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Cinebarre
Rating Details »
6009 244th St. SW
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043
- Good for Kids:
- No
88 reviews for Cinebarre
Service last night was SO much better than the first time I went.
Everyone seemed to be getting their food in a reasonable amount of time, EVEN with the kitchen slammed like it must have been. My Fried Green Tomatoes sandwich was quick to come out, and it was just as delicious as I remember it.
Better, more efficient service, thanks guys! You're getting better at this!
Now if only I could rate the movie we saw... ugh.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/9/2009
I wanna love it.
I want SO much to love it.
The concept is ridiculously awesome and it suits my group… Read more »
I REALLY wanted to like this place because the concept is excellent... BUT the service we received was awful... I mean it was the midnight showing of New Moon so we knew it was going to be hectic and chaotic but they could've staffed more people or something.
We waited for at least 40 minutes for our pitcher of strawberry daiquiri to come. And then when it finally came, they forgot to bring glasses for us to pour the drink into. So we waited a few more minutes and then someone came back with the glasses.
After we drank some for a few seconds, my friend said she felt something crunchy in the drink. And then GUESS WHAT SHE WAS CHEWING ON? A PIECE OF FREAKING GLASS. There was shattered piece of GLASS in the daiquiri. WTF!? We were sooo freaked out and clearly pissed so my other friend complained to the server and asked for the manager to come.
The manager came a few min later and comped our order and gave us free passes too. Goodness, they could've gotten into A LOT of trouble if we reported that incident. But seriously, how could they let something like that happen?
I'm pretty sure the people next to us were pissed too because it took forever for their drinks to come too. Tsk tsk.
Who thought of this amazing place!?? I mean come on, why didn't I think of it?
I drove by what used to be Mountlake 9 and was intrigued by the bright, and pretty sign. I know I'm easily amused, what can I say? So I looked it up and the reviews were just too good to be true! 21+, Drinks, Food? All while watching a movie? I had to check this out for myself.
So there I went with my husband in tow. Let me tell you, it really is TRUE! They had new movies showing, only 5 or 6 movies at a time since they cleared out some of the theaters for a kitchen and what not. We walked in and there was a bar right in the middle of the lobby! Pretty cool if you ask me. They also had tables and chairs if you don't want to sit at the bar. We ordered our drinks and went to our movie, another surprise! They had every other row removed and added long counter like tables. You can order food and drinks before and during the movie. During the movie you just have to place your order card sticking up so the waiter or waitress can see it.
The only reason I didn't give a full 5 stars was because there wasn't much of a food selection. I guess it was pretty good considering where I was. But, a few more varieties would be nice. They food came out warm and was pretty quick in my opinion. Loved the wings! Portions are pretty big. We always seem to order too much food and have to sit in the movie with a food coma.. So next time I'll keep the word, "moderation" in mind. You can always order more!!
All in all, it was a great experience for us. The best part was that everyone had to be 21+. No teeny boppers talking ad goofing off, no crying kids! Yes! I will definitely come here often, oh wait I already do! ;P
I love the concept of a 21+ movie theater that serves food and alcohol. What better way to watch a film? No kids or obnoxious teenyboppers in sight!
Order your tickets in advance (follow the link from their website to Fandango) and avoid waiting in line at the theater. Stroll up to the bar, tell a server you'd like to pick up your tickets and hand them the credit card you paid with. While you're at it, grab some drinks and then head to your seats!
The selection of beer on tap is excellent--better than many bars I frequent. Cinebarre even had one of my favorite IPA's on tap, Diamond Knot. My date and I split the very tasty Braveheart pizza, which comes with artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic and chevre. The service was generally pretty fast, although there was one occasion when we failed to get our server's attention and had to wait a while to get our drinks replenished--so keep an eye out for your server and re-order when you are getting low.
I like Cinebarre and had a nice time here, but I have a few minor complaints with their execution. I know the servers need to see where they're going, but the auditorium was too bright. Maybe that's just one of the trade-offs for receiving food and beverage service at your seats. But perhaps they could put lighting strips along the floor and dim the house lights a bit more. Also, the theater doesn't really have much character. Maybe I'm spoiled by Portland's Bagdad, but Cinebarre feels too much like a sterile multiplex to me.
Still, Cinebarre is a fun place to see a movie and I'll be back.
My wife and I live in Mountlake Terrace and have been here several times. We have experienced the entire range of the prior postings, good and bad.
I have to reinforce that the lack of teenagers and children is golden.
Sometimes we have had staff who have provided fantastic fast service while being practically invisible. We have also had to actually go track someone down towards the end of the movie to get our order placed during the previews.
The bartenders out front have likewise been either great or terrible. We have also experienced the lack of ticket takers but had been there enough times to know not to expect anyone to help us and found our own way.
The food is priced and about the same quality or perhaps a half a step up from pub grub. The beer selection is great. They do not serve liquor (mimosas etc. are made with white wine).
Weeknights and matinees are usually pretty reliably great and weekend nights are almost always horrible regarding service.
So if you go just to see a movie realizing that the service and attitude of the staff is a crapshoot and take the food and beer as an unexpected added plus when it goes well, it's a top choice for going out to the movies.
"HehhehehHHHhhhhehhehehehehhehee...
AAaaaaHAHHAHhHhahahahhahahaaa
Hahhahahhahahehehehhe... Oh MY GOOOOOoooood! x100.
There's a problem a theatre (or rather innocent patrons) face when an establishment like this decides to serve alcohol.
People get wasted... and people get REALLY annoying.
