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Maxing Out Your Movies: An Overview of the Best Movie Theaters & Cinemas in the Triangle

Home » Activities » Maxing Out Your Movies: An Overview of the Best Movie Theaters & Cinemas in the Triangle
July 22, 2017 by Ron Wen
Wish my pictures were sharper but pretty much all movie theaters are dark!

In the battle for your movie dollar, the Triangle has been popping! Higher-end theaters with stadium seating and upgraded food menus are upping the ante for movie-watching in the Triangle. And who can blame them given the great home theater set-ups many of us have at home? Without making the cinema experience stellar, we would never leave our family rooms, amiright? But in the summer heat, there’s often nothing better than catching the latest flick in a deluxe movie theater in a comfy recliner with all the bells and whistles. I’ve been able to try most of the super cinemas in the area, here’s my take on what you get for your movie-watching dollar at each one! If you’re excited to catch Oppenheimer, Barbie, or Mission Impossible, read on…

 

Best Movie Theaters in the Triangle

  1. IMAX Theatre at Marbles, Raleigh
  2. Alamo Drafthouse, Raleigh
  3. Raleigh Grande, Raleigh
  4. Paragon Theaters Parkside – Extreme, Cary
  5. Paragon Theaters Fenton – Extreme, Cary
  6. CMX Cinebistro at Waverly Place, Cary
  7. Silverspot Cinema, Chapel Hill

IMAX Theatre at Marbles, Raleigh

Front of IMAX Theatre at Marbles in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Front of IMAX Theatre at Marbles in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

First up is the classic IMAX Theatre at Marbles in Raleigh! For a while, IMAX was the only real luxe movie-watching experience in the Triangle. From the enormous screen (70′ by 52′) to the seat-shaking Dolby sound system pumping out 24,000 watts of sonic thunder, the IMAX still rocks it out for the right movies. If you’ve got a great 3-D movie with top notch cinematography and sound, IMAX will blow you away. I’ve seen Inception, Gravity and Avatar at the IMAX and it truly feels as if you’re IN the movie. The stadium seating gives you an unfettered view of all the action, the only bad seats are the 3 or 4 rows up front. The seats, while comfortable, are your more typical seats with drop-down arm-rests and cup-holders.

Seating for IMAX Theatre at Marbles in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Seating for IMAX Theatre at Marbles in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Stellar screen and sound system for IMAX Theatre at Marbles in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Stellar screen and sound system for IMAX Theatre at Marbles in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Tickets for IMAX are $11 (2-D) and up which isn’t bad at all given the screen size. Concessions are reasonably priced ($3 to $7) but very basic and limited in selection (candy, popcorn, soft drinks, wine-beer). Note that you also can NOT choose your seat at IMAX Raleigh which means you’ll have to queue up early to ensure great seats for the hottest movies. What you’ll give up here at IMAX Raleigh are the comfy leather recliners and expanded food-drink menu. But still, even with all the less modern movie theater operations here at IMAX, it delivers a stellar movie-watching experience for the right movies. Choose wisely and you’ll be blown away by what’s on-screen at IMAX Theatre at Marbles.

Alamo Drafthouse, Raleigh

Front of Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Front of Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Bright lobby at Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Bright lobby at Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

The newest entry in the super movie theater list is the Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh which just opened in April of 2018. Located in E. Raleigh, downtown Oak City residents finally now have an option for a movie with reserved seating! Inside Alamo Drafthouse it feels like a devotional to the cinematic and movie experience. You’ll find a bar up front and the Video Vortex (video rental store) decked out in pink neon.  The Video Vortex rents out movies for free that range across the classic genres and is built for movie buffs. Behind the Alamo Drafthouse bar is a slew of beer taps for you beer lovers, over 30 taps! Food is served inside the theater and throughout the movie with an assortment of apps, salads, pizzas, burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches from $7 to $15. The menu is squarely in the middle in terms of assortment, below Cinebistro and above the Raleigh Grande.

Chicken meatballs with garlic bread at Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Chicken meatballs with garlic bread at Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Inside the Alamo Drafthouse theater you’ll find soft, plush leather recliners with motorized foot-rests. The seats are individual seats without movable arm-rests and while the rows are not stadium-style, there’s plenty of rise between the rows. Each recliner has a fixed table with lighting underneath. You’ll need the light to fill out your menu requests which will be handled by the wait-staff. I tried out a tasty cast-iron skillet of chicken meatballs with garlic bread which were perfect for a late night snack.

