Let me start by saying that this review is more directed towards the guy that runs this place as opposed to any of the other employees that work their: they do a great job and the other times I've been there they were very kind and helpful. The owner, however, was nothing short of rude to my friend and I the moment we walked in--so this one star rating has to unfortunately be representative of the entire cafe. We sat down on the couches when we walked in and he said he had to move us since it's for bigger parties. Okay no problem--but he seats us next to a really loud and rowdy group of people! He could have sat us down in the other vacant tables, but he herded us in to this spot. He also came back with an empty glass and told me that I need to pour in my drink into the glass, and snapped at me that they make money off selling their drinks and food. I do understand that outside food is a huge no-no when patronizing a cafe or restaurant, so it is my mistake, but geez! If it bothered him so much I could have stepped out and finished my coffee. So I just said I'd buy something. I bought my friend a coffee and we played a game together; it was one that we picked on our way in and no one walked us through it or anything. Also, they don't bring waters over which is kind of annoying. Afterwards, he brings the bill over and it's something like $15. We asked why it was that high since we only ordered a coffee. He got super aggressive and said it's because we played games and that's what we pay for! Jeez, this guy should learn how to manage his emotions and learn how to explain things in a friendlier tone. I thought this place would be cool and chill, but he totally ruins it; never going here again. read more

I love love love this place! We need more cool hangout spots like Bonus Round in this city. Supported by crowd funding and offering a great alternative to a typical night out, Bonus Round is the perfect mix of coffee shop vibes and friendly group fun with games and delicious food/snacks to make for a perfect afternoon/evening with a friend(s) or hot date. Here's how it works, you pay a small free to chill and take advantage of their huge selection of multiplayer games. They have a nice menu for snacks, sandwiches, lots of delicious coffee options, and other beverages. Soon they'll be offering beer and wine as well. So grab a seat, let one of the nice folks working there help you pick out a game and teach you how to play while having refreshments brought to you! read more

This CAFE is an incredibly cool idea, and I wish it would have worked out.... When you enter and sit down you'll notice the plethora of games they have for you to play, which is awesome. You'll see on the menu that they have a fairly limited food section, and that to play the games it is $5/person You'll play some games for a while, get a few beers, and think to yourself, "This place is great!" ...until you have the pleasure of meeting two of the most heinously rude and depressing business owners you've ever met. After rudely shaking down our group to get more food and more drinks out of us after only being there for 2 hours, they were taken aback when we politely questioned their methods. Stating: "We aRE a REsTaURanT!!1! THIS IS HOW WE MAKE ARE MONEY! YOU CANT JUST EAT AT A RESTAURANT THEN SIT FOR THREE HOURS." Even though they have a GAMING FEE enabled, and every piece of marketing they had clearly stated CAFE, and made no other mention about being a restaurant or needing customers to buy 8+ drinks per hour to continue playing games. (Mind you we spent $50+ in food and drinks already.) I would also like to add that at a CAFE, you could probably buy stuff then sit for three hours... AND I WOULD ASSUME THE SAME FOR A GAMING CAFE WHERE SOME OF THE GAMES TAKE HOURS TO PLAY. The truth is, these owners are horrendously sad people that were rude to us every time we came in. Even with a thriving business they just can't shake the disgusting attitude. Go home. Let your other actually nice associates interact with the customers. They're much less vile. Great idea. Great Games. Horrendous human beings. read more

This is one of the coolest board games cafe in Chicago. Me and friend kinda stumbled upon it but had a great time here. Courtney-Drew and their staff did a great job in making us feel home... explaining us the game while serving awesome coffee! read more

Bonus Round Game Cafe - Santorini game - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We come here often for date night, and it's always a great way to spend a few hours. The cafe is bright and welcoming with an impressive library of games. Sometimes we ask for a game recommendation and other times we go for one of our favorites, like the Unlock series. They have a nice selection of rotating beers, and we can't pass up the key lime pie if they have it! Can't say enough great things about this place--I'm so glad Bonus Round is part of the Lakeview neighborhood. read more

Closed during posted hours (twice). Thanks for wasting my time dragging over there....

