AMC Dine-in Theatres Esplanade 14

I’m not a huge movie goer and much less to fancy places seeing how I’m from Idaho, so this place was freaking awesome for me and like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
It’s definitely not cheap, but I was pretty dang impressed with the food. I had the Mediterranean Mac and it was huge and a couldn’t finish it but it was super good, and my wife had the appetizer sampler and everything on that was really good. So all in all the food was surprisingly really good.
The seats were amazing. Suuuuuper comfy and they recline mechanically. There was also so much space and didn’t feel at all crammed like most other movie theaters. The only real problem I had was I couldn’t really see the bottom of the screen. I don’t know if it was just the row we were sitting in that made it hard to see the bottom of the screen but it sucked. I had to really sit up to see the bottom. But other than that it was amazing!

This is our favorite theatre and the service had improved with age. Cinema Suites is the most comfortable with the larger chairs.
They have changed their menu and I really like it. So far we’ve had the pretzel bites, quinoa salad bowl, chopped salad bowl and the brussel sprouts appetizer, which in my opinion was to die for! Just wish they still had the veggie appetizer platter.

In the past, this WAS the greatest way to see a movie, great menu, surprisingly excellent food, comfortable seats, advanced purchase reserved seating that’s effortless… What changed is that the last three visits the food was terrible. The menu is simpler but it’s a much lower quality in preparation and ingredients. The Avacado/​crab sushi last night did it for me though, it was by far the worst sushi roll I have ever tasted. Will not be going back.

I used to give this place 5 stars, but since corporate changed the food I downgraded it. Everything is completely inedible — how do you screw up pretzels? However, we love the reclining chairs and the staff is amazing — they even know us by name! (Thanks to Simone, Ana and Lindsey!) We had two incidents where the movie was canceled because the fire alarm came on and the power went out, but they quickly gave everyone refunds and free tickets to a future show.
All in all, still great, but please change back the food!

Eh. The idea is cool but unfortunately this place doesn’t meet me expectations.
The seats in the theaters with recliners are awesome! Tons of space and the chairs are comfortable. The service was fast and the employees are very nice.
The last time I went, we were in one of the larger theaters due to the moving being a new release. The service was still fast but these seats are so crammed together. They do not recline and your knees are maybe a few inches from touching the seat in front of you. They are still the cushion type seats but are not comfortable due to how close they all are.
As for the food, falls flat and it’s overpriced. I would compare it to the microwaved food from Applebee’s, but honestly, it is worse. No flavor and cold. I would guess the tickets to be the same as a regular theater due to the price of the food but the tickets are also more expensive. I know there are plenty of other theaters in the valley with big comfy reclining chairs and the ticket prices are normal.
My last visit the movie was at 10:30, we arrived very early and waited. It took them over 45 minutes to clean the theater and we were not allowed to enter until 10:30, the start time of the movie. This was an inconvenience because they started it up right away giving no one time to really get settled after waiting for the staff forever. I’ve never had this happen before. I’ve always been able to enter a theater at least 15 minutes before the previews to get settled in. Maybe they need more staff for cleaning the larger theaters when there are new releases.
… And to be honest eating mediocre food in the dark that I can’t first see scares me a little.

I’m going to start with you are paying for the experience of having dinner and a movie. For someone who works in the «industry» we have a saying «Hotel and Airport prices… what can you do.» The same applies here. You should expect to drop $ 100 for tickets, app, 2 entrees, and dessert (their shakes are huge so you can easily share this) The food is mediocre but the serving sizes are fair.
Here’s why they got too stars. Part of the experience is having a button in case you need a refill on your drink, want to order something a little extra etc. Kind of like calling your steward on an airplane. So half way through the movie I push my button. My $ 4.50 + tax coke was empty. 10 minutes go by still no one comes. My daughter pushes her button as she doesn’t have any more of her drink left. Another ten minutes go by STILL no one comes.
Okay… SHIT happens. I get up and leave the theater (like you would at a normal theater where drinks are only $ 3) and go ask the very sweet bartender if I can get some assistance in the theater because we’ve pushed the button and could really use some drinks. She says absolutely.
I kid you not 15 minutes before the movie ends a girl (who was not the person I ordered from) rudely asked what we needed. Really!!!
For the price that you are paying for the «experience» service should be included. And if you provide a tool to help with that service it should be used. And when it’s used and you fall short when I ask for help (politely as I totally get it the things happen) don’t be rude.
I will eat at a restaurant next time and go to a movie afterwards. Sorry AMC

