A pay for entertainment of under par quality "actors" who "serve" as the caricature they are dressed, as you try to naw down their so called steak or pasta lacking almost as much as the servants portrayal. I graciously give this tourist trap two stars, and this is as I am trying to be kind. If you want a strange environment with sub par performance service personally would say buy a meal you know you'll enjoy and choose hallows eve too see people dressed up acting as you eat your meal, or better yet just watch the portrayal at home in the comfort of your own home. Such a fall from grace of what this establishment once provided decades ago. read more

We had a wonderful time at The Magic Time Machine. It is an eclectic and very unique place to eat dinner. The White Rabbit was our server. He kept us entertained and even sing singed the rules for the salad car. The food was good. The salad car had a variety of options for all vegetarians. I would highly recommend this place for dates or with your kids. Sooo fun! read more

Magic Time Machine - Salad Car - American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Rabbit is better then Loki. The ribeye was incredible. Atmosphere is great for families with kids, and with a full bar.

Service was Impeccable. We had such a fun server. He was was punny and very prompt and efficient dealing with our group. Inside the place is super cool and it's like going back in a time machine, however, it is a bit outdated and needs a thorough cleaning. The food left a lot to be desired. And for that, I cannot recommend this restaurant. I will say their drinks are a lot of fun and not bad read more

This place is a blast from my Austin past. So fun for the family and the food isn't bad. I had my brother's birthday here and the staff were very accommodating considering he is deaf and blind in one eye. He had a great time celebrating even with a special dessert at the end. read more

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I have been to both locations of the Magic Time Machine; Dallas and San Antonio. Both are consistent in what they offer in every way. I will start off with the ambiance; ultimately this is what you're paying for. It's silly, quirky, weird and most importantly fun. From the bizarrely eclectic decor, the servers dressed as various fantasy characters, it feels as though you've entered into Alice's Wonderland. Even the layout and seating arrangements are a maze. Ask where the bathroom is and a staff member will lead you to it. Depending on where your party is seated, finding your way back to your seat can be challenging. The layout adds to the fun quirkiness; so long as there is no emergency such as a fire requiring a fast evacuation. But both locations have been standing for some time so chances are you'll be fine. The menu is limited and the food is average. All menu items come with a basic, all-you-can-eat salad bar. Salad bar choices are basic but good and there's enough of them that you can make a good salad and change it up a bit. I've been here three times, and every time I've enjoyed the salad bar more than the menu items themselves. I've thought of asking if it's possible to just order the salad bar. I haven't asked yet so I don't know the answer but it's not presented as an option on the actual menu. This time I ordered the beef brisket which came with a weird, sort of sweet and tangy sauce. Since BBQ is not their specialty, and us Texans have been spoiled by a number of great BBQ joints like the Hard 8 and Terry Black's, it's not fair to be overly critical ordering the brisket. So I'll leave it at that. There was a side of sautéed mixed veggies and mashed potatoes that tasted of the instant variety. We also ordered a sausage-stuffed mushroom appetizer. The white sauce they put over it all was seasoned nicely and the mushrooms were a decent size, however there wasn't much to the sausage filling at all. If you go just for the food, you will no doubt be dissatisfied with the pricing, as it is not cheap; especially considering the quality of the fare. But you're paying for the overall experience. We save this place for maybe a visit around Halloween. This last time it was dinner after attending the Paranormal Circus. So it all really depends on what you're looking to get out of your dining experience. read more

