The service with Spiderman was incredible and food was fantastic and fresh and warm great atmosphere and service will definitely be back again read more

I have to say very disappointed at service and food served cold! Our waitress was Cruella de Vil and she was horrible. Served drinks and appetizer after we set and didn't see her again until dinner was served. To make matters worse, granddaughter spilled water on table, had to use all of our napkins to clean it up. No one came to help and when our waitress brought the food that was COLD, she try to serve us around the mess! We went ahead and ask for to go boxes just in case she didn't come back for awhile. Decided to take our food home. experience horrible! We remembered we were not served any bread. SHE looked under the bag she brought us with the to go boxes as if it was hiding there. Don't get her, just saying! - Will not be going back for a long time. read more

Roaches! Roaches! Roaches! I have pictures to prove my claims! From other reviews I have read roaches are a common theme at this place! Very grimy! Save your money! Extremely rude and unprofessional manager! Don't even waste your time or risk your health! Salad bar was very dingy and not fresh at all. I will be calling the health department to go and do an inspection on this "food establishment"! My complaints are not for a free meal or a refund. Major changes need to be made! Beginning with the manager who believes that roaches crawling around a busy restaurant are not a big deal! Businesses are a reflection of it's "leaders". In this case very poorly and straight into the ground! DISGUSTING! I never complain but this is a warning to all of my fellow travelers to stay away and save yourself the disgust and unpleasant trip! read more

You dont go to MTM for the food. The experience is what brings you. Kids and I came to town and they had never been so I made sure we definitely made it a destination while here. We really enjoyed our time, Alice was great, and they managed to get a book full of autographs. The best part of the meal was the salad car. Should have just ordered that. Sidebar: more kids menu options on the back. read more

We take all our out of town family and friends here. Raven was our waitress this time and was amazing. She really cares and is veryuch on character the whole time. She made my in-laws laugh and have an amazing time. Thank you Raven for the wonderful time. read more

It's older but what a fun place to go and the food is great too. Kids had fun. Waiters were fun to interact with and the kids and my husband loved walking around looking at the different dining setting themes. read more

I should have read the reviews first. The food was bad. 1/2 slab of ribs, tasted like they were boiled, then reheated in a microwave for 1 minute with a little blend bbq sauce. Decor and concept were interesting- but their target audience is kids... read more

We visit this location every time we come to the area and we absolutely love the experience and food ... the staff is great ... But the balloon guy makes the visit well worth it ! We all love him! read more

Great place, went for a 5 year old great grandson birthday and had a great time. Our server was great.

Ok, so this is my first time go try the Magic Time Machine restaurant, I have read all the reviews even there are some not good reviews I still go give it a try, because you know everybody have different experience, different taste, and different opinions... and I want to know how is my experience gonna be. So The foods are ok, and I have a magic drink, taste good and fun cause it have bubbles on it. And we glad that we have cash tonight that normally we don't bring cash, cause there are magician come by the table, he is very good, the balloons maker, she good as well, the caricature and maybe something else and they work for tips. All staffs dress up with all kind different characters and they are friendly, there are a lot of different kind of room with different themes. The place a little smell of the furniture, but not too bad and I think that how is it to make it different because this place is already so different with the other restaurants. It was a fun place especially for kids and I give them 5 stars because we have a fun night. read more

Magic Time Machine - Magic drink, they have different colors - Bars Near Me - Dallas, Texas

The building it is in used to be a 2 story school in Addison that has been converted to a restaurant. I think it's been a restaurant for over 30 years. Each table or booth has some type of theme such as an Apollo moon capsule, back end of a school bus, a library, pirate area, Sesame Street area, etc. the servers will be in various costumes. Who you see can vary by day. Some of the ones I've recently seen are Jack Sparrow, Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, Harley Quinn. During the week it's open for dinner and weekend for lunch and dinner. Meals typically come with a trip to the self serve salad car. It's basically an old Roadster that's been converted to hold salad. It also held soup during lunch on the weekends but I haven't been there recently during lunch to see if it's still offered. They usually give out a card that kids run around trying to get servers to sign. Many times I'll see customers also wearing costumes when going there. And this may vary but they have someone making balloon swords, animals, hats, etc. There's not a charge but they get paid by tipping them directly. There is also usually someone taking pictures and putting it in a souvenir card that you can purchase for $10 and/or a digital copy emailed to you for $5. A tip can be given also. I have not seen this lately but a magician may go to tables doing magic tricks for tips. When you get there they will ask your party size and they will text a link to the waitlist. You usually need your full party there before being taken to your table. They have a varied menu and the items I've tried was always good. Kids birthdays, and anything else you want to celebrate can be done there. You can also order adult beverages. read more

