This place is awesome! LGBTQ-friendly, wheelchair-user friendly, family-friendly. Pay $10/person (on weekends) and get a free drink each and access to the gaming area. Tons of board games to try out, some common and some extremely niche. It does get a bit loud if there's a D&D group there, but otherwise the environment is pleasant and friendly. The staff will explain game rules or help you out if you don't understand a game. They also have locally-made art and games for sale! They host events and there is street parking but on weekends there is also parking at nearby businesses that are closed. I didn't get food today but the drinks were good. We'll be back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cara
This place was top notch! The turkey bacon sandwich was delicious, and so was the blueberry mead. We never felt rushed, enjoyed a few different games, and even had some explained to us by the wonderful owners. If you're looking for a laid back date spot, I would check this place out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
AJ Runey
Awesome place. Owners are phenomenal. Always enjoy going here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Katy Hassing
Genuinely my home away from home! I remember the first time I saw that this place was opening I screamed in my car, and now having been a regular this past year I can say with great confidence that that was not an overreaction!
Over this past year of visiting the 15%, I have brought in many friends and made many more through the community that has come together in this cafe. While there is a seating fee, you could not ask for a more fun and budget-friendly night out with friends where you get to try out a bunch of well kept board games and enjoy delicious food and drink. There is a large selection of food and drinks, so even if you are a bit pickier with what you like there's something for everyone! If you need help with a game, you can easily get help since Rebekah and Hannah (the lovely owners) as well as Eli (amazing employee in his own right) are more than happy to help you and have most likely played the games themselves! I can understand the worry that shared games mean lost pieces, but I can assure you that the community at the cafe cares enough for the games that it is very rare for pieces to go missing.
I do my best to attend events when I am not working, as you don't get to truly experience the magic of the 15% until you get to interact with the fantastic community that calls the cafe their home. One of my first events I went to was a playtesting event which I went to without knowing anyone there. I came out with three more friends, one of which I found out went to highschool with my mom, and have had several game nights with them since. I have also gone to their Co-op Mondays, which is where you can find people to play co-op games with and make new friends, as well as a few other game nights that have been coordinated through the cafe's Discord server. Everyone is so welcoming and happy to just make friends, there is no judgement about the level of board game knowledge you have or the skill you have while playing (or lackthereof!), all that matters is having fun!
I remember talking with Rebekah about the muckies (muffin cookies, highly recommend trying when you drop by!) and her telling me about how their usual chocolate chips were not available anymore so she was going to try out different kinds. However, she was not sure which percentage cacao chocolate chips to get since there were no others with the specific percentage she got before. Both Rebekah and Hannah care so much about this place and the quality of the food, drink and experience that you get, they won't even cut corners on the percentage of cacao in their chocolate chips!
Rebekah and Hannah have created something special that was a missing piece in Tacoma that we didn't know we were missing until we got it. Thank you both for such an amazing, fun, welcoming community space, this is everything I wanted and more when I first screamed at the coming soon sign.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sean
I love this cafe. It has become my default third place, and those are damn hard to come by. I've made dear friends here, spent time out I otherwise would have spent alone at home, and I feel very safe being myself here. This cafe has undoubtedly changed my life for the better and I am so grateful for it.
The food is okay; I wish there were more options for warm, soft, savory snacks. Stuff like pretzel bites with dips would go so hard. They can't be any messier than the panini sandwiches and would pair well with the beer selection. I definitely try to eat beforehand just because I can only eat the same sandwich so many times.
The building has had HVAC issues, which is no fault of the cafe. That being said, sometimes the temperature and humidity are uncomfortable and the doors have to remain open, letting in all the noise from 6th Ave traffic. When the HVAC system is functioning properly, though, the climate is very pleasant. The bathrooms tend to always be warm and stuffy, and often times one of the soap dispensers doesn't work, but that's again the building manager's responsibility.
