games, there's something for everyone. The staff was attentive and friendly. One of my friends didn't like the drink she got as she didn't realize she wasn't fan of the liquor base - the bartender came over to see what would suit her better and replaced her drink. They were so nice. I thought all the drinks my friends got were good. We got the house special salad (DELISH), the chicken tender basket (v good fries), fried pickles, and Philly cheesesteak egg rolls, which were all amazing. There's sparse street parking around Manchester, but you may have to plug in and find a parking lot or garage and walk a few blocks on a busy night.

We were sat at the worst table in the restaurant by the front door. Every time someone came in, the chill lingered. The table is too small to play a game and eat. Service is always a challenge at this establishment. We sat for 15 minutes before someone came to see if we'd been seen yet. The staff is always friendly, but not well trained on food service procedures.

I just love it here! I've been attending with a weekly meetup group for about 3 months now and it's one of my favorite places to be. The staff knew my name by the second week and they're pretty awesome. They are allergy-friendly and can accommodate a lot. They have gluten free bread and you can substitute the fries (not gluten free bc they fry them in the same oil as breaded things) with a salad. In addition to a wide selection of beer they have gluten free beer, wine, mixed cocktails and ciders. It's also a kid friendly place. My son joins regularly and has Mac and cheese and sodas. So many games to choose from!

Today was my first time trying out board and breu and had a great experience! No wonder the entire place was filled on a Tuesday night. The staff are so friendly and knowledgeable on the games drinks and food. Large portions for a good price. I tried the zombie island and it was delicious with a slight hint of citrus highly recommend trying out the pumpkin king drink as well. Plenty of games and mock tails and coffee too! If you're ever looking for a fun time and good food and drinks come here!!

We're board game enthusiasts and were so excited to check this place out that we drove an hour and a half from the lakes region down to Manchester for an afternoon of gaming. We saw on the website it was $5 for unlimited play which is a great value given that our OG board game cafe back home is pay by the hour. They also boasted a collection of over 1600 games on their website and over 1700 games on their reservation page. We were the only people in the place when we walked in around 1:30 on a Sunday and were immediately asked if we had a reservation. I chuckled because the place was empty and the website did mention reservations, but it was $5/person for only 3 hours. Why would we limit ourselves? Reservation obviously skipped for unlimited play time. The bartender told us there is a 3 hour limit for no reservation. We perused the games and were disappointed to see that the "1600 games" included many duplicates of versions of games you'd find at Walmart, but that's not to say they didn't have a diverse collection, but it's just not what we're used to in board game cafes we've visited elsewhere. Right away one of the employees (maybe the owner?) began chiding us for choosing a heavier weight game. We are pretty big into the hobby and I was kind of put off that he implied we wouldn't be able to get the game nor finish it before they closed. This was our first time in a board game cafe where they didn't have someone on staff to teach games and rather than trying to help us grasp the mechanics of the game we chose, we were heckled. Very strange. The cocktails were good, but on the expensive side. The latte was fine, but had way too much Hershey's syrup in it and the cookie served on the side was incredibly stale. The server was nice enough. The bartender seemed cool, but spent a lot of time on his phone scrolling through profiles of female patrons (only females ) even though he said he has a girlfriend. When we left around 4:30, the place was starting to get busy, but there were plenty of empty tables so the 3 hour cap was unnecessary. Despite having a ton of staff around, it took an annoyingly long time to pay our bill. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back, but may consider stopping in again if I found myself in the area.

Such a fun idea for a bar!! The drinks are delicious, the food was delicious and the selection of games was incredible! Staff is so friendly. Will 100% be coming back.

So many games ! Decent food but that's just a supplement to the games. Very friendly staff as well.

I'm from out of town and I was randomly walking around to find dinner after 9 pm and I stumbled upon this gem. I didn't eat there because it was too late but the bartender was kind enough to offer to make me her favorite cocktail, which was amazing. The board game selection is huge, guaranteed to have something that you'll enjoy.

