This place is fun. I've come here multiple times and always had a good time with my friends. Unfortunately I always feel a little ripped off after coming here. It's $5 for all you can play games, per person. And although my friends and I spent 2-3 hours having a good time playing games something about it just didn't seem like I got my money's worth. The food was not good. It took upwards of 45 minutes for them to make a simple panini, which ended up half cooked on the inside. The service is slow and when you ask what beers they have you get the response of "a dark one, a light one, and an IPA". Normally this service wouldn't bother me so much but when you charge me the $5 to play games I expect to get a really good experience. read more

Such a fun atmosphere! They have coffee drinks as well as alcoholic beverages and other non alcoholic beverages. The night I was there I went with a latte. The staff was very knowledgeable and recommended some super fun games. Can't wait to come pack, definitely bring your friends for a fun game night. read more

Having already been to a place similar in Hudson, OH I was expecting a similar environment. This little place in Ohio City blew me away! Walking in, the decorations were so inviting and really made the place special. I loved taking pictures around the place. They had an abundance of games, compared to the other place I have been. The staff was very friendly and not too over powering when it came to stopping by your table. The bathrooms were very clean, which was nice to see. The menu features so very interesting things such as kombucha! I had eaten before, otherwise would have tried some food. The pricing was great. I would reccomend for all ages. read more

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What a gem! Not only is the price right for the games ($5 per person, all day), but they had a fantastic selection, well categorized, so you can figure out how much time you want to sit trying to learn a new game. The food was also incredible! I had low expectations thinking it would be more about the games, but I gobbled up every bite. The staff members were also very friendly and helpful. We can't wait to go back!! read more

Tabletop - Cleveland Sunshine smoothie & Persian cucumber salad were both fresh and divine! Pesto pizzini melt was also incredible - Cafes Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

This place is AMAZING!!! The beer selection is great. The games are beyond amazing!!! Great hostess and waitress. And very knowledgeable when asking questions too read more

So I've never been here before. My friends usually dictate where I go when I'm in town because I went to Ohio State in Columbus and stuck around after graduation so with that being said, I don't usually know what Cleveland has to offer on the weekends. We came here first but had to ask for a table for 5 people. They said it would be about a 45 min to an hour wait so we went over to Town Hall to kill some time (Separate review for that later) What I didn't know was that it was a $5 fee to play unlimited games since I wasn't a member (But we played more than a couple so it was well worth it). The selection is mind-boggling. Most well-known titles are here along with at least another hundred or 2 you've never heard of. They're categorized based on levels of understanding and how long they could potentially take to play. finish, or learn. Luckily, when it came to us learning a new game, the staff was very good at explaining how the game (Takenoko) actually worked. Service was great considering the place was fully packed! I got a red wine smoothie, which was not something I'd recommend but everything else about this place is pretty worth it. The 4/5 stars is really only because of the one drink I ordered (was trying to save money). I wish I could have given 4.5/5 stars but alas! The noise level is pretty average/low so it goes over pretty well. The best thing is that we were there for the Saturday before Easter Sunday and they had this special where non-members can buy an egg for $1 (he added it to my tab) and I bought 2. I got a free sandwich and free coffee for 2 dollars! If I understood correctly, membership works by paying $25 and you get 5 free play cards (Basically the membership pays for itself). And then for every visit you don't use the cards like if you choose not to or use them all up, visits are discounted to $3.50 (I think) for the rest of the year. read more

Tabletop - Red wine smoothie. Red wine, chocolate, strawberry. Would not recommend. - Cafes Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Yes, yes, yes! I wish I lived in Cleveland, because I would live here. It's a cafe for playing games. The idea is so simple, but it works so well. When you enter, you pay $10 a piece for unlimited use of their games. This is worth it, because the selection is huge. I got to try games I've wanted to, like Sushi Go, and games I didn't even know about, like Cthulu Pandemic. The staff will help explain how to set up games you haven't played before and they really know their stuff. The food selection is fine. The sandwiches try to be something a cut above and, while I'd never come here for the food alone, I did enjoy the food enough to want to order more. The avocado sandwich was tasty. The drinks are better. There's alcohol, which is definitely a great thing. They had an alcoholic orange creamsicle with a scoop of ice cream floating in it. I absolutely died. The beer selection tends toward the craft and local beers, which is admirable on a moral level, but that means it's heavy on ales than on lagers and wits. It's a perfectly fine selection of beers. I went on trivia night and that is the only thing I did not like. The trivia was a distraction from my games. I like trivia and I like games, but I kind of want to do one or the other. Additionally, the questions were difficult in a way that felt less challenging and more irritating. If I get to go again and trivia is happening, I will ignore it and keep playing games. If you enjoy playing games, this is the best gaming establishment I've ever seen, hands down. read more

Great bright atmosphere! Soooo many games to choose from that were well organized. Even had games and special menu for kids!

