AFK Tavern

Food and booze is always excellent, service can be slow especially during Friday/​Saturday night, but that’s because the place is always packed.

Used to come for geeks who drink trivia… They changed trivia formats and it sucks. It’s really boring and not worth dealing with the greasy food and slow service. The carpet is also disgusting and it matches the drapes. Glad we get to go somewhere else for trivia now.

Love the food and the drinks. They are cleverly named and delicious. The AFK would be an awesome place to be EXCEPT the bartenders are ALWAYS rude. I’m not a novice when it comes to drinks or beer, but they are the rudest people in the service industry that I have ever met. Learn how to be polite and pull the stick out of your ass.

AFK could be amazing, but falls far short. It’s all great ideas marred by poor execution.
Tl;DR: For the money, you’re better off at Café Mox.
If you want the details:
First the good:
The atmosphere: the décor is great. Thoughtful etails abound, like using game controllers and curtain ties, and the Hogwarts style «floating» candles in the main dining area. They have a variety of tables (and take reservations) so you can play anything from an intimate game of Magic: The Gathering, to a full group of D&D.
The booze: The drinks were good. Creatively named, well mixed and tasty. We had the Deadpools 4^th Wall, the Groot-​beer, and one whose name escapes me (something about Fire Ferrets, or the like). The beer selection was also solid.
They have a nicely put together game menu. Games are sorted first by time needed to play (20 minutes to 4+hours), then by number of players needed. They list what types of game it is (cards, board, etc) and rate each games difficulty and how funny it is. Lots of «greatest hits» type games (like Catan, Munchkin, Fluxx etc) plus others that were new to me, like «Redneck Life.»
The bad:
The staff seemed to range from the really friendly, like one server (I think his name was Alder) who was abundantly friendly, to the meh (like the server we had mostly) to the aloof (the hostess).
Went there last night (1÷9÷16), and didn’t even make it in the door without incident, as their parking lot was a sheet of ice. When we asked the hostess for bandaids, she walked my injured girlfriend back to the bathroom to wash out her scraped up hands, but then gave a handful of band-​aids to me. I’d give her a pass on the extra steps as the hostess appeared to be pregnant, but the staff did not appear concerned, let alone apologetic. «Oh that happens, we normally put down salt but we’re out right now, and the landlord normally does a good job about that but didn’t today.» From a liability standpoint had a serious injury occurred they would have been nailed. You’d think they’d at least say something like «we’re so sorry» and comp an appetizer or a drink for my girlfriend whose hands bled the whole time we were there.
The food had great names as well, and what should have been excellent flavor combinations, but the execution simply was not good. My roommate’s chicken burger was overcooked and rubbery. The wings I had, while bigger than most places, were not even fried, and instead of being a little cripsy were kinda slimy (think the slippery softness of like a greasy rotisserie chicken) and the sauces while intriguing (sriracha lime and a stout-​infused bbq) were bland and way too liberally applied. They should send their cook to Kings Hardware in Ballard for how to properly make wings.
Our server was decent. Nothing too bad, though there were mis-​steps, like thinking my girlfriend had ordered 2 drinks when my girlfriend was actually asking which drink was better, and having trouble remembering which wing sauces were available), but nothing special either.
The prices are about average to below average for Seattle area. 3 beers and 3 cocktails, an order of nachos, an order of sliders, a chicken burger and 12 wings, set us back around $ 95 after tip.

I really haven’t posted many reviews on Unilocal,but I need to just get this off my chest. I have been to AFK twice in the last couple months and both times been very unhappy with the service. The waitstaff has asked my table 10 times in an hour, «everything ok?». seriously? It was getting to the point that it was annoying, and I thought they were just messing with us. It was like the waiter had gone outside smoked a little something after every time he asked us and then came back to ask us again because he had forgotten he had asked. I understand that this place caters more to gaming than service, but why have waiters than. You could easily just have a set up like buzz inn and have people place their order at the front before they sit down. If you are going to have waiters, please, for the sanity of your customers, train them! Other than that, I like this establishment! kthnxbai!

