Crossroads Tabletop Tavern

05/28/2026

It's late in the week, I know, but we'll kick off specials anyway, and they should last through next week. Sound good?

Soo.....SPECIALS!

This week it's a BBQ Chicken sandwich, hot/sweet potato fries, and Apple Pie!

First, the sandwich: Shredded chicken in a housemade sweet BBQ sauce (different from our regular BBQ sauce; it's root beer-based! We'll call it the Sweet Georgia Brown Sauce). It comes on a brioche bun with coleslaw (also housemade, as usual), and served with the hot/sweet potato fries, or anything you'd like to substitute! Because of the sauce, we dub this the SWEET GEORGIA BROWN bbq chicken sandwich.

Second, the HOT/SWEET POTATO FRIES. We have this extra spicy chili powder and thought we'd offer something spicier than usual, but then countered with enough sweetness to offset the spice. The result is our usual Sweet Potato Fries (loved by many) liberally coated with a spicy chili powder mix, but then drizzled with maple syrup, as a sort of book-end of sweetness. The heat is there but the sweet keeps it on the back burner, so it's the best of both! It's hot and sweet, so we'll call it HOTSEAT fries.

Finally, for dessert, a classic. This is your basic apple pie (NOT housemade!), served with our housemade whipped cream and drizzled with caramel. Of course you can order ice cream with it if you'd like (and you should, of course), but it's great just with whipped cream. It's good to get back to basics sometimes, so we'll call this dessert the SLICE OF LIFE apple pie.

Check out these pics, and then come on in and order some!

05/26/2026

In the "told you so" department, this just in:

Researchers at the University of Plymouth recently confirmed what board game fans and role-playing game (RPG) enthusiasts have known for decades: that tabletop games "enhance well-being, foster inclusion, and support learning, with strong evidence that games improve engagement."

05/25/2026

Many of you already know, but if this is news to you, here's a one-week warning!

The "New Owner" R&R Sale for board games at 20% off continues, and the last day you can get that discount is Next Sunday, 5/31!

There are many titles that are down to the last copy, and we won't be getting anything new this week.

It's fine to have a list, but there are many here that maybe you haven't heard about that might just be your next favorite game! Come and see what's on the shelves, look at the them, the player count, the art, and look it up on Boardgamegeek.com (the online bible for boardgamers).

Don't hesitate to ask one of us for an opinion, either!

05/25/2026

Yes, we are open today. Just ask all the people who came in out of the rain for lunch! (Thank you all!!!)

And yes, there will be trivia tonight!

Tonight's theme is MEMORY-ALL-DAY. So it has SOMEthing to do with memory, but I can't remember what it was.

In all seriousness, please take a moment for two things, though they might seem contradictory: take a moment or several to think about the many ordinary and extraordinary people who fought - and died - for what this country is and could be. Then spend the day practicing the freedoms they earned for you, and have as good a time as you deserve, but don't forget that it takes constant civic engagement to maintain what this country is and could be. It's not just about being "free," whatever that is, it's about doing what it takes to ensure the next generation(s) can be just as free, and paying it forward.

So happy Memorial Day. See you tonight for Memory-All-Day trivia! 730 as always, and you'll want to make reservations if you haven't already!

05/18/2026

What's so Special about Specials? They are here and gone! They're Ephemeral (that's a great word!). You have to grab them when they are here, or you may regret not getting a chance. Several complained, yesterday, about the Dragon Eggs, but ALAS, they were out. But only temporarily, because we'll run them another week. NO Complaints if you don't get any this time!!

We also have enough Mozza sticks (7 Sisters) to get us through another week, so the only thing we're updating today is the DESSERT, and this week it's a choice between... (drum roll please)...

BLACK or TAN! Your choice of the BLACK, or the TAN. These don't have anything to do with that venerated Irish beer, OR any number of small dog breeds with certain two-tone coloring. The BLACK is a Chocolate Brownie with chocolate chips, topped with a scoop of ice cream and drizzled with chocolate, while the TAN is a Chocolate chip blonde brownie with nuts (these are branded items, not housemade), also topped with ice cream and drizzled with caramel.

