A New USC-Adjacent Pub Combines Board Games and Craft Beer

A totally unique restaurant idea is coming to nearby USC called The Dragon and Meeple, and it combines elements of a board game cafe with a craft beer pub. Formerly a board game event held on the Westside, owner Chris Buskirk and partner Alex Tune will open a full fledged board game pub in the former Lotus space along Flower Street, just a few blocks from the new Banc of California Stadium and USC’s main campus.

For anyone wondering, a “meeple” is the common term for a token or board game piece that represents the player, especially in the rather obscure (at least outside of board game circles) Carcassonne game.

The Dragon and Meeple hopes to have a full craft beer lineup and pub-friendly fare with lunch and dinner service. At the moment, it hasn’t announced a chef or an opening timeline, though if all goes well the place should debut some time in 2018.

While board game aficionados have been able to congregate at places like Angel City Brewery, Busby’s, or Golden Road Brewing, there hasn’t been a dedicated pub that allows board game play in addition to food and beer available on top. Glendale’s Gamehaus is a popular destination but only has soft drinks and snacks instead of a full menu. The Dragon and Meeple should change that, and it’s in a relatively central location to boot. Anyone interested in its progress can check their Facebook page.

The Dragon and Meeple. 3742 S. Flower Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007.

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