SO GOOD! I was a bit skeptical before going to this restaurant because I thought the main focus would be on the games and not the food, but the meal was very nice! The sandwich and fries I had were very well made and good for the price! There is also a large selection of games that you have the freedom to play while you eat. Going here will keep you full and entertained for hours! read more

I was with five other friends and none of us had been to Tabletop Cafe before. Most of us had a misconception of what it was, as being only for kids or boring, but we were delightfully surprised! We had a blast!!! It was the perfect place to go for a group of friends for food, drink, and an evening of fun. Alicia was a phenomenal server, giving us suggestions when we asked and just generally being attentive and fun-loving. Joshua was our game expert and brought us five possibilities based on our expressed interests. He was able to describe the games quickly and then taught us the game we chose without hesitation, coming back when we had a question or hit a bump. I appreciated the fact they had local brews on tap (Platform Brewery for example) and the food wasn't complicated but was tasty - perfect for a game night. I *highly* recommend this place! read more

Tabletop - Game night at Tabletop Cafe on Cleveland's Near West Side. I *highly* recommend this place. Great beer, good food, lotsa fun! - Cafes Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

My friend who is living in Cleveland temporarily for work suggested a group of 4 of us come here - and it was probably one of the most special, unique, and fantastic places I've been in a long time. The concept is simple: a board game cafe. With 1000+ games, a wide drink (alcoholic and non) menu, and a decent array of food options, Tabletop Board Game Cafe has my heart. We waited for about 10-15 minutes for a table to open up, but once we were seated, it was so much fun. The entire staff was warm, welcoming, fun, and knowledgable. Everything from the organization of the games, to the set up of the space, to the DIY/fun vibe - it was just a great place to spend a chilly Saturday night. The food wasn't anything to write home about (although my spiked apple cider was delicious), but I respect their effort to produce food at all. The $5 cover is totally respectable and all things considered, affordable, because you can stay as long as you want and play as many games as you want. I desperately want Tabletop to come to Philly :) read more

We saw this establishment in the official visitors guide to Cleveland. It was listed as one of the top three things to do in the Ohio city neighborhood. We went there to kill some time before dinner and ended up staying several hours enjoying new games and local brews. Firstly, we need to give a shout out to the gentleman running the front of the cafe. There was another employee in the kitchen but this bearded fellow was superb. Unfortunately, we don't remember his name but he made this experience, along with the games and brews, special. When we arrived around a quarter to six on a Thursday night, we were the only ones. After he explained how the joint works which is each person pays a type of cover fee of 5 dollars to play as many games as long as they want. He took our beer orders after explaining the menu, and then helped us find new games. We weren't looking to play the regular board games we all grew up playing. We wanted to play something new. With his excellent knowledge of all the games, he selected perfect choices for two players in various degrees of difficulty. We found every choice to be easy to learn with his help, and extremely fun. After spending several hours, drinking a few beers, and playing various new games, we came to the conclusion that this place was perfect to try new things. It would be as it was for us, a great date night to play new games, have some laughs, and some local brews. We can also see a group of friends having a memorable time. And with over a thousand games to play, there should be plenty of games for every age group to spend hours here. We would certainly recommend tabletop to anyone visiting Cleveland and definitely to anyone living in the area. read more

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I am into games and fortunately so is my family. My wife and I went here for a date night and had a good time. This place is similar, but different to The Malted Meeple in Hudson, Ohio. Both offer a huge selection of game. Both require a five dollar table fee per person. Both have knowledgeable staff to teach you new games. And both offer refreshments. The cafe is different from Malted Meeple through the game selection. The cafe has a lot more mainstream games. i.e. Monopoly, Connect Four, etc. The cafe also has a great selection of European games, however many of the patrons we saw came to play the mainstream games. We prefer to play games that we do not own. We asked the staff for suggestions. They asked us what types of games we have played and what type of games we like. From these questions they brought us four games. We played two of the games and found them enjoyable. We would not go out and purchase the games, but that is what makes both the cafe and Malted Meeple great. You can try games and be taught how to play the games without purchasing a game that in the end you may not have wanted to purchase. The cafe does offer meals, which is awesome! They also offer a nice selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The Malted Meeple only offers snacks and similar types of beverages. We went on Saturday around 8pm. It was not crowded, but it quickly filled up If you go with more than two, you will want to go early to insure you get a table for your group. read more

