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| - My spouse and I decided to attend the grand opening celebration of the newest expression of dinner and cinema in the Valley. In an effort for full disclosure, this was part of their soft opening with discounted tickets and 50% off food and drinks (non-alcoholic).
We easily reserved our tickets online and received a confirmation that instructed us to simply enter the theater upon arrival, proceed to our pre-chosen seats and voila! When we got to the theater, I had forgotten about this step and we waited in line at the front of the bar, before I remembered that we could just proceed to our seats. If you don't purchase your tickets online ahead of time, you can still walk in and purchase at the front of the bar. However, one might not know exactly where to go at first as it might seem as that is the payment for the bar and not tickets.
The lobby is spacious with little alcoves for seating. There is a bar with seating on the sides and a great list of over 30 beers on hand, many local. However, once you enter the theater and find your seats, the beer list is not listed anywhere else. We found our seats easily and got settled in. We looked over the menu and chatted with the person next to us before a server came and greeted us. I had my online confirmation ready to show but no one ever asked for it. Could have been interesting if I was a shady person and had simply chosen to walk in and just find a seat. Perhaps something to work out, although I wonder if actual tickets are given when purchased at the bar?
Once we looked over the expansive menu, we chose the Asian salad (as a wrap), the hatch chile mac and cheese, the irish cream adult shake, and the chicken and chorizo pizza. There were plenty of creative options ranging from salads, pizzas, hot appetizers, sandwiches, regular milkshakes, adult milkshakes, and a kids menu. I thought about the bottomless popcorn but decided that I would try that again another time and go for the meal instead. Seats were comfy at 24 inches wide and had armrests that could be raised for closer seating. The tables were spaced somewhat evenly although mine was just a little to high to make eating comfortable. The person next to me asked if the seats reclined and while I've seen this at other "deluxe" theaters, at this one, that is not an option. A server came over and took our order on a tablet device but there was also the option to write our order on paper, so when the movie started, patrons would not be distracted by the off-glow of the tablets.
They had very bizzare pre-entertainment followed by a few regular previews. Then the house lights came on and an employee welcomed us and talked briefly about some upcoming events at Alamo. Then the movie began and after a little while, probably 20 minutes after we ordered, our food arrived. Actually, my boozy shake came first, then two glasses of water (free of charge), my spouse's beer, and then our food about 20 min later. There is a dim light that glows the entire time under the table to help guests see their food. I had to put mine in my lap to actually see what I was eating. The Asian Salad wrap was tasty and the portion was quite enough. The Mac and cheese was very cheesy and had a nice blend of spicy chiles. The boozy shake was good but it was served in a glass that typically looks like a pina colada would have arrived in so I was a bit surprised by that. I guess I was expecting a old timey soda fountain glass or large pint glass. Portions are good size and I only finished half the wrap and half the mac and cheese. I was really pleased when our server came by and offered a to-go box BUT I was greatly disappointed when we walked off AND LEFT THE BOX ON THE TABLE. I hate it when I do that!!
The movie was excellent (Moana)! I wondered how it might be with constant dining service available throughout the movie and it was a little distracting but also easy to not pay too much attention to it. The servers crouch down when walking in the aisles and keep their conversations with patrons to a whisper. They also come by with your check about 3/4 through the movie. This part is a little distracting as there is a lot more movement of servers during the movie.
They run first run movies but also do sing-alongs (words on screen and audience can sing/quote along), movie parties (where patrons receive a themed prop to keep and use to celebrate with the movie), girls only movie parties, and they also run classics like It's a Wonderful Life, etc.
Overall, it is a fun experience. The movie prices are comparable to other movie theaters. The food is good and I like that the to-go box is offered. The food prices are comparable to a restaurant for the entrees but just a little pricey for apps. In the end, we ended up spending $64 for two people, tipping on the price pre-discount - the booze set us back only $14-16. It will be interesting to see how it will do w/the dinner/movie combos that other mainstream chains have been doing for a while.
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