Game Stores

Game Stores with Tables in the Portland, OR area

Just for fun, I'm listing non-pub/restaurant locations for playing in public.  Specifically on this page: Game Stores with in-store play space.

This site is not regularly updated for hours etc.  Please post comments for new info below and show up at your own risk.

You can also see (and add to) a map HERE

South East

Cloud Cap Games
cloudcapgames.com
1226 SE Lexington St (Sellwood)
Tues 11-7p
Wed 11-10p
Th, Fr, Sat 11-7
Sun 12-6p
The most lovely environment in town for a game store. It feels family friendly and like a great neighborhood shop. They have a wide mix of games for the cute size and a couple of tables in the side room to play on.  The least "gamer" and best smelling environment of all the stores.

Guardian Games
ggportland.com
345 SE Taylor 97214
Mon-Sat 10am-10pm
Sun 12pm-8pm
The biggest in town. They have a lot of traffic and host a lot of events. There is a 21+ place in the back that has beer (& wine & Sake?) They have small (semi?)-private rooms and a larger room upstairs for reserving.  They also host a Euro game day every other Sunday. 


Red Castle Games
redcastlegames.com
6406 SE Foster Rd
12-12 Everyday
I LOVE this place.  I don't want to sound biased, but the people who work there and own the place are just super sweet and that goes far in my book. The crowd playing doesn't always represent it, but they are also very female and LGBT friendly too.  Perhaps a little less Euro Game centric, they host regular Magic events and the 2 private back rooms are affordable, perfect for D&D or your Euro game that you don't want to host. 

Unplugged Games
unpluggedgamespdx.com
3606 SE Powell Blvd
M-Thurs 12-10
F 12-11
Sat 11-11
Sun 12-7

North East

Bridgetown Hobbies and Games
bthobbies.com
3350 NE Sandy Blvd 97232
Sun 12-6
Mon 10-6
Tues-Fri 10-8
Sat 10-6
The most old school game shop.  A large hobby section, a decent Euro section and other game stuffs.  Some tables to play and usually very mellow.  Nice guys here. 

Downtown

Time Vault Games
timevaultgames.com
1224 SW Broadway 97204
M-Sat 12-10
Sun 12-8

Southwest

Other World Games
otherworldsgames.com
6350 SW Capitol Hwy 97239
M-Thurs 12-8
Fri 12-11
Sat 11-8
Sun 11-5

West of City

Rainy Day Games
rainy-day-games.com
18105 SW Tualatin Valley Hwy - ALOHA, OR 97006
M-F 11-9
Sat 10-8
Sun 12-6
Nice Euro selection, play area with tables in the back.  EASY parking. 

East of City

Off The Charts Games
offthechartsgames.com
30 NW 2nd Street, Gresham 97030
Tue-Sat 10-7
Sun 12-5
Mon - Closed

South of City

Ancient Wonders
ancientwonders.net
19060 SW Boones Ferry Rd Tualatin
M-F 11-10
Sat 10-10
Sun 12-8

Epic Gaming
epicgamingpdx.com
17185 SE McLoughlin Blvd Ste E
Milwaukie, OR 97267
12-10 Everyday

North of City

Dice Age Games
diceagegames.com
5107 E Fourth Plain Blvd #105 Vancouver, WA 98661
M-Thurs 12-9
F-Sat 12-11
Sun 12-4

On the list....!

Places to go -

Hophouse
Moon & 6pence
Tug Boat Brewing
Torta-landia
Sellwood Pub

(the below have been visited, but not detailed on their own pages)
Muddy Rudder - Score ?? I haven't played games here, but it was suggested by the comment below.  I have been to the location and agree it would be a great place to try a game. Nice atmosphere and nice tables. A nice pub in an unexpected location.  Full bar, I haven't tried their food.

Hopworks - Score - 7 Great Happy Hour and decent food, Not great for camping out. Too crowded for gaming during busy hours.