I had the displeasure of sitting next to the loudest, most annoying broads (in the theatre) at Cinebarre the other night. It's a gift. I attract these people... lucky me.
Clearly they didn't know when to say when, which made for two hours of the most annoying cackling I've witnessed since The Nanny. For real.
I will not hold the theatre accountable for this b/c I think it's pretty cool that we all have the option to watch movies and booze it. I just hope that people are responsible when they do so. We all did pay to see the movie, after all.
If I'm going to see The Hangover, I'm positive that there won't be anyone under the age of 13 in the theatre (or at least i hope that's the case), so I wouldn't have to deal with the kiddos anyway.
The wine and beer is cheap and the flatbread pizza I've had here in the past is pretty decent too. Nice beers on tap. Overall, Cinebarre is solid.
My suggestions:
*Get rid of those terrible shorts that show before the previews. I'm sure there's porn out there that's better than this trash.
*Know when to stop serving patrons alcohol. I would not want to be on the road with the gals seated next to me.
An awesome place to see a movie and at a reasonable price! Comfortable chairs, good food, bar, and no screaming kids make it a well worthwhile experience!
Cinnebarre is a unique movie experience that costs just as much to see a movie at a regular theater! The plus? Comfortable chairs that aren't crammed in like sardines AND there is a full food and bar service available!
The food was decent and they have renamed the classics with interesting movie based names. The pizzas were a great balance of flavors and perfectly baked. The Goldfingers (chicken fingers) were ok and had a little too much breading, but the fries were great flavored but could be served just a little hotter. The onion rings were ok, but really wish they were served with ranch dressing automatically rather than ketchup.
The drinks are decent but a little lacking. My friend had a strawberry daiquiri which turned out to be made with white wine and definitely was a noticeable difference. I tried out their mimosa which had a somewhat sour taste to it that made me think they might have had old OJ. Personally, I'd stick to their beer menu which is a respectable offering.
Service was pretty decent, but food seemed to arrive just a little slower than I would have liked. All things considering, they definitely staff well, because servers came around pretty often.
All in all, a great movie experience and after that, where else could I see a movie!
I rarely go to movie theaters, but we have been talking about checking out Cinebarre in Mountlake Terrace for awhile now. It was a gray, rainy Sunday afternoon, perfect day for a matinee. It's a multiplex so there are usually about 5-6 movies to choose from. It was completely empty and quiet when we got there which surprised me a bit, but it was fabulous having the theater to ourselves. Of course when it came to getting service (we wrote our order down and placed it where a server could see it), my BF had to go out in the hallway where 7 employees were standing around chatting, and that was when we finally got service. My mimosa was in a pint glass...wow, I don't think I've ever had such a big mimosa! Points for that. I also ordered the salad, sans cheese. It was what could be expected for a movie theater salad, but I was hungry so it did the job. My BF had a pint of Mannys and a burger, and he agreed that it was most lovely to have a drink at the theater but the food was...eh? It was still a movie theater with expectant movie viewing quality. With cocktails! We'll be back.
I used to be so pleased with the cinebarre. I thought it was the best idea and didn't have to be around screaming kids. After tonight, I'm very disappointed. I bought my new moon tickets 2 months ago and got screwed over because they told us while we were in twilight that we'd get to go to the front of the line. This was wrong. I talked to a MANAGER and he pretty much told me he didn't care. They're so unorganized, letting minors in, not even checking tickets. I have no desire to even come back.
I don't know that I need another place to eat and drink, but we wanted to see Inglourious Basterds this Saturday and this was the most convenient option, not to mention the most interesting.
We had pretty much fallen in love with the place anyway - The lobby area is attractive, very different looking than most movie theaters, and the food and drinks were good. I would not have thought you could make a reasonable facsimile of a margarita without tequila, but the Lolita was really good. Yeah, all the food is fried, but it was fried well, and had no appearance of being frozen at all. We found a seat about 20 minutes before the movie, and a waiter popped up immediately and asked if we'd been before, and then explained the whole process of ordering during the movie and whatnot. He got me a sample of the Lolita, as I was a little hesitant. All of our food showed up piping hot in a timely fashion. The waitstaff was very unobtrusive, and the seats were super comfy.
As if all that weren't enough to warrant five stars, about 20 minutes before the movie ended, Alex somehow managed to drop his wedding ring on the floor. And by that I mean, we heard it hit, then bounce, then roll. And roll. And roll some more, and then I'm sure I heard it strike up against something at the bottom of the theater under the screen and come to rest.
So after the movie we started looking, but even with a flashlight app on the iPhone, it's dark and there are a lot of seats and other things to look under. Lucky for us, our server, Nicholas was there to assist us. After about 10 minutes, I asked him if they had a flashlight at all. He went and tracked one down while we kept looking unsuccessfully. Within a few minutes of returning with the flashlight, he had found the ring! Now THAT'S service! Thank you Nicholas!!!
We will totally be going back!
This place is kind of awesome for a couple of reasons- no kids, you have to be 21 to even get through the door and this means that you don't have any screaming kids or teenagers with their pants down to their knees cluttering up adult double date night (there was a full grown adult in pants down to his knees, but at that point it's comedy and not tragedy...)
The night we went they were doing a promotion with the Jet City Rollergirls for the opening of "Whip It" and the place was PACKED- complete chaos. I HATE complete chaos. But I still kind of dug it here. There was something cool about walking around the lobby of a movie theatre and checking out the cool vintage marquis' with a beer that, regardless of how crazy it was, was kind of cool. Somehow it reminded me of being in Grand Central Station- so many people and so much to see- yeah, it was oddly exciting being in there.
