The theatrics were entertaining, fun to interact with a room full of people and work as a team. The food was tasty too and was a filling 4 course meal. All in all, a fun way to spend a Saturday night! I would definitely recommend this business! read more

It was a lot of fun. The actors did a good job of including the audience in a casual and fun way. Would recommend!

Dinner Detective claims they sent an email 1 hour before the show and cancelling, that was not the case, everyone showed up to find out the show was cancelled and I received no email explaining anything, they totally ruined my kid's birthday leaving us with no reservations anywhere else in Orange County for dinner on a Saturday night with a group of 7. This is completely unprofessional and unacceptable and refunds should have been given immediately as I had to shell out another $500 to do something else that night. Won't be rescheduling because her bday is over. I want my money back. read more

Love the show, the actors were fantastic and would indeed have friends come and see the show.

Great storyline and ambitious. Food and service was ok. Will come back. It was a lot of fun with the family.

SO SO much fun! The actors and actresses were great food was awesome! good company too! we came out in a group for a bachelorette party and we had a blast! 10/10 will definitely be back and will reccommend ! read more

The show was absolutely wonderful. Funny funny funny! Food was good,small portions. Definitely would do again and again!

We love the dinner detective! We went for our anniversary and had a great time. I even won the prize! The food is pretty good. We both had the fish, which was phenomenal. The vegetable and potatoes are okay. The dessert was carrot cake, which was very good. A lot of people thought we were the culprits lol. Overall, amazing experience, fun actors, good food, and nice venue. Thank you, Dinner Detective! read more

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Great show that was very entertaining! I would highly recommend this as a fun event with family and friends. Definitely take many notes and always be listening. I cannot recommend highly enough. read more

Great energy. Show and actors are fun and very professional. Well worth the money and had a great time

What a great time! First off the food was amazing! That alone is honestly worth the price but then you get a completely interactive show with actual real professional actors! I had to look up the names after the show to see where I had seen some of these somewhat familiar faces and YES! A few of the cast members I actually saw on commercials and on TV! If you're not into an interactive night of fast paced improvised witty comedy then this show is not for you. If you want to be a part of an interactive night of fun and mingle with new people, have some really tasty food and be entertained by a super talented staff then you've got the right ticket! Already planning on checking out another venue in Long Beach as from what I have read, they have different mysteries to solve at their other locations! Great times and thanks again to everyone for such a fun night!! read more

Was such a blast! The actors were so funny and put on a great show! Definitely recommend :)

The Dinner Detective show was offered at two locations (Long Beach and Anaheim) and we choose Anaheim location at the Sheraton 5 Point. First, the actors in the show were all entertaining, especially the male detective character. The banquet room was not ideal for this type of venue. My party was seated at the far end of the banquet room and could not see anything when there was a scene where actors were on the floor in the middle of the room, and most of the interactive activities with the dinner guests around the room we could not see due to a half wall where we were seated against. The location of our table was the absolute worst in the room! The food was mediocre at best with uncooked vegetables and hard lumpy mashed potatoes; too bad because it looked good. In addition, the service staff was understaffed so the serving of the food was painfully slow with the two servers running back and forth from the kitchen transporting two plates at a time to service 10 tables with 10 people at each table. It was painful to watch the service staff. Doesn't the kitchen have a serving cart where the staff can bring in more than two dinner plates at a time?? Overall experience from the seating location where we could not see most of the interactions within the room to the food and service does not warrant the price tag I paid $69 plus tax! The instructions from the host of the dinner was also not very clear and we muddled along with poor view of the show, bad food, and service. I would not recommend this location for this show. You might get seated at a horrible table like we were that may limit your experience. Not worth the money in my opinion. read more

This is the best dinner show in Orange county. I have never laughed so hard in my life. My husband and I will definitely be returning and bringing our friends. The dessert seemed a bit rushed but overall it was an amazing experience. read more

The Dinner Detective - The salad and water at the very begining. There is assigned seating - Dinner Theater Near Me - Orange, California

