Tavern of Tales: Café & Bar

Philip Van Huul

2024-01

Pros:CleanAestheticCreative game board joint( probably the only one in Boston)Cons:Terrible serviceStaff don’t know their own menuUnseasoned expensive foodThe Deets:

We came with a group late for brunch, and aside from us in the entire joint, only 1 other couple in the far corner. There were three people in the front and it took 20 minutes to get our orders in and another 20 minutes for their staff to figure out they don’t actually serve some items.Latte came out with pitiful blob of foam, but the food came out looked beautiful. 
Perfect toast, perfect layers, but that was it. Flavor was lacking, and way too expensive for what it was I recommend going to Mike’s or Milkweed a block down for some proper food at actually affordable price.I wanted to be fair, so in all fairness, the lackluster service, the overly expensive unseasoned food really hit the nail in the coffin for us. I’m all for creative local businesses but I really don’t know how they have good reviews after this experience.

Bobo Antares

2023-06

Nov 8, 2022Back in Boston and heard they also have morning cafe and breakfast sandwich & pastry service. They are featuring George Howell coffee and hand poured! When we were there on a Tuesday morning few tables were already occupied by working professionals. Heard from the staffs that weekends are popular with local residents and students living nearby coming to study. Love the soft music and ambiance, friendly staff, high speed internet, great coffee and food! Have to come back for the bar service!******************This place totally changed my perception of board games. I've never liked playing board games other than Monopoly because I felt stupid with all the complicated rules. Their Game Master changed all that and I'm hooked! Their sandwiches and snacks were also above par and selection of drinks was excellent.The atmosphere is nice and cozy and the staffs are super friendly. Looking forward to our next visit.Wheelchair accessibility: Easy street access, wide corridors, handicapped restroom.

Victor Huang

2024-02

I usually come here to play Magic the Gathering on Saturday. They have an event called casual commanders where you can come and play with others. It’s usually pretty packed during these days which I like because it gives me a chance to play against others!They also sell packs and other items related to Magic.

Miranda Reed

2024-03

this place was pretty odd. we ordered two alcoholic drinks and both were over saturated and under spiked. my drink tasted like gatorade syrup while my date’s was overly bitter, neither of which had even a shot of vodka. we were also recommended a game by one of the staff but the instructions were so tattered that we couldn’t figure out how to play. most games had enough pieces to play all of the games, but some were lacking a lot of vital parts. overall, a cute place, but probably best for tabletop role play or large groups who already have a game to play

Hannah R.

2024-02

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Jamie DC

2023-12

I've made so many memories at this place! As a casual board/card game player myself, I've been very happy with the selection of games available, and if you want to bring your own thing, you can. I love the drinks here (my only feedback is to bring the boozy frappe back :') that stuff was delish) and the food makes for a perfect dinner + board game night combo with friends. 10/10 would recommend and will be back!

Purushartha Singh

2024-05

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Ava French

2022-06

Fantastic place to come play games. Staff is friendly and I’ve heard they run quite a few fun giveaways! Food selection is great and totally fair prices :)

Tyler Davis

2020-06

Delightful atmosphere and staff. I come here weekly with a group of writers and we all love the space. There's a ton of board games, game rooms, and it's got very "lofi beats to study to" music that is so much better than a loud bar. Good food and drinks too, though the fun speciality drinks are not worth getting more than once with their high-price tag. Great place, will definitely keep coming back.

Karuna Meena

2023-06

Loved the food here. This place is more for alcohol so food options are limited. Sandwiches were freshly made and delicious. We also had masala chai and enjoyed that too

Mindy Reiser

2023-12

After 12+ visits we sadly had a very unpleasant experience here. Were hustled out by rude waitstaff and told in increasingly gross ways that they had to have our table. We were playing a board game and they didn’t bother to tell us that we would be kicked out until after we had ordered and eaten food—and set up our game. Would have been nice to know up front! The waiter hassled us more and more aggressively after this. Unbelievably rude. We acknowledged politely that we would leave before our ‘time limit’ was up but that didn’t stop them from coming back to remind us every five minutes. They offered us a room we could pay for by the hour though!!! A better way to handle it as a business would have been to inform us up front there was a time limit, and offer the room for free. It’s a shame because on previous visits we’ve had very kind staff who engaged with us and talked to us about what we were playing. Really took an interest in us and made us feel welcome. After this really unpleasant experience it will be hard to return.

XP Hunter Lee

2022-06

I would highly recommended that anyone who wants to introduce their friends to table top gaming or just wants a new gaming experience check this place out. It’s situated in a very accessible area of Roxbury “Mission Hill” and is staffed with friendly and knowledgeable people who actually play the games they offer. The food and drinks are delicious and imaginative; they put BACON on almost anything! Not to mentions their discord community is lively and fun. I played through a D and D campaign entirely through their discord and it was still a great experience. (Pictured pin is tied to their discord D and D campaign 2020)

Elizabeth Ko

2023-11

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Sung Cho

2024-01

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John Roderick

2023-12

I used to really love this place. I played a fair share of DND here and also other games. The food used to be better but has declined. I recently had a sandwich there that was made with the end of the bread and also included paper inside of it.My biggest complaint is the service. Once when playing DND, I had ordered a plate of Nachos for the table which never arrived. While taking a break I went to the bar to remind them about the order and finally the nachos arrived. When the bill came, I was charged to two orders of nachos and when mentioning this to the server, he exclaimed "well how do I know you didn't eat two sets of nachos, I've seen people do this before". This rubbed me really wrong. Not only did they mess up the order, they accused me of lying and begrudgingly removed the second wrong order from my bill. I had to get my whole DND group to back me up that I didn't order two pairs of nachos. This was an unprofessional and embarrassing experience and I won't be back.

