The STAR is for the location, food and servers - kudos to DoubleTree Hotel and employees. NO STAR for the productions of the dinner show. it was 3 hours long and disorganized from the admissions ! Name tag first before tickets then back in line for another 20 minutes then dinner was served an hour and half later. Actors were terrible and the storylines were discombobulated. NO audio - actors yelling and screaming - not funny at all. We paid $185 for a couple and what we got was a disappointing performance and show that was so amateurish. Boring and mediocre at its best. I said - DINNER was the only good thing and the servers were great! read more

This is an excellent way to spend an evening . The food was very good - appetizers , main course, and dessert. The show was engaging and entertaining. It's perfect for both introverts and extroverts. You can choose your own level of participation. Highly recommend for small and larger groups ! read more

Overall, this was a fun experience. However, for the cost, the food was disappointing at best and the experience started off weird and confusing. In the end, we had a blast but there was a rough start. The bad: It's a truly cash cash bar - no cards accepted. There was an ATM down the hallway, though it had kind of wild fees ($7 if I'm remembering correctly) - thankfully, my bank refunds that kind of fee, but if yours doesn't, it's a steep fee to pay to get any drink that isn't water or coffee - even a can of soda (coke brands only). From what I heard from my table mates, cocktails were strong. The beginning of the experience was rough - there were passed appetizers brought to the tables, and each person was allowed to get one of each (a mini pillsbury biscuit, maybe the size of a quarter and a freezer section meatball on a toothpick). Quite frankly, I wouldn't have been AS disappointed with the food if they didn't try to sell this as the "first course" and they just skipped this entirely. The good: this was a unique experience and a lot of fun once the show actually started. Most of my "the bad" pertained to the first 30 minutes at most. From there, our table of strangers ended up having a blast together and enjoyed throwing out theories. We didn't quite solve the mystery, but figured out a good number of pieces to it which was fun! read more

To continue our 20th wedding Anniversary, my spouse surprised me with tickets to the "Detective Dinner" at the downtown Chicago Marriott. The " Detective Dinner" is an award winning murder mystery show. It was challenging, intriguing and kept us guessing. Although we didn't guess the killer, it was fun. The dinner was good, atmosphere of attendees enjoyable. Worth attending. read more

The Dinner Detective - Hotel Banner - Dinner Theater Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wonderful show. Very interactive and lots of fun. I enjoyed the opportunity to bring people from the audience into it. I recommend this show to anyone if you want to have a good time. read more

We attended the one in Springfield, Il so the venue may make a huge difference in others' experiences. There were too many tables and no center for the acting to take place. We were at a table in the back and couldn't see a thing unless we stood up, which sort of defeats the purpose of relaxing and having dinner. Also where our seats were located it was difficult to hear. I feel the actors didn't enunciate well enough for everyone in the room. It would have been much easier to follow if ALL the actors were mic'd. Just one microphone being used by one person at a time doesn't cut it! The only reason I'm giving Dinner Detective three stars instead of two is because I feel if the venue was bigger and the show cared about EVERYONE being able to see and hear it would have been much more enjoyable. Also despite the poor performance we did have fun being out with our friends and drinking wine, lol. The food was very good, the service was excellent. I would go again in the future should the deficiencies be corrected. read more

We went with Dinner Detective as a different evening out yo celebrate my husband's birthday. Our group of 8 filled a whole table. The show was so funny and entertaining. They did a great job of working the whole room and engaging participation. The dinner was better than expected. Having a cash bar just outside the room was also convenient. I recommend this as a unique experience for a fun night out. I will consider doing a private event in the future. read more

My company hired The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery team for our 2017 holiday party. It was beyond fantastic and one of our most popular holidays we've ever put on! My co-planner and I visited the show prior to actually booking them. I've been to several murder mystery dinners before (it was actually my fifth time!) and it was by far the best experience. I have to say though, the bigger your group is, the more fun it is. It's a lot of fun knowing everyone involved not just a couple friends you go with. For that exact reason, using the company for a corporate event is an excellent idea! Especially if your company is like mine with 50 people including plus ones where everyone knows everyone & their partners. It truly made the night memorable. All of the actors were on their game & so many people were complimenting them on how well they did. They did a fun job of getting to the line, sometimes crossing it, but never going toooooo raunchy. We are all terrible people at my company so loved it! I don't want to spoil all the fun for you but if you're considering booking them out for a birthday party, anniversary, holiday event, corporate thing - do it!!! It's very interactive and hilarity will be had by all! read more