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Acting gets 4.3 stars, the whole experience gets 2. When I was told that we were going to a murder mystery dinner, it seemed interesting,.... however, it was nothing like I imagined. It took place in a crowded room in the hotel and I wondered where the actors would perform. There was no murder mystery atmosphere. They had to sometimes squeeze between tables. Their costumes were practically nonexistent, except a gun strapped to their waists. I guess this was a modern casual version of a murder mystery. They looked like the rest of us. What really bothered me was that they handed out a lot of reading materials and had us walk up to other tables to interview strangers. I was there for a show and dinner, not for having to bother strangers who were no doubt as uncomfortable as I was. I just wanted to eat my food and enjoy a show as it happened around us. I couldn't really concentrate on what was written in the hand-outs, because I was trying to get drunk so that I'd get more comfortable. Fair warning to anyone who is the introverted type, they really try to make you participate. If you end up going, make sure to get plastered. It will make it a slightly better, less awkward experience. They will also seat you with strangers if your party is smaller than 10... so now not only do you have to endure the interactive show, you'll also have to make small talk with strangers if you don't want to seem rude. The food was alright, but it took a while for the main course to come out. You have to decide what you want to eat prior to the day of the show. The choices are chicken, fish or vegetarian. No details as to what fish or how it's prepared. The whole thing seemed to last a couple of hours...or an eternity. Would I do this particular show again? No. The actors were good and had a few funny jokes, but for me the experience was somewhat painful and way too interactive. I would have preferred something with less interaction and more murder mystery atmosphere. Did I mention this whole thing was VERY expensive??? Did I also mention that at the end of the show the coordinators of the show asked us to give the actors tips, because they don't get paid much????! Don't do it. Not worth the money. I can think of a thousand ways to spend that kind of money and it sure as hell wouldn't be for a mediocre mystery dinner show. Jeebus... just.... don't. read more

I had a blast! The show was excellent and very funny. I had the vegetarian dish and it was wonderful. They give you a good helping of food too.The dessert was chocolate cake and it was superb. I can't wait to see another show. Great job guys. read more

This is not a boring passive stage presentation. Not a stand up comedy of scripted raunchy jokes. It is ad hoc humor appropriate for age 15 and up. I loved seeing my high school son laugh constantly during a family night out together. Grandparents would not be offended. It is a unique opportunity to participate in a fun filled, be not-yourself night. Ask a stranger if she is a brain surgeon. Tell someone you are a gourmet chef. It is all part of the mystery and fun. The food was way better than restaurant food. The two teens cleaned their plates for each course .... that is saying something !! The room was comfortable. The actors were quick with fresh jokes and the staff was extra friendly. The murder script was different from the on-site corporate team building event I attended so when you have the best time and think "oh, I bet so and so would love this...." go again with them and you won't be bored !! read more

The Dinner Detective - My son had to explain this guy's name to me ...... lol. Wtg high school Spanish !!! - Dinner Theater Near Me - Orange, California

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So the previous reviews are pretty accurate. We went as a big group. A couple things... The food was terrible, it was catered by the hotel. Most people didnt even finish it. It was definitely over priced (greater than $70). Would have like to have spent the money on something else. Actors were humorous, but it is more of a tongue and cheek performance. Couldn't exactly understand how one was supposed to figure out who the "murderer" was. The clues were confusing and not helpful. We just left confused with how we were supposed to come up with the murderer. Spending the extra $$$ to make someone a suspect was probably the highlight. In summary, not worth the cost of the event. Just became an average costly evening without satistaction and with bearly edible food. read more

