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uWink - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Arts & Entertainment Arcades American (New), Arcades [Edit]
401 Castro StMountain View, CA 94041
(650) 965-8100
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
178 reviews for uWink
Review Highlights
"The touch-screen also allows you to play several games."
(in 36 reviews)
"I loved the sweet potato fries."
(in 16 reviews)
"The games are fun and keep you entertained, especially the..."
(in 8 reviews)
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178 reviews in English
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Review from Eugene N.
12/12/2009
Sucks, that they closed. I had a chance to try this place out when it was open.
Yea the food is mediocore. The coolness factor is high when you first try it out.
However, at the end of your first dining experience, reality will kick in and let you know it was just ok.
Ultimately I believe the location led to its demise. They needed to open this in a dense location full of minorities IMO. They don't get to really experience technological stuff.
For people in Mountain View, whom I'm sure are familiar with the tech times, the games on the machines were lacking and sucked.
There are more games, more fun at that, on those machines that you see at Q-cup and Tapioca Express.
I went to U-Wink twice, the 2nd time a few months after, only to see nothing has been changed in the variety of the content on the machines.
The ordering system was cool and I enjoyed that.
The food as I may have mentioned was mediocore FOR THE PRICE. Good happy hour deals though on drinks.
Where it failed miserably was what the main attraction was--the entertainment factor of those touchscreen machines, because it lacked of it. Combined with the probable bad location, and their claim of the economy did it to them.
I highly doubt it was the economy though. There was horrible marketing. Hardly anybody in the San Jose area knew about this place.
If they had opened this in San Jose, had some better marketing, update the games, it would still be open. -
Review from Susan D.
10/19/2008 ROTD 5/2/2009
People were really hard on this place when they first opened but they've improved a lot since their first few weeks. I think it rocks now. I've been a couple of times now for dinner, desserts or drinks and it's always been good food and a fun time. I love playing with all their puters and getting to order my food and pay 'online'. Uwink is sure to be a unique pleaser for a group of friends.
I've tried - mac and cheese which was great, the southwestern caesar salad which was tasty and the appetizer sampler which was good except the calamari was a lil too greasy. There are other things but I can't remember now. Oh and, our bill total was less than 20$ per person. I was really happy with how attentive the staff, even though you summon them through your computer. haha
You will barely noticed the time between order and food arrival because you'll be laughing and trying to win games against your table. The games were simple but fun. I really liked the trivia and word games but they also have tetris-like games and panoramic videos of different places around the world.
To top off this experience, they have HUGE screen of sports broadcasts so on one trip, we were able to catch the Rays beat the Red Socks for a chance at the World Series... such excitement in the place.
I really liked Uwink and will definitely go back, especially to entertain friends who like sports or high-tech stuff! The place is just cool.
See ya there! -
Review from Archie R.
10/24/2008
They have "first date" games.
Really?
If I brought a first date here I would seriously consider kicking my own ass.
Anyways...
The reviews here are pretty harsh. It's really not that bad.
The concept is cool but, like the self checkout at grocery stores, best left to the pros.
We managed to order everything and got it all right but it took some of my less technically inclined friends a little longer to order.
What I noticed right away is that, much like an Amsterdam coffee house filled with uber stoned people, the place is REALLY quiet.
That's because everyone is doing their own thing on the monitor from playing games to figuring out the ordering process.
As for the food, everyone seemed to like what they got. Once again I opted for the "Manorexic Platter" which was a pile of lettuce with a side of ice water to dip it in. Kidding.
I got a salad that was good.
If you have a group of coworkers or friends that just do not know how to communicate or get along, take them here.
No talking necessary. Just play the games and occasionally pop up to stuff some food down your throat.
Extra points for serving Red Bull and having the option to email your receipt back to you.
Interactive. -
Review from Randy F.
3/27/2009 3 photos
With a name like uWink, one would expect some aspect of interaction among people or patrons. In fact, I thought I had read a review that stated that you would able to virtually wink at a customer at another table or even buy them a drink.
Alas, it was not meant to be. Maybe that was Las Vegas or NYC I had read about. Instead, uWink is a bit of an aberration among the ethnic food scene of downtown Castro. The best place to explain it is touchscreen computer screens at each table, along with bar fare.
We went mainly for the novelty factor and the place had a diverse crowd. Families and children playing touchscreen games together, the teenager crowds, and older couples trying games across from each other.
The technology behind the touchscreen computers works fairly well. You use it for everything. You swipe your credit card to start the interaction and then can order drinks (including alcohol), appetizers, entrees, and, of course, play games.
The games, while ok for a touchscreen computer, don't really compare to similar places like Chuck E. Cheese or Dave and Buster's. But the food does. Burgers, fries, hot wings, etc. are all served in mediocre fashion.
We stuck to safe choices by going with the avocado dip and chip entree and the appetizer sampler. While the avocado dip had a ton of avocados and so-so chips, the appetizer sampler left a lot more to be desired. The chicken wings were dry inside and soaked outside with both hot and sweet sauce. The sliders were overcooked mini burgers with not much taste. The one decent item was the onion fries.
As for the games (all free), it's a bit strange to see people on dates yet staring at computer screens instead of each other. MY and I enjoyed the break from having to look at each other. :) While there are some couple games like truth or dare, they really are so-PC that you might as well play Taboo at home.
