Ember Rest

Such a fun place to take the kids for DnD, MTG, or game night. Love the new shop! They even have themed rooms!

I grew up in Martinez, so anytime a new business opens downtown, I always have to pop in and check it out. I’m so glad I did. And so silly me this place is not actually new. They had a different location, but obviously I was unfamiliar with it so this new location is Clearly, a great spot for them. And according to Rico, it’s much bigger and he was able to really put his creative activity into the space. So this may not be new to most people who are already familiar, but it’s new to me and I’m sorry I didn’t notice the first one. From the outside, I honestly wasn’t sure what Ember Rest was. I saw the Halloween-style figure out front and thought, “What is this place?” So I peeked my head in, and Rico immediately welcomed me in and offered me a tour. His excitement and passion for what he’s created really came through. As someone who studied interior design with a focus on historic and themed environments, I was immediately drawn to the space. I’ve always been fascinated by places like movie sets and themed attractions where every detail helps tell a story, and Ember Rest has that same feeling. The attention to detail throughout the space is incredible. When Rico told me they partnered with Le Marche Emporium for many of the antiques and decor, it made perfect sense. What a uniquely Martinez collaboration. Using authentic antiques gives the space so much character and history. It’s such a cool example of two local businesses coming together to create something really special. I also love that they transformed an old bank into this amazing gathering space. Instead of leaving a historic building unused, (any bank with a vault is pretty much historic at this point) they gave it a whole new purpose down to the old bank vault being turned into a game vault and might be my favorite detail. It’s creative, And I’m so happy a business actually did that I’ve been saying for years why doesn’t someone turn one of these banks and the vault into something cool? I’ll be honest, I’ve never been a Dungeons & Dragons or tabletop gaming person myself, so I can’t speak from the perspective of a longtime gamer. But I can absolutely appreciate what Rico has created here. For anyone who already loves games, or anyone who has been curious and wants to learn, this seems like the perfect place to come play, meet people, and get involved. What I loved is that Ember Rest feels like more than just a game store. It’s an immersive fantasy-inspired space where the decor, rooms, and details make you feel like you’re stepping into another world. Whether you’re into Dungeons & Dragons, tabletop games, fantasy, storytelling, or just appreciate creative spaces, there is so much thought put into the atmosphere. With private rooms, classes, events, and so many possibilities, it’s clear that a lot of thought went into creating a place where people can connect. It’s especially great to see a positive space where younger people and adults can come together, socialize, and enjoy a shared interest. It’s really impressive to see someone take an idea and turn it into something this unique for the community. Downtown Martinez is lucky to have Ember Rest, and I wish Rico and his team so much success. I hope this place is here for many years to come.

Ember Rest is the most catered and immersive gaming experience in the East Bay. As a MTG player of 24 years this LGS outshines every other experience I’ve had. Please come by and say hi to Rico who has set the standard for an LGS owner. 11/10 💜💜💜 🙏🏻

An awesome place with experienced staff that brings a welcome third space for playing board games, trading card games, and tabletop RPGs! Definitely recommend!

Greetings fellow travelers, looking for a place to stop and enjoy a small intimate and quite place to play some boardgames, cards games and the like?. Then go no further than here, embers rest is the perfect place to host a d&d session, both for those looking to join a session or looking to host your own. Embers rest has what your looking for, want something that will give your players a more immersive experience, embers rest has that, want to have a more public session they have an upstairs area that will give you a immersive experience but also open to others. Don't want to play d&d no problem they have tons of different games to pick and choose from, don't have a deck? No problem they sell starter decks for most card games. Want to find more things that fall in line with your interests sign up for the mailing list to find out about more events happening, did I forget to mention that if you being to feel a bit parched embers rest is not only one of the best places for games, they also partner with CA phê ko coffee to provide you with some cold or hot beverages to fuel your self to continue gaming. Had some myself here and I can say that they will surprise you with how good this is, not enough people talking about it and I want to spread the word. 10/10 atmosphere 10/10 service 10/10 cozy 10/10 would recommend I highly recommend paying this shop/ cafe a vist and seeing for yourself. If your a local you probably already know how amazing this place is. If your not come check for yourself how amazing this rest stop is.