The most fun you can have in a hotel basement conference room! We saw the show in Chicago. The actors were all top notch, rolling with mistakes and poking fun at the audience. It never took itself too seriously, which made for a fun environment. The food was so much better than it had any reason to be. (My wife and I got the salmon!) read more

We received tickets to this show for a birthday present and decided to give it a try. It takes place at a hotel downtown in a room that seems like your basic conference room. We didn't know what to expect, but we did anticipate this being more of a show and less interactive. There isn't a stage; instead, the actors are in the conference room with you, and encourage active participation. This can be fun, but it was a little distracting when trying to finish up dinner. Overall the clues and storyline were good, but the actual suspect seemed to have nothing to do with it. read more

My group would not do this again -- and with other attendees bailing earlier, I'm guessing others who attended wold not attend one of these events again either. Our event had poor setup -- everyone get up and go ask other attendees questions (why? What are we trying to find out? what's the outcome? is someone going to be murdered?) -- it didn't get more coordinated or fun from there. The restaurant at which we attended (and paid good money for 3 people) had extra small wine pours (and not good quality wine -- as confirmed by Vivino ratings) and serving sizes, and delays in serving our courses. Given this, and how the mystery dragged on, we went home and ate dinner. Overall disappointing boring murder mystery and dining experience. read more

This was the biggest waste of time and money. The actors are not funny. It's hard to follow and boring. The food was absolutely horrible. Soggy vegetables, disgusting chicken, rubbery meatballs, tasteless salmon. Overall, a bad experience. read more

This was a pretty disappointing experience. We went a couple weeks ago for a fun anniversary activity to do. My partner and I both love social deduction games but this was no where near that. It was a strange experience because it felt like more of an event for companies to bring their employees to for a bonding activity. The only people that seemed to have fun were super drunk or just not paying attention at all. The clues were basically given to you but there was no "setting the scene" just a bunch of random thing happening. Unless you pay extra to be a "suspect" you are basically seeing the actors go around the room calling on people asking them what they like to do for fun. Then some of those people are suspects but like not really? Honestly the whole thing was a major disappointment and waste of 3 hours and $130. It was so bad that an entire table left after the dinner ( which was similar to college cafeteria food). If you want a good dinner and to do a legit fun murder mystery this is not it. read more

We had an absolute blast!! We went as a group of about twenty and everyone enjoyed themselves! It was held at the Hilton Garden Inn, their staff were nice and friendly. It was a four course dinner (appetizer, salad, main (veggie, chicken and fish), and dessert). Food was good over all but the show was so much fun. The two "detectives" were hilarious and kept us laughing all night. You couldn't tell who were actors and who were just other guests. Its a fun way to interact with other people. We'd definitely do it again! That being said, the clues are more difficult and tedious than I want to be doing over dinner so I didn't pay attention much, but still the experience was amazing! read more

We did ha e fun however the show is just ok. The actors are subpar and it's a little confusing the way the crime was portrayed. The food was good however the portions were so small we were all starving when we left and had to stop for food. You are greeted by a server with appetizers. A small plate of pillsbury croissants and bacon wrapped dates. There was a very small salad on the table. Nothing else. No rolls and butter or anything. Beverage was water pitcher. Soda not included any $3 per can for a warm soda. They didn't have them cold. All this was at 6 pm when you checked in. The actual dinner didn't come out until 815. It was way too long to be waiting to eat. The portions were so small. The chicken was 2 pieces over grits. That's it. No vegetables or anything. And why grits. Not a common food to serve. The risotto was also served and was so small. Said it comes with asparagus. There were 3 cut small asparagus the size of an inch so not even a whole stalk I also paid extra to have one of our party be. Suspect. They asked him like 3 questions. It was funny but not worth it because they didn't really make questioning suspects part of the show. They should have included more audience members. The clues were all over the place and the killer was SO obvious you didn't even need the clues. The way the awarded the top sleuth was questionable and also biased. They said the one with the most detailed explanation wins. We wrote down the exact answer with a lot of detail but didn't win. We would have liked them to read what the winner wrote. The ending was very rushed. They had you question others around the room but the questions they had written down to ask the others had absolutely nothing to do with the show. So it didn't make sense to be asking that if it's not helping solve the crime. The tickets were very expensive for the quality of show and quantity of food. Plus we had to pay $50 to park. And at the end of the night they ask you to tip the actors. Which for the price that should be included. I would say save your money and do something else. read more