The Group Games are slightly better and largely involve trivia based games in which you compete against other patrons. But there's not much way to interact with patrons other than that. You can't IM a cute customer across the way or hi-five someone who spanked you in US History. As such, I don't see much appeal for singles or the teenage crowds either.
uWink is an interesting concept but they really need to develop killer apps of interactivity and really really improve their food if they want to survive downtown Mountain View and the bad economy we're now having....
uWink takes American Express. -
Review from Joon Y.
11/26/2008
The idea of this technology infused restaurant is pretty gold but Uwink fails to deliver.
Games during dining sounds like a really great idea. Unfortunately, the games do get pretty dull, fairly quickly and they only have 3 screen to a table, so if you have more than 3 greedy people who want to play games, you'll have to take turns, or play as a pair and switch off, which wasn't exactly that I was expecting when we arrived with a group of 8.
You order the food using the same touch screen you you play the game on. Want more napkins, condiment, etc use the screen and someone will bring them to you. Genius. However, call me old fashioned, but I found myself missing the personal service of a waitress/waiter.
The food was ok...My meatball sandwich was a bit dry and lacked flavor. =(
This place isn't that great but it's worth trying once. -
Review from Crys B.
Cupertino, CA
12/5/2008
I'm basing this review on the overall experience at uWink, since I've only had dessert here and not a full meal. I agree with Susan D. (shocker) that people are being pretty hard on this place. When we went late at night, about 30 minutes before they closed, we didn't get any scowls when we walked in, like some places, the staff was actually pleasant, even though they had no way of knowing we were just there for a quick dessert. Dessert was good, we ordered the Dessert Sampler to split between a few of us. I liked the chocolate cake and apple tart, but the cheesecake was too fluffy for me. But, the main thing I liked about the food was how easy it was to modify your orders, since you're able to type it directly into the computer! No more confusion or waiters forgetting to write down that you don't want tomatos or forgetting you asked for a glass of water.
The games are fun and keep you entertained, especially the ones you get to play with your friends. I was so entertained that I didn't actually want to leave.
so, I'll definitely be back, to try a meal and give an updated review. -
Review from kim n.
9/16/2008
From the guy that brought you Atari and Chuck E Cheese, Nolan Bushnell, comes his next big idea: technology interactive dining. It's an interesting concept getting people to socialize with certain interactive games and actually minimizing the interaction with wait staff on the ordering front.
A friend and I came here to check it out and also watch the Cowboys/Eagles MNF game while we were at it. One thing Castro does lack is a sports bar type venue and this might just fill the niche. Tons of projectors which display digital art but could be easily switched to show tons of sports games (as some of did for MNF). During commercial breaks you can use your interactive screen to play either single or group games in addition to ordering your food. With the latter, I've experienced many times where you go into a crowded bar to watch a game and no one shows up to serve you for a damn long time. Here, you swipe your card and order as you please, then someone from the back brings your food. There are still wait staff who ask you how you're doing and bring you refills and such. With this being opening day (minus the soft openings starting last Fri) they were eager to please.
Another group this would fit would be a family where kids could be entertained while the family enjoys a casual meal. The last group might be larger groups that want to do a game style night (some interesting booth setups) and also get loaded as there is a full bar and they're open late.
The caveats? The food is somewhat expensive for what you get at comparable places without the technorific gear. The food is the same par as any other casual sit down dining chain, so that's not really distinguished.
We only found a few problems with the screens; lots of swiping of my credit card for each item ordered - some weird bar only interaction, and sometimes it wouldn't recognize it. The strangest of all is if you sit at the counter there are no screens at all and it's just your normal bar. I guess the concept has matured somewhat because there was a very entertaining writeup by a software guy who experienced the original Uwink in SoCal:
http://lemonodor.com/a...
Ill probably come back and test the waters for more sporting events and see what happens during playoffs. 3.5 stars. -
Review from Anthony H.
San Jose, CA
10/21/2008
From the outside looking in, this place sort of looks like an Apple store. There are computers at every table and big screen monitors on every wall. This is a geek's place to be... and if this geek likes sports, then this is heaven.
My favorite food item here is the Macaroni and Cheese. I felt it was the best I've ever had. The cheese was saucy but also had little bits and chunks of unmelted cheese? There were other unknown toppings in the mac-n-cheese as well. The person I went with said there are better Mac and Cheese out there. She's going to have to prove it to me.
The most impressive aspect of this restaurant is the ordering system. You order your meals from a computer. All dishes has a picture so you can see exactly what you're getting. You even pay your meal by sliding your credit card through the built-in card reader on the monitor. There are no hassles with any waitors/waittresses.
Overall, I had alot of fun here eventhough i was really tired.. and I'd definitely go again. -
Review from Mallory C.
Mountain View, CA
10/17/2008
My hamburger was almost cold. Cold hamburgers really bum me out. My Lemondrop was perfect, but I was disappointed about the burger, so it just didn't matter that the drink was awesome.
You guys need to get the food out while it's hot. I know how happy you must be to not have to pay a big wait staff to take orders and just make us customers order on your computer, but geeezzz, come-on. Pay someone to get us the food while it's still hot. And the person that I was sitting with got luke-warm food as well.
If you're lucky, we might give you guys one more try, but that's only because of the outstanding Lemondrop. So next time, we will expect you to be on your best behavior. Oh, one more thing, train that little hostess girl to be friendly and teach her what a hostess is supposed to do. -
Review from Jonathan L.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/1/2009
I think this restaurant is a good step towards human independence.
I can order a beverage from a screen, play games on the same screen, even catch up on any movie previews I might have missed from 2003. Without sound, too, because sound is overrated, really.
