I noticed a recurring theme among the speeches during the Academy Awards this year: Movies are best when viewed on the big screen with the shared reaction of an audience. It’s a notion that struck me. I miss the silver screen!
Ever since we discovered Netflix DVD rental with home delivery, I’ve been lulled into the comfort and convenience of viewing movies at home. What’s more, I did not miss those dirty theaters with their offering of overpriced candy and artery-clogging buttered popcorn.
Katy’s new Alamo Draft House is the solution that will re-ignite theater attendance for me. I have found a way to return to the big screen in a clean, comfortable setting as well as a reasonable menu!
Alamo Draft House occupies the building left vacant after Cinemark’s Mason Park 8 was replaced by the lovely new Cinemark at Grand Parkway & I10 in 1998.
A little Katy Movie history: If you’ve been in Katy as long as we have, the old Cinemark Mason Park 8 was an important part of your life during decades of the 80’s and 90’s. It was the only theater in Katy at a time when Grand Parkway wasn’t even a dotted line on the map and Cinco Ranch was still a ranch. Think of its contributions to our cultural literacy! In that theater we saw Indiana Jones, ET Back to the Future, Forest Gump and Jurassic Park! It is where our children had their birthday parties and then their first date. It is where we dozed off after one of those stiff margaritas at Marcos.
For a short while after Cinemark built their lovely freestanding theater in 98, Mason Park 8 was a “Dollar Theater” with a skeleton staff and movies that were on the brink of video release. Then the building sat vacant, for years. First of all, Alamo Draft House is seeking the adult market. Like the name suggests, they serve beer! On both occasions I have visited this theater I saw youngsters, but kids are the rarity here.
First thing I noticed when we entered was no carpet! They tore up that filthy mold magnet carpet and sealed the concrete. Unlike carpet, these floors have the potential to stay clean. I reason this is a smart difference. But I didn’t dwell on the floors for long. In the lobby you see a huge bar stocked with numerous tapped kegs in lieu of a counter full of popcorn and candy. We aren’t talking run of the mill ”yellow” beer (if you want Bud or Miller, you have to order it in a bottle)… ADH has an impressive selection of imports and domestic brews. What fun to explore the various ciders, ales, Porters, lagers, pilsners, bocks and hefe wiessens.
If beer is not your cup of tea, they also have wine by the glass or bottle, fashion coffees, and a wide variety of tea. Back to the beer. We are novice micro-brew fans and we were immediately intrigued by their offerings. We sidled up to the bar to study the interesting spigots. The bar-mistress quickly queried if a sample would aid our decision! Always start with something you can’t get anywhere else, I say… so we sipped Alamo’s own home brew… Drafthouse Amber. It’s not bad, especially considering its economic price ($3 a pint/ $12 pitcher). Then we sampled some more complex offerings. There are several “rotating” beers, available seasonally.
The bar-mistress shared that a beer-tasting seminar was part of her training. She was not candid about her lack of fondness for flavors that drew images of forest floors and dirty socks. But, she understood that others treasured what she found pungent, and in a twisted adjustment of opinions she made suggestions based on our preferences. We sampled about a half dozen before settling on the Live Oak Rotating beer.
Now, another decision! Like Goldilocks, we discover the draft comes in three sizes: a pint, a pitcher, and a growler (2 liters for Papa bear!!!) The Growler is a pretty nifty gimmick. It is a huge amber glass jug with a clamp on rubber stopper and a metal handle. For the one time fee of $30 it is yours to keep and comes filled with your choice of draft. And you can bring it to any ADH for refills at the price of a pitcher. (A deal because the capacity is 2 pints more than a pitcher)! This was a no-brainer; we bought a Growler! Draft fans will like this as you can use it to purchase beer to take home!
We were directed to our movie and were greeted by friendly wait staff. The easiest way to describe the set up is take a regular theater and remove every other row. In place are narrow tables with dim lights beneath them. These lights double as reading lights for the menu and runway lights for guiding you in the dark. Surely important attributes for ADH wait staff are keen hearing, cat-like eyes and a flexible back; food service has enough challenges without worrying about interrupting the movie!
Prior to the movie they welcome first timers with a friendly explanation of how food service works. Paper and pencil are available for patrons to write their requests and place it vertically to flag their attention. Your tab will appear within the last quarter of the movie.
The menus contain a nice variety of salads, grilled sandwiches, 9” pizzas, appetizers and desserts. I chuckled when I saw Milk Duds $3.50. I really enjoyed the Pizza Florentine , a lot of flavor and nice crisp thin crust. I also tried the 66 Buffalo on a ciabatta roll… that’s right, as in bison burger. It was outstanding. I’m impressed.
The most impressive is the prices. In an industry where traditional movie-goers spend extravagant sums for popcorn, coke and jujubes… we actually had Dinner for two with a pitcher for $30. The only thing I found a little unnerving was eating in the dark. It is amazing how our vision plays a role in the eating experience. Also different, you find yourself adjusting your criteria for assessing the server’s tip. Instead of rewarding attentiveness; you reward their stealth-like unobtrusiveness.
Oh yeah… the MOVIES…. All this about this cool place and you forget what you came for… they show movies! Just like the regular theaters with fees commensurate to the regular theaters, except… The pre-movie clips are UNIQUE. We saw collages of nostalgic movie trailers in theme that compliments the main feature. Prior to Steve Martin’s Pink Panther they showed a medley of Peter Sellers clips. Then they started previews of “coming soon” films. But wait… Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Yes! Showing on a special night with a special price on their Monty Python and the Holy Ale by the pint!
In honor of Don Knotts they will be showing Ghost and Mr. Chicken! A quick study of their website shows a variety of special themed evenings! This place just keeps getting more and more fun!
On Tuesdays, the matinees are baby days! Parents are encouraged to bring their infant to the movies (just don’t use the Growler to fill his bottle)! I’m excited about this new venue. We had completely ceased going to the movies. But now, it is an evening out. I applaud ADH for having a menu that will accommodate most dietary needs. I love the sophisticated selection of brew. The theater is just as comfortable as home, you’ll find yourself seeking a pause button as you get up for a trip to the rest room!
Georgia Duncan
Kerry’s review…..
Great beer selection with decent freshly prepared food. A very nice and welcome departure from the typical cinema setting.
NICE!