Sounds like a great concept but don't get to excited. If you enjoy playing the games too much and get excited the owner will scold you and tell you you are too loud to play games at his establishment. He was not nice in his demeanor and did not understand customer service. We were with multiple people who are from Cleveland and love going to table top and now will probably never return. I would avoid at all costs. read more

Definitely a fun place to have a few laughs and hang out with good friends. Has a hipster vibe with its craft brews, smoothies, and overall atmosphere. You pay $5 a person to have access to over 1000 games. They also have sandwiches and soups, but I just opted for the Cleveland Sunshine Smoothie. It had mango, pineapple, banana, orange juice, and almond milk. It was delicious. Our waitress was terrific. She consistently checked up on us to see if we needed anything. They have all different size tables for various size groups. We were sat towards the front where there was a couch and several chairs. It was very comfortable. We spent several hours there, and never felt like we were being rushed out, which is great. If you want to have a relaxing night with friends, plays some board or card games, and have a drink, this is your place. read more

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Food was good... would have been better if I didn't have to wait an hour for it. Nice selection of games and a cozy atmosphere, but the service was basically non existent. read more

Games were fun but the experience could have been much better if we had gotten the food we ordered. We tried twice to order. The first time I approached the bar and asked the waitress if I could order food. When I tried to tell her what I wanted, she cut me off and said she'd come to my table to take my order. When she still hadn't come by 30 minutes later, I asked another passing employee. He took my order and it never came. 40 minutes later we gave up and left. I guess they really didn't want our money. So bizarre. I have never had an experience like that before. They weren't even busy - less than half the tables were full. Don't go if you're expecting to order snacks while you play. read more

Took my lil one here and got our game on. It was happy hr so the 5 draft beers were all 3 bux which is nice. Would like to see a better variety of style and ABV but it did the trick. Select apps were discounted too but I didn't try any. Next time. Its 5.00 and you can play your ass off all day if ya want. Pretty much every game I have ever heard of. The place is decorated cool too. Not hip and douchy like the rest of 25th now. Only thing is I wish the 5.00 was discounted at happy hr too because that was most of the cost of the bill. There were only 2 other people playing games in there when we were there. I would go more often but 10.00 to walk in the door seems a tad high when the place is empty... read more

Tabletop - Cafes Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Great service and love the concept of $5 all you can play. Glad we stopped in! Beer wine specialty drinks & food.

I have contracted food poisoning from here when I ordered the tuna salad sandwich. The kitchen does not seem to be this places priority. Game selection was nice. Upon contacting them , I was shunned. Doesn't say much about the integrity of this business. Beware ! I feel since there is a cover charge they don't expect you to really eat there and drink prices were elevated such as for tourist clients. Looking back, This seems to be a part time venture, looking at the hours of operation and the professionalism of the food staff and preperation area. I know there are better, safer places to eat on the same street which would make me feel better to eat at since they concentrate on food primarily and not just as an add on. read more

From one who doesn't play many board games, I still give this place five stars. My other half though, is an avid board gamer, and he was super impressed with this place as well. I've been here plenty of times since it's opened- being roped into friends' gatherings, and specifically friends who love board games, I've ended up here many of a time. For only five bucks, you can enjoy unlimited time of playing all types of board games- from old school (aka Hungry Hungry Hippos) to more complex strategic games to international games- this place has it all. And the board games are clean- I was expecting them to be all nasty from people playing them, but it's quite clean. The cafe also serves an arrangement of nice refreshments to fuel your playing- tea, kombutcha, smoothies, etcera. It's quite refreshing and convenient. This place is usually very full, but we've always found a table to play at. It's chill and just a fun way to make all type of "gamers" happy, with their large variety of games. If you're looking for a different way to spend the night, go hang out at Tabletop- it'll be a fun way to relax with friends. read more

Great quick experience! We had about 45 minutes to kill before meeting up with our gaming group and decided to stop by Tabletop Board Game Cafe to get a feel for the place. Having only 45 minutes before we had to leave we just grabbed a quick beer from the 5 on tap and several bottle/can offerings of craft brews. A decent selection. Took a look at their library which had a great selection of new and retro games. Made some small talk with one of the workers and explained we were playing games that night with our group and he asked what we would be playing. Was very knowledgable of all the games we listed like Fury of Dracula, Run, Fight or Die and Mysterium. In fact having never played Mysterium he set up and taught us quickly so that when we played later in the night we would be all ready. When we left we tried to pay the library fee since he did take the time to teach us a game we were going to be playing elsewhere, but they would not let us pay. We promised to stop back and spend more time at the Cafe some weekend. All in all it was a great experience even though short. Nice and clean with a very welcoming staff! Just a quick update: I went back with friends and we spent several hours playing games. Again, excellent selection of games. Very helpful and informative staff. We learned several new games and had a blast. It did get pretty crowded and loud so it was hard to hear each other at times but that just means people are having fun. I think it is a great place for party games. Maybe not so much for big strategy games unless certain times aren't as rowdy. Of course, a Saturday night was sure to be a little more rambunctious. Definitely check this place out if you are into gaming. You can't beat the selection for $5!!! read more

