The Lot in La Jolla is a complex which houses many theaters to watch movies. They validate four hours free parking on the street level and subterranean parking, the later offers limited spaces, so you can street parking too. Since the Covid pandemic I haven't frequented going to a movie theater to watch movies. Also, because my movie watching experience is nice and in the comfort of my own place with a 85" tv, my own leather recliner and access to lots of streaming movies with a touch of a button. I recently rewatched Devil wears Prada part 1 and wanted to see part 2 and not have to wait for it to show on streaming because it will take a long while. The movie was very entertaining and if you haven't watched it, I suggest you rewatch part 1, because it has been 20 years since! The bathroom facilities were clean with everything touchless, but the hand soap dispensers were on the blink and perhaps need batteries. Staff were courteous and helpful and efficient. There was no long wait for anything I ordered. The Lot theater where I watched this movie was smaller than expected and the seats weren't situated optimally because a few rows ahead of mine, a viewer's head blocked some parts of the screen when he was sitting up and not reclined down. The leather seats were wide and spacious, reclining feature did recline pretty low but not flat 180. The call attendant button feature is great; it's table service: you can order food and drinks. The menu includes burgers, fries, pizza, popcorn, hotdogs. Drinks including FIJI bottled water, sodas and alcoholic beverages... all served during the movie is very convenient. The LOT is the closest movie theater to me and for the sake of convenience I would return and recommend it. read more

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I've been here quite a few times and I like it. It's pretty much the price of an AMC ticket, so I'd rather come to the LOT! It's just a couple dollars more, but you'll have a more enjoyable experience. The seats are super comfy and I like the convenience of being able to order right from your seat. You can pay in the moment or keep the tab open. The staff taking orders can feel a bit rushed due to the high volume of orders, but everything still runs smoothly and the food comes out faster than expected. As for the food, it's okay. I've tried the fries, poke nachos, chicken strips, and popcorn. Dipping sauces are mid, but the BBQ is good. I'd still be open to trying other items, but I'm a little hesitant. They used to have sweet potato fries which were my faveee. Sad to see they took them off the menu. The charges add up quickly and to be honest the food doesn't stick out to me. I was expecting more from the poke nachos the wonton chips and flavor are good, but the ahi didn't taste very fresh or best quality. I've also had dinner at the restaurant before, but I can't recall the order. I just know I didn't love it. Coffee is good! I usually add a shot and the service at the coffee shop has always been friendly. The bathrooms have been a bit dirty most time I've gone. On the plus side, they validate parking up to 4 hours, which is really nice since street parking in the area can at times be a pain. All in all, worth checking out for the convenience, memorable experience, casual date night or family time. read more

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What an enjoyable experience. Everything was so easy and accessible. We sat comfortably on recliners and watched the Mario Movie. The theater was clean and cozy. The attendants greeted us promptly and let us know they were available by pressing a button on the recliners. There's free parking (4 hours) under the venue and in the parking lot. We'll definitely be returning. read more

Came to watch a screening of an old classic movie, The Land Before Time. Our waiter in the theatre Brett was great and very nice. We ordered chicken tenders with fries, pretzel bites, and salt and vinegar popcorn. We also sat in a reclining love seat. Overall the experience was good. Food was average, popcorn was phenomenal (if you remotely like salt and vinegar the popcorn is so worth it), the seats were comfy and perfect, and staff was kind. The bathrooms were kind of dirty and 2 of the 3 soap dispensers were out of soap. We came pretty early so I was surprised. But really enjoyed the cheap movie and fun experience. read more

