The show is excellent, the dinner was average and good. The biggest issue was no air conditioning on one of the hottest days of the year, the waitress was ring and wet with sweat running down her face, and we were so hot and miserable we had to leave during intermission. And then during intermission they don't turn the lights on so you can see the steps and somebody fell. We were worried about the steps, but you really can't see them in the dark so they really need to turn the lights on during intermission when people are going to the restroom. And they need to get the air conditioning fixed because we won't be going back until they do it was really a bad experience with the heat, very uncomfortable so much so we couldn't enjoy the show we paid for read more

Really good food, service and show. I was very pleasantly surprised. Dinner was hot, moist and tasty. Servers were hustling and working hard. The Bootleggers and the show was very well done. read more

I attended an event for Augustana filmmakers. The venue is great and a perfect location for this area. However, the man running the place and the bar was overly drunk and kept interrupting the whole event. he was answering his phone and talking loudly. At one point someone asked him to leave if he wanted to talk on the phone. If we want to keep places like this alive in our community this place needs to do better at hiring. read more

Food was ok. At our table we sat with strangers which is ok but not enough room to be comfortable at.

I decided that I needed to break my review down : 1. Seating process 5/5: As soon as we showed our ticket, we were promptly taken to our table. 2. Comfort of seating/view 3/5: Our group was a group of 4. I felt like I was almost in the aisle and in the way of others trying to pass by. It felt very cramped. For taller individuals, seating is tight. 3. Dinner: 3/5: For dinner, you have the choice from 4 entrees. Pork chop, seafood, chicken cordon Bleu, or pasta. I had the pork chop. Potatoes and broccoli served as side. I'm not a fan of broccoli. With your entree, you have the choice of salad with French dressing or cottage cheese. Salad was ok. 4. Add ons: 5/5: I ordered one cocktail, meatballs, and the signature dessert. Honestly, I enjoyed my dessert more than my meal! The three add ons were $26 total, which I found to be very reasonable. 5. Show: 3/5. I was torn on this one. I am not sure if it's more the plot of the play or the volume. I found some of the actors difficult to hear. 6. Service: 4/5. Brad was our bootlegger for the evening. He seemed to have lots of tables but was friendly. So average would be 3.8 which I have rounded my review up to 4 stars. Decent experience and would return if there is a show that interests me. read more

Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse - Signature dessert - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Rock Island, Illinois

4 stars because the shows are amazing but the food is pretty bland! their actors are really good and the atmosphere is very enjoyable we always have such a good time here. I just wish their food was good and it would be perfect! read more

Great shows and the food is delicious! I have been there several times and it is always fabulous!

As soon as we were seated the waiter brought water and took orders for a beverage. Our orders for our choice of salad and entree were taken and soon served. It was entertaining just watching the 'bootleggers'. The food was exceptionally delicious. Service was very good. The wait staff took good care of us. Looking forward to coming to another show next year. I come from 90 miles west of Rock Island. read more

The Childrens Shows are a really fun experience! Run time is usually around an hour, so it is captivating for kids and adults of all ages. the atmosphere cannot be beat, think of it as a "Core Memory"! No bootleggers or meal served, so the ticket price is low. There are some snacks and beverages available for purchase in the lobby ($2 each). read more

Very wonderful and good food. Good service. Very good seating and excellent program. Was my first experience there. Loved it.

This was the first time for me at Circa 21 and also the first for attending a dinner theatre. The musical Mamma Mia was excellent. The atmosphere and setup of the theatre is so pleasing and comfortable. The wait staff are not only efficient and helpful, but very talented as they also performed on stage with song and dance. We attended the matinee and I forgot to call ahead for a special meal (vegetarian and gluten-free). Well, they were so accommodating on no-notice and the meal they put together for me was absolutely delicious. I will definitely go to Circa 21 again. read more

Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse - Vegetarian, gluten-free meal. Flavorful! - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Rock Island, Illinois