Still the best place for the tech-​centric to unwind. Brought my laptop with me to get in a level or two of Marvel Heroes while monitoring a server in India.
Before I get started on the food – with any restaurant critique, some mention must be made about the service. Here is that mention: their service was great – props out to my servers Lindsey and the most excellent dude with the kilt (I believe his name tag said «Aldey»? or something to that effect). Okay, that’s enough mentioning… on with the food.
AFK’s menu has changed somewhat throughout the years but the concept and the delivery are still spot-​on. Their list of ales, meads, and other drinks was plentiful and filled with lots of variety and tongue-​in-​cheek names to go around: «Force Push», «Sorting Hat», «Nano-​Spirit Mist», and my personal Douglas Adams favorite, «Pan-​Galactic Gargle Blaster». Now I never drink alone – especially if I’m driving – so tonight I just had a Cherry Coke… which seemed to be very popular as three-​out-​of-​four tables around me (including yours truly) ordered this Kevin Matchstick beverage of choice. (Kevin Matchstick – Mage – Matt Wagner – Grackleflint – etc.) For my entrée I normally get the Orc Burger «Hold the Farm» style – but today, I decided to make a change (in more ways than just my dinner) so I ordered the aptly-​named steak: «The Slayer». What can I say? It slayed my hunger (having had only a cookie bar the whole day). That’s saying something since it was only an 8oz. blade cut. «The Slayer» (which isn’t even on their website’s menu at the time of this writing) was tender, juicy, and required no extra seasoning. This is my first steak at AFK and they make a better one than some steak houses I’ve visited. Granted, it’s not The Met – but neither is The Met any longer (props to John Howie, the reigning King of Steaks). Finally, if you’re looking for desert – OMG – their New York Cheesecake is to die for. This cheesecake had substance to it. Most cheesecakes you get at restaurants have the consistency of cream cheese – which is what most cheese cakes are made of – but this cheese cake had the consistency of ricotta. My taste buds were dancing with joy – and not some kind of ballroom dance – I’m talking the dance from the 2^nd Matrix movie. And while we’re on the subject of desert, order yourself some Skydottir Epic Cookies on your way out – these vegan-​friendly (yeah, just after I ordered a steak – LOL) chocolate cookies were truly epic. I actually got two orders to go: one for myself (which were gone before I even reached the door) and one for my wife.
So if you’re penchant is towards goblins, laser blasters, or just surfing the net 24−7…AFK from whatever you’re doing and get down to AFK.

The AFK Tavern is everything that it claims to be: «a community center for nerds, gamers, geeks, and internet socialites».
Over the years, some of the food offerings, drinks, events, and patrons have changed, but it’s still a fun place to gather.
On the downside, men’s bathroom is… sketchy…at best. Also the menus and loaner games could be cleaner.
Enjoy some Tots+2!

Food– 9
Drinks-​9
Service-​1
One point because it was fast, but everything else sucked. The server was so apathetic about us being there when we walked in, even with reservation. The weird overly blasé trying to hard to be casual with excessive f words and ‘joking’ insults was kind of weird. He said re**rded which made everyone uncomfortable. Won’t return, unfortunate because food was pretty good

Went for the first time for the Zelda night. Make reservations! We didn’t know and were really lucky to get a spot. The food was really good but service was slow because there didn’t seem to be enough staff and the kitchen was swamped. The waitress we had was really nice and helpful. We had our son with us and the wait was getting a bit too long for him so the waitress brought our food in to go containers with the check in one go so we could eat and get going to free up a spot and bring the sleepy kid home. That said we had a really good time and will certainly go back.

I truly used to love this place but I believe that a difference in management and staff has made it go down hill. Walked in one night right before 2 a.m. because they serve food till 3 a.m. and I expected to receive a greeting to my surprise even though there were cooks and servers standing around talking no one greeted me. After about 10 minutes I set myself and pick up my own menus and waited again still no one came to check. I was so hungry and so disappointed that I left and have been back since! Really hope this place one day returns to how great it was but don’t see any hope for that happening.

