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    The Dinner Detective

    4.3 (76 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndDinner Theater
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

    The Dinner Detective Photos

    THE DINNER DETECTIVE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Dressy
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Check in table.
    Darran J.

    What a great fun time to have, especially for a special occasion dinner experience. Was given this as a birthday gift and was scheduled for the show on 11/2/24. To really get the most out of this experience, it helps to be a bit extroverted as you should try to immerse yourself in the storyline. First, this particular show is held at The Hotel Lulu near Disneyland and The Garden Walk. Nice hotel, standard banquet rooms, hotel was clean, and the hotel staff was friendly. Maybe I should do a separate review for them alone. On to the show... It was really fun. It may not be the right cup of tea for everyone, but we all thought that it was a wonderful time and a great way to be together. I must also add that we are a family who loves to do Escape Rooms and other adventure/thinking/mystery type events together. So, this was right on point for us. This is mainly adults; no young kids so be aware. There were a couple of 15-16-year-olds there for a birthday but no younger ones. Please check the website. BTW, you will be asked to use a fake name for the performance that is written on your nametag. It's OK to be a bit colorful... The jokes could be kind of corny, there is a little slap-stick kind of humor in the performance, and it is not a deep-thinking or serious kind of performance. You are there to have fun and you will. Having known people that have been performers, I can tell you that doing dinner theater is hard, really hard sometimes. Get a bad individual in a group or worse, a crowd that doesn't seem to care at all, and it makes it so much harder on the performers. Everyone in the show was really trying hard, putting forth a good effort, interacting with the guests and working on making it a good time for everyone. Overall, we had a pretty good group at this seating, so it made it easier for the performers to want to be good at what they were doing. The basics, someone is "murdered" and dies in the room. Gotta figure out who did it. And it's someone in the room with you right now. Everyone with a name tag is a suspect. There are several clues, written papers, voice recording transcripts, etc... Some of these are made available to you where you scan a QR code with your phone. Each of the 3 "acts" have a passcode needed to unlock the clues as the night went along. But also, since I just complained about this in another review, they have a paper backup that they put on the wall so you can go look at the clues. So, in case your phone doesn't open the QR clues, you don't have a smartphone, you are older and not tech savvy, you can still access everything that you need. Also, some people, myself included, sometimes like to see everything laid out in front of me. Plus, you can talk to and mix with the others also looking at the clues. Another great way to interact and question others at the murder mystery. I don't want to give away anything about the performers, but we ended up picking 3 of the undercover performers as "suspicious" early on. But as the storyline goes along, that they (the cast) pick 3 suspects from the audience and have you write them down as clues/possible killer. In our case, none of the 3 suspects that they gave us as clues was involved. It was someone else! This may change depending on the version of the story that they are telling that night. So, remember, everyone who has a nametag is a viable suspect at the end. My only real complaint for the night was about the food. The appetizers were good, but the entrees (chicken or Tilapia) were both mediocre at best. Fish was overcooked/cold, chicken was bland/cold, mashed potatoes were very dry/cold. The vegetables were not bad though. The dessert was good but really small, literally one bite. I know that it is hard to blame the dinner theater itself for the food as that is provided by the hotel. But ultimately, if there are complaints about the food, such as mine, it's up to the dinner theater group to hold the hotel accountable since they are paying for it from our fees. Sorry about that. I really want to give a shout out to the performers. Dinner theater can really be a grind, and these guys really worked hard at making it fun. The pacing of the show was really good, they came around to talk to everyone during the "breaks". They kept it light-hearted and kept us moving along on the journey. I highly recommend that if you are looking for something different to go do as a date night, work event, birthday party or guys/girls' night out, that you give this a try. Extra bonus points if you go by yourself and dress/act suspiciously to throw others off of the scent of the real actors...lol Hope you enjoy it!

    Disneyland fireworks after the show
    Caroline N.

    What a fun evening. I loved it! The cast did an excellent job. The food was great! I had chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, excellent veggies, salad and bread. Everyone seemed to have a great time solving the murder. This event was in the LuLu Hotel, a very nice beautiful clean hotel across from Disneyland. After the show we stepped outside and watched the fireworks

    Nana K.

    Ok, this was a fun night! My daughter loves Murder mysteries, so I thought it would be fun for our family to come for our wedding anniversary. The crew is very funny! They know how to engage the crowd, and it was easy to be entertained all night. One star off because I thought the food was mediocre, and the venue as well. It is definitely not the 5 star 5 course meal at a fancy hotel, but we already kind of expected that. Plus part is that their drinks are very affordable! Around $5 for beer and wine, we had more than 10 drinks and paid about $70 total including tip (that's even after we bought some for our new friends at the table lol!) Tip: their pasta (for us) that night was bland. I enjoyed the fish plate much more

    Angela C.

