There and Back Cafe and Games

This place is really wonderful! If you are a LOTR fan, it really is worth going to take a peek. The themed drinks are cute, the food is really good, and the decorations are great. Their selection of boardgames to play while you hang out is really good! My friend and I both really enjoyed the bread on our sandwiches. I loved the polyjuice potion I had, which was lemonade and color changing magic! Later that day, we ended up buying Ticket to Ride. I was able to talk about the different games they had. When I explained how to play Ticket to Ride and showed her the pieces, she said her family would really like that game. So this was a great way to introduce people to more games!

In a nutshell; great Cafe to pass the time at with plenty of card games and board games to choose from and good food and beverages selections. Finally gotten a chance to stop by this Cafe, some of the menu items have sprinkles of fantasy movie and game references on it so that was neat. The toast options we got look great, shareable to a degree, neat way to have a nice light breakfast before you go about your day. Beverages was good too and the tea is served In a huge mug so that was neat as well. Plenty of card and board games to choose from that adhere to anyone's tastes in tabletop games. Staff were nice, food was good and didn't take long to get served, seats and tables were comfortable enough for a breakfast session or a long board game session. Parking may be tricky as it is in the downtown area, but considering everything else, place is great.

super nice employees and delicious food! we got the polyjuice potion, the dwarven barrel cappuccino, a lemon scone, and a raspberry scone. so tasty! in the back of the store they have a few tables and a lot of games. cute area with a lot of little (and large) book/movie/game references! just an amazing environment and amazing food :)

This place is such a gem!!!! Staff were super helpful and pleasant. I love the unique decor. On top of that, the food and drinks were super yummy! I got the Peruvian hot chocolate and dragon breath avocado toast. 10/10 recommend!

This place is so cool, the atmosphere exudes style befitting of a convention goer. It's decked out with fantasy elements in menu and decor, sci-fi, gaming, you name it. Nifty menu that serves the tastiest potions (drinks)

MUST COME for the snacks and drinks, stay for the fabulous vibe there. Great care was taken to build this environment with Tolkien themes throughout. Gaming is a key focus here with tables set up in the back. And not a dingy cellar but a great open area with games and windows all over. Gets one in the mood to play right away. I am going to plan a family game day here soon. Can’t say enough about the details in this place. Everywhere one looks, there are books, games, wall decorations, mounted swords that have have a reference number about them, they are growing their own herbs, and game to borrow or bring your own. There are tables inside the cafe in the front to hang out or in the back. The iced dark cherry tea was new to me and very good. Getting one for the road as well when I go. Parking is best a block away in the public garage. The cafe here will validate tickets for replace the cost.

Came for an afternoon date with my wife. A friend on Facebook told us we should come check it out. The atmosphere was great, the staff was really friendly, and the food was really good! Definitely will come back again if in the Sacramento area.

*** A fun and tasty place. I took my granddaughter here. The sandwiches with their incredible bread were huge and delicious. Their coffee served in large fun cups. Then there soooo! Many games, puzzles and such. All in a sweet Hobity environment. A little hard to find but worth it.

I had the pleasure of stopping by there and back café. The people there were so nice. I got to work with Wolfe and natalie. They made me a drink that wasn't even release yet and I didn't even even ask. They offered it to me. It was $6 even WITH OAT MILK. I don't remember the last time I got a drink for that cheap. I'm having so much fun here and they've been so sweet to my service animal, Daisy Mae! Can't wait to come back.

Located not far fr the Capitol, a lil hidden gamer cafe to check out & to hang out with your friends. I love how they decorated the place with game related things. As you walked to the back (dining / game room), there are bunch of board games that you can play with your friends (2 hrs game limit per table). Interesting cafe that's def for game players, love it!

This has got to be one of the coolest cafes I've ever been to. Being a fan of Lord of the Rings for many years, I absolutely loved the ambiance of the place and how the map of MiddleEarth was drawn on the floor! Their matcha was great, along with service! Will definitely be coming back for more of their pop culture related events!