Bathroom review:
I remembered loving the bathroom here; especially the sink. I honestly came back here specifically for that.
What I didn’t remember, though, is how terribly disgusting the bathroom is. Disgusting.
There is writing all over the walls, which I understand being kind of a theme in there, and I can look past it, but it’s a little excessive. The mirror is all scratched up with writing and marker, as well as all of the stalls, doors, walls, and even ceiling. Lots of penises and video game references.
The smell was awful. Ventilation would be nice. It was noticeably bad.
The stall had toilet paper but no seat covers. It did have a hook in the backside of the door, though.
The sink is the best part. It’s a bowl/​basin style, set on top of a standalone counter, with a waterfall-​style faucet, which I love. The bowl is a frosted glass-​style in a nice shade of blue.
The paper towel dispenser is the pull-​down kind, which is fine, and the soap dispenser is the wall/​push kind. It had soap in it.
There is no garbage near the door/​exit, which requires me to either take the paper towel with me (to my seat?), or open the door, reach back into the bathroom around a wall, and toss it before the door closes. I did the latter.
Overall, it was not a pleasant experience, and I had higher hopes for it.
It felt like a video gamers bedroom/​bathroom in there, which they might have been going for, but it was not pleasant.

I should have written this review a while ago.
I’ve been coming to the tavern since the menu was in beta test. It’s a wonderful place, I’ve been happy with the food, and it’s been a good place to meet up with friends.
The only real objections I have is that it gets crowded fast, weekends can be a nightmare, and the service can get a bit slow at times. The layout of the location is also a problem.
Still, quite enjoy the place.

A divey, diner/​bar that’s focused on fun. The people I know that come here, come from far and wide. The food and drinks are priced well, they’re interesting, and for the most part they’re great.
I was disappointed with the tacos I ordered, they were flavorless, however the sever brought out some salsa when I complained, and it was wonderful, very fresh tasting, and with a good solid kick. The fries where great, with this skins still on them, as I like them.
I want to come back and checkout the waffles, and the waffled sandwiches, which is apparently a thing on the weekends.
Come here for the events and the games, there’s a large menu of games to check out. We came for a ‘Drunken Legos’ competition and actually won a game. Come in and Check out a game and play over drinks and you’ll have a great time.

I visited AFK Tavern on a Monday night, and it was very empty. On Mondays they have trivia night, so that was the prominent draw for most of the folks in the venue that evening. This is absolutely a place to gather and play board games with. If you’re looking to go in and out real quick for dinner, this is not the place for you. There is a huge list of games to be checked out and played at your table while you graze on food. I’d recommend checking out the happy hour menu. I love how everything on the menu is titled with the theme of the gaming place, and the music in the restaurant is sourced from video games. The food wasn’t great and was also slightly pricey for what it was, but I’d definitely come back for drinks and games.

AFK Tavern meets an interesting median between lounge/​bar/​restaurant/​hang out spot. They really cater to three needs of a location in order to fulfill that frothy D&D-esque experience of a tavern. Most of the staff are nice and somewhat professional, sometimes I’m not sure who’s who but if they come to ask what i’d like to eat I’m assuming they work there (what I’m getting at the staff don’t really wear anything of uniform).
I personally am a big time gamer, nerd is in my blood, i breath it, eat it, etc (i’m lame), and the AFK tavern makes a fantastic reach into this small dining niche. The menus are vast, the drinks are many. I have been there twice with my S. O and both times we had pretty decent experiences.
During our first time there we tried the mead (which was great by the way) and had an assortment of food. Only con i noticed on this trip was how long it took for things to happen, whether it was getting our food ordered, or waiting for the check, we spent more time waiting than eating/​drinking etc (we’re not very fast at either of those).
Second trip was a bit different of a experience, this time we got seated instantly, took a bit of time to get our food & drinks. Our beers are amazing (the white & nerdy is highly recommended) but my meal had hair in it. The waitress graciously removed the meal off the bill which was very nice of them.
Here’s the TLDR version: If you’re into being a nerd (you don’t have to be one to go there btw) the AFK tavern is just right. There are some improvements that could be worked on, such at dressing staff in more professional attire, food quality checks, and faster service. But if you don’t mind that stuff, get yo booty there and get wild.

Just ordered take out and 2 of our meals had burnt buns, tots & fries weren’t like they usually are. Just all in all not a good experience compared to how it used to be.

I’m not sure why this place gets so much hate! We had a blast yesterday. It’s a bar for board games, simple as that. They have hundreds of board games, hundreds of drink combos with shoutouts to things like Harry Potter, Skyrim, Warhammer etc. and bar food! It may not be the pinnacle of glamorous décor but they have good drinks, good games, and good service. The décor is a bunch of nerdy references that you’ll enjoy if you’re not overly prissy and looking for watercolors or whatever. Also our server, Tater (?) came up and read a deeply inappropriate hand from our Cards Against Humanity game and had us all almost in tears laughing — awesome dude! Keep up the good work.
Also, the tots were dank and happy hour is until 7!

