Lake  Theater  &  Cafe
  • Email
  • Insta
Menu
  • Questions about…
  • The Basics
  • Seeing a Movie
  • The Food
  • Contacting Us
  • // Return to Main Site

The Basics

Q: Do you sell gift cards?

A: But of course! Click here to head on over to our page with a Paypal link for online purchase.


Q: Where do I park?

A: The covered garage at Lake View Village Shopping Center (355 1st St) is free to the public and provides ample parking for area businesses. It’s never full and is only a 3-minute walk to the theater from here.

Another public lot is at the corner of Foothills Road and Highway 43, it’s a minute closer but has fewer spaces available.

Finally, limited parking is available in the two-level garage next door at Lakeside Plaza (8 N State St) after 5pm on weekdays and all day on Saturdays and Sundays.

There is a loading zone directly in front of the theater. Drop off your loved ones before you park and score bonus points* for your chivalry!

* points must be redeemed from loved ones, not the theater


Q: Do I have to see a movie to eat there?

A: Ha, no! We have indoor cafe seating and outdoor seating on our lakeside deck. That we have a film you’ll enjoy is not always a sure thing, but that we have food and drink you’ll enjoy is always guaranteed!


Q: So how does it all work?

A: We are a counter service restaurant. You grab a menu, you order at the counter, you take a seat, we bring you your food when it’s ready. If you want to order more, you head back up to the counter. Feel free to bus your own table as you leave!


Q: Can I make a reservation?

A: No, all our seating is first-come, first-served. If you’re coming for lunch, you don’t have to worry, it rarely fills up. If you’re planning on dinner at 6pm or later and the weather’s nice, that’s another story. There’s always seating available, you just might not get that lakeside, perfectly-shaded table you managed to snag last time.


Q: What about if I have a large group?

A: Our largest indoor table seats 10, our largest outdoor table seats 6. That said, guests frequently take it upon themselves to move tables around to accommodate whatever their size of group may be. Even still, the most seats you’re probably going to reasonably be able to pull together is 12, and that’s only when we aren’t particularly busy.


Q: So what, you’re saying you don’t want our business? I’m talking 30 people here, you’re gonna turn that down?

A: Did you know we rent out our event space, with the optional addition of a portion of our back deck? Our rates are affordable, our catering menu mirrors the approach of our normal menu, and you won’t have to wait in any pesky lines. But if you aren’t willing to rent out the event space, then no, we do not have accommodations for groups even close to this size.


Q: Do you guys do to go orders?

A: Yes, as long as it’s not crazy busy, we welcome to go orders. Call us at 503-387-3236, but if you’re calling and calling and no one’s answering, we’re likely crazy busy.


Q: Are you all ages?

A: Yes, we even have high-chairs and booster seats (and a kid’s menu) for the wee-wee ones. The only place where kids aren’t allowed is at the 8-or-so seats along the main bar.


Q: Are you wheelchair accessible?

A: Yes, we are ADA up-to-code back to when our renovations took place in 2014.


Q: Why don’t you guys provide table service?

A: It’s not what we do. We’re a casual place. We relish the opportunity to make you feel welcome / at home / et al., but assigning you a server is not the means by which we achieve this. Want table service? Try one of our neighbors!


Q: Do I tip?

A: Most guests do. We work as a team here, so all tips are pooled and split with the kitchen. Although we are not a full-service restaurant, our cooks, cashiers, runners, and bartenders all work hard to provide you with a quality experience. And we’re able to hold onto such a great staff—their talent, their personalities, their hard work—thanks very much in part to you showing them your appreciation.


Q: There’s such a long line… why do you only have one register open?

A: When the line gets of sufficient length and assuming we’re staffed for it, we’ll always open a second register for movie ticket and drink sales exclusively, for those patrons who have already ordered food or who aren’t ordering food. Otherwise, the reason for only one line is to not bury the kitchen with orders. We are not a fast food restaurant. However, as we are a counter service restaurant, we can essentially take orders just as quickly as a fast food joint could.

As for that “assuming we’re staffed for it” comment, understand that 90% of our business comes in the 30 minutes before each film’s showtime. We want to stay affordable for you and we want to turn a little profit for the owner, so we do run lean in terms of staff. For those 30 minutes, it can get a bit crazy, and yes, you may have to wait in a line. For the other hour-and-a-half, we’re cleaning and stocking, preparing for the next rush. Thanks for your willingness in being a part of the fun!

Seeing a Movie

Q: So you’re a restaurant and a movie theater. I guess I’m confused.

A: You can come to eat, you can come to a movie, you can do both at the same time or separately. Our two auditoriums are pretty distinct from one another, though: the main auditorium features plush seats in a stadium-riser setting, the event space features cabaret-style seating (tables, chairs) on the main level with traditional theater seats in the balcony.

When ordering to eat in the main auditorium, you’re given a pager. When your food is ready, the pager lights up and vibrates. If your food is ready before the previews start, we’ll bring it into you. Otherwise, you’ll come out and grab it. Food plated for the main auditorium comes on a tray that conveniently locks into your cup holder. If this all sounds complicated, don’t worry, we make it a painless process.

When ordering to eat in the event space, you’re given a number, and we’ll bring your food regardless of whether the previews / film have started. That said, you’ll want to be sitting on the main level if eating food: the seating in the balcony would mean you’d be eating off your lap.


Q: Where do I buy tickets?

A: At the counter, like everyone else!


