Restaurant Review: Chuck E. Cheese

What and Where:

Chuck E. Cheese | 2655 Oak Valley Dr. | Ann Arbor, MI 48103 (734) 222-1003

Ratings (1=terrible, 5=mind-blowingly great)

  • Tastiness: 2
  • Service: 2
  • Price (1=super cheap, 5=super expensive): 3.5
  • Value: 1 (though see below)
  • General vibe: between 1 and 5 (see below)
  • Comments (as of 2/19/06)

    • Every once in a while, especially when the weather is bad and/or when Will is having a wee bit of “cabin fever,” Annette or I (and it is more often than not me) take Will and/or his friends to Chuck E. Cheese. It’s sort of a restaurant and we went this on Saturday, so I thought I’d offer this review.
    • Obviously, no adult would go here without children. Though one of my neighbors told me a funny story about how she took her sister there on her 21st birthday. The newly legal to get drunk anywhere sibling was not amused.
    • I actually don’t mind the pizza, much in the same way that I don’t mind a hamburger from MacDonald’s once in a while. It’s not real pizza, but, for someone like me who grew up in suburban/strip mall America, it is oddly comforting, like Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. They have a salad bar and other food at CEC, but I have no idea as to why you would even think about eating these items.
    • Chuck E. Cheese is amusingly staffed with surly teenagers/early 20-somethings. I can’t imagine what the “manager” in one of these places looks like. And God help the poor sap who draws the short straw and then has to get into that damned rat costume– some dumb-ass might make you hold up a can of beans.
    • The vibe of CEC depends. Chuck E. Cheese is essentially a kiddie version of Las Vegas, and my impression is that one’s feelings toward “sin city” are exactly the same as one’s feelings toward CEC. We’re itchin’ to get back to Vegas, so the Cheese is okay with us. Actually (and strangely), I find Chuck E. Cheese a pretty easy place to read, grade papers, check my email, etc.
    • For the “under 10” age group though, Chuck E. Cheese seems to universally be the equivalent of crack.
    • At face-value, is an extremely poor value. The food is over-priced as are the tokens to play various games and win various completely worthless tickets. On the other hand, it often is a small price to pay to entertain the boy for a couple of hours.

    10 thoughts on “Restaurant Review: Chuck E. Cheese”

    1. It is such a tragedy that these places of filth are not regulated like schools, daycare centers or even hospitals. I guess I am a little different I enjoyed my NBC training in the military, but were did it get me at CEC?In bad shape employess not even allowed to ware gloves,just read below:

      I took a job as a Tech. Manager at Chuckie E. Cheeses, hoping for a nice quite job, what the hell happened? With in the first weeks of this job, I got the flu, momo, and a server staph infection. The workers comp lady came to see me in the hospital and ask me very personal questions, like what I did I do in the military and was I sexual active, and how old was my son?
      I did some checking and these restaurants have been sighted for many, many health violations. I did not have ax to grind with the Chuck but when the GM came in and said to a cast member who had acne bad, you need to shave! I went off! The GM told me that nice guys finish last, and this is a place to take the kids?
      Go ahead violate the I-9 forms, while the real Americans stand in line at the employment office.
      I use to take my son to the chuck and cut him loose, now, Oh no; we will go to the park, fly a kit before I take him the cesspool of bacteria/virus at the Chuckie….

      Another lady told me this:I would never take my daughter here again. This place is not clean and the people that work here are young kids trying to make a couple of dollars and they do not care. I think that this place can be better if they did a re organization. My friend took her kid here as well and got sick from another kid because that kid had pink eye.
      Do not take your kids here!

      Chuckie E. Cheeses does not use equipment to keep their establishment clean, if you will notice many places like DQ or some BK use Ultraviolet lights. It seems the managers at Chuckie don’t know what these lights do, they kill bacteria and some virus, furthermore, it is dark in most of these stage shows, with dim lighting. Also if you will notice that some establishments have a blower when you come in the door not the chuckie…now if you had your choice to go to a restaurant that had a robotics mouse or UV lights which would you go to?
      Just take a look at the DPH web site in Fredericksburg Va. the workers are not even alowed to ware Gloves or other personal protective equipment. Even if they have to handle body fluids. And you want these people to handle your food, wipe your table, and work on the ice maker several months back there was mold in the ice maker(DHP), this could have been stoped by UV lights, or seals in the ice maker.
      But because they care nothing about safety and health, and 85% of the employee’s can’t speak good English, these places are a trash heap.
      Check the DPH web site before you go to any chuckie cheeses, and I feel you will make another choice.

    2. I’m writing to bring your attention to a problem I had with the experience at your restaurant. I’m sure you value your customers and want to keep them, so I hope you will take this complaint seriously and come up with a quick resolution. I’m specifically talking about your restaurant located at BOISE, IDAHO.

      Here’s what happened: On August 12th, my husband and I took two of our children to Chuckie Cheese in Boise, ID. We went in, sat down and ordered our pizza. We bought 99 tokens for our children. As we took our kids to play, I would say half of your games were broken (not giving tickets or just out of order). We repeated had to call the game service person to get replacement tokens. If this wasn’t bad enough the woman’s restrooms were in very poor shape. The handicap stall had a broken toilet seat and another stall was flooded because of a broken toilet bowl. As we then went to cash in out tickets, we stood in line for at least 20-25 minutes waiting to be helped.

      My overall experiences with your company have left me somewhat dissatisfied. On average, I visit Chuck E Cheese Entertainment, Inc. less than once a month. I usually spend about $30 with you. I will never eat at your restaurant again. I’ll probably avoid recommending you to others.

      Here’s how I’m hoping you will fix the problem: I’m not sure what I would like from this company, I just know I am not going back. For the price you pay it is definetly not worth it.

      I appreciate your taking the time to read this. I hope you can help me with my problem. The sooner, the better.

    3. CITY CHAINS UP CHUCK E
      New York Post

      June 10, 2006 — It looks like the mascot isn’t the only mouse at Chuck E. Cheese.
      The popular children’s party joint at Brooklyn’s Atlantic Terminal Mall was shut down Thursday for a bevy of health-code violations, including “evidence of mouse droppings,” according to the city’s Health Department.

      In addition to the vermin, the inspection allegedly uncovered poorly maintained restrooms and lack of a food-protection certificate.

    4. HOW RUDE! I work at Chuck e Cheese! The one where you live might suck but thanks very much we’re helpful, have good food, and CHUCK E CHEESE IS A MOUSE! Thanks though! Yeah it may smell abit inside but hey what do you think its going to smell like flowers? we all wish!
      I work in the Missouri one!

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