Arcata Theatre Lounge — Restaurant in Arcata

The whole place is done with kind of a retro-50's look. It's really cool. Instead of the typical theater room, it's divided into three tiered sections, with tables and chairs- and a full bar right inside the room! They have a bunch of good beers on tap, including local brew Redwood Curtain IGA. The staff is pretty cool, too, especially the one guy that works the bar... Can't remember his name, but he's a short, thin guy with a wicked sense of humor and a great smile.

The 'Sci Fi Pint & Pizza Night' is awesome fun. They show old so-called horror movies, like Godzilla and The Fly, plus crazy things like the old Johnny Weismueller Tarzan and the original Nosferatu. There's even a raffle, with weird prizes like action figures and books, plus movie tickets and gift cards. They do kids movies on Sunday, which is a lot of what I go see. I like that they do classics I remember from when I was a kid, like The Muppets, or Dark Crystal. And Disney flicks like Wall-E and Lion King, too. Plus cult classics like Big Lebowski and Serenity, too. And even some sweet anime- they did Akira, the original, with subtitles and the awesome original scoring, and Princess Mononoke (although that was the dubbed version- so odd to hear Billybob Thornton's voice in an anime, lol!)

They do concerts, too. I wish they did less electronic stuff and more rock, but the place is always packed so In guess they're just dooing what the bulk of their customers want. Their security is really on the ball, too. I may not like getting frisked every time I come through the door, but it makes people take the security seriously. I've been to a lot of shows there in the last few years, I've never seen a single fight. Can't say that about any of the other bars in town, for sure! Most of them are jokes, with just a guy doing ID's and no one keeping people in line.

The burgers are good- you've GOT to try their "Big Burger" if you like meat! It's piled with cheese, bacon, jalapenos, and stuff, and just drowning in barbecue and ranch. It's the messiest thing I've eaten this side of a rack of ribs, but sooo good! They do Monday Night Football, too, on the movie theater screen! The service may be slow, as another poster here said, but I don't complain... When it's slow, it's always crazy busy too. I saw Wall-E there not long ago, waited about 45 minutes for two burgers and a basket of bacon cheese fries. It's a long wait, sure... But I don't think it's an issue, the theater was literally standing room only. Where else can you go but McDonalds that serves 200+ people in an hour and a half? There's no where else in Humboldt where the staff can get decent quality food to that many people that fast. And I've peeked in the kitchen window- it's only THREE PEOPLE to do all the cooking, in a tiny kitchen! Those guys are amazing.

If you're in northern Humboldt and looking for something indoors to do, you could do a LOT worse than hit up Arcata...

The ATL is one of my go-to spots. They have an efficient check-in process, professional staff, great shows, greater times, two bars, beer on tap, and a variety of food and drink items. No, not just popcorn. Think fresh hot fries, mozzarella sticks, potstickers, and sliders.

The ATL knows how to do A/V. You will not be struggling to hear nor will you have your eardrums blasted out.

You can always step out to get some air and re-enter without fuss. They have two self-serve water dispensers (separate from the bar) so there’s no risk of long waits or dehydration.

The ATL regularly has film screenings that include classics, sci-fi, and anime along with pre-show shorts and a raffle.

But that’s not all - DJs and live bands play here to let you dance the night away with friends and also make new ones.

Touring musicians and theater groups come through as well. Recent favorites - Mark Farina and Puppeteers for Fears.

The ATL has a variety of seating options (high top tables, standard tables and chairs, stools) and a spacious dance floor (if the event calls for it). The space really transforms depending on the event. Sometimes they have photo ops; sometimes there’s pole dancing. The space may be packed with bodies or just comfortably chill.

What will it be like tonight? Only one way to find out …

Either way, you’re sure to have...

I caught an improv show (On the Spot Improv) here and was able to get seating very close to the stage, which, considering the price of the tickets (just the regular entry price) was awesome. I did show up about half an hour early to make sure I could get good seats.

There's nothing spectacular about the space, but it's kinda exactly what you want in Arcata -- intimate and local in all the best ways. As a vegan, I was amazed that they had a vegan cookie that I could buy (or, in all honestly, have my sister buy for me). But even if you have no sister who is able or willing to buy a cookie for you -- the cookies still exist and you can buy them for yourself. So, that was pretty incredible.

This place is located right up the street from the plaza. Easy walking distance. Street parking is ample and free, although slightly more challenging if you don't arrive 30 minutes before the show.

As someone not from Arcata, I'd say that you should absolutely check this place out and see if anything catches your fancy. I was skeptical that the improv would be any good (we're not theater people, and he's certainly not an "improv/comedy" guy), but my husband and I both found it super fun and talked about...