Alamo Drafthouse

As much as I love going here for date nights I’m a little annoyed for getting turned away today while trying to see Finding Dory. When looking up show times I also made sure to check the website for anything mentioning age restrictions before taking the kids, couldn’t find anything except their normal policy on rated R. Once getting there I was told they do not allow anyone under the age of 3 regardless of the time. When I suggested they put the rules on their website I was told. «This has always been a rule». Sorry, I just moved here and was not aware your age policy was suppose to be known information. Please train your teenagers on professionalism during their new hire training.

I went to Alamo Drafthouse for the first time because they were having a special sing-​along screening, and I have to say the special screenings are absolutely worth it in every way. Yes, this is a great way to take in the latest new releases. But they don’t stop there, and that’s what makes them amazing.
All the comments about the pre-​show are right, it’s amazing. Rare finds, odd videos, a great mix of custom tailored stuff. The server was great, the fries with queso were amazing, and the adult milkshakes were absolutely phenomenal. The only issue I could possibly have is that we ate too much because it was all so tasty and the serving sizes were so generous. I can’t wait to go back.

This was my first time to the Alamo Drafthouse and unfortunately the service was less than expected.
I was there with three of my friends, saw x-​men apocalypse (pretty awesome!), and had dinner. The waiter didn’t make eye contact with two of us, messed up the order, and then disappeared for the night (we did get a new server but she seemed slightly upset about something). Normally I would’ve been a little upset by this and then would have let it go because the overall experience was nice. Too many things happened in a way that I feel needed attention:
the two individuals the server didn’t make eye contact were a little more ethnic looking than the two he did maintain eye contact with, he was obviously flustered and nervous, several more drinks were brought than were ordered and left in our field of view, three dishes were brought at the same time and the last dish was brought fifteen minutes later, one dish was missing ingredients and another had a very distinct heavy layering of salt, and then the server that replaced the previous one acted annoyed with our group.
Now any one of these things would have been dismissible but all of them together left the pleasant movie experience with a slightly sour undertone.
It’s unfortunate that as first time customers we received this type of service. I don’t think it’s all the servers fault but I feel the individual had a problem with my group and then chose to give us poor service. I could try and connect the dots and say why but I don’t actually know, all I know is that I walked away tonight dissatisfied with the service provided by the The Alamo Drafthouse.

Love this place — for their unique presentation of «related theme» movie clips, for its way of managing the place, and for the beers. A movie theatre with personalities.

Loved the idea of eating, drinking, and enjoying movie with no one kicking your seat, checking their phones, and/​or talking loudly! In reality, however, I think it’s not as perfect as it sounds (still pretty awesome though!). For example, I ordered a chile burger (aka very messy), and eating that in the dark is almost mission impossible. They also only gave me one piece of napkin, which was not enough, but my hands were too dirty to write and I can’t ask for it any other way.
I didn’t have alcohol, but the boys enjoyed the draft beer and liquor. I loved my chile burger, and I heard the fried chicken sandwich was amazing! Def. trying that next time. The whole experience was pretty good, even though there were a few minor inconveniences, they’re not really a big deal and didn’t take away from the experience.
All in all, highly recommend! (For those of you who are used to comfortable recline seats… those seats were not particularly comfortable. I’ve been spoiled with recliners and the small stiff seats did bother me a bit.)

This place spoiled me. I love everything darn things about this place. From the seating to the huge menu, this place is awesome. Drinks and popcorn are free refills, so make that a must get. They also have this thing that if people complain about you making noise, you will be kicked out and your money won’t go back home with you.
Please don’t forget to tell them I sent you. It want get you any discounts or anything, I just felt good typing it.

So, the theatre/​bar/​restaurant sounds like an awesome concept but unfortunately we never had a chance to experience it. I normally wouldn’t go this out of my way to see a movie, but some friends from the area kept talking the place up. My SO caved, bought us tickets in advance, we drove 40 min and when we arrived we were told that we couldn’t enter because the theater had to close due to a malfunction with their fire alarms.
That in itself doesn’t upset me because unfortunate things like this happen which are beyond anyone’s control. What bothers me is that the fire alarm issue they were referring to had apparently been going on all day, since 7AM, according to the staff member who explained the situation to us. Which begged the question, could they have not tried to reach out to people who purchased advance tickets? Fortunately, there is a good Indian restaurant next door… so much for the surprise date night!

