Enzian Theater

Let me put this gently, if I ever win the lottery, any lottery, the first thing I will do is buy this dump they selfservingly call a «national treasure», and immediately fire the director and tear the place down to the ground so no one could ever have the experience I had to watch Michael Moore’s «Where Should We Invade Next?». The MOST inept staff, NO SERVICE, uncomfortable seating. I will vote a thumbs down by NEVER going back to this AWEFUL place. The management should be sent back to the bowels of Louisiana. The movie was GREAT.

The Enzian is one of those hidden gems that people talk about and they’re in the process of expanding! You can donate to the cause and/​or become a member, which entitles you to reserved seating and free popcorn at every visit.
Right now, the Enzian (a not for profit dine-​in movie theater) houses one theater that mostly shows independent films. The parking availability is definitely a minus and I recommend arriving for your show about 30 – 60 minutes in advance to get one of the few parking spots. The building itself is nestled among large trees and there’s a bar/​restaurant outside of the Enzian that you can visit before and after your movie. The theater itself is very cozy with a variety of seating options (booth-​like seating, cushy rolls chairs, etc).
One mistake I’ve made more than once (as I don’t come here often), is not ordering food the first time your waiter or waitress comes around. This time, since I didn’t know what I wanted to order right away, I had to wait approximately 30 minutes before my waiter returned before I could place my order! Luckily, once your food is ordered, it comes out pretty quickly and I’ve never ordered a dish I didn’t like. This time, I ordered a bowl of chicken tortilla soup and a 4-​cheese pizza. They were both yummy and the prices are not that bad. Again, just know what you want to order by the time the wait staff comes by!

Such a great theater! We came here for the David Bowie Tribute Week movies Labyrinth and The Man Who Fell to Earth. We bought our tickets online and followed the instructions to arrive early and just get in line. We arrived 45 mins before the movies and got in line outside by the bar. Such a pretty outside bar! They had pretty lights strewn on the trees and were playing Bowie. For TMWFTE we were second in line but for Labyrinth we were close to the bottom of the stairs. Both times we were able to get the exact seats we wanted (we looked at the seating map before arrival). The seats were super comfie and I loved having a table for my bag, drinks, and food. A server approached our table and took our order. They were very accommodating with substitutions for vegans! Our food and drinks arrived right before the movie started and everything was as ordered and delicious! They continue to walk around throughout the movie which is great for ordering refills and/​or dessert! Despite walking around they were never a distraction during the movie. They bring your bill about midway through the movie and bring your receipt/​change before the movie ends. So, by the time the movie ends you can just get up and leave. The screen and sound were great. We enjoyed it so much we are thinking of becoming members!

There’s no other way to say it: I’m addicted to the Enzian. I love cozying up on a couch or grabbing a table for a good movie and some great food. I like talking movies with the staff, visiting the bat house in the back, and grabbing a drink at Eden Bar. This place is a gem that came repeatedly recommended by friends, and I’m ashamed it took me so long to visit.
Try the cream cheese stuffed pretzels. And get there early for the pitcher shows on the lawn.
P. S. If a show is sold out, take advantage of the standby passes. Just know that you have to find a spot in a packed dark theater, and service is a little slower since the servers have already started taking orders.

What can I say about the enzian besides LOVE LOVE LOVE. Comfortable seats, great selections of films, amazing food (I’m talking amazing, I would eat there even without the film!!) and a great bar outside. My favorite spot in Maitland!

Enzian followed up with me and rectified the situation. I am completely satisfied with Enzian and have returned many time thereafter. If I had one complaint, it’s that the theatre didn’t supply enough tissues to get me through a screening of «Room», but that problem may be more on my end than theirs.
Apologies for the delayed update.

This theater is such a gem. From Wednesday night pitcher shows on the lawn to kid friendly matinees on Sundays, and even film festivals, they really go all out on making the community feel like a community. First off, the location is beautful. It’s woodsy and welcoming. The Eden bar is small but inviting, and the drinks are great. They have an okay selection of craft beers. The truffle fries are my favorite thing on the menu and I’ll continue to order two portions at a time. Seriously. It’s crack.
Enzian does a fantastic job at keeping the cinephiles of Central Florida happy. That new indie movie you wanna see and can’t find playing in Orlando? It’s most likely playing here. Thankfully they do a good job with the amount of showtimes available too. This is one of my favorite places to spend an evening. I almost wish I didn’t live so far. But I more than eagerly will make a trip to the theater as a special treat. This place is magical.