I mean, I can touch this screen!!! Even after I've eaten a dozen buffalo wings and licked my fingers clean and picked at my cold sore a little and my nose, the screen remains incredibly responsive. Holy gods of technology -- I thank you.
If only they could invent small crab-like robots to deliver the food, then I wouldn't need to talk to ANYONE. Then I'd be able to eat and make merry in complete solitude. -
Review from Ken N.
San Jose, CA
11/25/2008
NOTE: WASH HANDS BEFORE AND AFTER.
Just think of a boba shop with Mega Touch and American food and you get uWink. The concept does cater to a more younger generation.
I'm a little torn on my review since I could easily swing it both ways. I came in not knowing what to expect so I'm giving it 3.5 stars. If you're a Mega Touch fan then this might be the place for you. Everything is ordered and paid for on the touch screen. You can play games versus other people in the restaurant and your score gets posted on the main screen.
If you're going here, don't expect to have a deep and meaningful conversation with someone since the screens are a huge distraction. Bad for meetings. Cool to show new guests. Games are okay. Some amused me for 2 seconds and some for 10 minutes.
If you don't care for the games then scoot over a bit and see the other person face to face. Heck, even sitting next to significant other playing some games together can be exciting. So it just depends what you want out of this "lunch date".
Bottom line, if you want to just talk talk talk then this might not be the place for you.
Service lacks a bit since everything is ordered and paid for on the screen. Less tips? Maybe..
Food is decent. I expected worse. Turkey sandwich was surprisingly good along with their fries and house salad. Spinach dip was good.
I'd come back. -
Review from CeCe C.
Updated - 12/5/2008
So I finally came here for dinner the other night with a friend and used our 2 for 1 coupon that was found in the Metro paper.
The restaurant inside looks modern and clean. There are large white canvases on the walls where they project movies and commericals. The bathrooms are small and dirty.
I personally feel that the whole point of eating out is to get away from work/computer. I already sit in front of the computer 8 hrs a day, and yet I have to sit in front of another one when I eat?
The monitors are quite large and obstruct my view of the person across from me. It was a little confusing to navigate around on their computers. I wish the user interface was more consistent and I felt I had to press harder on some parts of the screens than others. It was annoying. I had fun playing the usketch with my friend. It kinda reminds me of pictionary. There was another feature on the computer of panorama images of the different scenes looked fake. Half the games didn't have instructions on how to play them or just made me not want to play them.
The food here is a bit over priced. I got the chicken pesto carbonara and all I tasted was the pesto and olive oil. The mac and cheese wasn't worth $8. The sampler appetizer was ok, but I'd only pay $7 and not $13. The sauces that they served were weird. The bbq sauce and the ranch was REALLY watery, dijon mustard was nasty, smoked paprika aioli was pretty good, couldn't taste anything in the basil pesto sauce, and sweet chili sauce was ok.
It was difficult to eat and do stuff on the computer simeltaneously. I felt like my food was getting cold because of this. I ended up hardly touching my food. Overall, eating here didn't feel very personable at all. Sometimes you do need some human interaction and not a computer to request something you need.Listed in: Downtown MV
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/10/2008
I saw a 2 for 1 coupon for uwink in the Metro Silicon Valley Weekly Newspaper (November 5-11, 2008)… Read more »
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Review from Donna Y.
San Jose, CA
2/24/2009
Eve you put my pic and scores up? Hhhaaaa!!
Thanks for joining me for lunch Eve and Julie. I hope you guys had fun! I know Eve you are running out of places to Yelp and need some new places to go too.
The dining experience here is interesting. Its very hands off and everything is through the computer screen in front of you. If you want your water refilled or to order food you have go through the computer. Our waitress was nice and friendly. She did come by and check up on us but no to often. I end up ordering a sweet potato fries and a salad here. The fries are good but the Caesar salad was okay. As for the games, the kiddie and trivia games are much more fun. The group games that you play with other diners in the restaurant are not bad either. Tuesday night is movie night, so they have projectors and show different movies each week.
Overall it was an interesting experience. I think I miss the interaction with your dining partners because all you do is play games and not really talk to each other. I think this might be a good place to go for a first date, even if you don't have much to talk about there is always games to play. -
Review from Alyson A.
Sunnyvale, CA
11/26/2008
Ultramodern decor. Think restaurant of the future from The Jetsons. A cute place for a first date but not if you want romantic.
The theme of this place is futuristic and the key is a collection of touch screens which sit in front of each person. You can order from the screens, modify your order, get a waiter, pay your bill, etc. all from the screen. If only they had a teleporter to beam in the food the motif would be complete....Well not quite. We managed to confuse the computer once (it froze for minutes and unfroze right before the waiter came by to check on us). The UI is OK but could be better. It took forever to find the screen to ask for more condiments and plates, for example.
Bad news, the screens don't get out of the way so you can talk to your friends. We ignored them but a way to move them when they aren't in use would be quite helpful. We wanted to talk so we didn't play the games. They looked amusing.
The place also has a weekly movie night with decent, free movies on a huge screen in the bar.
So what about the food? We had a mixed appetizer plate. One was a good small dinner for two. It included 2 sliders, a number of skewer-type meats, and a large set of onion rings. Plus lots of sauces which we didn't need because the food was tasty.
Other menu choices were mostly Americana with a touch of Asian.
I wouldn't rave about this food but it was good and worth coming back.
Service was excellent. The waiter made sure we could make our way through the UI and regularly checked on us. The one time we used the computer to ask for service they were there promptly. The food came quickly.
The place was full but not so crowded you couldn't get a table early on a Sunday evening. the clientele were diverse from families to lone techies playing games while eating food. I doubt there were any people over 55 there.
