Pawn And Pint: Board Game Café

Most of the time when I sit down to play a board game it is because I am babysitting. Usually the little kids I am watching cheat and usually I lose, so playing board games really isn’t my ideal way to spend time. Playing “Sorry” every once and awhile as a kid is the extent of my experience. Recently, I went to Pawns and Pints to spend my Sunday afternoon playing board games.

Pawns and Pints was a little out of the way for my taste. For the most part, I stay within a 15-minute radius of my house, so driving 25 minutes down Southwest Boulevard wasn’t an ideal way to spend my time.

From the logo of chess pieces on the front to the full-size knight in the window, the outside of Pawns and Pints when I arrived was really cute. When I walked in, I was met with a little less aesthetic. Some walls were clad with hundred of board games and strange artwork and some were almost completely bare. To the left of the door was a concession stand like a set-up filled with candy and chips. The room wasn’t very full. Just a couple of groups in separate corners of the room playing their respective games.

I was met at the door by the owner, who greeted me with a smile. He explained to me that it was $5 and I would play whatever I wanted for as long as I wanted. I could tell that he was really excited about his business and it distracted me from the awkwardness of the other people there.

We found a table and picked out “The Game of Life”, stuck between two different versions of “Battleship”. There was a menu for a KC Pizza on the table, but I wasn’t super clear what that was for. I didn’t realize until we were leaving that you could order and they would deliver there. I probably should have asked more questions, but I was so uncomfortable with the situation that I didn’t want to ask.

After setting up the game and several attempts to get the spinner to actually work, we began playing. Sitting there doing nothing, but playing a board was really pleasant. Usually, I feel too busy to take the time to sit for an hour and play a game, so I like the idea of going to a location where that is all you do with no distractions.

Pawns and Pints, overall, though, fell short of my expectations. Going on Sunday afternoon might not have been the preferable time because it there were only about 15 other people there and it was uncomfortable sitting in a strange room with random people. I do not think I will be returning to Pawns and Pints soon. Though the customer service was great, the awkward atmosphere and location don’t make it one of the places I would like to spend another Sunday afternoon.

To view more notable spots in the Southwest Boulevard area, check out this guide: