My spouse & I had a nice evening with the Dinner Detective in Claremont, CA at the DoubleTree by Hilton 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. read more

The whole evening was chaotic, amateurish, loud and did not create a central theme. The victim, the suspects, the detectives never made any sense or create a story line to try and establish motive or opportunity. Just a bunch of yelling and corny jokes! The dinner was bland and so very unappealing for the money spent. Save your money and stay home and watch a good Britbox series! Dress code is mentioned on their website...no one read it! We left before the murderer was revealed...we just did not care! read more

What a fun and unique experience! We arrived on time, and dinner didn't start until around 6:30, so you 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. read more

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This was so much fun. My husband and I went for his birthday and had a ball from the moment the doors opened. Drinks were reasonably priced, food was pretty good, service quick, and the event was very well organized. Don't be shy - talk to your fellow table mates. You never know if there's a suspect sitting right next to you! read more

Didn't have any expectations just want to have a nice fun dinner with friends. Turn out pretty entertaining. read more

The Dinner Detective - Dinner Theater Near Me - Claremont, California

For starters, the seating is awful. There are ten seats per table, and if you think economy airline seats are bad, try this! Zero elbow room. Your table setting consists of a glass of water, tea, a carafe of coffee, salad, two types of dressing, and dinner rolls. This is the two stars of my review. We had the chicken entree that consisted of chicken (blah), a couple of vegetables (ok), and Rice-A-Roni. The two "detectives" were dorks, and most of their humor was 100% NOT humorous. We left after our sub-par meal, so I am not able to comment on the rest of whatever this is supposed to be. And, just as an FYI, I am typically very gracious when I leave a review, but this was beyond bad. Save your money. read more

Ok I had bought tickets online for my wife's birthday!! It just so happens the show was on her birthday!! So on our way there I started throwing up blood!! So I went to the emergency room and could not make it to the show!! I emailed them and as of yet still have not heard back from them!! Our show was on July 11!!!! My daughter, my wife and I were all going!! Needles to say our night was ruined because I had bleeding ulcers and was in the hospital then the fact that I have never planned to do anything for her birthday until this and how they will not even respond to me!! And we are on a fixed income so we can not really afford to lose $300.00!!!! To us that is a huge amount of money!!!! So I can not say if I recommend this show or food or any of that!! What I can tell you is that I do not recommend there way of handling my situation!! I think it's very unprofessional!!!! So now I look really bad to my wife because I planned this dinner and then I had to go to the er and I waisted all that money!! And if that all wasn't bad enough it was the only thing I did for her birthday so I look and feel even worse because she didn't even get anything besides a boring night worrying about me at that emergency room!!!! Sad that they could not have contacted me and set up a different date for my wife's birthday present!!!! I wish there was negative stars for their online service!!!! Thank you read more

My teen and I went to the show tonight. It wasn't bad but I wouldn't give it 5 stars. I would not say that it's appropriate for 15+, as their site does. I would say 18+. Not all teenagers are exposed to things said during the show. I know mine and when things were said I looked toward and I could see wasn't happy about it. As a parent I wouldn't have exposed teen to this show if I knew that they would say stupid things in my opinion (penis lollipops) and quite a bit more. If you like crude humor you may enjoy but we didn't. Best part were the people at the table and the cookies for dessert. 2.5 stars read more

The Dinner Detective - This is the chicken meal. Everyone at the table had the same meal. - Dinner Theater Near Me - Claremont, California

We came to celebrate my friend's birthday and thought it would be cool to try out one of these murder mystery dinners. I had no idea what to expect but was intrigued how the evening would pan out, so I won't go into detail as I think having an element of surprise is part of the experience. I think the actual story line could have been better written out. Actors did a good job though. Service was good. I'm glad I chose the chicken piccata which was delicious and tender. People were friendly and if you are shy to mingle, there's a cash bar to help with that, lol! A couple of odd things happened that will forever make it a memorable evening: one of the guests who was questioned threw up so we were not sure if that was part of the show or not and a live spider was on my brownie. Of course these things are unpredictable and are no fault of anyone. If you are curious about these dinner detective shows, highly recommend trying it out! Great time to celebrate a special occasion where you get to dress up. Tickets are $78/pp. read more