An interesting idea for a restaurant. A bit more inventive food and a way to get rid of the computers while talking would make it even better. -
Review from lindsay c.
Woodland Hills, CA
11/13/2008
I find it amusing that people here on Yelp will find anything to complain about or try to come up with any reason to deduct stars from the rating.
This place is great. It's innovative, entertaining, and different!! I love the whole "do it yourself" thing; like self-checkout registers etc. Being able to not just order your food but completely customize your meal makes your dining experience so much greater. No more will your server forget your ranch dressing (this happens about 78.6% of the time for me), fries can be ordered 'extra crispy', and you can make sure that you will have no tomatoes in your salad. Your unique order is sent directly to the kitchen so there are no f*ck up by your dear ole *forgetful* server. I went during the week and the service was on the average to a little slow side. BUT, the fact that there are games in front of me (including the "group game" that pops up about every 10-15 minutes) I was so occupied that the time spent waiting for food flew by.
One thing I see people complaining about is the portion size. Well, here in the fat-ass US of A we are so used to having monstrous portions, that when we are presented with a properly sized meal we flip out and complain its so small. But, because you're not only eating, you're also playing games and generally occupied, you tend to slow down your typical gorging pace and allow yourself to become full before you've licked your plate clean. So no, I don't believe the portions are too small. They are the size portions should be.
I can't wait to go back to this place with a large group. Many of the games are aimed towards larger groups that you can play with the other members of your party. This place is a real hit. I can't wait to go back again. -
Review from Michael K.
Mountain View, CA
9/26/2008
The food here is comparable in price and quality to Denny's. Given all the great "mom and pop" restaurants on Castro street with good food for a cheap price, I'd say you are definitely not going to go here for the food.
That leaves the novelty of having a computer at every table for ordering and entertainment. I will grant, it is novel. However, you can' ask the computer, "So, what do you recommend?" Then again, given the food quality, there probably wouldn't be an answer. uWink asserts that the table computers will prevent ordering mistakes. Given that the interface is not the most intuitive when it comes to order customization, I can attest this accuracy assertion is not true. As far as the entertainment value of the table computers, it does have some games that are mildly fun, but the touch screen interface has a significant lag from touches. Furthermore, the UI metaphor for some of the games is non-intuitive. Since this restaurant is in the middle of Silicon Valley, I would kind of expect them to hold them selves to a higher standard in technology.
My recommendation is that it is OK to go to this place once if you are curious about the novelty of it, however, it is definitely not going to be a repeat performance for me. -
Review from William H.
West Los Angeles, CA
11/23/2008
In short, order and play interactive games on screens in the comfort of your booth.
Come here if:
1. You need to show visitors how techie Silicon Valley can be.
2. If you're 12 years old and like to play flash-based games on the Internet.
3. You're with a group of friends and want to try something new--Pictionary was fun.
4. Decent place for a first date --First Date Game where they pose platonic or more spicy questions. Good ice breaker.
Price, food genre and quality similar to D&B's and Chili's.
We had:
Sliders - nothing special.
Chicken Pasta - good.
Napa Valley Chicken Sandwich - good. Dijon mayo was more mayo.
Sweet potato fries - oily , but good.
Although you order on the screen, service was excellent. Servers still come by to check on you. -
Review from Salina L.
San Francisco, CA
2/1/2009
I really do not understand some of the complaints about this stuff. If you'd never walked by or did not see pictures of the place, I can maybe understand. For the rest of you, I think you might be "slow."
A few words to the Yelpers who reviewed this previously:
1. Did you not understand the concept before you ventured here for a meal? The whole concept is about ordering your own food from the touch screen, duh.
2. Yes, there are computer screens at the tables. No, they cannot be folded away or stowed so you may eat your food. That's the gimmick! What you can do is sit at one of the rounded tables and share a computer screen / food if you find that necessary. There is plenty of room to eat food and use the computer.
3. Again, it's about the gimmick! Don't come here expecting stellar food. That being said, it was pretty decent in my book. Better than TGIF or Chili's. Ok, maybe on par.
4. Where are you eating where this is a terribly pricey place? You're mainly paying for the entertainment of using the computer screens. It's "techy," it's gimmicky, it's uwink! It was $8 for a Red Bull Vodka but they actually brought the whole can of RB and it was a pretty decent drink.
All those things aside, I was only annoyed at the fact the hostess told us 10 minutes and it ended up being 25 minutes. I found them to be the least pleasant thing about my experience.
Our server Mark was super nice and I enjoyed the fact he didn't hover over us. Actually, I think that's the point. It seemed like he felt bad interrupting us to make sure we were doing well. Most of the time, I am socially inept so I greatly enjoyed the fact my talking to strangers was limited. For the first few minutes, Boo and I were independent, exploring each screen on our own. It was fun discussing what we wanted to order, pushing the button then having it arrive not too much later. What a concept!
The games were pretty straight forward and nothing special but definitely enough to entertain me for over an hour. The group games were fun though the scoring was sometimes off. Mindless entertainment which could be done at home but it gives the impression that you're being social because you're out! Super easy to use the computer unless you're slow or high maintenance. -
Review from Tuan H.
Sunnyvale, CA
12/14/2008
My friend Stella and I were strolling through downtown Mountain View in the rain tonight and saw this restaurant on the corner of Castro/California. It's impossible to miss with its screens and projectors illuminating the surrounding 30 feet through the restaurant's large glass windows.