AFK as a restaurant/​bar is something like an alternate reality, which is rather fitting because AFK so enthusiastically links itself to fantasy/​sci-​fi and role playing games and such. The alternate realities here are:
A. It’s normal and apparently fully accepted within the culture of the AFK for service to be slow, intermittent, and/​or a little daffy.
B) It’s normal and apparently fully accepted for your food order or drink order to hit a snag. (Example: my girlfriend recently ordered a drink and they couldn’t make it because, our server explained, they were «out of limes.» Remarkable.)
3. The menu and drink list will take a lot of time to figure out because the menu is printed in a font that looks like it was borrowed from a Black Sabbath record, and is nearly impossible to read in the very low light. Furthermore, the drinks are all named after scenes or characters or plot elements from Harry Potter or Battlestar Galactica or whatever and they are nowhere close to self-​explanatory. (Example: my favorite drink is called an «Order 66,» and it’s basically a car bomb style drink that tastes exactly like a root beer float. I think Order 66 was when they killed all the Jedi Knights toward the end of the Star Wars prequel, and I don’t remember root beer being involved in that.)
IV. Your food, even if delivered in a timely way, is going to be unhealthy. But you knew that when you ordered tater tots with crumbled bacon and nacho cheese on them.
Five) The décor here is outdated and atrocious but then again it’s intended to evoke a basement game room, so in that sense it’s actually kinda perfect.
My point is: if you come here expecting to eat entrée-​level junk food, drink strong drink, and focus on being in a community of geeks, nerds, game enthusiasts, wall flowers and compassionate people watchers, then the AFK totally nails it, and they do so without even the least bit of pretension or contrivance: their love for the culture they’re supporting is 100 000% genuine. And coming to the AFK is, thus, very very fun.
If you come here expecting a dining experience comparable to a sports pub or a Red Robin or whatever, remember: ALTERNATE REALITY.
I would suggest one thing, just as a safety precaution: the games that you can check out to play while you drink or dine have been through the hands of countless hundreds of people, and I would guess they have their own little ecosystems growing on them. Wash your hands before your food arrives, and use the hot water.

Came up from Seattle on a whim with friends. The floor is sticky, the food is expensive and the bartender didn’t know what an Old Fashioned was. Almost all the signature drinks are overloaded with sugar and taste like something you’d make yourself at a college house party. Several drinks on the menu were mislabeled with «sweet» or «savory» and came out from the bar VERY different. Our saving grace was the beer selection.
The menu is huge and confusing and several foods/​flavors are repeated throughout. The burgers are alright, but what the fuck is up with the deep fried ravioli stuffed with spicy Velveeta and served with thousand island dressing? Cheesy bread was ok, pretty standard budget chain restaurant food. We ended up saving the $$$ and going to the McDonald’s across the street for late night breakfast.
The «first come, first served» board and card games make sense… but then there’s no official waitlist or time limit? So then our whole party is limited to whatever’s left after the early crowd got to it first, and there’s no way short of bothering the piss out of the waitstaff every five minutes to make sure we can play the games we were interested in. Ok.
Whenever the DJ is away from the booth, the music selection is every hit from the 80s and 90s you never wanted to hear again, and has fuck all to do with video games. Saturday night and it’s a big empty ghost town. Jesus fuck me christ, there’s «experimental theme restaurant» and then there’s THIS place. Maybe everyone’s finally figured out that it’s not worth the money or the diabetes?

I needed to jump back in and review these guys again. The food has vastly improved. I still wouldn’t say it’s gourmet or anything but it is good and consistent now. Tater tots are always a win and the house salad is basic but really tasty. I have been in several times recently and everyone has had a really good meal — pasta, burgers, salads, etc. My only complaint is that they are consistently understaffed. The waitstaff is always pleasant and does the best job possible but they are running wild trying to cover all the tables. It can sometimes be hard to track someone down for refills etc. Otherwise, great job AFK. We are fans!
PS: try the lingonberry beer if it’s available