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Does anyone come for the food ? Though they claim it's a steak house and that their food is quality, it's just ok, It's the entertainment you expect and that failed for us. We came before doors opened and there was already a long line waiting outside. We heard there was an hour and a half wait to come in. The place is kind of run down outside. The inside is the same but it's dark and full of many artifacts so it is well hidden. It is a maze inside, dark, narrow hall ways and cozy rooms made like little houses or huts. (If you are claustrophobic do not com) Has great potential in the idea but overall not worth a return trip. Characters were more familiar to older kids and adults, some were in costume but you had no idea who they represented. A couple just looked like leftover scraps of material from a flea market. There is no music except for the occasional Happy Birthday song and no entertainment but supposedly our server. Sounded more rude than funny. You pay extra for everything . They tell you to go to the waiting room and get your face painted but that costs extra $. The balloon person finally came to our table at request, and that was extra too. See the cost sheet in photos. I don't mind paying them as artists but it is assumed the entire thing is covered under one roof. The restrooms were kinda disgusting and again, old, and hard to find. You easily can get lost so don't let your kids walk around alone, Overall. there were 5 of us,one child. Disappointment in the lack of vegetarian entree options and the rest of the food was ok,they specifically tell you they will not make exceptions in the menu. We easily spent more than $150 and none of us ordered steak or the more expensive entree featured. We had ribs, hamburger, pasta, fish. We had a memorable night, that is all we can say positive. It is not cheap, our young grandson got candy from the game machines ($ extra) and a balloon sword, so he was happy. Oh, the cocktail drinks tasted virgin, no alcohol, and the free bread was doughy and this was after we waited a very long time to get any bread at all. The salad bar was decent but you couldn't reach foods to the other side so you have to line up again to get those salads. Long lines to the small salad bar, it's on Top of an antique car so it's awkward to reach every item, Not seeing us here again. read more

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I love the enthusiasm of all of the actors/servers and the food was better than most. I've seen at other sitdown restaurants. The ambience was one of a kind. Definitely worth the money. read more

I had the ribeye. Food arrived fast and was tasty. The waitress Velma was a hit! We were there for a birthday and she made it memorable!!

Fun place to take the grandkids too! Took my grandson there the his 6th birthday, the entire family had a blast !

I love this place, because of all the different designs and I also love how the workers act, and the food is amazing too, it's pretty expensive but it's definitely worth it. read more

Always a fun place to visit. Not as outgoing or as funny as they used to be, but the staff is still fun. Kitchen was very accommodating, food very good. The restaurant doesn't look like much on the outside but inside is very eclectic and quite the experience. read more

This place was so fun! We had Nacho Libre as our waiter he was great. It's a unique experience and the food was actually really good as well we all liked our food. Definitely recommend for a fun night out with the kids read more

So much fun celebrating with my two piano students, their little sisters & Mom, at the Magic Time Machine; for their two year piano lesson anniversary! I'm soooooo proud of them! They earn wooden note rewards for each day they practice, plus extras for playing for other people etc. The two older girls have been practicing Disney tunes; so going to the Magic Time Machine was the perfect choice. We were served by Snow White and met lots of other fun characters! They all behaved like perfect Princesses! I love teaching these girls. read more

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Ok food very dated for the time. May have been a cool place in 1970 but old for 2025.

From start to finish it was a wonderful dining experience! Dory was our host, she made getting to the table fun. Goku (from Dragon Ball Z) was our server, hands down the best server I've had since pre-pandemic! It will be a lifetime memorable experience for my boys, which I'm thankful for. Food was better than expected. My filet was cooked perfectly, the ribs were a great portion, fried shrimp and calamari weren't over cooked. Bar drinks were good, kid's magic bubbly potion drinks were fun. Honestly 10 out of 10 all the way around. read more

Visited San Antonio for my husband's birthday, one of our friends suggested MTM so we decided to check it out... drinks "potions" were pretty good, appetizers(mozzarella sticks and spinach dip)were good, although the chips were stale... the salad bar was cute and fresh, we all ordered burgers, they came with fries and they were mediocre at best. We had Ace Ventura as our server and he was nice but just not really in character or something. The place was very outdated and dusty. Our friends had been there before and said they had a great time but ended they were disappointed this visit... next time I'm in San Antonio MTM will not be getting my time... one and done for me! read more

We were celebrating a 21st birthday. Our server was Deadpool! He was awesome! He was very funny and had us laughing from the beginning! We loved the bubbling drinks and the atmosphere! Well definitely come back! We had a great time! read more

The whole staff was very pleasant and the food was excellent'. Would definitely recommend visiting this place if you have never been