I had my first dinner detective experience last week and it was very interesting. It was okay, but not spectacular. The Good: The actor's were hilarious and extremely entertaining. Their humor kept me laughing the majority of the time. I enjoyed the audience interaction and the fact that the actors that were dispersed throughout the audience. The Bad: The event was supposed to start at 12:30, but started at least 30+ minutes late. Everyone was hungry because this was supposed to be lunch. The food was decent, but we were promised iced tea, coffee and salads and we were not given any of those items. When the staff was asked, they said we would have to pay $3 for coffee and acted funny time about the iced tea, which was all supposed to be included in our package. Eventually they brought it because enough people were asking for it. The show was good, but it dragged on too long. We were supposed to be done at 3:30 and by that time, the killer wasn't even revealed. Every time I thought they were about to solve the mystery, they would announce that it was time for a break! I did enjoy my time there, but it just seems like the pace of the show was too long. If they could keep it under 2 hours it would be much better. I started zoning out towards the end. read more

I was in a great mood and went into this very positive and excited. It was NOT funny. The actors are just yelling and being obnoxious the entire time. The humor seemed to be for 10 year olds (if even that) and wasn't witty or clever in the least bit. There was very little plot, aside from the many sheets of paper they give you to read on your own and attempt to solve. Who has time for that? It was too convoluted to be enjoyable. Very little was about the actual mystery and murder. It was mainly senseless yelling and annoying repetitive references to social media that wasn't even funny. The hidden actors were also obvious. The prize for the first person to solve the mystery was a cup and tickets to another show! Why would anyone do that to themselves? That sounds like a punishment, rather than a prize. The appetizers never came to our table... I guess that's not a big deal, but why did certain tables get served and others didn't? That doesn't seem fair if everyone is a paying customer. The worst part of the night BY FAR was all the waiting and SO MUCH down time! We were told to arrive early, but had to wait in the lobby over 15 minutes past the start time. The check in process was very slow and didn't begin on time, seating was late, the show began late, and dinner wasn't served until literally 2 HOURS AFTER the show started! Absolutely ridiculous. There was also LOTS of time in between courses. All the starting and stopping made me so tired. The evening was supposed to end at 9:15, but dragged on until after 10 PM. We nearly gave up dessert and went home. The rest of the food was mediocre. The overpriced, low quality pictures looked worse than photos I've taken with my smart phone. If you're going to charge $35 for one picture, then at least make it good quality! The one upside was that people were friendly and the service was polite, but that's not nearly enough to save this awful night. I will try Murder Mystery another time, in hopes that it will be remotely close to all the positive reviews out there, but this negative experience has made me very reluctant to do so. read more

We went there for a mystery dinner first one I've ever been to and it was awesome the actors were great the service also thank you for a great dinner and entertainment I know I will recommend it to anyone that hasn't done one to try it it is a lot of fun and please tip the actors they all deserve it. For now The Judge is ruling this performance a five star performance. read more

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This is about a 4.5 star affair... This is our 2nd time "sniffing in" on their detective dinner tour. I think we were at a Santa Ana Embassy Suites last time. This hotel lobby seemed a bit nicer and the line was formed when we arrived so we guesstimated correctly where to line up. The HOST was friendly upon checking us in and was lively as he kept us informed along the way. The room and group size were smaller than last time but the food was comparable. The SALMON may have been a touch overdone for my palate but I have a genuine disdain for dry food of any type. It tasted good and the veggies were nicely prepared as well. The WHEAT ROLLS with butter were especially good. We arrived barely in time so the APPETIZERS came and went before we barely got a taste. The VEGETARIAN PASTA (w/spaghetti) looked pretty good with mushrooms and other tasty veggies. However, it was drowning a bit in a cream sauce. The STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE in a martini glass was spot-in with vanilla ice cream, fresh strawberries, angel food or pound cake, drizzled sauce, whipped cream etc. THANK YOU for not going with the standard chocolate cake (I can't eat chocolate). The LATINO COP was back and his schtick hasn't grown tired. He mispronounces things on perfect and on occasion will have trouble not laughing at himself as he delivers a line. He is still pretty much in full-on "perv mode" which adds to the performance. The FEMALE COP plays very well off him as well. The HOST and COPS will interview various suspects and at times it can be slightly difficult to tell who is an actor and who isn't. If you're really paying attention you can usually tell. Although there was a very pretty tall and thin brunette who I swore was an actor and as the night wore on it was clear she wasn't. They gather your evidence midway through and I believe they use this to change directions as to who the murderer is in order to make it more difficult. That is my suspicion anyway... As usual, I went away from my PRIMARY SUSPECT and chose "Mumbles" which was way off base as he wasn't even an actor. All in all, its good entertainment, nice ambiance with good value and good food for the costs associated. read more

