CineArts at the Empire

This theatre serves the basic needs of any movie theatre. If you live in the location, it is convenient. If you only want watch only a few of the mainstream movies that are currently out, it’s good for that too. You won’t find much that is over impressive here. It has it’s concession stand, it’s three screens, and bathrooms. Nowhere to park, except for street, but plenty of good restaurants in area to choose from.

Our family was waiting in line as it rained for the Star Wars movie. We finally get to the front and the ticket scanner guy was extremely rude and told us that my tickets which I purchased from Fandango for 2 kids who are 12 yr old needed to be Adult tickets and that I needed to buy Adult tix for them as any kid over 11 is considered an Adult. WTF! Talk about ruining someone’s night. The movie was sold out dumb ass! We simply ignored the ass wipe but the time it took us going back and forth with this BS cost us in getting terrible seating in the theatre. The movie was enjoyable but honestly have to say that we will NEVER be returning to the Empire!

This is my favorite theatre in the Bay Area. It maintains a small town charm, while existing right outside the craziness that is SF. Those that frequent this theatre, as well as the surrounding restaurants and shops, are local,…(many of which have long-​time roots in the area). I pray this theater is around for many years to come, and that the mass migration to the city/​Bay-​Area, and ensuing gentrification bypass this neighborhood!

This theatre in West Portal is a San Francisco icon, one of a kind, a remnant of yesteryear, even remember that word?
This place will always be my first choice at where to see a film, and they show all the new, best ones, easy parking if you’re willing to walk more than 20 feet, two theaters, both small, with not a bad seat in the place.
The neighborhood itself offers a wide diversity of good restaurants as well, from family fare, to more expensive, even chic, as well as many nice bars and pubs to choose from. Enjoy your evening, and support your small neighborhoods!

At the risk of sounding like a cranky, old man, it’s a shame that neighborhood theaters like Empire are becoming increasingly scarce. I certainly appreciate all that megaplexes have to offer, but there’s something to be said for the charm of an old school theater. Though, you won’t be seeing me at a theater like this when Star Wars comes out (hello, IMAX!).
Although it lacks the premium sound systems, large screens, and faux-​leather seats of newer theaters, Empire has its fair share of positives. Much like the neighborhood, the theater is rather quaint, with a ’50’s sort of look, a small snack bar, and three separate screens (two smaller rooms and a larger one). Plus, it’s pretty clean for the most part, as I’ve never seen trash left uncollected from prior showings.
The thing that I like the most about Empire is that it’s a perfect representation of the neighborhood’s personality and residents — a little older, a little more low-​key. Especially in regards to the crowds that come here, as they’re much calmer and more mature than at other theaters (read: not a lot of obnoxious and loud moviegoers here). Parking is pretty easy as well.
While I don’t regularly come to Empire (more for dates and less visually intense films), I do hope they manage to avoid the same fate as the likes of Coronet, Alexandria, and Bridge. It’d be nice if the city could maintain that aspect of its history and character. Although, I can’t say that same sort of nostalgia extends to the likes of the Stonestown theater. I doubt anyone would ever miss that place.
Now, do me a favor and get the hell off my lawn.

Mission impossible.
Great movie:
Great theater: With a marquee that rightfully catches your eye from West Portal Avenue this simple yet elegant theater is a nice spot to catch a film. ]
Comfortable seats. Reasonable prices. Neighborhood charm. First run films. Nice contrast to today’s incessant obsession with making everything bigger and louder.
Make it your mission to support the impossible.

Whenever I tell people where I live (near West Portal), they always look at me with a confused look and then 9 times out of 10 go: «Oh, that’s where that great movie theater is!»
I hadn’t realized the CineArts had such a following! It’s a good place to see a flick though don’t come here thinking you’ll have a massive screen. All the theaters are on the smaller side with fairly small screens, but they have super comfy chairs and I like that they don’t have the seats go all the way up to the screen so you don’t get stuck with a bad seat.
They are *very* strict about bringing in outside food. I guess it’s not something I’ve noticed at other theaters, but here, you can’t even bring a cup of coffee or a doggy bag in with you. They will hold it for you until the end of the show though. So either don’t bring food, or be sneaky (though I think they need to relax their coffee policy, especially as they don’t serve it!). That said: they have a well stocked and reasonably priced concession stand. They have all the regular treats and they even freeze some of the candies like Junior Mints. I asked my husband how much 2 boxes of candy, a large popcorn and two drinks costs and he said less than $ 20 which surprised me given how much we pay at AMCs.
Overall, it is a great neighborhood theater that we can walk to and I can see why so many people know it. It’s rarely too crowded; one block from MUNI and surrounded by lots of great restaurants.

The loss of local district theaters in the city are pretty much history. I enjoy going to see movies here in West Portal. My old stepping ground, my friend and I would meet up once a month to see a movie and have lunch in the West Portal area. This is a great area, lots of locals, the parking is convenient t and easy to get to.

My favorite movie theatre! It’s a neighborhood staple that provides a classic, intimate cinema-​going experience. I also appreciate that they often offer indie and less popular films to complement the blockbusters.

Windy and cold outside and one hour early with prepaid tickets and skinny short manager with manicured beard and suit two sizes too small halted me at door due to Starbucks coffee in hand. REALLY? Was that $ 5 worth the fanfare I’ll share? Had no intention of bringing inside. I’m obviously a 60 year old not a teenager

This theatre is one of my go to places when I want to catch a movie that I don’t consider IMAX or 3d worthy. The pros on this cinema is that it rarely gets full and has street parking available most of the time. The biggest negative is the odd shape of the theaters. There’s also one particular theatre that is so small, narrow and oddly shaped.