A fun night! We had a lot of fun trying to decide all of the clues. The food was just okay, I recommend eating a bit beforehand as the portions are very small. read more

Chicken was great. very interactive. loved the ambiance and actors. loved the story and telling of it.

Total exciting night!! Plenty of fun. Great food and laughs all night. Great mystery Recommend highly. read more

It was my first time seeing the Dinner Detective show, and I absolutely LOVED IT!! We had soooo much fun, and the two main actors (the detectives) were hilarious and kept us entertained/laughing the entire time! The mystery was written very well and kept us guessing the whole show! We met some really great people during the show too! The atmosphere was great, host was wonderful, the food was excellent! I mean really everything was perfect, and I will definitely be coming back to the next show! I would recommend the Dinner Detective to anyone I know looking for a fun night and anyone who enjoys solving mysteries! The clues they provide really make you think deeply. Overall just a wonderful experience! read more

WARNING!!!!! DO NOT SEE IF YOU THINK THAT THERE EVER COULD BE A CHANCE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO RESCHEDULE! If I could give this place ZERO stars I would. If anything happens to where you have to reschedule, they will not allow it even though their policies do not state anything anywhere about rescheduling. We ordered tickets to this show and were thrilled to go. Getting closer to show time, we were forced to reschedule. I just contacted customer service saying that we weren't looking for a refund or to just cancel on them all together. We just needed a different date. We were still told that we couldn't reschedule. A refund is one thing and rescheduling is another. According the box office guy, we were stuck going to a show that was impossible for us to see and that if we couldn't make it then we would have to give our tickets to "family, friends, or a loved one". The cherry on top? I asked to speak to a higher up about the situation and I was given a first name. Then I asked for a last name of the person. The gentleman stalled and then quickly gave me a different name all together. He also stated that there was no other number or email that anyone could be reached at. Mind you, I contacted the box office and was not speaking to a manager or anyone higher. For this person to state that there is NO OTHER number to call (as if a manager didn't have a desk number) is a lie. He then gave me an email address that was generic to contacting customer service as if it would be ok for me to do that once again. Heck, he probably is the one checking the emails. When I asked for his name, he hung up on me. Shady if you ask me. Spend your money wisely on another dinner show that might actually be able to accomadate you. There are others that can and will. Will I ever recommend this place to someone...NO. read more

The show started with a screaming women running through the doors scaring the bejesus out of us. The people on our table were very friendly and the all the actors were very professional and kept the audience engaged. Throughout the show hints are dropped between courses. I would ideally like to do less reading while eating. As with all interactive shows the more you put in, the more you get out of it. I will give the show a 3/5. However, the food just sucked ! Both my wife and me are vegetarians and we had cold and bland pasta. There was a lady on our table who had requested vegan food and she got raw veggies. Even the people who ordered meat said that the food was just OK. The silver lining being that as we had bought our tickets through Living Social so we got a free bottle of wine and a discount. I will rate the food as only a 1.5/5. All in all a pretty-ok experience. read more

