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

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

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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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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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

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

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

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

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

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

My wife talked this place up as she had been here 7-8 years prior. We're on a family vacation and decided to try it out for our 6 year old twin's birthday. From what I was seeing the other tables were having a great time. The characters were on point and playing their part and being interactive. Our waiter (Obi-Wan Kenobi) was just a NOBI. Very disappointed in that aspect. The food was overpriced for what it is. Almost $40 for a ribeye not cooked right with very little flavor. Filet minion had raw bacon wrapped around it. Wife's New York strip had very little flavor. Overall just not a good experience for me. Like I said though. Looked like all the other tables were having a great time. Still left a 20% tip on a bill almost $200. But unfortunately for them it will be the last time I go. read more

I live in Houston and decided to drive to San Antonio for my son in law to experience Magic Time Machine. The hosts was extremely rude (not in the Magic Time Machine sarcastic way) he or possibly a transitioning she, spoke to me in such a condescending way that we immediately walked out and ate elsewhere. Very disappointed by the disrespect, will probably never come back again. read more

Our hostess Snow white was excellent. The food was not good. The establishment is old and could use a deep clean.

Having worked here back in 2013 *Catwoman* I was excited to bring my family back for the experience. If it were solely based on our server "Moana," I would have rated this 100% 5 stars. She was a dear, stayed in character the whole time and was very entertaining and informative. Short of her, the rest of the staff was sadly a massive let down. The food while being tolerable was overpriced for the quality we received. Got attitude from "Ash" while asking about the restrooms and my table and backrest were a bit sticky. My kids enjoyed it but for the adult age group I'd never come back here on a date. Based on how it was in the past it's geared more towards the younger age group. On a side note, the strawberry short cake was yummy. read more

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

Daphne our waitress was amazing and so was the food. Our only issue was the air conditioning didn't seem to be working so it was extremely hot. read more

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

Upon reading reviews, I was hesitant to head to the MTM with a larger group for a birthday celebration. Yelp will take your name as a "reservation," so we left the house and by the time we arrived, there was a table ready. The building is mysterious looking from the outside, and curiosity as we opened the doors! It is a wonderland of fun, including lots of decor, happy hostesses, "mood" lighting, and interesting things too look at everywhere! The greeting from the hostesses was inviting, and the kids were now looking forward to our dining experience. We were able to pick our server, either the one from Train Your Dragon or Ace Ventura. We picked Ace! We were brought to a table that was decorated in a Victorian style, with a server "Ace Ventura." He was so much fun! The interaction with the kids was something that we have never experienced before, and it was perfect! Ace Ventura made it memorable and we had lots of laughter and smiles. The food - Ace told us that the place upon opening (over 50, yes 50 years ago) was a well known steak place. Salad bar was good, unlimited visits, with a wonderful seafood salad, pasta salad and the normal salad fixings. I ordered a steak, it was perfectly done and wonderful! Everyone's food was very good, and it is all made from scratch. We also ordered the drinks that have "magic potion" smoke. The kids loved it! Adult drinks - we had margaritas, no complaints! There does need to be a deep clean, but since the place is so busy and there are probably spills on the carpet of sugary soda, I let the thought slide. We made some of the best memories! read more

The food is great and so is the service. It's always a fun time with lots of crazy characters.

We went here to celebrate our grandson's 7th birthday. We had Barbie for our waitress, and she was fantastic!! She kept us laughing the whole night. The other waiters and waitresses would interact with our table as well, when they would walk by. We had the Best time!!! Highly recommend!! read more

Great way to spend my nieces birthday! Eggman and snow white were so fun! They made her year!

Daughter enjoyed her time with her mom and dad. Our waitress Thelma from Scooby Doo was entertaining! The nostalgia was cool... would we go back for her 10th birthday... probably not... I am glad that she had a great time! read more

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

The food is fun! The servers are Characters with their own personalities presenting a great dinner experience. All characters are amazing, however Velma, Nacho Libre & Hick Up really stand out. They individually make any occasion an unforgettable memory. Love this place & recommend it for the Magic at The Time Machine! read more

My kids love this place! Oh, who am I kidding, so do I! We always have a great time when visiting the Magic Time Machine and this time was no different! We always come here ready for the full experience. We are excited to interact with the characters and immerse ourselves into the fantasy that is the MTM. This time, we started with face painting for the little, because who doesn't want a rainbow butterfly?! By the time we were done, our table was ready. Unfortunately, we were sat at the smallest most cramped 4 top available, but we were not going to let that bring us down, we were seated quickly so we were happy! Our server, Hiccup, from How to Train Your Dragon, was super fun and interactive. He offered drink recommendations to include several fruity drinks that were both sweet and refreshing. The food was fine but to be honest, we did not come here for the food. Bill Nye the Science Guy took our picture and I must say, he was the most authentic character next to Jack Black's Bethany from Jumanji (though he seems mostly irritated with the kids, maybe it's part of the act). They have a salad bar that has been downsized since Covid, no Canadian cheese soup, whyyyy?! Also, I want to start a petition to bring back the BacOs. I mentioned this to the server and his genuine confusion of imitation bacon bits being called BacOs really made me feel my age lol. We ordered desert for the kids to share and I had a dirty martini. I must say, the bartender was on point with my 'tini! We will definitely be back as we always have a fantastic time. The experience here is everything! read more

