Five Can’t-Miss Items to Eat and Drink on the New Alamo Drafthouse Menu

After years and years of waiting, Manhattan’s first Alamo Drafthouse finally opened in October. The new 14-screen cinema at 28 Liberty Street — aka the newly christened Ivan Reitman Cinema — is the latest outpost from the Austin-based chain, famous for its strict rules (do not even THINK of pulling your phone out during a lull in the movie), comfortable chairs and cinephile events and programming. It’s also famous for its dining and bar menu: the wait staff comes right to your seat and takes your orders before and during the movie. 

The theater is still operating with a limited menu, but there’s still plenty to enjoy. Here’s your chance to get familiar with it in time for the holiday movie season. 

The Bottomless Popcorn 

Yes, the humble popcorn is not to be missed at Alamo for a simple reason. The problem at regular movie theaters: you get a large popcorn to share with your crew, but their hungry hands gobble up all the kernels before the final preview is over. Now you’re stuck with the dilemma of either running back to the snack bar for a refill and missing the opening world-building shots of your movie, or sitting through a two-hour film with nothing to crunch on. 

The popcorn at Alamo is bottomless, and the wait staff will bring your refills right to your seat. It comes in a big metal bowl just like you might make it at home too: no awkwardly fumbling to get to the bottom of a bag here, and less waste too. ($9, add seasonings for $1.50) 

Buffalo Cauliflower 

Cauliflower wings drenched and hot sauce and served with vegan ranch make a perfect movie snack, and not something you’d get at your typical movie snack bar. It’s finger food, it’s shareable and it’s spicy in case you need something to wake you up as you approach hour three of “Eternals.” ($12)

The Royale With Cheese 

Face it, this one is just fun to order. It’s the favorite hamburger of Tarantino heads and movie buffs worldwide. Yes, it’s basically just a bacon cheeseburger (with Tillamook cheddar,

smoked bacon, caramelized onion, tomato, lettuce and lemon garlic aioli), with a name from the famous “Pulp Fiction” line, but it feels right to order a burger name made famous in the movies at a theater run by film nerds. 

The Boozy Shakes 

Speaking of “Pulp Fiction,” that movie’s Vincent Vega famously complained about the cost of a milkshake. While 1990s’ prices might seem quaint by today’s standards, you get your money’s worth with Alamo’s boozy shake lineup. The Whiskey Banana Split Shake ($14) comes with

Wild Turkey Longbranch bourbon, Liber & Co pineapple gum syrup, Monin dark chocolate,

roasted banana and strawberry purées. The Grasshopper ($14) serves up DeKuyper crème de menthe and crème de cocoa.

The Pizzas

The days of sneaking a slice from the corner pizzeria into the theater under your jacket are over! Alamo’s kitchen serves up 10-inch thin-crust pies, with a little something for everyone: an option for cauliflower-based crust can make any pie gluten-free for just $3, and a vegan supreme pie serves up dairy- and meat-free offerings, while omnivores can munch on pies like “Angry Pepperoni” that features pickled jalapeños, roasted garlic, red chili flakes and fresh basil. ($14-$17). 

photo: Cory Ryan