Everyone else is telling you how amazing this place is… and I agree but because everyone has already said everything I would have said, here’s the thing I love the most. You only have to spend as much as you want!
Usually you buy a ridiculously expensive ticket and then add on and add on till you walk away spending as much as you would on a concert ticket but, at the Alamo you buy a cheap ticket and then add as much or as little as you want.

I really like Alamo Drafthouse. I live in Alexandria, so I don’t get there as often as I would like. I have eaten both in their bar and as part of a movie. I have enjoyed regular movie outings and themed quote alongs. It is always a good time. Their food is good, their staff is nice and I love that they take no talking in the theater seriously. The theater seats are really comfortable too. I am looking forward to more good movies at Alamo Drafthouse… wish it were closer to me.

This is my favorite theater. I think the food is great and love that I can order and eat while watching a movie. The service from the wait staff and food runners is always good. They enforce the rules of folks are talking or texting during a movie and I appreciate that. I haven’t had to deal with inconsiderate patrons. I think the folks who don’t follow the rules just find other theaters. I look forward to my next visit.

This place is awesome has everything. Great Food, Great Beer and is quieter than the average movie theater, even though they are serving during the movie.
Simply follow the 3 rules they have in place.
1. No cell phone
2. No talking
3. Don’t be late

Love their milkshakes! The previews are more fun with the videos or funny/​amusing mashups they throw together.
If they have to clean up theaters anyway, it makes perfect sense to sell a full menu. If you’re going to pay so much at the theater, you might as well get a meal out of it.
Though again, their adult milkshakes (and regulars) were the most delicious part. Sure, I enjoyed star wars. I was concerned that such a full theater with someone eating next to me could be distracting. Not really, it just enhanced the movie going experience.
High marks! Other theaters need to follow suit not to be replaced by Alamo Drafthouse or streaming.

Not Long Ago in a County Far, Far Away…
If you haven’t seen the Star Wars movie yet, consider this location. We’ve seen it not thrice but now four times and it’s still memorable.
We try to watch Star Wars in different settings when possible. So when the Hubs suggested this dining cinema, I was all for it.
Without spoiling anything, their pre-​show is fun and nostalgic. Quite a unique place due to their pre-​show. A custom-​made pre-​show for Star Wars. Very much doubt you’ll see anything similar or like it in a cinema. I wonder how they format their pre-​shows for the other movies…
The theater room is available about 30 minutes before the scheduled movie time. If they’re not ready yet, there’s a sign that stops you from entering.
Once they let you in, the pre-​show is playing on the big screen while moviegoers locate their seats and check-​out the menu.
Btw, stadium seating stepped layout is only from rows 4 and up. Rows 1 – 3 are not but fortunately nobody had big heads/​hair. Same quality seats for all the rows though.
Also if you’re a shorty like myself, the table in front of your reserved seat will seem far, far away (I’m 5′ 0″ tall) but you’ll manage. For everyone else, the distance should be fine.
The staff members are great. They’ll guide you through the menu-​ordering process. Friendly, fast, stealth, and must have healthy backbones. Bending over for hours can’t be easy. Kudos for crouching and smiling.
My baked pretzel arrived just when the movie started. Perfect timing. The outer layer of the pretzel was dark and dense w/​soft chewy inners. It came w/​2 sauces but none was needed. Very warm and comforting.
‘Twas nice to see my chamomile tea in a French press pot. Flavorful tea — I enjoy mine plain/​naked. Hit the spot.
About half an hour before the movie ended, the check arrived. Go ahead and get that done so you don’t have to wait too long. About 5 – 10 minutes later the staff members collected them. Very timely.
For your convenience, purchase/​reserve seats online. There is an online fee but worth it to choose your ideal seats. Just go to their web site.
This was worth the trip far, far away.