BEWARE IF YOU BUY A DEAL ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PLACE that they charge tax and gratuity at an obscene rate. This may have been more of Living Social's fault, but I still want to be sure people are warned about the tax and tip that comes along. I bought the living social deal and went to redeem it for the show. So they only set aside a certain number of seats for the living social holders, meaning over a month in advance of the expiration date and there are no seats available. AND THEY CHARGE $54 for "Tax and gratuity" -um, what? Is this a $250 mystery detective dinner? It better be damn good with amazing food and amazing wine. They also used the term "bottle service" when explaining the $54 additional charge that you must pay in order to redeem y our deal. Bottle service for a bottle of house wine? Am I going to the club? Do I get a VIP sectioned off couch with a server pouring me house wine? I find all of this laughable (and enraging). So The Dinner Detective and Living Social will not see another dollar of mine. I will not be paying $54. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I won't be letting that happen. My only response to the owner's comment is that the voucher should have said the amount of tax and gratuity. No one in their wildest dreams would think they would be paying an additional $54 to tax and gratuity. read more

After reading all the low reviews on here before going to the show this past Saturday, my date and I had pretty low expectations. But we actually ended up having a lot of fun. The actors were good, and they set up a fun environment. Yes - parts of it are cheesy, but come on it's a murder mystery dinner! The food wasn't outstanding, but we still ate most of our veg & chicken choices. I noticed some guys walking around with little appetizers on platters. They never stopped at our table, which was a bummer. So maybe we should have chased after them... I had some issues using my Living Social voucher for the show. The voucher itself was $83 - which seemed like a steal b/c tickets are normally $65/pp + tax. My voucher also came with a bottle of wine & 2 mugs. However, I ended up having to pay an extra $53 in gratuities & taxes which ticked me off a little. I understand the need to add gratuities & taxes, but I felt mislead into thinking I was getting a much better deal than I actually was. When I made my reservations, my bank account was charged, but never received a confirmation email. I waited a few days, and after unsuccessfully contacting someone by phone, I emailed the company to ask what was up. They had no record of my reservation or payment, but they did resolve the matter very quickly. I guess there were a handful of things leading up to the show that put me off, but once we got there - drank some wine, and loosened up, it was a really great night! Side note: Yes - the bar inside the show is cash only, and a little pricey. read more

SAVE YOUR MONEY AND DO SOMETHING ELSE! We went to the show because our friend wanted to do it for his birthday. The bar is a cash bar which they neglect to tell you and we were pooling all our cash together to make sure we could get drinks. To make this night the least bit interesting, you had to have alcohol. The show was okay; we had one good actor in our show that made us laugh. The food was awful (think bad wedding food). For the price we paid, it's a shame they don't even include drinks which we did know ahead of time. All of us agreed that we would've preferred to have gone to an upscale restaurant. At least that way we could've had an awesome meal with great company. Also, when we went to solve the murder, the person that did it was never even introduced as a suspect in the show. So unless you had some interaction with him which most of the room didn't, you would've never guessed it. read more

I was sort of skeptical of going from the other reviews. Man, I was so impressed. We took my 79 year old mother for her birthday. The ladies that played the detectives were so funny and great at improvisation. The food was good, I had the fish. My mom had the cchickenand said it was a little dry. The clues were a bit outdated, but we all had a wonderful time. It's also worth the extra $25 to include the person as part of the mystery is well worth it. The room was a bit cold. But I would highly recommend it, very entertaining. read more

I think the show was great and entertaining (and no I don't even drink). I thought the actors were very good and I was laughing throughout. Going with a big group of friends will make it even more fun. The show itself is interactive, so be prepared to interact and talk with others. The hotel (Millennium Knickerbocker) is a nice setting. It's actually a nice little piece of Chicago history. I think it would be cool, however, if they made it into an old school murder mystery, like a Sherlock Holmes theme, and use more costumes and props and theater lighting, because the hotel has that vibe. Nevertheless, I think they did a great job and it was well organized. Food was fine and better than I expected. It's something different to do in Chicago. Give it a try! read more