This cafe is prime location for my work office which means very frequent trips here! The inside is so fun and funky with a whole back area where you can sit to eat your food and play board games. Their drinks are also very unique and not like a typical cafe. I've gotten the Polyjuice Potion as well as the Potion of Healing. The Polyjuice Potion is so fun, because the addition of the color-changing potion makes the drink purple! The lemonade is very tasty as well. I loved the fizz of the soda from the Potion of Healing as well as the different fruity flavors. Highly recommend this spot if you're looking for a cafe that's more unique, and looking forward to trying more items!

Came for lunch with coworkers and had great and quick service. There's tables in the back where you can lounge, play games, and eat. The ambience is really nice. The food overall was very tasty and flavorful but the best was the scruffy strikes back. Highly recommend this sandwich. The tokidoki was the worst of the 5 as it was a thin slice of mozzarella and mostly spinach. I'd still come back regardless for their scruffy sandwich.

Came here on a Friday afternoon since it was nearby. This place is definitely on theme and the staff was super nice. I came here to do some work and stayed for 3 hrs. I definitely felt welcomed and comfortably despite staying to work for so long. While there I got to try their specialty toast and pumpkin chai. The toast was definitely a highlight for me since I haven't had this combination on an avocado toast before. Definitely recommend. They pumpkin chai was standard. Didn't taste the pumpkin too much and it was super sweet. If you don't like super sweetened drinks I'd recommend to get something else or request it to be less sweetened

my jaw absolutely dropped when i visited ! my coworker had let me know about this amazing find in downtown sac - the theme, the menu, the drinks ; everything was so fun and creative! if you're parking in the garage, be sure to ask for parking validation! i got the matcha latte with strawberry, they didn't have the strawberry matcha latte that my coworker spoke about but they were kind enough to make something similar. it wasn't too sweet and it honestly reminded me of the strawberry mochi ice cream! would love to come again!!

I was so happy I finally was able to come in to this cool coffee shop. I ordered the Sanguine Bond and fell in love. My mentee ordered a tea. Definitely will return.

It was my first time trying this place after attending mass at the Cathedral which is a skip and jump away from the cafe! As you walk in, you can see the cleanliness and organization of the place. I liked the brightness, greenery and decor throughout. This would look like a nice place to hang out with friends with a bunch of different board games available. I only tried the chai latte and ordered it hot. It was very creamy, smooth and not too strong tasting. I didn't know they had food until I saw someone eating. I don't think the food menu is on the wall only on the piece of paper at the counter. The workers seemed busy, it would've been nice to know what types of food they serve as cafes are usually limited with just pastry food but it looked like there were sandwiches which maybe I'll try next time. Parking is in downtown so you would just have to pay for meter parking around the area and walk to the cafe.

We had so much fun here! I've been meaning to come for a while just to grab a drink and try their food, but I saw on their Instagram that they have different events- specifically, learn to play D&D. We signed up for a class for $10 each and came in to learn from a very fun dungeon master who helped us learn how to play and led us through a game. The cafe itself is perfect for hanging out, working remotely or meeting with friends. They offer coffee, non coffee drinks and food items with breakfast served all day and then additional items after 12pm. The drinks are very fun and while we didn't get to try the food on this visit it looked great and smelled even better. They have a good amount of tables and you can enjoy playing games or participate in some of the programming they have throughout the week. We'll definitely be back soon!

Your response does not justify my review. You should be trying to address concerns and issues instead of trying to justify them. Comparing to other business is an excuse not a explanation. You might be cheaper, but you offer less, its not worth the price, so your logic is flawed. I am okay with it not being a place for me, but I am concerned about those who might want to try your establishment out. They should know the concerns people have when visiting. Don't get upset about, just do better! In N Out was yummy and I don't feel ripped off.

Cool lil hidden Gem. Great place to invite a few friends and play some fun board games. They serve coffee and alcohol, so best of both worlds. Mom review- I works definitely bring the kids here to Enjoy the fun photos, games, and grab a chocolate croissant.

