The Lost Gnome

A Warehouse District coffee bar wrapped in a game shop — Sunday Pokemon TCG, Thursday and Saturday Commander, and Friday Beyblade Fight Club, free to enter.

The Lost Gnome opened on January 23, 2026 in Slip 12 in Albany's Warehouse District and has already banked a 4.9 rating — a coffee bar and kitchen with the card and game retail built around it rather than bolted on. Michaela runs the food side; her husband Austin and his father Neal handle comics, TCG and RPGs.

The weekly event calendar is the most published and most specific of any Albany card shop. Thursday brings MTG Commander from 6 to 9:30PM at $10 a head, which includes a Magic pack and a drink. Saturday runs Commander and Pauper in the same evening slot plus a draft or Pauper Swiss tournament at 7PM. Sunday is Pokemon TCG from 12:30 to 3PM. Tuesday is Riftbound free play, 5 to 8PM, $10 with an Origins pack and a drink included. Friday evening is Beyblade Fight Club, 5 to 8PM, and that one is free. D&D campaigns run Tuesday and Wednesday with a dedicated DM, and an American Mahjong club meets on alternating Wednesdays.

Retail covers Pokemon, Magic, Disney Lorcana and Riftbound sealed, plus comics, RPG books, board games, dice and figures. A standing promotion bundles three TCG packs of your choice with a small coffee for $25, which is the cheapest way to sample the place. The kitchen is gluten-free friendly and the owner is knowledgeable about allergies — an unusual thing to be able to say about a game store.

Hours split around the cafe and gaming rhythms, so read them carefully. Closed Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday run 6 to 10AM for morning coffee and reopen 5 to 8PM. Thursday and Friday follow the same morning window and reopen at 4PM until 8PM. Saturday is the long day, 9AM to 8PM, and Sunday is noon to 6PM. Online ordering and local delivery run through Toast.

One practical note: their Google listing does not display a phone number, so 518-937-1869 — confirmed through their ordering system and the Capital Region Chamber — is the number to use. Slip 12 has street and lot parking nearby.