By Noah Gollin, The Paper. — Boba Catch, the new entertainment center in Rio Rancho, feels almost too surreal to exist. It is a claw arcade and boba tea shop fitted with a Korean ramen bar, ice cream, and full-body VR simulators. A large, Transformers-esque animatronic robot greets you at the door.
It is not the usual fare for Rio Rancho.
The moment you walk in, you’re hit with a barrage of chirping electronics, glowing pinks and teals, and walls covered in a collage of manga panels. The decor features various characters from Naruto, My Hero Academia, Death Note, and Kakegurui, as well as Luffy from One Piece. It’s maximalist. It’s slightly bewildering. It works.
The space itself is one wide hall of games with the food counter and VIP room tucked at the far end. It’s small for a party venue, but densely packed. Claw machines dominate: plush pigs the size of preteens, Sanrio characters, Pokémon, and Labubus await the nimble and the lucky.
There are also higher-ticket prizes like AirPods and designer shoes. Nearby, guests strap into virtual reality chairs that tilt and rotate as part of immersive simulations and games.
Boba Catch manager Lexi Ngo said the concept was simple: There just isn’t much for families and school-age kids to do in the area. To fill that niche, they created a space that is bright, busy and chaotic in a way that kids appreciate. She said they have also attracted plenty of high schoolers and college students.
The community response has been overwhelmingly positive, Lexi told us. Most people come for the food and stay for the games. The popular Korean ramen bar exceeded early sales projections, and the kitchen is working hard to meet public demand. On the drink side, the Boss Brown Sugar and Mango Paradise lead the pack. The boba tea delivers on what is promised: rich, sweet milk tea periodically interrupted by having to chew on a tapioca ping pong ball.
If you go:
- Order a Boss Brown Sugar.
- Wander the claw machines for a while, taking in the bright lights and sounds.
- At least once, consider whether you truly need a life-sized plush pig. You probably don’t, but that’s not really the point.
Boba Catch is located at 1630 Rio Rancho Blvd SE in Rio Rancho. It’s open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every other day of the week.
