I'll tell you one thing: You don't go to a Silver Snail for the service or value. You go because it's a fairly iconic part of the geek world. It's like Macy's for geeks.
I don't know if that's worth it. It seems whenever I go they either don't really have anything I want, or it's more than I'm willing to give for it. I frequently find myself poking in the bargain bin just so I don't walk away empty handed.