I brought my friend to the gaming goat since I had a good experience the 1st time I went. Today I…read morewas just plain confused. The man that worked there was condescending in his tone of voice and was not helping us at all. He almost seemed like he wanted us to exit his shop. Overall, I do not recommend this location to anyone that does not personally know the owner, it is not welcoming and just has horrible customer experience. Wasn't the cleanliest of places either. DO NOT GO TO THE GURNEE LOCATION!!

I stopped in the Gurnee Gaming Goat today to kill some time while my kids were shopping at…read moreHawthorne, and I was glad I did. They have an EXCELLENT board game selection, a well lit and open store, and the owner was both knowledgeable and friendly. He let me know that they have open boardgaming every Wednesday night and I hope to get up there to check it out. If you are a seasoned tabletop gamer or are looking to find a place that can give you tips, a chance to possibly see some games in demo and knowledgeable assistance, I would definitely check out the Gaming Goat. BONUS POINTS: When they rang me up, I thought they made a mistake, but they let me know that they discount substantially off list price to try to compete with the online game stores. I was pleasantly surprised because I don't expect that level of discounts at my friendly local game store (FLGS).

This is our most fav game store in Grayslake Really it is! We love going there a few times a month…read moreto check out the new games & play. The store is very clean and the game playing tables are the best. This is the only game store we've been in with top notch table & chairs. The store has a huge game selection, paints, minis, family games, puzzles & more. They have an Adventure Club which is worth investing in. I love that he works with other local businesses which gives a discount to club members. The staff are always friendly & helpful. The owner, Tim, is super friendly. We are very thankful he has this store. It is one of our top fav stores ever and we've been to a lot of them. More photos later! Go to this store if you are anywhere near it!

Update. Back to 5! I don't know what that one employee's…read morename is and if I did, I of course wouldn't post it. But thank god he wasn't there. That attitude. Anyway, MUCH better today. Some new guy was working there that I didn't recognize. I like him a lot better. We talked about a lot of game related things that I don't want to bore you with here and go super-nerd on you. Just wanted to post an update, because that one guy's attitude shouldn't reflect on the store, but it kinda does. When you work there, you represent it. If that one guy still works there, I hope he has a better day and better interactions with customers. Especially someone like me who doesn't take up a lot of their time or space, just comes in spends a lot and leaves. Probably the best kind of customer you'd want.

It's a place for peaceful music lovers and the owner is so welcoming and gracious ,…read more I saw David Hildebrand perform there and it was a perfect location to see a mellow show in their intimate but classy main room I'm still Sean Logan and I support this review and I encourage you to visit MoJos for all of your mellow music and libations needs in the near future

I grew up in Highland Park and was always hanging out in Highwood, and I wish this place existed…read morewhen I grew up. A lounge with a wall of vinyl that you can select from and have the proprietor play for you is just a really cool idea and I'm amazed that more places don't offer this type of nostalgia. There is a tiny bar up at the front that the owner sells water, sodas (bottles and cans) and alcohol. There is a menu of drinks available that the owner can make for you or that he has available in bottles and cans. There is no food available, but you are allowed to bring in your own. There is a small private room to set up a table of food, place some tabletop games and listen to the music, host a meeting, have small gatherings or other type of event. They do offer different events in the main room and for the birthday I attended there; karaoke was then offered later that night. It seems there are some regulars who turn out for that so it's definitely a great neighborhood spot for regulars and newcomers alike. They also offer some board games and party games to make the your time there a lot more enjoyable with fun games, great music, and good vibes. I can't wait to visit again.

I can't say I frequent a lot of game stores. But alas, my kiddo is into Pokémon and is begging for…read morea pack any second he can. So when we walked past this downtown Madison gamer hub, you better believe he wanted to go in. When you walk in half the shop is merch and the other half are tables/chairs for gaming. It seems like they have a ton of tournaments/opportunities to play a multitude of games. (Peep their Facebook page for the weekly schedule.) I liked the large amount of games they had (for such a small space). They had some hardcore card games but also some light hearted-- Poetry for Neanderthals and more. Pricing seem steep, to me. But again, I'm not a huge gamer so I may not know what I am talking about. My kiddo found his Pokémon card set of choice. We snagged them. In and out. I can't say the staff was overly friendly or helpful but they were prompt. That being said, we walked past this hole in the wall later in the week and there was an adorable pupper in the window! That alone makes this a 3.5 star rating.

Gio is the best, bro gives nothing but good vibes and great at tell you what's new and is really…read morehonest

Disregard the review I gave in 2016. The Forest Needle is slowly going down the drain. Only open 4…read moredays, who closes a shop on Saturdays? Customer service is lackluster at best. No one really knows needlepoint. All of the talented staff has left, due to terrible management. We all know Covid was hard, but other Needlepoint stores remained busy and thriving because of their customer service because so many were stitching while at home. There are other options on the Northshore, check them out!

