The Best Dine-In Movie Theaters in America
The combination of dinner and a movie is one of America's favorite date-night choices. Now, some theaters around the country are allowing you to experience both at the same time. Dine-in movie theaters allow guests to eat their dinner while watching a movie, and these dinners offer menus that are far from standard concessions fair.
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We compiled a list of the best dine-in theaters across the country based on dining amenities, menu variety, price, and food quality. From California to Brooklyn, here are the best theaters across the country where you can catch and flick and also grab a bite.
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Foreign Cinema: San Francisco, CA
Opened in 1999, this restaurant-theater hybrid offers a daily changing California/Mediterranean-inspired menu. It's located in the heart of the Mission District, and viewers at this go-to date spot can come in the evening for dinner or for brunch on the weekends. Foreign and independent films are screened in the covered outdoor courtyard, where visitors can enjoy their meal. This restaurant is not serving standard movie-theater food - the menu changes every day, but is often composed of an oyster and shellfish bar in addition to starters and main dishes, regularly featuring fresh fish.
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Alamo Drafthouse
The first screen was put up in this draft house in 1997. Since then, the theater has grown to serve drinks and food to local movie-goers, and there are now various locations throughout Austin. The menu features "adult shakes," or alcoholic shakes, like the Irish Coffeeshake (Baileys Irish cream, vanilla ice cream, and coffee). The menus vary by chef and location, but many feature salads, pizzas, and burgers, along with snacks like wings or fried pickles.
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Asheville Brewery: Asheville, NC
This brewery and theater in one opened in 1995 and has since expanded to three locations. The company claims to be a "kid-friendly brewery," and their production brewery running seven days a week. Movie tickets are just $3 a piece, and guests can enjoy their award-winning pub food while they watch. Offering sandwiches, pizza, salads, and quesadillas (most named after movies), this theater has something both parents and kids will enjoy. Their house specialty is the Popeye's Spinach Burger, a spiced spinach patty covered in sautéed mushrooms and onions, Swiss cheese, and a special sauce.
Central Cinema: Seattle, WA
This theater offers a full menu and waiter service, all from comfortable sofa seating. Everything is made fresh to order and the theater even serves organic popcorn with real butter. The theater has a happy hour daily, which has specials on food and drinks, and there are a number of seasonal craft cocktails available. The menu features a variety of sandwiches, pizzas, and desserts. Notable plates are the braised short ribs and the savory curry and rice.
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The Theaters At Canal Place: New Orleans, LA
Formerly an art-house cinema, this theater underwent renovations and now visitors can watch blockbusters and indie movies while dining on Mediterranean-inspired dishes by chef Adolfo Garcia of Gusto Café & Bar, which is next to the theaters. The menu offers small plates served with flatbreads, like the Chef's Platter (Caponata Siciliana, marinated olives, hummus, tzatziki, and herbed ricotta). The chef also takes popcorn to another level, serving specialty popcorns like Parmigiano and black pepper popcorn, white truffle oil popcorn, and lemon and garlic popcorn.
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-Meredith Whitman, The Daily Meal