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Let's make one thing crystal clear about Magic Time Machine: you are coming here for the E X P I E R I E N C E ! ! ! This won't be a typical review, because normally I "expect" average customer service and crave-worthy food. If you treat me like poop, but the food is amazing for a decent price, I'm willing to come back. That is not the case here. The food is just okay. It is simply GOOD. The food is NOT terrible. My friend and I got the burger, and my boyfriend got the blackened fish. Would I order the burger again? No. I did prefer his blackened catfish, but it was too salty (for me!). Regarding the E X P I E R I E N C E...absolutely golden. I'd give it a 5/5 stars for the experience alone. By the way, this was our first time at a MTM and all three of us loved it. I know it's a chain, but I really fell in love with the one here in SA. Regarding COVID: they ARE taking precautions and have a really good system in place. We felt safe dining indoors. We met Lilo, Mandolarian w/ Grogu, Elsa (who dropped the utensils and wittingly stated "looks like I Let it go" *teehee*), and our server Katniss. Now be forewarned, if you get Katniss you need to be quick on your feet. So if you had a long day at work and you're brain isn't functioning at full capacity: she will take advantage of you hahaha. She played so many pranks and we had a lot of laughs. I 110% recommend MTM for the E X P I E R I E N C E. The prices of the food are fair, to me, because 1) you get a large portion AND you're paying for...wait for it....the E X P E R I E N C E. Really cool spot. Definitely great for families! Be sure to check it out! read more

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Food and server were awesome. We have been to another Time Machine and this one is the best by far.

Good food and relaxed atmosphere! We enjoyed the time to visit with our family at the restaurant. Would probably return occasionally--- but we enjoyed the atmosphere and the servers were friendly and personable. KB--Blanco,TX read more

Just great. The servers were so interactive. Servers who weren't even mine were talking to me and my dad and making jokes with us! Then the place, it was filled with almost anything you could think of! There were references to almost everything all over the restaurant walls and even booths that were based off movies and shows. And then the food. The filet mignon was absolutely spectacular. My dad asked for medium rare and he got what he asked for and more. I got a full rack of rib and I gotta say, those were the best ribs I've ever had. I highly recommend this place to anybody to comes across it! read more

We always have a great time and the kids love it. We come for the service and experience. That being said, the entire place needs a deep clean and update. The floors are sticky and dirty, everything is sticky and dirty. The food is just ok, not bad and not good. read more

Had a blast with the extended family. My teenage kids loved it even if they didn't know all the characters the waiters were playing.

Excellent place for kiddos!! My kids loved all the characters and they were so sweet. My daughters were unable to track down Snow White between her busy tables. But our dragon slayer knew her personally! He called up an old friend who paid a visit to our table with some very happy girls! read more

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

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My review of the Magic Time Machine mostly pertains to the back bar area as of late. I have been here for dinner a long time ago when I was a child, but mainly have been hanging out here to play a card game called Magic The Gathering. Since COVID, I have been playing this game in digital and card version more. There is a nice group that gathers here Friday-Monday nights to play various formats of the game. Wearing masks, using hand sanitizer, and social distancing via tables for the games is required. This is what the typical schedule looks like if you are into playing: Saturdays Pauper Constructed / 1v1/ Free Entry / Prizes @ 7:00pm - 11:30pm Casual commander @ 7:00pm - 11:30pm Sundays Pioneer / 1v1 / $7 entry / Prizes @7:00pm - 11:30pm Monday: Commander Headhunter Pods / Free Entry / Prizes @ 7:00pm - 11:30pm .35 cent wing, drink specials,and karaoke. 21 & up after 9pm The back bar area is manned by Thor or Randy is his non-character name. There are big mugs of draft beer available for like $8, Magic themed cocktail drinks, and wing specials available at this back bar area in the "Mine Shaft Saloon" part of the restaurant. The best wings are the garlic Parmesan and you can get 6 for like $2.50! What a deal and a great snack while playing! Karaoke echos in the back ground, as well. So, it's always a fun time and if you like this card game you can actually buy products available for sale by Knight Owl Gaming / Magic Beans Cafe as they are transitioning into their new store across the parking lot from the restaurant! Hope you come by sometime! read more

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You don't come here for the food. My kids liked the experience though. Prepare to pay for anything extra like balloons, pictures, face painting, etc. We hadn't been since we were kids. While we were happy to do it once with our kids, we won't go back. read more

Definitely very different than a regular restaurant lol. The steak was pretty tasty and they had great things for kids. Service was good and staff was friendly. read more

Great food and service. Portions are great. Must come to place for special occasions and when u need a pick me up.

I had completely forgotten about Magic Time Machine until recently. It really is a great place for kids. The menu keeps it straightforward with American classics like pasta and steak. Every entree comes with a trip to the salad bar. The waiters and waitresses are wonderful. They dress up and stay in character for the kids. They interact with the table and really make it fun. The tables are separated into their own areas, so even though it's an open dining area it feels private. For a fun dinner with kids I highly recommend. read more

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This place was so much fun!!! We were in town for the weekend from Charlotte. Thanks to an Uber driver we learned of this restaurant. We went our last night in San Antonio and we're a bunch of young adults in our 20s, and my mother was with as well. We had a blast! Seriously the highlight of our trip to San Antonio! Not only was it fun and remarkable how all the staff stayed in character the entire time we were there but the food was amazing! We were shocked at how good the food was. The prices are very reasonable as well as the drinks. This is a must go to if you're planning on a trip to San Antonio or if you live there, you have to check this place out! No matter your age, you will have fun! read more

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The food was very high quality and tasty. Service was attentive and in character throughout. The decor hasn't had to change over the past couple decades / generations. Got to share the experience with our grandkids! Nothing is cheap, especially the food, service and restaurant. Worth every penny. read more