What a charming theater and eatery in Idyllwild. I'm happy in some ways we almost stumbled upon this place by accident. I was craving a quick bite and saw that this spot had a lot of signage for appetizers, small bites and movie theater snacks. While I normally wouldn't be as inclined to grab food from a theater when there are so many restaurants around, I saw that this spot wasn't yet busy and knew I needed to grab something on the go so I gave them a chance. The theatre inside is actually adorable and old timey. Small but first the old town vibe. They had a lot of decor, some arcade looking games and general move theater decor. A gentleman was working behind the counter and was super friendly and nice. Told him I was just wanting to grab a hotdog to go and he whipped it up right away. This gave me time to make a pit bathroom stop and they were clean and easy to access from inside. Didn't have to buy a movie ticket to use, just purchase food or such. It was all an easy and nice experience for wanting something on the go and no fuss. Friendly service, cheap bites and a cute atmosphere. Mind you the simple hotdog was actually delicious and a 5/5. Wow! I'd love to come back to watch a movie and grab some small bites. Nice place, friendly staff and a cute vibe. read more

Rustic Theatre - Hot Dogs Near Me - Idyllwild, California

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I can certainly say that the last thing I expected to find on a quiet mountain getaway was an amazing single-screen theater in the heart of Idyllwild. As we were walking around the town, I saw the sign in passing, and the owner outside and said hello. The weather was starting to turn, so we picked up a couple of tickets for the matinee. Inside, they have a decent quality screen, comfortable seating with plenty of room to eat, and a sound system that would embarrass most of the larger chains I frequent. There's good food in addition to all the cinema-standard snacks. There's also a great selection of wine which can be enjoyed at the seat. All of this is reasonably priced. The owner was a gracious host, spending time talking to me about the history of the theater and the town itself. Taking with him would have easily covered the price of admission. The rest of the team was also great. I can't wait to come back and catch another movie here in the future. read more

Rustic Theatre - Sign honoring the location - Hot Dogs Near Me - Idyllwild, California

Amazing service, kind nice staff with an amazing vibe. Ambiance is amazing and the seats are consistent and comfortable throughout the whole theater. Food is affordable and restaurant quality and really makes the movie going experience phenomenal. Long term fan 10/10 would recommend read more

Rustic Theatre - Front row seats comfy blankets and good popcorn and icee - Hot Dogs Near Me - Idyllwild, California

Such a fun spot to go hang out and meet some locals and hang out with the owners, who are the sweetest people.

This theater is hands down the best movie experience I've ever had-every time I go. The seats are comfy and spacious. It is somehow both old-timey and modern with a great vibe! The food is amazing and you can get beer or wine. But the kid in you is gonna love the ICEE machine. They even have the special ICEE straws. The owners have done so much for our little town. I love this place. read more

The feel of an old movie theatre when you walk in. Pleasant atmosphere and the people who work there (sorry didn't get their name's) were very friendly and accommodating. Comfortable and updated seating. We went on a Monday night and movie tickets were only $10. You can order food, alcoholic drinks as well. A great experience! read more

This place is a slice of pure joy. Whatever movie you go to see will be better and more memorable if you see it here. Order food, get there early, be patient and just relax and have yourself a good movie! read more

What a gem to stumble upon! I liked it!! I liked it a lot! Super laid back small town feeling. It was authentic. The employees were sweet and genuine the service was efficient! I had the idy Long Island and it was made to complete perfection. The movie experience was great. 10/10 would recommend you find a reason to come out here from wherever you are! read more

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Cutest little movie theatre in this quaint mountain town! Super nice staff that greeted me upon arrival. Great choices of food, alcohol, and snacks. Huge seats and decent size theatre. They offer alot of entertainment to the area: movies, comedy nights, art shows, independent screenings, and more. I came here to see Barbie and the staff were dressed and pink, and there were Barbie-themed cocktails. Super positive energies here. Loves it! read more

Rustic Theatre - a woman standing in front of a restaurant - Hot Dogs Near Me - Idyllwild, California

