Cue the dramatic trailer voice: In a world where movie theaters can be sticky, chaotic, and somehow out of popcorn... one Bakersfield theater dared to be clean. Studio Movie Grill was a solid date-night win. From check-in to the bar to seat-side service, everyone was friendly, helpful, and on it. The seats are comfy enough that you may briefly question whether you came for the movie or a sanctioned recliner nap. We usually stop at the bar first, where I stay loyal to the Not-House Chardonnay while my husband goes full action-movie lead with the cocktails. A Tito's Bloody Mary feels like the brunch sequel nobody asked for but everyone secretly enjoys: bold, dramatic, and ready for its close-up. Then we order food, head to our seats, and let the magic happen. I also just learned SMG has a free rewards program, which honestly deserves its own plot twist. I've been using Fandango credits, but SMG rewards looks better since you can earn credit on menu items too. That's a very strong supporting character. Plus they support "special needs" humans with free movie nights...bonus for the non-profit twist. So why 4 stars and not 5? Because the plant-based menu is still waiting for its big breakout role. I think there's basically the avocado flatbread if you remove the cheese, which is fine, but I'm ready for the plant-based options to get top billing. Overall: clean theater, great service, comfy seats, drinks, food, and a fun date night that does not require awkwardly whispering, "Did we just spend $80 to sit in public?" Well... maybe, but at least it was worth it. read more

We went to Studio Movie Grill to see Wuthering Heights and had a great experience. The service was quick and efficient. The attendants came back to refresh our drinks almost immediately after we clicked the call button, which we really appreciated. We took advantage of the food offer of 2 entrées for $35 and selected popcorn as our starter. I had the sliders with fries which was served on pretzel buns. It was flavorful and the pretzel bread was soft. My husband ordered the avocado flatbread (no cheese). The avocado was creamy but it could have used a little more basalmic glaze. There was a tomato strategically placed on each slice of the flatbread. They accommodated his request without any issues. The food came out before the show started and was served fresh and warm. The theater itself was clean, and the seats looked clean and new, as if they had been recently updated. It made the whole experience even more comfortable. Overall, it was a very enjoyable movie night with excellent service and good food! read more

Studio Movie Grill - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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food: honestly, the food is pretty good for a movie theater. they have real food, not just snacks. as a vegetarian, i really appreciate that. my personal fave is the margherita pizza. big plus for that. environment: clean theater, nice quality screen, and it's quiet. i love that it's not packed like the bigger theaters. it feels more relaxed and low-stress, which is why it's one of my favorites. fewer people = better experience. service: service is actually really convenient. on normal, non-release dates, it's pretty quick. they come to your seat and serve you, so you're not stuck waiting in long concession lines and missing the movie. also, price-wise? not bad for two. about $30-ish for two entrées, a drink, and dessert promotion. that's a way better deal compared to other theaters. i went to maya theater once and spent $50 on popcorn, a drink, cheese, and hot cheetos... stuff that would've cost $30 at the store. so yeah, this feels worth it. seating: the chairs are ehh. not terrible, but not the most comfy either. once they upgrade the seats, i'd easily give this place 5 stars. read more

Studio Movie Grill - inside - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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I came here for a private event recently and I ordered their boneless buffalo wings with sweet potato fries. WOW, I've been craving these wings ever since. It was actually a huge plate of food & the wings were the best I had. Our service was amazing. The popcorn was addicting. I love, loved my latest experience here! The new seats don't recline as far as they used to but the inside of the theater looks great & clean. Lots of space now. read more

Studio Movie Grill - 10/10 - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

They remodeled!!!!! Nice, new seats. All new trays. It's new and fantastic!!! It's so nice that they remodeled - best movie spot in town AGAIN! read more