Amazing atmosphere, and a exceedingly pleasant and welcome staff. Great place to grab a drink ($6-7) and eat some grub. Only thing I didn't like was the amount of Brie on my sandwich (it needed a little more)

Innovative cafe & restaurant for boardgame lovers and the people who support their special interests. Very spacious with an expansive and fun menu that always has just the right thing for your inner nerd. Great place to go and hang out, just check the closing times because sometimes it's open late. Excellent venue for D&D and other tabletop games. Also good for focus time when you're working from home.

Best "WFH" spot downtown and place to meet up with friends. Heidi, one of the owners, and Meg, their chef, are always adding great limited-time menu options. The maple bacon cupcake and the corned beef hand pies have been my favorites. There are a lot of great non-coffee options for kids or people that don't drink coffee. I love the vanilla latte and any of their seasonal coffee drinks.

As a state worker I love coming here! I work in a near by office and the location is very convenient. I've been here on weekdays and weekends and every time I've come the staff are always friendly and quick. I ordered a s'mores latte which is normally a very sweet drink, but the employee did their best to reduce the sweetness for me at request. The drink ended up being just what I wanted for my morning in the office. Not too sweet and not too bitter. If you love board games, TCGs, and a well decorated interior come here! The fun drinks and good food is an added plus too! I love all the LOTR references. Will definitely be coming back.

BLT was very good! Came here for a meeting next door. Service was good. They were very friendly and food came pretty quickly. Cute cafe nice ambiance

This place is very cozy and welcoming. There's a huge selection of games and the coffee is great.

In a nutshell; great Cafe to pass the time at with plenty of card games and board games to choose from and good food and beverages selections. Finally gotten a chance to stop by this Cafe, some of the menu items have sprinkles of fantasy movie and game references on it so that was neat. The toast options we got look great, shareable to a degree, neat way to have a nice light breakfast before you go about your day. Beverages was good too and the tea is served In a huge mug so that was neat as well. Plenty of card and board games to choose from that adhere to anyone's tastes in tabletop games. Staff were nice, food was good and didn't take long to get served, seats and tables were comfortable enough for a breakfast session or a long board game session. Parking may be tricky as it is in the downtown area, but considering everything else, place is great.

This is the perfect nerdy cafe!! I am still talking about this cafe and how glad I am my brother took me. You need to check this place out when you are in Sacramento! The food was amazing and my drink was great! The people working here were so nice and friendly!! It's a great place to grab a bite, play some games of Magic or just hang out and talk all things nerdy!

I absolutely love this spot in Sacramento. I've come here quite a few times, both in the afternoon and evening. The space is usually lively but not overpacked (I always manage to find a seat). As a first date spot this cafe is ideal: my now-boyfriend and I had a great time rotating between the cafe's wide selection of games while sipping on tea and chatting. The atmosphere is great, the drinks are yummy, and the service is kind and quick. Love you There and Back, hope y'all stay in Sac forever!

Small cafe with good coffee. Staff is friendly and helpful. Seating areas are nicely spaced to give you some privacy. Didn't get a chance to try the food. Eclectic decor.

A great place to grub and game! Once you walk in you're treated with map of Middle Earth from LOTR. They offer themed beverages and food. Perfect for a light snack or lunch depending on the time you stop by. This place gets very busy so I suggest coming right when they open or reserving a table. There are so many games to choose from so this is definitely a great spot to spend time with friends. Food takes awhile to come back up they get Betsy busy, we didn't mind thought because we had the games to keep us preoccupied. It's such a fun meet up spot for friends and family!

Really cute and interesting coffee shop in a good location downtown. It's a nice place for coffee when you're visiting the capital. They have a good selection of drinks and food, but nothing gluten free when i visited. They have ample seating for big and small groups. The reason for the lower rating is due to the length of time it took to make my drink. I don't mind waiting for coffee and sometimes it's expected depending on time of day, but there was no line, there were multiple people behind the counter, and it took an extended amount of time to make my two drink order. A barista saying it will be just a minute or apologizing for the long wait would have gone a long way. I've read a few other Yelp reviews stating the same issue so I know it's not just me. That said, my peppermint mocha was good but not exceptional. I would return if I'm in the area to see if my experience is better in the future.