I used to go here all the time but moved, so this location was more inconvenient for me, so only came back occasionally. We Just moved back to the area and was excited to be back at my theatre! But instead of leaving with my group talking about the movie, we were left with sticky shoes and questioning how clean the kitchen was.
One of the first in the area, this AMC provides the «total movie going experience» dinner, drinks and snacks are available here and the concept works, but somehow this location stresses me out.
Carpeting needs cleaning, napkins and popcorn everywhere, dirty dishes still on the handicap table, and the floor in the theatre extremely sticky with probably weeks of spilt soda. As you arrive, usually you are served immediately so food and beverage prep can begin, but we waited, and waited, and waited. No one showed for a while so I went out to ask if we could get some service while also mentioning the state of our theatre.
After the previews started service began. No big deal. Get my soda and popcorn pretty quick, but as the movie starts, food jeeps coming. So distracting. We’re into the movie by about 20 min and people are still getting their food!
Management really needs to step it up here. One lady was great though. I expressed my disappointment and concerns and she handled it beautifully. Thus is why I’m giving three stars instead of one.

I dont know what’s worse… Not being greeted by the grungy boring staff at the bar or paying $ 8 for 5 quarter size boneless wings… its safe to say i will not be returning to this once great location, as everything has gone downhill since my last visit here.
This is the biltmore for God’s sake, you have an image of being a high class establishment in a well to do area. Guess that doesnt matter anymore considering every staff member i saw needed to take a shower and brush their hair. And when you work at the bar its good to engage with the customers and maybe smile a lil bit.
Also we bought tickets for a movie that surprised everyone as being 3D, when that was not indicated on the tickets we bought. I hate 3D movies because they make me sick and my eyes dont adjust well which makes a lot of the movie hard to watch and out of focus. Also if you want to recline in your seat you might want to rethink that, because you wont be able to see the bottom half the screen because each row is separated by walls that are much too tall. Good luck to anyone who wants a mediocre experience with overly high prices. Never to return!

This place has really gone downhill. It’s so sad because it was my little treat to myself to be pampered with drinks and food while I enjoyed a quality movie. I came here last night and there were about 6 or 7 very awkward and impersonal employees behind the bar. My girl and I opened a tab and we’re just hanging out until our movie started and at least 4 people in a row asked us if we wanted to close our tab. After telling 3 previous employees we wanted to keep our tab open, we finally decided on the 4^th ask to close out. How annoying! Do you not understand the concept of an open tab? Everyone here looks frumpy and ungroomed. The whole staff needs a shower and a haircut. I also noticed the crowd is now a bunch of scummy looking people.
Now for the food: $ 8 for 5 boneless chicken bites. Ru fucking kidding me?
The theater: giant dividers between each row made it very difficult for me to see the screen.
In theater wait staff: Slow and incompetent.
We purchased tickets online for the 2d version of Star Wars and of course we show up and they tell us it’s 3D. We were offered a refund but we had waited long enough to see the movie.
Conclusion: This theater is no longer worth the amount of money they charge. The wait staff is unpleasant and boring, you are no longer treated as high class to match the ticket price, crowd is a bunch of skanks.

Coke sprite and diet… what about the other 97 choices on the menu… dump, dirty, rippped seats, dirty floor no soap in restrooms. Servers are nice but place is worn and a
Dump… Harkins is way better.