Just saw The Outsiders today. It was the best show I've seen there! Food and service was outstanding! 10-25-23

If you're a picky eater, you won't like the food. Period. My teens and I all did not like the food. Mamma Mia should NOT be rated PG. Nor is Grumpy Old Men, I've eard. A lot of sexual jokes, etc and the description did not imply it would be this way. Inappropriate, imo. Do not take your family or fruends to this. Hey, don't even take YOUR SELF to this. PG? Definitely NOT PG. read more

Okay... I wish I were able to give more stars because our OVERALL experience was good. We bought tickets to see White Christmas as a birthday gift to my mom. We figured this would be a great place to spend an evening. It's been 15+ years since we've been to Circa 21 and figured if the place is still up and running now, any previous negative experience must have been resolved at this point. Considering the location and general lack of accessibility to great theater in these parts, the show was good! We enjoyed seeing our waiter Brad performing on stage and the show had some stand out numbers that were well done. Good job Brad! Unfortunately, the food was so bad that none of us could eat it. At best, the food could be likened to hospital cafeteria cuisine... but even that seems to be giving it too much credit. Everyone at our table ordered something different so this wasn't a scenario where just one meal was prepared poorly, this was a ACROSS THE BOARD failure. I'm shocked they are even allowed to serve it. The food tasted like it had been sitting in an vat of oil for hours. The chicken picatta was covered in a congealed cream sauce with capers... the sauce served as merely a vessel to cover an unseasoned, seemingly boiled and sad piece of chicken breast. The mashed potatoes were so over seasoned I spit them into my napkin. And don't get me started on the carrots... it brought me right back to Bishops buffet in the 90s. The meal was vile. A family friend said she had gone to the show a couple nights earlier and the food was exceptional... so I guess this could have just been a bad night? I cannot fathom someone getting the same plate of food that we had and calling it "exceptional" and if so I have some serious questions. Either way, I face a dilemma. The show, service, and overall environment was pretty good and it made for a memorable evening for my family. The wait staff was kind and accommodating. We laughed a lot. But we would not return for the food alone... no way, no how. If we were to come back, we would eat beforehand and just come for the show. If Circa 21 were able to improve their food service significantly, it would be worth giving 4 stars but nothing about it is truly a 5 star experience. read more

Awesome place for a dinner and show. The buffet dinner was chicken ham smashed potatoes and vegetables The dinner is served by singing bootleggers For desert the collosal and a golden Cadillac read more

Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse - The main stage for sister act - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Rock Island, Illinois

food was terrible. not cooked. service was alright tho. An interesting atmosphere in the room, with a Native American theme. that was the only good part. Water was terrible read more

It's been a while since I've been here, but the food is still excellent. While I do miss the buffet, I do enjoy most of the options that are available for their plated dinner. read more

My family and I had the most enjoyable evening at Circa 21 last night (12/18/22). The play White Christmas was amazing. So much talent in this show. This is our third time coming to Circa 21 for our Christmas outing. I'm sure we will be back next year. One reason we do come back is the outstanding service we get from Brad and his staff. Makes a world of difference when you have a great waiter. He makes you feel like royalty. I would definitely recommend going to Circa 21 for the experience. it will be a night that you will remember. read more

We have enjoyed Circa 21 for 40 years! I would give it a 5, except to alert you to a couple things. Do not sit at the front table on the far left. The flood lights are right on your eyes. The acoustics in that spot were not good for any of our table of 6. 2 of us needs the headsets, which kept cutting out. read more

A smaller, fun historic dinner theatre. We came to see Yeston & Kopit's The Phantom and our experience was excellent! The dinner was served buffet style. Everything was served hot and fresh. Bottomless drinks too! The wait staff (aka bootleggers) were super friendly and you can tell they love working there. The singers were phenomenal! Costume was on point and I feel the small size of the venue gave for awesome acoustics. Definitely worth a trip to the QC! read more

Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse - Stage setup for The Phantom - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Rock Island, Illinois

