Where in New York can you surround yourself with Nightmare Before Christmas decorations and live Tim Burton characters? The Beetle House in NYC of course! The old saying really does hold true, New York City does have everything. I took a trip to this Beetle House NYC location to see what the experience is like. So what did I discover at the Beetle House? A lot actually.
Themed Restaurants in NYC
Also nicknamed the Beetlejuice house, this fun restaurant is considered a must see on any tourist bucket list. This dining establishment is completely centered around, you guessed it, Tim Burton films. Upon entering the front door, it doesn’t take more than a moment to run into the Tim Burton corpse bride, Beetlejuice, or Willy Wonka. Are you a big fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas movie? If you’re really lucky, you may run face to face with the Nightmare Before Christmas Jack and Sally. I’ve yet to be so fortunate, but one day my turn will come! On this particular occasion, I was greeted by a fine Willy Wonka. Complete with full makeup, costume, and an odd cheery demeanor. The actor but dedicated right down to the character’s vocal production. Such fun!
Tim Burton Bar
It is a restaurant, but many customers come in just to sit at the bar and take in the scene. Burtons menu at the bar consists of interesting mixed drinks with fun names and odd colored beverages. In true Tim Burton style, you can order bizarre shaped beverages, blue martinis, and dangerous sounding cocktails. Remember the last scene of Corpse Bride? Mmhmmm. While the drinks at the bar won’t send you on a trip to see the “people living downstairs”, they are very tasty. Below you can see the line for the restaurant on the right. To the left is what many call the Beetlejuice Bar.
Tim Burton Themed Bar Reservations
While it’s always best to schedule most experiences in NYC ahead of time, it’s not really necessary here. Popular and interesting, the Tim Burton bar NYC location isn’t so packed that it requires reservations. Dining at the establishment? Well, we’ll get to that. If your feeling parched and in need of creativity, you can pretty much walk into the beetle house bar anytime. Make sure to note, that’s just the bar.
Tim Burton Restaurant
Funny enough, at the time that I went there, the Yelp reviews for food at the Tim Burton restaurant NYC location were not great. Despite that, I was determined to try out the entire experience when I went. While the food isn’t the best I’ve had in New York, it was still good. If you do plan on visiting, I would recommend you try some things from the dinner menu. I ordered the nachos, french fries, and three different drinks. What can I say? It was a long week. All of my food was good. The french fries are a bit spicy which I loved, and the nachos were typical nachos. The food isn’t an enlightening experience, but it’s just as good as any other run of the mill restaurant in New York.
Seated inside one of the best themed bars NYC has to offer, you probably won’t notice the food anyways. With the plethora of fun things surrounding you, and beautiful animated artwork, the food won’t take precedence. Sitting in the middle of the room, you feel as though you’re at the beetle house itself. In fact, it’s likely that Beetlejuice will walk past you. Surrounded by Nightmare before Christmas party decorations, artwork and spooky lights, you’ll spot something new every minute. From the doorstep you enter, to the table you sit at, this beetle bar has no shortage of art. Take a look at these ferocious, but kawaii, teeth hanging from the ceiling.
Tim Burton Restaurant Reservations
Thinking of having a Nightmare Before Christmas party and just walkin’ right in? Think again noob. Easily labeled one of the best fun themed bars in NYC, you definitely need to make dinner reservations. True, you can just waltz right up to the Beetle bar, but getting a table is different. Book your table ahead of time, and be prepared to wait – a lot.
What do you mean wait?
Burtons restaurant will keep your reservation for you, but all that does is ensure that you’ll have a spot in line. I made my booking three days in advance when my mother came to visit me in NYC. This was one of my special treats for her. In case you don’t know, you have to arrive at check-in to keep your table. That’s pretty much a normal standard in New York City. We were so worried about being late, we hung out at a bar down the street 30 minutes ahead of time. We wanted to make sure we didn’t have subway problems.
After checking in 15 minutes early, we were told we had to wait awhile for a table. No problem, after all it’s New York, you can’t expect restaurants to work on a minute to minute schedule. Also we’re southern, so we’re pretty chill people anyway. Little did we know that the wait for our table would extend past an hour. By the time I got my tired mother seated at a table, she was all but asleep and exhausted, poor thing. The New York pace is hard on tourists. We were so late getting to sit at a table that we missed half of our after dinner show in Midtown.
To go or not to go?
That is the question. If you like Tim burton animated movies and his film work, you should definitely go. You’ll be experiencing the Tim Burton museum and getting the Nightmare Before Christmas tour all in one go. Not to mention this is by far one of the best halloween themed bars NYC has ever had. Yes your feet may start to hurt while you wait, and the food isn’t what you’ll get at the Four Seasons, but you will have a memory worth cherishing. Halloween bar, Beetlejuice restaurant, and Tim Burton exhibit all in one, that’s what you’ll be getting. Just imagine how epic it would be to have a Nightmare Before Christmas birthday party here!
Fun Fact
They play Tim Burton music the whole time. All of the great pieces from his movies. As a professional musician, I really appreciated that. They don’t just play the songs either, they play the orchestra works too. Fantastic!
Fun Note For The Waitress
Dear kawaii waitress, if you see this and remember me at all – thank you for being so kind to my mother. You really helped repair the evening! Much love to you xoxo