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Was stupidness times ten. Food was no better than hospital food. The performance was hideous. Not really actors more like screamers. The whole mystery detective scenario was lame and so not entertaining in the least. Save your money...go to a museum or something! read more

I have never been to a Detective Dinner or Murder Mystery dinner event before, so I had no idea what to expect, but I was looking for a fun date night with my wife and wanted to break out of our normal go-to places for entertainment. I'll just say it, the food was not great. You probably shouldn't come for the food. In fact, we grabbed something to eat after we left. Good thing we came for the entertainment The staff overall was great. The show was heavy in comedy and the comedy was super cheesy! And my wife and I loved it!!!! The cast was hilarious and very dedicated to making sure you had a fun evening. One thing, I would recommend going with a group of outgoing friends. I think we would have had even more fun with a group of friends. Be prepared to talk with a bunch of strangers, it is an interactive show. It was a lot of fun and I think we will go again with some friends. read more

Banquet staff poorly trained hair hanging in food. Food was not served at the same time for the party. when it did arrive it was cold and the staff was clearing the table. Sent it back... Banquet Manager blamed the detective operator, weird because the tickets had to be purchased in advance, 10 people at the table built for 8. way to crowed, couldn't see any action or hear as they had no microphones, 2 actors running around crazy bad plot and defiantly won't do it again at that venue. 2 people left right after dinner, 2 more after them, we left 10 min after them, I have been to a few of these and sadly it was suppose to be fun but it wasn't it was expensive and a waste of an evening. read more

Fantastic all around. Actors were great show was so entertaining and food was great. Will definitely be doing this again. Wonderful show

Best time ever!! I will be back. This was fun and interactive. My family and I had an amazing time

We came with family of 8 to celebrate my son's birthday! We had a fantastic time. They made my son a suspect. The show was very interactive and fun. The service was wonderful and the food was delicious. I would definitely recommend any to come and enjoy the dining mystery experience. read more

Wow my first murder mystery ever!! It was Valentine's Day weekend and my best friend spoils me with a Dinner Detective experience. This Claremont location of the Dinner Detective is hosted within the Double Tree in Claremont. Parking is limited so I recommend coming a bit early. I did some research on how to prepare for a murder mystery experience for first timers and the pro tip is that the show begins at the moment you get there. All interactions could be part of the performance. Also you will be using an alias so I spent some time brainstorming for a good code name. I decided to be Sriracha!! Cause I'm Asian and spicy ;) Per the instructions it was recommended we arrive 15 minute prior to the start of the show, which was 6pm for us. To my annoyance and the annoyance of many others, when we arrived early as instructed there was a sign that seat does not begin until 6pm. So we have groups of folks piling in crowds. I hope the organizers read this and finds an opportunity to improve. I suggest the note saying instead to form a line against the wall so that the folks who came earlier actually has an advantage. With folks scattered all over, it was a hoard of people randomly forming a line after the fact when our host Liz came out to introduce herself. I'll proceed with caution on this review so I don't accidentally ruin anyone's experience. The directions was for us to bring our IDs at check in but they didn't really check any of that. They just asked for our names and told us the table # we would be seated at. We were given colored raffle tickets that indicates if we were the chicken, fish or veggie/pasta dinner entree. Then we were told to write our code names/alias onto the name tags. That became our names for the night. As we move to our table it looks like the salad, bread, water and iced tea were already set up. We glanced around the room and noticed folks began eating so we did also. There were shared dressing on the table and shared butter also. I don't think the amount of dressing was sufficient for a table of 10. We also found that the spacing was squishy. I would have felt the spacing was tight even before the pandemic. They also have a bar area where I enjoyed a glass of wine. A decent amount of time elapsed where everyone finished their salads and the host comes to tell us to mingle. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR INTROVERTS!! There were multiple opportunities to mingle throughout the show. Entrees are brought out some time later. My best friend and I both had the chicken. It came with some rice, broccoli and carrot. The chicken was really dry and my friend did not enjoy the sauce it came with. It's nice the meal was part of the experience but I'm definitely not here for this food. After dinner, the staff brings out coffee to keep you awake to enjoy the remainder of the show. Once again not trying to give away too much... but there were a few acts of performances followed by the release of clues. We received three rounds of clues. Not sure if this is a factor of the pandemic or if it's how it's always been, but during the breaks we were able to go scan QR codes around the room to receive additional clues. These clues and your interactions combined may help you solve who the murderer is. Great acting by the cast. I was able to identify who a majority of the actors were in the crowd, except one. During my socializing I actually befriended a main suspect and the killer... haha... Oh and by the way I was also one of the suspects. I personally had a blast because I was part of their audience participation a few times. Being a suspect other normal audience folks came up to me and asked me a bunch of questions throughout the show's intermissions. Being at a murder mystery dinner seriously makes you paranoid because everyone began suspecting each other. There were some audience members who did not want to participate at all; they were clearly dragged there by someone else. And then there were groups who were super intense about it. My best friend and I both felt like it started out a bit awkward but we slowly warmed up to the experience and ultimately had a great time. I would be interested in attending additional dinner detective experiences but maybe at other locations since I heard that sometimes they have the same actors. read more

