The Gourmet Detective was a fun and enjoyable evening the entire cast was fun and entertaining. The show was very interactive and you never knew what to expect from one moment to the next, the made you feel like you were part of the mystery. The Actors were not only entertainers, they served us our food and drinks throughout the evening. My wife and I selected the Steak and I wasn't really expecting much, but I have to say the Steak was a perfect temperature and Cheesecake was Great! This Gourmet Detective is the perfect way to celebrate any special occasion, or just for an entertaining evening out on the town with that special someone! Thank you everyone for a wonderful evening. read more

The Gourmet Detective - Yummy Steak Dinner @ The Gourmet Detective! - Performing Arts Near Me - Newport Beach, California

See all

The Gourmet Detective is where you will find the REAL DEAL murder mystery show. The actors are professionals and if you like it, their improv with you is GREAT! ***They just moved to a new location in OC (they also have a location in Riverside) so make sure you are going to the right place. There is a lounge bar area for you to relax with a drink if you like before it all starts. You get assigned to a table (all the seats in the house are great because the performers go all around the room.) The three course dinner happens between the three act show. Funny, funny, funny plot where someone dies and it's up to you to figure out who did it. Play along to have the most fun! ...and don't forget to pay attention. The performers are your servers! After you fall in love with them ...go get your photo with them for memories after the show! Fun for all! Worth a try! read more

See all

This place is my first murder mystery dinner party :) I came with coworkers for a holiday party and they were so nice and accommodating! The actors were amazing and super nice! The show itself was really entertaining. A suggestion to be vigilant and pay attention to details! ;) As for the food, it's just okay. I got the steak, which was overcooked. The mashed potatoes were just ok. My friend got the salmon which was decent. I would definitely recommend this place to my friends and family! I can't wait to attend more shows! read more

The cast was very entertaining and funny. The cozy venue lended to an interactive environment between the actors and the audience. My cheeks hurt from laughing. Bravo to all the actors. The food was satisfactory, but better than my expectations (hotel food, honestly how great can it be at a Holiday Inn in Lake Forest, CA, but it was better than I expected). I even won a cool t-short when my name was drawn at the end of the night! I was impressed with how the cast stayed in character even between acts. They knew their lines well and you could tell they were really having fun. I'd go again and would recommend it for a fun evening. I didn't try the bar, no craft beer, no top shelf spirits and the wine vintage, appellation, varietals were not even worth rating. Glad I did a Starbucks run prior to the show. Come on now, alcohol has evolved and the consumers in LA and the OC have acquired more refined palates for their cocktails, time the venues caught up to the Times with the standard of alcohol they offer. Evolve with the times or don't and fail. Also, kudos to the pianist, mood setter for each scene, always the unsung artist that seldom is appreciated. Hats off to you. Again, all of the cast was extraordinary. Exceeded my expectations. Fun night out. Never did one before. Definitely will do it again. read more

The Gourmet Detective - Performing Arts Near Me - Newport Beach, California

This a great special occasion or date night experience... once, maybe twice. Most of the guests seem to have had the same idea since many tables were celebrating something. As an "experience" it was really fun: dressing up in our makeshift 1920s garb, slipping into a bad French accent along with the cast as they greeted us and served our drinks, and trying to sleuths the Who Dunnit? throughout the show. However, the food was mediocre, served steaming hot which was impressive, but NO menu alterations (which is fine) and since the cast members are the servers, don't expect to have more bread, extra sauce or your steak recooked... they have a show to finish! I did like that they moved the story along pretty efficiently and served each next course in between acts. The cast was lively, fun and certainly contained an element of melodrama! If they change the story regularly, this is a fun special occasion destination. I suggest, the larger the party, the better evening... and tut MUST dress the part! read more

The Gourmet Detective - Birthday celebration - Performing Arts Near Me - Newport Beach, California

This whole situation was purely amazing. From the outdated, falling apart golf course club house the show was held in, to the bartender who brought us shots for no reason. I ordered a Moscow mule but I'm certain the bartender didn't have a clue what that was. 6 drinks in we didn't care that the acting was hilarious and the food was awful. The kids were at home and they couldn't go wrong. We had a blast, but I wouldn't call the outing 'serious'. We were cracking up the whole time. The actors definitely stayed in character. Definitely plan on getting drunk. The crowd was random, and equally amazing. I 'won' the whole thing and got a free tshirt which was fun. I would totally go to the other shows but they are kinda far away. I seriously haven't laughed this hard in a long time. read more

