AMC Bay Street 16

Movie theater · Emeryville

AMC Bay Street 16

Movie theater · Emeryville
5614 Bay St Suite 220, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA

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AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null
AMC Bay Street 16 by null

Highlights

Friendly staff, great location, bar, and clean restrooms  

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5614 Bay St Suite 220, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA Get directions

amctheatres.com

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5614 Bay St Suite 220, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA Get directions

+1 510 457 9003
amctheatres.com

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Sep 6, 2025

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Casburn Spencer

Google
I had a wonderful evening watching Captain America at this theater. It was clean and had many new features that I had not seen before. The food was great, and there were fountain drinks available. The seating in the AMX was comfortable, and the sound balance for the movie was perfect. I will definitely consider this place as my first choice for movie night outings.

Rose Gonzales

Google
I always love seeing movies here. There is a MacGuffins bar, so many food options, and comfortable chairs. There are a LOT of ads before every movie, but I've built that into when I grab snacks (AMC says to expect 25-30 minutes of previews/ads I believe). The reward program here is worth it for the second to the top tier (about $25 a year I think?). It pays for itself if you see more than 4 movies a year. 1/2 off Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the days I usually see movies now. I'll pay more for a great movie, but ALL the tickets I buy with my discount from the reward program are 50% off, so it's easy to see movies with friends. They also offer Screen Unseen options, where you can see a movie before it releases, but, the catch is that you don't know what movie it is 😂. Reddit can usually tell you if you type in the date of the screening with "Screen Unseen" and I've seen some great movies very cheap this way! The employees here always try their best to make the experience positive. 5 stars are deserved

Lilian Gerch

Google
The AMC Bay Street 16 has been around for a while. My daughter and I have been to see many movies here and have never been disappointed. This time, we chose to see Ballerina; it was on a wide screen, and the movie was fantastic. There is plenty of parking, and there is a discount for parking to go to the AMC Bay Street 16 Movie Theatre. It is very safe. One now pays inside the Theatre if one chooses to go to the movies last minute and hasn't purchased the tickets in advance. It's always nice and clean. You can see a lot of people attending this AMC Bay Street 16 all the time.

Krista Thompson

Google
I love coming here for the area as well as the snacks they offer. The churros are so good!! I’ve loved movies since I was a kid, I often go alone just for the experience during matinee times. My usual snack is a jumbo popcorn and an ice…I eat it all.

Alyson Rodriguez

Google
Very disappointed in this AMC, I came to visit 2x now (I normally go to Amc on Tyler or Ontario for comparison) I dislike that its always dirty in the hallways & trash is always full in the theater & in hallways. I am also disappointed in the bartending services, I couldn’t believe the bartender on Tuesday night decline to sell me a cocktail because there was a “rush” of three people in line when I was already waiting in line to get served… I told the bartender that it was not right, I been waiting in line & there isn’t really a rush- i told her if this was protocol & she said yes. Amc on Tyler & Ontario would NEVER decline to sell a drink & just sell beer/shots. As i was walking away out of line I look back & everyone else in line ended up leaving cause they heard what the bartender told Me & no one was in line 😂 so i went back & ask if she can serve me now & she said yeah now that there isn’t a rush (what a joke). I also dislike there is no recliner chairs & no security walking in theaters to make sure everything is all good. If there was another AMC near by i would go there & not here.

Nicole G

Google
Seats are pretty old and dirty. Location is convenient and has a lot of restaurants/ shops around which is pretty much the only reason I come here. They do validate parking so it only costs $1.50 (though I can’t believe they don’t completely validate parking after we pay so much for the movie tix). There are a lot of screens here and good movie variety, but I wish facilities were better maintained overall

Marisa Swartz

Google
This is our go-to theater because we are AMC Stubs members. I think we've seen a movie in almost all of the theaters. It's clean. It's a great movie experience. I'm not sure if it's because we see mostly kids movies but the audiences have been great-no cell phone interruptions or talking.

Roy D'Lucca

Google
Plenty of parking and restaurants you can hit up before or after the movie. The theater also has a full bar and a larger menu than other AMC theaters in the area. Only drawback is the seats are not refined but this particular theater might be more inclined to play independent or foreign films than other theaters not in downtown.
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Stephanie A.