We had a large family group and we had a great time! Very funny! The food was great and nicely served! They even exchanged one meal for our gluten-free guest! All in all a fun evening!! read more

Just got back from the show and it was a blast! You show up and check in at the hotel lobby, then you're led down the hall into a smaller meeting room. Basics; - Ticket includes show, dinner (your pre-selected choice of entree) and dessert - You can pay extra to be involved, but even if you don't the actors still get people from the audience involved. - Parking is 8$ Pros: - fun & interactive - lots of clues - you get to create your own fake name and identity (I had on a red dress, so I called myself miss herring lol) - no theme - actors are mixed in with diners - staff is courteous - detectives are super funny - you can be called on to participate or be interrogated at random Cons: Food was mediocre at best. Edible, but bland and small portions. Salad was good. -for a drink other than water you have to pay - for first half, action was mostly on other side of room *****POSSIBLE SPOILERS***** Suspect was way too obvious, didn't make much sense, but was fun. Basically, the more you interact with other guests the more you'll get out of it. Would definitely go again!! :) read more

Great performance! The host and actresses were awesome and kept everyone entertained! During break they kept asking us questions and were very involved! Highly recommended! read more

Great food and even better entertainment! I went with my husband Chris, we got a 4 course meal all while trying to figure out a who-dun-it mystery. We went last year and are hoping to go again this year. The whole staff and cast were wonderful and engaging. read more

My beloved fiancé took me to this event for my birthday and embarrassed the heck out of me! (He paid a little extra for me to be a murder "suspect!") My photo, which he'd sneakily handed to the actors beforehand, was taped to the wall and everything for a majority of the show. What an experience! Now for my review of the entertainment and food: The actors were funny, charming and interactive, and the food itself was quite tasty. (Yummy cheesecake!) They plant actors at each table as well, which is cool, so you could easily be seated next to a "murderer" the whole night. The atmosphere (or lack of) did take away from the vibe, IMO, and the boom box mood music felt outdated. Some of the humor came across as over the top and just plain silly (though it wasn't intended to be), yet I appreciated the actors' high energy levels and enthusiasm from start to finish. The mystery itself was fairly clever; however, there was a lot of reading materials and such. In other words, this is NOT a passive event - by the very design of the show, you're not only required to participate and take action, but you literally have to walk around and "interrogate" the other dinner guests. Yup, you gotta get off your butt and do some detective work. But hey, this kind of thing may be your cup of tea - and that's awesome! Personally, I found this setup to be pretty awkward, tiresome and uncomfortable. Overall, I recommend this as a unique, try-it-once experience, though I wouldn't go back a second time. Some parts of the show dragged, there was quite a bit of "downtime," and as a shyer gal (this critique is totally subjective, mind you!), I felt uncomfortable being forced to engage with complete strangers. In hindsight, I probably would've enjoyed this part a bit more if I'd slapped back a few drinks (jk . . . !). Months later I still turn red when I think of my photo hanging on that wall and how I was interrogated in front of everyone . . . If you decide to give this a try and are able to, I recommend paying the extra fee to have a bf/gf/buddy "framed" (I apologize - I don't know how much this add-on actually costs). It's worth it - the actors make an effort to include your friend "suspect" into the murder plot line. Also, be sure to print out a BIG photo - and I mean close to poster size - so everyone in the room can really see it! This will ensure your experience is a memorable one, though your friend may never forgive you! ;-) read more

This was such a fun show!! They had the whole room laughing and engaging one another. They whole show flowed so well that we were entertained the whole time. By the time we sat down at table #3, salad was already served! Bread and butter too. We all ordered the chicken and I was a bit nervous but, it was pretty good with some nice fresh veggies. I saw another diner order the fish, and the salmon looked good! They have a cash bar inside the room that was convenient. Venue is beautiful, we had a few drinks at the hotel bar. The actors are by far the best part of the night. Funny little tag lines like " I will shoot you right in the eyeball "! I'd definitely go again!! read more