When this place gets packed, especially on weekend afternoons, it can be difficult to find a table big enough for the games you want to play. Luckily, they've implemented a way to check how busy it is ahead of time on Discord. Regardless, the noise is the real killer for me. The ceiling is high and hollow, so noise doesn't get muffled. When so many people are trying to game at once, the noise level ranges from 70db to 90db. I measured it. Consistently 70-80, with peaks almost reaching 90 when there's a burst of laughter. If someone scoots their chair back, the sound is piercing. My friend and I always shut up and give each other /a look/ when the noise peaks. Very distracting and not relaxing.
The board game selection is fantastic. There's a game for everyone there. It is well organized and browsing isn't difficult. Beware of Talisman. It will test your friendships.
The staff are wonderful. It really wouldn't be the same without them.
I really love the rotating art from local artists, too.
In conclusion, I recommend The 15% Board Game Cafe for everyone. It's an incredibly inclusive place that brings everyone together. There's room for improvements, but with steady support, I know it will only get better <3
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Tencoth
Lovely little spot. Very friendly staff, great drinks, chili that reminds me of home cooking, and a wide selection of board games all on a wall. I go there for hours just to write, and the staff is all super friendly. Definitely worth your business.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Travis Brooks
Great new game Cafe in Tacoma. This would be a lovely place for a date night.
Amir
Awesome place to spend time with your friends. Staff are SUPER friendly and kind. great customer service and a lot fun games to choose from.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Rose Coates
I had such a wonderful time at 15% Board Game Cafe tonight!
From the moment we walked in, the staff made us feel so welcome and at home.
The atmosphere was filled with laughter and fun.
The selection of games was fantastic—over 300 games to choose from…..there was something for everyone.
Thank you, 15% Board Game Cafe, for a memorable night out with friends. I can’t wait to come back and try more games soon!
Rose AJ Coates
I had such a wonderful time at 15% Board Game Cafe tonight!
From the moment we walked in, the staff made us feel so welcome and at home.
The atmosphere was filled with laughter and fun.
The selection of games was fantastic—over 300 games to choose from…..there was something for everyone.
Thank you, 15% Board Game Cafe, for a memorable night out with friends. I can’t wait to come back and try more games soon!
Came from out of state and this was the best coffee I had in the entire state of Washington. Really well made and the deal to get to play for $7 and a free medium drink is insanely good. We had a lot of fun while we were there. One of these would do amazingly well in Utah if you ever want to expand
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
KRAKENFan
No better place to hang out and play games. And i had a delicious Mocha.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Caroline Sweat
Super cute and unique place! There is a decent amount of variety in food (sandwiches, bagged chips, chili, baked goods) as well as drinks (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, italian soda) and everyone in our group found something they liked. I have to recommend the orange creamsicle italian soda, although that may have just been a seasonal summer item, it was still delicious. We stayed for hours playing random board games we had never heard of and it was amazing! Definitely play Wavelength and Letter Jam, they were hilarious for our group and led to lots of laughs. Prices were very reasonable and we got our food fairly quickly. We really enjoyed this adorable board game cafe, the ambience was off the charts!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Pearl Lee
I sent an email to ask some questions about their date night Fridays and I got responses pretty quickly! On Fridays, they offer a deal where you can pay $10 for two people that comes with free drinks as well as a BOGO deal on drinks and food as long as you play 2-player games. We got the ham and swiss panini, chicken bacon ranch panini, Italian soda, and Sugar Fog. I love that they let you choose up to 4 flavors for your Italian sodas so allows for fun combinations. The paninis were great for their price and flavorful! The drinks were wonderful too, we were big fans of the Sugar Fog.
The decor in the cafe is very chill and cozy. I love that on each table on the side we were at had a sticker on the edge of the table, added a cute touch. The games are organized very well and they even have a dedicated drawer for two player games. It's clear where to put your plates. They do have a bathroom with a code but there is a sign that says what the passcode is so you don't have to awkwardly ask for it. There is plenty of seating inside as well as big table spaces to play board games.
The service here is friendly and professional. Additionally, they are great at making your drinks quickly even when they get busy. They also do hold your card but there are plenty of ways to remind you to get your card back, which I appreciate as I am a very forgetful person. They also offer a stamp card and I love how cute it is. We look forward to coming back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Robert Montenegro
Just a fabulous part of our neighborhood and community.