    I've been to a murder mystery dinner over 20 years ago and remember it being super cheesy and kind of lame. I thought maybe it would be a little better now and surprisingly it was really entertaining and my group loved it and was laughing so much. I'm terrible at puzzles, mysteries, trivia type stuff so I didn't really bother with the clues but you can tell they went through a lot of trouble creating the storyline and keeping the show organized and progressing well. The actors were amazing, they were soooo good at improvising and engaging audience members and making relevant jokes. I can see how the evening could've been less fun if the actors weren't good or if the audience refused to participate but we weren't unlucky. I'm not rating the food as I would normally not go out of my way to eat at a hotel or at an event where the establishment has to serve a hundred people all at once, it's rarely ever going to be great (I'm a picky foodie) plus these events are held at different venues so it'll be different food that's not within their control. I will say though the hotel Lulu did a really good job serving everyone timely, I was surprised to see that. I would definitely return and recommend this experience for anyone looking for a good time.

    Salad appetizer ready when you get there

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    4 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Great experience! Had the best time ever, even the dinner was delicious . Definitely will recommend family and friends

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    6 months ago

    Great show! Date night must! Perfect blend of mystery, comedy, and great food! A little expensive on the drinks but to be expected.

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Fun show with great energy! The personal touch and the way the audience is included is my favorite part.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The production was well played. If was engaging and interactive. We enjoyed the food and other guests.

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

    This is definitely a fun activity to do with your friends and coworkers. The staff was so much fun!!

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Our company attented this dinner and a show and i had a blast, thank you for the humorous and entertaining show. Thank you!

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great show and dinner. The actors were awesome and interacted with the crowd. We would definitely come back again.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Actors were awesome. You couldn't tell who was an actor and who wasn't. Great entertainment and great food.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - The Dinner Detective

    Is there adult language on this show?

    The show is geared toward adults, but our actors do not use curse words or bad language. We do have an Age Requirement of 15 and older for all of our events.

    I'm looking for a place to celebrate my son's 18th birthday on September 2nd. Would u be able to accommodate 20 ish people?

    Thanks for thinking of us and inquiring about our shows. Unfortunately your group is not large enough to host a private show, but we would still love to see you and your group at one of our public shows. In order to have a private show, we require… Read more

    Is there a dress code?

    Business Casual

    I did this back in 2015, is the show the same or have they changed it up?

    Hi Josh! We have multiple scripts, so you would have to call our Box Office at 866-496-0535 and let them know which script you originally saw. They can then tell you which script is currently playing! Thanks!

    If you know most of the people st the dinner will it still be a mystery?

    Absolutely! It actually just makes the show more fun, because you have no idea who is a Suspect, and who isn't! But it will not be obvious who the participants are, and everyone will still be going through the clues to try and figure out who the… Read more

    View All 6 Questions

    Review Highlights - The Dinner Detective

    Our company attented this dinner and a show and i had a blast, thank you for the humorous and entertaining show.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Pirates Dinner Adventure

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    We visited Pirates Dinner Adventure on a field trip with 41 students and 4 adults, and overall it…read morewas a great experience. They were very welcoming to our large group, and seating was smooth and well-organized. The service was impressive given our group size--staff stayed attentive and kept things moving efficiently. The show is the highlight--very entertaining, interactive, and engaging from start to finish. They involve the audience often, bringing both kids and adults into the action. The cast includes pirates, a mermaid, a princess, and a captain performing acrobatic and agility stunts that kept everyone fully engaged. We had the basic food package: a garden salad, chicken dinner for adults, and chicken nuggets with mac and cheese for students, plus a brownie for dessert and included soft drinks. The food is simple but good--definitely filling, but not the main attraction. There are also upgraded appetizers, entrées, and desserts available for an additional cost. At $43.95 for a show, drink, and three-course meal, it's a solid value. You'll leave full and entertained--just don't come expecting gourmet dining. Compared to Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, Pirates Dinner Adventure feels more interactive and offers more comfortable seating, with a similar level of food quality. Overall, a fun and memorable experience--especially great for groups and field trips!

    The entire experience was AMAZING! Thank you so much to Mario at the front for helping us with the…read morereservations!! Your thoughtfulness is will be remembered for your help with this. The cast is phenomenal and their voices were just so so beautiful. The dinner was delicious and our server Brianna A. was so kind and professional. We went here for my nieces birthday and the servers were so attentive and wonderful. The lighting, excitement and the tech for the show was so much fun!! Highly recommend this for anyone ready for an adventure to remember :)

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    We were team red and this was our amazing pirate

    Pirates Dinner Adventure - This was the food being passed off as "dinner." (I would argue that it falls into some other category.)