Of course, just like the Winchester location, this one is also getting a 5 star rating. It is the best movie experience anybody can get. ANYBODY.
The tickets are $ 10 a pop, which is a really good deal. But they aren’t looking for just ticket sales, no. These guys are also looking for you to buy AT LEAST two food items while watching your movie. And the food is still good. I still like their milkshakes, but the new brunch item was certainly pleasant. My friend got two kabobs and he said they were pretty good himself! I got the steak and eggs (Alamo also has a brunch menu for any screening prior to 2 pm). Steak was a not well done, which is fine because that probably would’ve ruined it, and the eggs came with hash browns and a side of greens. Nice touch. Really nice touch. Also got myself a pretzel which came with queso dip. Again, amazing.
As you should know about all Alamo Drafthouses, the strict «No Talking» rule. Please abide by it, you don’t want to get thrown out because you were too loud. That also goes for texting. Just turn your phone off or silence it before the movie starts and you’ll have people having a much better movie experience because of it, literally. The movies I have seen at the Alamo have never been terrible, let alone the movie experience, because of the fact that this policy is strictly enforced.
The parking there is a bit clumsy, as the theater is situated in the middle of a major shopping center in Loudoun County, as well as that its located only minutes from Dulles International Airport, so there’s constant airplane traffic as well. But once you’re inside the confines of the theater, you’ll love what you’re seeing and will want to come back. I sure will.

Since I’ve been here around 9 times (that I’ve remembered to check-​in on Unilocal), I figured I’d update my review for Alamo theatre.
As stated in my previous review, my bf and I go here as our theatre of choice in the area. I always come back and advantage of the student discount tickets for $ 9.50 (cheaper than many overpriced movie joints around Loudoun)!
The set-​up, sure, doesn’t have inclined seats but honestly, when people lay down and recline, they get tired so no thanks to that temptation during my cinematic experience. This is a no-​frills place, but I LOVE that it has unique character.
Do you like snacks? Drinks? Milkshakes? Dinner, even? You can get all of that at Alamo! There is a FULL menu and bar, and you have a server that discreetly checks-​up on you during the movie. POPCORN and SODA are FREE refills. You cannot beat that deal. They can be slow with refilling sometimes, but other than that, this theatre is A+.
In addition, another unique thing about Alamo is that they play a compilation of clips related to the movie you’re about to see. I absolutely LOVE this; it gets everyone in the theatre really pumped for the movie with some laughs and pop culture references. I watched Star Wars VII tonight, and I’ll admit I wasn’t a big fan before, but watching it at Alamo made me feel like a long-​time fan.
It’s all about the experience, and Alamo is the NUMBER ONE place around here for a good cinematic time!!!

Alamo Drafthouse is my kind of movie theater. No talking, no texting, and no arriving late. If you are caught causing a disturbance during the movie, there is no warning: your ass is outta there without a refund. That being said, the whole experience was terrific!
We came to see the Good Dinosaur, and before the movie started, they showed lots of neat old movie clips of dinosaur related material before the movie started, which I thought was a fun way to keep the audience entertained. Also, before the movie starts, you have the option to order food and drinks, which we did. We ordered a large popcorn (which comes with individual bowls), a soft pretzel and three cookies.
The pretzel was the star of the show, yet for advertising it came with «honey» mustard, it was anything but sweet. I don’t know what was in it, but it tasted like horseradish and hellfire. The Queso was great: smooth, creamy and just the right hint of spice. The cookies were great too; my personal favorite was the peanut butter banana. What a great idea for a cookie flavor!
All in all, great moviegoing experience. I’d love to come back for some nostalgic classics or a movie premier. A+