Studio Movie Grill - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Let me start by saying as much as they needed new seats, these seats are comfy but they need to recline just a bit further. I have heard others gripe about the interruptions of the servers on the movie and it's never bothered me before but this time around was a different story! The server hit/kicked/side swiped the back of my chair Every. Single. Time he walked in the back of my chair which was about 15 times. This time around I got the 1/2 nachos and the chicken cilantro lime salad. Both were delicious! I usually get a glass of wine but I noticed the glasses of wine have shot up in price and I refuse to pay as much for a glass that I can purchase the entire bottle for at a store. Other than all of that, it is great that they have brought back the mints as you walk out of the theater. read more

Studio Movie Grill - 1/2 order of nachos - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

PROS: - $6 matinee tickets! - Dinner and a movie all in one! CONS: - Overall theater cleanliness - Price of meals vs the quality The business concept of a theater that serves food is outstanding. This is the only business of its kind in Bakersfield; therefore it's a shame the actual theater rooms and seating isn't well maintained. The reclining seats have a concerning amount of wear and tear that gives me the ick when I think of sitting in them. In addition, there are a few that are in need of mechanical repairs which render them unavailable when booking tickets. The menu is classic serving American fare like salads, burgers, and appetizers. However, it's a bit difficult fully enjoying the meal in darkness. Other dine-in theaters have a a very dim light under the trays so patrons can see the food. The lobby area was clean and a great place to socialize until the theaters opened up and the service was very friendly! read more

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Seats are new and that's such a plus! Service is attentive and friendly. My popcorn was bathed in pure salt and SMG kept a hold on my account that's lasted 3 days- long after the bill was settled and withdrawn. Use cash if possible, as this was a small inconvenience. read more

Horrible experience time after time after time. Watched two separate guests sit after me order snd still receive food before I got mine. Ordered a basic brisket tots. 30 minutes I got the extra jalapeños for the tots. When asked where my entree was the team member looked blank and said it's coming. (Never came) after an hour and 20 minutes I buzzed and that server too said she'll check. Never came back. Finally buzzed and just canceled a sub par dish. EVERY single time something takes longer than expected. Or never comes. Robyn came and apologized and took care of the slushie. She is the SINGLE bright spot in what is a joke of an establishment. and good for her leaving for a better opportunity where she'll be appreciated. You lost a good one SMG. will NOT be back. Don't waste money for an experience that is anything but pleasant. read more

I went to see the Megadeth movie. This place is clean, and the drinks are delicious. Definitely will be back. read more

Studio Movie Grill - Bloody Mary - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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Awesome experience! It started with the friendly cashier then the helpful bartenders and then the in-theater staff. The place is comfortable, stylish, and the food is very very good. What a great way to see a great movie with all the creature comforts of home. read more

Studio Movie Grill - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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Studio movie grill used to be so nice when it first opened but of course with time, everything gets ruined. The theater seats are very outdated and honestly very disgusting (sticky, worn out, and not clean) so be prepared to want to shower after. I remember when it just opened up and this use to be the place to be for all your movies in Bakersfield, but after coming back to visit town, definitely would recommend going to any other theater because of the worn out seating. For 15 bucks, it's a good deal still hence why I put two stars, and the workers are always great as well. They're normally the best part of the experience. Other than that, definitely not my first choice for movies in Bakersfield! Apparently, they will be revamping the seating soon so stay hopeful for that upgrade. read more

Studio Movie Grill - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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12:30 showing 6/7 for Ballerina. Our server, Layla, was a highlight. The seats were filthy when we sat down - clearly not cleaned prior to our movie (opening weekend), hence the rating. Included photos for reference. The food was great, fries were crispy, for the first time in a long time! Our orders arrived correct! I got the bacon cheeseburger with fries without the BBQ sauce. Great flavor on the burger. The volume was perfect for the movie, another improvement. Temperature wasn't too hot or too cold. Hopefully this is a sign of better things to come! read more