To be honest, it reminded me of something out of a Vegas sports gambling bar with all the screens but the interior is well-lit and well-kept. The layout is extremely open with the walls lined with both the current NFL game and a scoreboard for the restaurant's group games; more on that in a bit. The obvious attractions here are the two touch screens located at each table. A good part of your experience at uWink will revolve around these screens - ordering food and drinks, playing games, requesting anything from your server, paying for the night - you can essentially avoid all contact with a restaurant employee save when you're getting seating and when your orders are being served.
Anyone that's been to Buffalo Wild Wings probably knows of the trivia games it has via the wireless remotes and TV screens - uWink takes this concept to the next level as it incorporates it into your dining experience. You have the option of playing games with just your table or the entire restaurant which can make for some good fun.
The menu is pretty typical American bar items - things you'll find at BJs and D&Bs - far from fine dining. We only ordered a pitcher of beer and the Chips with Artichoke Dip. The pitcher really only accommodated two normal-sized beer glasses, which was a letdown for $8.50. The artichoke dip was pretty good and made for good finger-food as we perused through our screens.
While I don't see myself coming here fanatically, I'd say it's worth taking a look at. It certainly is a decent place for taking the family/group of friends or if you're just looking for a less intimate experience. The dining experience is truly unique and definitely fits perfectly in Silicon Valley. -
Review from Zachary B.
Van Nuys, CA
11/28/2008
This place is awful. The idea seems like a great concept, but the lack of execution is apparent. While the screens are great to kill some time while waiting for your food, it makes it completely impossible to have any kind of interaction with the people that you're sitting across the table from since there are 2+ massive black screens on the table. Also, sharing appetizers is, once again, incredibly difficult as there is no real convenient way to move plates and dishes around. The games themselves are somewhat entertaining, but weeding through all of them to find a good one takes far too much time.
Whenever you want something additional from the kitchen (like, say, two extra plates) you have to use the screen to call for it. However, you can only order one extra plate at a time and you end up putting far more time and effort into poking around on the screen than it would take just to ask a normal server for one.
The food is mediocre at best and horrendously overpriced. Our food came out of the kitchen almost an hour after ordering it, was cold, and cost way more than it should have. $14 for a burger with bacon and bleu cheese? Really? I don't see this place staying open long with prices like that. -
Review from Vi Y.
1/11/2009 3 photos
Hi Yelpers!
It was my turn to plan "date day", where once a month we take turns planning a whole day on a budget of $200 to take the other out without first discussing where or what we were going to do. :) It keeps the fun in the relationship with the hubby, and it feels good being blindly led somewhere fun. :)
My friend told me about uWink, a restaurant where every table had few touchscreen monitors for ordering and game playing. I looked on http://restaurant.com, and sure enough, there was a $25 gc for uWink. It was perfect for part of "date day" because it was interactive eating.
When we walked in, the place looked really large, clean and modern. It was Saturday around 1:30, so the place was not that crowded. We were seated by a really nice host who explained the concept for us. You are given 1 hour of free play, and after that you had to buy credits. He let us know the managers are doing a special, where we can have unlimited free game time, and would not be charged for playing. Perfect!
Our booth had 2 screens. My hubby really enjoyed ordering from the touch screen. You can even ask for more napkins or ketchup from the touchscreen, without having to flag down a waitress. While he was ordering, I was able to play video games, read comics, etc on the 2nd monitor. The most fun was playing the group games, where you play against everyone in the restaurant.
You could also sit across from your date, and play games against each other, or sit next to each other and play 2 player games. Depends if you want to hand hold and cuddle or not. :) They even have a game called "First Date", where it asks you a series of questions you could ask each other, to keep the conversation moving along. :) So cute!
My hubby ordered the sampler appetizer and the short ribs for us to share. The sampler was pretty good, but the short ribs were really really bland. We also got a side of the sweet potato french fries which were pretty good. Along with 2 20oz beers, and using our http://restaurant.com gc, our total bill was $20. (yay! I still had $180 left to spend on 2 1-hr massages at Perfect Day Spa ($80), dinner for two at Menera Morroccan with belly dancing for entertainment ($60), and tickets for 2 at the Improv to see Harland Williams of Half-Baked ($22). Resourceful little Asian chicky, eh?
I would come back again, and would recommend it to my friends. But I would only order the appetizers and alcohol. Stay away from the entrees. :) This is a great place for both kids and adults. -
Review from Roy C.
San Francisco, CA
12/17/2008
Ok let's get something clear here: do NOT come here if you're expecting great food at cheap prices! uWink does not have a culinary expert in the kitchen concocting gastronomic wonders. In fact, the food is quite comparable to what you'd find at the food court in your local museum or amusement park -- and the prices aren't much different either.
What uWink does bring to your eating experience is a fun, hilarious night out with some friends. Keep in mind that these should be friends who you would normally invite to your house for a night of Trivial Pursuit or Cranium. In fact, your experience at uWink will be almost completely based on how fun your group is, so leave all your boring, antisocial friends at home.
uWink is revolutionary in that everything from ordering your food to paying for your meal all takes place on a personal, touch-screen monitor on your table (there are 2 screen for a table for 4, and 3 screens for a table for 6). For the tech-savvy ones, you will realize that this functionality makes ordering & paying SO much easier -- each person's meal is split up automatically and you can easily pay for your own meal. For those of you who hate asking the server to split the bill or paying with 4 different credit cards, this is a godsend.
