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One of my favorite Austin activities is going to Alamo Drafthouse for dinner and a movie.  Until moving to Austin I had no idea you could eat a full meal with a movie.  Now I feel weird about seeing a movie without the option of a meal and/or an adult beverage.  So after I enjoyed my Audible version of “The Girl on the Train” I had to see the movie.  This is what brought us to review the Alamo Saturday night.

We came early for the 7:50pm show so that we could order and have time to take pics before the lights went down.  If you’ve never been, you should know they have a strict policy about phone usage during the show.  Basically if you talk, text or arrive late, you will not be able to continue with the visit.  They always show a funny video to communicate this message at the start.  My favorite involves a real phone message from a girl who was kicked out.  I don’t know if it’s real but that’s what they claim and it is quite amusing especially when she talks about her rights in the “Magnited State of America”!

Anyways, back to the food.  A frequent flyer, I knew exactly what I would order.  The Alamo does have a designated vegan menu which I appreciate but my favorite is the Mexican Wrap with which you can choose a protein.  I chose tofu and subtracted the cheese and onions; cheese due to my vegan nature and onions because, well, if you’ve read our blog before, you know that is out of courtesy to my carnivore (as he also does for me).  To accompany and wash down this delicious meal?  I chose another one of my favorites – a red sangria.

Krissy, our server, took our order and brought our food in record time, well before the lights went down.  After snapping our pics we dug in.  My wrap included the tofu that took on the flavor of the jalapeño-lime vinaigrette, plenty of mixed greens, creamy avocado and a crunch of jicama and tortilla strips.  This combination makes every bite a delight.  Alongside the wrap were chips and salsa which perfectly complimented this particular wrap.  I did have the option to switch to a different side such as fries which I also highly recommend.

Overall I enjoyed this meal as I knew I would.  I give it three rutabagas which includes their considerations for vegans.  That said this experience is more about the movie.  I do enjoy having the option for dinner but wouldn’t recommend Alamo for only food.  Also I would love it if they would make a few vegan dessert additions, even if just Mike and Ike’s!  I do appreciate their policies on distractions and while the movie was crazy as expected, I recommend seeing it if you can handle the darkness!

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Carnivores and Vegans alike enjoy the occasional movie.  An opportunity to escape reality, if only briefly, and lose yourself in the magic of the silver screen.  Its even more relaxing when you can enjoy a meal and an adult beverage as the story reveals itself in SONY projection and QSC digital audio.  Saturday evening allowed the vegan and I to venture out to our favorite movie watching venue, Alamo Drafthouse (Lakeline).  While I was reluctant to see the vegan’s movie selection, I was confident that we would enjoy ourselves and the hospitality that Alamo provides.

Kellie especially enjoys Alamo for its vegan offerings.  I enjoy the beer selection considerably more than the food on the menu.  Saturday’s experience was more of the same – good service, good libations, a pretty decent flick, and a mediocre burger.  As is my modus operandi, I chose the best looking cheeseburger on the menu – The Royale With Cheese.   Unfortunately, I think the cook forgot to season the meat because it just didn’t taste like anything.  It wasn’t bad.  It certainly wasn’t good.  It just had no flavor whatsoever.  Neither Jules nor Vincent would have labeled the sandwich a “A Tasty Burger”.

As I sat in my seat knowing that I was going to have to honestly critique our experience, I opted to send a lob shot over the net to allow the Alamo kitchen staff to redeem itself, if only in my eyes.  I am oh so happy that I did!  For dessert I ordered 3 of the oven fresh chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk. By the time I was two bites into the second cookie, I was feeling much better about the experience and was certain that the venue had scored a winning blow against my taste buds.  Believe me when I tell you to try the oven fresh cookies.  It truly is enough to turn a mediocre meal into an “OK” dining experience.

The bright spot of the evening certainly was not my burger, nor was it the movie on the screen.  It was our server – Krissy.    She was friendly, professional and very willing to help with questions, etc.  She waited on us attentively and checked back several times throughout the evening to clear plates and ensure that our needs were met.  It is Krissy’s service and the salvation contained in the warm cookies and glass of milk that rates this experience as 2 cow faces.

Give Alamo a go and, if the food is lacking, be sure to give the cookies a shot.  They will likely make everything a lot better.