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This is my favorite movie theatre I've ever been to. I love coming to Bakersfield just to visit this theater. I don't even care about what movie is out I'll try to come. You have to order their southwest egg rolls, perfectly crispy! I love being able to order good food, sit in comfy chairs and have a good time. There's a bar in the lobby. You just absolutely cannot bring your own water bottle. They'll ask to keep it at the front desk. Which is fine because you can order water or drinks at your seat, just don't forget your water bottle on the way out read more

Overpriced, disorganized and underwhelmed with the food and beverage service. See the screenshot from the Studio Movie Grill website. It says "Arrive 20 minutes before the movie". We did! We were told we could not enter the theater until 2:25pm for a 2:30pm movie. What a waste of my time! Moving on to the food and beverage service. We obviously had plenty of time during our wait in the lobby to view the menu and decide upon our choices. We sat down, pressed the button and waited, and waited and waited for someone to come take our order. The beverages took a long time to deliver and had hardly any ice at all. The girl who delivered the beverages spilled liquid all over the floor in front of us while delivering drinks and no one cleaned up her mess. The cold food took forever to arrive and the movie was nearly over. A very disappointing experience. If you are going here to enjoy a meal with your movie - just skip it and grab a meal before or after. Plenty of options in the same parking lot with better quality food, lower prices and faster service. read more

Studio Movie Grill - Instructions from Studio Movie Grill that they can't seem to follow! - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

What's that smell?? I'm so disappointed in SMG Bakersfield. It used to be a really nice dinner/movie theater. Now, it's so run down & smells gross, at least I'm theater 9. The lobby is nice but even then you can see the wear & tear on the seating. In theater 9, the chairs are literally missing the leather covering & my seat c7 had a broken foot rest. The whole place just looks horrible, I guess it's good they keep the lights down. When we pushed out the foot rest there was popcorn in it & the whole theater needed vacuumed. Honestly, for the cost of the movie alone, you should have better seating. For the cost of the food it should smell like good food. Thankfully we are here on a gift card cause I'm not sure we'll be back. I would rather go to the MAYA where the seats are nice, not broken & push button controlled. Do better SMG. Uodate: We're ordered Ppotato skins plplus the 2 for $32 special. In that we ordered the 1/2 cheese fries, plus a pizza & chicken tenders, water & dr pepper. It took over 10 mins for 2 drinks. Then the entrees came before the appetizers. We had to ask them where the fries & potato's skins were. The food was good & came quickly compared to the drinks. most likely won't be back I actually had to change seats cause I couldn't put the footrest back down after I reclined it. read more

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This place went downhill fast ! It's extremely dirty, the seats are falling apart and staff always look overwhelmed. read more

Studio Movie Grill - The dirty seats - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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Seriously it's time to redo your seats seriously ya need to update your seats terribly yea the comfort zone is nice being able to recline but not sure if when you stand up all the seat material will be on your back not to mention all the crumbs and yuk that's stuck in the creases of the arm rest read more

Studio Movie Grill - All sorts of yuk and seats are peeling Come on studio movie grill fix it up - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

The food was hot and the server was nice. This is a great place for friends and family to get together. read more

Studio Movie Grill - Boneless Wings Boneless Wings - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Came back for an event and I was pleasantly surprised by the improvements at SMG. The food was pretty good and well seasoned. The turkey avocado burger was so juicy and flavorful. The popcorn had the right amount of butter and salt. And everything tasted freshly made. Really enjoyed the food improvement at Studio Movie Grill! read more

Studio Movie Grill - Turkey avocado burger - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Upon entering Studio Movie Grill, I was met with a clean and open self-service lobby. Staff members were ready at admissions in case assistance was necessary. I was about 15 minutes early for my movie, so I had to wait in the lobby or bar. Coming early was my choice, so I didn't mind the wait. However, the lobby was uncomfortably hot. It's summer in Bakersfield, so I was hoping to escape the heat indoors. Once I went into the theater, the temperature was much cooler! The seats are old fashioned recliners; The material on the headrests are peeling from frequent use. As expected from wear and tear, but it puts a bit of a damper on the ambiance. I did not order food or drinks tonight. In my previous experiences at SMG, the food was just okay. Can't knock it till you try it though; Their menu often has new items or specialty drinks to promote the current showings. That part is pretty cute. I choose this theater out of convenience. If you give it a chance, then please share your food recommendations. For now, I'll be sticking to popcorn or just watching the movie. read more