See all

Do not buy the Groupon!!!!! It's a scam!!! It's sold as a night out and u buy it thinking u can use the two 50 gift certificate to go. But that is not how is works at all! Once you buy it u must call in to make reservations. That's when they get u! U call they nicely inform u u can only use one of the two certificate per couple and on top of it must pay 92.00 extra per couple!!!!!!! Such a rip off when u believe buying he Groupon is the actual night out! read more

I'm shocked at all of the great reviews. I think if this cost $30 per person I could up it by a star or 2, but for what you pay it was NOT what I expected. I will say- the show was entertaining the actors were hilarious and appear to really love their jobs. So the issues were these: The food was AWFUL. I'm not usually that picky, but the salad was clearly straight from a bag and the vegetarian ravioli couldn't have been any more obviously frozen and it was so salty I couldn't finish it. The drinks were way overpriced for what they were. The cheesecake was ok, although mine was still frozen in the middle. The location- super dumpy. SUPER dumpy. I personally felt really let down to have "splurged" for our big night out and find myself in a dumpy building with awful food. I kind of understand wanting to give it a good review because you like the cast, but I was dissapointed and don't want others to be as surprised by me at the horrible quality for the price. ESPECIALLY since you call it the "gourmet detective." read more

I don't know where to start. It was a strange experience. My guess is that if you are over 60 and can understand what they are saying and don't mind cafeteria food then you might like this show. I was bored to tears. The staff were very very very nice and they do try hard to entertain. To me it was just a bunch of silly shouting. As I sat trapped in my seat I looked around the room to keep from falling asleep. Half of the people were really into it and having a great time. The other half looked like drugged zombies waiting for it to end. Some people ditched after the dinner break. It wasn't my thing. read more

I actually found this place by searching here on Yelp for Dinner Theater. As we have always wanted to do one of these murder mystery dinners, and this one was fairly local, we thought we would give it a shot. Couldn't be more happy with the experience, The Murder Mystery was well performed and staged appropriately before, between and after the courses. Nothing going on while you were actually eating, which is thoughtful. The actors all doubled as the servers and you get the opportunity to question them when they are table side. Despite being asked some odd questions, none of them broke character. Throughout the whole performance, a piano player accompanied the actors with background music reminiscent of the type of thing you used to get for silent movies. An yes, as the theme was a 1928 musical there was some singing:) The venue was very well suited for this type of event. Not to large and not to small. I would guess about 100 people or less, The food was actually pretty good and on a par with what you would get at a decent restaurant. A bit on the expensive side, but this is the sort of thing that you only do once. It's also fun to dress appropriately as per the hints given on their website. read more

We were first greeted by the French Chef at the door when we arrived there. He was very funny and we though he is a real chef. We all didn't know what to expected or what is going to happens next inside the show. All of us felt welcome there as we all played ours part in making the show even more interesting and amusing. The entire dinner show were absolutely marvelous and very professional. The main course meal was delicious and mouth watering. We totally recommend our family and friends for sure. All hats go out to all the casts and staffs for putting up such an awesome show. Hope to see all of u again next year. God Bless read more

We found this through a groupon deal, but it was a great time. Food was good, all great seating in the room, and cheesy but great acting. Not a professional looking dive of a golf course clubhouse, or professional acting, and the server didn't know what a dirty martini was, but overall, a very fun time. The plot was clever and a great way to keep the audience guessing and keeping laughing at the same time. Well done. The food was average. Not very inventive or flavorful. I had the chicken, my date had the salmon, salads and bread were good - the cheesecake was absolutely delicious as cheesecake tends to be. :-) Loved the touch of having the audience explain why they thought their written choice was the killer - the funnier results were read out loud, including "because she a ho." Ha ha ha. read more