Went there for the Buddy Holly show. It was a great show. Dinner was your choice of pulled pork sandwich, chicken salad on croissant or a beer brat. With potato chips. All were served on paper plates with a plastic fork. The chicken salad was so bland it was hard to distinguish it from the croissant. The beer brat was good.....but they didn't have catsup or mustard..we asked. The pulled pork was ok. Appetizers were egg rolls, stuffed potato skins or chips and salsa. We all ordered egg rolls....soggy and Luke warm. Dessert was good. The ticket price was $45/couple. Dinner $25 / couple. Then drinks were usual prices. A bargain IT WAS NOT. SORRY I DIDNT EAT SOMEWHERE ELSE BEFORE WE WENT TO THE SHOW. read more

I just returned from my first visit to the Playhouse. We went to see Saturday Night Fever! It was an amazing experience. The performance was one of the best I have ever seen. I was so impressed with the choreography and the spirit of the cast! The dinner was very tasty and the servers (who also performed a preview event) were very friendly and hard working. I am definitely looking for the next chance to go! The price too was VERY reasonable for the food and the quality of the musical. It was so great to see so many dedicated individuals get a chance to show their skills on stage! read more

This place used be to really good. Of course the performances remain normally very good, but the food has gone downhill. The quality of the food preparation is average - nothing spectacular, and definitely not worth the price paid for it. You are stuck with a single entree, and if you don't like any of the choices - "that's too bad". And when you buy the tickets you don't know what is being prepared so you can't even make an informed decision whether buy the ticket or not. There are better restaurants and entertainment venues in the area. I recommend you skip this place and go somewhere else. read more

This review is actually for the Circa 21 speakeasy which is the other building they own which is attached. We went and saw the Windy City dueling pianos which was an awesome show. Tons of high energy and the guys were extremely funny. They do serve beer and food inside here and mixed drinks. They do pack you in pretty tight to maximize the amount of people in here but it's an awesome time!!!! read more

Okay, I should qualify these comments and admit right away that dinner theater (or brunch theater in this case) is not exactly my cup of tea...but the kids really wanted to see the featured Christmas production and 'tis the season and all that...so ho ho ho, here we go! "Jingle Arrgh The Way" is an entirely uninspired Jolly Roger-Santa Claus mashup. To be fair, the cast struggled mightily to inject some life into this rather tedious little tale, but it was uphill all the way. Able seaman Max (Antoinette Holman) was the standout with a mostly on-point Jamaican accent, an infectious smile, and a rather impressive singing voice too; first mate Swill, on the other hand, looked like he'd recently climbed out the wrong side of the hammock having previously imbibed a tot too many, which I suppose is at least appropriate for a pirate. The rest of the cast ranged from good (Capt. Braid Beard) to just good-enough (the not particularly jolly Santa Claus), and the kids were only modestly entertained. All in all, I would have to call this production a miss. The venue itself was much more impressive. The Fort Armstrong Theater is actually a listed building, and the art deco period architecture is very easy on the eye. Yes, it's a little old and creaky inside, the sloping gangways undulate quite alarmingly in places, and the dining set-up is uncomfortably compressed...but the stage itself is quite breathtaking, including some beautiful relief frescoes around the arch. The staff were friendly enough, not particularly enthusiastic, but certainly attentive and remarkably adept at navigating the tight spaces, hidden steps, warped carpeting and overcrowded walkways. If only the cooks were half as competent...because I have to say, taking the experience as a whole, the food was by far the worst part of the overall presentation. I understand that they're trying to cater to kids, but really, not a single fresh fruit or vegetable? Worst of all was the macaroni and cheese, which looked and tasted like wallpaper paste. Even the kids rejected it, which is a pretty tough review. At least the coffee was halfway decent, and the hostess kept my cup topped up throughout, which helped to stave off the yawns. Overall, yes, an okay experience for sure; no major complaints aside from the scurvy buffet, and the building itself is definitely worth a visit. Also, Ms. Holman, NUH GYAL NUH MORE DAN YUH! MEK IT GWAAN, SINGER! read more