Excellent venue to play board games while enjoying some coffee and snacks. We held a pre-wedding gathering here for our friends. Drew (the owner) helped us set everything up and reserve a space in the cafe. The cafe has a large selection of games, from simple to complex, and the staff helped all our guests find something that they enjoyed. Overall a great place to spend an afternoon! read more

This review is about my second time here. The cafe itself, while very bright, is nice. There is an amazing amount of games and the majority of the gamer guides/servers are so nice and helpful. The cafe could have easily become our new weekly gaming hangout: delicious drinks, great location, and friendly & supportive of those like myself in the lgbtq community. However, as is stated at the top of the page, several times in my review, and in the name of the business; this place is a cafe. Why is that important to know? I showed up at 7pm, earlier than the rest of the group. I hadn't planned the night so while I knew there would be at least three of us playing, there could be as many as five as well. There were several open tables and no one was lining up to get in. At 7:25 the second member arrived and at 7:40 the third one did, he had been late due to an emergency situation. We ordered drinks and the other two ordered desserts to eat. The owner of the cafe came over and asked if we wanted game suggestions, we did and asked for complex/backstab styles. She gave us three very simple games with almost no replay value. The other server was much more helpful and seemed genuinely interested in us having a good time. At around 9:45 the owners partner/significant other came over and started complaining that we hadn't ordered any food and that being a restaurant of course we should to keep the lights on, of which far too many are on, it's very bright in there. He kept badgering us about playing for three hours and not being fair to them and after us asking for a minute to discuss we decided to grab our checks and leave. The owner brought over our checks and continued the rude discourse about our lack of orders. Look, if you were a restaurant we would have ordered food. Four sandwiches and eight coffee/six tea drinks falls in line with a cafe. There's no signs posted about keeping playing time down and ordering with each game. $5 for access to the gaming library and gaming guides is all that's stated. This coupled with the bad vibes we got from the owners treatment of us the previous week led us to end our patronage for good. Yelp yeilded two reviews with the same situation occurring, they gave three stars. Three strikes; you're out. Suggestions: maybe $5/2hrs and $3 each additional hour? Or $5 for the first game and $2 for each game after. Add more food items if you really want to be a restaurant. And don't call yourself a cafe if you don't want to be one. But above all else: stop being rude to customers. We're not trying to take advantage of you. Just make your intentions for the business known. read more

Very overpriced - they have a food/drink minimum on top of their game fee. The game fee gets added on to if you stay long. One of their waiters was very rude, especially during last call / regarding the restroom. Hours are incorrectly noted on their website (they close at 11pm, not midnight). Food service stops early, which makes it even harder to hit the minimum. Don't get the M&Ms unless you want to spend $7 for a small cup to try to reach your minimum. read more

Turns out I *really* shouldn't have procrastinated on taking my friend's advice this time. Bonus Round is (as promised) a fantastic place! We spent several hours last night playing games that were totally new to us. They have everything from your childhood favorites to the weirdest Spiel des Jahres winners. We didn't eat, but coffee, tea, and hot chocolate were piping hot and delicious. The owners were friendly and helpful without checking in too often. I can't wait to go back! PS: I love love love how welcoming the atmosphere is - from the gender neutral restrooms to the free period supplies to the posted anti-harassment policy to the game nights for ladies and gender non-conforming folks. Games are for everyone! read more

Love this place! Very queer friendly and great environment :) Good selection of games. Little overpriced.

Cool place with good coffee/beer/games selection. Loved the girl with the bangs who was so adorable and welcoming, but the guy (maybe the owner) kicked us out at 10:45 on a Saturday night (they closed at 12) because we had wrapped up playing games and hadn't ordered drinks in the last hour. We each had bought two drinks and the game pass..so at least $15 each. He was super rude about it. There were open tables and nobody was going to come in at the time to start playing on Halloween weekend. read more