Cool experience for kids, but the food is not great. Don't come hungry if you're an adult

Nacho Libre was a decent server had an alright time. The MTM Cheeseburger and fries was a pleasant surprise. The burger was delicious and the fries were crispy, but not too crispy. This being the third time I was here, I would say it was the best too. read more

Came here after doing research finding a restaurant with a Salad Bar. We were seated fast but stuck in the corner with horrible service. The food was ok, had the chicken Parm but was lacking sauce. The only sauce was on the chicken. The menu said dinner served with hot bread that never came. My friend ordered a burger. The burger was dry and the fries were cold. The place had kids running all over the place while we were trying to eat. They should advertise this place as a chunky cheese. I think the worst part of our visit was the lack of service. I asked for water never got it. We had to take a bottle of ketchup from another table. Just was not a good experience. Servers need to focus on all guests not just certain ones. read more

Magic Time Machine - American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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We frequent this establishment. The experience is always exceptional. The food is very good and consistent each time we go. The staff is remarkable. It's a fun place for the whole family. read more

This is an awesome experience for the kiddos! Ambience takes you back in time. The staff really keep the vibe exciting and fun! Birthday here birthday there... every where is a happy birthday song! I'd recommend for adults a burger and salad bar. There's face painting, balloons and a game room. My grandkids had a blast! Wonder which character we'll get next time??? read more

Magic Time Machine - Cup over flow!!! - American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Went last night and it was very cold inside the entire time. I don't eat salad and was hoping for some soup at the salad train, but no soup for me. I did have a pack of crackers. The server only brought two small loaves of bread the entire time for six people. He came by the table maybe every 20 minutes and we always had to ask for drink refills. I had the blackened catfish and it looked delicious but was so bland that I forced myself to eat a few bites and stopped. The server never asked about it. I paid $4 extra for an upgrade to a baked potato. It was great but I actually paid $22 for it because that's all I ate. Server should have asked to replace my dinner choice or offered a free dessert, but he wasn't concerned about it apparently. Then he made it a point to ask for an extra tip for his service on top of the already applied 18% gratuity. He was a bad, white bunny. He tought he was funnier than he really was too. Think he thought that the meal was more about him than the customers. read more

First time here and was not disappointed. Found this place thanks to yelp. Upon arrival we first noticed there was lots of people of all ages, which in my book is a good thing. Surprisingly they got us a table within 20 min of arrival. Before we get into the food details let me talk about the place. It is designed with many different movies, times, cartoons, or other inspirations. It is fun for both adults and children. All staff is wearing a costume that ranges from Scooby-Doo to forest Gump to ace ventura. I've included some pictures for reference. We had ace ventura pet detective as our waiter and he did an amazing job. Now let's talk about food. We ordered the Roman orgy which is supposed to feed 4. It has meat, chicken, potatoes, and fruit. It was a lot of really good food. We definitely had lots of food left at the end of our meal. Now that doesn't mean we didn't have dessert. We ordered a cheesecake that had some strawberries. Everything was delicious. read more

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Ooof ! The food was horrible. The only things we enjoyed were the salad and bread, which both are hard to mess up. You definitely come here for the experience. It's super cute inside and the servers are silly and definitely work hard. Would I come back? No , but it was forsure fun for my daughter's birthday. Oh also there was face painting and it was $18!!!!! Which is absolutely crazy! You'd think Picasso was painting faces for god sake. Horrible ! read more

This place has gone downhill since the last time we were here(2yrs ago) everything is dirty and rundown. Our booth was disgusting and had visual stains on the material. The table was sticky and still had crumbs. They no longer offer soup and salad anymore. Just a sad salad bar.... I ordered a prime rib and grilled shrimp, my husband got a whole rack of ribs, my daughter had popcorn shrimp. My prime rib was cold and mostly had fat on 1/2 of it( I know there will be some fat content), my husband's ribs were dry and they tried to cover it up with BBQ sauce. My daughter's fries tasted days old and cold. We used to love coming here but sadly this place lost our business today. The character's are excellent but that is not enough to keep us from coming back. read more