In addition -- and probably more importantly -- there are dozens of games on your computer screen, including Trivia, Photo Hunt (noticing the differences in two similar pictures), Pictionary, and more. These are games that you can play with everyone at your table or, for the lonely souls, by yourself. There are also restaurant-wide group games where you play against everyone in the restaurant and try to get the highest score. It gets to be pretty addicting once you get into it. And if you want to actually socialize with your table, you can play Truth or Dare or First Date (which poses conversational topics for your table to chat about).
Is it perfect? Of course not. It's a computer so you're going to find a lot of glitches and screen lag (especially with Pictionary), but nothing that will dramatically dampen the fun.
It is kind of disgusting when you think about eating with the same fingers that touch the dirty screen, so what we did was we used the wet towels they provide to clean the screen first, instead of our hands. That way we can play without being afraid of contracting any diseases.
There are definitely tons of improvements that uWink can make, but as the first of its kind (that I've experienced), it can actually make for a pretty fun night. You'll have a great night as long as you: (1) go with a group of fun friends, (2) don't expect great food, (3) drink a lot of $4 Happy Hour margaritas, and (4) aren't expecting to have any serious conversations with the people in your group. Imagine trying to tell your friends about how you just got laid off at work, while they're answering trivia questions about movies. "Oh... that sucks, man. BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE!!!" -
Review from Patricia B.
San Jose, CA
4/3/2009
Overpriced for the quality. Food wasn't that good...at all. I got a burger and some fries. Don't ever get the cesear salad. It's like $6 for 6 leaves, lack of dressing and bad cheese.
Burgers; well, they are OKAY. I guess. It's not anything spectacular. Lots of different types though.
The menu made them seem mindblowing.
The only thing that was cool about this place was the self service computers at each table. You can play games with others or the people at your table, order your food on them, and request items. Even pay your bill..
This place is less than par if you ask me. I guess it's a little fun. Service and staff are mediocre. -
Review from Julia R.
San Jose, CA
10/6/2008
I was so excited waiting outside the restaurant, after we had put our names in, and watching all the people (it was very crowded on a Saturday night) playing games, laughing, and getting (what looked like) the tastiest food in the world delivered to their tables.
We sat down, learned the system right away. Ordering straight from the menu is a great idea. I liked eliminating the back and forth between the waiter and customer was cool. Just select what you want, and submit the order when you want to receive it. You don't have to get anyone's attention to actually place the order. The menu was in picture form, and being able to see the food beforehand was very tempting (would be nice if the food actually looked like that when it came to your table).
So, now getting to the "two stars" portion of this review: I talked to my date maybe 25% of the time we were there since the computer screens are right in front of your face, and are unable to be moved. You're spending most of the time trying to figure out the games which seem like they should be really easy, but have many glitches. The food looked nothing like the pictures portrayed them to look. My mac and cheese had like one spot of bread crumbs and tasted like the box kind. Our sliders (mini burgers) were overcooked. Lemon grass shrimp was overcooked. Also, way too much money for the quality of food!! We wound up spending over a hundred bucks for 2 beers each, two apps, and two main courses. NOT WORTH IT!
I don't know. As my boyfriend said, "good idea, poorly executed," I'd have to agree. Hopefully they find ways to fill in the gaps and work out the glitches in the software. It really is creative, and i'll tell people about uWink, but never recommend that you check it out for yourself. You'll just be frustrated at the end, full, but not satisfied. Meh. -
Review from Winona J.
Campbell, CA
11/30/2008
$12.95 for an ok burger.
So that I can play games on a touch screen. Yeah...that's so cool.... about 18 years ago.
Seriously, games? Doesn't every cell phone made since 1992 have a game function. That is if I really wanted to be a complete tool while dining with friends. -
Review from Eric G.
San Jose, CA
12/22/2008
If you want something to do as a group, and you don't care much for service, this might be your kind of restaurant/bar. Food is OK, but not amazing. You're paying more for the touch-screen terminals at all the tables and the many projection screens throughout the place. You order all your food and other services (water refills, etc.) on the screens, and there are single- and multi-player games on the terminals too.
The thing is, you really can't interact much with the person across the table from you, and the terminals get in the way of sharing food easily. When the whole experience is over, the pay-your-bill screens were confusing and getting a credit-card receipt was excruciatingly slow. Service was generally fine up to then.
Not to sound flip, but this might be a great restaurant for an autistic-spectrum child, since the games and lack of interaction seem tailor-made for that kind of person. As a date restaurant, it's probably not your best choice. Caveat emptor! -
Review from Evelyn K.
Cupertino, CA
2/20/2009 2 photos
It's a unique dining experience. After i arrived Donna taught me how to use the screen to order my beverage.
It's fun ordering from the touchscreen but it will annoy me if i was extremely hungry.
I ordered the Chicken and Pesto Carbonara which was quite good and had a bit of sweet potato fries.
The fun factor was figuring out a a good game to play and playing a game with 2 other people in the restaurant. The kiddie games were quite fun but the scenic travel thing was lame.
Also enjoyed their music and they have a movie night coming up soon.
But a difficult factor was being placed in the farthest table and getting a water/waitress's attention . I wished there was a button on our touchscreen to
Another fun factor was seeing Donna Y playing the balloon game seeing her attack her screen and shaking our table.
Thanks to Donna Y for the recommendation to try this place out and to Julie for making it a great experience. :) -
Review from Jennifer J.
Fremont, CA
11/29/2008
What do people expect from a restaurant with computer screens at the table?! The point of the whole thing is that there is no waitor/waitress and your interaction with others at your table revolves around the screen. THAT'S THE CONCEPT, PEOPLE!!