THE LOT La Jolla - Cinema Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Heard about both locations about THE LOT and wanted to try a different movie theater experience from my usual theater! Upon arrival, you see the huge restaurant space through the glass window panes. If you walk a little past the restaurant up the stairs, the theater is on the right hand side. The restaurant/bar connects to the theater. The customer service is courteous, however, the theater from the previous showing was still closed for cleaning fifteen minutes before our next show time. I also wanted to grab popcorn, but only one person was away from the concession stand for awhile. To grab a drink, we also went to the bar to try their seasonal Cooling Ash. It would be helpful to know what goes in the cocktail, otherwise it was a light drink. You can order food for your movie with the QR codes at your seats as well! I thought this way to combine a restaurant and theater together is a good idea, however, can quickly elevate the cost. I do think it is worth it for the reclining seats and luxury feel for the movies, though and I liked my experience! read more

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Clean, high-end, comfortable chairs, reasonable quality and price when you want to splurge on junk foods and fried foods. My husband and I come here frequently for date night. It's our favorite theater in San Diego. Other luxury theaters such as Cinépolis in Del Mar have gone down hill with dirty theaters, worn out chairs and poor food quality. The Lot, however, always rises above and beyond our expectations. read more

This was my second time visiting this movie theater and both experiences have been great. The theater itself is nice and well-maintained, and there's convenient parking available nearby, which is always a plus. If you arrive a little early you can enjoy drinks and food at the restaurant, and they'll help you take your food in the theater before the movie starts. We ordered the turkey club, pretzel bites, and the BBQ chicken flatbread, and everything was delicious. The service was also excellent as well. Overall, it's a great spot to catch a movie and enjoy good food. I'll definitely be back! read more

THE LOT La Jolla - Cinema Near Me - La Jolla, California

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The Lot & Zentrl Kitchen & Bar I came here today with colleagues to watch Hamnet. We were in theater 2 - row F. The seats are super comfortable and they, of course, recline. The theater looks very nice even though it hasn't been updated much in over 10 years, but for the most part, it looks modern and better than most other theaters. The service was helpful & efficient although she did speak at regular volume when she was taking & checking on orders during the film which was a little surprising. I had the Daou Rose & pretzel bites to share. Both were good. The screen and sound quality are excellent. However, we were shown over 25 minutes of previews & commercials though which was a bit much. Hamnet was excellent. Our whole row was crying because the film was so moving. I'm very glad that I was able to see it at The Lot. We also had a reservation at Zentrl for dinner. Since we'd had snacks in the theater, we mostly had light bites like the tortilla soup, Caesar salad, & poke bowls. I was the outlier and ordered Miso Salmon. I asked for it to be well done, and it was. It was also the last dish to arrive. The fish was well-done but nothing else about the dish made sense. I could not see what the vision was behind it. The salmon tasted plain, I could discern no miso flavor whatsoever. Guacamole, carrots, forbidden rice with an odd coconut profile, and a boatload of shishito peppers piled up in a lukewarm mess. Supposedly Zentrl is California Asian-fusion with Mexican flavor, but honestly & sadly, this dish did not work for me at all. Everyone else enjoyed their food a lot & the company & the service were very pleasant. read more

THE LOT La Jolla - Hamnet poster - Cinema Near Me - La Jolla, California

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THEY DONT GIVE WATER OUT! They make you pay $10 for a bottle of Fiji or walk to the drinking fountain every time you want a sip. How CRAZY. I'm paying $60 for two people to see a movie & an extra $80 to eat... they should provide drinking water for free. INSANE. When I was here 7 separate people asked for water cups and we were all denied. read more

This is a review specifically for The Lot's Superbowl special which included the an all-you-can-eat buffet and an assigned seat in the theatre for the game. I wavered between 2 or 3 stars and settles on 2 because I left feeling like it wasn't worth it and I wouldn't do it again. For $87 per person you got the buffet from 2:30 - 5:30 which included hamburgers, hot dogs, wings, chicken strips, ribs, mac-n-cheese, a pasta, coleslaw, potato salad, hummus, jalapeño poppers, fried pickles, chips, fries, margarita flat bread, and some deserts. The good - - The theatre is nice, and watching the game in a recliner is great - The food in the buffet was pretty good - Service was friendly The could be better - - No drinks of any kind are included in the price. Non-alcoholic drinks for 2 was an addition $40. - As a standard for the location there's 4 hours of parking with validation. The problem is that the event is longer than 4 hours resulting in another $9 parking. - They ran out of ribs before half-time. - The TV's outside the theatre were constantly pixelating. Had we opted for the outside seating I would have been livid. Although I like The Lot for a movie, at roughly $112/person for that experience didn't seem worth it, especially when they ran out of what I would consider the main dish before even halftime. read more