Magic Time Machine - Dry ribs.... Slathered with sauce to hide it. - American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Had a great time with my wife and daughter. I first went there as a kid, probably 40+ years ago hasn't changed much hamburger was excellent and my wife fried shrimp was very good. Cool place to go. read more

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Summary The Magic Time Machine is an older restaurant with an unusual ambience that it is really more than just a place to go for dinner. It's more of a dining "experience" that's fun for kids. This place has been around for some time and longtime locals like myself know it well. For many, it occupies a far-out place in our formative memories as a venue for birthday parties and special nights out. After spending time here recently for my 43rd birthday, after a handful of visits as a kid, there is one thing I know for sure: there is indeed a certain kind of magic to be found within these walls. The basic premise for the maze-like "funky nostalgic" experience is that all servers embody a character from pop culture and although it is a bit musty and warm inside, if you can get past this, this may be the place for you. Food We ordered mozzarella sticks and stuffed mushrooms. These items were both served warm but the taste of these items were less than pleasing. The mushrooms semed to be a bit gamie and "off". The potion drinks at $6 a pop tasted tragic but they made the Things happy (these potions are essentially a smoky soda and syrup concoction). In genreal, this is the type of place that folks should visit if only once and make some memories. read more

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Service was fun, the food was terrible and the building seemed very dirty and unkept.

Let's be honest. Y'all are going here for the kids. And it's a great magical time if you're a kid. The service is top notch. The staff are friendly and really go above and beyond to stay in character. That being said, the place is grimey. I don't know if the carpet has ever seen a wash. Did you know carpet could be sticky? It's 2024 and I'm pretty sure that carpet is original to the building. Why is carpet in a restaurant that's meant for kids? The food is pretty basic. We had the catfish and shrimp plate and the herbed chicken plate. The fries tasted weird but everything else was good. The salad bar was a nice surprise but again, pretty basic. Prices were about what you would expect for a novelty restaurant. All in all, it was a good time. The kids will have fun, especially when they bring out the magic smoke potions. It's more of a once a done thing for me. I doubt we'll go back though. read more

Magic Time Machine - Catfish & Shrimp plate with a show - American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Quality of food is a 2 star, entertainment was 5++++ !!! Request Batman as your server he is AMAZING!!!!!!!!

An interesting dining experience that is nothing like you'd expect (in a semi-good way). Pros: - Very Unique layout and all staff is dressed up in costumes (Robin, Ariel, Super Girl etc) - You truly feel like you have a section of the restaurant to yourself because all tables are themed. In our chase we were at the Christmas table. -Order the potion drinks. They are very delicious and the kids will love them Cons: -This building need's a MAJOR renovation. I know it's 100 degrees outside in the summer but when every corner of the restaurant has Walmart tower fans on full blast, something is very wrong. We were super uncomfortable when we were first seated but our waitress was able to direct a fan towards us to keep us cool....... - The food is average at best. I ordered the steak which was good but nothing to write home about. My wife ordered chicken Alfredo and my daughter ordered hamburger steak. Again everything was very average. - This is not a family friendly restaurant. All staff is very loud and rude. I know they're in character but some of the things we heard was not PG-13 lol. Overall, we don't regret going but we will not come back again. To me it's one of those places that you say "oh yeah I've been there before" and that's about it. read more

The experience was great and the workers were funny and entertaining. However the food on the other hand was not it. The food was nasty, cold, and the chicken was undercooked. I ordered the chicken alfredo and the sauce was grainy and didnt taste cery good and the chicken on top was pink and slightly raw on the inside. The best thing was the cake. The sweet tea tasted like dirty water. read more

We were served by the Barbie Dreamgirl. She was beyond amazing! She never broke character and still treated us like we were her most important guest. Even with all the fun the food was equally great! This is been one of the best resturant experiences we've had in Texas since we moved here. This will become a regular visit anytime we come to San Antonio. Great Job Barbie!!! read more