I'm sure that the actors are nice people, however this was not for me and my boyfriend. The writing/acting was way too slapstick/silly, you can see everyone's real hair peaking out of their wigs and the costumes were ill-fitting to the point of one woman's black dress being slashed down the side all the way to her waist only to show a nude camisole underneath (not part of the show). Not to mention the food tasted like a frozen dinner. Not worth the time or money. We left after the third course, which was cheesecake and the best part of the meal, not even yet finding out "whodunnit" yet. A little more color, as I don't like leaving bad reviews: We are in our early and mid thirties. I saw a quite a few sixty and seventy somethings seemingly enjoying themselves at the goofy pun-fest. Amidst it all our bartender was excellent. read more

Although I thought the performances were good, I was deflated by the food and the atmosphere. The show seemed a bit raunchy to me and more suitable for older folks. I couldn't get passed the overcooked, bland food or the outdated décor but if they can improve on those areas, it would be a nice show. read more

We had so much fun tonight and dinner was delicious! I was nervous after reading some reviews about the food but it was yummy! We were a group of five and everyone enjoyed their meals! read more

The Gourmet Detective - The Gourmet Dinner Detective! - Performing Arts Near Me - Newport Beach, California

See all

I don't work at GD so this is pretty honest. I'm from out of town and I stopped in to visit SoCal, and wanted something fun for a Saturday night. Well, I achieved that. I had a good time with my friends that I went with, and enjoyed the ambiance. It's kinda a dumpy location, but the actors did a good job of pumping up the story before the "play" started. Would I go again? Absolutely not. The food? Mediocre at best. The acting? How would I describe it? Washed up has-beens who always wished they'd go to Broadway. Does that mean they were bad? Not at all. Whoever wrote the script was, though. Overall, I would recommend this place as a joke for a less-than-meaningful birthday to a friend of family member. It's worth giving it a shot. Maybe you'll like it more than I did. read more

1 star for the 'too late' returned nice phone call for tickets.... Not based on the actual production. Hubby and I were given 2- $50 Groupon gift cards for Christmas. I was excited because I had wanted to go to a dinner theater. Here is is mid April and we haven't used them, not for lack of trying. I tried filling out the online 'purchase' reservation to use the gift cards but someplace I saw that you have to call to schedule a night with the gift cards. I have called the phone number for box office about once a week for several months. Phone history thru early March (it doesn't go further) shows 8 tries, different days and times during box office hours. I get the message machine that advertises their VALENTINES Special and to leave a message, but they have never called back when I leave detailed info. I also tried last Saturday during show time, just to try. I emailed them and was emailed back to call. Also that I can only use one coupon/night. WHAT? There are two gift cards, one ticket for each of us.... Previous poster stated the same stunt pulled on them. I have read the reviews, and honestly, they aren't filling me with confidence at all. Very mixed. Hubby and I attend LOTS of theater in OC with Gold Star Events, trouble free. Promotional value expires June 21, so, worried I will loose the money I called Groupon to get a refund after my last call to box office today. the result, sadly, my daughter has to try and get a refund on the gift she gave us. They won't let me do it. My opinion of this place? Don't bother with Groupon. OR be sure you order separate gift cards, for each person to use. I had it planned out to attend around our anniversary the end of May. I am certainly glad I didn't wait until May to try and get a reservation. Post note: Daughter called Groupon and was told they are turning it over to a committee to evaluate and to try and contact The venue for us....Well, I already decided I didn't want to go after all this hassle. Does Groupon have a special number to get thru , or will they call the same number I call? I decide to call Groupon, again and find out try and push my daughters refund request thru. (trying to not waste my daughters hard earned money). Meanwhile, as i am calling Groupon, the other phone rings and it was a sweet voice from the GD call center who got my earlier message, unaware of what has been happening. She was willing to work with me on the two certificates, but there is big additional cost for the ticket difference and the $24 gratuity for two of us. If anyone is reading this, a TEXT can be sent via same phone number. It may work better. Groupon's reply ..."the refund will happen." (I hope). This was a perfect gift idea for us. I am just burned out on trying to make it work. We will use the refund with the kids for pizza or something when we are together, which we will enjoy just as much. read more

Awkward experience to say the least. Poorly written play, horribly acted, in a dreary setting with bland food. Three hours of my life wasted. read more

