Steven B.
Yelp
So close to "GREAT," but just "GOOD" because of a few key issues.
The Mad Fritz beer may be local, it is usually OK, but $15!?!?!? What a joke. The extreme expense for a little fermented cereal must slow its sales because I got a few beers here a few months apart and they tasted like mildew/ algae. I have tried thousands of beers, and I found this to be a unique problem. Both times, I notified the staff which has either drunk the KoolAid or are ignorant. They condescendingly lectured me about the high quality of Mad Fritz. I replied "perhaps, but this keg is bad or the lines are dirty." $45 + tip down the drain. Haven't had one since.
So, Mad Fritz must have donated to the Cameo or something, can't figure out their death grip on the placement. QC needed.
The wines... they serve some of the cheapest, most pedestrian wines around! WTF!? Usually California AVA, probably $5-8 a bottle wholesale. The white they had was love in a canoe. For those of you not in the wine biz, that means f'ing close to water. Right in the middle if Napa Valley! Appalling. Maybe someone paid for these placements too- I will research and see if from under one corporate umbrella.
Then, the patrons. OMG. A crypt. For the latest few Star Wars installments, when key characters appear, like C3PO, Yoda, Leah, Hans Solo, etc., there were crickets! Nothing! At the Napa theatre, the patrons would erupt in cheer and applause for these legends. Yes, I saw the same movies in both theaters just nights apart. Wayyyy different experience. Don't people go to the theatre for the experience? Why be comatose? Does Saint Helena need cheer leaders in the theatre? Cue cards? Pep talks? There were some giggles in Knives Out, but muffled and nervous little ones.
Finally, yeah, it is clean, the sound and picture are great, the seats are comfortable. The restrooms are great. They cooperate with local schools and orgs. Right on. 3.8 star rating, I can not conscionably round it up to 4 stars with the gouging beverage selections made available to patrons. Easy fixes. I hope to see them. Heck, do quarterly wine features with a 30 second ad during previews... Partner with local wineries to get some quality offerings. Just an idea.