And with all good some bad must fall- If I were you I would get there with more than 10 minutes to spare- parking was a bitch- I was used to the old Mount lake 9 which sucked and therefore parking was easy- not the case anymore.
We ended up in the front row because that was the only place for the four of us to sit together- this was was not cool because 1.) it sucks, your neck hurts and you get that dumb headache and 2.) the movie we saw had an unfortunate scene with Faizon Love's naked ass- go Google it- trust me, it's not the type of thing you want on top of you.
The food was mediocre and the in theatre service was spotty- It seemed that everyone that worked there was trying to out punk the next person, which is fine by me, so long as you give good customer service- our waiter was like a deer in headlights, but our bartender was cool.
So- lots to love about this place- especially the lack of children- and some things not to love- sketchy service- but when all is said and done, Cinebarre has evolved the Cinema Pub idea into something very cool and if the sparkle of this place holds up and they are able to make it last, this is a place I could see myself hanging at for a long time to come.
Bad bad bad. We took a friend there to use up our last free tickets and he got there before us, he's a pretty easy going guy and was sitting at the bar, he said that it was the worst service he's ever had anywhere. How hard is it to get someone a drink when there are four patrons in the entire bar area?
When we went toward the ticket tearing area to find out which theater we were in, no one was there, so we stood there stupidly for about five minutes waiting for an employee to come by and tell us which theater the movie was in. We ended up walking up and down the halls trying to figure out where we were supposed to go because our tickets didn't have the number of the theater on them. We ended up tearing our own tickets.
When we finally got into the movie, it was 30 minutes before someone came to get our orders and another 20 minutes before the orders were ready. The food came out cold and the ketchup tasted really weird like it was mixed with dish soap.
Overall a disaster! I can't believe a business that is supposedly corporate can run like this. Don't they have standards they need to meet?
We won't be back... unless we have free tickets again, but every time we go I get more and more frustrated so it's almost worth paying full price for a better experience.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/30/2009
The level of sheer disregard and disorganization on behalf of the employees here blows my mind more… Read more »
I love the concept of a bar/movie theater. Heads up that there isn't any liquor available, so be wary of the cocktails, but I was happy with the wine and beer selection.
Our waiter, Gary, was great and they all were awesome about serving w/out disrupting the movie.
The food was a little worse than bar food. Equivalently greasy, but nothing we ordered was served hot. My onion rings were warm-ish, my boyfriends fries were definitely cold.
I'll definitely go back for the movie and drinks, and just be sure to not go in hungry.
Cinebarre is where I mostly choose to see my movies these days because I know I won't have to deal with obnoxious 14 year olds or screaming toddlers. I've gone back time and time again, hoping to get to that 4 star review but I just can't... quite... make it there.
The good: the aforementioned age restrictions, the booze (especially the mimosa - that's a tall glass of heaven right there) and the bathrooms always seem to be clean.
So why 3 stars and not 4? The food. (Sad.) I love food and the idea of having something other than soggy, overly salted popcorn to eat during a movie is a fabulous concept. Unfortunately, I haven't found anything to love on their menu. I'm a vegetarian and while they do have some options for me, none of them are really any good. The last time I ordered the jalapeno poppers, they arrived cold. The veggie burger is bland and ordering salad for dinner is just too boring.
The only time I've tried their pizza was at the Yelp event so maybe I'm not giving it a fair shot but I found it to be dry and can't bring myself to order something that costs upwards of $10 if I think I won't like it.
Don't get me wrong - the mimosas alone are enough to keep me coming back here. I just won't show up hungry!
I love things that are combined: shampoo and conditioner, those laundry detergent/fabric softener/dryer sheet thingys, and sporks. I also love the idea of dinner and a movie at the same time. And with Cinebarre being 21+, I can gleefully see movies such as Harry Potter without the constant reminder of teen angst and awkwardness (at least not from the audience) that you get at those other theaters. And the ticket price of $10 is pretty comparable.
It took a couple of visits to be ready to review this place. Like SO MANY other yelpers here, I really want them to succeed. When we arrived, we ordered our drinks and meal just in time before the movie started. It was a short wait to receive our drinks, then the popcorn (real butter!) and dinner not far behind. Seems like they've got the service timed much better. The menu items have been satisfying thus far. At the premiere event I tasted and enjoyed their Big Lebowski (fried pickles), and their pizzas are decent as well. On my second visit, I tried the Fried Green Tomatoes sandwich (basically a BLT with fried green....you get it), and was surprised at how flavorful it was. And this last time, I went light with a Soylent Salad and honey mustard dressing (which was immediately fattened up by some popcorn). All of these foods I would order again.
And for those that are wondering about service, the theater is designed to give servers enough room to navigate the place, and the servers are expert at stealth delivery and order-taking. I have never had my view obstructed once.
Don't want dinner, but still want to experience the service? For a party of 2 or 3, might i recommend a bowl of popcorn ($6) and a pitcher of sangria ($20)! It'll get you nice and loose for the questionable movie your buddy or your date picked for you that night!
I'll be back for sure. And I encourage folks to check it out, even if you aren't a northender!
This place rocks.
+1 For not having to watch a movie with a kid constantly asking, 'Mommy, what's that?' Or a group of teenagers adding in their own running commentary throughout the movie.
+ 1 BEER
+1 Pretty tasty food, I ordered the Bill Durham pizza which was yummy.
+ 1 For reasonable ticket price. I paid $10 for a Sunday night showing.
+ 1 Ample seating space.
There go you, 5 stars.
I've been to the Cinebarre twice now and for the most part have been quite satisfied. The concept of this place is awesome. It's all 21+ and you can enjoy the comfort of 2 great things (food and movie) at once.