Tabletop - A typical Saturday night! It was Hoppin'! - Cafes Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Really fun, new hangout spot in the heart of Ohio City. Located near West Side Market on West 25th Street, Tabletop Board Game Cafe is a place where you can play over 1,000 games with your friends. The fee to play is $5, then you can play as many games as you want. With this amount of variety, there are both familiar games and games that I've personally never heard of. Tabletop has a decent sized drink menu, so you can sip a beer while you're busy conquering the world. The furniture is comfortable and the cafe has an older, more rustic feel. If you don't know what you want to play, there's a cool chart on the wall that suggests new, less common games which are similar to games that are mainstream. The staff is fantastic. We chose a game from the "staff recommended" shelf. It was a game that none of us had played before, but a staff member came over and spent 10 minutes teaching us how to play the game. Drink service is well paced - your glass won't go empty, but your board game playing will not be frequently interrupted. Overall, Tabletop is a relaxing place to chill, have drinks, and kick back and play board games while you're enjoying your drinks. read more

I don't remember how I first heard about this place, but when my board-game-loving husband and I found ourselves about five minutes away, right at opening time, with absolutely nothing on our schedule for the rest of the day, we knew the time had come to visit. It was a bit awkward at first, as we were obviously the first people in and we had no idea what we were doing, but after confessing our newb-ness to the staff guy we quickly found ourselves set up at a table with fast-refilling water and makeshift coasters and a zillion board games to choose from. Since we ourselves own and play a lot of board games, we made sure to choose only ones we'd either never heard of or not yet had a chance to play elsewhere, with mixed results. Games that were awesome included Splendor and Jaipur, while on the other end of the spectrum we found ourselves with a weird zombie deck-building game with a terrible instruction manual or terrible gameplay or, more likely, both. On the plus side, once we realized it was bad we were able to put it right back on the shelf and try out something new! We spent about four hours checking out various awesome games, and so when we got hungry in the middle of that we took advantage of the happy hour specials to get a tasty-sounding appetizer. It was definitely tasty, but also teensy, and didn't seem worth even the discounted price. We would probably have had better luck with a regular sandwich, but we were too cheap to order one that day. Next time, perhaps? Food woes aside, this is definitely a fun place to come spend several hours and absolutely worth the $5/person cover charge to check out the huge variety of games that is hard to come by in the demo section of a regular game store. I will definitely be back on a future Cleveland visit, probably with a few more friends in tow! read more

I can't fairly judge Tabletop, so I am giving it the average 3 stars. While the idea and concept of this place is great. The manageability of people waiting to play and the people finishing play has not been mastered. Rick and I got here before our friends and it was explained to us that they couldn't give us an exact time of the wait for the table, but they took my number and said they'd call. We go down the street order a beer and 5 min later they call and say a table is opening up be back in 5. We chug our beers, walk back down only to find there is in fact still no one leaving. We didn't get to play, and chances are we won't be back. Maybe for the busy weekends you should have a time schedule to sign up for. You can continue past your time if no one else is waiting for your table. Don't know how else this would work. read more

A great place to hang out and play board games. Costs $5 a person to play but you don't have to play. We came in for lunch and the food was amazing! Kind of a long wait for the food to arrive (40 minutes+) but if we had been playing games we might not have noticed it. Food is 5 stars for sure. read more

Tabletop - Some of the classics - Cafes Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

I had a good time here. Walking down Ohio City- wow, a new board game shop? I like board games. Went in- tons of games, good selection. I sat down to eat with some friends as I showed them how to play a game, food was good and the staff was friendly. Totally worth going in and spending the $5 to play games. read more

This place is really neat! What a great idea. They have TONS of board games. If you don't know, you pay $5 to play games for as long as you are there. I also really like the atmosphere. They have a limited snack menu, but the stuff we ordered was decent. They have a couple of beers on tap. I really like this place, but I so wish they had liquor. (I get why they don't, but, still...) I've already been here twice and I definitely plan to go back. The only thing I didn't like is that the service is pretty slow, but since you are pretty engrossed in the game in front of you, it's not a huge deal until its time to get the check and go. read more