Yelp
I just recently moved back to the Bay Area and revisited this movie theater after quite a long time. I agree with other Yelpers that stated about this movie theater needs some renovations. The environment and the chair (I was in the theater #3) overall look a bit dated. I could see the chairs have some discoloration in it. But other than that, I don't have any major complaints. The staff was friendly and everything else appeared to be clean. There is a small machine to validate your parking for $4. It's located not too far to the left from the main entrance.
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Annie L.

Yelp
This review is for the concessions. They extremely lack communication, coordination, leadership, and care. It's a bunch of kids only doing their own job with nobody supervising to ensure every customer is receiving their orders properly. There was popcorn, spilled drinks, and trash EVERYWHERE - on the countertops, drink station, behind the counter was even worse! There were 4 cashiers doing the bare minimum. There was only 1 person prepping hot foods and taking his sweet time and not paying attention. The lead was in the back breaking boxes while myself and another couple had been waiting over 20 mins for our order. All of these issues are simple fixes and could have been preventable if the lead was actually leading and the manager was actually around but apparently they were somewhere else chatting it up. I patiently waited for chicken tenders and pretzel bites for 11 mins while I watched every single person behind me get their orders. Multiple people picking up orders without receipts (the cashiers should make it clear to customers to keep their receipts bc they call out order numbers). My original cashier noticed I was still at the counter waiting and asked what my order was again, she stepped to the back and said it should be out in a few minutes. Then later the guy making the hot food cleared his screen and I guess noticed I was still standing there and asked what my order was. I watched him out my chicken tenders in the machine 11 mins after I ordered! I asked to speak to a supervisor and the young girl who was in the back breaking down boxes but her attitude was "what do you want me to do, there's only 1 trained person to cook, he's making your food now, etc etc" like these weren't preventable issues. She did end up giving me a refund for the food that I had to wait for but honestly I should've gotten a full refund for my entire order bc by the time I got my food we were late for the movie trailers, my popcorn was cold, and my drinks were half melted. Concessions are supposed to be fast food speed, you guys need to pay attention more and clean as you work.
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Ernest M.

Yelp
Came here on a discount Tuesday. Tickets were only $8 for regular non IMAX shows. They also have discounts on Wednesdays, which is nice if you want more than one cheap movie day. The theater experience was overall okay. Nothing special. No lounge or reclining seats. I think only a few of the theaters might have those but not most. It was super busy on discount day. Took a few minutes just to get in the building and another five to ten minutes to get popcorn. They technically have a separate line for A List members but it didn't seem like they were checking. So the perk of skipping the line didn't really mean much here. The location is great though. It's in a plaza with a bunch of food options nearby like ramen, pizza, and ice cream. They also validate parking which helps. I only paid 1.50 for four hours in the garage. Like other AMCs, you can add your own butter and seasoning to the popcorn which I really like. But even that had a line on Tuesday. Only one out of the two butter dispensers was working so that made it slower. They seem kind of understaffed on discount days but for the price it's still a good deal. Pro tip, Costco sells discounted AMC tickets too so that can save even more. This is the closest theater to where I live so I'll definitely come back. I just wish they had more reclining seats. That would make the experience a lot better.
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Veronica L.

Yelp
Wilson the manager was awesome and came by to offer to take a picture of us when he saw me taking a photo of my son with the Moana 2 poster in the lobby. He also helped me with some re-admit passes as a Stubs Premiere member. He also offered to look up when Totoro is playing in December when he noticed my five year old looking at the poster in the lobby. Really appreciate the excellent and above and beyond customer service especially on Thanksgiving Day. Thank you Wilson and the ticket taker who also was very kind and helped me get him to help us with the passes. Theater with Dolby surround sound was very clean for the 845am first showing and the reclined seats were super comfortable. Popcorn was delicious. The wicked combination cheddar and mixed popcorn was good but the sugary green and pink variety was a little too sweet for my taste. My kids loved that one though.
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Mark F.

Yelp
This theater badly needs a renovation. No reclining seats except for the Dolby Cinema. Very dated. However, there are some decent eating options close by. Good location on some bus lines. Just okay overall.
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Noren R.

