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People who haven’t lived in the Pacific Northwest often puzzle (get it?) at how we make it through a long winter defined by dreary days and a seemingly endless deluge of rain. How could we possibly bear such depressing weather? What on earth could entertain us until springtime without losing our minds?
Well, friends, the honest answer is that bars and cafes help. Not just any bars—because sitting in a dive at the height of a Portland winter can be its own kind of depression—but gaming bars! The Rose City is bustling with places to get your game on, from cocktail spots to cafes and stores that range from family-friendly to serious basement dweller nerddom. Board games, role-playing, arcade, pinball and more can be found all over town, making for a perfect way to socialize through the winter doldrums.
Retro Game Bar
Maybe you want a fluorescent cocktail named after Dragon Ball Z or a Minecraft character to brighten those dark winter nights. Or maybe you want to scarf down tasty bowls of Japanese curry, plump yakisoba noodles, and crispy chicken wings all paying homage to the Nintendo universe. At Retro Game Bar (6720 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 971-271-8079, rgbpdx.com), you can do all of those things while surfing a wave of nostalgia as you indulge in a vast collection of video games stretching from the ‘70s through the early aughts. With the inside resembling a scene from the pixelated rainbow world of Super Mario, this Northeast Portland bar is a perfect date spot to embrace nerd culture. It even hosts retro pop culture trivia each week if you really want to level up.
Battle Grounds Gaming Cafe
You might be looking for more of a coffee shop vibe to pair with your gaming adventure, and Battle Grounds Gaming Cafe (3738 NE Sandy Blvd., 971-383-3775, battlegroundsgamingcafe.com) is exactly that. The Hollywood spot also happens to be a popular stop for both playing and purchasing board games, role-playing like Dungeons & Dragons, and no shortage of Magic: The Gathering and its many variants. It keeps its calendar packed with events ranging from weekly board game meetups, a sci-fi/fantasy book club, and even classes meant to help you sharpen your skills on the D&D battlefield. All of this is accompanied by a small but mighty menu of super-affordable baked goods and breakfast sandwiches to keep you fortified as you fight your opponents.
Mox Boarding House
A mere dice roll from Providence Park, Mox offers the comfort of an elevated, classy bar setting where you can game to your heart’s delight or just stop in for dinner and a cocktail. With two Seattle locations, the Portland outpost of Mox Boarding House (1938 W Burnside St., 503-506-0669, moxboardinghouse.com/portland) is a celebration of just about every kind of analog (i.e., tabletop or non-screen) game you can imagine. The décor is inspired by a Parisian-style cafe but with a decidedly American menu that features everything from juicy burgers, tacos, and mac and cheese to a selection of spendy cocktails and 24 taps, not to mention plenty of non-alcoholic options and coffee. If you’re looking to pull together some pals for a serious gaming session, Mox even has themed private rooms where you can fully immerse yourself.
Guardian Games
For serious gamers, Guardian Games (345 SE Taylor St., 503-238-4000, ggportland.com) is something of an institution. The expansive retail store includes basically every game or game-related piece of equipment you can think of, not to mention an impressive collection of puzzles and dice. But beyond being a fun place to shop, Guardian posts a packed event schedule pretty much every night of the week with more casual throwdowns and even opportunities to paint your D&D miniatures or Warhammer armies, along with hypercompetitive sessions for Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering and Disney Lorcana. It’s refreshing to see a place so dedicated to bringing people together for activities that don’t involve a screen, and Guardian is exactly that.
The Portland Game Store
For almost 10 years, The Portland Game Store (922 N Killingsworth St., 503-289-6373, theportlandgamestore.com) has been pulling in lovers of tabletop games with its no-frills approach that offers a mix of retail, events and refreshments. With its no-frills décor that resembles a ‘90s video store (and yes, it has a VHS rental library), this Killingsworth Street establishment is the kind of place that hits home with real-deal game aficionados. Whether you’re looking for the casualness of open play with a few adult bevvies, hardcore “Flesh and Blood throwdowns” or even looking to take a game home for your next game night, this is the spot to hit.
Quarterworld Arcade
Perhaps no other place in Portland is so much of a gamer’s paradise as Quarterworld Arcade (4811 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 503-548-2923, quarterworldarcade.com). If the head-spinning assortment of classic and modern pinball machines and arcade games aren’t enough to pull you in, this Hawthorne institution boasts a full bar with reasonably priced cocktails, an impressive draft beer selection, and an assortment of stoner-friendly bites like smash burgers, “Tetris tots,” chicken tendies, and even a fried PB&J if you really want to get in touch with your childhood self. Quarterworld also has some killer specials with just $2 admission (and occasional free nights!) and its famous Quarter Wednesdays when games only cost a quarter to play, not to mention all-ages hours during the weekend—take the whole family (or don’t).