We stumbled into this place while visiting Cleveland. We met the owners and they are totally great. They serve all kinds of great snacks, beer, wine and all kinds of different drinks. They have a great many board games and the staff is more then will to teach. This was great fun for our whole family. read more

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Food was very good. Loved the buffalo chix bites and the Bananna Coffee Smoothie. Had a blast playing great games, too. A must-do if in town with the kiddos! read more

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Just went here for the first time and it certainly won't be my last. It's fairly small with 10-15 tables so it fills up quickly. It's best to go as early as you can so you don't have to wait in line at night. This place has a hip vibe and cozy feel to it. I stayed for four hours and time passed by quickly. Staff were kind, including my server Candace and a worker who was very helpful in explaining the rules for a game called Machi Koro. I didn't get his name but he had long hair and a beard. There is also a "Staff Picks" area if you are stumped on what to play. I would give five stars if it weren't for the food. I ordered the avocado brovado sandwich. It took a long time to come out. The sandwich was decent but tasted a bit bland. Bread was hard and it didn't make me full. However, that won't hinder me from coming back. Besides the food, this place rocks! I am now officially a board game fanatic. read more

Service is basically non existent. There is a good selection of games but not sure how they are organized not alphabetical

Such a fun experience with an unlimited amount of game options! Great for large groups with a fun drink menu. I would like to see cocktails make the menu though read more

Food and drinks were really good. A nice selection on the menu. TONS of games to play. Very nice atmosphere.

Tabletop does a great job at creating a fun and comfortable atmosphere to bring friends and family together. It can get a little busy, so I recommend calling ahead to make sure there's room if you have a larger group. It's $5 for each person to play the games, which I know is a lot, but it also encourages people to make the most of it. There are so many games to choose from and they're organized in a way so that you can find one that matches what you're looking for (group games, trivia, one v. one). The staff was very friendly and helpful. The food portions weren't that big, but it was good. Definitely check it out! read more

This is their second time there and we had just as much fun the second time as we did the first. There are so many games to choose from it can be a bit overwhelming. But our server chose several for us and explained how to play each game. We had a great time. The food is fantastic and the atmosphere is laid-back and fun. It's a great way to spend an evening with friends and family. Highly recommend. read more

You're never too old for a good round of board games with your friends! Not too pricey to grab a group of friends and head in to play games from an enormous selection of games. What's especially cool is that there are food and drink options to accompany you during games! Only downside on the customer side is that its always so busy in there, but being in such. a great location in Ohio City it's completely understandable. read more

This place is fine if you want to go and play a few games with a few friends. 7 of us went. 4 of us ate food. When the bill came they charged 5.00 each plus food. Then they taxed us. After that they added an 18% gratuity. This gratuity should be added only to the food portion of the bill not to the entrance fee. We won't be going back soon. read more

I have been to Tabletop several times now, and always have a good experience. The food is reasonably priced, especially for being on W 25th. The orange and goat cheese appetizer is bright and delicious, and the Club Awesome sandwich is truly awesome. They don't have as wide of a selection of beers as some of the other bars on the strip, but they do have a good selection, and the draft beer list is different almost every time I'm in there, so there's something for everyone. The main thing is the games. There are so many, and a huge variety. The staff are always willing to teach games. Brady is awesome and very helpfully taught my group how to play Camel Up, which we loved. It gets a little loud on Friday and Saturday nights, so if you're with a group trying to play a very involved strategy game, I might recommend going on a weeknight, as you'll likely have more space and also an easier time focusing on your game. I learned a lot of games I would not have expected to play here; I usually play strategy games, but I've learned some quicker games that are extremely fun. $5 per person is definitely a reasonable value for an activity like this. It offers a nice change of pace, something to do besides just go out for food or drinks or to the movies. Great for groups or a date night. read more

The idea is nice and the environment is super trendy but the service here is AWFUL. Honestly so bad that it ruined the rest of our time. Do not come here if you are hungry. We ordered the blue Christmas, buffalo bites, and the avocado bravado. These are very simple sandwiches to make as it turns out. Yet, it took over an hour to get our food. And the avocado sandwich came out like 20 minutes before the rest, so the poor girl had to awkwardly decide whether to eat the sandwich or not while the rest of us sat there getting hangry. To make things worse, the buffalo bites never came out. And all in all the food was way overpriced for what it actually was. This place needs to be managed more wisely. read more