SF’s Coolest Menu Is at Coin-Op, SoMa’s New Arcade Bar

Coin-Op, the arcade game haven and bar from San Diego’s Sporting Fraternity, Inc. restaurant group, is teetering on the edge of opening here in San Francisco. It’s taking over the Drake Bar and Lounge at 508 4th St., and boasts 10,000-square-feet and two floors of games like Donkey Kong, Galaga, Street Fighter, and Pac-Man Royale.

There are two main areas, including The Grid, a “Tron-themed speakeasy” and The Octagon, the lower level bar. (Stay tuned for more design details closer to opening). There’s also food, and most importantly, drinks, to accompany all of these vintage games. The executive chef is Mark Bolton, who’s got a super-bar friendly menu planned, including quinoa tots with avocado-lime dip, and carbonara mac-n-cheese with bacon, peas, and parmesan.

Drinks are from bar manager Jason Huffman, most recently of Blackwater Station in Oakland, serving up playfully named drinks like Farmer and His Mule, made with vodka, sweet potato liquer, falernum, lime, ginger, and soda (also available in large format for 2-4 people).

So while the opening isn’t until January, there’s no time like the present to ogle what is arguably SF’s coolest new menu. Designer Dylan Jones created a retro, sci-fi novel-themed work of art with vintage ads for blow-up dolls, space ships, and monsters throughout. Check it all out below.