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The couple that runs this place are super nice! My husband and I took 8 kids to the theater ages 8-19. The theater had comfortable reclining chairs. The menu includes a full bar along with all the regular movie theater items like popcorn, candy and nachos. The prices were very reasonable. We will be back for another show soon. read more

5 stars from me for the Rustic Theatre. How cute is this place? $5 for a weeknight movie? A new release? WHAT?!?! This was my favorite thing about our 5 day stay in Idyllwild (well, tied with meeting Mayor Max). We went on a Monday night and there were less than 10 people in the theater which has very large comfortable seats, is clean, and quite nice. When you think of what a $5 theater would look like, this is not it. We went in the heat of summer and the temperature in the theater was perfect (not too hot and not too cold) but I did see that they had blankets available for the colder nights (a nice touch!). We had fun chatting with Graham and Gail and ordered a bunch of concessions since $5 just did not seem fair and we wanted to support the business - 2 waters, popcorn, junior mints, sour patch kids, a cheeseburger and a garden burger. The food is frozen and Gail heats it up and will even bring it to you at your seat. Given that it was just a frozen patty, my garden burger was quite good and hit the spot. They also have a full bar and you can bring drinks into the theater. If they were showing more than one movie or happened to switch movies while we were in town I definitely would have gone back! Loved this experience so much. read more

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Always a good vibe & good wine/food! I like the movie theater prices is not too crazy and that they actually have live music events on other nights! read more

HIDDEN GEM ALERT!?!?! IN a way hidden, because Idyllwild..but at the same time not hidden, its in the heart of town! Gail & Graham - by far such a pleasure! If you come to this theatre, ask for them and they'll give you a wonderful break down of the history & what this theater has to offer. It stole our heart!!! Everything from the food, the decor, the drink selection, the service, the movie(s), the showtimes ALL OF IT. The vibes within this theater are like out of a classic movie. We are so used to those fine dining, luxury, high end theaters....ya know the ones that cost ya a pretty penny. This is far from that, but for some reason A BETTER EXPERIENCE...in my opinion. They stated they were going to have concerts in the summer in the back lot (when we came in APRIL they were currently building/constructing this portion so unfortunately we did not get to see it, experience it..however, more reason to come back. The location is in the cute heart of Idyllwild. It is so welcoming and cozy once inside. What sold us is that we take our pride & joy pup with us everywhere (whom is AKC STAR PUP and CGC ELIGIBLE) they offered to allow us to bring him into the theater with us as long as we sat in the back. Again, our pup is extremely well behaved, goes everywhere with us and has a good sit/down. That just stole our heart. Our pup with us in a movie theater, couldn't ask for more. Overall, such a clean gorgeous spot. We can't wait to come back!!! read more

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We only come for the Nathan's hot dogs and to people watch! But they have live music (in back of the theater) and a new or current movie to watch: music is free (drinks to purchase), movies are regular movie prices! Also the Nathan's are best served right there YUMMERS!!! read more

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First of all, WOW! I've lived in the area for almost 25 years and have never been here before! I took my sister to see Mortal Kombat last night, 5/12 and it was AMAZING! On top of not being in a movie theater for more than a year, this was fantastic! The folks running the operation are SO nice! The theater room and seats were so nice and clean! The seats are so wide but they do not recline, they tip back a little though! Tickets are SO affordable and the popcorn and pizza are great! Going to Regal Cinemas you usually spend about $60 in one trip! I will definitely be going to this theater a LOT more! We had such a nice time! They thanked us for the support on our way out too which felt nice! Support Idyllwild small businesses but especially this place! read more

What a great place to watch a movie or catch another event. Looking forward to our next visit

Great place to see movies much better than all the rest.I've been to the "luxury " $40.00 a seat hotse totsie theaters and they are not worth it. The Rustic serves food and beer/ wines too.HUGE HOT DOGS !!! If you catch Gail and Graham they are wondrous hosts. read more

Ordered pizza and pulled pork nachos while waiting for our reservation nearby to hold us down. Quality of the food was amazing!........ not mentioning the value! Wow! Customer service was fantastic as well! While waiting for our order they served us popcorn to keep us occupied. Place was clean and had good vibes! read more