I cannot say enough about The Forest Needle. The variety and depth of fibers is amazing. I travel a…read morelot and visit needlepoint stores along the way and am often disappointed with the limited choices. It reinforces how fortunate we are to have this gem in our backyard!! It is worth the trek and visit. Town is lovely - so make it a day if you do not live in the area. You will not be disappointed. The classes, and the amazing amount of canvases is wonderful. The owner and ladies that work there are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. They spend time with each customer and offer ideas and solutions to questions. I know finishing has been a negative in the past, but that was quite awhile ago and they are using a new finisher that does wonderful work.

The owner has been in the sports marketing and autograph business his entire adult life. He thrives…read morein selling authentic autographs, memorabilia, and conducts very well run autograph signings. I have done several business transactions with him, and have found him to be one of the best in the business. View his eBay store (trsent) to see his authentic autographs available for sale! Make sure to keep tabs on his Facebook page for announcements on autograph signings with Chicago Blackhawks players, especially Bobby Hull!

Needed a belt for my son in a snap, found one and it had style! Very helpful and beautiful store,…read moregreat for gifts.

Stopped in for a birthday present for a 3 year old and also trying not to shop at big box stores or…read moreonline. They were helpful but not pushy. And the wrapping was so beautiful. I will be back. The items are so thoughtfully curated and the shop is adorable. Highly recommend.

They have records at this record store. Peruse them, and you'll probably find something. Definitely…read morewill in their $1 bin reminiscent of Graham Crackers. I found a good amount! Lots of back issues also to dig through and comic memorabilia. Cool store that had little to do with the Schaumburg location

Excellent comics and figures, as well as records and more. If there is an award for comic shop…read morewith the most Universal Monsters, Dreamland wins the award. Owner is a cool guy.

I acknowledge that your local game store is going to pull all sorts of demographics. As a parent, I…read moredidn't know what to expect bringing my 5-year-old into the local game shop. But this is definitely going to be a local store that we'll be going to a lot more, even if the prices are a little higher for them to make margins. This is the kind of game store I want in keep in our community! I'll admit I was a little apprehensive to engage with the staff at first due to my inexperience in this kind of envitonmemt, but my kid immediately gravitated toward the Pokemon cards behind the glass counter and we were asked if there was anything we needed help with. We have been looking all over for affordable, genuine cards to little avail. Unfortunately, the cards at this shop were all way outside our range (he's just trying to get started out): $45+ booster boxes or $5+ individual cards. We were obviously not going to be able to make a purchase today (looking for something like one $5 booster pack) but the team member was very helpful taking the time to explain the kids trading card market, suggest other places to look, offer advice on finding affordable cards, and let my kid take his time to pour over the cards behind the counter. On the way out, he generously shared a simple gift that meant so much for my kid. I don't know if he'll read this but thank you so much for making my kid's day - he was over the moon to have some Pokemon cards of his own to share with his friends at school. This is the kind of local game store that is a treasure to have in the community. I definitely will be bringing my kids around in the future to support it some more! Thanks again!

After having Sunday brunch nearby I was looking for video game stores to stop at on my way back to…read moreWisconsin. Everything Games was close by and open, so I drove over to check them out. The store is impressive. They have an awesome selection of retro video games, board games, LEGO, miniatures for Warhammer, anime related plush, sports cards, and card games like Magic, Pokemon, and Yu-Gi-Oh. There's even a good size gaming area where I saw people playing in a card game tournament. As good as the inventory was, their customer service was even better. A specific video game I wanted was priced $10 more than the current market value, so I brought that to their attention. Rather than getting mad and arguing with me about their prices, the employee pulled up the same website I was using for a reference and confirmed what I was seeing. He then adjusted the price without hesitation. Now that's customer service. I would glad to go out of my way to come back to Everything Games next time I'm in the Chicago area.

Such a cute bookstore in the heart of Lake Forest. Located right next to Starbucks if anyone is…read morehaving a hard time finding it! When you walk in, it looks small but it carries tons of incredible titles. To the left you find all the shelves with trinkets, and fun gifts along with toys and children's/young adult books. Our little guy loved looking and exploring the toys. On the main side of the store you'll find best sellers, bookseller recommendations, even a section for Chicago Themed goodies. I love support indie bookstores whenever I can, the staff were so friendly and the shelves were super organized. They even had hand written notes of book recommendations which actually helped me pick out the book I purchased. Overall a great experience and I look forward to visiting when I'm in the area again soon!

A charming local independent bookstore with a very friendly staff and varied selection. There are…read morehelpful bookseller "hints" posted throughout the store. Because it's chocked full of books it is a bit cramped and can be challenging to browse without bumping into something or someone. A few chairs would be a nice touch. These shops are vanishing across the country so it's super nice to see one going strong.