Magic Time Machine - My Soldier and The Barbie Dream Girl! Both rocked tonight! - American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Been here for about hour and have not gotten food that was premade and the steak was not cooked at all

FIRST TIME VISIT! I had driven by this restaurant, right next to the 410 fwy, hundreds of times since I've moved to San Antonio a few years ago. A strange green building that seemed out of place. What is that?! Magic Time Machine?! It was so mysterious to me. A friend happened to mention it as we talked about fun places to eat in the city. I was intrigued. That's when I started doing a little research. Reviews were mixed but mostly positive. When family flew in from out of town, I figured it was the perfect time to test the levels of fun at this long-standing eatery. THE LOCATION: easy to find, even when you aren't looking for it! We went around back to where La Fonda is then circled to the front. THE AMBIENCE: this place is quirky, kitschy and immersed in pop culture that makes it a space that makes your eyes bulge out of your face and afraid to blink, lest you miss something as you breeze through to your table led by a cheerful hostess. The colors and references to pop culture of yesterday and today aren't limited to the space, it's also in the outfits of the staff! Host staff and servers are dressed in different costumes that make it fun. Nothing fancy, the "costumes" are a little lazy, but it's still neat to figure out what character each worker is, some are obvious, others require some thought and illicit some debate over dinner. Each worker is also supposed to be in character the entire time you're there. This restaurant is almost like a maze, nooks and crannies with tables and seating, with the dark/low light atmosphere, I'd easily get lost in here. As much as I want to check out the whole place, I only venture from our table to salad bar and back. Building is definitely "old" inside and out and could use an upgrade. At the salad bar area, the carpet is so sticky, my shoes almost come off of both feet (yuck!) as I maneuver around this fun antique car salad bar set up. Btw, I've read that the salad bar is a legit antique vehicle. Very cool. THE MENU: dinners come with a trip to the salad bar and fresh bread. Prices are $$. Our table of 10 spends about $350. Menu presents a good selection of food items. THE FOOD: the salad bar is meh. Small selection of toppings. I made the mistake of putting mandarin oranges and pineapple bits (that were visibly questionable) on my salad. Lesson learned. If it looks nasty, it's probably nasty. Both fruit had gone rancid. The bread never, ever makes it to our table, even though we reminded the server multiple times. Bummer. I ordered a steak and it was ok. The prime rib didn't look good at all but horseradish and au jus was present. Oh! And I love that Magic Time Machine bubbly drink. I kept remarking that I could drink it all night long. Sweet, tart and fun. Same flavor but comes in your choice of color. THE SERVICE : still wondering what that fresh bread would've been like. Bread is permanently in my dreams and I'm disappointed a product we were paying for never arrived despite our reminders. Our server was upbeat, energetic and easy to work with. Don't recall her ever coming back to check on us. My son's catfish dinner didn't come until AFTER some of us were already done with our meals! That was another disappointment. OVERALL: for the price we paid, I feel let down. I might try them for lunch and request to sit in SpongeBob's pineapple hut, and hope for a different experience. But I would not want to pay dinner prices for a repeat experience like this one. This place has potential. The concept isn't new by any means, but no one else is doing this that I am aware of. Message me if you know of another, would love to try! This place needs a major deep cleaning and upgrade. Who knows? I would love to see a resurgence of this place with reservations booked a month out! but there isn't another place like this that read more

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The ambiance and service was great!! We ordered the Roman orgy for 5, not very impressed. Suppose to have chicken and brisket. While there was enough chicken to go around, the brisket was very frugal, with everyone barely getting a super small slice with alot of fat. Potatoes were pretty plain as well. The shrimp appetizer was much better than the meal. We celebrated my birthday and had nacho libre as a server and he was GREAT! REALLY fun atmosphere, we will come again but definitely order different food. read more

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Great food, awesome atmosphere, and amazing wait staff who bring characters to life! And if i may add they're quite comedic! A little on the pricier side if date night maybe but you get everything you pay for. Especially for birthdays or other get togethers the wait staff makes this place. M A G I C! read more