Yelp
Sound, seats and screen are great. I don't like the parking situation. The way they make you get comped and have to extend parking is still confusing. I had to extend my parking mid movie. If you're just coming for the movie I guess you can make it and not have to renew but if you plan on eating or walking around the shops it almost feels like you're being punished ... Find a way to make parking with movie times more simple for everyone.
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Robert C.

Yelp
The line at the concession stand was a bit slow however they were freshly popping their corn and I have to say that I haven't had such great popcorn like that in a long time. In fact, I can't recall if I've had better popcorn elsewhere. The butter flavoring was tasty, but probably not very good for you. " The Ballad of Wallis Island" was just okay....it definitely started slow.
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Anna H.

Yelp
Would you like to wait on a concession line over 40 people long for over 25 minutes to get an overpriced soda? This is the place for you! Absolutely unhinged. I'll be going to any of the other movie theaters in the area from now on.
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Chris G.

Yelp
Went to watch revenge of the sith 25th anniversary with my family today at 6:15pm and had great time watching the movie. However there was one guy who kept yelling almost every line during the second half of the movie and wouldn't shut up. He even threatening to fight someone that asked him to be quiet. Management was notified and did nothing. The guy ended up leaving on his own with about 5 mins left. Management at this location needs to do better and honestly I'd appreciate a refund too (person at location wouldn't do this for me).
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Maximiliano G.

Yelp
I've been to this AMC a few times and it's a pretty nice theater! More recently, I had a more enjoyable time coming here because there are more restaurants in the area and it feels a lot more lively. Apart from the Dolby (recliners) and IMAX (plush rockers) auditoriums, the rest have the regular seats (I don't find them to be dirty, but they do have stains on them), which are comfortable and don't negatively impact my viewing experience. I will definitely be coming here again!
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Scott H.

Yelp
This theater is getting a significant upgrade in my review. Turns out this old theater with uncomfortable seats is the only San Francisco Bay Area movie theater with consistently functioning close captioning equipment. They've invested in new, smartphone like systems that seem to work every time. These are still old theaters with uncomfortable seats, and I wish they'd upgrade that also.
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Andrea C.

Yelp
It's a really nice theatre only that when I'm waiting for my order the front counter is very messy but everyone is very nice and everything else is clean
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Brian B.

Yelp
It's your basic massive AMC theater. Comfy seats and great screens. We get our tickets online ahead of time and stroll right in although the "convenience fee" is annoying. There is a bar with alcohol options but I've never seen anyone working it so I can't vouch for that. Bathrooms are clean. There's a parking garage with kiosks to pay in advance but tbh we've never paid and there doesn't seem to be a gate when you leave so I'm not sure what I'm missing. If I did have to pay, I'd take a star off because pay to park? at a mall? In Emeryville? They lots of screens plus an IMAX so if you want to see a current release, it's probably here.
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Young S.

Yelp
I recommend buy the tickets and don't seat down for 15 minutes. Or go somewhere with less commercials. The show was supposed to start at 7:20, but they made us watch 25 minutes of commercials before the actual movie began. This seems like an unusually long amount of commercials--I'd expect maybe 10 to 15 minutes, but 25 is excessive!

OnlyatBrandei S.

Yelp
All of the staff members I encountered at this location were friendly and attentive, but whoever runs this place needs to go sit in a corner and think about what they've done. At close to $20 a ticket, at a theater that does not have reclining seats, I expect an otherwise perfect experience. This left much to be desired. Despite the lines not being particularly long, everything was slow- the ticket purchase, concession purchase all took unnecessarily long. Once we arrived, with tickets for the first row behind the center aisle, we also found that my seat had a substantial tear, and there was a huge soda spill- this spill should have been obvious had the person who cleaned the auditorium after the prior show had done so with their eyes open. I can't imagine returning to this theater unless there was something I really wanted to see on the big screen, and nowhere else to see it.
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N F.