I wanted to love this concept more, but in the end it seemed awkward and more of a hassle. Firstly, these are not reclining seats. They do lean back more than a regular seat, but recline is too much credit. When you order food the server does this before the movie and doesn’t really explain the process such as how/​when you pay. Food gets brought in and is handed down the line, which is weird when you are sitting next to people you don’t know and you are trying to figure out who’s got what when the movie is going. More distracting than anything.
The food itself was good for theater junk. Didn’t have high expectations for magically delicious gourmet, but it was decent for sure.
The theater was clean, but confusing. You can’t go get your popcorn at the normal place, you have to order it from your seat. The staff was nice. It was a nice screen and the seats (while not fully reclining) were comfy. I feel like this model could be utilized more efficiently and effectively and than this dining experience would be awesome, but as is, it’s just not functional.

I’ve lived in the neighborhood for while, but never tried out AMC Esplanade until a few weeks ago. We’d always go to Harkins or Studio Movie Grill out of habit. And while I really like the quality of the theater and the location, the food leaves much to be desired.
First off, I love being able to pick my seats online ahead of time. We use the AMC app to book our tickets, which also allows us to get points through their AMC Stubs rewards program. The seats themselves are great — plush leather reclining seats. Super comfy for watching a movie. And the theaters only hold maybe 40 people max, so it feels much more like a private theater.
The food is really the only thing I don’t like. We’ve tried the appetizer sampler, the burger, and the chicken tenders. All were really greasy and poor quality for what you pay for. I’d almost prefer regular movie theater conessions to this. I did try the quinoa bowl which is the only item on the menu I’ve enjoyed there.
Great for a matinée, but if you want a full service movie theater I’d recommend studio movie grill or iPic.

I just saw Spectre at the AMC Dine-​In Theatres Esplanade and was blown away!
Besides being a thrilling movie, the concept of the AMC Dine-​In Theatres Esplanade is absolutely genius!
Basically, it’s a movie theater and restaurant rolled into one. You are able to enjoy a show with a varied menu and full cocktail bar including seat-​side service with the push of a button.
How it works:
1. Choose a movie & showtime
2. Reserve seats
3. Press call button at seat and a server takes your order
When you get to the theater, you will see a spacious lobby with a couple of places to order: AMC Red Kitchen, (which they will deliver to your seat), as well as MacGuffins Bar and Lounge.
There are 2 options:
Cinema Suites
A theater for grown up guests with recliners, the full menu and full bar.
Fork & Screen
A causal, family friendly restaurant in the movie theater.
At showtime, find your reserved super comfy recliner and enjoy! If you’re hungry or thirsty, simply press the button and a server will be there directly to take your order.
Dine-​In Menu
Snacks & Shares $ 8
Boneless Wings
House Fries
Loaded Tots
Wedge Lettuce Cups
Crab & Avocado Sushi Roll
Crispy Shrimp Sushi Roll
Buttermilk Biscuit Poppers
Crispy Brussel Sprouts
Pretzel Bites
Big Bite Sampler
Burgers $ 12
Salads $ 12 Full/​$ 8 Side
Baskets $ 16
Southern-​Style Chicken Tenders
Fish & Chips
Taco Trio
Quesadillas
Mac $ 12
Traditional
Gumbo
Mediterranean
Luxe
Sweets $ 8
Doughnuts
Milk Shakes
Although the Dine-​In Theatres are in 11 states, the Esplanade location at 24^th/​Camelback is the only one in Phoenix.
For more information:
I ⁵⁄₅ highly recommend AMC Dine-​In Theatres Esplanade!

This place is awesome. Comfy chairs (although they don’t recline :(…), full bar, reasonable tickets ($ 8.75 for matinée), reservable seats, and BEST OF ALL waiter service! Oh yeah, they come around to your seat before the show and multiple times during to see if you want another beer or some more popcorn and then present you with a bill at the end of the show. For me, this is the place to watch movies in Phoenix.

I can walk to this place to catch a movie (5 stars on that), but ewww, the food just isn’t worth it. Maybe if I’d had a few more drinks and written my review immediately after, the place would have earned a higher rating, but I didn’t and so, it earns what it deserves.
I did enjoy the comfort of the big seat, and the second time here, I didn’t order anything to eat, which made my whole experience a lot better.
The whole idea, however, behind «dine-​in» is to EAT, right? Why go watch a movie at a dine-​in theatre if I’m not going to EAT?

