Chuck E. Cheese — Restaurant in Topeka

Staff were friendly. I like people with a sense of humor. The business model of Chuck E Cheese has definitely changed. I thought that they usually have an indoor playground for kids to run around and burn off the sugary fountain drinks. Everything is just arcade games now.

The traditional token and ticket system has been replaced with a card system. This is good and bad. The good is that it's less labor intensive to maintain for the employees. The bad is that it takes away from the experience. I'm personally a fan of the tokens and tickets, but that's just me. My 4-year old enjoyed a few of the games, especially the rides.

The prizes are still overpriced from what I remember 20 years ago, maybe even worse these days. My 4-old is definitely at a disadvantage by focusing on fun instead of ticket productivity. The system favors older kids who gravitate towards more ticket-productive machines to get the best prizes. At the end of the day, as long as he had a good time, then I have no complaints. But it's hard to see the disappointment when his 800-ticket prize is a flop. The slime that he got was either poorly made or was too old that it didn't work anymore. He was also disappointed to see no indoor playground, after I had hyped him up for it. That was rough.

We got much more value from a local competitor just down 21st Street. We paid about $23 for a package that included the indoor playground, game card to games that give real tickets, prizes that are more reasonable priced, 1000 tickets included, and a kids meal. To be fair, the food at Chuck E Cheese was much better quality than the local place. Actually, it was surprisingly decent. And it's nice that they have beer for responsible adult. The local place also does not offer free refills on drinks, but does have a water fountain.

Overall, I feel like I paid much more ($40) for an inferior experience at Chuck E Cheese than the local competitor ($23). The staff were great, but the business model has evolved away from the joys that I had when I was a kid. And my son independently has the same opinion, preferring the local competitor over...

Chuck E. Cheese has been modernized. The animatronics are no longer, replaced by a video board. It still has a lot of games adults will remember, and a lot of more modern ones, Gone are the days of cups of tokens, instead you are given "play cards" with minutes to use on games. Tickets earned on skill games are also applied to the card, which then can be used to purchase toys and other items from the counter. There is a cool addition to the floor: a dance screen/game with character images that scatter when the screen is stepped on. No lie that I got the giggles watching unsuspecting adults step on the screen and have a moment of disorientation.

The facility itself is clean and the tables are well-spaced. Unlike other restaurants, it does not feel uncomfortably crowded when busy.

The pizza is better than I remember, but it's not "blow your mind" great. But let's be honest: it is a sideshow for the games and Chuck E Cheese appearances. The salad bar is well-stocked with plenty of fresh greens & veggies, and some other fairly delicious sides. There is only one drink size, which is okay if you want to waste drinks, or have kids take them to the car.

Price-wise, Chuck E. Cheese is not cheap. The price is a bit higher than ordering from Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, or Dominos. The "premium" is the price paid for being an attraction over a regular pizza place. The cost reminds me of Terrance Mann's (James Earl Jones) dramatic monologue in Field of Dreams (1989):

"People will come[...]. They’ll come [...] for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn into your driveway, not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door, as innocent as children, longing for the past. “Of course, we won’t mind if you look around,” you’ll say, “It’s only twenty dollars per person." And they’ll pass over the money without even thinking about it, for it is money they have and peace they lack."

Chuck E. Cheese is a destination pizza place for families and children. If you're an adult who went as a child, you will not get the full nostalgia feeling. If you're a kid, or a kid at-heart, you will...

I don't know what kind of reviews these others are but it looks like kids posted them. I showed up to CC with the intentions of celebrating my niece's second B-day with my mother, son, wife, brother, sisters, and other niece's in tote. I am military visiting from Fort Hood and my brother is stationed at Ft. Riley. When we arrived people were arguing in the parking lot. When we walked in they were arguing in front of the front door and a guy punched a girl in the face. I was second guessing being their but this party was not set up by me. I went in and informed the staff of the danger and they laughed it off. Some of the people were actually patrons their and were bringing their yelling in and out and were trying to fight in the establishment. It took nearly 45 minutes before the manager showed here face. All she did was apologize and didn't have anything of value to offer for our time wasted like a refund. I am thinking this whole CC thing is played out I only have love for 2 rats that Mickey and Jerry. I am thinking Chuckee is just as played out as clowns are these days. Who wants to see an oversized rat that just scares the kids. Half the games are broke and this would have been a waste of time if I wasn't their for my niece. DONT...