This seems like a nice, small theater, with a lot of character, interesting decor, friendly staff, etc. Had I watched a movie, I expect I would have had a great experience. Unfortunately I instead ordered a hamburger. I've had hundreds of different burgers in my lifetime. I've had burgers in countless restaurants, most of the major fast food chains, frozen burgers, home cooked burgers, cafeteria burgers, etc. Among all of those hundreds, the Rustic Theatre's burger is by far the worst burger I have had in my life. It's not even close. The burger I received did not resemble the one in the picture on the poster. It was simply a patty and a bun. There was no lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickle, etc. The patty and bun was placed in a microwave for a few minutes, then served. This simple microwave patty and bun burger costs $7.50. The bun was composed of some kind of near textureless white flour, with little taste that easily fell apart. The patty had an unpleasant smell that I did not recognize while being microwaved and had a poor taste. Perhaps it was partially spoiled. After finishing a 13 mile hike, I' would have enjoyed eating almost anything substantial, yet I definitely did not enjoy this burger. I let my dog have a good amount. She had no complaints and enthusiastically ate it, although she enjoys anything that resembles food and many things that do not. She threw up the next morning, which may or may not relate to the burger. I may come to the Rustic Theatre for a movie in the future, but I won't order any food. read more

The service was incredible. The young man who worked there the last time I went which was last december last year was super nice. Off topic but my daughter kept begging to go back because of the man that work there that day (has a bit of a long hair, wore a black jean jacket and I think a black sweater under). Other than that the prices were reasonable. The popcorn was amazing. I would recommend to go here. read more

This place is the best spot for movie lovers on the mountain. Great food, friendly staff, and lots of cool screenings and events. I've been here for concerts, movie nights, and dinners. I cannot recommend this place enough. Make sure to check out the full menu because they keep adding foods! (Newest addition are ribs!) For film lovers they have lots of interesting displays about the history of movie shoots in town. (Elvis and Dolly Parton have stayed here) If you get a chance, stop by the Rustic while in Idyllwild. 10/10 read more

Was not expecting much from this place because it is a movie theater, but it exceeded my expectations. Food and service were both great.

Delicious bloody Mary's except the price was hard to stomach. Well done! I wasn't there to watch a movie but the place looked really nice and the staff was super friendly. read more

Beautiful theater, clean, great customer care and service, good variety of snacks and drinks, just lovely people. The theater itself has comfortable seating and great sound quality. This is a great spot in a beautiful town.. read more

Fanstastic changes with the indoor / outdoor setup. A welcome renovation in downtown Idylwild, where you can grab a quick beer on the patio, see an outdoor event, or watch a movie on the big screen. Great work guys. read more

The new owners Graham and Gail are fantastic. They are gracious and friendly. The theatre is spotless. The seats appear new and the sound system is great. They offer about a dozen different beers. The concessions prices don't leave you feeling like you need a second job. Apparently there will be live shows soon and the front patio has tables and chairs and is a great gathering area before and after the movie. Dan read more

The theater is beautiful and the awsome couple that keeps it alive and pumpin, are the sweetest and most accommodating they helped me when they didn't need to and that speaks volumes. The decor and motif of the theater is rad and is very head turning. Love the motorcycle in the front very beautiful and adds to the style and layout. I will definitely be back for the flick and popcorn and to see them again. read more

Friendly cozy theatre. Fantastic sound & top notch laughter from Comedy Supreme Presents.

This was kind of cool and kind of bizarre. It's definitely a "real" full size big screen movie theater with digital sound, which you might not expect in a town this small. It has digital sound, quasi-stadium seating for probably a few hundred, and was showing first run movies - in our case Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. Don't judge. It's also got a video store with DVDs and I think even VHS tapes in the lobby. And pretty cheap tasty popcorn. So it's like a discount video store / budget cinema vibe but with a real theater showing current movies. We went on a Monday night and there were probably 20 people there. Also located conveniently across the street from a bar and a couple liquor stores. Hypothetically really good for pregaming for a vampire movie. read more

The Rustic Theater was bought by new owners Graham and Gail a year ago. They have taken it and turned it into a fantastic venue. They are absolutely amazing and friendly. You can catch a current movie in their comfortable updated theater, grab some awesome snacks or go out back to their amphitheater and listen to local musicians while you enjoy delicious food from vendors. What a breath of fresh air for the Idyllwild community. read more

Great job! Get to the Theater at one thirty dtand out in the heat for half hour and they don't open. Hope this isn't normal!