The theaters are setup to have a row of seats with a long table bar in front of them and a bit of space for the servers to walk through. This setup offers a huge amount of leg room and an easy way to get to the bathroom without having to step over fellow patrons (that is if you're agile enough to make it under the bar into the waiter lane).
The food and drinks are surprisingly pretty good and at decent prices (things you'd find at a typical restaurant, not overpriced like at a regular theater). All of the menu items are named after movies like the "Some Like It Hot Wings" or the "Lord of the Onion Rings"; which admittedly they are quite cheesy but I love it anyways.
I'd recommend, like everyone else, to put your order in early, it takes awhile for the food to come around and you don't want to have to be fumbling with the waiters while enjoying an intense action scene.
Overall, I love the Cinebarre and will be definitely coming back, hopefully over time they will work out the kinks with the ordering but as of now I'm satisfied.
Note: Don't eat food that involves a lot of work (i.e. 'some like it hot' wings) while watching a completely engrossing movie (ex: District 9).
The idea is glorious and also a little risky, catering towards just 21 and over means eliminating chunks of the viewing audience. But then again, I bet sales from the bar/food more than make up for it.
The layout is suh-WEET: just like a normal theater but with a bar when you walk in the main doors and a long counter in front of each row in the actual theater. And $8 student tickets! Holla'!
But I'm sorry, the servers are distracting! Kim E. and I felt really bad that they had to keep ducking to avoid blocking the screen but dang, it's hard not to notice them. Ours came by SEVEN times: 1.) Ordering 2.) Delivering our first Daiquiri. 3.) Asking for another Daiquiri since they didn't see that I wrote down "Two Donnie Darko Daquiris" 4.) Delivering said Daiquiri 5.) Delivering rest of food 6.) Giving us our check 7.) Picking up our check.
Now that's all fine and dandy in a restaurant but when you're trying to watch a movie, it gets a little frustrating. You don't want to have to chat with the server on complications with your order in the middle of aliens using mind-blowing weaponry!
I personally had a bad experience the first time(and probably my last). The servers didn't come around to us until the movie started and our drinks and food never arrived.
For the first half of the movie I was plagued with the thought that they better not try to charge us for the order that never came. And by the time I saw our server she had already been giving out the tabs for everyone. It's never fun being forgotten about when you specifically go out to avoid the hassle. The other movie's sound was overpowering the quiet parts to the movie we saw and that was too distracting for me.
Another thing I didn't like was their metal trays that they served the food on because throughout the whole thing you could hear them clinking together.
I did however like that there were no babies crying and they posted that they would kick you out if you used your cell during the movie. But I agree with another yelper that the booze does turn people into douchbags sometimes that can't keep their mouth shut.
Maybe I'm being nit picky because I was pissed that they forgot about our food and drinks. The server didn't seem to care much either. I will not be goin there again
Boy, do I love eating food while I watch a movie!
Cinebarre delivers first run movies and a tasty variety of menu choices. I think the combination is genius!
Hubby and I went here for the first time last night and enjoyed the experience. Even though my pizza was overcooked (the Braveheart - it looked so inviting on the menu - but the actual plate was disappointing), my husband's BBQ chicken wings were yummy! We included a pitcher of diet soda. . and appreciated that instructions on how to order were easy to find and understand. I thought I'd be distracted by the room not being completely dark during the show, but I wasn't. It's dark enough.
My only complaints are the food prices (a bit steep), the seats don't recline and there is no place to put your feet up (no seat backs in front of you). No mind, I just cuddled with hubby instead.
We saw the movie Extract, which wasn't as funny as we had hoped, but was certainly entertaining (Jason Bateman can do no wrong :)). Overall, it was a date we would do again.
This place is so much fun. I just love watching a movie with a class of wine and popcorn with real butter. I can even get mildly shitfaced if I want to. Squee!
Just don't show up ravenously hungry, because sometimes the service is kind of slow. But the food is always really good. Try the Rocky steak-sandwich.
Also nice that it's only 21 and over, so no screaming kids!
I can't say I am totally sold yet, but I want to get sold!!!
It was the old mountlake 9 theaters that turned into someone's house... and when I mean that I am stating that it is a movie theater that looks like it could be in someone's house, and not a very nice house at that. I was expecting it to be comparable to the big picture in redmond, and seattle, but it does not mean I hate it, but I am expecting it to be pretty nice for an adult movie theater that allows only 21 year olds. That said I did enjoy the spacious rows, and their cheap tickets :) 10.50 for a ticket! hecks yes!!! :) I will come again, and I hope they decide to add liquor into their menu and not just beer and wine
We call this "our" theater now. Why go anyplace else? Great food, great service, comfortable seats, NO KIDS!!!
I have only a few complaints (thus 4 stars instead of 5.)
- Everything is cooked over flames, which I detest.
- No "movie theater" popcorn.
- Soda is expensive compared to other restaurants (who have unlimited refills) when you drink a lot. We need more than one pitcher for my husband and I.
We have only been there once so far and thus have only tried the deep fried pickles and the hot wings but both were excellent.
We're going back tonight so I may update my review!
Love it ! Went to the opening for yelp . That was fun . I`ve been back a few times with friends . No kids , Lots of drinks good times . It`s about time we had this kind of theathre . There use to be a place in seattle @ 130th that was like the cinebarre . it was so bad went once , Never went back then they went outta business . Cause they sucked . But the cinebarre it awsome , will keep going ! 4-Sure ...
