Cinemark converts former Movies 10 in Jackson Township to Cinemark Movie Bistro with restaurant and first-run movies.
JACKSON TWP. A couple of questions quickly came to mind when Cinemark announced last September it was closing the discount second-run theater Movies 10 and converting it to a dine-in theater with first-run movies.
1. If popcorn and soft drinks are pricey at the concession stand, how much will they be charging for a cheeseburger?
2. How good can the food actually be at a movie theater?
During my visit to Cinemark Movie Bistro at 6284 Dressler Road NW on Tuesday afternoon, I found answers to these questions and many others.
Food prices at the bistro seem in line with many sit-down restaurants in the Belden Village area.
A half-pound mushroom Swiss burger served with fries is $13. A trio of sliders — pulled pork, Nashville hot chicken or cheeseburgers — runs $10, with a side of fries $3 extra. A 14-ounce order of wings, traditional or boneless and available in four sauces, is $13. Flatbread pizzas are $10.50 and $12. Three tacos, steak or fish, are $9.75. Chicken fajita nachos are $10. Battered buffalo cauliflower is $8.25.
The food I sampled was freshly prepared restaurant-caliber fare and portions were generous.
The BBQ chicken flatbread, had a good chewy crust, tender cubes of chicken, mozzarella cheese, with ribbons of fresh cilantro, sliced scallions and a drizzle of BBQ sauce.
My dozen meaty, bones-in wings were cooked to crispy perfection, tossed in a full-flavored bourbon molasses sauce, with ranch dressing for dipping. Each taco had a beer-battered filet of mild fish in a soft flour tortilla, with fresh pico de gallo, shredded cabbage and cilantro-cucumber-lime drizzle, served with smoky salsa and a wedge of lime.
“The sauces are homemade, the salsa, the ranch dressing, the honey chipotle mayo. We cut all our own lettuce,” said John Rey, the chef at the bistro, whose credentials include Morton’s the Steakhouse and Hyde Park Restaurant Group.
He offered a tour of the vast and gleaming kitchen, which replaced one of the movie theaters. “We have eight cooking online tonight,” he said. This is clearly not a freezer-and-microwave operation.
Food is ordered and paid for at the concession counter, and then orders are delivered to customers inside the auditorium, using the seat location chosen during ticket buying. Seats are equipped with trays. Rey said the goal is to get food delivered before the feature starts, but this depends on what time customers arrive and place orders. Beverages are purchased in the lobby and carried in by customers.
In addition to a wide food menu — plus popcorn, soft drinks and candy — the movie bistro offers a variety of milkshakes from $6 and $6.95, with flavors including Mocho Choco-Latte, Magic Mink Oreo, PB&J and Turtle.
On the alcoholic beverage front, the bistro offers beer in bottles and cans, mostly $5.25 and $5.75, including Corona, Michelob Ultra, Coors Light, Fat Head Bumble Berry and Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. Beers currently available on draft, in 16-, 20- and 24-ounce cups, $6.25 to $9, include Hazy IPA, Stella Artois, Truth IPA, Bud Light and Great Lakes Dortmunder.
Red and white wine are available by the glass ($7.50 to $9.95) and half bottle ($14 to $19). Frozen cocktails, including Jack and Coke, Bacardi and Coke, and regular, strawberry and mango margaritas, are $7.75 and $9.25, depending on size.
“Alcohol has sold really well,” said Jeremy Thomas, general manager of the movie bistro. The most popular foods so far are sliders, nachos, pizzas and burgers.
The bistro is one of four discount theaters Cinemark has converted into dine-ins, the others are in Texas and Indiana.
“We want to make sure we’re always giving our customers an extraordinary experience,” said Alexandria Williams, Cinemark marketing and promotion manager.
The nine auditoriums are equipped with “luxury loungers,” which recline and have heated seats in three settings. The once-outdoor ticket window has moved inside to the lobby, and there are three easy-to-operate touch screens for buying tickets and choosing seats.
Ticket prices at Cinemark Movie Bistro are the same as at nearby Tinseltown, also a Cinemark property.
Admission is $5.25 on Tuesdays; to qualify register for free Movie Fan membership at Cinemark.com. The Cinemark Movie Club, $9.99 per month, includes one free movie admission each month (with rollover), no online fees for ticket purchasing, and a 20-percent discount on concessions (not including alcohol).
Wide-release movies will be shown at both Tinseltown and the Movie Bistro, with some showing exclusively at the latter, such as “Downhill” opening Friday.