My Father's Place - Score 9. High score is based on the Wednesday night gatherings.  I haven't been on other nights.  Tables are mostly small, the lighting is darker and the food isn't amazing.  Also, if you are precious about keeping your game clean, don't play it here. This does still get a 9 score though, because they are super game friendly and the Wednesday night group is large, welcoming and has a large pile of their own games so you will find something and someone to play with whether you bring your own or not!  Crowd tends to be mid-20's, with some 30's. Bar atmosphere with some food.  Large (50+? people) turnout on Wednesday nights: https://www.facebook.com/dicedrinks


Where else?

Mash Tun - NE

Mash Tun

2204 NE Alberta (actual entrance is on 22nd, just South of Alberta)

Mash Tun is one of my favorite locations so far.  The only thing holding it back from being perfect is that it got crowded quickly on the Tuesday night we went.  We only stayed for a couple of hours, because people were waiting for tables by 7-8-ish.  We quickly realized that it was likely because they have a special on Tuesdays all day: $2.50 pints and $8.50 pitchers.  I'm interested to go back on another night.

They also have Happy Hour M-F 4-6 & Sun-Thurs 11-12. ($1 off house beer and well drinks)

General Atmosphere:

8 - It was full by 8pm on the Tuesday we visited, so ask your server before playing. Or I'd suggest playing games that are smaller and only encompass the time and space that it would take to consume your regular purchased items.  The overall feel is Portland upscale pub.  Upscale pub.... meaning exactly that - upscale for a pub.  So t-shirts and cargo shorts or whatever are fine, the decor, patrons and staff just seem to be a little more purposefully put together than a place like Lucky Lab.

Lighting:

9 - Well lit,  but not too bright. We sat by the front window, which could be better than the interior. There is also an interior skylight and high ceilings which add some great natural lighting.

Tables:

8 - Smooth laminate tops in varying sizes. Some are tall round bar style tables. Mostly sized for 4 people.  

Food:

8 - Food is classic pub style grub with the strange addition of pita pizzas. Veg/vegan are well marked. The Tempeh Things are just deep fried tempeh with sauce, nothing special, but tempeh! We didn't get a chance to try much more since we'd all had later lunches, but what we did have suggested that the burgers and sandwiches and salads would be really good.

Drinks:

9 - Full bar with focus on their own and other beer. Tuesday is cheap beer day!

Meeple score:

8 - The servers are nice, and games don't seem like a problem, but it was too busy to camp out.  Certainly worth a revisit from us on another night, or just going to play some cards.

Hours - Mo-Thurs 12pm-12am,  Sat 12pm-1am,  Sun 10am-12am

Game nights held as of this post - None that we are aware of right now

Mellow Mushroom - NW

CLOSED (see comment below) - Mellow Mushroom

1411 NW Flanders St

This is a chain that's somewhat new to Portland.  A pizza place with large menu and casual environment.  It's bustling, but mellow and cheap beer on Mondays!

General Atmosphere:

8 - It can get crowded, so ask your server about playing first.... ALWAYS ask your server before playing anywhere that you aren't a regular.  The place is open, modern pizza parlor style. It closes at 10pm, which can be early for gaming and drinking.

Lighting:

8 - Well lit,  but not too bright. 

Tables:

6 - Smooth laminate tops in varying sizes. Mostly size for 4 people.  With the pizza platforms, large menus and other stuff on the tables, it can be hard to play larger games.

Food:

8/9 (quality/options) - Food is high-end pizza parlor fare. There is a wide variety for all eating preferences. Gluten free and veg are well marked.

Drinks:

8 - Full bar with focus on beer. Cheap deals on Mondays all day.

Meeple score:

7 - The servers are nice, and games don't seem like a problem, but it doesn't scream "games" here.

Hours - Su-Thurs 11am-10pm,  Fri-Sat 11-11

Game nights held as of this post - None that we are aware of right now

Sorry I didn't get any photos of the restaurant interior!

Night Light - SE

Night Light

2100 SE Clinton

This is a bar, with food, dark lighting... but a pile of games at the door, so what is there to do, but play something!

