Doc's Drive In Theatre — Local services in Buda

As a kid, I remember sitting in the back seat of the car as my family made the excursion to the local drive-in. That's where I learned to love martial arts films with Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, and action films like Bullitt. You hung the speaker in your car. A blanket and pillow were set up for when I would inevitably conk out. Later, as a teen, the drive-in was a places to see horror movies. The little window speaker was still there, but now you could tune the sound track on your radio. You could sit in the car, or set up lawn chairs and enjoy the big screen features under the darkened, Texas sky.

I mention this, because this is the flood of memories I get at Doc's Drive-in. Joe Bob Briggs says "The drive-in will never die." This venue shows why it shouldn't. Tucked away in the vastness between Austin and San Marcos, the outdoor theater features two giant screens, mounted to stacks of cargo containers. The pictures are bright and the sound is clearly pumped through loud speakers, or you can find your radio to 87.9 to get rich, stereo sound through your own expensive speakers.

The snack bar is there, featuring candy, popcorn, and sodas. They go a lot further than that, with a solid menu of sandwich and plate offerings with wine, beer and margaritas. An upper deck and I picnic area offer alternative outdoor seating while you enjoy your food with the film.

Since outdoor movies require darkness, movies will run later. If you'd rather not make the drive home, they have three themed tiny houses that will let you make a night of it. These accommodations are charming and cozy.

Staff are friendly, and genuinely want you to have a good time. Modern technology makes for a clear picture (actually better than what was available in the olsen days).

More than movies, there is also Mama Merlot's, an underground speakeasy, decked out in decadent 1920s style. It's members-only, but day memberships are available, and included in the price of your movie ticket. Come by for food and drinks in a relaxed, elegant setting or come for one of their special events, ranging from burlesque, to comedy, and even strange trips down the rabbit hole.

Doc's Drive-in had one leg in the nostalgic past and one in the future. If you grew up with the drive-in, prepare to be catapulted into some great memories, and to share that experience with your kids and friends. If you've never been to the drive-in, this will help you understand what all the fuss is about.

Five stars. Chris says...

Perfect date night. We rented a truck, brought an air mattress and blanket and pillows, and grabbed the dogs. It was Saturday, April 15 and the weather was perfect! We arrived a half hour before the movie started. There’s someone to greet you at the entrance to tell you which screen side you go to and directs you to your spot. We got the truck bed set up and went to get food and drinks. We ordered from the bar at Momma Merlots and i was looking forward to some Austin Eastciders beer but they were out of all of it and out of seltzer and many other things. I was so bummed. Apparently they had an event that wiped them out. I felt like this was poor business planning on their part, but the bar tender made me a yummy drink with tequila. So while we waited for drinks i took pictures of the amazing thunder cloud and ordered our food. The drive in theater has a middle of no where feel and i was seriously getting some twister vibes but the storm cell stayed south of us moving south. It’s the second time i got their nachos, they are so good! Just like if they were made fresh at home with fresh ingredients and a nice portion. We watched 2019 The Lion King. Now we are in the back of the truck when the movie starts and all we hear is The Goonies playing on the screen next door. Being in the bed of a truck we could have turned the radio on but that’s a lot of getting up when i just want to chill. So basically we barely heard the sound playing from the screen and if this wasn’t a movie I’ve seen a bunch of times i would have been more frustrated. I feel there is room for improvement here as a business. Not sure where the speakers are but screen 1 needs to be either directed toward that lot or turned down a notch and screen 2 needs to be either directed to the lot or turned up. But again the sound is offered on the radio and that was my personal choice not to get up and do it. All in all it was a gorgeous night and i had a relaxing time. The dogs seemed to enjoy the movie as well, it was their first time. I think your experience will also depend on how respectful your neighbors are. Ours were great. I do feel it’s a bit overpriced. I feel we should be able to see 2 movies for the ticket price since they are old movies.They do offer the second movie for $5 but to me it’s not a deal. Would i pay to do this over...

After the owner(?) made us sign a waiver upon arrival to tour his totally (not so secret) speakeasy under a decrepit shipping container due to "handicap stuff," our party placed two separate food orders at the concessions.

Edit: There are multiple positive reviews of this place that clearly mention the speakeasy without the reply the owner has added to this review. It seems that this speakeasy is only a secret and not associated with this business when the review is critical.

At the concessions stand, the first food order took around 50 minutes to be fulfilled missing the firework show we paid a premium for and missing fries since they were handed to the customer in front of us. Our entire tray was almost handed away to him when he only needed fries. After several check-ins with the staff, the second order took well over an hour for three food items.

With the understanding that this place was busy due to the 4th of July, I still left feeling like their preparation and execution was inadequate. We watched them give out the last s'mores tray to a customer that ordered after us. They then informed us they were out s'mores trays and offered us two candies instead after we waited for at least 40 minutes.

The issue is not so much the wait: due to the amount of people there, it wasn't too unexpected. However, the workers did not warn us of the wait which would have gone a long way for earning respect. It felt like they wanted to capture as many orders regardless of how able they were to fulfill. The cook was the only staff member to address our concerns in a polite and, in my opinion, correct way.

The movie was hard to hear, and the FM lag compared to the speakers playing was immense, prompting us to leave early.

Overall, I think this place has a lot going for it, and I might try it again when it is not as busy. They need expand the kitchen, simplify their menu, and provide transparency on wait times and the kitchen's status, but today's service was poor, and we left disappointed and (thankfully) alive - that waiver made us a...