Bubble tea and board game berth Platform 248 opens its doors in SoMa

Bubble tea and board game berth Platform 248 opens its doors in SoMaPhoto: Dino H./Yelp
Hoodline
Published on October 30, 2018

Want to play board games or video games while sipping bubble tea? Look no further than this new café. Called Platform 248, the fresh addition is located at 248 Ninth St. in SoMa (between Tehama and Folsom streets).

In addition to its bubble tea drinks, like the signature "dirty" boba with brown sugar or fresh fruit puree, the spot has dozens of modern board games. Patrons can pay a per-person fee to check them out for up to three hours of play.

Choices including popular titles like Codenames, Ticket to Ride, and — for those who have at least the full three hours to spend — Vlaada Chvatl's Mage Knight. The cafe also has a PS4, a Nintendo Switch (with Kirby and Mario Party available) and a set of VR goggles.

The café also offers fried snacks and full meals like popcorn chicken, kimchi fried rice and cheese-stuffed pork chops. 

With a 4.5-star rating out of 25 reviews on Yelp so far, the new arrival is on its way to building a local fan base.

Mimi Y., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on October 22, wrote, "Both [the fried rice and kimchi fried rice] were delicious and they come in a cute bowl."

"The games all look perfect to play with small groups of 2-6," Jenée S. added. "The popcorn chicken was hands down the best thing here. Everything else was yummy and fried, but the popcorn chicken is the best."

Interested? Gather a group and stop by to check out a game or two. Platform 248 is open from 10 a.m.–10 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Sunday. (It's closed on Tuesday.)