Stopped in on our way from Chicago to St. Louis. Home to a groovy gaming community, fabulous friendly baristas, and a PROGRESSIVE VIBE that we loved. Coffee was spot on. Highly recommend! ‍ read more

Found about this cool coffee shop and gaming cafe. It certainly is a place for caffeine and nerds and is one of the more unique places in Shorewood. Critical Grind is certainly a great place if you like board and card games. Has crap tons to choose from including some most people have never heard about before coming here. The drinks and food aren't the main attraction but these are good mostly. Came here the first time and we just wanted to look around. It's got a counter to order at and a few tables in front. The back is where it's at as far as fun and games. A crap ton of board games are piled up basically. Has so many games back here it's hard to pick just one. The drinks and food are easier choices thankfully. It's about $5 to get a latte. There's some non dairy milk choices including oat. It's about $6 for avocado toast, of which there's a few choices. The Hummzza comes with balsamic glaze, basils, and tomatoes. Great place with lots of fun. It's located in the plaza next to the sports cards store. There's often events going on here so check the website. read more

Critical Grind - Latte And The Hummzza Avocado Toast - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Shorewood, Illinois

A gem in the southwest suburbs. Excellent, extensive, and ever-growing game library, great coffee, and very inclusive environment. Highly recommended. read more

Roll for Vibe Check. That's a Nat 20! Driving back home after a wedding up in the Chicago area, Emily and I were needing some caffeine to stay awake after a night of partying with the newlyweds and wedding party. We pulled up local coffee places relative to where we were and randomly decided on Critical Grind since it wasn't far from our location on the interstate. As we pulled up and parked, I knew we picked a good place due to being a Board Game Cafe. The barista was really friendly as we spent time looking at the menu and I spent time looking at all the Magic the Gathering product and all the various other little things they sold up at the counter. I got my usual iced americano and Emily got her a chai tea latte. We also snagged some stickers and I got myself a pin and a little Dragon Ball Z mystery tin. As we ordered, the barista gave us a rundown of the place and said there were either 400 or 1400+ board games available around the corner. Emily and I went to scope it out while our drinks were being made. We spent a solid 10 minutes looking over the selection of board games they offered to let you play. As we headed back front, our coffees were done. We spent a few more minutes checking out the other side of the cafe/store as it was another large area to play Magic, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and whatever else you need large tables for. I told my friends about this place after the fact. It would've been perfect for our needs when we used to crash a Panera to play some games of Commander. Sure, there are places to play Magic proper in the Peoria area but this place had the vibe for my group of friends. I think it's cause they serve coffee, too, but I could be bias towards caffeine. After I made my separate purchase of little trinkets, we took our coffees and got back on the road as we were anxious to be home. I noticed my americano was light on color so I knew it would be light on bitter. It definitely left ya wanting that punch to the tastebuds but was otherwise had a nice flavor profile. Emily really loved her chai tea latte and said it was closer to what she wanted versus the one she got at the hotel coffeeshop (which I didn't review but was really cool). Emily and I both really liked the vibe of this place and during the drive home said it would be worth it drive back up to Shorewood to hang out here on some random day off and explore the city. So, I totally expect to be back up here before too long for some 1v1 games with Emily and coffee coursing through our veins. Stay nerdy, everyone! It's a fun time! read more

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Very cool coffee house/game space. I am personally not an RPG player (yet!), but I appreciate and applaud the individuality of this spot. I feel welcomed, even when I just have a beverage and journal at a very large table. They have a TON of events. My first visit was to visit a crafty pop-up event. This is just a fun space. I haven't tried too many different food/beverage items, but what I've had was fresh and made with care. Hidden gem for sure! read more