Wow talk about a theater! Their dining room alone is so beautiful. This is the best it gets to seeing a movie !! cinepolis, who!?! Is what you will be saying! The drinks and food on point and service and vibe is great!! You can bring a blanket or even buy one!! Can't wait to see another movie there!! Update: went back again and I ordered pretzel bites and the brownie and ice cream. It was so good that we ordered another one. The staff came up to us to let us know the kitchen would be closing and if we needed anything else. And we did so I was very greatful!! Another great experience!! read more

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The LOT La Jolla is the BEST place in San Diego to watch a movie. I live closer to the one in Liberty station and prefer to come to this one instead. If you're looking for a luxury movie experience, this is it! It's clean, has reclining seats, clean bathrooms, button service to order stuff during the movie, etc! After having many unfortunate experiences in an AMC, I come here instead. Yes it's pricey, but worth it! Food is PRICEY though - although it does have large potions and meals are definitely shareable. From my last experience, food was overly salty and I couldn't finish it (had the poke nachos). GF Lava cake was pretty good although I was not a fan of the berry sauce. They serve cocktails, coffee, etc. Suggestions: My wish for this place is that I wish there was an option to order all 3 flavors of popcorn (so I can try all them!!) that would be such a cool meal deal. I also wish for this place to have Coke Zero! read more

THE LOT La Jolla - Combo - Cinema Near Me - La Jolla, California

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The pros: Small secured parking lot. The theater provides 4 hours of validated parking. Make sure to validate your parking at time of check in. I emphasize small parking lot. We arrived in multiple vehicles and the second vehicle had to park a block away. Comfortable leather reclining seats. Each seat has an adjustable tray table, additional table space between each seat, and a smaller lamp. Bathrooms are clean and well maintained. Customer service is courteous and consistent. There was a private event taking place at the restaurant. This review is specific to the theater and in seat dining experience. Loved the layered buttered popcorn option. From the concession menu we ordered popcorn, candy, icee, soda, and bottled waters. It would have been nice to select layered butter and jalapeño for our buckets of popcorn. The app only allows for a single modification. The cons: Each seat has a QR code for ordering. For those without a smart phone this can be a bit of a challenge. As a party of 4 I had to pass my phone around to place an order. You are instructed to pay on the app when placing your order. Our initial order was $158. An hour into the movie a second order for $43 was placed. Instead of charging for that additional item. The system attempted to charge $201 (for both the first and second order). Which my bank immediately flagged as fraud. I asked why they were recharging the first order along with the second order and was informed the first order would eventually drop off as a "pending" authorization. The quality of food from the kitchen did not compare to other luxury theater dining experiences. The cali burger, sliders, and parsley truffle fries were dry, cold, and bland. The calamari was chewy and bland. We didn't finish any of the items ordered from the kitchen. read more

My fave movie theater to go to. Best recliner seats of any theater that has them. Food is decent but expensive. Wait staff is usually nice and service is fairly fast. There is a parking garage or street parking available. read more

There's A LOT to say about THE LOT... It's located in the heart of downtown La Jolla offering indoor-outdoor seating for breakfast, lunch and dinner plus offering a bar and cafe. It has a 7 screen in-seat dine-in luxury cinema...a beautiful clean space to hang out and watch a movie while you eat or drink. They have all sorts of goodies available...I love ordering from my seat! The fully-reclining, over-sized leather seats are sooo comfy...you'll be glued enjoying your experience. Eventhough this place is high-end, I love the atmosphere and great customer service...it's totally worth it!! read more