This place is awesome! LGBTQ-friendly, wheelchair-user friendly, family-friendly. Pay $10/person (on weekends) and get a free drink each and access to the gaming area. Tons of board games to try out, some common and some extremely niche. It does get a bit loud if there's a D&D group there, but otherwise the environment is pleasant and friendly. The staff will explain game rules or help you out if you don't understand a game. They also have locally-made art and games for sale! They host events and there is street parking but on weekends there is also parking at nearby businesses that are closed. I didn't get food today but the drinks were good. We'll be back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place was top notch! The turkey bacon sandwich was delicious, and so was the blueberry mead. We never felt rushed, enjoyed a few different games, and even had some explained to us by the wonderful owners. If you're looking for a laid back date spot, I would check this place out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Awesome place. Owners are phenomenal. Always enjoy going here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Genuinely my home away from home! I remember the first time I saw that this place was opening I screamed in my car, and now having been a regular this past year I can say with great confidence that that was not an overreaction!
Over this past year of visiting the 15%, I have brought in many friends and made many more through the community that has come together in this cafe. While there is a seating fee, you could not ask for a more fun and budget-friendly night out with friends where you get to try out a bunch of well kept board games and enjoy delicious food and drink. There is a large selection of food and drinks, so even if you are a bit pickier with what you like there's something for everyone! If you need help with a game, you can easily get help since Rebekah and Hannah (the lovely owners) as well as Eli (amazing employee in his own right) are more than happy to help you and have most likely played the games themselves! I can understand the worry that shared games mean lost pieces, but I can assure you that the community at the cafe cares enough for the games that it is very rare for pieces to go missing.
I do my best to attend events when I am not working, as you don't get to truly experience the magic of the 15% until you get to interact with the fantastic community that calls the cafe their home. One of my first events I went to was a playtesting event which I went to without knowing anyone there. I came out with three more friends, one of which I found out went to highschool with my mom, and have had several game nights with them since. I have also gone to their Co-op Mondays, which is where you can find people to play co-op games with and make new friends, as well as a few other game nights that have been coordinated through the cafe's Discord server. Everyone is so welcoming and happy to just make friends, there is no judgement about the level of board game knowledge you have or the skill you have while playing (or lackthereof!), all that matters is having fun!
I remember talking with Rebekah about the muckies (muffin cookies, highly recommend trying when you drop by!) and her telling me about how their usual chocolate chips were not available anymore so she was going to try out different kinds. However, she was not sure which percentage cacao chocolate chips to get since there were no others with the specific percentage she got before. Both Rebekah and Hannah care so much about this place and the quality of the food, drink and experience that you get, they won't even cut corners on the percentage of cacao in their chocolate chips!
Rebekah and Hannah have created something special that was a missing piece in Tacoma that we didn't know we were missing until we got it. Thank you both for such an amazing, fun, welcoming community space, this is everything I wanted and more when I first screamed at the coming soon sign.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love this cafe. It has become my default third place, and those are damn hard to come by. I've made dear friends here, spent time out I otherwise would have spent alone at home, and I feel very safe being myself here. This cafe has undoubtedly changed my life for the better and I am so grateful for it.
The food is okay; I wish there were more options for warm, soft, savory snacks. Stuff like pretzel bites with dips would go so hard. They can't be any messier than the panini sandwiches and would pair well with the beer selection. I definitely try to eat beforehand just because I can only eat the same sandwich so many times.
The building has had HVAC issues, which is no fault of the cafe. That being said, sometimes the temperature and humidity are uncomfortable and the doors have to remain open, letting in all the noise from 6th Ave traffic.
When the HVAC system is functioning properly, though, the climate is very pleasant. The bathrooms tend to always be warm and stuffy, and often times one of the soap dispensers doesn't work, but that's again the building manager's responsibility.
