Burgers are really good! Great selection of games :) we came around 9:30pm and it was not super busy, so we easily got a big table. The ambiance and service was great! read more

The staff here is awesome. Not only are they very knowledgeable about all the products and card sets, but they let you know about prereleases and events coming up. Great smelling food and ample beer and cider selections. I really can't express how cool the people here are! Super easy to chat with and are very helpful. This will be where I will solely shop to build my collections. I ended up here 3 times in one day because I just couldn't stop buying all the awesome cards and boxes! Thanks y'all! read more

Zulu's Board Game Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Bothell, Washington

Went here cause a friend of a friend rented the room for a trivia night. It looks amazing, and I hope to go back to experience more of the place. Looked like you could try out games, buy games, or eat and just plan dnd or magic. read more

Zulu's Board Game Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Bothell, Washington

See all

A board game cafe where the tavern masters avoid eye contact and the board games are plentiful. Make sure you shower, the patrons and the staff will appreciate it. Make sure you wipe your hands after eating, you'll need clean fingers for all the pieces you're going to touch. Drink up, chow down, and roll the dice to feel like an authentically greasy nerd who loves being in a judgment-free realm. read more

Always an amazing place to go. They have great prices on TCG cards, plenty of sections and amazing food. They always have great stock of cards and board games. I see reviews talking about how no staff comes to great them but they are always busy because of how popular it is. These people don't seem to want to ask anyone for help and want to be waited on. Everyone is super nice and knowledgeable about anything there. I have never been here that ended with a bad experience. read more

This is one of my favorite places to go now. It's got lots of board games and RPG books for sale, beer, decent bar food, and lots of demo board games to try out. There's amazing fantasy artwork, like maps of middle earth, flags from song of ice and fire, and blown up artwork from magic the gathering. Often times I just come here with friends to enjoy a beer and the nerdy ambience as it's open later than other bars in downtown bothell read more

Great place to run ttrpg night with affordable food and good drinks on tap! Helped us find space to play even when it was quite full.

I first found out about this place via recommendation as it's one of the few card shops that have a decent selection of Pokémon card singles. It's a little out of the way, but I took the effort to go my first time and it was a relatively good experience. Dining wise, I didn't order much - just a lemonade. It was house made which I appreciated. The space is pretty cozy, a lot of tables though they're pretty spread out. I've never been here during a gaming event though so I can't really comment on that. I ultimately bought some Pokémon cards, going through their binder as well as the case with the higher value cards. The team members working that evening were very friendly and helped me out if I ever needed it. Before I went the next time, I called the store and asked if it would be okay for me to ask if they had a particular card in stock from the newest set at the time. The team member who answered my call said yes, and asked which card I was looking for. They didn't have it, and I appreciated them letting me know so that I didn't have to make the drive to check. The next time I went, I had an okay experience. I ordered food this time, being a chicken salad. I thought it was odd that there were no options for grilled chicken on the salad - only fried. The chicken was pretty oily too so overall it didn't really feel... like "clean" eating. I understand that breaded chicken is common on salads, but it's usually not that oily. Similarly to my previous visit though, I bought some cards, and one of the team members lowered the price of one of the cards I was purchasing which I appreciated. While I was there, I noticed a rare card in one of their cases. I knew one of my friends was looking for that card, so I kept it in mind. A few days later I called the store and asked if they still had that card available and the team member was more than happy to tell me yes, as well as explain the condition. Again, given this store isn't super close to me, I really appreciated that help. I drove to the store later that evening and purchased the card. One of the team members let me take some time to inspect the condition. I asked if there was any flexibility on price and there wasn't any but ultimately it was fine. Before I get to my final point, I want to review my thoughts up to this point. Team Members are very friendly and helpful. Food is just okay. Space is cool. Card selection is fun. I would have given this place 4 stars if not for my most recent experience. I called the store and asked if it would be okay if I checked in on the availability of a certain rare card that is a part of the Pokémon set that most recently released. I've asked about this before a few times as I've detailed, and the Team Members were always willing to help. This time however, it wasn't just that this Team Member wasn't willing to help (I would understand if they were busy or otherwise weren't able to), but they were really rude about it which took me aback. They said "uh, no, i'm not doing that for you", told me to check the website, and then repeated again that they're not doing that for me in an annoyed tone. I was a little confused because no one ever mentioned that the cards were available on the website to me before. I told the Team Member on the phone that I apologize if it seemed like I was trying to be entitled to them finding the card for me, as that wasn't the case and I was just going off of my last experiences. I also mentioned that no one has told me about the website before. They told me that some of the Team Members had more Pokémon knowledge and that's probably why they were able to help, but that they personally did not. They then told me something about "teaching me to fish for myself" which just confused me. The whole conversation I was maintaining my politeness and trying to let the Team Member understand that I was just going off of my past experiences, hoping that they would realize there was no need for them to get rude with me. But it didn't seem that way. Here's the thing. If they didn't want to or otherwise couldn't help me, that's totally fine. I'm not entitled like that. But there's a way to communicate that. Telling me "i'm not doing that for you" multiple times, and teaching me about "fishing for myself" was frankly not a comfortable or nice feeling experience as a customer and I don't even know if I want to come back. It's a shame because I've had pleasant interactions for the most part with the people at this establishment. But this one soured it for me. I'm not sure if this Yelp page is checked, if so I would be more than happy to get a better understanding of what that was all about. Overall I'll give this 3 stars, dinging from what would've been 4 stars due to this recent experience. read more

