Studio Movie Grill

I’ve been here several times and I’ve always had a good time. The theaters are nice, food is good and the service is pretty fast. The most recent time, though, was a bit of a let down.
I’m all for tipping well for good service, but SMG now implements a 17.5% tip added to your check to «minimize distractions.» I would never have a problem with this, except the service has declined significantly during this visit, and I’d say the reason is because the waiters don’t have to worry about their service-​based tip, it’s guaranteed. There was only another couple in the theater, however we weren’t approached when we first arrived like we usually are. Even after pressing the button, it took a while for someone to come take our order and a while to get our check back. I’ve been to showings where the theater was packed and never had an issue getting prompt, friendly service.
Not only was service slow, our waitress was rude and didn’t really seem to care. I was told to go back in and get the checkbook for her at the end of the movie while she stood chatting with two other people.
I really thought SMG had a good thing going. Guess that came to an end.

We visited this theater for the first time last night and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Finding the front door was the biggest hassle but after looking at the layout from the parking lot we found access on the second level of the parking garage. There was a long line which made my daughter a little upset because I had us running late and she didn’t want to miss 15 minutes of previews before Deadpool started. What was handy and resolved that issue was the computer kiosk which we utilized to purchase our tickets and pick out seats. This was accomplished in a timely manner and we found out seats and managed to catch all of the previews with time to spare. This theater asthetically is nice. It has a very modern, sleek look inside. Different than the typical red carpet and cement that you are most places. Our seats were great. Comfy and spacious with a built in tray with a button to push for service. We ordered off the expensive menu but let’s be honest, when has theater food been cheap. At least I was not purchasing popcorn at a very inflated price. My daughter ordered a Margarita pizza. I stuck with edamame which was a little salty. By the time the movie was over we had paid for our bill and left promptly. The only big complaint I have is that the bathroom at the bottom of the escalator. It took me by surprise because every other stall had caution tape taped over the door. The bathroom upstairs was fine. All in all a good experience and we definently plan to go to more movies at this locale.

We found ourselves here as fluke. Kid buys a ticket to a crowd funded limited release movie, kid not old enough to drive himself and friend, totally awesome, amazing, parents (see what I did there) take kids to the 7:30 PM show on a Wednesday. The discussion on the way to the theater between the hubs and I was where we were going to go to watch the Tampa Bay Lightning ice hockey game during the 2 hrs we had to kill. It had been YEARS since I’ve ventured into University Square Mall. Wow did they change the theatre. It has a full liquor bar and menu with TV’s. We were extremely excited to be able to sit at the bar with a beverage and watch the hockey game. The staff was nice and very attentive. We didn’t order food but I checked out the menu and the options were over priced but to be expected as everything is over priced at the movies. What a nice addition to a sad mall.

I do not recommend giving this place your business. They ruined our valentines. I was anticipating the service to be slow, but not crap. First some guy comes by and slams 2 random drinks on my stand, without checking if it was ours. Had to call the server to get them removed. We didnt get our appetizer, had to call the sever and tell them. Entrees came out wrong. Got our appetizer along with the entrees. During credit roll, a guy comes over and tries to give us our appetizer again. But of course there is a mandatory gratuity. Glad I have tip crappy service.
Random odd individuals were being permitted to stand around the theater. The employees gave us 0 attention when we walked in.
Not worth the money. University mall quality right here.

Terrible experience. It started off with a trip to the restroom before the show and it was disgusting. Wanted to leave but couldn’t get my money back since I purchased the tickets on Fandango and it was less than 2 hours to movie time. While waiting for the movie to start you could hear the movie in the theater next door. We assumed that wouldn’t be the case once our movie started but it was. At any quiet scene, you could barely hear the words because of the loud movie next door. The walls and ceiling shook by the sound waves. There was also a huge hole in the ceiling.

Quick Read: Good experience for a movie with decent grub.
The food won’t blow you away, but it gets the job done. The drinks are wonderful, especially their boozy shakes. Overall a good experience for enjoying a film.

It was my first time in this type of settings, so I can’t really compare it to pass experience.
I enjoyed the whole experience of this theater, the food and service were great.
Sound was excellent, however the screen was the same size [theater #7] as the old theater. I have to say that it was pretty sharp.

A-​ok! Plus: ticket price. Minus: service, janitorial
So I decided to try this place out after driving by for a whole year and not realizing the title studio movie grill was the name of the theater and not a mishmash of words on the side of the shuttered anchor store at university mall
First off, you can’t go wrong with a ticket price in the single digits. Matinees and students were $ 7 and adults were $ 9. The screens are the same size as when they an AMC, but the seats were more plush. And you can designate your seating. I wish they kept maintenance up more. The swivel tables squeak. The armrest on my left was tattered and lost all upholstery and my cup holder was filled with a liquid that I had to switch seats.
Prices for food items could be comparable to other food theaters and slightly more than an Applebee’s. I ordered something cheap like a $ 9 tortilla platter with two choices from guacamole spin dip or queso, in addition to a side salsa
Service is definite rough and needs to be trained more. When I ordered my duo they forgot to bring out the salsa. When I mentioned that at a later time they sternly disagreed with me until I pressed them to look at their description. Also they have no communication with each other. I had one server bring me the check and after I paid in cash and gave it away five minutes later another server came up and asked me if I got my check and if I paid. Also, usually these checks should come toward the end of the movie like in the fourth act like at cinebistro or Alamo. Here they came up with the check in I swear the first twenty minutes. Like, «We want your money now! We don’t trust you to pay later! Gimme gimme gimme!» Really people, let me watch the movie and get plugged in
Overall the price is good for its ticket. I probably wouldn’t get food or drinks in the theater next time and just go for the movie. $ 7 for a mid-​90s sized theater screen is decent I guess.

