uWink - woodlandhillsCA

Westfield Promenade
6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd. 2310
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
(818)992-1100

Hours:
Sun-Tues: 11AM-10PM
Wed-Thurs: 11AM-12AM
Fri-Sat: 11AM-1AM

Don't you just hate it when you're sitting at a restaurant and all you want is a drink refill, but the waiter/waitress never seems to come by the table? Or, when you go out in a large group and the restaurant is unable to split the bill so it somehow always ends up short and someone has to pay more than they need to? You'll be happy to know, someone is actually trying to eliminate those headaches!

"uWink, Inc. (OTCBB: UWKI) is a digital entertainment company based in Los Angeles, California that develops interactive entertainment software and platforms for restaurants, bars, and mobile devices." -www.uwink.com

In October of 2006, uWink launched their first restaurant featuring a new entertainment dining experience. I had the privilege of my boyfriend, Brian, surprising me to an unforgettable lunch.
As we approached the Westfield mall in Woodland Hills, I had no idea why my boyfriend was so excited to take me out to lunch. While riding the escalators up, I saw a sign saying, "uWink." Brian asked, "Got any ideas?" I definitely had no idea what "uWink" meant and the only clue he gave me was that he saw it on the Food Network Channel and we were at its only location (at the time).

We walked into an empty restaurant (being that it was around 3pm; a little late for lunch and a little early for dinner) and I didn't notice what made the restaurant so special before being seated. While waiting for our table of three, a gaming area with futuristic arcade machines kept us busy.

This definitely beats the claw with the stuffed animals at Denny's or the small Pac-Man machine at Bakers Square.

"Brian, your table is ready."

How A-listed does it feel to have a 2-sided screen sitting on your table with your name on it? So what does this screen do? Forget about the servers who had a bad day, or the trainers who don't really know the menu. Every thing you needed to order was right in front of you, per touch-screen.

What's on The Godfather Pizza? Would you like fries with your burger? No cilantro? extra cheese? Lemon wedge with your water? No problem! Just touch the picture of the meal you want and a description appears. When you order your meal, you have the opportunity to customize it any way you want (if you're like my boyfriend, this makes ordering so much more convenient!). Once your order is in, it's sent straight to the kitchen and without saying one word to a server, your food is delivered right to your table! So how do they keep track of what table the food goes to? Each tab is given a special card that you swipe before ordering. It's like logging into your own meal account. Our table of three only had one card, but imagine if you were with a group of 20 people and wanted to split the bill five ways. All you would need is five different cards to make five different checks.

Umm, refill in the middle of your meal? Of course! There's even a "refill" button on your screen and within minutes a person comes by with the drink in hand and takes away your empty cup. Amazing! But it's not just the menu that's on the touch screen. While each person waits for their order to arrive, you have the option of playing games on the screen.

There are puzzle games you can play alone, but you can also play interactive games with other people. My table played Pictionary and whatever I was drawing on my side, was showing up on the other side for my opponent to guess out loud. But, you are not limited to play with the people at your table. You also have the option to participate in games with people from other tables! So after explaining all the innovative features uWink had to offer, how was the food?

The BBQ chicken pizza and pulled pork sliders were delicious! Good portions for a good price and an unforgettable experience. Now don't get me wrong, nothing can replace my appreciation for some great customer service, but I definitely think this is an ideal place to go to if you want something quick that isn't McDonald's or In-N-Out, or if you plan on going out with a large group of people.

Since then, uWink has now opened its second restaurant in the heart of the Hollywood & Highland center and soon, its third location will open on Castro St. in Mountain View, CA. If that opens in the next month, I'm definitely celebrating my birthday there.