The 7 Nerdiest Bars And Cafes In America

Once upon a time, calling another kid a nerd or geek was one of the worst playground insults imaginable, as bad if not worse than calling someone a teacher's pet. Then the internet arrived, and with it came the need for people with the skills and temperament to build it. These turned out to be the exact traits that got geeky kids picked on at school: Vivid imaginations, an obsession with technical details, and a willingness to stick with complex puzzles for hours on end.

In the end, the nerds got their revenge, and today, everything nerdy and geeky, from board and video games to fantasy worlds, is cool. Role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, once the province of high school oddballs, are not only socially acceptable, but marketable. No longer relegated to their parents' basements, today's nerds have even opened bars and cafes where they can celebrate their hobbies while enjoying a meal washed down with a game-themed craft cocktail. So if you're curious to embrace your inner geek, here are some of the best watering holes to soak up geek culture — even if you're still wondering where the "any" key is.

Most craft breweries have a few board games on hand to give patrons something to do and entice them to stay around long enough to order a second round. But at the Tabletop Tap, the games aren't an afterthought, but the main attraction — you can choose from over 200 games, from classics such as Monopoly to modern favorites like Wingspan. And if you have a favorite game from home, you're welcome to bring it in to play.

While you're playing, you can choose from a wide variety of beverages, including 20 beers on tap, wine, cider, mead, cocktails, and a good assortment of non-alcoholic drinks. Food is limited to snacks like pub mix and hot, stretchy mozzarella sticks, so if you want anything more substantial, you'll have to bring it yourself (management has no problem with this). If board games are too sedate for you, you can also try your hand at Pac-Man and other vintage arcade games.

Just a short drive from Disneyland, the Requiem Café is another hot spot for fantasy lovers. Stepping into the café feels like dropping into a real-life anime movie, with a colorful, ornately decorated space that makes you forget you're in a rather ordinary Los Angeles suburb. Guests also easily forget they're not down the road at Disneyland: Requiem's website warns parents that their space isn't designed to be kid-friendly (a lot of the cool décor is breakable), so little ones must be accompanied by, and in full control of, their parents.

Requiem is more than just a cool-looking space, however. It's a haven for everything geeky, with regular cosplay events, Magic: The Gathering tournaments, and karaoke nights. If you're looking for a killer setting for a trivia night or gaming tournament, you can even rent the space out. While you're soaking in the geeky goodness, you can enjoy cocktails, extravagant coffee drinks such as a pistachio rose latte, and snacks ranging from heart-shaped waffles to onigiri (Japanese stuffed rice balls).

If you've always yearned for a place where you could enjoy a serious craft cocktail and a full meal while watching your favorite anime films or Twitch streams, Guild Hall should be your next destination. The owner, Spencer Cox, opened Guild Hall to satisfy his two passions of gaming and good food in one place. Guild Hall may look like a high-end gastropub (because it is), but don't be fooled — this is a place where you can let your inner nerd shine without apology.

To give you an idea of the vibe of the place, among its offerings are cocktail specials inspired by the video game Borderlands. The Face McShooty features bourbon, fruited walnut liqueur, Pimm's, and Grand Classico among other ingredients — it's not something you'd casually throw together at home. Meanwhile, food offerings include hearty pub fare like garlic fries and mac and cheese topped with tender braised brisket. And if you decide you've had enough video content for the day, you can enjoy one of over 200 board games available for guests' enjoyment.

Open since 1972, The Hobbit Café's theme is self-explanatory. The cozy eatery features hearty dishes such as orc poppers (jalapeño poppers) and dragon wings (spiced chicken wings), along with vegetarian entrées and generously sized burgers, including the one-pound Balrog Burger, hefty enough to satisfy even hobbit appetites. To drink, you can enjoy craft beer, cider, or if you really want to lean into the theme, mead.

The Hobbit Café isn't a spot for gaming. Rather, it's a place to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Tolkien's Middle Earth. The restaurant itself is located in a sprawling old house decorated with hobbit memorabilia, and the atmosphere is relaxed, probably too much so for Type A personalities. Don't expect your servers to get your food to you quickly, and don't be surprised to see them wearing elf ears, either. But this eccentric geekiness is exactly what longtime customers love about the Hobbit Cafe. "We like to go after Ren Fest, since high school, now most of us with spouses along," one customer told The Texas Signal Media Foundation. "If you go to Hobbit Cafe, no need to take your costumes and elf [ears] off. Instead of stares, people enjoy some extra ambiance from the outfits."

Not sure if you want to play an old game, find a new one, or maybe get something to eat before doing either of those things? If you're in the Pacific Northwest or Chandler, Arizona, Mox Boarding House lets you cover all these options in one place. Each location includes a well-stocked game store, a restaurant featuring pub food such as burgers and mac and cheese, and a library of games you can play while you eat. All this makes Mox Boarding House a fun place to explore and hang out for a few hours. 

The store at Mox offers curious gamers plenty to look at and think about. If you have a specific game in mind, you can save time by ordering it from them online and picking it up at the store. If you don't know what you want, you can test out a game or two from their library to see if they're right for you (you can play them on-site for free). Mox's full-service restaurants feature pub foods like burgers and sandwiches along with cocktails, beer, and cider. Each location also offers a full calendar of geeky events, such as model painting nights, board game nights, and tournaments for a wide range of popular games.

Imagine the warm and cozy English pub of your dreams, with friendly people and plentiful food and libations on demand. Now imagine that pub, but filled with tables full of happy gamers. This is what Emerald Tavern Games and Café aims to be for Austin's nerd community. Besides an extensive menu of hearty pub-style food (ranging from a full English breakfast to vegetarian options like black bean burgers) and a full bar featuring cocktails, beer, and cider, Emerald Tavern offers a wide assortment of games for sale or to rent (for $5/game) for on-site play. If you plan to play multiple games, a $10 day pass gets you unlimited game rentals. You can also bring your own games to play if you want.

The vibe is unapologetically nerdy, but inclusive. Families are welcome, and many of the games on offer are aimed at family play. Reviewers have praised its friendly staff and good-quality food. It's a popular spot and gets crowded quickly, so come early or plan ahead and make a reservation.

The name may be a bit on the nose for a spot just a few steps from MIT, as is the menu, set up to look like the periodic table of elements. But this cozy spot must be doing something right, with its menu of dependable favorites including burgers, quesadillas, and skewers, along with a full bar featuring local craft beers and classic cocktails. It's been a local favorite since 1991.

For many regulars, the food is the main draw. A reviewer at Cambridge Day called its veggie burger served with spicy aioli "infallible," saying, "It's a winner — my favorite in town, for that matter," while also praising the crispy roasted potatoes that accompany its burgers and other dishes. Apart from the restaurant's name and décor, there's no official geeky programming here — the Miracle of Science is a local hangout popular for date nights and weekend get-togethers. But given the location, most of the regulars you'll encounter will be serious nerds — everyone from MIT researchers and students to geeks from the local tech companies to artists and musicians. As some motivational speakers like to say, you're the average of the five people you hang out with the most. Spend enough time with the regulars at The Miracle of Science, and your nerd score is almost guaranteed to go up.