So disappointed in this place. Since this past Saturday Medieval times was sold out, we decided to take our girls here. The first mistake I made was looking at the Google reviews and NOT Yelp. When you walk in you are greeted by an overwhelming old mild dewy smell. We waited about an hour to be seated and while we waited we checked out the upstairs little arcade which was okay... Cici's Pizza arcade is just as great in my opinion lol... but since the upstairs is a bar/ arcade that allows smoking it reeked. Finally we sat down to eat, our table was sticky, the booth smelled like a 30 year old unwashed pillow case, and the decor/restaurant in general looked nasty. I'm not high maintenance by any means nor like leaving bad reviews but dang for what we paid to eat here you would think they would put some money back into maintaining the restaurant. I got the New York strip steak and a loaded baked potato.. the steak was decent (defiantly was over priced) and the potato was disgusting. When our waitress came back around to see how we were doing, I told her I no longer wanted the potato and she asked why, and not thinking before I spoke I said it taste nasty.. it taste like this place smells.... we both giggle and later I apologized because what I said was kinda rude... anyways I guess we all have those days. ITS SO DISAPPOINTING AND UNSATISFYING WHEN YOU SEE GREAT REVIEWS AND ARE LET DOWN. Needless to say we will never be back. Honestly think this place needs to be shut down... it is gross. Save you money and spend elsewhere. Our kids didn't enjoy it that much so again it was an incredible waste. read more

Really fun little atmosphere for a small child. My husband and I took our 3 year old for lunch. We got really lucky and Rapunzel happened to be there and my toddler was so happy. It was worth it just for that moment she was able to have with one of her favorite characters. Unfortunately, you have to sacrifice quality of food for the atmosphere. It's really overpriced and poor quality. But, it's worth a one time visit! read more

My daughter loves theater and entertainment, especially for dinner. She wanted me to come experience the show. Characters such as Princess Ariel (our waitress), the big bad wolf, Poison Ivy, Luigi, Antman, etc are played by your wait-staff. You will also be visited by build a balloon guy, camera guy, and a magician that offer entertainment/mementos for tips/fees. This is why you come, and most of the characters were fun and entertaining. My two star review centers around what seems to be the most frequent complaints. The food is exceptionally overpriced for its quality. The restaurant smells and looks dirty. It's difficult to keep large amounts of carpet clean and smelling good in the best of circumstances. My first advice is to completely remove every single ounce of it, and give the concrete an acid bath (discard carpet). The restaurant does have a strong mildew smell which is likely worse on warmer days. Use mostly hard surfaces that will not absorb large quantities of liquid. Increase the budget for staff to clean (bus boys, general cleaners, etc). The restaurant should heavily invest in re-making the entire menu (perhaps a real chef needs to work in the restaurant). Change offerings, preparation, serving presentation. Everything. I had 1/2 rack of ribs that Chili's beats ten out of ten and paid $18. The cheese pizza that my daughter received is bested at her school cafeteria. It looks and tastes old, ill prepared, and suspect. We will not be returning without these massive and very expensive improvements. Your move Brittany and ownership. No need to direct message me unless you plan on sending us somewhere else to eat. read more

Every time I go here it's a new and wonderful experience, the waiters are vibrant and exciting, despite your age. Not to mention the food is wonderful. Treat yourself and go here for a fun end to a day you won't regret it. read more

So let me start this review off by saying, I'm not a picky person when it comes to restaurants. I generally inhale food and just go for atmosphere, friends, etc. But oh. My. God. This restaurant was grooooossssss. I didn't really know what to expect as I had only been here a couple times for karaoke (which is lit) and to eat a few years ago. Upon walking in, we were greeted by the smell of nasty ass carpet and old books, but this was forgivable because it kind of gave the place a charm? Idk. The sat us in this little dusty cave decorated with 70s Christmas decorations... it was like walking into a horror movie. Snow White was our waiter. She was funny and never broke character...I would give Snow White 3/5 stars. Wish her voice matched the character better... Okay so now to the food: FUCKING EW. Bland. The napkins smelled like mildew. The salad cart was not very trustworthy. Made me sick. Avoid eating here at all costs. However, like I said the karaoke is lit. But that's it read more

I had been in this restaurant only ones, at the end I can say it was a good experience, a kind of expensive and should be very lucky to get a good table, is a thematic restaurant, we asked three times to change our table, because the good ones are in the middle of the restaurant and usually is very crowd, specially on weekends, they have a very good drawer there, he made a good cartoon for us, the food is very good, the salads bar is nice and the servers very good, we expend a good time there, I will come back for any special day, mostly because the prices. Something I don't like is that the place smell old and need a lot of renovations, the decoration and furniture looks old. read more

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My daughter and wife went here last night. My daughter is a minor, so she is leaving this review through me. The second you walk in, it smells. The seats at the table were dirty. The pizza looked disgusting. The dough didn't look right and the sauce to cheese ratio was wrong. The cheese was clumpy. The pizza tasted gross. The corn on the cob was warm, but flavorless. The salmon was good. The wait staff was good. It was expensive. Will not return. read more

This place is disgusting, it should be burnt to the ground. We had a party of 6 and no one was satisfied with their food.