Best place ever. We recently moved away from Bothell and Zulus. It was perhaps the best place in all of the era for fun, drinks, food, and of course games. The epic DnD adventure league games was perhaps the best times in DnD in my entire time playing DnD in like 25years. But the food and casual board games won the wife and kids over time and time again. During Covid lock down Zulus did this amazing family meal, game, and growler refill.... Epic win for the area. We got a meal and game every other week just to support but happy to find that it was actually amazing. Love this place and wish you were on the East Coast now. read more

Great neighborhood gathering place for gaming fans! I like how they have dozens of board games on their demo shelf just waiting for anyone to come along and play. And if you end up liking a game so much you want to buy it, they have new ones for sale too at reasonable prices. Food is typical tavern food, nothing fantastic but enough to get you through the games. I concur with another reviewer that I wish they had more snacks to nibble on, but that's minor. They also have all kinds of beer, wine, and ciders along with soft drinks. They are currently remodeling to add more space, which I feel it could use on crowded nights. I kinda wish the ventilation was a bit better because the air can get a little stale. But still a great hangout for all ages! read more

Zulu's Board Game Cafe - Ultimate Poutine with chicken strips - Cafes Near Me - Bothell, Washington

See all

Good food. Burgers were amazing. Tater Tots were fresh & crispy. Great selection of board games. read more

Mox is a great place for casual gaming + dining, but for people who want to meet up and game a little more seriously, Zulu's is the better option. Their dedicated gaming tables are best for tabletop and miniature games. But don't discount the food. The menu is flat-out hilarious if you're a gamer, and the food is perfect pub-style fare. (Their poutine hooked me immediately.) read more

Amazing food. Fun nerdy menu. Employees are SO helpful and kind. Awesome games to buy and borrow. read more

Zulu's Board Game Cafe - Mostly local drink menu - Cafes Near Me - Bothell, Washington

Had SUCH a fun evening here. There's a lot of space and it's divided up neatly so you don't have too many groups in any one area - easier to hang with the folks you came with and focus on whatever it is you're playing. The vibe is low key and really fun - lots of games on display up front, if you're there to shop, and loads of games to try out on the shelves in back. The menu items have hilariously goofy names, I wish I could entertain you with them ... in the end, the food is pretty straight bar food, which about what you want in a gaming cafe. Bonus points for having tots as a sub for fries. Everything is better with tots. The staff were nice and helpful and clearly know their games. We had a group and found some silly party games involving dragons and unicorns and once we were done eating, had a blast learning the games and playing them while drinking some frosty beverages. Just a really fun way to get together with a group, looking forward to next time! read more

Zulu's Board Game Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Bothell, Washington