I went on oct 15, 2011 for a date night. We had such a good time. It was the 1st time we had been to something like this so we didn't know what to expect. My guy is rather shy and not a people-person but by the end of the night, he had relaxed and was very comfortable. The interactive show is very fun, exciting, and funny. The hosts were excellent in providing a story line that could be easily followed. The room Is a moderate size, not too big and not too small, so the use of microphones it's not needed. They do speak loudly enough for every individual to hear. The seating....well, they do put you at a table with strangers depending on the size of your party, which is a good thing, from my standpoint because it allows you to converse with some who could be the possible suspect(s). Oh, by the way, the tables seat 8. The food was surprisingly very good. we chose the chicken option. The only thing that I felt could've been changed was the amount of sauces they put on their food. I would like to have had a little more sauce. But I'm sure if I would've requested more, it would've been given. As for the drinks, I don't drink so I am unable to give an adequate review. However, the lady who was sitting next to me said her first drink was ok, a little on the weak side but her second drink was strong and right on point. My date had two beers. And some patrons at another table practically stayed at the bar. Lol. Maybe wasted was their goal. I heard no complaints about the pricing. We are definitely planning to go back next month when they have a new story line and are looking for more murder mystery events to participate in. read more

Ignore those other reviews, they're outdated and biased. I took my friend to go for the 6:30 show on 6/23/12, and oh my gosh, we had a blast! We were able to get a fantastic deal through Livingsocial, which also include a bottle of wine. We felt like VIPs. The show takes place at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel. Check-in was quick and painless, max 5 minutes from entering the hotel to sitting at our table. The woman at the table gave us our entree and wine tickets and told us which table we were seated at. They open the show with some rules, tips, etc. and encourage everyone to mingle and socialize. Then the murder happens and the investigators come out. All the actors are hilarious, and the show is geared towards an older crowd. They tried really hard to make sure everyone felt like an integral part of the show through activities, stunts and smooth dialogue. We really had a fantastic time! No problems hearing anything and we could see everything we needed to see (we did have to twist and turn here and there). Dinner was actually pretty good. They had a few hors d'oeuvres were really tasty (little meatballs and some puff pastries with blue cheese). My friend got the chicken which was bland, but my fish was cooked perfectly. Much better than the dry, tasteless food I was expecting. Of course, it is produced on large scale so foodies won't be impressed, but it's quite palatable... maybe with a little extra salt and pepper :) The show lasts about 2.5 hours in total. All in all, great job Dinner Detective! Thanks for the great entertainment! read more

A little overpriced, but a lot of fun! The actors were fantastic.

After reading some of the reviews on this site, I almost didn't buy tickets to this show. Thank god I did! I bought my girlfriend a ticket to the show for her 26th birthday and it was an absolute blast. Just to address some of the complaints I've seen... Bar: it is a cash bar and the selection isn't the best. I suggest grabbing a drink at one of the bars in the area before going. A little liquid courage makes the show much more fun. Food: we both had the fish, no complaints. Don't expect mind blowing food, but it's not as bad as some of the reviews make you think it is. Honestly, if this concept interests you, give the dinner detectives a shot. We have never done anything like this before and we were so delightfully surprised. We got to invent our own names and back stories (she was my "secretary", which seemed to get a laugh out of most people). You really do have to pay attention. We had an actress at our table, but she wasn't the killer. My only small complaint about the show is that I wish there were a few more opportunities for everyone to get up and mingle. However, if you go in with a positive attitude (and maybe a drink or two), you won't be disappointed! read more

I took my mom here with family to celebrate her turning 70. She had been asking for years to attend a dinner/show like this. My party of 5 was pleasantly surprised are had so much fun from beginning to end. Food especially the meatballs and the chicken were delicious. I would return with more family or friends. My mom said this was in her top 3 things out of all the things we had done in the past 7 days. read more

The dinner detective is an interactive murder mystery show and supposed to be the largest one in America. They also have at least 10 other locations in different states. Being that it is a large show (meaning group size), I think a lot can be missed. I couldn't hear or see the actors most of the time. Their voices just get lost in the noise of the crowd. To be honest the format isn't all that great either. I've been to other murder mystery games and they were a lot more interactive and gave a better plot. This just seemed thrown together. Plus, it didn't help that the food was god awful. I couldn't even finish any of my dishes and left hungry. Follow that up with bad wine and limited cocktail selection... Millennium Hotel that was a major fail!! People might have been a little happier with the show if the food was better, just saying. Still I give credit to the organizers who check you in and stop by the table to check if you're enjoying the show. Also, the actors were funny and had a lot of energy. Would I go again? Probably not. read more