Theater seating at Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Theater seating at Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

The screen for my movie was excellent with a decent sound system, I’ll have to get back for a more challenging movie to see what they can really do. Also note that Alamo Drafthouse has a strict, no texting, no talking during the movie policy and will toss you out after a warning if people complain. You have been warned, movie-talkers! Overall I was pretty impressed with Alamo Drafthouse, it reminds me of a more casual Cinebistro with decent eats and screens along with lower prices ($8 to $11.50 for 2-D tickets).

Cinebistro Waverly Place, Cary

Lobby at Cinebistro Wavery Place in Cary - NC Triangle Dining
Lobby at CMX Cinebistro Wavery Place in Cary – NC Triangle Dining
Lobster roll at Cinebistro Wavery Place in Cary - NC Triangle Dining
Lobster roll at CMX Cinebistro Wavery Place in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

Next up on my super cinema list is Cinebistro at Waverly Place in Cary! Cinebistro was the first of the newer luxe movie theaters in the area, bringing together food, drink and the show all in one venue. And it’s still one of the best! With a full bar and lobby at the entrance, you know you’re in for a special experience. Billed as dinner and a movie, you show up early for your movie, order and are served in the theater for your meal. And the food here at Cinebistro is quite good, my faves include the cheesesteak sandwich and lobster sliders. Once the movie starts, you’ll have to self-serve your dishes and any additional drinks-eats at Cinebistro.

Seating at Cinebistro Wavery Place in Cary - NC Triangle Dining
Seating at CMX Cinebistro Wavery Place in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

Seating at Cinebistro is luxurious, leather recliner seating with motorized foot-rests that allow you to kick back to enjoy the movie! While Cinebistro does not have stadium style seating, you do recline back to get a good view of the excellent raised screens. Cinebistro tickets can be purchased online through Fandango and range from $13.50 to $16. Note that after 6pm, Cinebistro is 21 and over. But I can tell you for sure that Cinebistro hits the trifecta of great food, great screens and great seating. The only major drawback is the price, you can easily drop $50 here on popcorn and food, ouch. For more details, check out my full review of Cinebistro in Cary.

The Raleigh Grande Theater – NC Triangle Dining

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The Raleigh Grande, Raleigh

Heading up a bit further north is the Raleigh Grande! For years, the Raleigh Grande was a traditional movie theater but a renovation in 2016 brought stadium type seating and an expanded food menu. Inside, not only does the Raleigh Grande have tiered stadium-style seating but also the same motorized recliners found at Cinebistro. What is nice is that the Raleigh Grande provides a more private viewing experience with walls behind each row of seats, creating some real separation.

Seating at the Raleigh Grande Theater - NC Triangle Dining
Seating at the Raleigh Grande Theater – NC Triangle Dining

For food you have your standard popcorn and soft drinks but the expanded theater menu includes sandwiches, hot dogs, chicken tenders, pizza and more! If you’re ordering hot food, they’ll give you a buzzer to bring to the theater and once it goes off, meet your server in the hallway outside your theater to get your food! The Raleigh Grande also has decent draft beer and wines available here for your movie. I’ve tried out just a handful of items off their menu but I can tell you that they do a solid chicken tenders plate for $7 along with some truffle fries for $4.

Chicken tenders at the Raleigh Grande Theater - NC Triangle Dining
Chicken tenders at the Raleigh Grande Theater – NC Triangle Dining

And tickets at the Raleigh Grande have stayed an affordable $9.50 so you won’t break the bank here on either tickets or food. I’ve managed to catch a couple of movies here and if your focus is more on the movie than the food, you can’t go wrong at the Raleigh Grande. While the food is more garden variety, higher end movie-theater fare, the screens and movie-watching experience more than make up for that slight miss. Plus you’ve got the Lynnwood Brewing Concern right across the street if you’re hungry!

 

Paragon Theaters Fenton, Cary

The newest theater to the luxe mix is Paragon Theaters at Fenton! This whole development is still in opening mode but Paragon Theaters at Fenton offers up 7 screens with Axis Extreme 15 where the screen is tilted downwards to accommodate for the stadium seating. I’ve seen two movie heres and the screens are super sharp with great audio. You have two seating options: deluxe seats where food can be ordered online and delivered to you and a basic seat where there is no in theater food service. Note that the deluxe seats typically are located in the center of the theater for the best viewing sight lines. In addition to the basic concessions (popcorn, candy, drinks) you can also order from the Agency, the in-house bar, and restaurant.