When this place gets packed, especially on weekend afternoons, it can be difficult to find a table big enough for the games you want to play. Luckily, they've implemented a way to check how busy it is ahead of time on Discord. Regardless, the noise is the real killer for me. The ceiling is high and hollow, so noise doesn't get muffled. When so many people are trying to game at once, the noise level ranges from 70db to 90db. I measured it. Consistently 70-80, with peaks almost reaching 90 when there's a burst of laughter. If someone scoots their chair back, the sound is piercing. My friend and I always shut up and give each other /a look/ when the noise peaks. Very distracting and not relaxing.
The board game selection is fantastic. There's a game for everyone there. It is well organized and browsing isn't difficult. Beware of Talisman. It will test your friendships.
The staff are wonderful. It really wouldn't be the same without them.
I really love the rotating art from local artists, too.
In conclusion, I recommend The 15% Board Game Cafe for everyone. It's an incredibly inclusive place that brings everyone together. There's room for improvements, but with steady support, I know it will only get better <3
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Lovely little spot. Very friendly staff, great drinks, chili that reminds me of home cooking, and a wide selection of board games all on a wall. I go there for hours just to write, and the staff is all super friendly. Definitely worth your business.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great new game Cafe in Tacoma. This would be a lovely place for a date night.
Awesome place to spend time with your friends. Staff are SUPER friendly and kind. great customer service and a lot fun games to choose from.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
I had such a wonderful time at 15% Board Game Cafe tonight! From the moment we walked in, the staff made us feel so welcome and at home. The atmosphere was filled with laughter and fun. The selection of games was fantastic—over 300 games to choose from…..there was something for everyone. Thank you, 15% Board Game Cafe, for a memorable night out with friends. I can’t wait to come back and try more games soon!
I had such a wonderful time at 15% Board Game Cafe tonight!
From the moment we walked in, the staff made us feel so welcome and at home.
The atmosphere was filled with laughter and fun.
The selection of games was fantastic—over 300 games to choose from…..there was something for everyone.
Thank you, 15% Board Game Cafe, for a memorable night out with friends. I can’t wait to come back and try more games soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Came from out of state and this was the best coffee I had in the entire state of Washington. Really well made and the deal to get to play for $7 and a free medium drink is insanely good. We had a lot of fun while we were there. One of these would do amazingly well in Utah if you ever want to expand
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
No better place to hang out and play games. And i had a delicious Mocha.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Super cute and unique place! There is a decent amount of variety in food (sandwiches, bagged chips, chili, baked goods) as well as drinks (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, italian soda) and everyone in our group found something they liked. I have to recommend the orange creamsicle italian soda, although that may have just been a seasonal summer item, it was still delicious. We stayed for hours playing random board games we had never heard of and it was amazing! Definitely play Wavelength and Letter Jam, they were hilarious for our group and led to lots of laughs. Prices were very reasonable and we got our food fairly quickly. We really enjoyed this adorable board game cafe, the ambience was off the charts!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
I sent an email to ask some questions about their date night Fridays and I got responses pretty quickly! On Fridays, they offer a deal where you can pay $10 for two people that comes with free drinks as well as a BOGO deal on drinks and food as long as you play 2-player games. We got the ham and swiss panini, chicken bacon ranch panini, Italian soda, and Sugar Fog. I love that they let you choose up to 4 flavors for your Italian sodas so allows for fun combinations. The paninis were great for their price and flavorful! The drinks were wonderful too, we were big fans of the Sugar Fog.
The decor in the cafe is very chill and cozy. I love that on each table on the side we were at had a sticker on the edge of the table, added a cute touch. The games are organized very well and they even have a dedicated drawer for two player games. It's clear where to put your plates. They do have a bathroom with a code but there is a sign that says what the passcode is so you don't have to awkwardly ask for it. There is plenty of seating inside as well as big table spaces to play board games.
The service here is friendly and professional. Additionally, they are great at making your drinks quickly even when they get busy. They also do hold your card but there are plenty of ways to remind you to get your card back, which I appreciate as I am a very forgetful person. They also offer a stamp card and I love how cute it is. We look forward to coming back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Just a fabulous part of our neighborhood and community.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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