Something about this theater creeps me out. I got this eerie feeling while I was using the restroom and tried to rush out. As I was rushing out, the blow dryer turned on, but I wasn’t even close to it. I’ll be sure to pee before coming here next time…
This theater has 3 viewing rooms. The one I went into can sit a lot of people, and the chairs were really comfortable.

Just went to try to see American Hustle at 9:45pm. I live a few blocks away from the theater, and my boyfriend actually grew up a block from it and went to it frequently growing up. We were told that he wouldn’t be able to bring his pizza inside. It was a small pizza in a box, and he was bringing it in because he hadn’t eaten dinner and he needed something gluten free, which they don’t have at the theater. He explained that we would be buying two tickets as well as popcorn, drinks, and candy inside, but that he needed to be able to eat his food as well.
We asked to talk to the manager, we didn’t get his name, but he was a younger Asian male who was collecting the tickets at the door, and he refused to let us in despite all of the other business we were planning to give them. He seemed pretty intimidated and wouldn’t really make much eye contact. We ended up choosing to not waste our time or money at the theater. I work at a museum and am very familiar with making exceptions for guests needs… clearly this isn’t the way it works at this theater. Sad to say we probably won’t be going back. We like to support smaller businesses, but not when they can’t be accommodating.

What a nice change of pace! I really liked this small movie theater. It has a very special, old school kind of feel to it even though it shows the latest movies on each of their three screens. They really make an effort to ensure that everyone has a good movie experience by announcing on the screen before the movie, «if you disturb other patrons or don’t turn off your cell phone, then you will be asked to leave the theater.»
And, they really meant it – an usher walked the aisles at least three times during the movie. Cool.

This is a pretty good theater. I grew up near it so went quite a bit when I was younger. I still go to it now when I visit San Francisco. It has been interesting to notice the changes over the years. It used to be more run down but is nicer now. That is just my opinion. There are three theaters and it should be noted that two are pretty small. The one big theater is decent sized but not huge.
I like coming here to see movies. Its near where I stay when I’m in SF. I also tend to feel nostalgic here as this is a theater that I came to many times as a kid and teen.
They are pretty nice too at this theater. I was wandering around the neighborhood with a friend and she needed a bathroom and they were nice enough to let her use it without buying a ticket.

What a classic and old school theatre that I am so happy to say it is still around!
This place is a go-​to spot for new movies because it is never crowded here! Parking can be horrible on some nights but not a lot of people come here after the first week of a movie coming out.
Their concession stand is really small but the service makes up for it in my opinion. The chick there was super nice and she gave pretty good suggestions. Thanks again!

This is a pretty decent neighborhood theater that’s away from the hustle and bustle of the larger cineplexes in downtown. I was surprised how quickly I got here by car from the Inner Sunset and I believe this is the closest theater to UCSF students who miraculously might find some spare time. I also like how there’s pretty convenient parking in the area.
Ok, so this might not be the CLEANEST of theaters, but it definitely reminds me of the theaters I grew up in before all the big AMCs started taking over. There are only 3 screens here, but they always seem to play what’s the most popular. Avoid all the crazy lines downtown and the hectic parking/​transportation getting there. Experience some nostalgia and check this place out during your next movie opening night!

This is and always has been my neighborhood movie theater. It ain’t no fancy schmancy big screen, ear-​blasting surround sound theater, but I love it all the same. I have lots of great memories coming here growing up… watching Bambi with my little sister and having to leave because she cried during the movie… watching Pinocchio with my little cousin and having to leave because she cried during the movie… and cutting class with my girls in high school and watching Jerry McGuire… and our whole group bawling at the end when Tom Cruise does his whole «You Complete Me» thing.
There’s only three screens at this theater… and two of them are teeny tiny screens… but the theater has been remodeled and updated with some fairly up to date technology. There’s still matinees/​early movie deals, and they even have classic screenings here sometimes. I love that it’s still got the same neighborhood feel… and heck, there’s the same people working there from when I was a kid (NO JOKE!). The people are nice, the prices are fair, and the popcorn is excellent!
OMG and I just remembered… we watched Mortal Kombat here too… and we ran home after because we thought ninjas in the trees were going to kill us. NO JOKE!

I love this small theater and always look to see of the movie I want to see is playing here before I head out to Daly City. I prefer quaint sometimes and that’s exactly how I would describe this theater. It’s conveniently located about 5 minutes from my house, parking isn’t too crazy and because there are only 3 theaters, it’s never too packed. The concession stand doesn’t offer too much but I usually eat dinner in West Portal or sneak in my own snacks, they don’t really seem to care. The theater looks a little outdated but the sound and picture quality are the same as other theaters in the area, and I think that’s what gives it character. The seats are super comfy also!!!
Also, I watched Hunger Games right next to the Mayor of San Francisco!

Having grown-​up in San Francisco, I’ve watched several theatres over the past 10 – 15 years, the Coronet, the Galaxy, the Regency I and II, the Alhambra, the Alexandra and now recently, the Bridge, quietly die and either be torn down or changed into some monstrosity or another.
CineArts at the Empire is one of the last surviving theatres in San Francisco. The neighborhood-​feel, ample street parking, with restaurants nearby make this theatre an ideal destination for date-​night.