We stopped in for a drink. Fun cocktail menu. Staff was super friendly. We didn't play any games but noted they had quite the library.

Great place for a night out if you don't want to hit the club or something related to that. This is a chill bar where if you just have to have a fun and relaxing evening with your friends and families to play some board games and grab a couple of drinks there. I came here one night with my friends because we were staying there for a night. We walk around the downtown area after dinner and decide we should just go grab a drink and relax. So we came here. They have board games all over the place. I remembered they mentioned to us that they have like 1500 board games available. Only thing I dislike is that they charge $5 per person if you wanna come in. That's fine. Overall, everything was good, drinks and etc. Will be back in the future if around the area.

I love the coffee!!! So as far as Brews they are on point. I had a custom banana and toasted marshmallow latte. Boards? It was amazing coming here with my family. We had a party of 10 and the employees were very patient and accommodating with us. They made sure we were all offered beverages and brought them to us. It's such a nice atmosphere and I want to do this every time I visit Manchester now.

If I could give this place a 0 star for service I absolutely would. I went here thinking that I would be walking into a place all accepting g as they had a flag I. The window sadly they told me they would seat me I. A few minutes as a group was leaving after waiting about 10 minutes th party they thought were leaving didn't instead of even offering g to seat me at a table the person who had initially greeted me shrugged his shoulders and said I don't know. No offer ti seat me at a table no apology nothing. I can't speak ti the menu as I never even got a chance to sit. Disappointed.

I would leave a zero stars review if possible but it doesn't accept that. Bad customer service. Will never try and go back.

I mean.... We basically live here. Our family frequents on the regular and I think we've had (almost) everything on the menu. If there was a mug club we would totally be a part of it! Any time family or friends come to visit we take them here. They've really built a community here and we are always looking for our next opportunity to come back. Thanks Keating and gang - you have all enriched our lives!

It's a cool little hang out spot. It definitely started to fill up as the sun set. They have tons of games to pick from, ranging from games we grew up with to new ones to very niche ones. The drinks were okay, but the fact we had to pay for the game kinda sucked. I think they should only make you pay to play games if you don't want to buy anything. But paying for a drink or some food should comp the games.

GREAT PLACE TO GO!!!! moderately well priced, really good selection of board games, super great pub type food. only problem is that the ceiling did start leaking right next to us, but workers handled it quickly. please go here!!!

A nice place, with a zillion games to borrow. The food is great for snacking at the table, and the drinks were innovative. Thumbs up!

Unique concept that is family friendly but also the perfect place for a chill night out with adult friends. This place has 1,500 board games to enjoy with friends. The best part though is the beverages. The craft cocktails are beautiful and tasty! They have a lot of food options but we didn't have time for dinner this time. We will be back to try coffee and food!

After two tries of this place love it. Fantastic Hospitality, wonderful drinks, food, and games. Hands down absolutely highly rated. They have the equation down pat. Check out my locally made pretzel, cheese and mustard. Freaking phenomenal

Been here before but never played any games just to get a drink. Tonight I got the full experience asked an employee what was a good game? Eliza tells me a game in which I have never played "Onitama" it's a strategy type game like chess. A lot of fun an doesn't take a lot of time. Employee's are knowledgeable about the games an make a great drink as well when Oliva is working I end up getting a drink called "Between the Sheets" Martell an Henney an simple its to die for. Also a catchy name. Met the owner Keating an his new baby an wife as well makes you love the places more by knowing who owns an operates these enjoyable spaces we can come to be entertained in an got to thank him for bring such a place Board games an Beers together sounds like fun an family all mixed in together. One of my favorite places an as you play more games the better it gets oh I almost for got one part about the place. The tables. When they opened you could donate money to buy a table an now your name goes on a plate on the table good idea. Just so happen some of my friends have a table an that's why I started coming here to begin with. We all came over from across the street a Cigar lounge Castros Backroom. Basically we feel like family over there an we just added another room to our big house by adding Boards an Brews to our family a big happy place we all can call home. Love this family we are building. Thanks to the businesses an the people that come through.