Specials good while they last.

05/18/2026

Does Trivia sound good tonight?

It DOES! The theme is "Sounds Good," but I hope it's even better than it sounds. That might sound weird, but, trust me, it's based on sound evidence. At least it sounded good to me.

730 as always, and bring your listenin' ears!

05/11/2026

ONE new special this week, and it's a good one!

Our crack squad of intrepid fantasy creature hunters raided the sea-side nests of Scotland's haunted coast McDragons, and came back with just a few dozen SCOTCH DRAGON EGGS.

So only as long as they last, you can get TWO Scotch eggs, or as we are calling them, DRAGON EGGS ON THE HALF SHELL. Two scotch eggs (parboiled eggs wrapped in pork sausage and breaded and baked), atop an apple-vinaigrette salad with onions and tomatoes, and served with white jasmine rice, all drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Speaking of which, have you been to the Manassas Olive Oil Company? Well, they're closed today and tomorrow, but they deserve a visit soon!).

The 7 Sisters Mozzarella Sticks were so popular we're letting them run another week, and same with the Key Sublime Pie!

05/11/2026

Trivia's coming up!

Tonight it's PICTURE THIS! - All about clever pictures and clever people, like you!

730 as always, and you'll want to see the screens so come and get a good seat!

Specials announcement coming up!

05/04/2026

Specials are ready!

We still have a few of those empanada dishes left, and some Lava Poppers, so DO order them before they're completely gone!

But starting today (May the 4th be with you), and leading up to Mother's Day Sunday, is a special entree: chicken and shrimp skewer on pesto papardelle pasta. Combine Chicken and Shrimp and you get CHIMP, just like in nature (I have to double check that). So it's our Chimpkabob!

The appetizer is basic, but well-loved and likely to run out! It's 7 lovely mozzarella sticks served with marinara. Is it a book series? Is it a group of really great Northeastern schools? Is it the Pleiades, forever roaming the heavens? Yes. It's all of those things. Not so basic after all - The 7 Sisters.

The dessert is key lime pie on graham cracker crust served with a dollop of blueberry compote and whipped cream. It's, of course, sublime, so we're calling it Key Sublime Pie.

We're serving these all week - come and get 'em!

05/04/2026

One of my favorite rock lyrics has perennial relevance, wherever I wander in life*:

"No changes are permanent, but change is."
(Rush, Tom Sawyer; lyrics by Neil Peart)

That line helps keep me grounded, knowing that when things aren't going how I like them, I can count on change, eventually, for the better; but it also helps keep me humble, knowing that when things are going well, I can also count on change, eventually, and brace for it.

And so change is happening, and our little saga has a resolution.

The good news, as I've been sharing for some time, is that Crossroads Tabletop Tavern will remain into the foreseeable future - as long as you all deem us worth supporting, of course. We aren't the only ones feeling the effects of a bad economy, after all.

So we're still standing. At what cost, though? Well, yours truly (John H), in order to keep the doors open, had to sell the store to new owners. As of today (MAY the 4th be with you), Crossroads is under new ownership! Allow me to introduce Messrs. Rob Valentin and Ryan Levine! I will remain on as manager and (I've decided) spiritual advisor, and you can have every assurance that just about everything you may like about Crossroads will remain intact.

That said, Rob and Ryan (R&R) bring a lot to the (game) table! One has a background in fine dining, and the other has special expertise in tabletop games, and they both know and love the unique business model that Crossroads offers, and they bring IDEAS and ENERGY and I am very very optimistic that they can make Crossroads better than ever.

I could go on but I'll spare you. That's the news. R&R (The R's? The Arrr's? The Ours?) will be here specifically to meet and greet all week and weekend and beyond, as they learn about the store, the staff, and most importantly, all of you customers out there. PLEASE DO feel free to step up and say hi!

* P.S. Anytime you want to talk meaningful lyrics, hit me up. There's a world of wisdom in song lyrics alone.