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Came to see Lilo & Stitch this weekend. Looks like they removed one of my favorites: half priced bloody Mary's on Sundays. But they did have a brand new menu including some themed items to coordinate with new movies. The film and sound was great, and even with a full house of mostly kids the level of talking was kept to a minimum - everyone seemed super respectful. Service was quick and considerate. I saw a sign that they'll be installing new seats now which is far overdue. read more

Their AC has been broken for two days. They are still selling tickets. It depends on the employee that you ask, but some say that it is newly broken and others saying it has been broken for two days, everyone knows about it. They should stop selling tickets until they fix it. I hate leaving negative reviews and this is my first, but they know what they are doing and should fix it instead of taking advantage of people. read more

I took my two boys to watch Mario Galaxy. My oldest had pizza which was hot when it came and my youngest and I were sharing chicken tenders. When this came out it was COLD. I told the waiter and she said she will have it remade and put it on rush. We were an hour already into the movie and we ordered before we even got here. Once she brought the order that was apparently "remade", it was the same temp cold wise as the one I originally sent back. My youngest was hungry at this point and I just let him eat it. It makes me wonder if she even sent it back or if the cook even made me fresh ones because it seems like they just put the same food and gave me it back. My oldest also had to ask 4 different times for them to bring him more water. read more

General Manager Kimberley was absolutely delightful--so funny and kind! This is definitely the go-to spot for a girls' night out, especially since they have a bar. The movie though... #strangersmovie read more

Fix the seats it not hard I went to the same theater 6 months apart and the seat still was broken and didn't recline sat in a different one cause there was one open not professional at all love the food and experience service could be a little faster. read more

This once amazing theatre has really gone downhill. The "leather" seats are in bad shape with severe flaking similar to what low to mid-tier bonded leather couches do after a few years. They should've gotten better quality seats and I'm sure they regret getting the discount ones to save money when they first opened. I can look past the seats that are wearing out. The food, however, is inexcusable. There is nothing inherently "bad" about the food regarding perfect temperature or texture. It's the flavor! The food just lacks flavor. I went crazy last time and ordered a pizza, fried cheese sticks, a milkshake, and churros. All unsatisfying. You might ask wby I continued ordering food if the pizza was bad? My answer: be quiet! I was hungry! Pizza: tasted like a 7/11 pizza that is heated in the super oven that heats the flash-frozen pizza disc into a hot meal. Just not tasty. Plus, crushed pepper packets were not easy to get. Please just send the waiter with a pepper packet with every pizza or have them nearby! I had to walk to the kitchen after 15 minutes of not getting it. Two waiters I asked didn't seem to know how to get a crushed pepper packet. I was nice about it too! Are they locked in a vault? Milkshake: watered down (I am not exaggerating, I promise!) Tasted like it was 90% fat free milk and one scoop of ice cream blended. Shameful! I don't do well with ice cream but still wanted to enjoy some despite the consequences I must endure for the sin of consuming my favorite treat. Still had my famous "milkshake diarrhea" later that day even though it was mostly milk. Probably due to everything else I ate though. Mozzarella sticks: no flavor. How is this possible? It's string cheese that's fried! Churros: they would've been the best churros I ever tasted if they had churro flavor! It was a mirage. The generous sugary coating was like nothing and the piping got inside filling was like unflavored crème. Come on! I am NOT a picky eater either. I eat ramen every day. Everything usually tastes good to me if it has even a morsel of flavor. I think Dino Nuggets are amazing. The food here sucks. Being overpriced is expected because it's a movie theater and that's how you make your money. At least make it taste better! I wish SMG the best. It's close to my house too and will be back. I just won't buy any food from now on until the theatre puts up signs saying, "Improved food recipes. The food tastes good now". Waiters are fine. They are all nice and everyone appears to work hard. There's a lot of people to serve and I know they are doing their best. I tip well and encourage everyone else to. Please don't base your tip on the taste of the food or be a jerk and stiff the waiter. It isn't the waiters fault about the food or your resentment of tipping in the United States. People who say, "their employer needs to pay them more so I won't tip" are so insufferable! Probably not the kitchens fault, either. It's the food vendor. Free tip to management: Hire a different food vendor who knows how to make tasty food. Or stop buying the cheapest food Sysco Foodservice sells! If my Great Value frozen cheese sticks taste better, there's a problem. Come on! read more