I’ve been to Alamo Drafthouse many times in Texas, so I was excited to find one in VA while visiting family. To be near a theater that serves both alcoholic drinks and food is rare, so it’s hard to complain about it!
Pros
— A movie ticket for a Friday night runs about $ 9. This is a fair price compared to other movie theaters, then you get the option to order food and drinks!
— They have a nice bar in the lobby if you want to meet friends early and enjoy.
— Their mixed drinks, wine, and beer menu is quite expansive! You have a full bar to utilize, and the drinks are good. They aren’t strong, but they aren’t weak, so it works well for watching a movie. I think my flavored vodka and rum tall mixed drink was about $ 9-​$ 10 (that’s a double versus the regular sized drinks).
— The bottomless popcorn for $ 7 is perfect! I split it with a friend, and they even put our extra buttered popcorn in two separate silver bowls to enjoy.
Tips
— Arrive early to order food and drinks before the movie begins. It can be hard to read the menu in the dark, plus it’s distracting from the movie. Once you get started early, it’s easy to write your refills on the sheet of paper for the wait staff to grab and deliver without talking during the movie. We arrived 30 minutes early to get good seats and start our food/​drinks orders.
Cons
— Salt and pepper shakers are not available at the seats, so make sure to ask for them if you typically add them to meals (same with condiments). The bottomless popcorn was not salty at all, so it would have been nice to have a shaker or packet of salt provided with it upfront.
— The food/​drinks table and seats are very close together, so it’s a tight squeeze when people need to walk in and out of the row. This is probably so you can enjoy your food close to the table, but definitely could use a few extra inches of space!
Alamo Overall
For the people who complained about the pre-​movie entertainment having 1970s clips and old stuff, that is part of Alamo’s style! While they show new movies like every other theater, their pre-​movie entertainment is a mix of old, new, quirky, fun clips. Alamo is also known for hosting fun «throwback» nights where they show movies from every decade (i.e. Breakfast Club, I Know What You Did Last Summer, black and white movies, etc.) and even host sing-​a-​long parties (yes, like Beyonce, Britney, etc. singalong parties in a theater!).
I’m glad they show the reminder to keep cell phones put away because outside of having phones on silent, it’s important to remind people to keep them «dark» as well. It’s super annoying to see someone’s bright phone lit up out the corner of your eye while they text during a movie. Alamo takes these rules seriously and you will get ejected if a manager receives more than one complaint about you. Go to Alamo to WATCH A MOVIE. You have plenty of time to text before the movie begins.
I highly recommend this theater for a fun outing with friends and family!

Tonight was my first time visiting Alamo. The popcorn is bottomless which is awesome! The waiter will come refill your drink and popcorn throughout the film. My GF had the veggie burger she said it tasted ok. (Not bad not great)
I had the Bailey’s shake it was delicious and the milk shake straw is a nice addition.
I was disappointed in the comfort of the chairs. They don’t recline and the arm rest is not adjustable.
The cost of the ticket is very reasonable compared to the prices in DC.

It’s been a couple of years since my last review so I would like to update. For the past few years, we venture over to this theatre despite the high price point. Reason #1: their popcorn is AH-MAZING…add extra butter and we get the best popcorn in the world… seriously, for $ 7 a bowl with free refills delivered to your seat, and served in a stainless steel bowl… what is not to like. Their menu is extensive, complete with adult bevvies, kids meals, and cool burgers and sandwiches.
On our more recent visit for the showing of Jurrasic World, we had a wonderful server. He introduced himself, took our first orders, and was there to take any drink refills ($ 5) and popcorn and food orders.
The stadium style roomie seating is my kind of theatre watching experience. No one kicks my seat, and I don’t get a foot in my back from those lovely kids who love kicking the heads of people in front of them.
I love this theatre, but I do wish they offered matinée pricing.

Intimate theaters with an elaborate pre-​show ritual of watching cartoons, skits, PSA’s, foreign movie clips, and all kinds of weird, but very funny stuff before the start of the show. It’s also when the servers are taking orders and you can still have your phone on without fear of getting thrown out. showing up for the pre-​show is advised.
Sadly the downside to this place is the food. I had very mediocre pizza, kind of chewy, kind of maybe ok if you are very hungry, but mostly flavorless and leading me to rethink my frequent statements about how I had never met a pizza I wouldn’t eat. That is still true-​ish here. I ate most of my pizza, but I certainly would never encourage anyone to suffer through one.
Arrive early and get your tickets as the seats are reserved. A good call would be to arrive early, buy tickets, eat nearby, but drink at the theater.