Bonus Round Game Cafe is a DREAM. Not only do they have a LOT of games, but they are all well-maintained and the people working there are knowledgeable and can recommend games, teach you them, and help you set them up. It's basically like a game night where you have access to a huge collection of games and you don't have to do any of the tedious deciding what to play, deciphering of the rules, and teaching your friends. And of course there's drinks that get brought to you! My s/o and I come here regularly and they have plenty of 2 player games to keep us coming back, but we've also brought our friends and my parents and so far everyone LOVES it. I also have family in California who I've told about it and they've never wanted to come to Chicago more. Speaking of which, I don't have children but my family in CA do so I've asked and Bonus Round has games for kids and experience with setting them up to play as well. So it's fun for everyone! I could not recommend this place enough! read more

Bonus Round Game Cafe - During the 21st Amendment end of summer bash - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Really cool and unique spot run by passionate owners that will ensure you pick the right game and have a good time. Great value, interesting drinks and all the games u could want. read more

Bonus Round Game Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came here the first day they opened and was really impressed by the wide variety of games and super nice employees and cheap price. Today we came here again, just to find that they now have even MORE games now and they were still so nice and patient to recommend you good games and to guide you through the games. We loved it and highly recommend it. read more

Really glad to have a board game café open up nearby, with very clean and accommodating space, good selection of games, and best of all an amazing staff. One thing that really elevats bonus round to the next level is that they dedicate their staff members to actually helping you choose out games that would be suitable for your party, and instructing you on how to play as well. This is great for discovering new games, and with them around you not only feel at home, but you also get an incredibly high game density each time you come in. First time I stopped by we ended up learning 7 new games in 5 hours, and it was a good enough time that we came back 2 weeks later(learning 5 games in 5 hours this time...we played a few rounds of Dixit). They also offer small menu of drinks and sandwiches; drinks are pretty affordable and soon they'll have the liquor license as well, which should really make it fun times. Pricewise, you pay $7 to get a game pass for the day, which means you can stay for as long as you want. Given your game learning density with the staff teaching you, I think that's very reasonable. Hours fly by, and I've already made a huge list of games I want to buy after playing them here. One recommendation to the establishment, while that small fee is reasonable for if you plan on spending a day or half a day here, I don't know that there's a mechanism in place if you happened to be in the area and wanted to drop in for shorter periods of time. Say I had a group of 4 waiting on a 7pm dinner reservation but wanted to stop in at 5:30pm after work, we would be very hesitant to pay $28 to kill an hour playing board games. If, in addition to the all-day game pass, they also offered an hourly rate(say $10/table/hr, $2/person/hr, or maybe complimentary 1st gaming hr w/any purchase), that would make it much easier to stop in for short visits. read more

If you are looking for a game night with some friends, this is the place to be!! The staff is amazing and very helpful. My husband and I went to check it out, we were greeted by friendly staff who were more than eager to help us select some games based on our preferences and then even take the time to teach us how to play! They have a limited menu of drinks and food, but it is more about the game play. Overall this was a wonderful experience and we cant wait to go back! read more

I rarely write reviews, but this place is great. I came in earlier tonight with two friends to hang out and play a few games. Everyone is really kind and knowledgeable, and they suggested some great games for us. I love that they have booze but other options for those that don't drink. Great game selection. I also had a the turkey sandwich and it was really good. It's also awesome that they have an all gender restroom. We had a great time and will definitely be back! read more

Amazing! I have always felt uncomfortable in places where people gather to play games, but not here. The owners do a great job of making sure this is a space where everyone (especially those of us who feel excluded elsewhere) feels accepted and welcome: newbies, women, non-binary folk, etc etc etc. The food and drinks were also excellent (I had a hummus plate and a very well made cappuccino). I can't wait to return and try all the many games they have available. read more

The staff are super helpful with food/drink knowledge and game info! They're very friendly and can recommend a tasty drink in no time! I loooved the herbal rishi chai with turmurek and ginger. read more

What a cool idea! Great space, friendly staff, and just about every board and card game ever!!!