EDIT: it's been a little over 7 hours since we left and I haven't eaten anything else. I've had to make 5 urgent trips to the bathroom in the last 30 minutes. I'm guessing something at the salad bar has given me food poisoning. Greeeeeaat. I'm assuming it was either the potato salad or kidney bean salad because that's what I ate the most of. I've been coming to the Magic Time Machine since I was a child (I'm 30 now) and after today's visit, I'm sad to say we will never be back. My son is 8 and we have brought him here 4 times and it seems to have just gone downhill more and more each time. The inside and outside of the place hasn't changed at all. No upgrades, nada. The inside is very very muggy and dusty. It looks like all of the decor is falling apart. I'm pretty sure the heater is broken for half of the building. The front area and the arcade upstairs had space heaters throughout both areas and it was still freezing. Most of the arcade games are broken and take your money. Starting off: The salad bar- I used to LOVE it but today....Yikes. The first couple of plates I picked up were dirty. Most of the containers were pretty empty and didn't look appetizing at all. The cucumbers they had sliced looked awful and disgustingly old. The potato salad was really nasty and reminds me a lot of the nasty Great Value potato salad at Walmart. They had two different soups out which were both mostly broth. We couldn't find much of anything in either the "Tortilla soup" or the "beef soup." Both were pretty bland and tasteless. I also had to stand in front of the kitchen and ask for spoons, they only had on out and it looked like it had been used. Entrees- They took over 30 minutes to come out. I got the "Eve's Cut" which was a ribeye steak with mashed potatoes, horseradish, and oddly enough, an orange slice. I've gotten this in the past and it was pretty decent, it's kind of hard to mess up steak. I took one bite and immediately spit it out. I had to get up and go wash my mouth out in the bathroom. This is the second time I've ever sent my food back in my life. Most of the time I'll just grin and bear it if it's just ok. I don't complain a lot but this was bad. The taste reminded me of dish soap and vomit. Our server was kind and and offered to have something else made but I genuinely wasn't hungry anymore. My husband got the grilled chicken Parmesan and was disappointed as well. He didn't eat half of it. The kids both got kids pizza and fries. They liked it but they're kids and it's really hard to mess up pizza. There was really only one good experience we had was our waiter. Peter Pan was awesome and really apologetic when we let them know how dissatisfied we were.. It's really sad to see this place that has been an Addison landmark go down the drain like this. With an update to the building and the menu this place could be saved. read more

My daughter love this place. I was surprised the food was actually good. A great place for kids. I love the atmosphere with the balloons and pictures. read more

We came here because of restaurant.com coupons. The discount with the coupons was 40%. We read the other reviews on yelp and didn't have high hopes. We had a great time. Yes there are kids and yes the place is a little musty but the building is fine for the time machine motif. We expected the food to be mediocre based on the reviews, but found it to be delicious. We all had steaks with seafood add on. My son had the 3x4 and his was delicious, too. Overall it was a very fun experience. Definitely worth the money we paid with the discount. read more

food bad period ...I was expecting somewhat good service for all the hype and all...but barely any characters there. and the server just came and dropped the food to our table without saying anything....I wish there a lower them 1 star review I cud give them...kids meal ridiculousl...dry fries...over rated drinks...I know I m not going back there ever. read more

Magic Time Machine - Bars Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I have been going here since I was 5 and know I'm 17. I love this place so much I plane on keep on going till I get old. Your kids would love it too. read more

I had so much fun! This was my first time coming here. We had Nacho Libre and he was spot on! He was so in character and made me laugh so hard! My daughter loves her light up cat balloon. We will be back again! read more

Magic Time Machine - Light up balloon - Bars Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Stumbled on MTM during a business trip. I loved it! My steak was well-seasoned and perfectly cooked, my "potion" drink was tasty and bubbly, and my server (Jesse) was attentive and funny. I will definitely be back! read more

Ok, this place is an experience & I'm glad we came. The food was great, the staff was kind & friendly. Drinks were strong. The decor definitely makes you wonder what it was like back in its heyday. (I'd love to see pics actually!) That being said, it's quaint & definitely something the kids will enjoy. Super unique. Luigi was an amazing server. read more

We had the best time at The Magic Time Machine July 2023. My husband truly doubted my want to take our 5 and 2.5 year old while in town for a short getaway. Maybe it was my childhood reminiscing I had happening from 20 years ago that made me want to go. Not really sure. But I'm so glad we went. He had never been. Don't let the website sway you. It's rather terrible - website gets a 2/10. Restaurant experience gets a 10/10. Food gets an 8/10. The staff is wonderful, they give such a fun experience. And the place is literally a Time Machine. I swear it's just the same as I remember it when I was a kid 20 years ago!! A guy comes around and gives the kids fun shapes balloons, girl comes around and takes your picture, kids get an "autograph" book for the different characters to sign! The girls loved it and I loved the memory of the good ole days as a kid! Characters we saw: Jasmine, Rapunzel, Jack Sparrow, Harley Quinn to name a few. Disgust from the movie Inside Out was our waitress. If you're on the fence about going, get off of it. You need to go. Arrive before opening and get in line. People file in FAST and the wait times get long. We were there at 4:00 open on a Saturday night, were seated immediately and walked out at 5:15! read more