They serve vegan pumpkin spiced lattes - if you're plant based then you know how how rare that is. Even better, it's delicious!!! Now beyond the beverage choices, this place has delicious food (vegan options too) that are Lord of the Rings themed. The space has large tables that are perfect for board gaming. They have a wonderful assortment of games too. The staff is great and really friendly.

I do recommend this cafe. The food is pretty good, pretty busy depending of the day and worth of a try.

Stopped in here while visiting Sacramento and it is a great stop with delicious lattes and the perfect location. They also have some healthy food options which I needed! They have drinks posted on the wall with a few specialty flavors which all sounded delicious, but I asked if they could make a caramel/cinnamon latte which wasn't posted on the wall. They were happy to do so and it ended up being DELICIOUS! They are right across from a gorgeous cathedral and down the street from the Capitol. I will stop here every time I come to Sacramento now. Thank you for a wonderful visit, guys!

Incredibly Charming Place To Play Magic The Gathering! SITREP I have noticed this sweet little spot across from the Capitol Cathedral, but unluckily for me it has been in the evening walking home and this place shutters it's little Hobbit doors @ 3pm. "Well", I thought to myself, "I'm going to have to on a (weekend) adventure with my friend (William) The Wizard Gandalf!" THE SETUP This spot is so beautiful with it's upfront cafe prepping all the delicious drinks and food stuffs, and the large back room with all the big tables and places to enjoy your treats and play board games! BOARD GAMES On the Sunday before last, there were no fewer than three (3) active board games going, INCLUDING the "Magic the Gathering" game that my buddy and William & I were hosting. The tables sport plenty of room and originally in their square configuration if that works best for the coffee-drinkers or the game-players. But then there are the semi-circle flaps that *pop-up* on all sides, increasing the "acreage" and making a larger circular table. There's even an EXTRA big table for the EXTRA big group! DRINKS The drinks run the mill from delicious brewed coffees to some exquisitely named AND tasting drinks - either hot or cold. PRO-TIP: PARKING - you may want to forego parking in the local structures since they can be quite expensive. The first time we shows up, we used the parking garage for Hyatt (a block down, across from the IMAX theatre). Albeit it was perhaps our own fault for being there from 10am-3pm, and so we racked up a 5 HR parking charge of $30 - obviously not something one wants to always get hit with. Meter parking on the street tends to be cheaper, but we realized also that on Sunday it's free so that became a better day to go in part. Your choice. Check your parking sitch for yourself before you go. On the UP side, if you take light-rail - like I also do - there's a Cathedral Park Light-Rail stop RIGHT THERE - thus from there There and Back is only a hop-skip way. THE LOWDOWN There and Back is well worth the trek of any fellow elf, dwarf and hobbit, AND dare I say a well-behaving troll, perhaps? Come check out this delightful spot of Middle-Earth right in the heart of Downtown Sacramento.

Cute themed coffee shop for a coffee date or to play board games. COME TO PLAY, NOT TO EAT OR COFFEE. Wouldn't go out of my way to come here but if you're nearby it's a nice place to chill. BEWARE: FOOD TAKES FOREVER and they forgot part of our order. Had to remind them even though it wasn't packed. Coffee is good. Food is overpriced for portion and quality. Thanks!

So sad to hear about the upcoming closure, this was a terrific spot with wonderful food and drinks and even more wonderful people! Thank you for being such a wonderful place to spend some time in downtown and best of luck to you all.

There and Back Cafe is a wonderful addition to Sacramento. The concept and idea of it is great! The cafe is themed after fantasies like Lord of the Rings. In fact, the menu features a number of food items inspired by Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and the like. There is ample room in the cafe to enjoy the drink or food you order. In fact, you can hang out and play a board or card game while you are there. If you're into games, There and Back Cafe also has its own little gaming store tucked within with things like Magic the Gathering and Pokemon for sale. I enjoyed the experience I had on my visit. I ordered blue mana potion to drink and had a hand pie filled with chicken and curry. The mana potion looked amazing and had a nice taste to it. I'm sure it's just some lime soda with a few extra things in it to jazz it up, but it was cool to sip on at my table. The chicken and curry pie was great tasting, but it wasn't my first choice. Though there is a large menu of items to select from, many of the items were not available as they didn't have it that day or they ran out. So just be mindful of that when coming - maybe have a couple of options in your head when ordering. For hanging out, There and Back Cafe is top tier. Check out their calendar for special events!