What a great idea! I mean really a movie on the big screen, wine and beer, good popcorn out a bowl, real food and NO KIDS! What can be better?
Went to see Julie and Julia today - good movie, and I was really happy that I went to see it at Cinebarre. It's what a grown up movie theater should be. The seats are large and comfortable, all the arm rests go up, you have a little bar in front of you with a menu, salt and pepper, parmesan and napkins. It's delightful.
I was really impressed at how little you notice the servers going through and delivering food. Our waitress was great in giving us recommendations and things like that.
My beefs with this place are few. My first is that it can take awhile to get served at the bar and my sangria was a bit on the sweet side for my taste. Also, don't expect fast service, we ordered a glass of wine, glass of beer, popcorn and potato skins and it seemed to take forever. And the weird part is our food came first and our drinks came at least 5 mins later.
Next time I think the way to go will be to buy a bottle of wine and sneak in a water bottle. Fun times!
PS - they will check your ID at the door
Finally got a chance to come back here after the grand-opening and am really glad we did. I think Cinebarre really hits the sweet spot as far as movie theaters + food are concerned. You can get a whole movie and a filling dinner in the time it takes to watch a movie, and then you can go out for dessert or something after and still be done in under 4 hours. This is a huge money saver if you're paying for a baby sitter, and the timing works out better than trying to cram in dinner before a movie or starve and hit some place that might be open after.
The details of this place: 7 or 8 theater multiplex showing a variety of first-run movies with regular movie ticket prices. They basically took out every other row of seats and replaced it with a narrow bar/counter for eating. The wait staff crouches in front of this counter when taking your order or bringing the food. You order your food/drinks using a piece of paper provided inside the theater. It's 21 and over only (so no kids and no teenagers disrupting your experience, and even though I have a kid, I like this).
There's a large bar with seating in the lobby so if you come early you can have a drink and an appetizer. The menu is surprisingly extensive with plenty of pizzas, salads, sandwiches/burgers, lots of bad-for-you-but-yummy friend appetizers. I particularly like the fried pickle chips and the cream-cheese filled + fried jalapeno poppers. I've had four different pizzas now and they've all been delicious. World's better than any other movie theater's food - I'd put it on par with any casual dining chain.
My only complaint is that they still don't seem to have the food service thing down 100%. I was willing to excuse that during the grand opening, but they've got to get this worked out if they expect people to keep coming back. We got 90% of our order, but they forgot the beer I asked for. And it took a while before she came through again for a second order (we wanted some popcorn).
A good strategy seems to be order a drink at the bar to bring into the theater before you sit down, so you have a drink while you're waiting. Then place an order for your appetizers + entrees right away, before the movie starts, along with a second drink order. Then you get your food + drinks another 30 minutes or so, and if they missed something there's a chance to get it fixed then. Even if you don't get a chance to place a second order half-way through the movie, you've gotten 90-95% of what you likely wanted.
So, love all the concept, and 90% of the execution. Would give it 5 stars if they could fix the delivery hiccups.
This review make me cry on the inside because I wanted nothing more than to give Cinebarre 5 stars as it is the closest thing I can find to the Alamo Drafthouse (in fact I would be shocked if the owner/designer had never been to the ones in Austin) in Seattle.
Let me recount the ways I love this place
* Large posters of awesome movies in the lobby
* Bar in the lobby
* They have Dales Pale Ale on draft
* Very friendly employees
* They show short films before the movie instead of lame ass commercials
* They have a shut up or we'll kick you out message which is nice
* 21+ only
Seriously walking to my seat I was wanting to give this place 10 stars and my heart was going pitter patter.
I sat down pulled out the order card and ordered a pint of Dales and a Braveheart pizza because it sounded tasty. My beer took a little longer to get to me then I would like but it really wasn't a big deal. So the movie starts and I'm getting into it and everything swell except for my bladder wanting to explode and me punishing it because I don't want to miss anything when suddenly the check is dropped in front of me and I owe $13 for a pizza I never got. I'm not sure what happened to the pizza I didn't see any of the people sitting next to me get it but it wasn't placed in front of me. The up side is the waitress gave me no grief at all when I told her I hadn't received my pizza and promptly took it off my bill but I was still left with a hole in my stomach.
Don't get me wrong I 100% plan on coming back here. Even if they forgot my pizza every single time I went I'd probably still go as it is a vastly superior movie experience than any Regal or AMC. I'll redo my review after a few more visits assuming I start getting my food.
This was my 3rd time to Cinebarre. The first 2 were good, prices reasonable, food decent, service good. Last night we went to see the premiere of New Moon. We decided the day before to buy tickets to see Twilight which was showing in a theater 3 hours before the premiere. As we were waiting for Twilight to start, an employee that we understood to be a "manager" came in and announced that we would have "front of the line" seating for New Moon so sit back and enjoy the show. With about 10 minutes left in Twilight, which we had paid $11/seat to see, another employee came in and said they were seating in all theaters for New Moon so we could go and find a seat in the theater we had tickets to. Needless to say, when we got to our theater, the only seats left were in the front rows or along the sides. We got a manager to speak to us who literally said "whoever said that didnt know what they were talking about and obviously we're busy tonight so you need to go find a seat, that's the way it is". It took 45 minutes to get a beer and my girlfriends ordered milkshakes and those took an hour and 15 minutes!! Needless to say, I won't be going back there EVER again for a premiere and am thinking I would rather drive to Redmond for a similar experience with friendly people.
This was my first experience with the eat/drink while watching a movie in a theater establishment and I am going to proclaim right now that it shall not be my last.