Sure, the place has some kinks to work out - the system isn't completely fluid, the touch screens for the games aren't perfect, and the food is just okay... However, it's something new and different, and they get props for giving me another option of something to do that's NOT clubbing or bar hopping.
Oh - the best part!!! This is an AWESOME place to take your cheap friends who never factor in tax or tip to their entree when you go out in a group, because you have to pay for your own bill! My friends can go ahead and leave a 2% tip, at least I don't have to cover their stingy butts. -
Review from eric k.
Dublin, CA
12/6/2008
Ok....
3 stars...
Plus a unique experience.....
Plus I used a http://Restaurant.com certificate which made the pricing very very reasonable... 3 of us got out of there with entrees and drinks for $6 each after the cert and a healthy tip.
It's a bit of an odd experience... but it's totally somewhere I'm going to keep in mind if I'm eating alone. Most of the time that you are sitting there, you might be playing the games and such and not really socializing with the people that you came with... or if you came stag, then it's perfect.
This time around I had a salad... your typical bleu-cheese+pears or apples+vinagrette... it was ok.. I got annoyed with the onions in there and after a while just went through and picked them all out. Drinks were ok... I don't usually drink, but maybe next time I will to fill out the bill for my cert.
I'll give it another shot.. .especially considering I can still get the certs for pretty cheap, and it wasn't crazy busy in there during 12:00pm on a friday. -
Review from sherry t.
4/4/2009
5 stars for cheap beer. It was like $5 for 32oz.
5 stars for gaming concept
BUT....2 stars for the food.
Food quality here is really bad. I had the jr. burger with fries. The burgers pretty much taste like cafeteria food. Not worth the $8 you pay. The fries were standard. My bf's and my stomach didn't feel too swell after dinner.
2 friends sat across from us. It was almost like they weren't present during dinner. Everyone is just too involved in their games. I would recommend this place for the entertainment, but not for dinner. Maybe a get together before hitting up the bars. Their appetizers seemed a little better and the drinks are cheap. They offer cocktails too. A lot of people bring their kids here earlier in the evening. After 9 or 10, they open up the maxim picture finder game. Basically, picture finder with maxim chicks.;D -
Review from Jen S.
San Jose, CA
1/4/2009
I'm sorry but to all the people saying this place is boring and antisocial: YOU'RE boring and antisocial. If you go with a few fun friends and are up for a unique dining experience, you're going to have a blast! It's different, novel, and exciting.
I went the other night with my sister and two friends and we had a great time! The games are fun and the ordering interface is both efficient and very practical when you're splitting the bill. It's super fun how you order your beer on your own screen and literally 30 seconds later a dude appears with your beer and asks you if your name is Jen. SO COOL!!!
Can't personally vouch for the food since I just had a couple beers but let's be honest ... who goes to a place like this for the gastronomic experience anyway?
Seriously, grab a couple of fun friends who are down for a silly and different experience, and head on over to uWink. You'll have a great time. -
Review from jerry h.
Santa Cruz, CA
2/8/2009
Service is great here since you control it at your fingertips.
The idea is pretty cool, but when you think about it, touching an LCD screen while eating is pretty disgusting.
Food is like a fancy Denny's. I think Carrow's taste better than uWink.
The only thing that stood out to me was the Mac and Cheese.
Rich and Creamy.
Some of the dishes are really pricey. Check http://restaurant.com for discount coupons to uWink.
Try it once for the experience. -
Review from qirk z.
Los Gatos, CA
12/9/2008
So a large group of us terrorized uWink first thing they opened on a weekend day.
They stuck us in the back, we had two full rows near the restrooms.
They linked all the terminals together.
My name: iWink.
uWink ordered the slider appetizer + 1 extra, sauces on the side, and an appetizer of o-strings.
The burgers and strings were good, reminded me of B-O-B, but not as awesome.
I washed it all down with dirty hands that been touching the terminal, and some carbo water.
The waitress was awesome, helpful, and got everything we asked for.
The games were cool, especially the group games.
The bill pay wasn't so great. You have choice of cash or credit. If you pay by cash, the waitress will bring the bill. If you pay by credit, you swipe it. Well, don't know if it's from all the linked terminals, or what, but some terminals crashed. The waitress came to sort things out, but I recall some bills that were paid not paid, and some unpaid were paid.
And right before we left, and since we were sitting close to the kitchen, I overheard "fire, fire, fire"... accompanied by some loud crashing noise, then two waiters and a manager make a b-line for the door to open and air out the place.
Place is great for large noisy groups who don't want to socialize with each other. -
Review from Chris S.
Union City, CA
3/22/2009
OK, joint, went for lunch today 3/22/09, there were not many people today (NICE). A lunch for two came about $30 include tip. OK let me start, what extraordinary about this place is the computerize menu with games. Whaaaat!!!! I feel like I'm not in Kansas anymore.
I like the ideas of using computer to order food, your order goes directly into the kitchen (no waiting) and you pay your bill at the table (fast) plus you can have the bill send to your e-mail (convenience). Personally, I like the setting of this place. The big screen on the wall in all direction. Nice for game night or day (perfect for super bowl night or some Sunday night football) Can't wait for football season to start. Oh!! Monday night $4 beer day, all day, again how nice.
OK what we had, I got the BBQ-Bacon hamburger with rob roy. My gf got a chicken sandwich with pineapple juice. I like my food, my gf does not, but I'll be back. -
Review from Cattleya O.