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We had a BLAST at The Dinner Detective! The atmosphere was great and everybody appeared to have a great time. Everybody has fake names and you're not sure who is a participant and who is an actor. We paid extra to have one person from our party be a suspect. It was worth it for the surprise look on his face and for the laughs. When you're submitting your guess for the murderer, it's best to write as much as you can because multiple people might have the same guess. The food was pretty good, we all had the chicken with rice pilaf. I would definitely go again!! read more

Great show, I had fun!!! The food was good! The show was very good, entertaining, and interactive!!!

The food was wonderful. The show was hilarious. Totally enjoyed it. Took my friends for their Birthdays! Fun was had by all. My table mates were enjoyable as well read more

A fun and unique experience! Food: 7/10 You can choose 1 of 3 options, vegetarian, chicken, or fish. I got the vegetarian which was a pasta, not bad. The chicken and fish (comes with rice and veggies) was good, or so said my friends. Each entree gets a salad, bread, and a dessert. It was all just a bit underwhelming but it's clear that the spotlight wasn't supposed to be the food. Mystery show: 8/10 Unique and fun idea! The acting was a bit cheesy... the whole experience did require participation from you and some audience members. Service: 10/10 All servers were super on top of it! Overall, I recommend if you're interested in an experience. Reminds me a bit of "the glass onion" movie on Netflix. A little cheesy, a little typical. Would recommend for a birthday or if you've never done one of these. Tickets were a bit expensive. Bar was cool. There is a winner at the end with a prize, so it helps to be paying attention! read more

From food and show was amazing. Keep you on your toes. Love it and I will be coming again. Thank you read more

The Dinner Detective - a person standing on a sidewalk - Dinner Theater Near Me - Claremont, California

Reminded me of a number of actors who worked all day long then came to work for a shift as a "detective". In my opinion, it was all non-rehearsed silliness.They seemed to pay attention to only those who paid the extra $20 bucks to be highlighted. Food, average. Very disappointed. read more

We came to celebrate my moms 70th birthday and this show was absolutely spectacular. All the actors kept the audience attention and kept us on our toes guessing who committed the murder. read more

The Dinner Detective - picture of the crime scene - Dinner Theater Near Me - Claremont, California

My sister and I had a great tome at the show. I thought I had it figured out but then the true villain changed my mind. It was fun.

