If I remember correctly, the Lakewood Alamo is not under the same ownership as the others in Austin, and the menu is different. Apparently the prices suck too. Glad I don't live in that area. I've never been to the Lakewood location, but the others in Austin kick ***. Also, sometimes I'll use the light on my cell phone (which is silenced of course) to read the menu or the bill under the table.
Have you read your mortgage contract lately? You may want to check and make sure you don't have an ARM that's about to reset.
Again, I'm not sure the markup on the beer, even 17.50 is out of line with other theaters. That's how they make their money. They get very little from ticket fees.
The only time eating bothers me is in an almost empty theater watching a reletively quiet movie. So, in those cases, I pick the seat carefully and have a snack of my own at the ready. In a full theater there is plenty of white noise so that no single noise is noticeable. In a loud movie, I never notice any noises. Eating and drinking is part of the Alamo experience. The cost is high, that's why I smuggle beers in! Just kidding. Not a great place to watch a quiet movie with lot's of dialogue.
I won't even bother going to the movies unless it's at the Alamo. The last three times I went someplace else the movie was ruined by dipsh** ******** on the phone, or talking about their job, or rattling grocery bags full of foil wrapped candy that they've snuck into the theater. Oh yeah, then there was the time I saw Sin City at Gateway were a guy literally laid down two rows behind me and proceeded to provide "smell-o-vision" for the Yellow Bastard scenes. That was ******* awesome. I've never had a bad experience at the Drafhouse.
I'm another in the category of won't go anywhere but the Alamo. The only negative experience I've had at all 4 theaters in town was at the Lake Creek--when some fat cuntbag demanded to know "if we were going to talk all through the movie." It was the ******* PREVIEWS and we were whispering. I would guess that some of the Lake Creek moviegoers just aren't hip to the whole Alamo experience. Come in from Cedar Park, Leander, whatever, and expect the same old theater thing. By the way, the Alamo has the best pizza in town. I am not kidding. RoundhouseSpouse and I would sooner shoot ourselves in the head than not order pizza and a bucket o' beer there. And being able to see some weird-*** **** that I'd NEVER be able to see elsewhere is invaluable.
I'm thinking of going to a bar this weekend not sure though with all those people drinking and such. I prefer drinking at home by myself. I may just stay home. Nevermind.
As a Dallas resident, I find this post apphauling. Anybody want to turn the knife with a never-again HEB post?
Some people can ***** about anything. Why didn't you just wait 2 more hours to go to the "other" theatre??? Man I bet you have a heart attack when order beers at a sporting event. Stupid thread. Master Pancake is probably the best thing ever, and the Drafthouse in general is one thing that is good in this world. And add me to the list of only going to the Drafthouse. Here is something some of you probably haven't heard of. I'm having my rehearsal dinner at the Lakecreek location in two weeks. Best fuckin idea ever.
Regular movie theater = shut the f**k up. Alamo Greatness = eat, drink beer, laugh loudly and partake Each has it's purpose. You don't go to Jamaica to snow ski nor do you go to Vail to wear a Speedo and eat jerk wings in balmy weather in the winter. Well, you should not ever wear a Speedo, come to think of it, sadly. Sadly thought about it.
Lakecreek is the worst Alamo, but it's still head and shoulders above regular theaters. Since we moved last year, Lakecreek is the closest Alamo to us. If we plan ahead, we'll go to a different Alamo. I will no longer go to a regular theater unless what we want to see isn't playing at Alamo or Alamo is sold out. I'll gladly pay $9 for a glass of wine and $5 for a beer at the movies if it means (1) I can have a glass of wine or a beer at the movies without fear of getting thrown out merely for having a glass of wine or beer at the movies...which hasn't happened in about 15 years; (2) I don't have to deal with someone's unruly, near-tribal children; and (3) I can write on a piece of paper that someone near me is being loud and know that within minutes of putting that piece of paper up that Ann Richards will take their asses out without me having to get up and find someone to complain to. Still...$5 domestics and $5-$10 glasses of wine are pretty close to standard at a lot of bars and restaurants now.
I feel your pain. I went to College Station the other day and went in this nice bar called the Dixie Chicken, and the damned place was full of aggys. Ruined my entire experience.
I love the drafthouse. I love their homemade trailer montages. I love that no kids are ever in the shows I go to. I love that they show non-mainstream movies attended by people who don't ask their friends to explain the movie as it goes along. I love that you can get a beer and a sandwhich for the same price as regular theaters charge you for a large coke and popcorn tub. I love the special events and menu pairings. I love the Rolling Roadshow. I love that they seem to just get the type of moviegoer that I am without either of us having to explain it to the rest of Texas. Puddle/Cruiser nailed it. I won't go to any other movie theater. Life is too short to deal with Tinseltowns, Regals and Cinemarks of this world.
Alamo rules. Local theater, sells beer, and I watched the Horns beat USC on the big screen there. It will forever hold a special place in my heart.
No way I would go to a movie like NCFOM at Alamo Drafthouse - or any movie that I wanted to watch very intently for that matter. I've been there when it wasn't bad, but I've also been there when it was almost as noisy as Chuy's during happy hour - well maybe not THAT bad. As far as eating in a movie, I have to have popcorn unless I've just eaten. It's the American way. The prices at the regular movie theater concessions are highway robbery, but short of smuggling in a bag of Orville Redenbacher and a couple of DP's in my wife's purse (yes, I've done that, but wouldn't recommend it on a first date), I usually spring for popcorn and drinks.
It's funny, people are VERY passionate about this place. Every now and then you get someone like the OP or myself that feels distracted by all the **** going on, and we get just hammered. To each his own.