Sunnyvale, CA
10/6/2008
So when you order, you put in your name and seat location, and assign your food and drinks to your tab. And then the server comes out looking lost, unsure who ordered what, calling out "Mojito?" or "Salad?" This is pretty indicative of how well uWink's concept works.
We went down to check it out because of the buzz. This buzz apparently is coming solely from people who haven't BEEN to uWink. We went on a Friday night, were told we would be seated in 15-20 min, and were in our seats in about double that amount of time. We were with a group of people we didn't know well, and still don't know, because our conversation was all but blocked by the big, clunky black monitors. The games were, with a few exceptions, frankly stupid ("Adults Only Truth or Dare" featured dares like "Squirm in your seat for 30 seconds") and the layout of the tables was not group-friendly unless you planned to communicate only via the computer screens.
The drinks were good; the food was mostly greasy and mediocre; all of it was overpriced. The screens offer customization options like "hold the sauce" or "extra avocado" but my burger order still came out wrong. This is quite an accomplishment given the fact that they have ALL the information they need to get it right. For a business whose gimmick is "look how awesome technology can make things!", that's pretty inexcusable. -
Review from Kathy S.
9/28/2008
The food is horrible!! We were all hungry, we sat down.. and 5 minutes into eating we all felt like going elsewhere to get some real food. There is zero focus on healthy wholesome food. The food is white bread, greasy fries, tons of thousand island sauce.. just zero emphasis on quality. Also, apparently their macaroni is too creamy as well.
You're better off only ordering a beer or a coffee and eating elsewhere!!
As for the computers.. I really loved the novelty but I didn't like this:
- We were 3 people and they only let you play in 2 teams max
- The games were really dumbed down. The sketch game had us draw stuff like a window, house, ball etc..
- There is no internet access (would be nice if they offered that)
I would have liked a trivia or intellectual or somewhat challenging games
The food was soo gross. I just had to re-emphasize that. And, the selection was minimal. -
Review from Susan L.
10/10/2008
Really 2 stars but one extra star because they have tri-towers, my favorite bar touch screen game of all time.
Food:
What food? honestly you don't really remember what you eat because the whole time you are distracted by the touch screen games. Also it's a bit gross cuz I got a burger and touched the screen with my greasy fingers... now imagine me times 100. I hope they sanitize those screens!
One more sucky thing about the food is that there is no "lunch menu" ... they serve the same stuff at the same prices for lunch and dinner so that's why it's a bit pricey compared to the rest of castro.
Ordering:
You would think that it would be faster than regular ordering with menus but it ain't. It totally takes longer because you can't see everything at once... you have to click click click through and then go back back ... you know what i'm saying.
Computers:
we had two at our table... macs apparently and yes macs crash... like the one my coworker had just kept hanging and it took 10 minutes for anyone to reboot it for her... she looked really bored since no one was really being social
Overall:
you should go once... but only once. -
Review from Christine B.
Santa Clara, CA
9/30/2008
There are sooo many glitches on those computers. I expected much cooler games, too! The best game would have to be the jeopardy-like game where the whole restaurant can join in.
They'll need to work out all the kinks before I come back. -
Review from Melinda K.
Mountain View, CA
9/16/2008
This seems like a good idea, and we had a good time, but execution seems lacking in a few areas.
The major thing we found was that with two couples, we seemed to end up playing games with our respective partners and ended up not talking to each other. The configuration of the screens right in the middle of the table means that it tends to get in the way of communication - if they were somehow mounted *in* the table it would really open things up a lot.
Some of the games were quite inexplicable - "truth or dare" seemed really lame, we seemed to hit some bugs in the ball matching game and I still don't understand the color defense game. The group games played at the table are good fun, but there don't seem to be enough of them. The pictionary type game had good potential, but the screen was a little unresponsive, and we all kind of wondered what the screen are going to look like after a few weeks of greasy fingers over them. A few other games didn't really use the technology; a poker game was one obvious exclusion. When the whole-restaurant games started up it was good, but they weren't too frequent.
Also, if you stick this type of thing in the middle of Mountain View you really want the technology to work because you're going to have a pretty critical audience. The potential is there; you can do things like order extra forks with your dessert, extra caramel on the side, choose your ice-cream flavour, etc etc. But it doesn't actually happen! The bill option is also all or nothing; you can pay for the whole table or one person ... but couples/groups can't split the bill. And what is with the movie preview sections (ahh, there's no sound for the trailers!), virtual-reality tours of landmarks and http://despair.com and "funny" photos from old chain emails?
The food was solid 3 stars, nothing too fancy but satisfying; think standard pub fare. It's probably not really about the food.
This isn't for everyone; if you're a couple and happy to sit there and play the games together you would have a good time (and kids would probably be kept busy), and if it's one of those work/conference type outings where you don't necessarily go for the conversation the distractions with a few drinks would be fun. But for friends catching up, not so much.
Overall, it's worth a try so you can say you've done it, and a bit better execution and you might even want to come back. -
Review from Atish M.
San Francisco, CA
9/18/2008
This place has potential to be good, but it's not. My coworker summed it up best - "The restaurant of tomorrow with the food of yesterday"
The #1 problem is that the food wasn't that great. My burger was a bit dry, and I didn't even feel like finishing it.
Beyond that, they have a touch-screen computer at each table where you can place your order. I thought that was pretty cool. There are games, trivia, movies and other stuff to do on these screens. In concept, it sounds fun, but our computer kept locking up and crashing! Pretty frustrating.
If you're going to open a high-tech restaurant, you still need to have good food, and your technology needs to work. I'll come back in some time and see if they get their bugs worked out.
