The AMC West Olive 16 theater, the closest dine-in theater to Clayton, knows how to handle entertainment.

Viewers, for the most part, seemed to leave with very few complaints and very little room left in their stomachs.

Recently, I saw “Into the Woods” at the theater.  The seats, although they didn’t recline, were more comfortable than the average movie theater seat.  Sitting in the plush red leather was a nice way to spend the 125-minute movie-meal.

Although the process of eating a fresh meal at a movie theater is a bit difficult to comprehend, it makes sense once all is said and done.

One waiter or waitress in particular takes care of each specific party during the duration of the film.  Ideally, he or she will take orders before the previews are over, so that the audience doesn’t miss any movie time.

It wouldn’t be impossible to track the same original server down later in the movie, but it’s easiest to order anything and everything at the very beginning, drinks, main course and dessert all included.

Then, attempting to stay out of the way as much as possible during the movie, random servers check with various parties to see about refills. They don’t always move as swiftly as they could, but the rows and aisles are set up such that it’s difficult for passersby to obstruct the view of the screen.

On a different note, the food was amazing.  The menu consists of classic American versions of dishes like the Asian Steak and Shrimp Bowl and the Southwest Chicken Wrap, but the dishes taste exceptionally good, especially given that there is a movie to enjoy along with the food.

The menu also contains a plethora of sweet options.  For instance, there is both a mango smoothie and a mango milkshake.  Also, options like the Warm Brownie Sundae and the Toasted S’mores Pizzetta never fail to make the mouth water.

The service itself was spotty, in the sense that one waitress came back to check on the party that sat in front of me at least four times throughout the movie, while my waiter didn’t even take our order until ten minutes of the actual movie had past, even though we had arrived at the beginning of the previews.

I chose the Asian Steak and Shrimp Bowl mentioned above, and I was very happy with the choice. The portions were very generous, and it felt that I was eating at one of my favorite restaurants, like T.G.I. Friday’s.

In fact, the biggest problem for me was that I drank three full glasses of sweet tea, and tried my best to hold it in so I wouldn’t miss any important parts of the movie.