An absolute delight. The three word review if you don't want to read the rest of the review..:D I received a groupon to this show as a gift. I've always wanted to do a murder mystery dinner, but my impressions were always from what I've seen on TV, on sitcoms where the characters go to mystery dinners and get into shenanigans. The Intro: The place was a little off putting upon first arrival. The building is located on a golf course property, and the google maps images don't help out. After parking and walking to the door, we are greeted by two actors (in character) who are already engaged in conversation with other guests. The accents were on point and they were very funny. After a minute or two, we head inside and are welcomed into the bar. where we were able to enjoy a cocktail while the dining room was prepped. The actors continue inside, sewing seeds of doubt and corruption among the other actors. I enjoyed being able to engage in conversation with the actors in an attempt to weasel out information about the other characters. With drink in hand we are led into the dining area, which is beautiful, and very unsuspected when gauging the building exterior. My girl an I were sat at a table with another couple (assigned seating so don't fret about being in a hurry to get a seat) who couldn't have been lovelier, striking up conversation about what we all do, what was expected of the show, and of course, who we already thought did it (without the cast announced or the show even starting..:D) The show begins and what follows is a mixture of wonderful laughs and beautiful singing voices. I was laughing out loud scene after comical scene and was entranced when singing began from the very beautiful and talented actors. I do not want to ruin the experience so I will halt my description of the show there. Soft drinks and alcohol are additional, coffee was complimentary. Dinner was par, we ordered steaks, which could have been better, and cheesecake for dessert. I make mention of the food and its quality, because, even though it is noted here on other reviews, understand that the show is the main event, and if food was the priority, perhaps a professional restaurant may have been better suited if that was the intended goal. Being full from our meals, the show commenced with an incredibly entertaining ending, that caught most of us at our table by surprise. I did not guess the killer correctly, but my lover made a silly enough guess (and explanation) so as to warrant a reading from the accused actor out loud in front of everyone. After that, the winner was announced, and shirt (and a kiss) was given, and the show was wrapped. Everyone was invited to take pictures with the cast after the show (we couldn't resist). If the mystery dinner show has been something you've been interested or curious in, I couldn't recommend the Gourmet Detective anymore. The show is a little PG-13 as there are many a lewd reference and most people were dressed for special occasions, birthdays and anniversaries; I was not, because I am a comfortable hobo. These are some hard working actors, that also act as your food servers, that go above and beyond to meet and exceed the audiences expectations. We were told they were going to be introducing a new show and story in November and I think that will be an excellent time to bring our friends so that they can experience this as well. Bravo Gourmet Detective, Bravo! read more

Absolutely the best time we've had! Our party of 6 were all entertained! The cast is super talented and unbelievably fantastic at improv. The minute you get there you are sucked into the world they are creating as if you were a part of it all. The talent is amazing! We laughed, cheered, gasped, ohhed, and aahed all night and were thoroughly engaged! We are looking forward to their next production. read more

Had a great time! My husband for my birthday took daughter's,son n law and me to this dinner/show. Had a blast. Good crowd made it work! read more

The Gourmet Detective - Performing Arts Near Me - Newport Beach, California

To say it nicely, this dinner and show we're definitely not for my girlfriend and I. Let me make this easy. The seating was awkward, there was an insane amount of singing,(nothing I read mentioned broadway), the story was impossible to follow because you could not understand anyone, the costumes were horrible in some cases. The 6 inch too short dress pants on a main character really took my attention off of things and when we finally got the food 90 minutes in (9pm) it was basically cafeteria food. In couldn't even eat the mashed potatoes. Blah! We got one water refill after 90 min too and the bread was slow. We ate a bite and then left without saying goodbye and found solace in tacos from taco Mesa on 19th street. There were plenty of people enjoying themselves but I failed to see how in he slightest. read more

Loved this murder mystery dinner! So much fun! It is a great place to celebrate a special occasion because it is something different and interesting. My husband and I decided to have a date night without the kids to celebrate our wedding anniversary, so we chose to come here. We arrived at 7:15pm and sat down in the lounge for a drink. We are greeted in French by François the Chef and his staff because we are in Monte Carlo. At this time, the actors are in character and interacting with the guests. We are all supposedly guests at a birthday party. At around 7:30pm, they start seating everyone at our tables in the main dining room. We sat with another random couple at a table for 4. They serve salad at this time and the yummy bread is already at our table. At 8pm, the show starts. After the 1st act, they serve the main course. I got the steak which was well-done and seasoned well. I liked the flavor and the sauce it comes in. It comes with potatoes and assorted steamed vegetables. After everyone is served, they continue with the next act and then the cheesecake dessert is served. This is when we submit our guess of who committed the murder. They collect our responses and finish with the last act which explains exactly what happened. Then, the people who guessed correctly are entered for a raffle drawing for a Gourmet Detective t-shirt. I guessed the murderer correctly, but a lot of others did too so I didn't win. It's fun interacting with the actors and I thought everyone did a great job. I enjoyed the food and the show. Tip: Bring cash to leave gratuities for the actors/staff. At the very end, you can take a photo with the cast of the show. read more