Erin Kelley

2023-09

We had a great time for a couples game night! We got one of the more private rooms to play. There’s plenty of games to choose from- some more advanced & others more easy to pick up on. We got to play a few different ones in our time there! The food was also great- an assortment of different tavern type eats. Plenty of unique, delicious cocktails too. A fun experience in the Boston area & unlike anywhere I’ve been. If you’re in the mood for a game night, head over!

BoxCity

2024-01

I was profiled for dining here alone. NOT POC or WOMEN FRIENDLY. Read the other reviews about uncomfortable racist experiences happening here and ask yourself if you want to support an owner who perpetuate this behavior in our community. I was profiled by the owner who personally came over and pressured me to get out. I had a new full drink on hand(!) , a running tab of food and drinks and wanted to ask about some additional food... there was no explanation for him wanting me to leave as ZERO customer had been coming at that point (I was like one of 4 when I showed up) and it was already pushing 9 pm, 60% of front of house was empty and unoccupied including the two spots next to me… I was given the comment/excuse that I was close to reaching my “time limit” a policy which is nowhere on the tables and was never mentioned when I entered. He said nothing to the two tables of Caucasian couples next to me who had been there long before I arrived. Unwelcoming racist vibes from a business owner who only cares about the bottom line from people who look a certain way.

Miguel Rodríguez García

2023-08

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Michael Nguy

2023-06

I've been here several times but totally forgot to write a review until now. I've gone to many board game cafes before, such as Knight Moves, but I like Tavern of Tales so much more.The location is super convenient and accessible by T, they have a large space, and best of all there are private rooms you can rent out for a small group of friends - at a very reasonable price!The staff are quite attentive and helpful, and they help make the experience here a great one - for both food and game recommendations. I was impressed with their food and drink selection- it's pretty expansive for a small establishment. Wish I took a photo of my drink the last time I was there, their lattes are great!I would highly recommend checking out their website to see what events they have going on, or making a room reservation there. Seems to be pretty popular and can get crowded if there's an event going on.

Alexander Nguyen

2023-09

I personally met with the owner and he was very hospitable. He took the time to cater to his customers as well as his staff. The food and the drinks came out relatively quickly (which tells me they took their time to cook it using fresh ingredients).The atmosphere was quite pleasant and time flew by. Overall I would come here again and I will be. 10/10 would recommend.

Derek Duong

2022-06

Imagine you just moved to Boston, you want a chill place to play chess, MTG, or D&D. Maybe you just wanna play board games. Or most likely you want a decadent drink with some decent food. Friendly staff, great food, and the owner usually works behind the counter so you know it's not a corporate shell, Tavern of Tales has all these and more. Go for the experiences and the drinks, stay for the people.

Franchi Majluf

2023-06

I hosted a birthday party here and it was amazing! The board game selection was on point, the drinks were incredible and the food wasn't bad at all (those pretzel bites are to die for). The waiters are super friendly and the price for the party package was totally reasonable. Our only conundrum was being given 4 tables for 25 people, it was crowded and not everyone had chairs but we managed. Overall a great experience and we'll totally be coming back!

Kevin Arias

2023-11

I visited this magical Tavern that is only a 5min walk from the Roxberry crossing T stop on the orange line. I went with some friends and had the best time here, the food was amazing! We ordered the pile of bullets (bacon wrapped tator tots), loaded nachos the pork sliders and the Angus cheeseburger sliders. Everything was very flavorful the nachos were wonderfully seasoned the bacon on the tots was nice and crispy , the beef sliders were very juicy and the pork sliders were my favorite. They had perfect texture and consistency I think it was the pickled onions and patriot pickles that made this slider one of the best pork sliders I've ever had. Also just wantd to add the food came out fast. If you're into alcoholic beverages I would highly recommend the arboretum cocktail, it has a flavor that I can only describe as s*xy. I'll let you find out for yourself. They also have games/board games for you and your friends to play at your table while you wait for your food or while you eat. If you and your friends don't want to be in the main seating area and want to have some privacy they also have small rooms/ office area you can rent out by the hour the the small fee of $35 per hour(for upto 6 people). I hope you all enjoy the Tavern of Tales as much as I did I'll definitely be coming back!

Jennifer Kao

2023-06

What a creative concept. Went here with friends for a joint bday celebration and we booked a soundproof private room. Perfect activity on a rainy day. We had so much fun trying new games and you can bring and play your own games too! Staff were so friendly and knowledgeable about games and recommended fun ones to try. Amazing service and vibes. The cafe was clean and had a great selection of games that were in new/great condition. Can’t wait to go back for another round of boardgames!

Jacob Bordage

2024-05

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Bridget Reagan

2023-08

This was a fantastic evening with 4 of my good friends! We played what we found in the room, Kites, Ten, and Wrong Party. They were all great! We especially loved the option to summon a server rather than have someone come in, and it was awesome to have access to play our own music and keep to ourselves. The drinks and food were good and timely. We'll definitely be back!Parking: There is a sufficient amount of street parking, free on weekends!Wheelchair accessibility: No steps to enter and ample bathroom space!

Huffenstein

2023-06

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Alyssa Brown

2023-06

A great place if you're into games and gaming. Did a game experience and it was phenomenal, food is delicious and the drinks are all super fun and amazing. Bartenders are incredible, always great to recommend or customize for what you are looking for (also have edible glitter for some of their drinks, so cool)! Tons of board games, card games, and games like D&D and MTG for those interested, just an overall fantastic spot.

Sijia Chi

2023-11

Fantastic place! I like the food and drinks here. Highly recommended

Mikey

2024-01

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