Evanston Games & Cafe
1707 Maple Ave, Evanston, IL
Crema's Take
“This hybrid games café and coffee shop in Evanston excels at creating a welcoming third space where you can nurse a solid espresso while browsing board games, card games, and D&D supplies—the owner Eli is genuinely knowledgeable and present, making it feel like a true community hub rather than a transactional spot. The vibe is quiet and contemplative during slower hours, making it perfect for laptop work or casual meetups, though it buzzes with energy during organized game nights and events. Fair warning: the game inventory prices run higher than online retailers, but the atmosphere and sense of supporting a passionate local owner often makes it worth the visit.”
What to expect
Classic coffee drinks done right. A slow-sit, laptop-friendly spot, good for meetings. Light food on the menu. Family friendly. Wifi.
Google Reviews
Came here excited to pick up some cards, but the prices were honestly ridiculous. Everything was marked way higher than other local shops and even well above online market value. I’m all for supporting local businesses, but the markup here makes it really hard to justify buying…
We really enjoyed the games and environment here! I took some kids on an adventure to a train ride and had some extra time around in the early afternoon. Out of curiosity we went into the quiet game cafe. It was conveniently right across from the Metra. It was a superb bonus to…
Great local game shop. The owner is there all the time and very knowledge and friendly. There are no organized games right now due to COVID bit typically this place is busy with board, card and D&D type game play. They sell all kinds of board and card games. During non-Covjd…
Really nice board game/card shop with schedule activities/events. The place also operate a small coffee shop. Stoped by to have a look and had a great conversation with Eli. He told me about the place and gave me an hour+ explanation of MTG (super interesting). Will definitely…
This is a coffee shop and a boardgame store. The espresso and food is pretty good, although the latter is mostly sandwiches and soup. There's a counter that you can sit and work at for a while, and if you want to try out any board games there is an extensive demo library in the…
Crema Reviews
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