The Dinner Detective - a brick wall with spotlights - Dinner Theater Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I very rarely leave reviews but after reading some of the reviews here I had to comment. I ended up here hoping they do multiple story lines so we could go back and see something different. My wife and I had a great time! It was fun, it was different, we met some really fun people. I read comments that the food was not great, IT"S DINNER THEATER! Did you expect Michelin star food? We had chicken and fish and it was pretty good. It is about the EXPERIENCE, not the food. I read comments about the quality of the actors and the story. Did you expect Oscar winners? You wouldn't be happy if someone gave you a sack full of money. The Dinner Detective is a fun night if you go there expecting to have fun and are open to interacting with wide variety of people. There were White, Black, Hispanic, Gay, Straight, Young and Old people there and I enjoyed interacting with every one of them. Yes, they tell you to get up and work the room. Ask questions and have fun with it. We laughed, poked fun, teased and enjoyed everyone's company. Maybe I NEEDED to see the best of people after 2 years of pandemic lockdown here but I sure found it. Call me crazy, call me sentimental, but it is experiences like this that give me hope for America. Do this and have fun with it! read more

This is bad..... I was with a group of ten people (young, middle aged, old). The show is geared toward a younger crowd, even though a majority of the crowd was older. Its hard to understand and hear the actors so you dont really know whats going on. They tell a dumb story, pass around clues, and call on people in the crowd. Everyone in the crowd seemed lost or bored, and waits for it to end. The food is so bad. Two people in our group (who usually eat everything) completely returned their food it was so bad. It seems like it was frozen and microwaved....Soda is 6.50, beer 8.00, and wine 9.50 a glass. Save your money....... read more

I am thoroughly disappointed by all the one and two star reviews here as I've gone to the Dinner Detective in Chicago and to the ones in Long Beach and Los Angeles and I have ALWAYS had a great time. Yes, the tickets are a little pricey, but they include a four hour show, appetizers, dinner, and dessert which is about what I'd pay at any upscale restaurant WITHOUT a funny show to watch. I've been to a lot of murder mysteries (yes, I'm a dork) and this one is by far the best. It's not cheesy at all, as the performers don't wear lame costumes and a lot of it is improvised; the detectives are HILARIOUS. It was fun trying to figure out who was the killer among us. I also like that I hear that they moved to the Hilton over there on Grand which I'm sure will be far better than the Knickerbocker (when I saw the show at the Knickerbocker, that was the main downside...that hotel is a bit old and they hadn't done a good job keeping up the room that the show was held in). I know they rotate the script that they perform so I'm looking forward to seeing another iteration of the Dinner Detective again at the Hilton! read more

If I could I would give the performance/show portion 3.5, but this is an overall rating. The performance was great and kept your interest. The dinner and drinks were lacking. For the price for 2 people with parking my wife and I could have had an outstanding meal at one of the city's great restaurants. The bar was a cash bar and didn't have much of a selection. The food was 4 course meal with the chicken entree being a small flavorless portion. I hate to punish the acting cast with this below average review, but in my opinion there are better ways to spend your money downtown. read more

Not sure about these negative reviews, I thought the two lead detectives were hilarious! The food was fine, and we had a great time. Just have a couple of glasses of wine and get involved, and you'll enjoy it too. read more

I took my husband here for his birthday as he's super hard to shop for. I wasn't sure what to expect as the reviews appeared to be 50-50. Well.... We had a blast! The detectives were hilarious and the actors at our tables were very good at blending in with the rest of us. The clues were a bit hard to follow but all in all, it was a great time! The food was great as was dessert. I would absolutely recommend this place! read more

This is real cheesy. The actors are hard to hear and a bit corney. Not really worth the cash. Food was ok, but movie would have been better use of time. read more

The food was great and the atmosphere was fun. My only complaint was the killer was someone completely out of left field, as in it was very unlikely you'd encounter him/her to talk so you couldn't connect the clues to them. Also, the guy I suspected was another attendee who read the clues and lied to make himself fit the information. That took out a lot of the fun for me. read more