If you like video games, anime, and other nerdy hobbies like me, then you’re probably interested in experiencing those things as much as you can. Well, did you know there are various restaurants and bars throughout the United States that have specific themes just for you? Check out my list of 10 geeky restaurants and bars you can visit in the United States.
As I was doing my research for this post, I noticed there were some restaurants and bars that fit this list but unfortunately seem to be permanently closed now. However, I’m sure there are others around, and maybe I’ll write up another list to give you more.
I’ll also eventually publish a post on geeky restaurants around the world for those of you who aren’t located in the US or just like to travel a lot.
The Hobbit Cafe
Location: Houston, Texas
This cafe is Lord of the Rings-themed, with memorabilia scattered everywhere. All its menu items have names fitting the theme, like Treebeard’s guacamole salad and the fellowship platter.
It’s been open since 1972, when it originally was all vegetarian, but has since branched out and offers an array of various foods. According to their website, they’ve had several famous visitors, like Jack Nicholson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Woody Harrelson.
Space Aliens Grill and Bar
Location:
- Albertville, Minnesota
- Bismarck, North Dakota
- Fargo, North Dakota
As you can probably guess from the name, these bars and grills are space- and alien-themed. The menu also uses its theme when naming the food, such as Martian munchies and the alien apple crisp.
They also have a game room with various arcade games, including skee-ball, claw machines, and a racing game. They’ll do parties and other group events.
Pints & Pixels
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
This business in Huntsville, Alabama, is a bar and arcade in one. According to their website, they have over 40 different vintage arcade games, pinball machines, and skee-ball. Some of their games include Mario Kart, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong. As for their pinball machines, they boast themes like Star Wars, Ghostbusters, and Star Trek.
They also offer various craft beers, wine, and an old-school soda fountain, so you can enjoy a drink while playing some arcade games. They’ll do private events too.
Medieval Times
Location:
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Buena Park, California
- Chicago, Illinois
- Dallas, Texas
- Lyndhurst, New Jersey
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Orlando, Florida
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
This particular place is probably the most likely one for you to have heard of. It’s a medieval-themed restaurant where actors perform a jousting tournament. There’s a queen, knights on horses, squires, and a royal falconer.
The place looks like a castle, and you’ll be given a crown, although it’s paper. You can’t expect them to give every patron a real crown, can you? You can check out the Hall of Arms, where you can look at medieval artifacts, including coats of arms and weapons. It’s a four-course meal, so come hungry.
Action Burger
Location: Brooklyn, New York
This is a sci-fi bar, comic book, and retro video game-themed restaurant. They have over 250 arcade games, including titles like Asteroids, Donkey Kong, Mortal Kombat, Pac-Man, and more. You can also play some retro video games, like Nintendo NES games, and some Xbox and Xbox 360 games.
They have two TVs where they’ll also play TV shows like Knight Rider, Twilight Zone, and Dr. Who, cartoons, anime, and various movies like Iron Man, Terminator, Star Wars, Mad Max, Blade, and more.
Coin-Op Game Room
Location:
- North Park, South Dakota
- Sacramento, California
- Gaslamp, South Dakota
- Temecula, California
- Chico, California
This is another arcade bar, with a couple of different locations. Like the other arcade bar I have on this list, Coin-Op is a bar where you can play arcade games. They have a variety of games to play, including pinball machines, skee-ball, racing, fighting, shooting, and various classics like Pac-Man and Tetris.
They offer various drinks like cocktails, wine, and beer, as well as some appetizers, wings, and pizza. Of course, with it being a bar, it’s only open to those who are 21 and up.
Nerdvana
Location:
- Rochester, New York
- Frisco, Texas
Nerdvana is a gaming-themed restaurant and bar. This one, though, offers video games and tabletop games. They have handcrafted cocktails, beer, wine, sake, spirits, and other non-alcoholic drinks from their food menu.
There’s a large list of different board games you can play, including Battleship, Candyland, Catan, Clue, and Chess. They also have board games for fans of various movies, shows, and anime, like games for Attack on Titan, the Legend of Korra, and Marvel.
Mox Boarding House
Location:
- Bellevue, WA
- Seattle, Washington
- Portland, Oregon
- Chandler, Arizona (coming soon)
Mox Boarding House is a full restaurant where you can eat and play tabletop games. They also have private rooms for groups to play in. They have various tabletop games, including Warhammer, Magic: The Gathering, and Dungeons and Dragons.
There are tournaments and other events, such as chances to learn how to play some games. They have a variety of foods, beer, wine, and other drinks. Mox Boarding House also has a shop where you can buy tabletop games, but the restaurants allow you to borrow their games as well.
Headshots Bar and Grill
Location: Wichita, Kansas
Headshots serves American-style pub food like sandwiches, burgers, and pizza. They have a full-service bar and over 1000 arcade games and 500+ board games available to play. They have a vast array of different games, from pinball and old arcade games to console games like those for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and 5, and others. You’re also allowed to bring your own games.
They have various events throughout the week, make reservations, and you can even buy a membership to the place that gives you several different perks.
Battle & Brew
Location: Sandy Springs, Georgia
Battle & Brew is a video game restaurant. They offer console gaming, tabletop and board gaming, PC gaming, and even virtual reality. They have tons of different games for you to play, including Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation. There’s a lot of different tabletop games available as well, like Connect 4, Battleship, Jenga, Cards Against Humanity, Monopoly, and more.
They run different events throughout the month, including Magic: The Gathering and geek trivia nights. They’ll also do private events and parties. And judging by the photos they have on the website, you can hang out in full cosplay there too.
Do you like to travel? Check out my posts on geeky places to visit while on vacation.
Have you ever been to any of these geeky restaurants and bars? Do you know of any others around the US?
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