Thank you for making it possible for us to have 'Open Captioning' tonight. Only $5 admission on Tuesday evenings is a great bargain! We will be back! read more

Pleasantly surprised!! The theater has GREAT seating and amazing prices ($5 on Wednesday's!) everyone was very respectful and the place was super clean! We'll definitely be back! read more

Great theater in the heart of town. Impressive food and beverage selection and remodeled theater has awesome, comfy chairs!

What a sweet little rustic theatre! It's the only place in this small mountain town to catch a movie. You don't have to worry about technology not being up to date. We saw the latest X-men flick which was full of action and cool effects and didn't feel like the small theatre lacked a bit. The wooden beams and creaky old seats actually added quite a bit of charm. They also offer dvd's for rent. It's a one stop movie shop for the town of Idyllwild. read more

I LOVED my theater experience at the Rustic. It was spacious, with beamed ceilings and plush seats. The huge single screen was like theaters I remember as a kid. It's hard to feel the movie magic in a mall multi-plex, crammed into a narrow theater where you can hear sound from the movie playing next-door. But this place gave me that larger-than-life feeling - I think this setting would add to any movie we saw there. The owner was great, and chatted with us about indie-film-making and the Idyllwild Film Festival in January. On top of the lovely cinematic experience, they show first-run films, and full-price tickets are less than a matinee at a multi-plex! Popcorn, candy and drinks were also less than the price of a car! Is it my birthday??? This is our new Friday night dinner-and-a-movie date! read more

The Rustic is a throw back in time. This is a tiny, neighborhood theater probably of 1960's vintage, showing only one movie. For the low price of $5 each, you get a movie that is a recent release. We saw The Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The seats are comfy. The popcorn is strategically placed by the entry and, well, the smell will drive you nuts. Once you see the movie, you have to wait until Friday for something new. Hey. Folks, this is Idyllwild. You have to discard your city-folk ways, slow down, breathe deeply, and hold hands during the movie. Enjoy it for what it is. read more

The cutest little theatre around with a beautiful background of the San Bernardino mountains. If you're ever in town I highly recommended it! It's 5$ Monday through Thursday. read more

Very quaint movie theatre. We saw the new Oz movie last night & had a great experience. Great old time feel in the theatre & only a few families in there so we had our pick of seats. Super friendly staff that are willing to answer your questions. I will be back next time we are in town. read more

You can look at this theater in two ways: either it's a tiny, quaint place where you can rent DVDS and see a decent movie without having to drive all the way to Palm Springs, or it's a tiny theater with a tiny screen and tiny seats. If you want a "big screen" experience with huge, reclining seats, a massive snack selection, and a dozen different movies to choose from, you'll not find it in Idyllwild. Prices are lower than at a big theater, but I think they've gone up since Wendy B. was here. I believe we paid $8 each for a 4 pm showing of Men in Black 3. There's only one screen, and each movie is shown for a week. So the good news is that if you don't like the current offering, you won't have to wait long for something different--but the bad news is that if you don't like the current offering, sorry, that's the only option. There are basic movie snacks available--candy, popcorn, sodas. The popcorn wasn't the best I'd ever had. The seats reminded me somewhat of seats on a plane, narrow and just comfortable enough to get you though the movie. The screen hangs over a stage, so even though it's a small theater, I still felt like I was sitting far from the screen. However, the place is cute, and it's a fun experience. I actually felt a sense of community with the other people in the theater, and that's something I've rarely felt while living in California. The picture quality was good, the movie was silly, and the other theater-goers were actually nice. That's worth my 8 bucks any day. read more