This is the cutest little place ever! Every single person we came in contact with was super nice. The food was good. Our littles has a blast! read more

Had SuperGirl and she was great! Drinks and food were impeccable! She went above and beyond to accommodate for sure. Everybody was great! Was super clean!! 10/10 would recommend! read more

I confess, the last time I ate here was in January of 2012. I feel the need to rate and review this restaurant because of all the negative reviews. Some of these reviewers (and I'll probably get hate replies, but I don't care. I can post pics to prove my point.) need to know the difference between "old restaurant" and "filthy restaurant." This restaurant is actually an old school house that was converted into a restaurant in the 70s. You can tell it was once a school by the bricked-up windows, old elevator, the corridors, and the rooms still resemble old classrooms. Yes, the salad bar is an old, hollowed out, 1920s car. The car has been cleaned out, remodeled and is perfectly safe and sanitary to use as a salad bar. To the gentleman who complained that it was against health code violations, it isn't. They have their health code certificates posted on the wall. Just ask a waiter to point them out if you cannot see them. You can tell the restaurant is old because of the dim lighting, vintage walls and antiques. I apologize if half of you people who give this restaurant 1-star reviews cannot stand old buildings. This restaurant reminds me of an old Victorian home that was remodeled into a restaurant. The waiters are nice and always into character. The last time I went I was given Peter Pan. The waiter was extremely happy, and toward the end of our meal he 'dropped character' and talked to us. He told us about his job because a friend of mine asked how to get a job here. He was nice and extremely helpful. Upstairs has been converted into lounge and bar. There is also an arcade and pool hall. The lights are dim. There is a full bar, dancing (on some nights) and karaoke. As you walk down the stairs, there is a full length mirror on the ceiling and walls. I can also see why some people think this restaurant is good for a first visit, and seems lo 'loose it's charm' as you come back. You know what to expect. You know what the characters are about to say. You know the menu. Of course the 'magic' is lost. But, I personally don't care. I love this place, I love the staff, and I love the freakin' salad cart car! And, I love the bubbly drinks!!! 10 Stars! Bring the kids, they will appreciate the characters. read more

This isn't your average restaurant. Zany? Yes. Delicious? Yes. Novelty? Oh you bet. The Magic Time Machine is hard to miss, nestled right next to Hooters in what used to be the Addison school house about a hundred years ago. Upon entry, you are immediately greeted by a lobby that looks (and smells) like that once grand Victorian mansion that is now dark, musty, and decorated like an English gentleman's study sprinkled with his lady's favorite fainting couches. But never fear! Just around the corner the fun begins. Beyond the check in desk there is a school bus protruding out of the wall, an artist offering outrageous caricatures, and a slew of tables that never look the same twice. You and your family will be delighted to dine in a tee-pee, or a crayon box, or even a library or a pumpkin. But the fun doesn't end there! Who will be your server this evening? If not Superman, then perhaps Jack Sparrow, Tinkerbell, or your favorite Hogwarts students. Fun times. This restaurant is incredibly kid-friendly. From the balloon animals and caricatures to collecting all the server's character autographs, the little tikes will more than likely experience a sensory overload of awesome as if you took them to the carnival and Sea World all within the same day. Doubtful that they will be bored or restless at any point in their time at this restaurant, and for your sake, thankfully distracted. And of course Magic Time Machine has some adult-friendly benefits as well. There is a full bar upstairs that the childless diners can elect to visit should they not be a fan of little ones running about, and the food menu is pretty enjoyable, albeit a bit pricey. Even though the menu isn't as expansive as your average Chili's-esque eatery, you're still likely to find something you like, whether that be Grilled Chicken Alfredo, Pork Tenderloin, or Salmon. The best dish - in my opinion, and a signature of the Magic Time Machine Experience - is the Roman Orgy. This meal requires at least four people in your party to order it, and it is served family style. If you order this dish, then your entire table is engulfed in delectable fair, from brisket and turkey to rosemary potatoes, vegetables, honeydew and cantaloupe. And yes. The servers will feed you grapes as if you're a great Roman feasting your guts out. The variety of the selection is wonderful, and very, very tasty. And for less than $20 a head in this option, a fun experience for those looking for a good social time. Diner beware, though, because a design such as The Magic Time Machine's is not without it's flaws: Your dining experience, as it heavily relies on the service you receive from the "characters" serving everyone, can potentially fall flat. If any of the servers - regardless of them waiting directly on you - don't treat their presence as a performance and, God forbid, act like normal waiters, the fourth wall is shattered, and you kind of feel jipped whether you're a kid or an adult. And even though I never had this problem as a child, I've noticed that some servers won't try as hard with the act if they are serving a group of adults on, say, a slow weeknight. And the food isn't cheap. On average you're paying $20 per adult and $8-$15 per kid to eat. And that's not counting if you indulge in any of their bubbly novelty drinks. Be prepared to pay for all that atmosphere and pizzazz that this place is overflowing with. Despite it's flaws, however, I love the Magic Time Machine. It's different and it's fun and can be a hoot for children and adults alike. Just make sure that you go on a prime night like Friday or Saturday to get a bang for your buck, because the more crowded this place is with enthusiastic diners and servers, the greater a time you're going to have. I'm really torn. I want to give this place 3.5 stars because it's near and dear to my heart, but I don't think I can round up because this is a novelty place not designed for frequent visits that increase once's fondness. So a respectful and slightly guilty rounding down. Still worth a visit if you're looking for something different for your family or a group of youthful friends, though. read more