Central Florida’s only full time, arthouse, independent theater where you can see the work of big time stars in smaller budget films as well as films from our own filmmaking community! Enzian regularly features local filmmakers in two showcases; the monthly FilmSlam event with filmmaker Q&A and networking and the annual Brouhaha Film and Video Showcase, now in it’s 25^th year! As a filmmaker, I’m very thankful to have a venue like Enzian :-)

Beautiful, intimate place. Perfect for date night. Get there early for a great seat/​table. The Eden bar outside is romantic and great spot to wait and have a cocktail.

I so love this place and need to find some time to spend more of it there. Great vibe, great place, and great flicks. Always great for a date night as well.

I absolutely LOVE the midnight screening of Scream. What I was unhappy about and wanted to speack to a manager about the LACK of service I recieved. I was alone and my order was taken and delivered WITH NO napkins and with 40 minutes of the movie left I asked TWO different people (one who dropped off my check) And another who picked up my check for a glass of water. NOTHING! It was clear my cup was empty and coffee was gone! NOTHING! I went to the bar aftee and asked for a manager and I was told «it would be a while»…
Again, the atmosphere was awesome, BUT I dont know if it was beacause I was alone or because my bill was only 15.00 BUT service sucked!

Oh Enzian, we love you. We love the remodel. We love the cold popcorn, jk. We love the beer while we chill in our swivel chairs waiting for the next scene to unfold. We love the servers, not because they are perfect but because they all have character. We love the amazing food you deliver to our tables. We love making memories here with you.
Clearly there’s tons more, but we will let others discover your charms on their own.
Thanks for being in our town.
Laurie and Mark

Love this place and would give them 5 stars if the food came out faster. The last 3 times I’ve been the food my g/​f and I ordered came out ½ way our ¾ of the way through the movies we saw. Other than that, the movies they show are great and I love supporting this organization.

The Enzian takes date night to a whole new level-​the charm, the glitz, the gardens, the place just oozes romance. If you’re looking for somewhere to gaze into your s/o’s eyes and think «gosh I’m just so lucky» this is it!
Nothing says «I love you» more than watching a newly released indie film or perhaps your all-​time favorite cult classic and cuddling on a funky sofa while snacking on the most delicious popcorn. For the same cost as your local crowded Regal Cinema you can treat yourself to a unique, world class film experience. Engage all of your senses in this special theatre. Orlando is wonderful and magical places like The Enzian is why.

There is no place like the Enzian in Orlando. It’s the only indie theater that I am aware of.
They show independent movies that you can’t normally see in the mainstream theaters. This includes things playing festival circuits and foreign films, but they also have lineups on certain days of the week involving cult movies and old favorites.
For example, if you go to their web site now you’ll see «Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter» which plays 4 nights. Their «Saturday Matinée» showing is «The Maltese Falcon». My only complaint here is that there is only 1 screen inside the theater (and you’re not going to get IMAX level quality, but for what they have, it works good enough).
Some other good news: the inside isn’t «theater» seating but more like a combo of chairs/​tables, so you can order food off their menu before the movie starts (pizza, sandwiches, beer/​wine). Waiters come out and serve it up shortly after the film starts. It can occasionally be distracting from the film, but it’s not terribly so.
More good news: there is an outdoor screen. For their «Wednesday Night Pitcher Shows» you can sit out on the lawn and watch old favorites (I remember seeing Top Gun and MST3K: The Movie out there). For example, this month, coming up is National Lampoon’s European Vacation.
Outside there is a bar called the Eden Bar, which is a cute, and popular, bar serving up food and drinks. There’s a selection of beers on tap to enjoy. The wait time here can get a little crazy, but the (full) bar serves a good purpose outside.
Ticket prices are cheap compared to theater chains. I should say that it probably helps to become a member, since that gets you better seating inside as well as cheaper tickets. However, I am not crazy enough over indie films to do so. (Note: if they started showing more cult stuff like Jodorowsky’s «El Topo», which I saw last week, then I would seriously consider getting a membership).
I heard rumors that they want to expand their number of screens. That would be welcome — 1 screen isn’t quite enough. At any rate, you should definitely come here at some point and support the local art/​film community. There aren’t any film-​based experiences like the Enzian around here and I think they deserve the support.