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i really wish they would clean the leather seats I've noticed they are getting more and more sticky. sadly we are switching to AMC in UTC where the seats recline and are heated. While this location is closer to home I wish there was a way to notify staff to start a habit of deeply cleaning these areas more thoroughl. read more

The Lot is a great place to unwind with drinks and food, but only if you plan to watch a movie you either don't care that much about or have seen it before because the whole having service straight to your seat is very distracting, so please keep that in mind. The food is alright, the drinks are better. Service is fast, but if you've never had the whole dine-in experience in a movie theater and you want to be enthralled in a movie, then this is not the theater for it. read more

THE LOT La Jolla - spacious, reclining seats! - Cinema Near Me - La Jolla, California

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If you want to watch a movie in complete luxury with a waiters/waitress coming to your seat to take your order and deliver your food and drinks then this is the spot. I absolutely love watching movies here in the Lot at La Jolla. This location is so clean and neat and has such a good vibe. They have a restaurant adjacent to the cinema and the restaurant serves delicious food. There are fire pits throughout the outside area, which is nice to sit down and have a hot drink and relax also there is aa huge television screen where you can watch sports at the bar with the friendliest staff. read more

We came here during vacation and it was a hit. Family friendly and great customer service. Good seats that are comfortable. It was pricy but thats California in general and especially in La Jolla. The carne asada nachos was good! And so was my kids meal. Chicken tenders. I usually do a taste test read more

Not gonna lie I love going to the lot. I love how Greta it is to order food and basically have dinner and a movie at the same time. BUT, my last visit was horrible. The server was not wanting to be there. They were nice, but they were not wanting to actually serve. We ordered and closed out, but then about 45 minutes later we wanted more so we pushed the button. They came over and stayed we already closed out. We said okay we can pay for more what's the issue. They were annoyed and it took us almost 30 minutes just to get a sprite. We got our food quickly and it was great really just the server was horrible read more

Seats are huge and comfy, and .... well, that's about it. They squeak like crazy when you move them. And people like to do that in the middle of a movie during a quiet scene. Then you have servers walking in front of the screen during the movie, not their fault, but that's how it works. Food is just OK, and TBH, some of the menu items are just gross or ruined because they try to make them fancy - like the fried chicken sandwich with 5 pounds of wet slaw on it. Ten bucks for a soda, seriously. And the coffee has to be the most disgusting I've ever had. The first time you go here, you'll think 5 stars because it's different. But then you realize all of the above while trying to eat food in complete darkness. I still go here occasionally; it's like drinking, you do it, then say you'll never do it again, and then you do. And when you do, you realize why you don't like to do it. Is it worth it? Absolutely not. You'll spend 200 bucks on food that's just Meh and squeaky leather seats. Just make sure you tell yourself that it was fun, and you'll be ok. read more

First time watching a movie at The Lot and not sure if can go back to our peasant movie going life. We ordered food and drinks at their restaurant before heading into the movie. It was a nice day outside on the patio. Service was slow but apologetic. Surprisingly the food was very good with plenty of healthy options just VERY overpriced. Seats are large with plenty of leg room for reclining. They have a very small above ground lot and a bigger underground lot. You get 4 hours free with validation. read more

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Terrible management, bad customer service, and the worst system when it comes to credit cards! I was once a regular and hosted many events there but had a few bad experiences. I stopped going for a couple of years and decided to go back last week but never again! I talked to the manager and he looks very unprofessional and needs some customer service training! They don't care about their customers, so sad. Prime location, hopefully a new movie theater can open up soon. read more