Came for birthday. The chicken dinner was delicious and the show was pretty entertaining and very interactive with the audience. The service was great with very friendly staff. We had a good time. read more

The Dinner Detective - Somebody bout to get it lol - Dinner Theater Near Me - Claremont, California

We had a great time celebrating our anniversary. The staff , the food and entertainment was great. We enjoyed ourselves. read more

The dinner detective was a great show! Very entertaining and interactive. I thought the actors were great and the food/service were excellent!! I would definitely recommend it! By the way the murderer was... read more

The Dinner Detective - Dinner Theater Near Me - Claremont, California

Such an amazing and fun experience! Definitely will get your wheels turning! Highly recommend to friends and family! read more

The Dinner Detective - The body outline. - Dinner Theater Near Me - Claremont, California

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It was an awesome experience. The actors and actresses were very interactive with the crowd. The overall experience was totally worth the outing. read more

The Dinner Detective - The detectives. - Dinner Theater Near Me - Claremont, California

You know I was pleasantly surprised and didn't know what to expect but it was honestly a lot of fun, especially because the people at our table made it fun. The actors were great and funny. Should be experienced at least once. Food was terrible, not the show's fault but hotels. read more

The Dinner Detective is a fun, interactive, and delicious experience. We are locals, but this was our first visit. My family of 8 was well accommodated and we all were able to participate in the event. The hosts were great, the food was good, the wait & bar staff were professionals, and the actors did a fantastic job of keeping us interested and engaged. But what happens during the event? I don't wan't to give away too much, but it is a dinner where you get to solve a mystery. Think "Clue" with a bar and 3-course dinner (salad, entree, dessert). CAUTION: if you take your smart phone, DO NOT record the actors. It is not legit if you post it online and the answer to mystery is revealed. Plan for 3 hours, don't drink too much booze (loud obnoxious drunks who think they are funny are really just a boring distraction), and pay attention to anyone that has a name tag (that will be nearly everyone). Don't be afraid to mingle, observe, be silly (but respectful), and escape for a brief while. Darth Pen15 read more

Fun and engaging! The cast are hilarious. Had a great time with my coworkers. Go rookie! read more

The Dinner Detective - Xmas time - Dinner Theater Near Me - Claremont, California

Ok, first of all, consider that they give you a free shot class if you write a review IN FRONT OF THEM. With that said, it was REALLY BAD! The actors and scripts were basic and cheesy. The person in the audience who was the "killer," walked around during dinner asking everyone questions about the show, so it was no surprise when they announced she was the killer. There were only two actors who were actually acting the entire time which made it VERY boring. They were NOT funny and made inappropriate sexual innuendos. Then they had an exercise where you walked around asking each other questions to help determine who the killer was. From the questions asked, there was NO WAY to figure out who the killer was. It was just a time filler. They made money off me for a bad performance. PLEASE don't waste our money! read more

This was so much fun! Brought my mom for her bday and had no idea what to expect. It was funny and interactive. Bonus points for the bar tender! read more

Excellent experience enjoyed every minute of it!!! Must go! Thankful for the staff and the entertainment

I took my daughter to celebrate her 19th birthday and we had an amazing time. It was engaging and entertaining! The food and service were excellent! read more

The Dinner Detective - My daughter is waiting to enter the dinner detective murder mystery show. - Dinner Theater Near Me - Claremont, California

My wife and I had a great time tonight. The dinner was great and the show was highly entertaining. We would love to come back and do this again after our first experience with a murder mystery. The service was great. The ambiance was great as well. read more

Food is food Ambience is great ! Services is exceptional ! The only complaint I would have is that you cannot make reservations . hard to get in evenings Fridays and Saturdays. read more

This is our table, post case! Three course meal, fine dining setup,Dinner was delish, the service is great and the murder mystery was fun. They get really i teractive with the crowd, the props and the theatrics were on point, not to mention the comedic quality!! This was a great anniversary idea. I would gladly do this again and highly reccomend !!! read more

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Super fun! Highly recommend! Amazing atmosphere and friendly staff and the actors were great. The show was engaging and I would definitely come again! The food and drinks were enjoyable as well! read more