There is something relaxing about being able to order a beer while sitting in oversized theater seats and waiting for your food to promptly arrive without having to have meaningless conversations with the waiter. This is exactly what you get at Cinebarre
The food was reasonably priced, service was quick, and the food was surprisingly good. Not to mention their menu had some pretty interesting movie title food hybrids, which are always entertaining.
Disclaimer: I went to an afternoon showing and was one of four people in the theater. I have no idea if seeing a movie here with a sold out crowd would change my opinion of Cinebarre.
There is a quiet desperation about the suburbs. They are the grim in between. The grey middle road. Possessing neither the quiet calm of the country nor the inexorable, subterranean energy of a true city. Being neither one nor the other, they disquiet the soul of people that still posses one. They oppress, weigh down. And by this back-handed virtue implore you to long and hope for places not in between -- that you squirm free.
This is Cinebarre. The quiet desperation of trailing out to the vast expansive middle. The theater too big for it's purpose. The needlessly cavernous cement cave that amplifies the soft, silent sadnesses of the one or two folks milling at the central bar like depressed drunks in the Ramada-wee hours after a convention in some nondescript nothing of a town; the new nighthawks. The pathos of forced, old-movie-postered kitsch. Seemingly empty due to it's largess, a colosseum dedicated to supplying the ordinary with more ordinary. They are a chain, and suffer from what chains suffer from: standardized, run-of-the-mill, average, middle-of-the-road middle-roadishness.
The suburbs employ their children to run these somber cement circus tents, and they were all nice enough in the depressed, accepting way of just-above-minimum waged people forced to wear uniforms, clean up after others and mill fecklessly about. As one might expect, service was, well, what one might expect.
The food, an edible version of the forced-kitsch movie posters was named oh-so-cleverly after movies. I didn't expect that. Nope. Not at all. Not in any way would I have expected food served in a movie theater to be named based on movies. Moderny, indie-ish, culty movies at that. They didn't want to be cliched and name the dishes after the classics. Very clever. Very in the know. Very coooooool.
And it tasted like it. Just like that. Like pap. The Big Lebowskies -- deep fried pickle chips -- ooh so fun and trashy, they sound as if they might almost have those middle-roadies imagining they drive a broken down pickup instead of a 200? Camry -- couldn't even be pulled off with any semblance of success even approaching a vendor at the carnival . Limp. Soft on the outside and rubber-squishy in the middle, like the flesh of the people standing alongside the middle of the road.
Shorts play before the movie. These shorts were awful. After the shorts were over a Cinebarre advertisement flashed on the screen asking that if you had a short film you'd like them to consider screening before the main movie, to submit one. I'm contemplating creating a short film about people having to pay good money (we could have gone out to eat someplace decent for what it cost) to endure watching short films before the actual film in a grave, echo-y, cement-industri-glass, 1/50th full theater in the suburbs with crap food. I'd call it something clever like: Cineblande or Filmabarfe.
The short version: Applefudafridamacabees with movies.
Good start. Just remember that nobody under 21 is allowed in -- there were several disappointed groups in line.
Spacious interior with clean aesthetic and ginormous bar in center of lobby. Didn't love the interior -- it felt forced and tacky.
We got seated straightaway and ordered up! The Blue Velvet Burger, mmm, comes with bacon, hot sauce, chipotle mayo, and a side of fries. Slightly weak presentation. Taste was great. Also enjoyed the fried green tomato sandwich, though the wheat bread was too flimsy for such a fine filling. The multiple servers were on the ball. No order mess-ups, quick service, regular check-ins.
Got a pitcher of beer, margarita, and diet coke for group. Beverages were in front of us within 5 minutes.
Little saddened at how empty the theater was -- staff to client ratio was out of control. I want this place to succeed cause its a nice double date night experience.
What!?! A movie theatre where no kids/teens are allowed?! Heck yes! That alone rocked my socks but the wait service was novel and the food was quite good. Kids these days don't know how to sit still and keep quiet. Oh god. I'm old.
Okay, they don't have a healthy menu really. There's a salad and there's a veggie burger and that's about it. I blew my diet and had their chicken strips. Expecting the normal premade frozen crap, I was pleasantly surprised when my chicken strips were freshly dipped and cooked. It tasted more homemade and I liked that. The fries are similar to Dick's in that it's made fresh from potatoes rather than that chopped and formed crud. I dipped my strips in ranch sauce which seemed to have dill in it and it as very good.
I liked the service also. They have a good system going. They have a good business model also. I never buy theatre food because of it's outrageous prices but with the options and the okay prices, we spent more there than normal. Very smart Cinnebarre.
Growing up in Shoreline, Mountlake 9 was the go-to place to hang out and watch movies on a Friday night and when it announced that it was closing, I felt like a part of my life was ending. Then I found out that they were going to convert it into this new dinner theatre bar place and thought to myself that it was the most ludicrous idea in the world and was convinced that I would hate it. I was wrong.
I came here to see Bruno and it was a more enjoyable experience than I'd expected (in every possible sense of the idea-- I thought I hated Sacha Baron Cohen)! The first thing you really notice is that there are no awkward teenagers on first dates and no screaming children running around: behold the glory of the 21+ movie theatre. There are seats with a long bar-like table and a narrow aisle in front for servers to make there way through. All you do is write your order down and place it in front of you and your server will come by and take it from you up until the last 45 minutes of the movie. Menu items have cute, punny, quirky names like Soylent Greens Salad and Lord of the Onion Rings.
Sure, I was bitter initially, but dinner and a movie combined into one is a really great, convenient idea!
OH, and they have COCKTAIL PITCHERS. Best. Idea. EVER.
