Eating a meal while watching a movie is no longer relegated to the realm of couch potatoes. At Denver’s Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, located in Littleton, moviegoers can watch new releases and cult classics alike, all while being served their favorite foods and drinks. While this idea sounds like the best of both worlds, it is logistically hard to execute and can lead to some awkward moments.
The Alamo Drafthouse is located at 7301 S. Santa Fe Drive, about 20 minutes south of DU. The massive theater has numerous screens inside its complex as well as a small restaurant and bar area. But why choose between movie-watching and eating when one could do both simultaneously?
The experience was a new one for these grinders. Upon taking one’s seat (which were ample and comfortable) in the theater, a server walks through the aisle and explains how to order food and drink. Attached to the seats are small tables analogous to the desks used in DU classrooms. Each table is shared by two patrons, so if you didn’t know the person sitting next to you, you will by the end of the night, as you’ll be eating and drinking off the same small surface. This is one drawback of the establishment: Unless you want to eat right next to a random stranger, the eating component seems geared towards couples or a pair of friends.
Another problem we discovered while eating is the lack of light. While groping around in the near-complete darkness might be fun in some circumstances, it’s not an ideal way to eat a meal. We were perturbed while eating crudité and hummus: was that a pickle or a zucchini we just picked up? Was that kernel of popcorn adequately buttered and seasoned? While the idea of eating during a film is a great one—and we applaud the Alamo Drafthouse trying to implement it—it is logistically challenging.
The quality of the food is adequate, and the menu is primarily composed of pub food, including appetizers like loaded fries, baked pretzels and queso. The restaurant also serves various types of pizza, burgers, salads and wraps. Additionally, the multi-page menu offers breakfast options for earlybird moviegoers as well as local, in-season goodies like Hatch green chiles in queso and burgers. We stuck to appetizers, sampling the bottomless popcorn with real butter and seasoned parmesan topping as well as the hummus and vegetable platter. We attempted to sample the baked pretzel as well, but to our utter and complete disappointment, the kitchen ran out. Due to the nature of this fast-paced theater/restaurant, however, we were never told this was the case and were therefore presented with a bill without having received all of our order. This highlighted another problem with the Alamo Drafthouse: On busy nights, like the completely-full premiere we saw, the staff seems to run behind, and food orders may take up to 45 minutes to arrive.
In addition to a hefty food menu, the Drafthouse also serves up drinks galore, including beers on draught and in bottles, cocktails and alcoholic milkshakes; we sampled the latter, specifically a mint-green sensation called The Grasshopper, a blend of mint and chocolate liqueurs as well as ice cream and whipped cream. It was excellent–well-balanced with just the right blend of alcohol and sweetness.
The patrons of the Alamo Drafthouse are a diverse group, with avid moviegoers sitting beside couples and friend groups. However, it limits its clientele to those age 18 and up, specifying that minors can only attend if accompanied by a parent. Its appeal is to the unexpected and the new. Its atmosphere is decidedly different, as instead of dining and conversing with a group or individuals, patrons’ focus is divided between eating in the darkness and enjoying the film on the screen. Theater staff strictly enforce a no-talking and no-phone policy, so forget chatting or checking the time while eating and watching here.
Overall, while it certainly has its flaws, the Alamo Drafthouse offers a unique moviegoing and dining experience and merits at least one try from the public.