Yelp
No longer a fan. Customer service leaves much to be desired. It would start with just being available and you can't even get that. Have been calling since Monday, all day during business hours and no one ever answers the phone or the "corporate" number. We went to the movies this past Saturday only to arrive to closed doors. A very nonchalant employee with two security guards at his side, told us how unfortunately they were closed for the day due to an earlier fire alarm. Two hours before our show, as we entered the parking lot we saw a fire truck, but we had plans to eat before the movie so we had no idea it was for the theater. The host at the restaurant we went to told us about a big rush they had from people who had evacuated the theater due to a fire alarm. So as we walked back to the theater with excitement and anticipation to see the movie we'd be dying to see, we noticed the fire truck was gone and there was no yellow tape, so we assumed the fire dept had deemed the place safe. The last thing we thought was that the theater would be closed. And to see the nonchalant employee/manager/whatever and his two security guards in front of the doors with a handwritten 'closed' sign taped on the window was just the beginning of our frustration. He blaaahed on about "corporate being aware" and how to obtain refunds if you bought a ticket online or at the box office. There was obviously no clear and present danger in which they had to close for the rest of the day. It felt like employees just wanted to take the rest of the day off. And on such a big weekend with so many movies out that people are trying to see. We couldn't get tix for another theater because most of the tix and good seats were already sold out. Maybe I could let this slide if it hadn't been the second time we couldn't see a movie here. The first time we at least made it into our seats, but there was no movie to play as the projector or something wasn't working. And for the record, if you purchase tickets thru fandango and don't request your refund that day, you're not going to get it. It was all just a big hassle. And the nonchalant AMC employee had no "sorry for the inconveniences" to give. I feel like AMC Bay Street could care less about it's patrons, and maybe it's because "corporate" doesn't care much about its employees, since neither one cares to acknowledge its patrons by simply answering the damn phone, or I don't know, maybe offering a way to make it right, ie., a discount on your next purchase or a free food item or any way to show you value our business. So it's a no for me, dog, on ever coming back to this establishment. Such a shame.
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Chris R.

Yelp
Theatres super small but I was glad I was sitting in a nice theatre with a nice crowd which was really fun and I really enjoyed the experience. Me and my girlfriend went to go see Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning
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Holden F.

Yelp
I loved everything there, there are a ton of activities and places to get food around there, and the amc theater is super nice and clean. Would definitely recommend for a fun day/night out
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Scarlet S.

Yelp
Nice theater in terms of the sound and visual quality. Service is okay, the lines are usually long to get food/ drinks so get there even earlier than you expect so you don't miss your movie! I'd recommend buying tickets online also to avoid sitting up close to the screen. Great location to grab a bite beforehand at one of the restaurants. Alcoholic drinks are decent! The theater always seems a little messy but I think they're just understaffed.
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David C.

Yelp
While greatly anticipating "A Complete Unknown" on opening day, we arrived to our assigned seats with plenty of time to spare. After a few minutes of stupid theatre advertisements, the time for the show arrived. What followed were 8-10 several-minute-trailers that, in total, took 30+ minutes to complete. The audience around us were laughing and cat-calling at the screen after the 3rd or 4th one; after 8-9, it was uproarious! The only thing which made the experience even worse was the absurdly loud volume of each trailer. Beyond concert level (guessing 110-130 db), the various explosions and car crashes made paying attention to the content virtually impossible. Seeing any of those trailers again might induce PTSD. The Dylan biopic was appropriately loud during the concert & studio recording scenes. But for the 30-40 minutes of aural assault, I recommend bringing ear plugs or noise canceling headphones...or maybe just arrive (with assigned seats) about 30-35 minutes after the official start time.
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Jeffrey P.

Yelp
Bad customer service. Unorganized staff. You have to pay to park in order to watch a film here with no validation. Trash never coming back.

Alana H.

Yelp
You know I am a longtime movie goer at this location and I was enjoying my visit tonight watching Sinners... until two rats ran across my shoes and my friends. Then one rat jumped into someone's seat in the row below us. We were seated in row G. I immediately ran out of the theater and missed the last 20 minutes of the movie. Upset that the rats are there but more upset I didn't see them earlier! Update: AMC asked me to contact another AMC branch. No you do it.

Maia B.

