clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
Several cocktails and plates of comfort food are arranged on a dark background, with an order card reading “cold beer, hot food, good times.”
Food from Alamo Drafthouse
Alamo Drafthouse

Filed under:

Everything to Eat and Drink at LA’s New Alamo Drafthouse

The long-awaited upscale movie theater and restaurant arrives today

If you buy something from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

After years of customers peeking through construction zone gates and emailing the Austin-based company with timeline questions, the Alamo Drafthouse has arrived in Los Angeles. The multi-story movieplex lands at the redone Bloc retail and dining development in Downtown this weekend, with the first films firing up for exclusive members tonight. That means rare screenings, one-off film debuts and mini festivals, plus a whole slew of blockbusters and indie films for fans of all sorts — plus lots of food, beer, cocktails, and games of course.

The sprawling Alamo Drafthouse lands nearly atop the Bloc, to the right of the large Macy’s anchor department store just off the corner of 7th and Flower. The place carries 12 theaters in total, with just under 570 seats across all of the screening rooms.

Each seat offers a full menu of food and drink (more on that below), with customers encouraged to arrive ahead of each film’s run time to place initial orders with servers. The theaters open 30 minutes ahead of trailers for just this purpose, though food can still be ordered during the films by writing down items on a slip of paper and leaving them for staff to snag. It’s a rather uncomplicated system in practice, and one Alamo staff says is designed to minimize disruptions. It must be working, considering the company has 50-odd locations across multiple states.

Alamo Drafthouse movie entrance with tables
At the entrance
Alamo Drafthouse

Downstairs, fans can still experience Alamo Drafthouse by way of the Video Vortex room, an open bar and seating area just off the entrance and lobby. There are 150 total seats spread across the dining and gaming area, along with a full Tex-Mex menu, movie-themed cocktails, and more than 45 craft beers on tap. In addition to the food, diners can rent out movies, play arcade games, buy merchandise like posters and t-shirts and collectibles, or hang out and play board games while films flicker on the projector screen at the end of the room. The full theater menu is below, and the Video Vortex menu can be found here.

Los Angeles’s first Alamo Drafthouse officially opens for business today to Alamo’s Victory program members, before opening to the general public tomorrow. Screening tickets range around the $17 mark, with food and drink from chef Hondo Houston for purchase. Hours vary depending on programming, and Alamo Drafthouse does validate for parking at the Bloc.

Alamo Drafthouse. 700 W. 7th St., Los Angeles, CA.

Alamo Drafthouse queso and chips
Beer-bacoa queso
Alamo Drafthouse
Alamo Drafthouse fried pickles with sauce
Loaded fries
Alamo Drafthouse
Alamo Drafthouse grilled burrito with chicken
Chipotle chicken grilled burrito
Alamo Drafthouse
Alamo Drafthouse chocolate chip cookies with ice cream
Mexican chocolate cookies
Alamo Drafthouse
Alamo Drafthouse cocktails
Cocktails from Video Vortex
Alamo Drafthouse
LA Restaurant Openings

A New Pasta Haven Just Popped Up in Atwater Village Seemingly Overnight

LA Restaurant Openings

Jackson Kalb’s Fast-Growing Restaurant Group Now Includes a Pizzeria in Pacific Palisades

LA Restaurant Openings

The Biggest LA Restaurant Openings to Know in November