Reading all the past reviews regarding this place makes me sad, its a reminder of how cynical people are. This place is fine dining at its best, here is the kick, at its best for children. The Magic Time Machine puts a smile on every child's face that walks through its doors and the bottom lime that is all that matters. Have you ever gone to a restaurant and seen a family with kids in tow and they all look miserable, kids bored and restless and parents trying to placate them and no one is enjoying dinner? Thats what happens when you take children to a stuffy restaurant, bring them here instead and let them enjoy themselves. The food is good, its not 5 star quality but its good, the salad bar might be a bit untidy but again have you ever sat around a table with children? The drinks are fun, bubbly and smoking and strangely cold, any child would delight in that magic potion. The character costumes delight the children and they enjoy going around with their autograph book collecting signatures from such whimsical characters as Snow White, Peter Pan, Superman and Wonderwoman... When I was a kid, I was brought here by an Aunt to celebrate my sisters birthday, I was about 10 or 11 at the time and it was magical to me then and I have long had special memories of this place. Here we are so many years later and I brought my daughter for her birthday and we left with her face lit up with just the excitement I remember from so long ago. This is the perfect special occasion restaurant, if your the type of who nitpicks and complains about the little things, you need to step back and remember what it was like to be a child and if you have children of your own, bring them with an open mind and let THEM be the judge of this place... read more

My Love relationship with restaurants is like a broadway light board......when a lite goes out, I just change the bulb. Mary S. Dallas (Note to Bar Staff) when some one orders Capt n Coke.....Pour Capt N Coke, not some cheap crap. Then when you get caught because the drink taste like sh$t do not mumble in (sims language) that you just pour that brand of rum when somebody orders capt. I think in mixologie 101 they teach you that Captain Morgan is, by volume, the second largest brand of spirits in the United States, and the seventh largest worldwide. Us advid drinkers strike the dang Captian Morgan pose while consuming, I think we are going to realize you did not pour what we requested. also don't insult the customer who is about to drop a sh$t load of money in the restaurant downstairs for a 50 cent up charge....Can I charge you fitty cent for making me walk back up stairs to correct the problem you caused? plus you are a total buzz kill. And why do the bartenders not par-take in character monologues? Oh wait maybe they do "they are playing the roll of INTROVERTS" So then we sit down, Table is Dirrrrrrrtay- yep food still on smudged on it. What was crawling on there that I couldn't see? so I open my menu and whhhhah laaaah Some kind of salsa plastered all over the inside...Do they even serve salsa? Was the kitchen workers using the menu as a place mat? Oh that kitchen help....So after being suprised by the uncleaniness of the exterior I had to do peak a boo in the kitchen......My joy was seeing the floor.......Ok is Dirty Dining Dateline gonna stop by? Then I look up and one of the cooks is devoring on some bread in hand and mouth.....I love eating food that has been handled by hands that been in mouth. No not really. Do you follow health code laws? where was the manager? Do they even have a boss in charge? ok so the chopped steak- let me tell you about this dish. Somebody call 911 we just been burglarized....yep it's a burger patty....then they tried hiding it under all of those veggies. On a positive note the Garlic mashed was pretty good. IDK maybe I was drunk. Did the person in charge of the Salad car not use GPA and get lost? The utensials had a greasy film on them and it looked like the car drove around 50 MPH and slammed on it's breaks really hard- yeah it was that dishelveled. Next time the car goes on a joy ride- send it to Tom thumb for some shredded cheese and eggs! I get it, really it's eatertainment concept! I love the idea and obviously we are occupied with admiring the servers (if you get lucky and get a creative one) but not for the belly fillers. Ok so heres the question Why the restaurant business? Seriously does the owner sleep at night knowing he is robbing people of an overall satisfied tummy and hurting the pocket book? I loved coming here back in the day. Did Cinderella graduate from college and leave? where was woody? Did he move to Hollywood? I am just saying. The vibe was so different.....We come here maybe 3 times a year....For Birthday's usually. We came on few non- B-day ocasions as well. I always tell people about "Magic Time Machine" But due to the lack of cleaniness I am not referring anyone here anymore.....Good news I survived the night of dangerous eats! Unless......Unless you really are a time machine and can transport customers back to 2007 or before. I have to add the evening was saved by the server- Velma was a doll.....pic girl was corky and funny as usual and over all character staff very engaging! Disapointed, I feel sorry for all of the creative witty servers who put all the hard work and effort into there job... get the kitchen back on track, keep the salad car parked and do an employee meeting on cleaniness. I am not trying to be a time machine playa hater- seriously my family and I hold some found memories of our dining experiences in our heart. It's just does not have that same whimsical magical feeling. God I pray my kids request something different for B-day dinner My light bulb just went out ;( read more

