Few pairings feel more comforting than good food and good company around a tabletop full of cards, dice, and meeples. The following spots—all featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives—deliver the roomy tables, laid-back vibe, and sturdy comfort fare that make settling in for a multi-hour board-game session a breeze. Grab your favorite game box, rally some friends, and let these “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” favorites handle the hospitality.

1. Comet Café — Milwaukee, WI

Comet Café’s “serve-your-neighbors” attitude makes it a natural gathering place for gamers looking to linger. The retro-cozy dining room stays open late, and the menu leans into hearty, stick-to-your-ribs classics that hold up over a marathon session of Catan or Risk. Because most seating comes in the form of long, sturdy booths and push-together tables, groups can sprawl without feeling cramped or hurried.

2. The Blue Door Pub — St. Paul, MN

Known for inventing the “Blucy” stuffed burger, The Blue Door Pub also boasts the kind of relaxed, neighborhood-bar atmosphere where rolling the dice between bites won’t earn side-eye. Local craft taps rotate frequently, giving thirsty gamers plenty of sessionable options. Generous booths and high-top tables encourage groups to post up for hours while the staff keeps the baskets of tots coming.

3. Piece Brewery & Pizzeria — Chicago, IL

Piece marries award-winning craft beer with New Haven-style pizza, two essentials for any successful game night. The converted industrial space is wide open, so pulling extra chairs around a table of Ticket to Ride is never a challenge. Because both the pies and the house-brewed beers are meant for sharing, even large gaming groups can keep everyone fed without constant menu juggling.

4. Pizzeria Luigi — San Diego, CA

“Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” fans will remember Guy Fieri raving about the no-nonsense slices at this Golden Hill staple. What’s easy to overlook on TV is just how welcoming the counter-service setup feels for casual meet-ups—grab a pie, commandeer a corner table, and flip open the game box. Late hours and an eclectic jukebox soundtrack keep the energy up long after the final scoring tally.

5. The Friendly Toast — Portsmouth, NH

Funky, mismatched vintage furnishings transform The Friendly Toast into a living-room-away-from-home, perfect for laying out a tabletop adventure. Breakfast is served all day, so gamers can dig into comfort-food classics whether they’re solving clues at brunch or duking it out over cards deep into the evening. Plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free choices keep diverse gaming groups satisfied.

6. The Shanty — Wadsworth, IL

Housed in a century-old roadhouse, The Shanty offers the cozy ambience and sizable tables that make it easy to shuffle cards or plot your next tabletop conquest. It’s scratch kitchen puts out crowd-pleasing Midwest staples, while the adjoining bar pours locally distilled spirits for players who prefer their victories with a side of craft cocktails. Being just off the interstate, it’s a convenient meetup spot for friends converging from different towns.

7. South Side Soda Shop— Goshen, IN

This 1940s lunch-car-turned-diner exudes a relaxed, old-school charm that dovetails nicely with analog gaming. Leather-upholstered booths give plenty of elbow room for sprawling boards, and the soda-fountain specialties keep sugar levels high enough to power through intense strategy phases. Because the staff is used to locals lingering over pie and conversation, an extended round of Yahtzee raises zero eyebrows.