    This was the food being passed off as "dinner." (I would argue that it falls into some other category.)

    Pirates Dinner Adventure - The show was incredible!

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    The Dinner Detective - Bread

    The Dinner Detective

    4.6(160 reviews)
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    My spouse & I had a nice evening with the Dinner Detective in Claremont, CA at the DoubleTree by…read moreHilton hotel. We arrived 15 min early as recommended and waited outside with the others. You are placed in a line and photos are taken and offered as a souvenir for $40. Upon entering the banquet space, you create your "alias" on a name tag to wear throughout your dinner & show. There are audience actor plants & obvious actors who play out the scenes during the dinner service. Each clue is guided by a host and clues are posted on the "wall" (this is virtual clues that you'll scan with your QR code that they place at your tables.) you eventually receive all the clues you need to form your guess on "who done it." It was silly, fun & a nice evening. The actors did a good job & dinner was perfectly fine given the preset menu provided upon your ticket purchase. With my allergy, I was provided a ticket to place at my table so that I would not be served plates with nuts. We were served coffee, tea & water, bread, salad, entree & a dessert (walnut chocolate chip cookies but I was served fruit d/t my allergy). Our table had a nice time investigating bc we were pretty sure someone at our table was the murderer. Would recommend if you're looking for a unique & fun thing to do that doesn't require a lot of physical effort & is entertaining.

    What a fun and unique experience! We arrived on time, and dinner didn't start until around 6:30, so…read moreyou have some flexibility if you don't arrive exactly at 6. The show itself was well done and interesting. It doesn't require you to actively participate, as there are actors around the room, but it's great if you do want to get involved. The food was surprisingly good, both the fish and the chicken were tasty. I'd say this is an experience worth checking out, especially since they often run deals online. Parking - It's at the DoubleTree, and there's plenty of parking around.

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    The Dinner Detective
    The Dinner Detective - Brownie dessert

    Brownie dessert

    The Dinner Detective - Salad to start.

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    Salad to start.

    IPIC Pasadena

    IPIC Pasadena

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    I went to watch a movie here with my wife during the last showing of the night. My ring was…read morebothering me, so I took it off and placed it on the table next to our seats -- you can literally see it in the pictures on my phone from that night. Unfortunately, after the movie ended, I forgot to put it back on and left it there. Since it was the last showing, there were no movies after ours, so nobody else should've been in that theater besides staff cleaning up. I called the theater nonstop that same night and nobody answered. The very next morning, I was the first person to walk into the theater when they opened... and surprise, the ring was gone. LOL. Really disappointing experience, especially considering how expensive and "luxury" this theater tries to present itself as. I expected much better customer service and honesty.

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    Elementa at The Gallery

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    Dinner, show and theater combined? Yes please. Everyone was…read moreover the moon and excited! The theme that we experienced was earth, water, air and fire! Every element had a theme that changes with each course. The menus included: Roots and dirts, hamachi, kabocha, eggplant and Paducah, tenderloin and mushroom, ube for desert! A neat experience but somewhat pricy considering all the extra fees/add ons and also tips and drinks were not included- the $200 food package does come with drinks (not even soft drinks). In addition, there was a service fee for each package that you purchase as well. Parking is a block away and no valet - plan ahead. We thought the food was just OK. Every dish was cold which we thought was odd. We had a birthday in our party and I even emailed them asking to see if they could put a candle on the dessert - they said no but they will be doing something special. I also noticed others who celebrated birthdays had happy birthday written next to their name - that was not the case in our party. On top of that, at the end of the night they gave us a bill for a meal that we prepaid in full. Overall, I was disappointed in the food - it felt like a dry/ practice run on opening day except the price did not reflect that. The staff was very nice and friendly.

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    @drafthousela we went today and I was so disappointed how this movie theater has changed. For what…read moreso yall can have more profit and less people to pay. The food was horrible, the QR code is terrible the hospitality is terrible. I'm from Texas and after Alamo was bought by another corporation I knew it would change but not this bad. Fix this theater. LA barely has any good theaters and it's sad how this one is going downhill. I don't blame the workers I blame upper management. Bring me back the old school Alamo drafthouse. @drafthouse I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED. On top of barely getting a real meal the price was 80 bucks! We didn't even get beers.

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    The Dinner Detective - dinnertheater - Updated May 2026

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