THE LOT is an upscale movie experience. I think they have several locations in San Diego but I visited the one in La Jolla. I arrived by rideshare so not sure about parking situation. Neighborhood is pretty and I felt completely safe waiting for my ride after the movie. It's a sizable complex compete with restaurant, bar, and luxury movie theaters with recliners and at-seat food & drink service. The restaurant looked beautiful but I decided to order from my seat and eat during the film. I went with the one vegan entree on the menu - a veggie burger with fries (think it was Impossible Burger). It was so dark I could barely see my food but it tasted good! The price tag is hefty which is to be expected at this type of place in La Jolla. By the end of the night, I'd definitely spent over $50 on my ticket and meal (no popcorn, candy, alcohol, or soft drinks). It's a splurge but I had a fun night especially during a record- breaking heat wave (their a/c is top tier). read more

the lot's popcorn is airy and not too salty, spacious and stylish decor, service is inconsistent, and high prices.

We had a great time. I like this location better than the one at liberty station. Very clean. And servers made their rounds right away. Alcoholic bev was decent. Not weak. Con, popcorn was cold and food came about an hour after order was placed. Parking was not bad, but came on a weekday. There is ACE parking spot up underneath the basement - free for 4 hours with movie vouchers. Pro Tip: bring a blanket & get cozy. read more

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https://youtu.be/ChRTShWM9gc Watch my video on YouTube for more but there is a really cute little coffee cafe off of The Lot. They had tons of beautiful desserts. The barista/cashier was super nice. I ordered an oat milk latte and although it was weak, I still enjoyed sitting in the beautiful space.They have water and dog treats for dogs which I love! I would still recommend it but maybe not the oat milk latte! Get a plain coffee and let me know how that is! read more

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First time coming in here. Celebrating my daughter's birthday. We watch a movie ( The Thunderbolts ) with the comfiest reclining couch and enjoyed ordering food from the comfort of our seat. The food is good and a lot of selection good drink selection. The service was outstanding. Staff are very attentive. The venue is pretty clean and only a few seats. So I recommend buying your ticket before heading there. We're totally coming back soon. read more

This location is 10x better than the Liberty Station location. It just screamed "elegance" once you walk into the restaurant. I think the movie theatre itself is about the same as Liberty Station, but the restaurant is fab! Almost no one was there on a Friday night so we got seated right away. Our waitress was chill and nice. The entrees were all mouth watering but we decided to get a couple of apps to share: Ahi Poke Tacos [$23] which was perfection! Really good poke & really good portion size. Then the Kobe Beef Sliders [$23] upgraded to sweet potato fries were really tasty as well. These apps can be a meal in itself with the portions! We ended up getting a flatbread as well "just in case" but we didn't really need it as we were fullll. The parking situation here is a little strange. They have a surface lot with very limited parking- I counted maybe 10 spots if that. Then they have a garage downstairs which you need to pay for after 3 or so hours I think? Lucky for us the machine was broken so we didn't have to pay! There's also street parking, but a Friday night in La Jolla? Good luck. This will be our chosen movie theatre moving forward! read more

THE LOT La Jolla - Kobe Beef Sliders - Cinema Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Came here for brunch this past weekend (Valentine's Day to be specific) after yoga and had an uncomfortable experience with our server. I tried to send a private email but couldn't find one available online. I had ordered a thai chicken sandwich from the menu after the waiter enthusiastically recommended then when my friend ordered a Cobb salad (she can't tolerate dairy), the server responded, "Oh, the healthy one," and quickly walked away. It was said in a dismissive, judgmental tone and my friend and i looked shocked/confused as soon as he said it. I'm not sure what was happening in his day that he felt he needed to be rude to patrons but comments like this create an uncomfortable environment...and again i ordered his recommendation. The service was poor overall- lots of moments of him forgetting things and barely checking in but that i would chop up to a server having a bad day (and never judge) but a bad day never needs to mean snarky comments to customers. The patio was great and food itself was fine, but the service and lack of attentiveness made the experience disappointing. It was also just weird overall to speak to people like this on Valentine's day of all days. read more

Love this theater! Even after all these years, they've kept the same great quality. The screens look great, the seats are so comfy I didn't want to get up, and the staff is always super friendly. Bonus points for the food--you can order the same yummy dishes they serve at the restaurant. Perfect spot for a movie night! read more