I LOVE Enzian!
The Enzian is the perfect place to open your mind to new, independent, cult classic and classic film. Their programming always brings new possibilities for my schedule!
The theater is built in an old beautiful house with lush gardens all around. Inside they just remodeled and now offer more booth and table seating along with super fun couches!
In addition to film, Enzian is a full restaurant and offers beer and wine. The menu always has interesting offerings from light sharable snacks to full meals and desserts!
If you have not made the trip to Enzian, you should!

I have to say Enzian doesn’t really do it for me. I am not really into old movies, even if it was a great movie I have already seen. But that’s just me. I do like the atmosphere and the service during the movie. The staff is skilled at getting in and out without notice. But not all seats have an unobstructed view. I got the one behind the 6’4″ guy with a hat. The food at Eden bar is excellent and the popcorn is probably the best I have ever had in a theater (that salt is laced with something addictive, I know it!) There is a lot to like about Enzian and I will probably go back at some point (for their popcorn if nothing else) but for obstructed views of old black and white movies, not for me.

This is a great place. Drinks, adult drinks, food… and of course movies. Came to watch the movie «Slither» in the lawn. Free movie experience on a big screen in the lawn. They have an indoor theatre as well, but enjoyed the whole experience of picnicking with adult drinks in the lawn with lawn chairs or a blanket and a great movie with friends. Come check it out.

My favorite place for a movie. Came here yesterday to see the Mike Leigh film, Mr. Turner. Started with a Samuel Adams Cold Snap at the Eden Bar. During the movie, I had the twelve inch pepperoni pizza, which was delicious! A thin crust topped with mozzarella and pepperoni with a tasty, well seasoned sauce between the two. I would consider ordering this again the next time I come here.
With yesterday being a beautiful day, there was also a nice crowd seated at the Eden Bar. Many people having dinner and drinks before or after the movie. A nice place to have a quiet meal or drink, as well as people watch and strike up a conversation with fellow patrons.
As for the movie… I will give it three stars. But the Enzian and Eden Bar gets a five.

The Enzian is easily one of the coolest places in Orlando, and an absolute must for anyone who lives in Central Florida that likes indie movies. If you’re visiting Orlando and wanting to get away from the Mouse House, definitely see what’s happening here! The very first movie I saw at The Enzian was March of Penguins, and I’ve been going back ever since!
Outdoors, you’ll find Eden Bar, which is a full bar with a delicious lunch and dinner menu (I like getting the lunch special where you can select 2 options from certain soups/​salads/​sandwiches/​sides). Inside, you get comfy seats, tables, a full menu (including delicious buttery popcorn) and beer & wine only.
The Enzian does a LOT of really cool stuff, everything from Cult Classic movies every other Tuesday night to outdoor showings of notoriously good «bad» movies on the lawn (this is debatable though, I’ve seen Empire Records, Big Lebowski, and a few other great movies!!) to kids matinees to independent films. And that’s on top of the film festivals that they’re a part of!
Recently, they changed up their menu a bit, which made me sad to see a few things go, but loving other things. They have a quinoa wrap that was thoroughly boring, meanwhile they have a mahi-​mahi dinner that was amazing. They got rid of brownies, which bummed me out too!
Regardless of the menu getting switched up, this is seriously an amazing place in Orlando. I love the huge oak trees outside, the bartenders are always helpful and friendly (and even met the challenge of making special margaritas that I had tried at Epcot one day), servers are always nice inside, and best of all… their programming for movies is wonderful. It’s one of my favorite places to go for date night, but also one of my favorite places for just catching a movie with friends, drinking on the lawn watching a movie, dinner, or whatever else!