I found Zulu's to be a bit of a frustration. I want to love it more. Let me say that three stars is "A-OK" according to Yelp. Four stars is "Yay! I'm a fan," and I'd love to get there (or even to five stars) with Zulu's. I love the idea of this place. It's not some small, dumpy strip mall game store created by a Magic fan to try and host Magic tournaments. Instead, it's an old house with some charm and personality that can be used for that and more. And they've added a small kitchen for snack foods. Good idea. The upstairs space is well thought out. The look of it is appealing and interesting. It's a comfortable space to meet and play board and card games. And it's locally owned and operated. Bravo! But there are some issues. Either this old house was smoked in heavily before it was transformed into Zulu's, or the kitchen cooking is creating smells that linger throughout the upstairs (like your house for two days after you cook fish). This really needs to be resolved. A good ventilation system in the kitchen and some good combo HEPA/carbon filtration machines in each space (Costco has them) should do the trick. This would lift up the class of the place quite a bit. The other issues with the space (and I suspect this is a work in progress) are the entryways (not helped by the construction in the area) and the downstairs. Downstairs are private rooms for rent, and they are basically just roughed in as far as finish goes. They need a good deal of work before they are appealing. The staff is sort of helpful. If you push them a bit, they will spend time with you and help. But you should not have to push them to get help. The library of board games is a mess. It's an unorganized stack in a corner. It is very hard to know what is here, and even harder to find anything. This needs work. We didn't try the food on this visit. But it looks like basically some finger foods and burgers that are mostly made offsite and then fried or heated here. It's okay. Could be jazzed up with a few simple additions. Will have to return and spend some more time here playing some board games. I hope this place succeeds and the issues get ironed out. The place certainly has the potential to be an absolute killer destination. It just needs some work. read more

See all

My husband and I had been talking about coming to Zulu's for a while, and we finally visited today! It was pretty crowded for a Sunday! But we did find a table, ordered a couple of beers & food, and set out to find a game we could play with just 2 players! We ended up choosing Codenames Duet and it was very fun! As for the food, I got the loaded grill cheese with tots which was awesome, and my husband got the loco moco, which was also really good, the one thing that could've been improved was the rice in the loco moco was cold, had it been warm I would've given it 5 stars for sure! Their beer selection was also pretty great! I got the Belching Beaver (LOL) peanut butter milk stout (very much recommend) and my husband got the sour which was also good! We will be back for sure to try out more games! read more

See all

Low-key spot to play board games with friends. Limited menu of bar food. Good selections of coffees and beers. read more

See all

Awesome place to play board games and grab a couple drinks with your friends. They also have a great food menu. I got the "Dragonborn" burger, it had the right amount of spice, and awesome bbq sauce to even it out. And of course you can't go wrong with tater tots! The vanilla bean cider has a surprisingly strong vanilla taste, but still enjoyable. Highly recommend this place! read more

See all

Zulu's is a very unique and interesting cafe/restaurant with a personable and helpful staff! If you haven't gone their yet, I would recommend it if only for the fact that you'll be treated well and eat some great (and unique) food. I'm not a board game, D&D or Magic player, but I really love coming here. The folks who come are very friendly, personable and it's always lively. I sense a strong community. This would be a wonderful place to do those things, however, it's literally made for it. There are also some board games that they provide - I saw quite a variety and they also have some basics things such as cards, chess, checkers, Chinese checkers, etc. The menu is pretty diverse as there are many unique and unusual items. Ultimate poutine and the "monkey barrel" (a dessert featuring Nutella, banana, locally made ice cream and more) are the two that really stood out to me. It's a little bit pricier, but the price is well justified with all of the above taken into account! read more

Zulu's Board Game Cafe - Very tasty, very Canadian. - Cafes Near Me - Bothell, Washington

If you enjoy games to any capacity, you will love this hidden gem in downtown Bothell! This quaint and cozy location is the perfect spot to enjoy a fun night of games with your friends. They offer a refreshing beer selection and have perfect snacking food to enjoy while you game. I have come here several times with my work buddies and every time I just have loads of fun. You can even special request the basement room for a more private/intimate experience. I'd recommend this room if your group of friends gets rowdy while gaming. Otherwise, there's lot of common space on the main floor for a bigger group. Highly recommend this spot as a fun place to do a group date as well! read more

We randomly found Zulu's when we were looking for something to do. The ambiance is great and everyone was super friendly. They have a good selection of games to demo at the back and plenty of seating including outside at a covered patio area. Parking is a bit tight but they have a guide on where to park on their website. read more

Good games, good people, good food. I wish I still lived nearby!! (If you don't know how to get started, walk in and say you are a newbie. They will get you going!) read more

Awesome place for games and food. Awesome service and great ambiance. They had good collection of games. The food was also good. I would recommend this place for people who love games and would like a cool place to hangout with friends. read more

Friendly service. If you are looking to do something different for your night out this is a good spot. Food, drinks and board games. Good for families too. read more

As parents, it's so nice to have someplace we can go and play games and have dinner in the same location. Fabulous chicken tenders.

