Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

Reviews 4

KE

Kendra Richling

Ever wonder if you should go to the Alamo Draft House? Let me save you the pain of wondering… DON’T GO! If you don’t head my warning and decide to give it a try, allow me to make some suggestions so your first time isn’t COMPLETELY RUINED like ours. First, to start off with the service: 1. If you intend to eat there, be sure to show up at least 30 minutes before your movie begins. If you don’t, you’ll be forced to try and eat your meal without any lighting and on a table that is too high. (For example, my husband literally had to hold his plate on his lap so he could use the tiny light under the table to cut up his dinner). 2. Be sure to ASK for silverware, because they won’t bring it to you. (We had to ask for silverware AFTER they brought our meal). 3. Be sure to ASK for any condiments that might increase the enjoyment of your meal, because they won’t bring it to you. (They never brought any catsup or mustard for my husband’s burger, and since they NEVER came back to check on us, we didn’t have the opportunity to ask.) 4. After you’ve ordered your meal (and silverware and condiments) and have received your dinner, be sure to check to make sure your order was prepared correctly before the server quickly runs off. (I ordered no onions or croutons on my salad, and when it arrived, alas, it was covered in onions and croutons. Since I was famished, I chose to pick them off instead of sending it back, which was a task in itself since there are no small table lights to help me discard the unwanted food. LUCKILY, I’m not allergic to either. Oh! I guess I should’ve put the salad on my lap and used the tiny light under our table!) 5. I also recommend ordering another beverage the moment your food arrives, because if you wait, it’ll be a while since they NEVER check on you. (It was near the end of the movie before we received our 1st refill). 6. DO NOT expect any customer service when you dine at the Alamo Draft House. Be sure to lay out every single thing in your written request and stand it up ASAP so you only have to wait 5 minutes or so to have your request completed. Also be sure you ASK FOR EVERYTHING as they will not check on you. As for the theater itself: Pros: • They have digital projection • The sound is excellent • There is plenty of room to walk through the aisles for bathroom breaks Cons: • The seats are incredible and uncomfortably close together. • You must pay for pre-assigned seats, so if you’ve never experienced their theaters, it makes it very difficult to know what is and is not a good seat. • Be sure to bring a blanket as it was FREEZING in there! I was wearing two shirts and a heavy winter coat with my hood on the entire time! (It was colder in there than the football game I attended in November.) • The seats are quiet uncomfortable, so if you have back problems, I’d suggest bringing a small pillow on which to sit. Unfortunately, this first impression is not one I’ll forget, and my husband and I will never return. Im a bit bummed that I have to actually give a start. I wouldve chosen no stars had I had the option.

JE

Jeremy Howell

There was a time that I couldnt go to any other theater. I sang their praises: loved their events, the ads are fun, food was great, and I love that they enforce their no phones/talking rule. In the last year, the level of service and friendliness of staff has hit rock bottom. I had a few visits of no return service, cold food, and servers outright forgetting to close tabs (credits half rolled and nobody had returned for payment??). Servers used to be very discreet during movies, but have started hovering right in your view, dropping checks during pivotal moments, and generally became very distracting. You better pray you never forget anything in this place - youll never get it back. On my last visit, there was a snowstorm and the theater momentarily lost power. As a result, the show ended late. I left in a hurry, knowing the drive home would be slow, and upon arriving home realized I forgot something at my seat. Their phone-line directs you to a voicemail for lost & found, promising that they check messages daily. Two days, no return call. I called again. Never heard back. Eventually, I chose to just go in and talk to somebody. Coincidentally, the woman in front of me was also asking them to check their lost & found - whaddaya know, they didnt have it. When it was my turn, the woman I talked to was irritable and rude. She groaned and rolled her eyes. It was the single most inconvenient thing in the world for her to check the lost & found. Mind you, it was mid-afternoon and there was no line behind me. She wasnt in the back for even a minute to check for my item, and returned to say shortly, "Dont have it," and I ceased to exist. Shocked by the way this woman treated me, I contacted their corporate office. They were very friendly and offered to mail me a replacement. This was above and beyond what I expected... until the weeks rolled by, and nothing came. I contacted them again, and they said they would check on the status of my replacement. Never heard back, and its been 4 months. I give up. Love the concept, but the management has some sorting out to do. I dont tend to patron businesses that find me inconvenient, particularly after how loyal I was once. I havent been back, and dont intend to.

KY

Kyle Vick

The standard rate ticket price for Alamo Drafthouse in Littleton is $11.25. For the same ticket at AMC youll pay $9.50--a difference of $1.75 per ticket. So what are you getting for that extra $1.75 per ticket? A reserved seat, which means no standing in some stupidly long line for the latest insane blockbuster (SW:TFA). A table that is discreetly underlit so as to not visually disturb during movies. That same table, while on the slightly small side, is adequate enough to hold two meals and drinks. Children under 18 are not allowed in most showings without a parent present, and some showings disallow children under 6 entirely. Coupled with the fact that if you prove to be an audible or visual (cell phone) disturbance, you will be summarily removed from the theater and not invited back. These points go toward ensuring everyone enjoys the movie-going experience. And to be able to have a true craft beer menu (shut up and go away, Blue Moon/Shocktop) served in non-frosted glasses as opposed to plastic cups (its not a raucous sporting event, AMC) is wonderful. The food menu is priced on par with Chilis/Applebees, with quality about the same, and better in some instances. I gladly pay the extra $1.75 for the wonderful experience that is Alamo Drafthouse, and encourage all of my friends and acquaintances to do the same. What could be improved? Wait staff are often overwhelmed and not timely enough in addressing orders. It often seems that there are only two waiters/waitresses for any given room, which is woefully inadequate during the early and later stages of the movie. However, they do their best to remain low, quiet, and as unobtrusive as possible during the film.

LU

Luci Dale

My husband and I have been frequent customers of the Alamo Drafthouse since it opened. It was immediately our favorite date place and the only theater we saw movies. I bragged about the service, the diverse menu, and the entertaining preshow before the film. However, this last year weve gone here less frequently due to poor service. This last time was the worst. The server left us with empty water cups most of the movie without one refill. Checks are usually brought to customers 30-45 min before the movie ends, but this time she took care of checks an hour before the movie ended and we never saw her again after that. Thats frustrating because I actually put up a request for more water and also to request a box for my popcorn. I stuck around in the theater to try and catch a staff member for a box, but there were none. I ended up taking my popcorn bowl into the lobby with me to get it boxed. There was no one at the ticket counter, but there were a bunch of people sitting at the bar in the restaurant. The door was locked, but we made eye contact, I showed them my bowl of popcorn, and I asked if they could let me in. The only one who responded, did so by mocking me. He made gestures telling me to eat the popcorn instead of opening the door for me to make my request. A different guy came around the back with a box and he mentioned that the restaurant was closed and it was only staff members back there. Classy, alamo, having your staff take drinks at the bar and mock customers instead of seeing what they need. You have left a bad taste in my mouth.