Yelp
Just got home from seeing a movie at AMC Bay Street. I had not been there in bit and it was quite a disappointment to see how bad it's gotten. The parking payment situation is not that straightforward if you haven't done it before- I had to walk back to my car to get the slot number which was annoying, and then the machine overcharged me. But more annoying was that there was single person in the ticket sales booth and the one person in front of me proceeded to talk to them (no exaggeration) for 10 minutes. It seemed problematic that the ticket person didn't point out to them that there were other people in line, or find another staff person to come help. Then I noticed a sign in the window saying to go inside to purchase tickets, so I figured I must actually be in the wrong line given that they didn't actually seem to be selling tickets. So I went upstairs and waited in line at the door. The woman checking people in had some problem with her hand reader and was having trouble scanning people's tickets, so it took a while for me to get up to the front. Then she told me I had to go back downstairs to get a ticket. I told her there was no one selling tickets there and she said, "oh, ok, then this guy here can sell you tickets." (Like, wtf? Why did she try to send me back downstairs?) It was now more than 15 minutes after the showing time, but I knew with previews, I'd probably still be able to get a soda. There were exactly two people behind the refreshments counter. It took another 10 minutes to get through that line... only to be handed a cup to self-serve. Jeez. If you're making people serve themselves, why not just set up a self-payment machine? Seriously, it was ridiculous. The movie was fine. Thankfully the sound wasn't so loud that I needed my earplugs. But the worst was at the end, I left through a side exit door expecting to be funneled back to the lobby but instead ended up stuck in a back stairwell, with no way to backtrack. It was actually kind of scary. All the doors locked behind me so I could only go forward. I went through at least 6 or 7 doors, each leading to another cement bare stairwell, with pipes sticking out of the wall. Truly, I was scared I was going to get locked in a concrete prison where no one could hear me and there was no cell reception. Eventually it spit me out on the street, thankfully, outside the garage. It was the crap cap on the whole experience. Cannot see myself going again.
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Jacqueline F.

Yelp
I came here to see Origin. My fourth movie in a theater since the pandemic - yes, I am that person! First issue - there was one person behind the counter selling tickets. They had three people hanging around customer service. Is it possible for one of them to sell some tickets? Second issue - we have to choose our seats. No open seating. Why??? My sister and I had to select the seats which made each transaction much longer. And again, why didn't they have a second or even third cashier? It wasn't like there was a crush of people at customer service. Third issue - they got rid of the kiosks. That would have solved the issue of too many people waiting in a long, long line. Fourth issue - finding the room was hard, there should be something up front like they used to have with the movies, times, and location, like what you find when you go into an airport. They can make it electronic. I walked back and forth and could not find the room for the movie. Fifth issue - Getting the validation was a cluster. And unlike the past, it's not free. I hate paying and then proving that I'm in the theater and getting a refund. That's not fun at all!!! I spent an inordinate amount of time before the movie trying to get it to work. So did my sister. Sixth issue - they have a lot of popcorn seasoning, but when it takes you a full year to get into the theater, the last thing you want to do is ponder seasonings. Other than seeing the movie, this is not the movie going experience that I wanted. I'm used to arriving and at the most missing some of a trailer, but I missed all of that and the first few moments of the movie! Inexcusable! I don't have high hopes for coming here which is sad because they are the only game in town other than Richmond. All of the other accouterments around (food, drink, shopping) don't make up for a crappy experience. The good thing is that I saw most of the movie (entered during the first scene - Boo!) and the popcorn and soda was fine. We were starving. The theater was clean and the seats were nice. It was also 11:30 in the morning so, I would have expected that. But all in all, without changing some of the points (1-6) above, I probably won't be back for a movie. I can wait to stream.
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Tiffany A.

