The newest Board Game Restaurant hits GR in the form of Kobold's Kitchen off of Plainfield ave. A…read morefew things to stay about this one, so stay tuned.
First off, the food is actually incredible. Like, it has no business being as good as it is. Whoever's in the kitchen is COOKING. My family and I got a spread of fried pickles, burgers, fries, tot medallions, and the famed "spice bag" (which is a bag of assorted fried stuff with some unique seasoning, delicious but a little overpriced). Everything is cooked well and seasoned well, and at a very fair price point as well. In a world of $18 burgers with chips and a $3 up-charge for fries, Kobold's Kitchen is fighting back and earning my respect and patronage.
Not to mention, you can play games here! Their selection is enormous. As a board game semi-enthusiast, I was shocked by how many games I didn't recognize. A minor recommendation would be to invest in some of the classics so that the less-initiated could still drop by and enjoy Yahtzee or Taboo while the table next to them plays with their $1,000 Magic the Gathering decks. However, there's nothing stopping you from grabbing any of their games off the shelf and giving it a try, provided you reserved a table.
A unique feature of Kobold's is that you can pay to reserve a table (like $20 for 1.5 hours), but this is ONLY if you want to access their selection of games. If you're simply going to eat or you brought your own games, you can waive this fee entirely. I really appreciate this flexibility. You can also just straight up rent the games and bring them home, which in it of itself is GENIUS. I'm not about to drop $55 on a board game only to play it once and/or realize it sucks - this alone is a reason to visit Kobold's.
Now, the minor downsides of Kobold's. First off, they don't serve Alcohol, which is totally fine and acceptable, however don't expect this to be the same experience as House Rules. I for one would like a beer or two on a Friday night, however Kobold's may not be going for that experience and that's totally okay.
Secondly, the atmosphere leaves much to be desired. It's a nice, clean space, however the music was very quiet (almost nonexistent), the lighting was pretty harsh fluorescent, and the walls were baron, blank with any sort of decor. Some art and some plants would go a long way to make the space feel more cozy and inviting.
And the last minuscule critique I have is that their water cups were like literally 4 ounces. I downed mine in two, maybe three gulps. This would be a small but noteworthy quality of life change, as I was interrupting my group's game every 5 minutes to fill my baby cup, only to chug it as soon as I sat back down.
I offer these critiques not to dissuade potential customers, but rather to inform Kobold's of what I personally would love to see this establishment become: a cool, welcoming atmosphere for people to gather and game.
Overall, this place has a lot of potential, and it's already doing the most important things well. I'm excited to see how Kobold's grows and am eager to continue visiting. Go Creston!!