Super fun game bar! Great beer and cider collection, and I love their game library that you can play from while you eat and drink. Also their shield of sauces is fun to try. 11/10 recommend! read more

Zulus is a local treasure and deserves all the support it can get. They're continually expanding to make room for more players, and you can call early in the day to reserve a table for the evening (highly recommended, some evenings get real busy). I haven't had much opportunity to go lately (that quarantine life), but my buddy got a phone call from them to let him know that a game on his watch list was back in stock. I called to reserve my version--the last one!--and they were happy to hold it behind the counter for me. Even if you can't sit and play board games in person, consider purchasing board games from local shops like this one. read more

Went with my son and they didn't even have a chessboard to play a game with subsequently during the Covid outbreak. I heard somebody coughing at me as I passed wearing a mask. Oh well. read more

This place is amazing! The culture, community, food, products... the list goes on. They are so kind and inclusive my son loves going here. I love taking him to watch his excitement plus eat their yummy food! read more

I made online orders through their website several times with authorized payment methods advertised on their website. The payment would post to my account only to have Zulusgames cancel my order. After a couple times of the transaction being authorized by my account and then being cancelled I contacted Zulusgames. Vaughn responded to my inquiry but refused to tell me the reason why the transactions were canceled. I contacted my credit card to see if they were canceling my order and they stated that each time they approved the order and the problem wasn't on their end. I made the same order using a different payment method and again it was rejected. I went back and forth with Vaughn but he still refused to tell me what the reason why the order was canceled. read more

Excellent selection of games for kids and adults. The food quality is great! Pub food - they even have beyond burgers! My kids and I like to check out new games we can play , and they always have good recommendations! This place is quite popular on weekends so it may be difficult to find seats , but that just shows how fun this place is ! read more

Realized I hadn't left a review for this place, and even though I won't go in person atm I wanted to show some support, because this place is rad! The outside looks like a dang medieval tavern and they have a huge selection of board games (even stuff for the lay person like myself). It's a great hangout spot when it's cold and rainy and you just want to have a good wholesome hang time with friends. It can get a little crowded but we've always found a spot within a few minutes. Huge selection of games - you should definitely consider buying your next board game here to show some support. Food is typical bar food, I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to have it. They typically have decent beers and ciders though. read more

Zulu's now has drive up Pick up. Burgers are massive Love the grilled cheese as well and don't pass on the tater tots or sweet potato fries. read more

If your a gamer you will love Zulu's. All sorts of games to borrow and lots of places to play. On a Saturday they are crazy busy though. As far as service they are always friendly. I have had a few of the food items and they are all passable to good. One thing I love is the $3 fountain drink w/ free refills. That made my day. And its needed. The one down side to Zulu's is that its always super hot. They could use some extra AC units. In the summer it can get almost unbearable. read more

Great burgers with good portion of fries. Great sauces for fries. We had a burger and cheeseburger for $10 each. This was the zulu burger at $16. Would go again read more

Zulu's Board Game Cafe - Zulu burger. $16. Two patties and bacon. Was tall and really good. Good fry sauces they had. - Cafes Near Me - Bothell, Washington

Tasty food, great selection of games, pleasant atmosphere.

All the things. ALL THE THINGS. I've been a die hard Mox fan since I was a wee board game babe, but Zulu's may be my new fave board game cafe. The ambience is hard to beat - I felt like I was in a nerd Disneyland. There's an outdoor seating area with a gorgeous fireplace! The demo game choices are significantly less than Mox's, but the seating is great, the atmosphere is spot on, and the food is great (corn dog basket - enough said). I am definitely going to become a regular! read more

Ive shopped at this location online a couple of times now, and every time ive had no issue receiving my products here in Oklahoma. They have an excellent customer support, I emailed them and heard back and was able to fix the issue within the day. This location is easily one of my favorite gamestores in the united states. read more

This place rocks! The people who work here are big time game nerds and they LOVE helping you find whatever your gaming needs require. I think that if you confuse an employee as an owner, that's a good sign that you are dealing with a business that keeps their employees happy. And that's exactly what happened for me. We got everything we needed, and then some. They took the time to understand what we were looking for. They gave their insight into game play and experiences. I felt that I was so much more than just a customer. I felt like I was picking a game out of my friends game closet, with the exception that I paid for it (happily). Better yet, each game we bought has become an instant classic in our home! Thanks Zulu! read more

Fantastic game store with an amazing cozy fantasy atmosphere. Has a great selection of Magic the Gathering and the food is great! Such a gem of a game store in an era of large chain establishments. read more