Women’s Game Venue Reviews
Paper Hero's Santa Monica
Rating: 5 Stars
Reasons for Recommendation:
Pros:
Ample Parking: Available both in front and back of the venue.
Spacious: Lots of room for playing games.
Snacks: Available on-site, with nearby snack places like boba shops and a liquor store.
Game Borrowing: Games available for borrowing.
Restrooms: Two large and very clean restrooms.
Respectful Crowd: The crowd tends to be more respectful.
Events: Comedy shows are held there.
Air Conditioning: AC is amazing.
Noise Level: Not too loud or overstimulating; the crowd generally maintains this atmosphere.
Inviting Space: Very open and welcoming environment.
Friendly Leadership: The leadership is nice and approachable.
Knowledgeable Staff: Brian, who runs the store at the counter, is very nice and well-versed in board games.
Cons:
Parking Meters: Need to refill the parking meter occasionally.
Parking: Can sometimes be a bit challenging despite ample space.
Santa Monica Paper Heroes is an excellent venue that provides a welcoming and inclusive environment for women, making it a top recommendation.
Sorry not sorry
Rating: 5 Stars
Reasons for Recommendation:
Pros:
Accessibility: Easy to walk to from the train.
Food Options: Medium good quality with options for everyone, including vegans.
LGBTQIA+ Friendly: Very queer-friendly, holding regular events.
Outdoor Area: Wide and nice outdoor area with loads of picnic tables.
Indoor Ambience: Quirky and cute indoor area.
Events: Drag queen bingo is hosted regularly and is very fun.
Ownership: Woman-owned business.
Game Borrowing: Games available for borrowing.
Restrooms: Very nice and well-kept, gender-neutral restrooms.
Respectful Crowd: The crowd tends to be more respectful.
Environment: The atmosphere is not overstimulating and matches the vibe of events or days without events.
Good Drinks: The drinks are good.
Cons:
Parking Challenges: Meter parking in front is sparse, so parking nearby may be far if there is a bigger event, but overall this isn't super challenging.
Indoor Tables: Indoor tables aren't as easy for games.
Air Conditioning: No AC in the summer.
Food Variety: The variety of food may not be for everyone as they have an assortment of dishes, some being too out there. When people buy those things they don't like, it can be a downside.
Geeky tea's Burbank
Rating: 5 Stars
Reasons for Recommendation:
Pros:
Cat Rescue: They rescue and foster cats, having a very clean cat rescue inside. The cats are super adorable to see.
Women Presence: Many women can be spotted inside.
Women Employees: Women work for them.
Support for Women-Owned Businesses: They support women-owned small businesses by offering small items made by female sellers in their venue.
Seating: They have ample seating available.
Ownership: Part-owned by a woman.
Food Flexibility: You can bring your own food with permission if you have allergies.
Snacks: They sell snacks on-site.
Game Borrowing: Lots of games available for borrowing.
Accessibility: The venue is located in the middle of a lot of things, making it more accessible for Board Game Babes group members.
Cons:
Parking: The new location doesn't have as easy parking because it's in a lot shared with other venues.
Venue Preference: Some people may prefer the previous venue.
Cat Allergy: If you have a serious cat allergy, this venue may not be suitable for you.
Geeky Teas is an excellent venue with a strong focus on supporting women and providing a welcoming environment, making it a top recommendation.
O'briends Wilshire
Rating: 4 Stars
Reasons for Recommendation:
Pros:
Friendly Staff: The staff is really nice, helpful, and makes you want to come back.
Good Food: The food is good even during rush times.
Welcoming Atmosphere: The overall atmosphere of the venue is welcoming and enjoyable.
Bar Quality: The bar is good.
Large Booths: Ideal for large groups having a good time.
Central Location: Conveniently located in central Santa Monica.
Cons:
Seating Availability: If you arrive late, you'll need to stand as seats cannot be reserved unless you're a "regular," which seems unfair.
Trivia Speakers: The trivia speakers can't be heard over the loud din, and the speakers need to be replaced desperately. This would normally downgrade the venue to a 3-star rating.
Parking: Meter parking can be hard to get, but there are spots if you keep looking.
Despite some significant cons, especially concerning trivia nights, the friendly and helpful staff drive O'Brien's Wilshire to a 4-star rating, making it a worthwhile venue, particularly if you avoid interacting with grumpy trivia hosts. The central location in Santa Monica adds to its appeal.
Added Note:
Personal Experience with Local King Trivia Hosts:
Trivia Hosts: The two trivia hosts encountered here have been somewhat short tempers and may be intimidating to women because of their raised voices when asking them questions.
Trip trivia night
Rating: 3.5
Reasons for Recommendation:
Pros:
Family-Owned: Family owned and operated.
Local Business: Local small business.
Safe Location: Good location that feels safe for walking and parking, and easy for Lyft or Uber pick-ups and drop-offs.
Restrooms: Two restrooms available.
Bar Quality: Nice wine and beer bar.
Seating: Ample seating.
Good Sound System: As long as the crowd isn't insane, it has great speakers.
Food Service: Food is served on busy nights.
Crowd Size: The crowd is generally not huge or overstimulating.
Female Host: The female host is really funny and nice.
Nearby Amenities: Nearby food and easy, walkable things to do before or after visiting.
Safe Neighborhood: The venue is in a very safe neighborhood.
Cons:
Inconsistent Food Service: Food is not always served.
Restroom Cleanliness: The restroom is dirty.
Bar Staffing: The bar can sometimes be overloaded with people and understaffed.
Noise Level: It can get too loud.
Cleanliness: The venue is somewhat dirty. If the restrooms were cleaner, the rating would be a 4. As a woman, you might need to hover over the toilet due to the unsanitary conditions.
Intrusive Patrons: Some patrons may insert themselves into your group with a weird style of humor or banter.
Lighting: The lighting is bad, which can be problematic if you need glasses.
Despite the friendly and funny female host and the general appeal of the venue, issues with cleanliness, inconsistent food service, poor lighting, and the male host's temper lower the overall rating to 3 stars.
Personal Experience with this Local King Trivia Host:
We've encountered this host frequently on the West Side for trivia.
Host Behavior: The host, who also works at O'Brien's, can be a bit temperamental. There was an incident where he asked a band to "get the F off the stage" after trivia ended, which made some people uncomfortable. This host occasionally exhibits a short temper.
Congregation
Rating: 2 Stars
Reasons for Review:
Pros:
Large Menu: Offers a wide variety of food and drink options.
Good Parking: Major pro is the availability of good parking.
Table Space: Larger space on tables for board game playing.
Cons:
Service Issues: Little to no service.
Staffing: Not enough staff for the crowd.
Temperature Control: Venue wasn't temperature controlled enough.
Restroom Cleanliness: Restroom was dirty.
Noise Level: Too loud. For a lunch service, they turned on extremely loud uptempo beats when everyone was clearly chatting and vibing with the previously low-tempo, easy listening music. Staff changes music based on mood, but patrons promptly feel uncomfortable, and some even leave quickly.
Food Quality: When we did receive food, it was not very good.
Trivia Night: Not recommended.
Despite being a trendy local beer hall with a large menu, good parking, and spacious tables for board game playing, the significant cons, including poor service, lack of temperature control, low food quality, and an unenjoyable trivia night, make Congregation in Pasadena a less favorable venue.
Added note:
Personal Experiences with Food Allergies: Gave me food I was allergic to despite specific requests (e.g., asking for no onions and still receiving them).