"Roll for Vibe Check. That’s a Nat 20! Driving back home after a wedding up in the Chicago area, Emily and I were needing some caffeine to stay awake after a night of partying with the newlyweds and wedding party. We pulled up local coffee places relative to where we were and randomly decided on Critical Grind since it wasn’t far from our location on the interstate. As we pulled up and parked, I knew we picked a good place due to being a Board Game Cafe. The barista was really friendly as we spent time looking at the menu and I spent time looking at all the Magic the Gathering product and all the various other little things they sold up at the counter. I got my usual iced americano and Emily got her a chai tea latte. We also snagged some stickers and I got myself a pin and a little Dragon Ball Z mystery tin. As we ordered, the barista gave us a rundown of the place and said there were either 400 or 1400+ board games available around the corner. Emily and I went to scope it out while our drinks were being made. We spent a solid 10 minutes looking over the selection of board games they offered to let you play. As we headed back front, our coffees were done. We spent a few more minutes checking out the other side of the cafe/store as it was another large area to play Magic, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and whatever else you need large tables for. I told my friends about this place after the fact. It would’ve been perfect for our needs when we used to crash a Panera to play some games of Commander. Sure, there are places to play Magic proper in the Peoria area but this place had the vibe for my group of friends. I think it’s cause they serve coffee, too, but I could be bias towards caffeine. After I made my separate purchase of little trinkets, we took our coffees and got back on the road as we were anxious to be home. I noticed my americano was light on color so I knew it would be light on bitter. It definitely left ya wanting that punch to the tastebuds but was otherwise had a nice flavor profile. Emily really loved her chai tea latte and said it was closer to what she wanted versus the one she got at the hotel coffeeshop (which I didn’t review but was really cool). Emily and I both really liked the vibe of this place and during the drive home said it would be worth it drive back up to Shorewood to hang out here on some random day off and explore the city. So, I totally expect to be back up here before too long for some 1v1 games with Emily and coffee coursing through our veins. Stay nerdy, everyone! It’s a fun time!"

"Critical Grind is an amazing place to visit—whether you’re meeting friends, getting some one-on-one work done, or spending time with family. I’m not a coffee drinker, but my husband is, and he absolutely loves their coffee. I always go for their smoothies, and they are delicious every single time! The café is always clean, the staff is professional and welcoming, and the selection of board games is incredible—over 100 games to choose from! It’s perfect for business meetings, a fun day with the kids, or a cozy game night with friends. Whether it’s too hot or too cold outside, Critical Grind is one of our favorite go-to spots. Highly recommend for anyone looking for great drinks, great people, and a great time!"

"We started visiting Critical Grind earlier this spring to play boardgames and it has become our favorite place for games and fun drinks & treats. What we didn't realize when we started going here is that we would make so many friends. We're a neurodiverse family and it's not always easy to find people and spaces that feel comfortable for us, but we've found real community and acceptance here. The staff are so friendly and set the example of welcoming all to the space. After just a few visits, they started calling us by name and knew our favorite drink orders. The people at TCG events and Blood on the Clocktower are really friendly and didn't make us feel left out when we were new to the games and still learning. The Clocktower group makes sure new folks are included and they offer lots of support while you're learning to play. We play Lorcana and the staff running TCG events are really encouraging and knowledgeable, and they make sure tournaments and leagues run smoothly and fairly. Rules of play are made clear and prizes are distributed fairly - plus everyone usually gets a cool promo just for participating. Sometimes, weekend evenings with special events can get busy so the noise level in the cafe can get pretty high, so you may want to plan accordingly (we sometimes pack noise-canceling headphones). Weekdays and weekend days are pretty quiet. The pricing for cafe drinks & treats is very reasonable for a small business and I think the entry fees for events and tournaments are well-priced and give you a good value for the experience."

"I’ve been coming to critical for a minute now because it was a good place to get a matcha latte and the staff is always friendly. I will say there are inconsistencies every time I go though. Some people add caramel and it’s perfect. Others add caramel and it tastes not sweet at all. But this last time I was genuinely confused because I’ve been getting matcha lattes from them for months and they’re always at least almost full of drink for a 20oz. This time it was half foam and the cup felt super light. As a matcha “addict” I’ve never seen a drink half full of foam. For the first time in my life I worked up the courage to ask for a new one. I was immedielty told that’s how they are suppose to be cause they foam a lot. So I just took it for what it was. I just wanted to share this because spending almost $7 on a drink to receive 5 sips and some foam and was told it is how it’s suppose to be, when I’ve gotten it several times and it’s never been like that just confused me real bad. Overall though it tasted good, and the baristas are always very kind just not a fan of the inconsistencies. Update: I see you’ve worked towards fixing this problem, I appreciate you hearing me out!"

"I have been here a couple of times and I've really enjoyed it. Their coffee is really good and its a very warm and comforting place. A couple of people went out of their way to talk to me and make me feel welcome. I would recommend this cafe to anyone looking to meet new people and find new hobbies."