This place is like a magical book you dive into! It appears small at first, but when you open it up there is more magic in the back. Imagine the story line: Nestled in an alley across from a Cathedral lie a magic coffee shop. This place puts all of my child fantasies in one. Sci-fi books come to life, and games are there to occupy your time . An escape from everything technology. Perfect for families. Not to mention there's coffee. Although I do love my TEMPLE coffee, this place is worth spending my weekends for sure. I recommend coming in for yourself to get some work done, or enjoy games with friends and family. There are two garages nearby Capital City Garage, and another right across from Tony's Delicatessen! So, find a way here!

Went Saturday morning for lunch and was told that there was limited sitting. Luckily my friends and I were able to grab a bench in front and we ended up getting the scruffy nerf herder. Pretty good sandwich. It reminded me of the chipotle chicken avocado from earl of sandwich which is also pretty good Lolol. So if you're lucky enough to grab a seat and eat, try the sandwiches. Or grab to go. The place is pretty cool too with some fun pictures and the inside of the restaurant actually has board games and such but that's why it's hard to get a seat since people tend to just chill there.

Wow! So happy to finally visit this cafe. I am a bit LOTR fan, so finding a themed Cafe was great to see in a place like Sacramento. While this place seems like it's just LOTR themed it's actually more nerd and gaming themed and it was nice to see it cater to a bunch of different fanbases. The front of the cafe looks like a small cafe with some seating but the real open space is in the back. A bunch of tables as well as a custom gaming table are hidden just to the right behind the cafe. Along with ample seating, they have quite a few board games, a miss Pac-Man arcade machine and an infinity gaming table back there as well. While they have a nice a assortment of normal drinks, they also have themed drinks such as the poly juice potion and the Grogu refresher. There is definitely quite a few things to unpack at this place and honestly it is worth a visit just to check out. Also they do have a small shop on in the back to buy various items as well as all the swords are for sale. Staff was really great on my first visit and told me a little bit about the place as well as the new addition to Capitol books. Really great place for all us needs out there!

A little nerdy oasis with great coffee, some delicious egg and toast breakfasts, and tons of board games. Lord of the Rings and Hairy Potter fans can totally nerd out at the custom menu and décor. D&D and board game fans can come here to meet others for a day of gaming and making friends. Not the easiest area to get to parking wise, you may need to find a garage. But totally worth it and awesome. Definitely coming back here.

Such a fun cafe. I love board games and fantasy themes, so this is the perfect spot for me. So far my favorite thing I've tried is the mana potion. With a bright blue color, this lemon lime cream soda really stands out in pictures and is probably the best soda I've had before! The drink theming makes it a fun experience. I tried one of the hand pies and thought it was quite good, but small and expensive for what you get. This is a great spot to hang out with a small group of friends and play board games for a couple hours. Bring your own or borrow one from their library!

Super cute!! I love LOR, and to have a coffee shop with LOR decor is definitely something to experience. As soon as you walk in the floor has a map of middle earth. They even have LOR- inspired baked goods and coffee/tea. As other reviewers have stated, the staff is super nice. My friend and I came here last weekend for breakfast. I had the ham frittata and cafe au lait with oat milk. The frittata came in a mini cast iron and was piping hot! I wish I could have added pepper and hot sauce to the dish, but there were no salt and pepper shakers/condiments on the table (maybe due to COVID?). I should have gotten up to ask, but truthfully didn't feel like getting up. To clarify, the frittata was good, and I was too lazy to ask for pepper and hot sauce. I have told multiple people about this place, and I will definitely be back.