Yelp
I have not been to this theater in yeeeeeeeeaars!! I didn't have a bad prior experience. I stopped coming because there are closer theaters in my area. I got a gift card for Christmas which lead me back to this theater. I didn't buy my tickets online. The movie was empty when I checked the site, so i took my chances buying them at the window. I'm sure glad I did. Apparently TUESDAY is DISCOUNT DAY!! So I ended up saving my gift card for another day. If you park in the parking garage, they do validate. You pay for parking before you head in to watch your movie. Or whatever it is you plan to do on Bay Street. REMEMBER your stall number. After the movie is when you validate. Everything is digital. They scan your license when you enter the garage. There is no ticket to grab upon entry. If you have questions ask security. I was They were happy to help. The ticketing window is on level 3 and the movie theater entrance is on the 4th level. I forgot how large the theater was. They have a bar where you can order alcohol. They have Dolby screenings, 3D screenings and regular viewing. We went to the regular screening. The theater was big! The seats were not reclining but they were comfortable. The negative was the food line. The line was long. We waited over 10 min. The popcorn was delicious though! Bay Street itself is very teen heavy! It is a meet up spot for local kids. It didn't impact MY experience, but I know how teenagers can be in movie theaters. I would keep that in mind when I choosing a movie to go see, as well as the time.
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Simon C.

Yelp
Not to bad movie theater kinda dated. The seats are old and ripped and the food is ok lol The good thing about this place is its in a good mall and have great parking and have restaurants in there.
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Rose L.

Yelp
Validated parking for $1.50 nice movies, chill energy! Coming here as it's the closest AMC to Berkeley. Seats can get gross so do wear long sleeves and pants. Associates are nice.
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Wesley L.

Yelp
Went to see the new Pixar Elementals movie. Simple enough process buying the tickets online and selecting our seats in advance. Snack line was a little longer than usual so we decided to skip out on the popcorn. No major issues! Seating was fine, bathrooms were clean, and they validated parking ($1.50 for 4 hours). Did a little shopping afterward with some great sales. One of the remaining movie theaters in the area and some nice stores nearby. Around $14 for an adult ticket, probably worth investing in their rewards program for all the good movies coming out
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Gina H.

Yelp
SUPER overpriced! I have not been to AMC Bay Street in some time and was shocked at how much the ticket prices are for seats that do not recline. I came here recently to see Bad Boys and the seats were $40 for two and the seats were small, cramped and regular stadium seating. The popcorn I chose was caramel and it came in a small cup which was the "regular." This place is way too expensive for what it is. I would rather go to my regular places and not spend an arm and a leg at concessions and put my feet up!
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Cat N.

Yelp
This is the only option for going to the bigger-name movies in the area. It is only pleasant if you are watching in a Dolby or IMAX theatre; the rest/smaller theatres are on par with your indie/neighborhood spot without any of the charm of say The New Parkway or Grand Lake. They always seem understaffed, so show up early to make sure you're on time for your film because it will take awhile to scan your ticket at the front or order any of the pricey concessions. I like that there is a bar for you to grab drinks from on certain nights (I think only Thursday - Sunday?), but the bartenders I have interacted with are usually on their phone or watching TV before I have to get their attention. Don't expect anything fancy either. My biggest gripe is the parking situation. It was already idiotic that you have to pay to go shopping on Bay Street or to the movies, and validation didn't waive the fee, just reduced it. Now they have rolled out a new "system" that no one, not even the staff, understands that has to do with pre-paying through an app and trying to figure out validation that way. I understand it is Bay St Management that decided to roll out this new system, but it should have been (and still needs to be) clearly communicated to customers before they get to the theatre and get tricked into paying for pricey parking. As you can see from my photos, it has been a huge mess and is likely going to lose them customers if they can't figure out how to make it a more user/customer-friendly experience and train staff on how to answer questions.
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Latrese P.

Yelp
I went to see The Color Purple on 12/25 at 4:00pm. AUD12 was nasty. It wasn't cleaned after the previous show. There was a stain on the chair and popcorn all over the floor. I had to put the extra cardboard box that was for our popcorn on the seat and kick popcorn from the floor in front of me. The concession stand only had two people working. Both the VIP and regular line was long. Luckily I got to the theater at 3:30pm. If I'd gotten there 10 mins. later, I probably would've missed the beginning of the movie.
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Mike L.