We’ve been back a couple of times since my original review so I thought I would update! We decided to forgo a normal movie experience yesterday to see Star wars for this. We wanted to go to dinner and a movie and this was just way more convenient. We went in with 3 kids and 7 adults so I was a bit worried about how it was going to go, but it went really well. We all ate and got drinks. I had to return my drink because the waitress wasn’t very well versed on her wines, but no worries they did it quickly and with a smile. We also ahd to return a ticket because I bought too many on accident and they did that very nicely too. The food is nothing spectacular, it’s pub fare, but they do a good job with it. I had a salad last night and it was very good. We keep coming back because the price is right, it’s really a good value for what you get! The staff is wonderful and do a great job!

The four stars are only for Studio Movie Grill, NOT the surrounding area or rest of the mall, which is incredibly gross. This place attracts the type of dirtbags who sit in the parking garage outside the SMG doors and smoke pot at 2PM. This is not a hypothetical, it happens all the time and it’s disgusting. But I digress.
A friend brought me here a last year and I had no idea the concept existed. A theater where you can eat actual food and drink booze? Awesome. I’ve only had one negative experience: I caught attitude from an employee once because I didn’t want to buy a limited time movie themed cocktail. Dude rolled his eyes at me when I said no. Whatever. Other than that, it’s well worth a visit.

Oh, I so wish I could do something better than two stars. I can’t stand writing negative reviews, but there has to be a serious management issue here.
I almost feel guilty, but no… Such a great concept gone so wrong!!! I would say that in all fairness, like many other reviewers, I have also been to Cinebistro, which I gave a solid 5 stars… and that might taint my review, but had I never experienced Cinebistro, I still would have a tough time mustering up more than 2 here. And I am so sorry to say that I kinda wanna give this place only 1 star, but it is not THAT bad.
Here is the deal… I imagine the day this place opened, it must have been beautiful. Not sure how the food was at the beginning, but you can tell this place WAS nice. The thing is, that it doesn’t look like it is that old, but it is worn down like it hasn’t seen a maintenance man in 20 years.
Seriously… close down for a day, run to Walmart and get some paint and WD-​40. The paint is worn beyond belief. The chairs, while comfortable, need to be attended to, and the tables squeak… they squeak LOUD, like I was afraid to touch mine during the movie. 2 spritzes of WD-​40 at each table, and I would not have had to say that. What would hat take, an hour and $ 10? How sad is that?
Th food… So I got pretzel bites and sliders. Can’t speak of any of the other food, but the pretzel bites were so-​so. The sliders, on the other hand, made me wanna cry. Big buns, stale. Lots of lettuce, tomato, and each one had an eeeency weenice little piece of meat. Like if I had taken all three pieces, an put into ONE of the slider, it would have been in proportion. I couldn’t stop thinking WHERE’S THE BEEF? But that wasn’t bad enough, of course. It just didn’t taste right, so I tasted a little of the meat by itself. MICROWAVE! Or was it boiled? Not sure, was it even really beef? OK, point made… really never again bad.
Then there was the sound. OK, not a big deal, but every theater was playing Star Wars, and at times the explosions in neighboring theaters deafened the sound in our theater, such that we couldn’t hear. I get it, tough to insulate, but it is worth noting. That one point would never have warranted this review.
What DOES warrant it, is that a little attention to maintenance, a little attention to food quality, an this place could be fantastic!!! Cinebistro is 21 and over only, and I hoped this would be the alternative I could take my son to, but even he would have prefered a normal cinema to this.

LOVED this movie theater! Find me another place I can see a movie for $ 7 per ticket where I can get an adult beverage and I’m sold. This theater is fantastic! I know, University Mall has a bad reputation, but this theater is phenomenal. The waitstaff is friendly and very attentive. They work their butts off! You choose your seats beforehand which is awesome and the seats are large recliners. Each has a big swivel tray and a huge cupholder on the side. Super comfy chairs. The rows are far enough apart that those behind you cannot put their feet up on the back of your chair. Yet they don’t need to since the seats are so large and comfy.
Food & Drink: Menu is large! You push a button on the side of your swivel table for service (any time during the movie!). I enjoyed a brunch menu bloody mary and a pitcher of Goose Island IPA with friends. Our fellow movie goer had a burger with fries and said it was tasty.
Sound quality was impeccable and visual quality was great! Bathrooms were super clean as well. I will definitely return!