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We just ate at the Magic Time Machine yesterday for my son's 1st birthday. There were six of us. My husband (43), myself (32), my daughter (12), and my 3 sons (9, 6, 1). Before going I had read many reviews of the restaurant and wasn't quite sure if this was a place we wanted to go. It gets so many bad reviews, but the more bad reviews we read the more intrigued my husband and I were to go. We arrived at approximately 5:00pm on a Sunday evening. The place wasn't very busy and we were immediately seated under the carousel. Superman was our server. His costume was very well done (not cheap like other reviews suggested) and he stayed in character the entire evening. The place is decorated with antiques and it is old. But it was very clean. We actually loved how this was a unique older place and not some new trendy cookie cutter restaurant. (THERE WAS NO FUNKY MUSTY SMELL in the restaurant. However the elevator did have that smell.) Our kids each ordered one of the bubbling drinks in a different color. My husband had a beer and I had a soda. We skipped appetizers and ordered our food. My husband had chicken parm. I had Superman's Pasta (pasta alfredo with spinach and artichokes). My daughter had the young adults Buffalo Chicken Tenders, my son had the young adults Brisket. My six year old son had Chicken Tenders off the children's menu. (The baby just had off of our plates). After ordering we had our trip to the side car. Superman told us even the baby got a trip there without us ordering him a full meal. The salad car was sufficient. All of your traditional salad bar items. The baby and I personally loved their house cheese croutons. Our food arrived rather quickly and the portions were very decent for the price. My husband's chicken parm wasn't traditional chicken parm. It was not breaded, rather grilled chicken. But he said it was very good. My son tasted my Superman's Pasta and wanted to trade me his brisket. So at first we traded and then he tasted the brisket and wanted to trade back. He loved both dishes. I thought they both were good. Both chicken tender dishes were very good as well. My husband was the only one to finish his meal. My kids had at least 1/2 their food left. I didn't force them to finish because we all wanted to leave room for dessert. After all we were there to celebrate my babies birthday. We ordered a brownie sunday (with 4 scoops of ice cream) and an apple dazzle with cinnamon ice cream. The kids devoured the brownie dessert and my husband and I really enjoyed the apple dazzle. Superman actually encouraged my kids to get up and walk around between courses to get autographs of the other characters in their autograph book/menu. My kids got everyone's autograph. There was Cinderella, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Austin Powers, GI Joe, Peter Pan, and a few others I don't remember. After eating my husband and I walked around with the kids and checked out the entire place. It was very neat. I personally loved how it was decorated to be cool for the kids but they did it in a way that they could get around licensing. I think it's good to step outside of the box and not be overloaded with corporate America. This place did a nice job of keeping true to the characters but just enough twists that made it their own. We went upstairs and checked out the bar area. It was empty on a Sunday evening but very cool antique furniture up there. I wouldn't mind hanging out there with my husband for some adult time. Our bill came to around $90 and of course we left a decent tip that put us over the $100 I anticipated to spend here. I can't believe the reviews that say how pricey this place is. Yes, their steaks are $20-$30. I'm a steak snob and I didn't want to be disappointed so I went for a pasta dish. My dish was $14 I believe. The prices were very very comparable to Chili's or Applebee's. The quality of the food was not "Oh my God, the best I've ever eaten" but it was definitely on par with Applebee's if not just slightly better. I give this place 5 stars because for the price you won't find a better meal WITH entertainment in DFW. All of my kids enjoyed it, from my 12 yr old to the baby. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it as well. Even though it is about a 100 mile drive for us I can definitely see us returning in the future. read more