This is a coffee shop, but oh so much more! They have many board games that you can play in-house (& they sell games too), as well as gaming events like DnD and Trivia Night. The menu consists of a variety of coffee drinks as well as smoothies and refreshers for us philistines who don't partake. I had the strawberry açai refresher, which lived up to its name and was neither too sweet nor too tart, and my companion had a dark chocolate mocha with hazelnut syrup. The food options consist mostly of various iterations of toast (good idea as it's handheld, not too messy and you can eat while playing a game!) He got toast with avocado, tomato and balsamic (the tomato is in chunky slices; maybe smaller pieces would work better?), and I "rolled for toast" and made a version of the Dracarys: hummus, buffalo sauce, everything bagel seasoning. For dessert we got the Chocolate Delight toast topped with Nutella and strawberries. Staff were friendly and made sure everyone was aware of the game that would be happening that evening. This was a great place for a first date because you have the automatic ice breaker in the games. (Plus you can learn more about your companion: do you collaborate well together? Are they a sore loser? Do they read the instructions or just try to jump in? Etc.) Would definitely return and bring all my friends! read more

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What a find! Our family stumbled upon this venue while waiting for an appointment at Queen Nails. My wife and I had a hankering for caffeinated beverages and my kids were hungry. We walked into this welcoming venue to find comfortable seating, a small cafe, and myriad board games and tables. A few minutes after ordering we were playing chess and the owner, Dana, brought our drinks and snacks (large blueberry muffin and toasted everything bagel with cream cheese). We tried the classic 70s game, Crossfire, and a newer magnet based game, KLASK, and even chose one of the many board, card, and turn based games stacked against the back wall. My son and I have since made this our weekend routine. We ease into our day by trying new games, getting a snack, and our choice of hot beverage. With themed gaming nights, birthday party options, and dungeon masters on staff, this place has your gaming needs covered. Want to play a board game whilst nibbling on avocado toast and sipping coffee? Look no further than Critical Grind: Board Game Cafe & Gaming Events! read more

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Amazing ambience and top tier service. Owner always makes us feel at home! Definitely my go to board game cafe.

This place is a 10/10 amazing. Large selection of games and their coffee is so good. Staff is so friendly.

coffee tasted strange almost like green tea. when i mentioned this i was basically told thats how its tastes

Amazing board game cafe. Excellent selection of games, good table space and lighting, and delicious options. The chocolate cherry mocha drink was great. Also have a good variety of toasts, both sweet and savory. Comfortable space for LGBTQ+ community. read more

This is a great little shop! Theirs drinks and toasts are delicious, and the kids love it, too! I had the hot chocolate and Sweet Elvis toast. My daughter loved her mango smoothie and grabbed a Pokémon mystery pack (and excitedly found two new cards not already in her collection). There is plenty of seating to either eat/drink, read, or play a board game in the back. They even have games for sale as well. There were a few groups playing different games when we arrived, it was not loud, which was nice. They seem to have many opportunities to go in and learn a game, or game with new people. The owner was also very nice and helpful when I didn't know what to chose to eat. We will definitely be back! read more

A great place with friendly staff there is always something going on and games to play.

Went in yesterday for the first time and really liked the place. We got a drink and bought a game. We'll definitely come back to sit down and play. :) read more

2 posted an young employee was forced to stand outside in a storm to promote the cafe. I was there on this night. She is the owners daughter and went out to watch the lightning. This place is lovely. If you love them like I do, please help them from outlier reviews. read more

Delicious drinks and food, options for a variety of health choices, and great choice of games! Employees are always friendly and efficient.

Multiple visits have confirmed this place is awesome. great coffee and treats combined with a huge selection of boards games makes Critical Grind my favorite for solo and family outings! The staff and owners are absolutely delightful and very helpful! read more

A great cup of coffee and a genuine desire to be an active and uplifting part of the community. My sister, stepdaughter and I had a great experience and look forward to next time. read more

Love this place. I came in because I love board games and at first didn't think of myself as much of a coffee person but their menu is great! The staff are all wonderful and so nice too. The cafe runs tons of different events which are fun to attend. Just overall a place I've come to love. read more

An excellent spot for adults and families alike. Every time I go they have more new games to choose from, the coffee and toasts are always good. Owners and workers have always been nothing but friendly and helpful. The subscription service is definitely worth it if you are an avid board gamer or just like to try something new, the basic package gives you a whole month rental of one game. Highly recommend, y'all are killing it! read more

Found this place on TikTok and decided to take my partner on a date here. They have old and current board games. We enjoyed ourself and the drinks they have. Definitely will be back and sharing with family and friends. read more

I have been a few times and had absolutely no complaints.The food and drinks were great and the owners are awesome people