 

Paragon Theaters Parkside, Cary

Paragon Theaters Parkside in Cary - nctriangledining.com
Paragon Theaters Parkside in Cary – nctriangledining.com
Bowling alley at Paragon Theaters Parkside in Cary - nctriangledining.com
Bowling alley at Paragon Theaters Parkside in Cary – nctriangledining.com

Now (Paragon Theaters Parkside – Extreme as of December 2021) let’s head back down to Cary and the new Paragon Theaters Parkside! This bowling alley and cinema presents another spin on the deluxe movie theatre experience. Up front and to the right you’ll find the bowling alley lit up in neon. Above the bowling alley area is an arcade with some fun games like Pop-a-Shot, skee-ball and more. And to the left, you’ve got your luxe movie theaters!

Stadium seating at Paragon Theaters Parkside in Cary - nctriangledining.com
Stadium seating at Paragon Theaters Parkside in Cary – nctriangledining.com

The food menu here is upgraded theater food but it’s not bad at all! I ordered up a ridiculous plate of tater tots which was a ginormous, heaping mound of crisp tots covered with two types of cheese sauce, bacon, and scallions, delicious! But I could have fed a family of four off these tots. The rest of the menu runs the gamut of wings, tacos, sandwiches, burgers and entrees, plenty good but more casual than Cinebistro. With ticket prices in the $12 to $15 range, Paragon Theater Parkside is an excellent option if you’re looking for food AND a movie.

 

Silverspot Cinema, Chapel Hill

Front of Silverspot Cinema in Chapel Hill - NC Triangle Dining
Front of Silverspot Cinema in Chapel Hill – NC Triangle Dining

And finally, our last super theater: Silverspot Cinema in Chapel Hill. Located off of S. Estes Drive on the west side of University Place, Silverspot mixes things up a bit compared to the previous four super cinemas! Silverspot offers the upscale Trilogy Restaurant at the front of the cinema for a pre-show dinner or take-out box for in-theater dining. If that doesn’t float your boat, you can grab some eats at the more standard concessions area. I’ve done a media dinner at Trilogy Restaurant and it is certainly the highest-end food available if you dine in. Check out my full review here!

Concessions at Silverspot Cinema in Chapel Hill - NC Triangle Dining
Concessions at Silverspot Cinema in Chapel Hill – NC Triangle Dining

Silverspot is pretty modern and offers ticket kiosks on a wall to grab your seat if you don’t order your ticket online.  Once you get your eats, move on into the movie theater section where you’ll find yourself in a luxe seating area but different from the other options on this list. Silverspot offers plush leather seating in a stadium (tiered) setting BUT the seats are not motorized and don’t offer foot-rests. The front row does have leather ottomans available to kick up your feet but you won’t be able to do that for the back rows.

Seating at Silverspot Cinema in Chapel Hill - NC Triangle Dining
Seating at Silverspot Cinema in Chapel Hill – NC Triangle Dining

So there you go! A quick trip and overview through most of the top movie theaters in the area. What’s really interesting is that they all offer slightly different food, seating options and movie watching experiences. So choose wisely based upon your needs, location and interests. Some days I’m in more of a dining mood and want the food. Other times it’s all about the movie watching experience. But I’m pretty certain that one of these deluxe, blinged out movie theatres will suit you fine!

 

IMAX Theatre at Marbles

201 E Hargett Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

 

Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh

2116-D, New Bern Avenue

Raleigh, NC 27610

 

Raleigh Grande

4840 Grove Barton Road

Raleigh, NC 27613

Paragon Theaters Parkside – Extreme

Parkside Town Commons

1140 Parkside Main Street

Cary, NC 27519

 

Paragon Theaters Fenton – Extreme

21 Fenton Main St Suite 110

Cary, NC 27511

 

CMX Cinebistro, Waverly Place

525 New Waverly Place 

Cary, NC 27518

 

Silverspot Cinema

201 S Estes Dr #100

Chapel Hill, NC 27514

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Category: Activities, Cary, Chapel Hill, Overviews, Raleigh
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