Great place! The staff is friendly and it's nice to have a appetizer and beer while watching a movie.

The worst. The absolute worst movie theater experience. I went to see The Life of Chuck in theater one. The AC made a LOUD high pitched whistling noise through the entire movie, so loud that it could still be heard even with the soundtrack playing. Ruined the movie. Do not sit in the far back row. Terrible. The seats are all worn and cracked. I ordered the sliders and they tasted like Indian food. The fries were undercooked and limp. The watermelon lemonade drink was pure syrup. Wasted $45 bucks on a movie i might have otherwise enjoyed. read more

Studio Movie Grill - Cracked and worn out seats. Lousy food. - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Food is hit or miss. Don't ever order a chocolate milkshake because you'll just get chocolate milk. It was absolutely disgusting and watery with a hint of chocolate flavor and they didn't even put whipped cream or a cherry. :( This picture is literally what I was served, at least fill it up all the way if you're not going to put whipped cream. read more

Studio Movie Grill - Chocolate Milkshake - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

We went and saw demon slayer the other day. The service was fast and polite. The theater was clean the screen and sound was decent the seats kinda hurt our necks and did not recline like we like. We ordered the pretzel bites and popcorn The pretzel bites were very bland would not order them again. The popcorn was good They do have a full bar if alcohol is your thing. Overall not the best theater in town. read more

I thought I'd just get popcorn and a soda. Ended up getting a Long Island iced tea because there was no popcorn or soda available. The staff instructs you to wait until the auditorium is ready. Maximizing bar business I guess. Once seated, I ordered a large popcorn, no butter. Wasn't delivered until just before the show started. Popcorn was cold. I only had the one drink. It was pretty generously filled with ice. The movie was less than either the drink or popcorn. While here, I remembered what I didn't like about SMG - servers walking in front of the screen. Takes you right out of the movie. Been years since I've gone to the SMG in Rocklin. Will be a long time before I go again. read more

Least favorite of the theaters in bakersfield. Chairs are falling apart. Dirty with a touch grime. Sad witnessing managers talk down to their employees too. Pretty unprofessional. Get it together already. Surprised this place has lasted this long. Only had 1 good server outta of the 7 times I've been there. read more

So... I scored some free passes from the Yelp event the other night at SMG so I decided to take my daughter to watch Barbie soon after. Being that I've only been there one time, this will definitely give me an idea if the service and food quality at SMG on a typical night differs from a hosted event. And the verdict is......I'm happy to say that the staff service and food quality on this regular night was the same as my experience from the hosted event. Show time started at 6:00pm and while there was a bit of a holdup at the ticket counter with another guest, another staff member quickly helped us to redeem our seats and purchase another for an extra guest. We quickly got checked for ids and banded for our wrists, and we were in our seats with plenty of time to order our food and drinks for the night. The staff member served us our snacks in time for the movie start so we enjoyed both movie and dinner without issue. Asked for a takeaway box at the end of the movie using the trusty button and we were out of theater 2 in no time. The women's bathroom was clean as well. My only comment would be for staff to pay closer attention to cleaning the seats and in between the seats. Overall, the efficiency of both bar and kitchen is commendable. read more