I first walked into Boards and Brews a month ago, and I've continued going back almost daily since. Seriously. I am impressed every single visit by the diversity at this place: the patrons that walk in, the 1,000+ games available to play, the variety of drinks and food I've tried. I am a 29-year-old relatively new to the area, so I understand the challenge a lot of others my age face making new friends and/or meeting new people. However, in the last 30 days, I have played games with and befriended dozens of people--the atmosphere at Boards and Brews really lends itself to strengthening friendships and having a fun time. Every single staff person there is incredibly personable, attentive, and willing to do/be better than the day before. And the extra mile they go to not only teach you how to play new games, but encourage you to play with others is really special. As this millennial-run business continues to foster a greater sense of community, I'm excited to watch the community change with it. And to the team behind Boards and Brews, I speak on behalf of my generation when I offer my sincerest, "Thank you."

I came here one time and the place is cool but the service was so bad. They warned us they were short staffed which is understandable but it took forever for us to order and once we did it took them like 40 minutes for them to bring me a can of PBR. All my friends got and finished their drinks before I even got mine. The bartenders would also blatantly ignore me when I went up to the bar even though there was no one else sitting up there anymore. It was kinda weird and hostile and just kinda soured it for me. I don't think I'll come back anytime soon

Boards & Brews is located right in the heart of Elm St in downtown Manchester & it's a welcomed addition to Monarchs Country. Part-time coffee shop by day & bar by night, B&B caterers to folks of all ages but drinks are not what's meant to bring bodies through the front door. Board games are. Yup, the games are the stars of the show here & this ain't your average joint with an old deck of 'Trivial Pursuit' on the table either. B&B has every board game you've ever heard of & most of which you haven't. It's actually overwhelming to view the collection displayed almost library style in the back. They practically need a card catalog. And while I mention it, I could use a refresher as to how the dewey decimal system works. Go, play & enjoy!

I started going to Boards and Brews with just one friend and we loved getting a drink, playing a game and sharing a Connect 4. Then we started adding more friends, staying for longer and getting great food. Recently I've been going with my 4 year old n​iece and having just as much fun playing Guess Who and with Mr. Potato Head. If you're in Manchester, Boards and Brews is worth checking out.

Fun atmosphere with thousands of games to choose from. Beer selections could use a beefing up. Coffee and tea options are available as well. Call first to check availability of tables!

What a cute place! Went here with my friends on a Friday night. We played a bunch of board games I never heard of but really enjoyed. I order a hot cookie butter latte with almond milk. I loved it. I like their selection of flavors for their coffee/espresso. Most places usually just have caramel, mocha, vanilla, etc but not this place. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable and very attentive. I need to come back here.

Boards and Brews in Manchester NH is such an authentically cool board game cafe. With good food and awesome cocktails, beers and coffee you and your friends will have a ton of fun playing games from the extensive library. The vibe is laid back and the air is filled with fun and laughter. A rare thing for a place filled with adults!

The website said unlimited play for $5 or something along those lines however when I went I started my second or third game was rushed out in order to make room for more people "because of covid." Why would more people make any sense for covid prevention? This place had potential but unfortunately I can't recommend it.

For a bar we are giving a 4- great beer selections and good cocktails. Friendly bartenders and staff. For a restaurant we would give them a 3- food is mediocre. I'd skip it and come here with a group of friends for some drinks and games. If you have a large group I would get there early to grab a table- sometimes groups stay the their tables for hours.

Okay this place is cool AF but bring a couple of friends because all good boardgames need a minimum of 3-4 people... MINIMUM! They have games for all numbers of players ... But come on. They have like a thousand different games, bring your friends and sip on a cocktail or a coffee or a coffee cocktail! The cocktails and the coffee is delicious. The staff is friendly and there to help with directions for board games you may not be familiar with. This place is great for large groups if you can find an open table.