We have enjoyed all the shows that we have gone too. The buffets are nice and the desserts are delicious. Our youngest son is not b a broadway show person. But, he enjoys them at Circa and even ask to go to one. read more

Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Rock Island, Illinois

I was originally going to give Circa 21 3 stars, but I felt basing a good portion of the review on their food would be unfair. We saw Church Basement Ladies here over Easter, and the show was very good. The performances were great, the writing was OK. It often relied on comedic torture for laughs, and the "we're funny because we're Minnesotan" schtick got tiring. The cast was excellent, and they really could have excelled given better material. Now for the food.. Whoever mentioned the word cuisine and Circa 21 in the same review might want to get out more often. Please fire your "chef" and start over. I've had better food at grade school cafeterias. When the highlight (and I use the term loosely) of your meal is the soup, there is room for immediate improvement. This is a neat, unique place to see a show if you ever wind up in Rock Island, IL, but either eat before hand or plan to eat afterward. read more

My parents and I saw "Hairspray" here a few weekends ago. Amazing show, I would highly recommend it to anyway who enjoys musicals. Now on to the venue.... Tickets are $50 and they include your meal and show. I would love the option to buy a lower price ticket that excludes the buffet. This is because the food sub-par. (No need to go into detail, as every other review confirms this). They include water, coffee, or tea in your ticket price, but not soda, flavored teas, or other drinks. This would have been good to know, as we got totally ripped off on drinks. My father got a teeny tiny soda that he got refilled at least twice. We were charged $2.50 for the soda and every refill!!! I got a flavored tea that was also in that price range! I felt cheated. We had no idea these drinks were not part of the included meal. The building is really old and smelly. My clothes and hair stunk even after I was home for a good 3 hours after going there. The chairs are not comfortable. If you were only there for the 2-3 hour show, the discomfort would not be unbearable. HOWEVER, they drag out the meal and pre-show so it becomes a 4+ hour event. Now, can I please vent about this preshow that they make everyone sit through before the actual play starts.... Torture. Pure TORTURE! This was probably 45 minutes to an hour of song and dance by the waitstaff. It felt like it would never end. The choreography was the epitome of cheesy. The performers were far far faaaaaaaar from talented singers or dancers. This sounds so rude, but the whole thing was more embarrassing then entertaining. I would highly suggest scrapping it and getting on with the show that we all paid to see. read more

We are frequent flyers at Circa 21. The last few times the food has been horrible. We love the performances so we continue to come, sad thing we prepare ourselves to be starving until after the show and we can eat at a restaurant. Food quality is cafeteria style. This last time takes the cake, the food was the worst. I'm hoping this review will get into the right hands to fix this issue. We love coming here besides the food. Yelp please help!!! read more

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Amazing and funny! I loved it!! The characters were on point and just blew us off thE stage. Looking forward to next year

This is a beautifully restored theatre that is a dinner theatre. The servers are bootleggers and perform a pre-show. They always servers a great buffet style dinner, have unique drinks and deserts and excellent performances and shows. Great place for dates, anniversary or birthday celebrations our just a nice evening out. read more

Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse - a stage with a mountain backdrop - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Rock Island, Illinois

My husband and I have been season ticket holders (subscribers) for 15 years and have always had a wonderful time! The food is good and cooked onsite (not catered). The menu changes for each show so you aren't eating the same thing for each show. They bring in Broadway shows like Cats, Phantom, and West Side Story and the acting is ALWAYS top notch! The Bootleggers (wait staff) are amazing. They not only serve you but also perform for you before each show. Remember to tip them well, a good rule of thumb is taking your drink and dessert cost plus half your ticket cost and giving 15% to 20%. Enjoy your show!! read more