My wife and I stopped in to watch a movie while in town on vacation. We visited theater 8 and there is not a large theater and the seating is limited. This is normally a bad thing however, it makes more room for the comfortable seats and space between rows so you don’t feel cramped or on top of the person next to you.
The server was polite and friendly. He got our order correct and was very quick to respond when we pressed the button. We only ordered candy, drinks, and popcorn. The popcorn is free refills and is a LARGE bucket of popcorn. The butter came in small containers so we could pour it ourselves and mix up the popcorn at the same time.
The main reason I dropped a star was the menu is loaded with items they do not have currently. The beverage menu is LOADED with all the soda choices you could ask for. However, they have NONE of them only serving Coke products currently. This is a real disappointment when you look at the menu and decide on something then told it’s not available.
The other reason for the loss of a star was the seating area was cleaned. However, the little swing around table tops were left VERY wet and hard to see that when sitting down in the low lighting so I got this on my arm and shirt. I had to use my napkin to then dry off the table.
Other than those two areas of opportunity it was a good visit.

Yes, the 21+ box seats are comfortable. Yes, it’s cool to be able to push a button and have a drink delivered to your seat. Sure, eating actual food instead of movie theater food is probably a lot healthier.
However, the seats at the AMC theater down in Tempe are just as comfortable, and although they don’t recline like the fancy ones at this theater do, the theater down there also doesn’t have a wall that cuts off the very bottom aspect of your movie screen. The food here is pretty poor in quality, so we don’t often take advantage of this option. The drinks are nothing special, a little too sugar-​based for me. The tickets are much higher in price here than at any normal AMC theaters in the Valley.
If you’re going to offer food and drinks at your theater, you’re going to be making a lot more money off your customers since they’re going to be buying more to eat and drink. I’m pretty sure that movie theaters make most their money on concessions, and combining a theater and a restaurant/​bar is a neat trick to increase your profits. Therefore, I would suggest that your base prices be cheaper at an AMC dine-​in theater, or at least equally priced to any other AMC theater instead of marked up. If someone doesn’t take advantage of the food option at this theater, the price for a ticket here is horrendously overpriced, especially when you can find other AMC theaters that are just as comfortable down south.
That said, this theater always seems to sell out in advance, so I won’t argue against the business plan anymore. Instead, I’ll drive a bit out of my way to watch a movie in equal comfort for a third of the price.

We grabbed a movie here recently. Liked the valet parking. Nice food selection and we tried the Sushi roll and I believe the Chicken Strips. Both were good. Server was fast and overall a fun way to spend a couple hours.

I’ve been to this theater many times. After reading some of the negative reviews I decided to post my own. The dine-​in option at this theater is NOT fine dining, it is convenience food. The food is expensive and not very good. I don’t eat meat so there are even fewer options for me. You can’t go wrong with their popcorn, it’s one size fits all or bring your own snack.
We were at this theater a couple of months ago and a couple brought their young child and their baby. Once the baby started crying they left. I disagree with one review that said this place is not for kids. If an animated kid friendly movie is showing by all means bring your kid along. If it’s an adult film leave your kid at home.
We pay a little bit more to come here because the seats are extremely comfortable and my husband can enjoy a beer while enjoying the movie. The staff has always been friendly, courteous and quiet.
Two tickets for a mid week matinée = $ 21.

This AMC is the movie theatre to go to. 1 visit here and you will never wanna go back to a normal movie theatre again.
If you have coin to drop and a date, impress her by bringing her here. The fully stocked bar and kitchen bring a nice touch to movies.
For 15 $ a ticket you get a fully functional lazy boy, waiter, table and a blanket of you want it. Cruse through there full menu that adapts with winter items and summer beers. I am impressed every time I come here.
Come an hour early to get a little buzz on in there bar lounge before the movie to make that movie a little more interesting.
Also make sure to validate your parking ticket upstairs for free parking.