A foursome of friends sit in a booth on an early Friday evening, casting spells and summoning creatures from Magic: The Gathering in between sips.
Nearby, a couple shares first date smiles as they debate which of nearly 800 board games and card games to try. They’re surrounded by patrons playing Wingspan, Men at Work and Connect Four.
And in a private room known as “The Dungeon,” a group celebrating a birthday prepares to invest hours into Dungeons & Dragons. Their quest starts before the first die rolls.
It’s an odyssey of adventure and eats at The Green Dragon Inn, a medieval-themed board game bar and cafe located in downtown Akron. In an increasingly digital world, this tavern continues to enthrall local audiences, new and old, with the analog allure of timeless tabletop activities.
Playing games here is free, one of the bar’s selling points. Games cover a range of complexity, from Hungry Hungry Hippos and UNO to Cerebria: The Inside World, Gaia Project and Barrage.
There’s also a massive menu of cocktails, mocktails and coffee; shareables, sandwiches and sweets.
Come and be a ‘regular human being’ for a while
To get there, walk past Full Grip Games, its sister company located at the corner of East Market and North Summit streets, through the entrance under a black awning, past savory smells at Heera Indian Cuisine, up dimly-lit stairs and into an environment that general manager Riky Borroto hopes feels family friendly and accessible.
After all, this isn’t a typical bar.
“It’s a place that you can come and forget about everything that’s happening in the world and just be a regular human being with no judgment,” Borroto said. “And be in this peaceful, inclusive space and get lost in everything that we have here.”
Even in an increasingly digital world, board games continue to enthrall audiences new and old. Globally, the board and card game industry generated approximately $20 billion in 2024, according to Grand View Research, a U.S.-based market research and consulting company.
Borroto first joined the movement his senior year of high school — somebody gave him a locker filled with magic cards. Then he started playing Magic: The Gathering, which is how he met his wife, Kayla.
She and others like Alex Samuels helped curate everything on display, from the fire-breathing green dragon decorating a wall to a $5 shot with a foam that tastes like flan, a creamy and chilled dessert popular in Latin American culture.
Karaoke Night is the last Friday of each month.
Borroto’s favorite food item of the moment? The Other Cuban ($13) is a combination of garlic mojo pork, house-made chimichurri, gruyere and sweet plantains — inspired by his own eating habits.
“Yeah, I’m a fat guy that likes to eat,” he said, “so, like, I dabble in a lot of things.”
