Where to host an afternoon of boardgaming in Austin?

April 9, 2012 8:23 PM

Where in Austin can I host 25-45 people for boardgaming between 1-6 PM that will cost me less than $300?

Birthday's coming up, and I haven't done anything special in a few years. Most of my friends enjoy boardgaming, so I've invited basically everyone I know in town to come spend the afternoon playing boardgames (it's a Saturday.) Problem: the location is listed as TBD. I'm still working to find a location that's large enough, available for long enough, and within my budget, preferably someplace that either serves food or can get food delivered. I haven't had a ton of luck googling, so I thought I'd try crowd-sourcing it. Any ideas?

posted by Zorz to Food & Drink (9 answers total)

On meetup.com I found Central Texas Boardgames Meetup. They list their meetup locations and you could contact one of the organizers to get reviews of each venue they've used. There might be other relevant groups on meetup.com, I didn't spend a great deal of time searching.
posted by XMLicious at 9:00 PM on April 9, 2012

Off the top of my head, I'd call the nearest Kerbey Lane and see if they have a space they could set aside for you. I know the one by me has some fairly large rooms they can section off with a curtain for big private groups.

Mr. Tramps has hosted some fairly large gatherings I've been to and seems pretty good. The only downside is it's definitely a sports bar if your crowd doesn't care for that kind of thing.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 9:11 PM on April 9, 2012

It might require a few phone calls, but I would imagine there are a lot of big restaurants in Austin that might be pretty empty between 1-6. If you'll be ordering a decent amount of food and beverages, they might be able to accommodate a few tables for a few hours.

There are some pretty cavernous Tex-Mex places on both the north and south end of town (campus and downtown are probably busier all day). Like maybe a Maudie's or Matt's El Rancho? Is there some place close-ish and locally-owned close to where you live?
posted by pantarei70 at 9:13 PM on April 9, 2012

The Spider House Cafe on 29th and Guadalupe has a big covered outdoor space in back. It's got a stage, but there is still lots of space on the floor. Might call them and ask about it.
posted by Gilbert at 11:33 PM on April 9, 2012

Is there a public park that would work?
posted by aniola at 12:33 AM on April 10, 2012

My local library lets me reserve a meeting room for our "club" meetings. Not really a party atmosphere, but it's free.
Austin Library Meeting Rooms:http://library.austintexas.gov/basic-page/meeting-rooms
posted by Ochre,Hugh at 5:17 AM on April 10, 2012 [1 favorite]

A hotel meeting room will offer you privacy, space, and plenty of options to choose from - especially on a Saturday.

A midrange hotel meeting room in Austin is about $50 per hour, less than $300 for the afternoon.

They will usually include coffee and tea for the duration.
posted by Kruger5 at 12:12 PM on April 10, 2012

Is there a public university nearby that has a student dining area?
posted by aniola at 1:27 PM on April 10, 2012

Dragons Lair is a gaming / comic store that has a big back gaming room...
posted by outsider at 5:26 PM on April 10, 2012