Ordered through grub hub online and realized when I arrived that not only did they not get my order, they also have a completely different menu. They got on the c phone with grub right away. Server Memo offered me water or coffee while I wait for my order to be made... and her charged me for the coffee! Haha. That's crazy. My Margarita flatbread was tasty but nothing to crave coming back specifically for. Crean cheese Danish was soft, not any flakiness... read more

THE LOT La Jolla - Margarita flatbread - Cinema Near Me - La Jolla, California

While The Lot movie theater is amazing- the food is so hit or miss. The chicken Cesar wrap tasted awful- could barely eat a bite. Same with the Poke- it was almost frozen. The flatbreads are good. read more

I've been going to The Lot since they first opened in La Jolla. It has run the gamut from luxury to "greasy spoon" and is now somewhere in the middle. I had the crunchy chinese chicken salad and there was no crunch and the mandarin oranges were very watery. My grandson had the burger, which he said was "ok". It's hard to eat when you can't see your food (which may sometimes be a blessing!). read more

I do not know what's happened, but the quality of the food and food service has taken a nose-dive at this theater. An unprofessional kitchen is turning out food with old ingredients, poorly cooked food, and taking too long to get orders out, yet customers are charged fine-dining prices! They need to hire kitchen professionals who know what they're doing and will run a tighter ship, even if it means some current employees need straightening out. Whatever has happened in the kitchen, it is disappointing. Ultimately, the responsibility for that is poor management at the top. read more

The LOT La Jolla offers a wonderful upscale movie and dine experience. The restaurant offers many flavorful food items to enjoy while watching the movies. You get in the comfy lounge chair, press the lighted button, and order. WOW. Can't go wrong with that kind of date :) read more

This time my friend and I went to see a movie at The Lot, and we were very happy with the experience. The theater we were in was much smaller than regular theaters because of the limited space and because they have these amazing comfortable seats with dine-in options. The movie we saw, 'Avatar 4,' was absolutely horrible, so being able to stretch out and take a nap was welcomed, and getting a waiter to come to us and order food--baby, I'm all in. The only item I want added to the seats is the ability to heat or cool the seats like they have at Fashion Valley. read more

The Lot theaters have always been a luxury movie experience, but I recommend going on their discount Wednesdays and asking for parking validation at this location! The parking lot underneath is smaller, so you may have to circle around for street parking here on weekends or busy nights. read more

Great service, the food was good. The theater was comfortable, The music was not too loud, and the surround sound was terrific. Looking forward to going back again. I saw the Brad Pitt Formula One movie. It was an exciting adventure. read more

We've been to The Lot many times and usually enjoy ourselves -- the food is good, the bar staff is great, and most servers are attentive. Unfortunately, on our most recent visit, things went very differently. During our movie, drinks we ordered didn't arrive until the final minutes of the film, and in the meantime we were double charged. Thankfully another server corrected the bill -- but afterward, the original waitress (older, blonde, late 50s/60s) aggressively confronted us outside the theater. She was so hostile it honestly felt like she was five minutes from asking us to fight in the parking lot. We left genuinely worried she might follow us. That alone was bad enough. But management's public response to my Google review made it worse. Instead of addressing the very real issue of staff hostility and guest safety, the general manager reframed it as a "happy hour pricing" misunderstanding -- despite the fact that our drinks weren't even from the happy hour menu. This wasn't about a discount; it was about a staff member behaving in a way that made us feel unsafe. To take a safety complaint and spin it into a pricing clarification is dismissive, unprofessional, and frankly insulting. Every other staff member we dealt with that day was fantastic, but between one unhinged server and a manager who can't take accountability, this experience has made me seriously question returning. If this were about a discount, I would've taken one when it was offered. It wasn't. It was about safety. (You can read my original Google review along with the GM's full response if you'd like to see it in their own words.) read more

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