My husband and I stumbled upon what we thought was a board game store and realized after a brief convo with the staff that this was also a cafe where you could play games, eat, drink and be merry! What an awesome idea! The staff (owner, maybe) were very friendly and helpful! We will definitely be back (grilled cheese looked and smelled awesome) and let our family and friends know! read more

This place was awesome!! We were only in Chicago for two and a half days, but we found this place after visiting Wrigley Field and we loved it! Not only did we get a coffee (and beer for one of us), but we got a game with it too! And their cookies were bomb diggity! Try one. Super yummy and fresh (and soft). Yum!!!!! Loved it! read more

My family stumbled upon this place on Yelp while looking for a cafe (not a bar, as our kids are still in HS) with evening hours near the Annoyance Theatre. When we arrived, it looked pretty full and was super brightly lit, and we almost didn't go in, but we ended up snagging the last empty table for 4 (back near the counter) and had a great time. Bonus Round got a big thumbs-up from all four of us, and everyone around us looked very happily ensconced in various games. As a previous reviewer said, the $7pp game fee is currently waived. My youngest worried that this price is going to be too high--but for the service and selection, the rest of us thought that seemed fair, especially if that fee covers you for as along as you want to stay. And refreshment prices are very reasonable (for example, just $1 for a cup of tea). A really great selection of games, not just the old standbys. Most of them I hadn't heard of, which I found mildly intimidating at first, thinking this might be a spot only for hard-core gamers, but that's definitely not the case. My son saw one called Codenames that he'd played before with friends and brought it over to us. Like magic, our friendly and intelligent server appeared at our table, helped us set it up & and gave our group a concise, easy-to-follow explanation of the instructions, launching us easily into an evening that proceeded to speed by, and before we knew it, it was time to close out our bill. I really dislike brightly lit spaces in general, especially in the evening, but once we started playing the game, my aging eyes were grateful for the owners' lighting choices. Maybe not the ideal place to take a first date you've met via an online platform on which you've drastically photo-shopped your profile pic and underestimated your age/weight, but I'd heartily recommend it to pretty much anyone else. OK, except for maybe that one annoying friend who refuses to play board games of any kind. Note that they also have a few gift items (including at least a couple of locally made games) for sale. A staff person told us this place was four years in the making, and it shows--you can tell it was conceived as a labor of love. read more

This is our new favorite spot! The staff helped us pick an awesome game to try based on our preferences, and we can't wait to come back to play the other games in the same series. The food was great, too! They offer both veg and meat options (I had BBQ jackfruit sliders, and my husband had grilled cheese with buffalo chicken), a variety of snacks, plus fun sodas and beer/wine/cocktails. They're also doing a great job in terms of COVID safety. We'll definitely be back! read more

Ya'll! This place is the best! Super fun games, great warm and welcoming environment, awesome food and drink options (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). I highly recommend this place for a good time :) read more

We stopped in for the first time about a week ago and it definitely won't be our last time. The staff is very helpful and will help pick out games for you and your group and helped us get started so we didn' have to waste time reading the directions. Awesome place to have a few drinks and enjoys an endless amount of games. read more

We always have a great time at Bonus Round. The staff is very friendly and welcoming, and we love that they are knowledgeable of the games and give you guidance when starting a new one. Also, the food and beverage selection is great as well. Not to mention, they have a killer dirty chai latte! Highly recommend, as Bonus Round is a must when it comes to a killer hangout spot with friends or out of town guests. read more

One of my favorite places in Chicago! A super unique experience, a great place for people looking for something fun and new to do. The staff are super friendly and helpful, the food is delicious and they do a ton of fun events. Stop reading this review and just go there. Its the freakin best. read more

I love this place so much! The staff is beyond awesome, and super knowledgeable. We came with a good sized group, and they were able to recommend some great, fun games, and were able to teach us how to play really quickly. Really excited for our next visit. read more

I'm from out of town and was looking for a fun place to meet people but they have a rule here about not joining other people's games even if they consent. I was able to play 1 game, buy a beer and some snacks. After I finished my game they made me pay. Then when I saw some other people playing Spyfall I really wanted to join, they all seemed really friendly and wanted to play with me. When the employee came around I asked for another beer and she said "you can't mix with other groups, that's not what we do here." I apologized and said I'd leave after this round when she said "I already told you this rule." I felt really unwelcome and had to make an awkward leave after that. What kind of game store doesn't support meeting new people? And what kind of store doesn't welcome paying customers? She didn't have to be so condescending, I would've gladly left after my round but I guess that's just not enough here. read more