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I had the opportunity to watch a few movies already at studio movie Grill here in Bakersfield, California. And my impression of them is they are pretty consistent I do have to admit that I was a little bit skeptical about a movie theater that also served food. My initial thought was how good could it possibly be. I was basing that solely off of how my previous movie snacks had been at other theaters. I was pleasantly surprised on how good the food quality is here. I've had the chance to try their pizzas and their burgers. Both have been excellent. They're full of flavor and they definitely don't cut any corners with their products. Being the studio movie grill has been open for a few years now it definitely is showing a little bit of wear and tear on the inside. I did notice that a lot of the seats were showing a lot of wear and tear The leather is actually fading or peeling away on a lot of the chairs . Not a dealbreaker everything is still super comfortable. They're always very clean when you go in there. You do have the occasional sticky floor or dirty restroom but being with how many patrons they go through on a daily basis, I think that that's fair. The restrooms inside are very modern. They offer alcoholic beverages. You have to receive a wristband after being ID if that is something that you wish to partake in. read more

This is the second time this week we have gone in to watch a movie. We have a routine for date night, we order during the previews so our food comes in when the movie starts. Last Friday we ordered popcorn and a couple appetizers. It took the staff 30 to 40 minutes to bring us the popcorn. Today we had an even worse experience, we ordered our food it got there on time but when we asked for refills they never came. We asked 3 different employees (YES 3) for the refills and they never came! We tried talking to the manager about it and he walked away saying I'll be right back. After waiting for 5 minutes we gave up and just left! This is not OK for a place that say they offer service as needed throughout the movie. DO BETTER SMG!!! read more

Whatever manager who was closing shift last night in the pink top did amazing and deserves all the praise for closing cause my god people don't know how to act and she handled a belligerent man appropriately and with grace , good job thanks for getting us in to watch zootopia despite the delay happy new years read more

The service to get our food took forever, was supposed to to get our appetizers first but didn't and had to ask what happened to our appetizers twice before we got them, they need to get there act together read more

Me, my friends, and Jenna!! That queen shot us down with compliments, great deals, and a fun time. Catching my breath from the super dark joke she just told. She definitely deserves a 50¢ raise. I'll be back read more

Studio Movie Grill - Me, my friends, and Jenna!! - Cinema Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Over the last couple of years the service at SMG has really declined. My wife and I just went yesterday and it's a prime example. We pressed our button to call the server, the server came over and turned our button off. She then told us that she walked past a few other red lights on her way and needed to tend to them first that she would be back. It was over 10 minutes before she returned. Felt like they were running around shutting off buttons and having people wait to make the system think they were getting to people faster than they were. Anyway she did return to take our order. When we arrived we were told it was at least a 40 minute wait for any food, they told is it might be faster to go with popcorn or candy but we could order food just expect a minimum 40 minute wait. It felt like they were trying to discourage us from ordering any food. We went ahead and ordered food anyway, my wife got the hummus plate, I had the Nashville chicken sandwich and we got an order of mozzarella cheese sticks. It was close to an hour for the food to come out and when it did, nothing was right. The cheese sticks didn't come with the ranch I asked for and when I dipped into the marina that it came with I discovered it was ketchup which was an unpleasant surprise. My wife's hummus plate didn't have any bread, it's supposed to come with pita but it didn't. The Nashville chicken sandwich tasted like they dipped it into a bowl of salt before they cooked it. I really couldn't eat it, it was just overwhelmingly salty and had no other flavor or heat to it. It was a pretty bad experience, the chairs in the theater are in rough shape too, a lot of them are tearing or showing serious signs of wear. SMG just isn't what it used to be it's deteriorating in all areas and it's a shame. read more