The Parlor
Mahjong. Cocktails. Conversation.
The game that's been bringing people together for centuries —
now played under string lights in a Southtown garden.
A mahjong social at Secret Little Garden
Not a Game Night. A Social Ritual.
In Chinese culture, mahjong is how families bond — four people, 144 tiles, and hours of conversation that happens naturally because everyone's at the same table. In Italian culture, the long table is how communities form. The Parlor is where those two traditions meet.
No screens. No DJ. No velvet rope. Just tiles clicking, ice clinking, and the kind of conversation that only happens when people are sitting across from each other. The automatic mahjong tables live in the Pod and the Sunroom. The rest of the garden is yours — bring a set, claim a table, order from the menu, and stay as long as the game lasts.
Three Ways to Show Up
One programmed night. Two open nights. And the occasional surprise.
Tuesday Night
The Parlor Night
This is the night. The Mahjong Host is on. Six tables for open play, two tables for guided lessons. The Four Winds cocktails are flowing, The Lucky Hand menu is running, and the garden is lit. This is what you put on your calendar.
Monday & Wednesday
Open Tables
The restaurant is the main event. But the automatic tables are there, the sets are there, and you can play. No host, no lessons, no program — just mahjong as atmosphere. Order dinner, play a round, stay longer than you planned.
Weekend Pop-Ups
If You Know, You Know
When Secret Little Garden doesn't have a private event on a Friday or Saturday, we open The Parlor for a pop-up night. No fixed schedule. No pattern. Announced week-of on social media — or ask Roxie. You either catch it or you don't.
The Mahjong Host
Every Tuesday, the Mahjong Host runs the room. They manage the tables, teach beginners, keep the energy right, and make sure nobody's sitting alone unless they want to be. Think of them as the floor captain for tiles — they know the game, they know the guests, and they know when to deal you in.
Guided Tables
Two of the eight tables are reserved for guided lessons. Spicy Sichuan Mahjong taught from scratch — the house rules. American Mahjong and Guan Dan guidance available too. No experience needed — just show up and the Host will handle the rest.
Open Play
Six tables for players who know the game. Automatic tables in the Pod and Sunroom, plus garden seating for anyone who brings their own set. The Host seats singles and pairs together — you'll leave with new people to play with.
The Vibe
The Host sets the tone. Not a tournament director — more like the person at the dinner party who makes sure everyone's glass is full and the conversation never dies.
Three Games. One Table.
We don't play one way. American Mahjong for the purists, Spicy Sichuan for the fearless, and Guan Dan for the card sharks. The Host knows them all.
American Mahjong
Strategic · Pattern-Matching · Social
The classic American style — played with the National Mah Jongg League card that changes every year. It's about reading the card, picking your hand, and pivoting when the tiles don't cooperate. Bring your own set to any garden table, or grab one from The Collection. If you've played at your aunt's kitchen table, you already know this game.
NMJL card required. We keep a few behind the bar.
Spicy Sichuan Mahjong
Fast · Aggressive · Multiple Winners
Sichuan Bloody Rules — 血战到底 — "Bloody Battle to the End." Stripped down to three suits, no flowers, no seasons. Each player voids one suit at the start, and when someone wins, the rest keep playing. Multiple winners per hand. It's fast, it's loud, and it's how they play in the teahouses of Chengdu. The house game on Tuesday nights.
Played on our automatic tables. The Host teaches this one.
Guan Dan
Partnership · Climbing · Strategic
掼蛋 — "Throwing Eggs." Not mahjong — it's the card game that took over China. Two teams of two, two decks of cards, and a climbing format where you play increasingly powerful combinations to empty your hand. Partners sit across from each other and learn to read each other without a word. It's the game Chinese business leaders play after dinner, and it's the perfect change of pace between mahjong rounds.
Card decks provided. Ask the Host to deal you in.
Three Ways to Sit Down
The Pod
Automatic mahjong table. Intimate, enclosed, climate-controlled. Reservable on Tuesdays. The premium seat.
The Sunroom
Screened-in, string-lit, surrounded by garden. Automatic table. First-come on open nights, reservable for groups.
The Garden
Every table in the garden is fair game. Bring your own set — American, Chinese, whatever you play. We'll bring the drinks.
Our automatic tables accommodate 144 tiles (Sichuan & Chinese Mahjong). American Mahjong (152 tiles) and Guan Dan (card decks) are welcome at any garden table — bring your own or pick up a set from The Collection.
$10 to Hold Your Seat. Credited to Your Tab.
Reserve a table for Tuesday Parlor Night through Resy. The $10 reservation fee goes straight toward your food and drinks — it's not a cover, it's a head start on your tab. Walk-ins welcome if there's room, but the tables go fast.
Parlor Bites
Everything on this menu can be eaten with one hand while holding tiles in the other. That's not an accident.
Char Siu Bao Sliders
Barbecue pork buns, open-faced, crispy bottom. One hand only.
Salt & Pepper Shrimp Cups
Wonton crisp, five-spice shrimp, chili-lime aioli. No mess.
Scallion Pancake Chips & Dips
Crispy scallion pancake wedges with XO sauce and black vinegar.
Dan Dan Deviled Eggs
Sichuan chili oil, crushed peanut, pickled mustard green.
Pork Belly Skewers
Cumin-spiced, grilled over charcoal. Two per order.
Dumpling Flight
Four styles: pork, shrimp, veggie, and the one we won't tell you about.
Parlor Pours
Named after the wind tiles. Designed for the table. Every drink here pairs with the pace of a good game.
East Wind
Baijiu, lychee, yuzu, sparkling. The opening hand.
South Wind
Mezcal, hibiscus, Sichuan peppercorn tincture, lime. Bold and warm.
West Wind
Gin, jasmine, elderflower, cucumber. Light and deceptive.
North Wind
Japanese whisky, matcha, coconut, pandan. Smooth and grounding.
Red Dragon
Mezcal, blood orange, chili crisp honey, tajín rim. The house signature.
House Highball
Japanese whisky, soda, lemon. The tile-shuffling standard.
The Rules of The Parlor
Respect the table. Respect the tiles. Respect the game.
One hand for tiles, one hand for your drink. We designed the menu around this.
Teach someone who doesn't know. That's how this grows.
No phones at the table during play. You can survive.
If you win, you buy the next round. House rules.
What happens at The Parlor stays at The Parlor. Unless it's a great story.
Now you know.
Pull Up a Chair. Shuffle the Tiles.
Tuesdays are the night. Monday and Wednesday, the tables are open. And sometimes on a weekend, if the garden's free, we light it up. Follow along — or just ask Roxie.
Tell a friend. Or don't. We're fine either way.