The food was excellent, the hosts had great recommendations for games to play, and the atmosphere was extremely welcoming. Every time I left the restaurant, I was excited to return.

I absolutely love the concept but the food and drinks killed my desire to go again anytime soon. My friends and I went in for a birthday gathering. We had a reservation luckily as it was a busy Sunday night. The game selection is stellar. The problem was the awful service. We all ordered drinks and food. The drinks took forever to come out, most of which were only beer. The food took forever and a day. 10 people ordered. Nothing came out together which is quite awkward to be the person whose food arrived when no one else has. 2 of the orders came out 90 minutes after ordering, one being nachos. None of the food was worth the wait. We kept trying to order more drinks but our server kept disappearing for long stretches of time. We were told they were short staffed. They offered no compensation on the 90 minute wait for a few of guests to get their food. After this, we decided to leave. We went and drank at a establishment that appeared to want our buisness. I'm hoping this was just a really off night for them. If I ever return, I'll make sure we've all eaten before we go.

I have wanted to visit this cafe since I first heard about it! I have visited board game cafes around the world and Boards and Brews definitely strives to offer a top-tier experience. Great interior, friendly staff, and great menu. I availed myself of the BBQ Mac and Cheese.... not too cheesy so I didn't feel heavy afterwards. I followed it up with the Belgian waffle sandwich dessert and the "blood rage" latte, along with a game of Gigamic's Pylos. Great service from Alex and Angelica. Definitely worth a visit, I picked up the T-shirt!

I have been going to Boards and Brews for a while now and I just happened to wonder why I haven't written a review on this wonderful place. To start off, this is a place for anyone of all ages groups that, well... like to have fun. If you enjoy fun, then this place is for you. If you want to play any type of game of all types of difficulty levels, then they have it here on the shelf to play. Anything ranging from quick card games or children's games to the more advanced campaign games or adult games. If you prefer to bring your own games from home, you can definitely do that. Not only do you have the ability to play games all day long until your heart is content, but if you get hungry or thirsty, they have a selection of wonderful foods and drinks. I did not take any pictures this last time, but I started the day off with something light, The Mediterranean. The Mediterranean is a cutting boards full of sliced cucumbers, red bell peppers, carrots and pita bread all to be dunked in a nice bowl of hummus. If that isn't your thing. They have wonderful selection of other really tasty sandwiches, salads, hot meals or desert items. I have tried a lot of the food here and it is really good food. If you aren't looking for a full meal, no worries! You can grab something from their munchies section. The classic "connect four" is a great choice if you are going with a couple friends and you can choose from a long list of munchie foods up to four different types on one plate. I usually go with four people so we all tend to pick one of our own favorites to complete the plate of munchie goodness to keep us going throughout the day of fun gameplay. If you need help learning how to play any games, they have that covered. The staff will gladly assist you in helping you learn new games, or even pick out a game if you have no idea what you want to play. The only complaint I have is that there isn't an Boards and Brews in my area up in Laconia, but I guess that is a good thing because I would be there almost every night after work to play some games with friends and it would probably eat up all my time! I highly recommend going there if you want a family, a friends, a girls, or a guy's night out to escape your regular life and just sit a play some games with some good food and drinks.

We had the pleasure of eating and playing games here tonight! Our game guru Ben was SO helpful in finding us a game: Alien Frontiers: Factions. Our crew had a BLAST playing this and a card game, Snake Oil. We had to wait a bit for a table on a Saturday night, but we were checked on and seated the second something opened up. There's a person in a yellow shirt who will go table go table checking on everyone and asking if they can help find them a game or talk them through the game you chose if you need help. This is amazing! The service was great! Our waitress was very attentive and the food was good. I had nachos, the rest of my party had the waffle sandwich, Cuban, and Mediterranean plate. There's an awesome beer selection. We will definitely be back. This was great!