The Gourmet Detective - Scenes from the show, and my main course and dessert - Performing Arts Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Performance was fun! Food was pretty good (okay). I ordered steak. Drinks were gross. Popoff vodka with Im not sure what he mixed it with but all drinks were gross. There were 10 of us and we all ordered something different. We sent a few back but then got over it. Tip: Just order beer. read more

I got a deal off groupon for this dinner show, which turned out to be very fun. My girlfriend and I were sat with another random couple. The venue is small, but seating is spaced out enough to be comfortable. It was a packed house on this Saturday night. From beginning to end, the actors and actresses were in character the whole time. The characters were very engaged with the audience and were pleasantly humorous. The meal starts off with a house salad which I think is Italian dressing. My girlfriend and I both ordered the steaks with mushroom sauce with house potatoes veggies. My steak came out well done and my girlfriends came out medium but both were still good. The random couple at our table ordered fish and chicken and we over heard them say it wasn't very good. I'm glad we didn't order those dishes. All in all, the experience was really fun. If you're looking for something different to do on a date, gourmet detective is something you must try. They switch up the show every few weeks so it's never the same. read more

I want to start with saying this was something I had wanted to do for a couple of years and I am so happy that we finally did! It was everything I hoped it would be and more! We attended the Gourmet Detective show at the wonderfully unique location of the vintage airport called Flabob that was built in 1925 in Riverside. When you pulled up to the location it had the perfect ambiance how you would expect to walk into a mysterious evening....kinda like something a Twilight Zone episode would start in which made it even more intriguing. We were met by a charming actor already in character explaining to us in whispered tones the wonderful story we were stepping into and becoming a part of that moment. From the time you walk in you are whisked away into the story and the characters are showing you to your seats at this post premiere dinner party taking place in the roaring 20's. I loved looking around at some of the other guests who had chosen to dress the part and when we attend another event like this my husband and I will come in attire matching the story which makes it even more fun. As I read some of the other reviews I don't understand how there is any part of this whole experience that doesn't rate as a 10! The food was amazing with good salad, delicious prime rib, a tasty and healthy portion of seasoned mashed potatoes and vegetables definitely a 10! I have a little experience as a writer and director and in my humble opinion each and every actor and actress were perfectly cast and nailed their part brilliantly. Their acting skills and singing were wonderful and as professional as any LA production. The story was good and the progression of clues unfolded skilfully. The piano player was fantastic and played for the entire evening and deserved a round of applause for his part alone. The Matradee and staff were warm and accommodating. The actors improve skills and interaction with audience were fantastic and entertaining the whole night through and you never knew what to expect which made it all the more fun. At one point my husband was picked to dance with the character and then she died....it was very fun to watch lol. It was an enjoyable experience and on a scale of 1-10 I give it an 11! It is fun for all ages and I will definitely be back and tell all my friends and family about it. I don't usually spend this much money on a night out but this was worth every penny of what we spent ! read more

The Gourmet Detective - Great night at with talented cast of Gourmet Detective show! - Performing Arts Near Me - Newport Beach, California

See all

This was definitely an entertaining experience and we had such a good time. We came for my friend Lindsey's 30th birthday and they made it such a memorable, fun celebration. The food quality was what you would expect from a show like this. The true treat was the actors' personalities and contributions. read more

Took the whole family to the gourmet detective " who done it" gourmet dinner. We had a blast, good food and cast , we will be back in the future for more, I highly recommend going to one of these as the entertainment is worth the price and the food is a bonus read more

The overall evening was great! The performers were a lot of fun, the play was amusing (loved the adult humor), and they interact with the audience to keep you entertained. The only complaint is the food...it gets the job done but you might want to snack on something before that won't leave you disappointed. Would do it again for sure. read more