I love this place! I have been searching for something like this for a while. A place for coffee lovers and geeks. There are a plethora of wood tables for playing table games and awesome decorations. The coffee was a great size and absolutely delicious. Not too sweet or bitter. I ordered the alchemist Amoretto latte. I definitely will be returning again and again. Because driving in downtown Sacramento is a pain in the ass, I will be taking the light rail to get downtown from now on. The parking garage near this place was 12 dollars for about 2 hours. The sandwich I had could use avocado or something of a different texture, but not bad.

Love this little gem. I have visited here a few times now, while visiting the Cathedral. I've even brought visitors to this coffee shop. My grandsons love the displays of swords and Star Wars, the whole place in between sci-fi and adventure! The coffee is yummy and the food is wonderful.

This is a cute and very neat cafe. Filled with Harry potter, lord of the rings/Hobbits, and other mystical vibes. Food choices are solid for a cafe, avocado toast, sandwiches, and egg scrambles to pair with coffee, tea, and juice. Parking can be busy on weekends, so you might have to walk a bit. Would love to bring friends and family back to play with the games.

Perfect place for those that are huge Lord of The Rings fans and any of the magical fantasy genre that wants some good food and amazing drinks.

Truly a great idea. This is more than a cafe! It's a place to hang with friends and play board games or card games. Our friends wanted to have a fun afternoon of playing board games and recommended this place. We met up there ordered drinks, I got the iced lavender latte and it was DELICIOUS. And we headed back towards the seating area. They had reserved a table for our group and they have hundreds of games to choose from. We sat there for nearly 2 hours playing and we also ended up ordering some food which was yummy too. There were people from all age groups enjoying the board games including a cute little family! It's a fun idea and we really enjoyed it. We will be back.

If you are a GAMER, this is your place! It's noon on a Friday, and there are 3 big table games going on! Plus the food is excellent and atmosphere cozy and inviting!

Such an adorable little cafe shop. Middle earth? Sign me up! The sandwich I got was good and so was the matcha !

I love the spirit of this place, but unfortunately every time I've been in here, there is the most ridiculous wait time for a single iced drink, little to no seating available for one person, and the staff can't be bothered by any of it . Love to show my friends and family this place anyways because it's so cool, the theme is awesome and unique. A Sacramento gem for sure.

They were kind enough to let us have a watch party in their back room. I love the free Ms. Pac-Man game. That was fun. It's neat how they have a bunch of tabletop games that you can just grab and play and then return when you are done. The food and drink were reasonably priced.

I was excited to come here from the research online and it did not disappoint. I ordered a signature Princess Bride hand pie which had beef, veggies and potatoes that was really tasty. Good hearty snack. Also ordered the elderberry hibiscus iced tea which wasn't too sweet and packed a lot of flavor. I came during a weekend lunch time and most of the gaming tables in the back were full but I found a table. Fun to watch all the different games available to play for free during the day. Saturday nights they are open late and offer $5 gaming nights between 5:00-10:30pm which I want to come back for. Everyone was friendly and the atmosphere felt homey, light bright and welcoming. They also had great merch for sale. Worth a trip if you are in the are.

Came here today (Saturday). It's a nicely decorated , clean spot. The staff is friendly. It's cool that they have boardgames for people to play. I love the decor. Parking is difficult, but it is downtown so what are you really expecting ya know. I parked in the Capitol Garage and walked over. I wish they had more food options. It's all sandwiches and some pastries. I tried the Tokidoki Mozzarella sandwich. It was good. I felt it was a bit small for the price. But it tasted good. I also had the Brie-Berry sandwich with added Turkey Bacon. I felt like there was too much brie and jam, but also when it's a bit pricey I would like more rather than less. I'm also not a big fan of brie, which is my own issue, not theirs. I also tried their featured drink, Beetlejuice Macchiato. It was really good! My only issue was that it didn't taste much like ube although it was described as that. But still the taste was great.

This place is awesome!! The food is delicious, the people are super friendly, the themed decor is awesome, and there are tons of games to play! Great place to get some food and try out a game.