The world has never before seen a place like the Mox Boardinghouse. Gamers and roleplayers alike flock to its doors for anything from all-day Magic: The Gathering tournaments to a spontaneous round of Cards Against Humanity or Ticket to Ride.
Located on Bel-Red Road halfway between Crossroads and downtown Bellevue, it contains a treasure trove of board games, card games and miniatures, housing both a tournament room, and—here’s the kicker—restaurant, complete with a full menu and an impressive selection of beers and ciders on tap.
The store itself is impressive. Board and card games line the walls and center displays. Settlers of Catan is displayed near the front, including a nifty plastic board to set your land and ocean tiles in.
The amount of board games and card games I’d never before heard of before was staggering. My curiosity was piqued at each new display I passed. To the left behind the counter are shelves containing over a hundred different board and card games, up for grabs to play in any part of the store or the restaurant.
Behind the main room is several smaller connecting rooms, the miniatures room the trading card room, and the large tournament room in the very back. Several tables equipped with buildings and terrain fill the miniatures room, boxed models and paint sets for sale against the walls. The tournament room is often filled with people painting miniatures and playing Magic: The Gathering.
Back inside the main room and through the large archway is the connected restaurant. There is a full bar that holds an espresso machine, a row of taps and a line of barstools for counter seating. The ceilings are high and the room is decorated with roaring 20s and Art Deco sensibilities. The arched ceiling trim and simple chrome bar design leave a retro feel, accentuated by the row of lit glass display boxes which hold iconic antiques like ray-gun props and old-style microphones.
All the booths and tables are set up to accommodate anywhere from a two or four-person party, to an eight-person party, making communal game-playing and chatting part of the unique dining experience. Small “Looking For Players” signs can be placed on the tables.
The menu is equally as impressive, offering anything from gourmet burgers to full salads. The appetizers menu has the perfect selection of snack foods for hungry gamers, like salt-and-pepper popcorn and bacon-wrapped pineapple. Carmelized onion smothered cheesesteak and peppered fried chicken are on the entree menu right next to their peanut butter and jelly. Besides this, and their page-long selection of drafts, cider, wine and non-alcoholic drinks, are their desserts (which are all tantalizing) and a full coffee menu.
The Mox is a welcome relief for those who desire unique dining experiences and a place to share in their gaming hobbies. From the employees to the games and the food, the Mox is a great place to spend a fun evening, and by the end, you’ll already be planning your next trip.