I've been coming to the Magic Time Machine for over 20 years. When I was little, I always wanted to sit in the Crayola crayon box! All of the places to sit are fun; even if you're not in a themed booth or section, you have a really good view of the themes and all the characters tend to walk right by you. Had various characters as my server over the years, and have never had a bad experience. I've been back several times as an adult, and it's still a solid place to go out to eat with a group. This Friday, there were 8 of us. We were crammed in kind of a small booth, so scooting in and out was kind of a pain, but it was during the rush on a Friday night, so I get it. There's no reservations on Friday/Saturday (for groups UNDER 25 people), which I always found kind of strange. Also, they will NOT seat you if your whole party isn't present. So if you're going with a group on a weekend, be prepared for wait. But there's always the Bar upstairs to waste some time in. Alaadin was our server and he was great. Very attentive without being overbearing. I never wanted for a refill, and he was good at a balance of being 'in character' and being an actual human being. Pocahontas was a server in a nearby section and she was really quite loud! We heard her describing the salad car to a couple of different groups. And ow. My ears. Luna Lovegood (from Harry Potter) was a new addition to the serving staff. And she was awesomely in character. Nice and spacey and funny. The guy who plays Woody from Toy Story has been there for years and he's great. Really enthusiastic and funny. Also, everyone was really nice when my friends (who had never been there before) wanted to take a tour of the restaurant and see all the neat booths and themes and whatnot. Joe Dirt even beckoned us into the classroom he was cleaning with another person (we were just going to look at it from outside so as not to disturb/annoy them), and told us that if we were touring the place, we had to see this room: it was the last remaining actual classroom. The building used to be a school before it was turned into a restaurant 37 years ago. He gave us a neat history of the room and building, which was appreciated by my first-timer friends! Everyone's always dissing the food, but I've never had bad food here. Had some of their appetizers for the first time and they were good. The Spinach Artichoke dip had a good flavor, and the Mozzerella sticks were nice and crispy. Other folks at the table had some peel and eat shrimp, which they liked (except those who couldn't figure out how to peel them...). I will say that the biggest bummer about their menu is the lack of vegetarian options. My boyfriend is trying to do the veggie thing again, and there was no Vegetable-heavy vegetarian dish on the menu. What he wound up doing was ordering side dishes of broccoli, asparagus, and a baked potato-- all $5 each. So it was $15 for 2 veggies and a loaded potato... but the vegetable portions were INSANELY huge. Like it looked like an entire broccoli farm had been emptied out for his portion. So if you're a vegetarian and you go to MTM, there aren't a plethora of options for you. BUT if you like asparagus or broccoli, then get ONE of them and a baked potato. Yes, it's $10, but it's good quality veggies (didn't taste frozen). Also, there's pasta alfredo or marinara (look on the back of the menu; more kid-friendly options, but there are adult-sized servings as well; the chicken alfredo and seafood alfredo are on the 'regular' menu-- the plain is on the back menu). I think there's also a cheese pizza on the back menu. I got the MTM filet, which is a beef filet (6 or 8 oz, I think) covered with a wine sauce and wrapped in bacon. The sauce tasted sweeter and thicker this time than it has in the past, but it was still good. Steak was cooked to my liking and the potato was delicious. As always, the salad car was well stocked (including, oddly, some kind of crazy marinated brussels sprouts?) and fresh. Also, the bread and honey butter were delicious, as always. We should've been ashamed by the amount of bread and butter we ate, but it was so good, I don't think we cared! I got the Apple Pizzaz (cobbler) for dessert. Not bad, but not really my favorite. Bf got the bread pudding and basically licked the plate it was served on, so that's a pretty good endorsement. There were 8 of us, so they did include gratuity, BUT our server was super fine with splitting the checks up by couple at the end, and did it when we were all done, rather than trying to keep it straight from the very beginning. All in all, I would totally recommend. Great for kids and "kids-at-heart" adults. read more

If I could give this place a negative star, I would. My first clue this was going to be a disaster was when I tried to call a week ahead and make a reservation for 12 people. I was told that they only take reservations for parties of 25 or more. We arrived at 5:30 on a Friday evening and had to wait 30 minutes for a server to arrive before they would seat us. When they sat us it wasn't at a table for 12 it was at a table for 8 and an adjacent booth for 4. I explained to the server that we all wanted to sit together. He brought us a manager. The manager, J. R. Pantoja, made it very clear he had no interest in finding a table where we could sit together to celebrate Katie's birthday. Basically we were told too bad and to suck it up. Just when you think it can't get any worse... Cue the screaming hoards of costume clad 5 & 6 year olds having a birthday party and running amuck in the dining room, and in the room behind us. They were so loud and obnoxious we couldn't even hear ourselves bitching about the unacceptable accommodations. Food was delivered cold and without the usual ceremony, our waiter did his best with the horrible situation he was put in. We sent 7 out of 10 meals back to the kitchen because the food was cold and sauces were congealed. We swore a pact in the blood of one of those horrible children, never again to darken the doorway of that awful restaurant. read more