Had a great time here with a group of four! Nice game selection and the staff were really friendly and knowledgeable about the game options. Food and drink options were well priced and easy to manage while playing, too. If you're a board game nerd or looking to try out something new, this is an excellent choice for an afternoon!! read more

The couple who owns this place were so kind and provided great game recommendations and walked us through how to play each one. Typically game places are not very inclusive, but this was not the case here! Definitely recommend for date night or when you're looking to innocently go out with friends. read more

Great selection of games and a very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Nice venue for groups of friends or for families with kids (especially on Sunday afternoons during their "family time"). Game Pass is a bargain given so many games! Drinks range from coffee to beer and wine. Focused food menu; could use more vegetarian selections. read more

I have been coming here consistently since just after it opened, and come under a multitude of circumstances (solo, with my girlfriend, with a larger party, just getting tea to-go, etc), so I would consider myself somewhat of an expert on the in's and out's of this place. I cannot speak highly enough of this place. - The $5 per person table fee is ridiculously cheap considering the probable overhead of maintaining the 200+ board games they keep on a daily basis. - For that $5, you literally get a full-service experience. The staff will take your orders at the table, make recommendations for games to play based on your personal styles, and TEACH YOU THE GAMES IF YOU DO NOT KNOW THEM. I can't even imagine consistently remembering how to play so many different games! - The drinks and food are great, and pretty cheap for the quality. They have their own brand of coffee (Bonus Ground, hold for pun groans), and most of their alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are from local companies. On the weekends, they even have pie from Bang Bang Pie! - The staff are cognizant of the atmosphere in their establishment. You don't have to worry about large groups taking over the place and making it hard for you to enjoy your own game; the owners are quick to stop things from getting out of hand. - They also have a small retail section if you want to buy that game you just played and loved. If you plan on coming consistently, get the membership. It pays for itself if you visit 3 times in a month. The only customers who won't have a good time are the ones who aren't self-aware. While it has "Cafe" in the title (because of the kind of food/drinks they serve), it is closer to a restaurant because of the full-service nature of the business (how many coffee shops do you know that take & serve orders directly to your table?) So if you only order a single drink per person in 3 hours, you're probably going to be asked to leave like you would in a restaurant. If you consistently don't tip the waitstaff, they're going to notice and stop serving you. The $5 is a cover charge, not an all-inclusive fee. So when you read the negative reviews... that's probably the real story. Overall, there are so many reasons why this place has become my favorite spot in the city. Really cool idea, excellent execution, knowledgable staff, large selection of games, and a great atmosphere for playing. A++! read more

This place is a gem. A first of its kind (as far as I know) in Chicago, it's a great place to relax with friends and try out a good board game. They have a decent-sized collection and have some great guides who will be happy to provide recommendations. The people who work there have clearly put a lot of effort and love into creating a welcoming and inclusive space. The folks there are happy to tell you what games you might like and will even teach you how to play. In addition, there seems to be a focus on opening doors to people who might not usually find themselves in a place like this: if you're new to the hobby or haven't been welcomed elsewhere, this seems like a great place to be. read more

Had a great time here with some friends. Great selection of games, yummy coffee, and Drew was really helpful in suggesting and explaining some games to us (without being too pushy). Will definitely be back next time I'm in town! read more

Super fun!! The kids had school out on a Friday so we checked out this new game cafe in our neighborhood. Kurt helped the girls learn new games and was so nice and patient (with three 10 year olds;-) I had the most delicious vanilla latte Ive ever had and will probably come back for just that- Bye bye Starbucks! Light and bright interior for a day adventure but I bet evening date nights when they get their spirits in will be a go to spot for the hubs and I. A definite positive addition to Lakeview. read more

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My family and I had so much fun here! We had some time to kill before heading to a reservation, but honestly, we could have stayed much, much longer. We're not an experienced group of board game players and the staff was excellent at feeling out our mood and selecting great options we'd never heard of that we'd have fun with. What's really great about this place is that you don't have to waste time figuring out how to play the games, the staff teaches you how to play and you can always ask questions. The whole experience was very welcoming, chill, and fun. I will definitely be back for a friend's night out or a weekend date with my partner! read more

So much fun, employers really know the games, have great recommendations and explain the games to you and they serve alcohol. WIN