Yelp
You know, I'd say I have a love-hate relationship with AMC Bay Street, but I'd be lying if I said I ever loved this place. Sure, I thought this was a pretty good theater when it first opened and I definitely didn't have the same issues with coming here back then as I do now. However, at this point, let's just say my reasons for coming here have far more to do with circumstances and convenience than anything close to preference. So, so much more...sigh. Maybe it's just me, but for whatever reason, it's hard to believe that AMC Bay Street has been around for almost twenty years now. Yet, despite its age, it has most of the modern amenities you'd expect to see in newer megaplexes - reserved ticket system, stadium-style seating, an IMAX screen, Dolby audio, and a "bar" for adult beverages (sadly, no reclining seats). Most importantly, though, they'll typically have every major release with multiple showtimes throughout the day/night (I still remember having to check if a new movie would end up showing here or at the now-shuttered Emery Bay nearby). All of that having been said, AMC Bay Street is not without its flaws...and they are notable. Whether it be the bathrooms, the hallways, or the theaters themselves, this place isn't as consistently clean as it used to be. Granted, it's not the worst I've seen, but more recently, it feels like there's always some combination of chock full garbage cans, food stained seats, spilled drinks on the floor, or bathrooms being dirty. What's more, the staff, while generally friendly, can't seemed to be bothered, including with questions about how the complex's relatively new parking system works (unless "I don't know - just download the app" is what they're told to say). Of course, that's to say nothing of how awful it is. While I agree that it sucks to have to pay for parking, I'd gladly pay twice as much if it meant bringing back the old paper ticket system. Whether you're paying at the self-service kiosks (which seem to be a bit buggy) or through the app (I have to download an app and give out my info just to pay?), the whole process just isn't intuitive. For example, I'm supposed to pay when I first park, but I can get my parking validated/discounted AFTER I watch the movie, and thus, have already paid for parking? Maybe it's not an issue paying via the app, but what if I paid at the kiosk? In spite of my issues with the parking though (my gripe is with Bay Street as a whole rather than AMC), I have no doubt that I'll keep coming back when I'm in the East Bay and a movie is on the agenda. In part because some of my friends are AMC subscribers, but mostly because there just aren't many alternatives in the area, let alone better ones. Otherwise, if there was, there's a decent chance I'd look to go there instead.
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Marty B.

Yelp
I saw Love Lies Bleeding tonight at the AMC Bay Street 16 at 6:15pm. Very cool movie, but the sides of the image were cut off. I told staff as the movie started and they said "that's just the way the movie is" or something along those lines. I talked to them again after it ended and they said they were "sent the wrong aspect ratio" so there was nothing they could do. I have no interest in trying to call out individual staff members; to be honest I am guessing AMC doesn't bother to train staff enough. But when you can't even read the credits of the movie it seems obvious something has gone wrong. I'm not an expert on the hardware involved, so I can't say exactly where the failure is. But when a movie theater tells you that you simply can't see the whole picture and apparently views that as acceptable, they've failed at a pretty fundamental function of their business.
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John T.

Yelp
This is a multi-theater complex in the Emeryville mall. They are not very crowded because who goes to movies anymore with smart TV's at home? So the theaters are comfortable. The sound is amazing. The snacks are a bit expensive, but what the heck. It's a good place to see a movie that's new and not available on your TV yet. Also, do you really want movie theaters to all disappear? Not me!
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Kerry S.

Yelp
Super overpriced theater. Probably the most expensive/overpriced theater in the East Bay. I've been coming to this theater for probably 15+ years but won't be coming again. Paid over $100 for 3 MATINEE tickets, popcorn a drink and a couple snacks. $20 a ticket is insane for a matinee. Also, the "luxury recliner seats" were all ripped up.

Lady M.

Yelp
I haven't been to this movie theater in years, but after visiting the movie theater yesterday I probably won't return because the movie theater was filthy. I was at the movie theater for 2 1/2 hours and not one employee cleaned the lobby, bathroom and condiments stands. Everything was unsanitary and unsafe to people's health.
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Tiffany S.

Yelp
validate parking right when you get in, because if it expires while you're still in the theatre validation doesn't work anymore! There's no messaging about this, heads up folks.
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Olivia C.

Yelp
Pros--there's plenty of parking in the lot, IMAX screens and they have a decent variety of concession items including my beloved mozzarella sticks. Cons--Charging $20 for a dry Bavarian pretzel is wild tho. Tickets tend to be a lil more on the expensive side and the pre-selected seating has caused issues when people refuse to sit in their assigned seats. I've seen altercations and this lady got busted over the head with a bucket of popcorn...hopefully they can find a solution.
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Fenua I.