I got my first restaurant-industry job at the ripe old age of 16 as an "Assistant Food Server" (aka busgirl) at the Magic Time Machine. That's right, folks, I bussed tables in a Jeannie costume. G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S. However, this was probably the most fun I ever had at a job. Transitioning from high school to college at a place of work where people get to dress up at work + a maze-like building full of nooks and crannies in which to make much mayhem = scandalous crazy times. I highly recommend working here as a young college kid. The "Sister Act", "Weird Al", "Groundskeeper from Caddyshack," and all the other popular characters from the mid-90's have been updated to "Napoleon Dynamite" and such, but the classic characters, funky decor, and the funky smell still remain. (Don't fret, potential diners, the funky smell isn't anything too bad. Just the Essence of Time Machine.) Have a magic potion (green or red), which is a bubbling concoction of alcohol, food coloring, and dry ice. Seriously, you can have bubbles in your drink without having to blow them! I don't do the fungus, but my friend (who used to be Wonder Woman) swears by the stuffed mushroom appetizer. The mushrooms are stuffed with sausage and smothered in alfredo. Food here is decent, although I wouldn't recommend coming here as a culinary destination. Oh, and you can order a Roman Orgy here. It's not as fun as it sounds; it's a platter of meat, chicken, sides, and fruit. The staff carries out the platter singing one of a dozen cheezy "Roman Orgy" songs they teach. The bar upstairs is pretty cool (I think Sharla covered that already). Part of me really wants to campaign to make this a cool hangout. I have been there one night where they had an acoustic duo playing some obsure indie songs, a magician for the kiddos, and a psychic. There is also a stage with a DJ booth and a disco ball, and an arcade room with Dance Dance Revolution. Did I mention this place is gloriously random? Go check out the Time Machine with a group of friends, and bring the kiddos if you like. Keep an open mind, have a couple of potions, and you're sure to have a blast. I recommend weekends, as they usually have more characters working those nights. Oh, and check out the glass case in front for 17-year-old you-know-who Jeannie in the group pic. read more

Magic Time Machine was the best place ever when I was a kid. In the few times I have gone as an adult, the food has been, well, lackluster. We had a group of 10, and had to wait till e-v-e-r-yone was there to be seated. And our peeps don't run on time. After we all got there, we waited another 20 - 30 minutes for our table. While waiting for our table, I had a dirty martini at the bar - bleh. It had wayyyy too much olive juice. Fortunately it only takes one to not care. Once we got seated, we were served by Captain Jack. He was crass, moody, hard to understand... in perfect character. The service was pretty good. We'd see him for a while, and then not see him for a while. The strangest thing is that it was evidently impossible to bring around a pitcher of water to fill all our water glasses - seemed silly to have him go back and forth for the random glass of water. For dinner I ordered the salmon with fresh vegetables. It was really, really good! The salmon had a flavorful pico served on top, and it was a great compliment to the salmon. The salmon portion was plentiful, and I was served enough vegetables to keep me regular for quite some time. The salad bar was simple, but good. For dessert, I ordered the apple pizzaz, and wow! What a misnomer!! It was booooo-ring. No pizzaz. Nothing to write home about. I had a taste of some friends' chocolate fudge cake, and it was disappointing, too. My second dirty martini was better. Thankfully. The downstairs ladies' room only has 2 stalls - there were eleventy seven screeching preteens in the vanity area waiting. And there was very little toilet paper in the stall - and the floor was nasty wet. I hate public bathrooms. Overall, it was a fun night. You can't come to the Magic Time Machine and expect a somber, quiet evening. You need to bring your fun side, your fun peeps, and an empty tummy! read more

I have to admit that I was very hesitant to go to Magic Time Machine in Addison based on the horrible reviews. However, my son was turning 9 and really wanted to have the experience. I will agree that the carpet needs to go. I think that's why it smells old and musty. It is also pretty dark which makes getting turned around easy. Those are my only negative observations. So, onto the positives. The staff work their butts off. They really go out of their way to make this an experience, not just going out to eat. I found them to really get into character and interact with all of the guests throughout the restaurant, not just the guests at their assigned tables. They make it a fun and interactive event. Spiderman and Captain Jack Sparrow did an exemplary job, as did Tinker Bell. The magician was my son's favorite part, and I have to admit, the he was really good, not to mention very funny. The artist that did the caricatures was great. Having that as an option was one of my favorite parts. I hope management takes the time to thank and recognize their staff regularly, because none of them have an easy job, but they make it look effortless. Thank you front of house and back of house staff for knocking it out of the park for us. The food was priced accordingly for a steakhouse. I found our portions to be completely in alignment with the price point. All of our meals were cooked perfectly to order and tasted great. Between us, we had a ribeye, kid's chopped steak, 1/2 chicken, and 1/2 rack of ribs, so we had quite a variety. Plenty of food went home with us as well. The mixed veggies were fantastic. I'm not sure that I agree with all of the up-charges. For example, there's a charge for a baked potato as opposed to mashed potatoes. The desserts were good, but nothing spectacular. read more