Hollywood Blvd movie theater in Woodridge, IL

I love the concept of a dinner and movie theater: dinner served while watching a movie is a real treat! Plus, it cuts out the hassle of having to search for a restaurant before your show! Hollywood Palms in the Chicago burbs is the best dinner theater in the country. As a former Chicago local, I have visited this theater many times and continue to return with each visit back home. With a gorgeous lobby, a creative menu, ongoing special events, and frequent celebrity meet and greets, there is no comparison. I enjoyed all of my experiences at this wonderful gem. The inside of this theater features fabulous decor including plenty of movie memorabilia. Even better, the theme resembles the iconic Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles.

A fun movie themed menu

Everything on the menu is cleverly named after a movie – i.e. “Roger Rabbit Vegetable Wrap” or “Honey I Blew Up the Salad.” The service is tremendous (professional servers who somehow manage to get you your food without interrupting the movie even while walking in the dark!), the food is actually quite appetizing, and each auditorium features a unique theme. Bonus – there is a nice bar to have a drink at before the movie too if you arrive a bit early.

Celebrity Meet & Greets

Hollywood Palms frequently hosts celebrity events. We attended a Corey Feldman movie marathon which included a screening of 4 of his popular movies: “License to Drive”, “Stand By Me”, “The Goonies” and “The Lost Boys.” What a great lineup! These just happen to be some of my favorite 80’s movies. I love this decade for movies – if you haven’t seen any of these, what are you waiting for?? I have seen all 4 of these movies countless times, but you can’t beat seeing one of your old favorites on the big screen! All movie goers had the option of posing with Corey for a photo (for a small fee) and he also provided a brief introduction before the movie. Corey was a nice guy and I am glad that I was able to attend such a fun event! This day was so much fun and it was great to be able to meet one of my favorite childhood stars. A+ all the way!

It’s a Wonderful Life – A Wonderful Holiday Tradition

I had the unique opportunity to see “It’s a Wonderful Life” hosted by Karolyn Grimes, who plays Zuzu in the movie. Karolyn was a really nice lady and we enjoyed listening to her experiences on set. She actually took the time to talk with you a bit. She wrote a personal message on our photo still which was nice. To this day, the photo remains an important piece of my Christmas collection.

The best theater in the Chicago suburbs!

I recommend checking out Hollywood Palms Cinema on your next trip to the Chicagoland area! Now this is a theater that really has managed to execute the dinner and a movie theater concept! Spend some time after the show browsing through the museum which houses artifacts from films such as “The Wizard of Oz” and “Gone With The Wind.” I always come back to this theater each time I am back home!

Check out my full list of fun things to do in the Chicago metro!