General Atmosphere:

6 - For gaming, it is a little strange... maybe.  It feels like a bar with patrons in their 20's mostly.  At about 9 or 10pm the bar became pretty full, even on a weekday and a wild pack of loud-talkers sat next to us and took over all hope of hearing anything at our own table.  The location does have a pile of games, and you'll see people bust out the "Connect 4" etc, but it is hard to get over the party vibe here.  The music is also loud.

Lighting:

5 - Dark inside. Nice covered patio and sidewalk tables, where people smoke.

Tables:

6 - Indoor tables are smooth sealed wood, and well cleaned in varying sizes and even heights.  A handful of large booths that are fantastic for playing if you can grab one.  Outdoor tables are all the black metal grate type top and not great for gaming.

Food:

7/7 (quality/options) - Food is a bit above average bar food. Items range from Short ribs and mac and cheese to kale salad and falafel.  Vegan and veggie item options are clearly marked and include a jasmine rice vegetable stir fry and mezza platter that strangely comes with bread instead of pita. Avg price $8

Drinks:

8 - Full bar with some interesting cocktail specials. 

Meeple score:

7 - Although there is a pile of games at the door, and the servers are nice, it didn't seem like games really fit in here.

Hours - M-F 2pm-2:30am, SA-SUN 10am-2:30am.

Game nights held as of this post - None that we are aware of right now

Bushwacker Cider - SE

Bushwacker Cider

1212 D SE Powell

Cider is one of our favorite go-to drinks when pub playing... so Bushwackers was an obvious choice to hit up.  The atmosphere is very casual, almost cafe style, with just a few square tables inside, and a similar number out.

General Atmosphere:

8 - Friendly, garage door pub. It felt a little sporty/college the night we went with an average estimated age of 20-30 it seemed.

Lighting:

7 - A little dark inside.  Large rollup door helps during daylight.

Tables:

6 - Indoor tables are smooth sealed wood, and well cleaned.  Seating is mostly at small tables for 2-4. We barely fit a single table playing with 3. Tables can be combined, but it would be rude to take the real estate from other clients if they need it.   Outdoor tables are the small black grate-top type and not good for playing much except possibly cards.

Food:

7/6 (quality/options) - Food is a strange, but interesting subject here.  They have only a few little snack type items here, hummus and bread, chips, and some others.  BUT, you are welcome to bring your own in, and we had a great meal delivered from the German place next door. We just called them up and they brought in on plates over to us and they returned later to pick up the dishes.  It was easy and the food was great!  A vegan seasonal plate is always available that is better than any food I ate while in germany. There is also a Subway in the same shopping center. 

Drinks:

8 - Cider mostly, with a few other offerings (no cocktails).  Flights, tap, and bottles are all available for cider.  

Meeple score:

9 - The servers are friendly and welcoming to gamers. Counter service only.

Hours - open noon - 11pm sun - thurs.  Fri & Sat, 12-12.  

Game nights held as of this post - None that we are aware of right now

Photo borrowed from Yelp

The Side Door - SE

The Side Door

425 SE Washington

The Side Door is my new favorite place to play.  We happened to go on a Monday when a few others  gathered for a regular monday night event.  The servers where awesome, and it just gives off that great neighborhood bar/pub vibe in general.

General Atmosphere:

9 - Friendly neighborhood bar/cafe feel.  Music selection was great and not so loud that it was hard to hear each other while playing.  Smaller space, but with a tall ceiling, it feels open.  Picnic tables out front.

Lighting:

8 - A little dark inside with a bit of a glare from some lights.  Large windows help during daylight.

Tables:

9 - Most tables are laminate and smooth, well cleaned.  Seating is mostly 4 with some booths and tall tables.  Outdoor picnic tables seem to be smoker domain, and not the best surface for playing.

Food:

7/6 (quality/options) - Food consists of salads, sandwiches, etc and soup/other specials.  Nothing to write home about, but clean and fair priced. Unsure of vegan options.

Drinks:

8 - Full bar and coffee bar. 

Meeple score:

9 - The servers are friendly and welcoming to gamers. Table and counter service.

Hours - open 7am-12am m-sa.  11am-12am sun.  

Game nights held as of this post - Mondays? Click Here

Photos borrowed from Yelp