Sometimes, you just want a little bit of tackiness with your restaurant experience. Maybe you don’t mind the animatronic gorilla lurking behind your table while you house a platter of coconut shrimp. Or maybe gnawing on a giant roasted chicken leg while watching two medieval knights duel to be Defender of the Throne is your thing. We’re not here to judge. You do you.
Whether it’s Medieval Times, the Rainforest Cafe, the slowly waning Margaritaville locations, or Hard Rock Cafe, giant themed restaurants have their place in the U.S. restaurant scene — even with all of their tackiness. That said, one such restaurant just isn’t pulling its weight. Out of the 12 themed restaurants we researched here at Chowhound, this one stood out as the worst in customer reviews. Say hello to Planet Hollywood. The restaurant chain opened in 1991, expanded quickly, then promptly filed for bankruptcy a few years later. Currently, Planet Hollywood only operates in four locations, the most recent of which opened in Times Square in early 2025. Overall, this ’90s throwback receives mostly lackluster reviews.
Why does Planet Hollywood receive bad reviews?
As we mentioned, the chain has four locations as of 2025 — Disney Springs in Orlando, the Los Angeles International Airport, a Las Vegas casino and hotel, and Times Square. While the reviews aren’t terrible across the board, they aren’t always that great either. The Las Vegas location has complaints about price and rude staff. Over at Disney Springs, the food seems questionable. The LA airport location has the worst reviews of the bunch, mostly related to service.
All that said, the newest location in Times Square actually has many good reviews with a 4.6 rating on Google, a 4.7 star rating on Yelp, and a 4.1 star rating on OpenTable. Standouts include the iconic L.A. Lasagna, the jumbo pile of Grande Nachos, and a perfectly cooked cheeseburger. So, even with all the negative reviews, all is not lost when it comes to Planet Hollywood’s more subdued Times Square spot.
While the food and service may be inconsistent across locations, you can bet that you’ll have a fun entertainment experience at Planet Hollywood, if movie memorabilia is your thing. The Orlando location has four stories of entertainment with a 4,500 square-foot video wall, in addition to superhero and Star Wars ephemera. And as we mentioned, the New York City location is a little more lowkey than its counterparts, with very little celebrity-themed posters and movie kitsch. However, with 17,500 square feet of space spread out over three stories, there’s plenty of entertainment options here too. So, if you still have a soft spot for the Planet Hollywood theme, the Times Square location seems to be the best of the bunch. The other three? Enter at your own risk.