We went in April 2019 to a murder mystery show and it was fantastic! The servers (bootleggers) were incredibly talented and very attentive - and the food was delicious! A wide variety of meats and veggies and delicious desserts - didn't even mind that desserts were extra cost. A wonderful evening that we continue to talk about and recommend! read more

LOVED the show Hairspray however the food is definitely lacking and the chairs are SO TERRIBLY uncomfortable. Sitting in these chairs for over 4 hours is way too long. I left with a sore TUSH, BACK, and NECK from sitting sideways. LOVE the atmosphere and the theatre and concept but the accomodations are NOT up to par!! read more

Last night my mom took me to Circa' 21. It's a theatre where they serve dinner & then a show. The wait staff also does a preshow & performs themselves. It's really cool. She took me for my birthday to see "Buddy," the Buddy Holly story. Yeah, I know it's a little belated considering it was back in September, but this was the first show that even sounded interesting. I didn't know for sure if I would like it because of how old the music was. Come to find out I really enjoyed it. There was a lot of music that I knew & liked. The actors & actresses were very talented. You could tell they have been doing this show for awhile now b/c they had it down to a tee. The guy who played Buddy did an awesome job portraying his character. Not only could this guy act, he was an awesome singer & guitarist. The two men playing his band were just as good. The drummer blew it through the roof. I felt like I was at a rock concert, now a musical. The rest of the crowd was getting into it, too, singing & dancing. If you have a chance to go see it, it's playing from January 16-March 22. Can check it out at: http://www.circa21.com BUDDY - The Buddy Holly Story This huge Broadway and international smash hit is a musical celebration of the legendary 50's singer/songwriter. The unique mixture of innocence, determination, humor, and charm that was Buddy Holly is all wrapped up in a package that truly deserves the billing: "The World's Most Successful Rock & Roll Musical". Enjoy songs "That'll Be The Day", "Chantilly Lace", "La Bamba", "Johnny B Goode" and many more! Rating: G The person that plays Buddy, Toddy Meredith, has also currently released a cd of Buddy Holly covers and Buddy inspired original songs called Not Fade Away. You can actually locate his website on myspace: www.myspace.com/notfadeawayrocks. read more

This is actually a very fun place to go eat dinner have a few drinks and watch a funny play or even a good play my sister got married at Circa 21 with her first husband and it was perfect but any other time I've been there for what Circa 21 does I've had a great time prices are a little bit heavy but other than that it's a great place to hang out and have fun I definitely would recommend it read more

Circa 21 is great, so when they expanded into the neighboring building to open up a new comedy club, I thought to myself, it's going to be great. I was correct. The Speakeasy used to be a ComedySportz place (family friendly comedy), but they moved across the street and restored another building and now we have a family friendly and another comedy club (The Speakeasy) where, if he was still alive, I imagine that Richard Pryor would do a show at...which would be sweet, because that guy is a riot. If you're looking for some laughs (without small children around) this is the place to be. read more

Other people hit the nail on the head- the food isn't great, but the shows and talent are fantastic. Every show I go to there has been done very well. The food is a buffet style with a salad or soup to start with. $50 per person is a good price for an entire evening. Tonight, we lucked out because the chicken was fantastic. Baked to perfection and wasn't dry at all. They offer drinks and desserts that are brought out during intermission. I disagree with the girl who says the place smells. I did not notice that. read more

The first dinner playhouse I have ever been to and it definitely set the bar high. I have been to a couple in bigger cities and Circa 21 definitely keeps up! You can't beat a meal and a show for $50 a person! The talent is outstanding and the servers are so personable! read more

A delightful experience. Although it is buffet sryle the food was good, the service wonderful, and to my surprise the theater was on par with the likes of Chicago, New York, and Toronto. I have to admit that when my partner in crime made reservations I snubbed my nose because I thought "Oh God, does he not realize I've been to some of the best entertainment in Metropolitan cities." Shame on me! The actors were great and the hospitality better! I would go again and highly recommend the experience. Hidden jewel of the Quad cities. read more