iPic Theaters

Reviews 3

AN

Andrew Weckerly

My wife and I are originally from the Midwest, where iPics are a tad more abundant. We were excited to find this one in Bethesda, but we have now had abysmal customer service experience two out of the three times we have come here. The first time we went to Guardians of the Galaxy 2, bringing three friends with and getting the "premium plus" seats which supposedly come with in theater service. After taking our order, our water disappeared, and about halfway through the movie my wife still hadnt gotten the biscuits shed ordered. We paged the waiter, and some one else came. We explained that my wife hadnt received her food, and they said they would go and check. The original waiter came back and told my wife that it turned out that they were out of biscuits and she would have to choose something else. She got the shrimp tacos, which she said were not great. Now after the wait and the lack of communication, youd think that they would comp our drinks or something... Nope. I went and informed management, who apologized and refunded the cost of the tickets, while promising to talk to the waiter. Great, I thought, maybe its just one bad waiter - no business is immune to that. The second time, we went and saw Spiderman Homecoming. Good service, food brought out expediently. We just got out of seeing Valerion for my wifes birthday, and again, abysmal service. For the third time were in the premium plus seats, again in a group of 4. We ordered nachos to start, my wife got the biscuits again and I got steak fries. The nachos are, as my wife said when we got them, "pathetic." Literally 6 tortilla chips with some melted cheese plus enough guacamole and sour cream for 3 of them. Thats not hyperbole, nor am I using the word "literally" in its colloquial sense for emphasis, I mean that there were 6 individual tortilla chips on a plate with some melted cheese on them. For $15. Thats $2.50 per chip. The service was horrible again. Our waitress showed up to take our order, and then disappeared for the rest of the movie until it was time to bring our check. She was not the one who delivered our popcorn or food. While the nachos got brought out first, 20 minutes later we were wondering where the rest of our food was, so we pressed the button to page our waitress. Some manager type person showed up, and we told him wed not received the bulk of our food yet, and I asked for a refill on my drink. He said hed go check. About 10 min later we got our food, with my steak fries being less than piping hot. No drink refill. 10 min later I paged again. 5-10 min after that some one finally shows up (still not the original waitress) and I ask for a refill (nothing else). She clears our plates away and leaves. Towards the end of the movie our waitress shows back up to give us our check. No refill given. Obviously Im annoyed, so I go to the front to speak with a manager. I talk to him and am given some unclear promise about a credit to my iPic account, and that he will talk to the employee. I express my concern that this is becoming a trend, and that I have to travel 40+ minutes to get to the theater, to pay more money than a normal theater, and then get horrible service with exhorbitantly priced, subpar food. I dont know why I would be expected to continue to shell out hundreds of dollars per outing. The manager said that theyre working on improving and theyre under new management... Im sorry to sound callous, but that shouldnt be my problem. Im not paying $100 in movie tickets and more for food for them to be "working on" the experience. I regret paying for the premium membership. I do not plan on renewing , do not think I will return, and will recommend against going here to anyone willing to listen.

J

J S

Quick Tip: If youre in Northern VA I would suggest forgoing the journey to Maryland and head to Alamo Drafthouse in One Loundon or AMC Courthouse in Arlington. Alamo Drafthouse allows you to place food and drink orders while watching your movie. (Bar and restaurant seating available as well) AMC in Arlington does not provide waiter service but the seats are far more wide and comfortable compared to iPic premium plus seating. In all three theaters you reserve seats ahead of time. However if youre hellbent on heading to Maryland or from Maryland then iPic is a nice choice. However $50 does not go very far here. The crowds are still so/so. The service is nice but lacking. The theater was filthy. We chose to eat at Del Friscos Grille (not Double Eagle Steakhouse- cheaper younger brother of the family) instead of City Perch restaurant inside of iPic because of the hours- brunch from 10:30-2:30 and dinner after 5. Our movie was at 4 and we were looking for lunch! There are two kiosks on iPics ground level ahead of the escalators to pick up your tickets- one was not working and displayed a Windows log in screen! ("Press Ctl + Alt + Delete to begin") The young couple ahead of us was not moving quickly by the most patient Saints standards so we took the escalator upstairs and found our way to 3 more kiosks to the right. One was out of order upstairs- or turned off. Nonetheless we waited in a short line and slid our card because the barcode reader is so ungodly small that an iPhone6 Plus cant easily serve the purpose here. The elevators are to your left and past them is City Perch. City Perch has very nice seating options (separate review). The ramp or the stairs up to the ticket taker will let you know where your theater is (if you cant plainly see the large black numbers outside the theaters). Walking into theater 6 I noticed popcorn littered all along the entrance hallway. I chose the last row, two seats together no other seats connected, I wouldnt suggest this. The waitstaff more often than not stands straight up and walks straight to their customer- right in the way of your last row seats. (Alamo Drafthouse avoids this issue with a separate walkway for waiters- so that even fully upright only reach high enough to receive orders and place food. Not to mention the wall directly behind your seats is where the waitstaff will have conversations and (total conjecture) the seat doesnt recline as far as other Premium Plus row seats. When I took a trip to the bathroom I couldnt believe what I saw. 4 stalls had no toilet paper at 5 PM on a Sunday- trash everywhere on the floor and sticky floors. It was pretty gross. To be fair not everyone pays $50 for the tickets and this bathroom is shared with City Perch patrons but its still pretty shocking and not something I normally see in establishments with this reputation. Im glad I tried iPic so I can say "no thank you" next time. Ill stick with Alamo Drafthouse if i really want alcohol with my movie or more likely (and conveniently) AMC Courthouse Arlington for reserved, leather reclining chairs.

ST

Steven J Hunter

This high-end theater brings an upper class feel to movie going that doesnt exist anywhere else. If youve got the money or want to have a special, fancy night out, this is the best place to go. Everything about this place makes you feel like your going to have dinner with the rich and famous. Theres people to help you everywhere. The decor, down to the details in the bathroom, looks like it was created by an artist. Stuff thats just OK: * Decent food - but not quite living up to the $12-$18 a plate (this pricing is perhaps akin to the $4 hotdog at other movie theaters). Crispy green beans are awesome! * Waiters and service are sometimes great and sometimes just ok PROS: * Fancy feel - reclining seats, blankets, atmosphere, quality of service, etc. * Serves alcohol CONS: * Expensive ticket prices * Size of screen is normal, for that price, was hoping for big * No IMAX option (I think) * Waiters will occasionally detract from the film a little bit ADDITIONAL INFO: Two types of seating: 1. $28/person - Comfy, electric, reclining chair with blanket, munch on free popcorn, and have a waiter attend to your needs. Get this option if you want the royal treatment, got money to burn, or want to take your date to the next level. With this option, you have more food options. 2. $16/person - comfy non-reclining seats in front. While there is no watier, you still get the fancy feel of this theater and can purchasing some nice food from the lobby and bringing it in to eat during the movie. PARKING: Free with validation, so bring your ticket in with you. There are two entrances to the parking garage. Lower floors have the most open spaces and theres an elevator thatll deliver you directly to iPic. Outside the theater, the year-round lights on the trees and wide sidewalks make for a lovely short stroll. Theres HUGE construction happening next door, so this place is going to be even more awesome soon.

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