The big hook for uWink is that all transactions, from ordering to paying your bill, are performed using some crazy touchscreen technology that's built into every table. This touchscreen also serves as a means for patrons to play social games while they wait for a, sadly, carbon-based waitperson to bring the food. Aside from all the flashy technology, on paper this kind of reminds me of the quick-service beef bowl and curry shops in Tokyo where you order by purchasing tickets from a vending machine, or, you know, an olde-timey automat. Except that those things actually work. The underlying problem, it would seem, is that the technology employed by uWink is kind of busted, offering games that are either crash-happy or just boring, and making simple stuff like ordering a drink harder than it'd be in a regular restaurant.
There's now a uWink open in Mountain View, California, which is significantly closer to the Giant Bomb offices than any of the previous Southern California locations, but between this anecdote and the wealth of tepid Yelp reviews, I might be better off playing games at home and ordering a pizza.
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