Yelp
Tehya was very helpful. we accidentally bought tickets for the wrong theater and showed up. She put us in a Showtime no problem at all.
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Anthony T.

Yelp
Why is every Nosferatu IMAX showing going to be at 11pm?? This AMC needs to show more love to non-blockbusters. They love to load up on trash like Kraven and Red One
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Cynthia B.

Yelp
It's a beautiful theater with a recent redesign. Theater I went to had small seats with no footrests. They didn't recline or anything. I could barely fit my big backside in the seat, it was a tight squeeze then my arms protruded into the next seats. Narrowest seats ever. Sound was good image was good, restroom was clean and price was very high. Parking garage is very weird, kind of confusing. Best of all, there is a Shake Shack nearby, that's the only reason I will go back.
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Brandon R.

Yelp
Love this theater a lot, the parking situation is easy and doable/not expensive, but my only qualm is that there is only 1 screen in the whole theater that has recliner chairs, the DOLBY screen. They have plush rockers in the IMAX screen room which were actually very comfy too. The traditional seat as AMC calls them are old and worn out, and feel a bit dirty. Otherwise a good theater. I hope they can get the recliners or the nicer rockers in every screen room eventually.

Paul B.

Yelp
Some theater rooms have old, worn out leather seats. It's disappointing to see worn out seats when AMC is such a big company. When I went on a Tuesday, an employee there said they weren't sure if they did the $5 popcorn and soda combo which is one of the main reasons I would venture out here on a Tuesday. Granted they may have been a new employee there but I would of rather they would be knowledgeable of maybe a common deal. I highly don't recommend coming during peak showtime hours. Unless your an AMC member, the line for non members are always at least a 10 min wait with 8+ ppl in line. Maybe they aren't always staffed fully but that's what you may encounter during the busy hours. It's AMC; you should already have an idea how pricy the food is.
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Harley D.

Yelp
In the theaters that's cost extra due to the mechanical seats there seem to be quite a few that are not working. And they are extremely stingy with the salt.
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Tiffany D.

Yelp
They charged me $1 for a mask, which is now required before entering the theatre! What kind of Bogus is that? No other places are requiring it these days. Understaffed as line is superbly long for one man working the shift. Seats in the the theatre is now average comparably back in its glory new days. Needs retouching.
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Mariah D.

Yelp
For the price, we expected much more. The theater is very poorly structured for crowds (which is pretty normal at theatres), and the concessions line looked like it would have taken an hour. It is also unclean and uncomfortable. I likely won't come here again. Edit: There were two groups of teens (maybe 13-15yo) who were very loud, playing tag in the seats, face timing friends, and being overall really disruptive during the movie. We couldn't enjoy it at all, and nothing was done by the theater when other patrons complained. We decided to leave after 30 minutes as we could tell that this was going to continue. Terrible experience.

kevin f.

Yelp
I have a couple of issues with this theater. The first is that there is too much friction parking and with getting tickets. The ticket booth is often understaffed and the teenagers working the ticket booth couldn't give a f.. k about keeping things moving as evidenced by the five minute social visit the last person had with their friend while we waited. This made us late to our movie. The latest mark against this theater is that they are restricting access to the conservative film by Matt Walsh "Am I A Racist" by having very limited showing times on Friday and the weekend eg one show in the afternoon. I'm an old school liberal and though I don't agree with the guy on a lot of things I find it way more problematic to have information and access to different points of view heavily restricted.
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Nadav M.

Yelp
The cinema is big. Spacious, plenty of rooms, bathrooms, but the concession stands seem like a bit too much. The queues were long and items were on the pricey side. The place seems to survive nowadays, there's a random person checking your tickets with faulty technology, half the ticket machines don't work, there's only one person selling tickets, and the food has barely anything. I almost had no interaction with anyone. The room where the film Was being showed was big, comfortable, and spacious. This place is not my go to place but with high prices and customer service that's barely there, I'll think twice.
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Elisha S.

Yelp
The little mermaid in imax.. and I got the pop corn light up bucket.. the seats were nice and comfortable