Since moving over from Austin Texas - where Alamo Drafthouses will always be at the top of my list as far as movie/food/drink experiences go - we decided to try and find something similiar. It's a great idea in the wrong place. There was a couple behind us (an elderly couple that had no idea the concept of food/drinks/movies went together - I would assume) and the woman kept complaining about food prices and was being rather rude to the already anxious waiter.
So, in my opinion, I think they could do a better job at marketing this place - to try and get a different crowd out there. They are trying too hard to be 'classy' yet 'unique' and it doesn't work. Take a clue from other places like this and think "laid back"!
As far as service, we ordered drinks and apps, and decided against an actual meal when our server never returned like he said he would. I was thinking, if we put our order in now, we'd be finishing during the credits....kinda lame. So, we called it a lesson (order everything as soon as you get there!!!). I don't think it was our waiter's fault - it seemed more like he just wasn't used to the idea of a dinner/movie type of place.
We'll most likely try this place again since it is 21+ and I hate having to sit through a movie biting my tongue because some kids can't keep quiet. =)
I miss Alamo's....=(
I debated 3 stars vs. 4...is it A-OK or am I a fan? Then I realized, how could you not be a fan of being served beers and fried pickles while you're in the air conditioned comfort of a cushy chair in front of a 50-foot movie screen? There is nothing simply A-OK about a theater with identical ticket prices to other theaters but with the added value of reasonably priced, tasty food.
Mimosas! Sangria! By the PITCHER! Oh My!
OK, I balked at the fact every item on the menu is named after a movie or character. I could have done without that. But we had chicken strips with fries that were obviously cooked when we ordered them, not just sitting under a heat lamp. And for only 10 bucks. You'll spend that on a soda and bucket of popcorn at any other theater.
I was not impressed with Cinebarre. Perhaps it was because we chose to go to a 10:30 showing of Harry Potter. But it was a Friday night and it was still quite the sad sight in there. Two people sitting at the bar, some lonely weird guy drinking a beer with his back to the wall with his foot up right outside of the women's bathroom, maybe six people in our theater, lots of employees milling about with nothing to do. It was just kind of cold and depressing in there.
And though there were no kids running around or teenagers texting the whole movie, there was still a waiter popping up occasionally, which to me is just as much of a distraction, especially when they leave a little bit of light on in the theater just so that they wait staff can see what they are doing. I really like a dark theater to watch a movie in so that little bit of lighting definitely diminished my experience.
I doubt if I'll be back but I'll be watching Cinebarre with some interest to see if it survives. It's in such a weird location in less than affluent or hip Mountlake Terrace that I have my doubts that it can do well there.
Well after my second attempt hoping for a better experience than the last I was thoroughly disappointed.
We showed up 30 minutes early to the movie to get snacks and drinks, the server showed up until 10 minutes before the movie started complete with her surly attitude and your totally bothering me by coming here posture. We placed an order for drinks and appetizers. The drinks arrived about 10 minutes after that, the food, long after that.
Then during the movie we decided to order more food, It took 15 minutes for the waitress to come back for the card, 10 minutes after that to bring the ice water, then another 15 after that for the food.
Then comes last call, the waitress drops the bill off and then returns to bring the card, the movie ends and we sit 8 minutes into the credits, she NEVER comes back.
We have to leave and go track her down at the station to get the credit card back to which she doesn't say anything just hands over the book with everything and runs off, didn't even leave a pen to sign the bill with leaving me to rummage through everything to find a pen.
As we are leaving there is a mob forming at the other end of the theatre with people waiting for their bills it looks like. I go to ask the Bartender to call the management to complain, but guess what?!? THEY AREN'T THERE EITHER!!!
So, screw it I'm thinking, we just won't come back. Then I see at a table about 8 employees outside talking. I walk over and ask if they are employees and they nod, I just say "Your service was horrible tonight, absolutely horrible" No response, no sorry nothing. So as I was walking away I said "I think it would be better if you were all inside helping out instead outside having a meeting"
Thanks for turning my day off into a miserable movie going experience.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/14/2009
I approached this place as a cinema and not as a restaurant, so to that point I was not… Read more »
So I guess there's no point in saying this subtly.... I don't like kids. Like really, I don't like them.... so I guess that means I'm automatically a fan of any establishment that doesn't let kids in.... ??
While I do LOVE that there aren't a ton of rowdy, screaming, yelling kids running around Cinebarre, I overall quite enjoyed my experience here. We arrived about 15 minutes before our movie started and decided to grab a drink at their bar. We were quickly greeted by a bartender.... or... errr... drink preparer?? Two Coronas served almost immediately. I inquired about their Margaritas and Daiquiris and while I was pretty sure they weren't made with the good stuff, I was happy when the bartender was honest and said that they tasted good, but didn't have any kick to them.... money saved. SCORE!
The theaters themselves are nice. Very roomy, comfortable seats and plenty of table space to eat food (if ordered). Our server dropped by almost immediately to make sure we knew how the ordering system worked (which we did) and took our orders. A bucket of Coronas and two sandwiches did the trick.
Our drinks came quickly and our sandwiches shortly after that. My Philly Cheese steak sandwich was okay. It was flavorful although the meat was pretty chewy. The toasted bun, abundance of onions and pepper and the gooey, melted cheese compensated for the only mediocre meat. The side of garlic fries were awesome. Freshly fried, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and topped with yummy, smelly garlic. My sandwich and splitting a bucket of Coronas (in addition to my earlier one) brought my bill to $30 something with a tip. Not too shabby.