I was sadly disappointed. I love games so much, so the idea of this is absolutely amazing. And they definitely don't skimp on game selection. There are so many games, it's almost overwhelming. But the issue wasn't the games. It was the service. Initial service was fine, they brought us waters and menus. We ordered a couple drinks and grabbed a game. Our first food order (a charcuterie) came out nice and quick. They checked in on us after we finished it and we were good for the time being. That right there was our mistakes. We were essentially ghosted from then on. We managed to orders some more food and it was alright. We made sure to order as much as we thought we would need for the rest of our visit because they didn't seem to be wanting to come back to our table. Trying to get another drink was a hassle in and of itself. Ultimately, I left still very hungry. The dynamic is weird. You order at the bar, but they also take your order at the table. Apparently they will sometimes bring you a check and sometimes you have to go and ask to cash out at the bar. Majority of our visit they all just refuses to make eye contact. Maybe it's supposed to be the dynamic to get up and order everything at the bar, I honestly couldn't tell you because it was all so weird. You get some service, but not all.

The atmosphere and vibe of boards and brews is UNMATCHED. Great people, great crowd, great games! We played board games and sipped cocktails for hours and that's a type of therapy I didn't know I needed. So impressed and will definitely be going back. Also... make a reservation!!!! We got in right away for our 9 o'clock time slot and stayed practically until they closed at midnight.

Went to Boards and Brews for a birthday party and had a blast! The selection of games was exhaustive and some of the special drinks were wonderful. The staff was very good at explaining what drinks they had, as well as, explaining the different categories of games. Not mention the feeling of the place was really comfy. You can tell a lot of love went into making the board game cafe and that the owner and staff are committed to making sure everyone is having a good time. Highly recommended if you are in the area.

This was our first time visiting this place, and let me tell you it is AWESOME! My husband and I brought our two kids age 13 and 10, as well as my mother who is 60 and we didn't want to leave! We spend about 4 hours, playing different games and ended up buying one game! Coffee and deserts were great! Super clean bathrooms and great service! The owner is super helpful and will get you started on any game you are interested in. Great job, guys! We will be back for sure!

The whole waiting for an open table process could be improved, but other than that, drinks and AMAZING. Food is amazing as well! Such an amazing array from snacks to more filling options. Thanks for helping us celebrate my brother's birthday! You all were amazing!!

Had a great time with family playing games and having a tasty lunch. Cheese curds are yummy. My coffee espresso was great. We will be back.

There have been some major improvements over the year! We came back after about 10 months and were thoroughly pleased. You can now get your own game so you don't have to wait. There were more staff members on the floor serving food, and the ability to pay with the card machine at your table is incredibly convenient. There was a dedicated bartender as well. The staff was friendly. (I think our server was named Todd?) And the menu has become much more extensive. (Thank you for keeping the fried cheese curds -- they're stupid delicious.) Our only complaint was the slowness of getting our drinks and they came out very staggered. There were 6 of us and it took about 15 minutes for us to each get our drink. All in all, major improvements. So happy with the changes!

Oh. My. God. We went here on a lazy Saturday afternoon while exploring Manchester before a concert at the SNHU arena. This place is super cute, unique, and fun and just opened this year. They have every board game you could ever think of (and more). All the games are organized by type and are color coded for number of players - super helpful. The staff is friendly and the owner (or a guy I assume is the owner) walks around from time to time as well to give you instructions on the games and tips & tricks so that you don't waste precious time reading the rules for an hour yourself. The beer selection is also amazing. They have some pretty unique brews that have won awards. We didn't grab food, but the menu looked great (i.e. Volcan-Os - onion rings). It's $5 to play the whole time you're there. Family friendly but also not so much so where you feel like a delinquent coming in with a big group of adults for a Sunday Fun Day.

My first visit to Manchester, NH and I stumbled on this place... excellent staff, great variety of board games... food and service excellent.