When word got out that Regal Movieland 7 would be closing its doors to make way for a Cinebarre location, an Alamo Drafthouse-type theater, movie audiences rejoiced. Beer in a movie theater was not a new thing; patrons of Northern Lights Theatre and Pub have been taking in a movie and suds for a while now. First-run movies and alcohol is what was new. The fact that the food orders are placed inside the theater, as opposed to a hulking line out of the door was an improvement. Could that be true? Was Regal's bastard child of a theater turning into something special? Cinebarre will be celebrating their one-year anniversary and while the idea is still one made of movie magic, the execution has been lackluster.

As you step into the theater, you're presented with a number of classic movie posters. Trainspotting Brits, Vincent and Jules from Pulp Fiction pointing their guns, King Kong grabbing his blonde dame. It feels like a new movie experience. In the tens of times that I've gone to Cinebarre, I've bought a ticket outside on only a couple of occasions. When their box office is closed, you purchase a ticket at the bar. On big nights, like the tweens heading to midnight Twilight showtimes, the box office is used, but otherwise expect to go to the bar and get a ticket. The lines have been sparse, so it's a non-issue.

Before the show begins, Cinebarre uses independent short films in place of the Regal's 20 minutes of commercials. It's a great idea, but there is very little respect for said films. For instance, the previews are not necessarily started at the beginning of the film and they also abruptly end. It'd be nice to see Cinebarre take the 20-minute window that Regal has trained us to respect and give us a short film in its place. It's hard to judge the quality of the films, because of the cut-offs. Memorable ones include Orson Scott Card using a toilet for time travel and a guy who dies in an electrical storm and gets sucked into his computer from which he haunts his friend.

During the pre-show, servers come around and explain the order process. It's pretty simple. You pick up an order pad, choose your items off of the menu, and then write it down. Rip the paper off and stick it in the bracket in front of you. A server will pick it up. Your order will arrive and about half an hour before the end of the film, you'll get a receipt to pay with cash or credit card. One of my favorite things is instead of the "please shut off your cell phones" message, there's a "shut up or we'll throw you out" message.

The food is slightly better than concession food. Each food item is named after a movie, which makes for an interesting ordering experience.

The "Blue Velvet" burger is the only entree that I've ordered more than once. It's a half-pound hamburger patty, bleu cheese, buffalo hot sauce, and chipotle mayo.

The "Fight Club" is aptly named, as it's a club sandwich, with chicken breast, bacon, and swiss cheese. The chicken breast tasted like a very cheap, very frozen piece of meat. Each bite was consistent with the large amount of gristle and fatty bits. It was edible, but left me wishing that the restaurant had opted to tenderize the meat.

And now we come to the "Heidi," which is the only item that I wasn't able to make it through. The "Heidi" is billed to come with "lots of Gruyere cheese melted on buttered sourdough." I opted to add bacon, which could have been a mistake on my part. Lots of cheese was actually a single piece of cheese, cut diagonally and served between thick, dry sourdough. The bacon tasted precooked and like cardboard. Note to self: avoid their burgers with bacon.

Each bite resulted in a cascading effect of dry bread, then a bit of the butter reaching the taste buds, followed by a hint of low-quality cheese. To make this at home: find some decent sourdough bread and put it in a toaster. Burn it slightly, then take a piece of greasy process cheese and cut it in half, cram it in the middle and microwave it.

All burgers/sandwiches come with french fries, which has been a saving grace for the worst of the sandwiches presented. They are made on site and fresh cut from Irish potatoes. They are available as an appetizer for $6.

I've also ordered the "moonsticks" (mozzarella sticks) on a couple of occasions. They've been consistent with a good marinara sauce to back them up. Pizzas make up a large portion of the menu, but the price has kept me away from trying them. A 10" pizza for $12.50 is just not feasible.

Cinebarre's drink selection is more appealing. They offer glasses of wine (some from semi-local wineries), daiquiris, milkshakes and draft beer. Their beer selection ranges from Black Butte Porter to Guinness to Hefeweizen to Coors Light. Prices for the premium are $4/pint and $5/pint for the regular.

Food is delivered while the film plays, but interruptions are minimal. The staff themselves are very friendly and the service has always been on top of things. The wait time before getting into a theater seems to fluctuate where most of the time you can get in about 20 minutes before. Other times the theater hasn't opened until a few minutes before the film and the film starts later than scheduled.

For the fledgling theatre, there is still room for improvement. For Salemites looking to grab some beer and a first-run movie, Cinebarre is the only option in town. Until the food quality improves, I'd recommend grabbing an appetizer at Cinebarre and dinner at one of the surrounding restaurants.