All in all I had a good time. Service wasn't intrusive and it was quick, food was pretty good and the drinks were flowing! I'll be back, me thinks. Even if you don't order food or drinks I recommend coming here.... movie tickets are comparably priced and you don't have to worry about kids ruining your movie experience. I'm a fan!
I love how theater/restaurants are popping up all over the place. This one is a short drive from my bro's, so we ended up going here after a disappointing visit to Rory's in Mukilteo (http://www.yelp.com/bi...).
First off--this place is 21 and over, so even if you have gray hair (like me), don't forget that ID!
We were hungry, so we saddled up to the bar, and got our drink and appetizer on. Thought of getting a margarita pitcher, but when the bar keep suggest we take a sample we decided to bypass it (not in the mood for a margarita slushie). They have about 8-10 brews on tap. And many more in bottles. You can get a "bucket of brews"---a good idea, but there's no mixing and matching, and where's the fun in that.
As soon as we were able, we went into our theater. And I had to say "DANG!". This was a huge theater! Most other theater/dinner experiences I've had (well, except for Kennedy School in Portland), are on the smaller/cozier side. This place was HUGE! The chairs were comfortable and big. There is a long table which runs in front of your chair. Mechanically, it worked well.
Our order was taken (beer & burgers all around). Now we were famished, so we were probably a little grumpy, but in contrast to other Yelps, the service was stellar. Our food was brought out before the movie started. I liked my burger. It was a little over-greasy, but hey--what's wrong with a greasy burger every once in a while.
While we waited for our movie, an independent film was shown. The movie was a bit lame, and totally rookie, but what a good idea to provide a venue for getting people's art out there. They also advertised, that if you have a film, get in contact with them to see about having it shown.
We were there to see Public Enemies. I was a little apprehensive about the movie (c'mon Michael Mann---you better not be tryin' to re-hash Heat!! Don't do that to me. Depp is cool, but he ain't a DeNiro or Pacino!). With that being said, yeah, the movie was a bit of a dud, and I did my darnedest to try and stay awake--Yeah, even the gun fights were yawn-worthy.
Oh well, the film isn't Cinebarre's fault. Our overall experience was good, and I'd definitely come see a flick here again.
I attended Cinebarre for the first time for the HP6 movie premiere, but I've been reading about Cinebarre for some time. Sadly, I did not meet up with Allie S. or Deborah S., but it's not like we really tried to arrange something...maybe next time! :) Holla!
Parking is plentiful, and we stopped at the ticket window where our Fandango confirmation was exchanged for tickets. Our IDs were also checked (when our friends showed up later, their IDs weren't even checked, so this is inconsistent). I did learn, with a shock, that there were 5 auditoriums going at the same time. When purchasing the tickets I didn't know this and maybe it's more a Fandango issue, but fortunately our group were in Auditorium 1. Whew.
The inside space had a 360degree bar and a bunch of steel round tables and chairs. It was LOUD. Part due to music, part due to crowd..but I think the music could have bit a bit softer, a bit too club-feel. Ordering at the bar kind of hectic because there was no real line system and you just had to flag someone down.
We were allowed to sit early, about 10.30ish a gal walking through called out different auditoriums that were seating. Auditorium 1 appears to be the biggest. I found the best seats to be within the back 4 rows. Our group of 8 split into two rows of 4, which was nice. Sooo much leg room and unless the person in the row ahead of you was 8ft tall, you had a clear view of the screen. The row of tables has a break in the middle so people can exit thru the center. I appreciated this as the group next to us had people drinking beer. ;)
Waited until about 11p to place an order for: rootbeer float, pint of Stella, popcorn w/ real butter (oh yes, we asked for this), chicken wings, and fried green tomato sandwich w/ fries (since I read they were like Dick's fries). Our drinks came out within 10mins and the food 15mins later. Very nice! (the total was about $35)
I scarfed my sandwich down pretty fast because I wanted to focus on the movie when it was time. It was pretty good, but greasy. I would have asked for my bread to not have butter (it was buttered, then grilled for melty action), but the menu didn't mention this. The wings were tasty and a little messy as expected. Another thing I noticed, is the menus don't fit on the table, they are about 3" too long when you lay it flat. We had to be extra careful when sitting down and there was stuff on the menu or else it would have gone flying.
We've been seated about 1.5hrs before the movie and the loop of 3 short films (girl wrestling, shaolin something, and a "parks & recreation" like spoof) repeated about FOUR TIMES. I wanted to stab myself in the face when the loop restarted every time. Sure, they probably don't usually have ppl seated so early, but I would have preferred nothing. Or just nice elevator music with a dark screen or something. But that loop was just terrible.
Time for the movie! The lights did not dim enough for my preference, and HP is a visually dark movie, but I understand the servers need to see. I probably wouldn't go here for a movie I cared about, such as with HP, because I like a dark cinema.
Last call for ordering was a bit obtrusive, as the server happened along during a pivotal scene. Perhaps there should be a different color flag one could put up for 'do not disturb?' Then, when they were cleaning up towards the end, that was really obvious! I understand wanting to clean up early so you're not stuck working forever late, but the good stuff always happens in the last part of the movie. And like others have said, they take EVERYTHING away.
And so, it was an okay experience. I appreciate the 21+ aspect and the option of ordering food/drink at reasonable prices. But I wouldn't come here for a first-run movie because the room simply isn't dark enough.
ps: Restrooms. I was hoping the no seat liner was a myth, but it's true. :( And it's kind of weird because they have both men and women restrooms on both sides of the foyer. Couldn't you just put all men on one side and all women on the other? I almost squealed to a girl, thinking she was going into the men's room. *blush*