Alright, so this came out of a discussion in the NBA about whether Los Angeles was a great city full of beautiful girls, great weather, and great food and entertainment or a smog-filled, congested crap-hole (both of which are partially true )! http://www.uwink.com/food Anyways, I thought I would post this restaurant and explain a little about it and see if there is one in Houston similar to it and what people thought about the restaurant. So the restaurant is called uWink's and it is very modern and hip with dim lights, paints, flat screens, and the whole 9! The cool thing about it is that everything you do is handled through the touch-screen monitors at the table. Each table has multiple monitors depending on the number of people it seats. The table my friends and I sat at was for six or seven people and it had three monitors. When you get called for a table, the hostess will give you multiple plastic cards that are associated with your bill. Then she leaves. There is NO WAITER/WAITRESS! You touch the screen and the menus pop up for drinks, food, and games. You can customize every type of food and drink any way you want with the simple touch of a button. The server will bring you your food, but if you need anything extra or refills, it is back to the screen. Now comes the true genius of the restaurant. The restaurant has games on the computer monitors ranging from family friend trivia about sports, movies, tv shows, music, and others as well as more adult oriented games. In addition to little action/arcade games like basketball, puzzles, etc it has Truth and Dare for adults. So the truth and dare makes you do stupid things like hit on a sexy girl/guy at the restaurant, get someone's number, to kiss the hostess, etc. Now when truth and dare gets mixed with a bunch of drunk people, the funny moments start to roll in! Now while this all seems simple, it becomes one of those ideas that you catch yourself thinking, "why didn't I think of this?!" The restaurant is packed all day everyday of the week! The family-orientation is attractive to families, while the bar and night scene is attractive to the college kids. If anyone is visiting Los Angeles, I definitely recommend visiting the place while it is in the greater Los Angeles area and not in the immediate downtown area. But you shouldn't be in the downtown area if you are visiting anyways because at night, it is a haven for crackheads, drug dealers, criminals, and gangs! Anyways, it appears they are expanding so I hope Houston gets one because it is a great restaurant and the b*stard that thought of it is rolling in the dough right now! Thoughts, questions, hate it, love it?
Oh, apparently CNBC did a story on it. Here you go: <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ghpfnNcDqNA&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ghpfnNcDqNA&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> The restaurant is from the creator of Atari! WOW!
This sounds like those mega-truck stops you see on the way to San Antonio with a Chipmonk(?) as a maskot. You use a touch screen to place your order (customized any way you like) and pay. Then pick it up at the counter when they call your number.
I guess all that extra stuff is nice but none of it will matter if the food sucks and/or the prices are too high. I'll take quality food over touch screen computer games any day.
The only truckstops I dare stop at - luckily there's one on the way to just about everywhere I want to go. I heart Buc-ees!
It's not really an invention. This kind of thing has been going on for a while. Read this article. It's really not a good thing for people: Robotic Nation
Yep, Buc-ee's is great. Not trying to hoot my horn since I work for the company, but it's a great place. Just an FYI: the Buc-ee's location on I-10 in Luling is not a truck stop. We don't allow 18-wheelers on the property. Buc-ee's is just for regular traveling motorists. Buc-ee's is located in the Houston area, so if you're ever in Brazoria County (where the Buc-ee's headquarters are at in Lake Jackson), try to hit up one of the stores. We're building new megastores in Wharton on US Highway 59, and in Madisonville on I-45. Those two will be LARGER than the ones in Lake Jackson, Luling, & Pearland. Also, there will be a smaller Buc-ee's opening in Rosenberg and in Northwest Harris County on 290 and Mueschke Road.
thats how i feel although me and my girl would find it hard to pass up. we have always enjoyed playing whatever types of games with each other. 2 things usually keep me away at restaurants... service and taste. this whole idea takes 1 out of the equation so it might be easier to chew if its terrible food.
I would love less interaction with waitstaff. I know they're just trying to be nice, but it pisses me off when servers frequent the table too often asking if I need anything, how the food is, whatever. YOU ARE MY SERVANT ONLY SPEAK WHEN SPOKEN TO
The bar is actually the same thing. Every seat has its own computer and you order your drinks from it. But there is a bartender that makes it and I guess you have to look at him if you want your drink!
Then this would be an ideal place for you. Only time they talk to you is when you first enter and they ask you if you have already been here, if not they will explain how it works! Then the leave you alone!
I have only tried their steaks and burgers, but man, those are ****ing great! Especially since they offer some many extras and you can add! You can make your own jalapeño guacamole burger!!!!
yeah, i've had this idea (as many have) for at least 6 years now. It was always said that the cost wouldn't be feasible when you take into account the customer base you'd lose (since some people either want the waiters or can't deal with the technology change) hope this succeeds and expands!