We attended the show at Le Biarritz in Costa Mesa. The food was horrible, pre-cooked and tasteless and was held in the hotels breakfast room. The wine and beer was $8 per glass, no bar. Our cost per person $80. I don't know who the money went to, but it wasn't the chef! Highly overpriced and a true rip off at this location. Avoid at all cost. read more

Well even though it says Lake Forest it's no longer there. It's in Costa Mesa. Very confusing. I ordered the tickets online assuming it was there, but after ordering the tickets thet sent a email confirmation with the Costa Mesa address on Newport Blvd. The show was great. A lot of laughter. Kind corny but entertaining. We upgraded our meals to filet Mignon and salmon. The salad and dessert were great. The Filet was over done and ice cold as well as the salmon was drier than dry and also cold. I guess we should have gone with the regular meal which was chicken. The room is really small but it made us feel very intimate with the cast which made the evening. Overall the entertainment was great but the food was disappointing. read more

My friend saw an ad for a Groupon for Gourmet Detective so we thought we would buy the deal. When we tried to redeem, we found out that you get two tickets but you can only use one per couple which would have left two unused tickets. We decided to invite two more couples to use the remaining tickets so we ended up with a group of 8. The evening started normally enough and we were seated in a reasonable amount of time. The first hint of trouble was when we noticed that the bread basket looked like it was 95% empty. The confirmation of trouble was when I was served a salad that looked like it was a handful of lettuce grabbed hastily from a pre-mixed bag of salad and thrown on the plate, no tomatoes or extras needed. It literally looked like it was leftover from the night before. Enter cast for the show. Oh my god, no one at our table could fully follow the plot through all the over-acting and yelling. By the time dinner was served at 9 p.m., I had gone to the bar to fill up my water myself because I wasn't getting water any other way. We did manage to wrangle a couple of bread refills or should I say rations.. If we had not had other couples with us, we would have ditched the place before dinner. Dinner was some sort of re-processed chicken that was rubbery. The steak was shoe-leather and over done....gourmet, it is not! No one at our table liked the show or the food, I can't imagine how anyone could give this place a good review. read more

The Gourmet Detective - Performing Arts Near Me - Newport Beach, California

My friends took me here for a birthday surprise. This was my first time attending a murder mystery dinner. We dressed up in 20's attire to play along with the show. We all enjoyed the story line and the cast of characters. Some of the actors played 2 roles and we were so amused by the change in characters. Funny lines. The interactive audience portion was hilarious. The food was ok. I had steak which was good enough. My friend's salmon looked very dry. Cheesecake was delicious but we went there for the experience. Overall, it was an entertaining experience especially if going for a celebration. I recommend going dressed for the occasion. read more

I expected a bit of melodrama with my grilled salmon and instead I got a very smart mystery that featured a perfectly cast group of professionals who delivered a fine, saucy satire set in the early 1960s (move over Mad Men), a World War II history lesson, references to movie classics ("Casablanca" among others), witty song styling, and quick-witted interaction with the audience. The food was good. The entertainment was even better, complete with a live, lithe piano accompanist. read more

I had a great time at the show last night. The humor is goofy so you have to go in the right mood but if you roll with the program, it is fun. I disagree with some of the negative reviews, at least based on my experience. The audience age ranged from 70ish to 8ish, and I don't feel that any particular age dominated. The food was tasty. No, it wasn't out of this world but banquet style meals are rarely over the top. The only complaint I have, and it is minor, is that the knives were not sharp. So, the vegetables need to be cut smaller, or over cooked or the knives need to be sharper. Otherwise, it was an entertaining evening that I would recommend, especially for groups. Really, the audience sets the tone. If you play along, it is a hoot. If you act bored, well, you get what you get. I recommend this experience. Try it! read more

Fun date night and a great way to spend Halloween! From the moment you walk-in, the actors are already in character and ready to perform. I thought they did amazing and I loved it when they sang! They're quite talented, especially being able to improve each situation. It's definitely a lot more fun when you play along and interact with the other guests and actors! Our table had a blast and we met some really great people. The venue was easy to find and the atmosphere was lovely. I thought the food was good, not the best. I got the chicken which was at least not dry, but the steak that my boyfriend got was DELICIOUS! Overall, I would definitely come back again! :) read more