Being a yankee from the great white north, I never really got to experience the joys of movie bars until I moved to San Antonio. But, boy, when I finally got a taste of an Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, the Texas-spawned full-fledged movie theater with food and drink service to your seat and rad-tastic shorts before the previews (see drafthouse.com for three SA locations), I just about cried tears of joy into my bacon pizza. Imagine my heart swell when I discovered that the "movie bar" is actually kind of a thing here.
502 Bar is slowly, but surely, becoming known for its spectacular music venue talents. Lucky for us, this place also lends its epic surround sound to twice-weekly movie nights. Enjoy free popcorn and a completely blacked out back room for Movie & Popcorn Wednesdays and Marvel Sundays (Walking Dead Sundays when it's in season) on 502's 135-inch screen. Movies shown here are usually light, ranging from The Big Lebowski to The Muppets. Oh yeah, the dollar pints are nice, too. 502 Embassy Oaks, (210) 257-8125, 502bar.com
The Friendly Spot is probably the best known of all the SA movie bars. Located downtown, this outdoor bar often features a massive blow-up screen in its front "yard." Wednesday night is movie night here, while weekends are for the sport-du jour. Enjoy a tasty michelada or one of the many craft beer selections as you nosh on elote and take in a screening of, say, Harold and Maude or Sixteen Candles. 943 South Alamo Street, (210) 224-2337, thefriendlyspot.com
Finally, we have War Room. This N. St. Mary's haunt is the latest incarnation of what used to be known as the Limelight. War Room has begun a weekly "CineBar" in conjunction with the SA Film Society. As of December 5, the bar is hosting double features every Wednesday. The inaugural showing included Tim Burton's Batman and this year's The Dark Knight Rises. Coming features: 12/12: Pee Wee's Big Adventure/The Triplets of Belleville, 12/19: Die Hard/A Christmas Story and 12/26: Road Warrior/12 Monkeys. 2718 N Saint Mary's, (210) 735-7775, thelimelightsa.com