The movie and eating concept is great! When you arrive you choose your movie and they show you a compute screen which allows you to pick the seats you want. The person also asks if you need a menu. Then you go to the theater and press the need assitance button on your table. Every table has the need assistance button, which is nice. You don’t have to search for your waiter or waitress to get something additional.
There menu has a good selection of foods at a decent price. I got the flat bread pizza once and the chicken nachos another time. Both times Ive been here the food was good and so was the service.
The theater has nice chairs and there is a lot of space between your chair and the persons chair in front of you, which is nice if you have long legs. Great place to go and watch a movie if you want to eat too!

If I never went to CineBistro I may have rated this higher. Its a good concept, But I have been spoiled by CineBistro and this place is really subpar. They have a nice bar up from and to get in the theater is cheaper than most other regular theater like AMC but that’s really all the good I can say. The rest wasn’t terrible but not good either. Food was edible. Taste like frozen food. Chairs were squeaky and tables were leaning so much drinks almost slid off. And I do not like waiters walking in front of me while I’m watching a movie. Supposedly they are trained to not be noticed and that is definitley not what I experienced. Do yourself a favor. Pay the little extra and go to CineBitro.

Food is pretty good, and movie seats are very comfortable. Sometimes the movie isn’t loud enough, but that could be because I like to feel my ears bleeding when I watch a movie. Overall a pleasant experience!

December 10, 2014, life finally presented me an opportunity to fly into Tampa, Florida and spend quality time with the most gorgeous boy I’ve ever known. Originally, I planned for us to spend the day at the popular amusement park, Busch Gardens. However, my friend James had to work later that evening, and was only available to hang out for a limited time. We agreed to meet at University Mall instead, and I ended up arriving much earlier than he did. The extra time I spent waiting gave me an opportunity to explore, which is how I stumbled upon Studio Movie Grill.
When James finally showed up, I led him to the second floor and offered to treat us both to the clichét date night tradition of dinner and a movie. (not that it was a date) He was genuinely surprised that I’d not even been in Tampa 24 hours, yet was able to introduce him to a facet of the mall that he’d never even known about. We settled on the latest Hunger Games installment and proceeded to find our seats. We came on a weekday when the theater was practically empty, making it much easier to chat during the film. Upon ordering from the gigantic menu, a friendly waitress came right to our seats and served us some hot deliciousness. I honestly can’t remember what we ordered because I already had hot deliciousness sitting next to me… However, I do remember that we both left feeling stuffed and satisfied.
If ever I find myself in Tampa for an extended stay, I’ll definitely be back and I’m dragging James along with me.

Studio Movie Grill is a more affordable dine in theater than its competition CineBistro. This location is near USF so it attracts the college crowd. The food is upgraded bar/​bistro food. The menu is affordable and offers a varied selection of items for all tastes. Unlike the competitor SMG allows service throughout the movie. This drove me crazy because I had staff constantly walking in front of me while I was trying to enjoy the movie. Also don’t expect to cuddle at this theater because the seats are fixed and the arms do not move. All snuggles will have to wait because the seats prohibit touch with the exception of hand holding. The theater is cold so make sure you bring a sweater.
I think this theater is showing its wear significantly for it to be so new. The bathrooms are horrid and not well maintained. I definitely think the competitor is worth the extra money if I want the dine in theater experience.

When I think of a movie theater I should be reminded of the nostalgic sent of popcorn. This place is only a year old and the vents emit so much dust I could not breath.
Dinner was inedible. We tried the Saracha chicken flat bread (barf pizza), the chicken nachos (barf nachos), and the chicken tenders that reminded me of frozen tenders from Walmart (best item I ate), We sent everything back at least the waiters were nice.
Lastly, the concept of this theater is flawed. Each seat has a giant red button used throughout the movie for service. Convenient yes (maybe on an airplane) not a movie theater. Very distracting because waiters interrupt pivotal parts of the film. Ironically the waiters use cell phones to take orders and navigate the dark decpreped theater. The seats sucked too. They felt like dirty pleather coffin boxes. Terrible experience.

Why I give 4 stars? It is the perfect «me date» place.
I love the concept of sitting down watching a movie for $ 9 or $ 7 depending on what time you go.
Also being able to push the service button and have friendly servers take my order.
I’m a movie person and I usually don’t go to theaters. But when I want to get away this is the perfect place for me.
The menu is all American with hints of the occasionally Italian and Tex mex.
I have yet to have a complaint about the restaurant side of SMG.
What do you expect? It’s still a movie theater… I wouldn’t expect top notch quality. It does exceed expectations of a normal theater. This is my «me date» place. It deserve it’s 4 stars!

The movie theatre is affordable and seating is great. The overall size of the movie is good as well. They also always have tickets on groupon!
The only downside is the quality of the food. When they first opened the quality was great. Everything was fresh and the pizza was great. Now it’s like they don’t even care. Last time I went and ordered nachos and all my chips were broken and it was very soggy at the bottom.