Q: But there’s such a long line, everybody’s ordering food and I just want to buy tickets!

A: When a film is close to starting, we do our best to open the second register to get everyone in line only wanting tickets into the theater in time for the feature. Sorry it has to be this way, we appreciate your patience as we tend to the needs of the business as a whole.


Q: The showtimes on Google / Fandango / Flixster / [insert preferred search engine here] are different than those on your website—which do I trust?

A: ALWAYS trust our website. None of the above services allow us to report our showtimes directly to them. They get their information from some other aggregator, often times 2 or 3 iterations down the line, and so not only do they sometimes get our showtimes wrong, we have no ability to correct their mistake.


Q: Is there a way to be notified when you have a new movie?

A: We have an email list. And it’s fun / intelligent / informative, too, not at all the sort of junk you’d expect from a theater advertising its movies. Jordan usually only sends one out when we have a new movie, which is never more than once a week, and unsubscribing is easy. Click here to sign up!


Q: How do I buy movie tickets online?

A: Movies don’t really sell out here, so we only offer this option in exceptional circumstances (e.g., Star Wars). Instead, if you think it’ll be busy, just come down 30-45 minutes early, this way you’ll have your tickets AND first dibs on seats. You’re also always welcome to buy tickets in advance in person at our box office, but again, our own recommendation is to just arrive early for the show itself.

The Food

Q: You guys get your food from Sysco, right?

A: Hell no! We care about the environment, sustainability, your health, and supporting the local economy. To this end, Chef Scott partners with area farmers and NW-specific purveyors to bring you farm-fresh produce and meats whenever possible.


Q: I’m gluten-free. What can you do for me?

A: Many of our starters and salads tend to be made without gluten, and our sandwiches can always be served without the bread. We also stock New Cascadia gluten-free bread and buns for that “it feels like I’m cheating but I’m not!” experience. That said, we bake bread in our kitchen every morning, we hand toss our pizza dough, and there’s no way that there’s not flour in some form floating around in the air in there at some point in the day. So if you’re gluten-free because not eating it makes you feel better, or because of some diet you’re on, you’re fine, but if you’re celiac and / or exposure to gluten represents a risk to your well-being, don’t eat here. (And no, we don’t have gluten-free pizza dough nor do we have plans to provide it anytime in the near future.)


Q: I have lots of food allergies. Should I eat at your restaurant?

A: The good news is that because so much on our menu is made from scratch in-house, we know what’s in pretty much everything we serve, just ask. The bad news is that because so much on our menu is made from scratch in-house, there are mountains of prep work every day and though workstations are always kept very clean, there’s no guarantee of avoiding some infinitesimal cross-contamination from taking place. So: if your allergies cause you discomfort, eat here at your own risk. If your allergies are life-threatening: that really sucks, we’re sorry, we hope it’s at least to something you don’t like, and no, you shouldn’t eat here.


Q: I’m told you don’t allow substitutions. What does that mean exactly?

A: Chef Scott’s dishes are not designed with it in mind that you’ll be playing mix-and-match with their ingredients. Our own recommendation would be to choose something from the menu whose separate ingredients won’t turn you off. We’re not picky eaters ourselves, we love trying new things and want you to as well.

But we get it, not everyone is so adventurous. If you ask for us to leave an ingredient off a dish, we’ll do so. Beyond this, it gets more complicated. Want bacon on your burger? We’ll oblige. Want us to grill its onions, too? No can do: they’re prepped in a way that wouldn’t hold up on the grill. Our cashiers are well trained on all these nuances and will let you know when you’ve crossed over from “sure” to “not possible,” but the central idea remains: we’d really just prefer you order something on the menu. It’s easier on the cooks, and the end product is likely to be better than what you would’ve had us come up with.

Contacting Us

Q: I keep calling and no one answers the phone!

A: Despite our successes, we are a small business and do not staff such that we’ll always be able to answer the phone. To that end, this is the very reason the FAQ page you’re reading now is so positively exhaustive. Try to find your answer here, email us and we’ll almost always reply within 12 hours, or keep calling.


Q: I want to talk to the manager.

A: The best way to get in contact with Jordan is via email.


Q: I want to talk to the owner.

A: Drew remains personally invested in the business, but it’s not like he hangs out here, and he’s got a lot on his plate besides. Best reach out to Jordan first.


Q: One of your staff just got lippy with me. What are you going to do to make this situation right?

A: First off, sorry!

We encourage our staff to be themselves on the job, and we hire with this in mind. We all can have off days. That said, we love our staff, respect them deeply, and until a pattern of behavior is established that any given employee’s customer service is fraying at the edges, we’ll always have our staff’s collective back. In other words, we’re sorry, it was probably just a misunderstanding, feel free to reach out to Jordan, but don’t believe going into this that your one experience will get anyone fired, because for your one perceived negative experience, there are likely countless positive ones nullifying it. And by no means do we not value your perspective—we’d love to hear it actually, there’s no such thing as too much feedback—it’s just that some guests approach us wanting to reprimand our staff as though they were children, and that’s just silly. Enjoy your stay!


Q: Are you hiring?

A: Things feel pretty good right now, but you’re always welcome to drop by to introduce yourself and drop off a resume.


Q: What’s Gene Hackman doing hiding under the sink next to a toilet?

A: Have you never seen The Conversation? The Conversation is a GREAT movie. Watch it sometime! There are lots of great movies out there, we just try to bring you the best of the current crop.

Back to top

106 N. State St., Lake Oswego, OR 97034