Not Just a Bar

A swing dancing studio, a bar hotspot and a movie theater. Clearly, the Alamo Drafthouse is quite the atypical theater. First opened in 1997, the Alamo Drafthouse has strived to attract an audience for golden era cinema, foreign language films and also to a community cultural center.

At the corner 14th and Main, the Alamo Drafthouse glows with old-timey lights featuring a display board of their wide range of movies. I couldn’t help but feel downright glamorous walking into the elegantly decorated theater. The Drafthouse has taken on a 1950’s Hollywood theme and from the red carpets to the actors and actresses plastered on the wall. It wears the look well.

My dad bought the tickets, due to the 21-and-older ticket purchasing policy, and I explored the lobby a little and found a bar area around the corner. I should’ve known something was going on when I walked in and heard the smooth jazz playing softly. The bar-goers heads’ inclined towards the band at the front while seated at bar stools and couches around the room. Between the bar and couches was a narrow dance floor, flooded with middle-aged men and women stepping and twirling to the beat. There was a swing dance instructor weaving his way through the dancing couples, giving tips and thumbs-up all around.  With sometime left before our movie started, my dad and I grabbed a Coke at the bar and observed the contagious joy radiating from the dance floor.

The theater itself was also quite impressive. The first thing I noticed was the aroma. The whole theater smelled of juicy burgers and fresh salads. My mouth watered immediately and I couldn’t wait to check out the menus displayed on the tables in front of the reclining seats. From chocolate milkshakes to avocado and pesto sandwiches, the selection granted my every food-related wish. My dad and I finally decided on the hummus dip with pita andvegetables. The pita was still warm and the vegetables were chilled and very fresh; both tasted heavenly paired
with the cup of hummus at the center of platter. Although our order was small, it was the perfect movie-watching snack.

The movie ended around 10 p.m., but the dance floor was far from dwindling. It was crowded by a wide range of ages
dancing enthusiastically to the new, younger band that played at the front. The bar area was loud but full of friendly faces ushering us to the dance floor and offering us Cokes. Although we had to decline, it looked like a fun environment. I left the Alamo Drafthouse feeling satisfied with my night and looking forward to my next opportunity to come back and check out the dance floor.