My gamer guy and I dropped in here after having lunch across the street (because when you're a geek…read moreand you see games, that's what you do!) We were warmly greeted by co-owner Steve who told us all about the place and joked a lot. They have a big focus on card games (Magic, Pokemon etc.) but have assorted tabletop games that you can try out and then order if you are interested (less overhead = lower cost). There were a handful of patrons playing in there when we arrived (a lot of the store space is dedicated to tables for this), so they clearly have a following! Steve said that their groups are laid-back and they frown on "shark" type players, so I'd think this would be a good place for the entry-level player. Definitely worth checking out for your gaming needs!

Friendly and helpful!! Very affordable. My six year old son was in heaven…read more You can tell they love what they do.

I have always had a wonderful time dealing with CFU and this time was no different. Even when the…read morepost office in my country was on strike you were so accommodating and help me get my split early and quickly. I can't express how much I love using you guys as a vendor and I always make sure to recommend you to whoever I can when they need to order splits. Thank you all again.

One of the card shops in the Chicago land for Cardfight!! Vanguard…read more If you're looking for a card shop that has other card games besides Vanguard, keep searching, CU (Cardfighters Underground) only carries Vanguard. The shop is a small section integrated into a record store that has tables for playing, a display case with cards, supplies and booster packs available for sale. The variety of product the shop has available for sale is limited due to the shop being so small. However, there are many Japanese products that are not often sold in card shops including Bushiroad import sleeves and anime-themed deckboxes. The shop is smaller than most which limits the size of tournaments CU can host. There are available areas for play all over the store but the shop likely would not be able to hold anything too big. Tournaments and events that the shop hosts are pretty good events overall; the shop owner and the judge/main vendor are both open minded individuals who will take the time to listen to the questions, comments and concerns customers have. The overall prices of the shop's products are very competitive as well. They are willing to make deals with customers on top of having overall lower prices in general. They are also very flexible. A friend of mine once bought four copies of a card (we'll call it Card A). He later pulled a copy of Card A in one of his booster packs even though he was looking for Card B, a card of equal value. The shop had a copy of Card B; the owner went up to my friend and offered an exchange as soon as he saw it. It was really nice of him to make the offer. The owner also plays the game himself; you can challenge him to a match anytime! There is a healthy variety of snacks and drinks that the shop has available for sale, most not costing more than a dollar. Great for a card shop setting, where tournaments can last longer than a few hours and cut into meal times. Available prices for buying product in bulk, such as boxes or cases, are also quite competitive as compared to other vendors online and shops in the Chicagoland area. My friends and I have bought many boxes from CU and are planning to buy more in the future. TL;DR - Overall, whether you're new or old to the game, CU is great for Vanguard and I'd recommend it. Unfortuantely, their shop is a little smaller than I'd prefer, but it's a great shop nonetheless, with a nice variety of products as well as a shop owner who is very open minded to helping you get what you need at the price you can afford.

Interesting to have a place like this in that area of Chicago. It's pretty large and has a…read morePortland artsy niche type feel. They have a lot of independent artist collaborations as well as commercial items. Tons of toys, blind boxes, collectibles and art work with nice displays. Came for an ADO x Pusheen pop up so nice to see this collaboration. Also seating area on one side as well. Street Parking in the area is free on Sundays too!

I love this store! If you like collecting figurines and blind box characters you will like this…read morestore. I came here for the first time last summer when visiting Chicago and it was on the list of places to go for my current visit. Staff is friendly and helpful. This store is very unique compared to other stores that sell blind boxes. Here you can purchase a blind box, then open it while at the store and if you do not want what you got then you can exchange with the display. I love this! If you are in the area definitely stop by this place.

This place is great! They have a variety of different items from candy to board games, to…read morecollectible figures from comics and video games, replicas, jewelry, shirts, and more. There are things for all ages and all prices. If they don't have a certain item that you want, they'll order it for you and give you a good price. The owner often gives a discount on many items and is helpful.

Great store for comic lovers! My boyfriend and I stopped by…read moreon our way to lunch to check them out and we liked their selection of comic books and manga! I loved their selection of comics created by local artists as well! Everyone working there was helpful and friendly! You get a super welcoming vibe. It's nice! Don't forget to stop by

Awesome comic shop, my favorite in the city. Great selection with fair prices for back issues and a…read morenice 50 cent bin. A nice guy named James helped me out at the register and was super helpful and welcoming.

I will begin here, the original location was G-Mart comics until the original owner retired and…read moresold the location. G-Mart is only online now. Very clean location, plenty of space. The setup is different, but still had a good selection comics to funko pops, games, collectibles and more. Very friendly staff, greeted once coming in. The game room in the back is still available. The value of the comics are at a good price. No complaints. I was sad to see G-Mart comics go, but I am glad it stayed comic shop. I wish Dark Tower comics so much success. I will be back soon.

Not really a comic shop pro. I got back into reading comics during COVID, but mostly digital and…read moreafter a while it turned into buying physical stuff. G-Mart (the previous shop that occupied this space) was very close to me so it was my go to shop. I found their online ordering setup a bit old school, but man what I wouldn't give to have that back. At least G-Mart would send you e-mails updating you on your order. The Dark Tower system is definitely more modern, but there's no real notifications unless I'm missing something. No more discounts on subs either which is a real kick in the dick. I pre-ordered a comic months in advance, again no real e-mail communication. Showed up on the release date and they just straight up didn't have it. The good thing is they don't charge you ahead of time like G-Mart did. Luckily Challengers had it in stock though! The other day I got a new releases e-mail for the first time in the history of the store becoming Dark Tower and it's just some dudes name instead of Dark Tower so I thought it was junk. I dunno man, I usually like the real local mom and pop feel of stores because everything is a shitty chain these days, but this place may be a little too mom and pop. Hopefully I've just had bad luck with them but I'm back to a digital only comic reader for the time being.

Unfortunately they either lie over the phone or do not communicate with each other to let them know…read morewhat was promised to customers so when you do show up you have a complete different experience than what you were promised.

Decent games for a very cheap price. The people there are very nice. There is good drinks and candy…read morefor very cheap and I recommend going here even if you don't live in oak park.

Great place to hang out late at night in the neighborhood that's family friendly…read more They're close to public transportation, have snacks for sale and free board games to try out. Board games and card games for sale like Magic the Gathering, some smaller items like stickers and dice, etc. They hold games there as well as sell stuff for it. Friendly, welcoming environment. Great place to make friends if you're new to the area.