Pieces Board Game Bar And Restaurant — Restaurant in St. Louis

My partner and I visited the new location for my birthday and I was absolutely delighted at how good the experience was!

We went for brunch on a Saturday around noon. We joined the waitlist through Yelp and were 4th in line. When we arrived we got a couple drinks from Antagonist Café (their Wentworth latte and Iced Thai were incredible), and we let the host at Pieces know we were there hanging out in Antagonist while we waited.

She came out a few minutes later to let us know we were welcome to wait at the Pieces bar and get started on food and games - apparently Antagonist and Pieces are owned by the same people, so we were welcome to bring our coffees in!

From the bar we ordered food, chose a game, finished our coffees, and were then seated at a table.

Game Selection: 5 Stars I was surprised at how recent some of the games are - we got to play Message from the Stars which just released last year, among many others new and old.

We also chose Kabuto Sumo: Sakura Slam, which was still in its packaging. A host offered to open it for us, and fetched a special upgraded wooden version of the 'ring' component which we had the pleasure of putting together ourselves.

Games Condition: 4 Stars Some games were in mint condition (the two stated previously), some were in 'good enough' condition (Cascadia), but some older ones were definitely in poor condition (5-Minute Marvel, Fox in the Forest).

Food: 5 Stars Their ultimate breakfast burrito had a really delectable variety of ingredients and was easily my favorite thing we had. Their fried rice, while delicious, lacked such variety. Later we had a double chocolate cookie (as good as a room-temp cookie gets), as well as the pretzel which was so big and warm and soft and lovely with the honey mustard and jalapeno queso.

Drinks: 4 Stars We only had the Birdsong and the Prairie Sour, both of which were much sweeter and a little smaller than we expected. Don't know about the rest of the drink menu, but these particular items were just 'good' for the price.

Hospitality: 5 Stars Every single host was an absolute delight to have around, from the one who invited us in to the bartender to blue-hair, who was a favorite for us. They were all so chill and kind. They made us feel comfortable and so welcome to just hang out and play games. Couldn't ask for a better hospitality team, not to mention they know their way around these games!

New Space: 5 Stars I cannot begin to describe how much of an upgrade this is over the last location. We rarely went to the old location because it was just so crowded and loud. The new place is spacious and its pairing with Antagonist Café is perfection. Free parking was super easy to secure around the corner.

Library fee is very affordable, but the food and drinks are typical 'restaurant & bar'-expensive. It was my birthday so we splurged hard, but I have...

Why is the food here so good? I ask because it absolutely does not have to be. I feel like for a successful board game restaurant/bar space, there are three main points. Good Game Selection Full Bar with fun drink options Excellent Food Every board game place I have ever been to has excelled at 2 out of 3 of those and the 3rd things is always... pretty meh. So my question is why do they have 800+ games, A full bar, AND the food is exceptional? I understand it, but I respect it.

I rarely give 5 stars across the board, but for Pieces its worth it. I visited the new space last night and it was such a great experience. All of the reasons I didn't enjoy the last venue in Soulard (tight spaces, hard to maneuver especially with large parties, noise level) have all been fixed by the new place by the brewery. Its a beautiful space. If it has been a while since you've visited there are subtle changes that they have made. Better organization of their massive game collection. Its all on one wall now so its easier to peruse (and so your butt isnt in someones face while they eat.) The 'flags' at the table to mark service are all 3D printed. Board game genre signage is all lasercut. Its the little things, yall. Three private game rooms, and a large reservable space for parties. The restaurant was full and it was not too loud. I don't know enough about interior design to know why this is a thing. Expanded menu and Drink Menu (Menu has gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options) Planned outdoor space (it was not open when I was there because it was like 30 degrees out)

If its been a while since you've visited, I highly recommend checking out...

Pieces is a lovely place to come to. They have an ordering system where you put a marker up for what you want, and they leave you to have fun the rest of the time. Their board game selection is vast and they have them sorted into different genres (strategy, party, two player, adult, etc) so it's easy to find something to play. All of their staff are knowledgeable with the games available and can teach you to play if you don't feel like reading the instructions.

However, for me, their main selling point is the food. They have a fun selection with all sorts of game references and puns for the dishes names. They also have alcohol if you wish to enjoy a Nuke-A-Cola or other fun beverage. But the best part of it is how they make sure you like your food. They won't bend over for people being rude, but if you have and issue and let them know, they will work with you to make sure you have a good time.

I have a weird allergy to the allum family. For those who don't want to look that up, I can't have onions, garlic, shallots, leaks, etc... The good news is if I have them, it doesn't result in anaphylaxis, so I don't have the possibility of dying. The bad news is the migraines they produce are severe enough to take me out for a day or so.

I let them know about my allergy, and they made sure the station was cleaned and sanitized and no cross contact happened. They even looked at the ingredients for the sauces they use and found what I ordered (hot and spicy noods (highly recommended)) had onions, so they made a sauce just for me. They insisted instead of me ordering something else.

Pieces is a fantastic place to come....