We have been two times- this never disappoints! So much fun and great people! Who cares if you get the answer when the show is so entertaining!!! read more

I was really excited for this experience but I was disappointed. Positive: 1. Actors were funny, interactive, witty and active. 2. Staff was super friendly. 3. Some of the people that attend these events are weirder than actors. Negatives 1. Don't come hungry because food is spaced out over 3 hours. 2. Someone from my party got the cheese ravioli, chicken and fish and all the food tasted worse than hospital food. Like Hungry Man meals heated up in the microwave (btw i love microwavable foods when i am at home depressed in my jammies but not on a date). 3. NO coffee, ice tea or hot tea was available as was reported when tickets purchased. Pop was 3 dollars for a can. :( The most important negative: 4. It was not like a murder investigation fake or real. The clues were not like a fun criminal investigation but a riddle. Maybe I watch too much Dateline but i was expecting SOMETHING about DNA, fingerprints, murder weapons, witnesses, footprints, foreshadowing talk etc.... but it didnt include anything like that and was more like solving a riddle. If you want this experience I would try another one first. Maybe they are all like this??? I will continue my hunt for a good murder detective show! read more

We had our Holiday Party this weekend and had a wonderful experience. Everything from planning the event with corporate, to the hosts of the evening of, went smooth. The actors were HILARIOUS and very good working with our audience! We would highly recommend this event and would be repeat guests! read more

Actually 3.5 + for our review , fiancé loved it I somewhat disagreed . The pro's : * actors were very, good funny & made the very mixed crowd enjoy themselves * easy on / off location off the 5 * the pace of the production with serving the food well planned out * the staff of production helpful & very friendly So-so and these are mine and very subjective : * thought the room could have been more decorated for event , given it was in newer Embassy suites so wee were both underwhelmed after seeing a sleek lobby * the mood music was through a cheap boom box could have been much better * the food was okay , fiancé liked it much more , reminded me of a million std biz meetings I have attended " chicken or fish " The plot was well done and fun but the the connection to the real " murderer " Our evening we attended was so far fetched and remote to the clues given Most attendees just shook their head and laughed . Overall a fun evening for couples , small groups of family who are amateur sleuths read more

Unlike some murder mystery dinner theatres, this does not have the audience passively observing a set of costumed actors. Instead, as you register and pause for hors d'oeuvre, you recieve a name tag with an alias (which you choose) and start to mingle with (i.e. interrogate) other dinner guests, several of which are part of an unfolding murder mystery. This is very tongue-in-cheek event with deliberate over-acting by the detectives who appear after the "first vicitim" but the truly professional actors may be sitting next to you. Both the "real suspects" and your invited companions are interrogated and caused to create suspicion in everyone's mind. The mystery unfolds has more clues are discovered but along the way there are many gags and hilarious audience-participating events. The food is excellent and the two hours passes very quickly. Overall, a very pleasant evening - great for a special occasion, especially with a group of friends. The person who does best at guess the murderer AND the motive wins some nice prizes. read more

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great show but the food wasnt good

Unless you're comfortable chatting it up with strangers, I would highly recommend going with a group of people you know. My husband and I went with 10 of our family members and we had such a great time. We laughed a lot. Food and service was just okay. Bar was over-priced at $10 for mixed drinks. read more

The dinner murder mystery was surprisingly funny and entertaining. The staff was friendly and the actors had a lot of energy and were hilarious. In the first segment they encourage you to walk around the room and ask funny questions to people. That is the only time you are encouraged to talk to strangers but it can be fun if you give it try. You do have to small talk to the people at your table but if you end up with fun people it will be hilarious. Other than that you get to watch the actors play out the story. The food was good and healthy. The main course did take long so I suggest eating a snack before arriving. The funny act was what made the night. I would recommend it to friends. read more