Date of visit: Saturday, February 10 This experience was a gift from a friend that had always wanted to do a murder mystery dinner/party. I too, have always been interested in this concept though the results were a mixed bag. Check in was a bit of a cluster as there were two tables next to each other, but no signs and that resulted in people shuffling back and forth because there was nothing to guide us. Once we got in the right line, we were asked to come up with a name for ourselves for the evening. Wish we had known this in advance so we could have been more creative. We then were checked in and given tickets for our food choices. There was a color-coding system that almost everyone forgot as soon as they found their table and wish they would have just labeled the damn things, "pork," or "chicken." Speaking of pork, the food overall was just okay. My apple pork was pretty good but I didn't care for the green beans. The salad was pretty good, as were the rolls. The cheesecake dessert was pretty pedestrian, likely Sara Lee or the like. After you were seated, the "host," Sue came in to lay the ground rules. I think much of my dissatisfaction stemmed from her and the two police office actors who were just a bit over the top for my tastes. Sue did not have the qualities of a good host, in my opinion. She was efficient and knew her stuff, but wasn't charming or gracious. I found her a bit grating, unfortunately. I am sure she's a lovely person she just didn't set the scene for me. I also didn't like the "interactive" portions of the event where we were encouraged to mingle with the other participants to see who was "suspicious." For those more introverted folks, this was not great. Given all that, kudos to the rest of the acting staff for injecting some fun and mystery to this event! read more

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A mixed group of 10 of us bought tickets to the Dinner Decective. We were getting together to celebrate a friends' birthday. We were very excited for a night out to dress up and have fun downtown. Before the show, we had a couple of drinks at the Hyatt lobby bar while we discussed our undercover names for the evening. It was time to gather for the show & we walked in & we were seated in the conference room. It was not really decorated to set the mood, theme, or ambiance for the evening. There was just a little time to mingle to get to know each other people/tables & their stories or cover up. The actors were pretty entertaining, but not dressed as I thought they would be in dinner show. They were pretty casual & barely any props. There was also a lot of reading for clues, which turned me off. We weren't provided the wifi at the beginning & we had to download all these articles to read as detectives. I wanted it to be more interactive, entertaining, and exciting, but it just wasn't. The chicken was rubbery & the food was just ok. My vegetarian friend had the pasta, which was very delicious. The service was professional & prompt. I won't spoil the outcome, but I was not really stumped! For $77 a ticket, per person, plus $25 to park per car, I was expecting so much more. read more

The Dinner Detective - Show logo - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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A mixed experience. As another reviewer mentioned, I think many of these reviews may be skewed as they offer free "swag" to anyone willing to leave them a good review on yelp. Maybe its because I have an acting background but I found the performance campy and not overly entertaining. They kept driving home 'you're going to be shocked when you find out who the actor plants are among you' which was not the case. The actors were pretty obvious, but I also over-thought this the entire time thinking 'there's no way the actors are that obvious' but I was wrong, lol. I made it more complicated in my head in reality and gave them the benefit of the doubt of a more seamless performance. The two cops were fun and quirky though I really had a hard time picking up much of the diction. I also realize many of the jokes and punch lines were suited and tailored for a local audience, so these went over my head. The plot line itself... flawed. The murder reveal had no *real* discernable intention behind the killing and I was waiting for a more shocking ah HAH! moment. They also promote that this is set in real time and that there's no funny/bizarre costumes or over-dramatic characters but I almost feel like that's what's missing? I almost would have preferred to prepare and have a character rather than having to be interrogated unexpectedly. I felt the layout of the evening was quite bizarre. It felt like there was instruction but also not...enough? No one knew when we were supposed to eat, when/if we were supposed to mingle amongst tables. We did not have an actor sitting at our table. We might have had a different experience if we had. The food was quite bland. Hospital, hotel quality. Undressed sad greens, hard bread rolls, microwave style egg rolls, Costco-style cheese cake, etc. I opted for the pork entrée which had a decent sauce to accompany it but was BEYOND dry. The mashed potatoes were that of a kid's lunch meal. Asparagus was ok. I did try a bite of my sister's chicken, which was miles better than the pork. The space also could use an ounce of sprucing up. The overhead, shrill lighting feels like you're at a work conference you didn't want to attend. It seems a bit like a sad party no one wanted to show up to, the only slightly fun addition they have is a photo backdrop in one corner with some props. Would I do this exact show again? No. I don't fully regret it but I wouldn't do it again. Did I hate it? No, but it was 'mid' as the kids say. I don't think the food was worth the ticket price. That was very underwhelming. read more

So much fun! HD a blast sunshine was the best around would go again sometime had so much fun

celebrated my birthday!! show was 100% interactive I had a blast I would recommend to friends

If you're looking for a clever, interactive, and entertaining way to spend an evening I can't recommend this team enough. Your experience will be filled with laugher while you try to solve the murder! [As another reviewer mentioned you are offered a gift if you post a review, but they do not specify that it needs to be 5 star, so I don't think that should deter you from appreciating the positive reviews on their page. Businesses succeed by word of mouth and I can't fault them for asking customers to help out.] read more

The Dinner Detective - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This was a dectective disaster. The show had no plot, was unorganized, and slow moving. I kept waiting for the show to start and realized it already had. It had no ryhme no reason. It seemed they had slapped the show together that afternoon, and then went out drinking. On top of that the dinner was BAD! Burned broccoli, hard chicken and salty rice a roni. This is a must miss! read more

It was fun and great food and great acting. This is my third murder mystery and enjoyed conversing with people afterwards about wine and traveling. I bought tickets for 2 and paid 76.00 per site and bought from interstate parking 20.00 . After leaving parking attendant wanted another 30.00 and I disputed as had prepaid and had proof . Magliannos and vfw post cheaper and no charge for food Also , when going to fundraiser you buy table if u intend to sit together I went to many dance events at hyatt milwaukee and other they had namecards. read more

We had a wonderful time! Great food and great show! The actors were amazing! We will be back read more

Buyer beware: they offer a free gift to anyone who shows them a positive Yelp review on the way out the door, so lots of reviews are bought. This was a fine but underwhelming evening out with friends. We added a third person a day or 2 before the show, but they didn't have a record of her. We had her physical ticket, of course, but the staff said they couldn't do anything with it - they didn't even look at it. ???? So we went in and sat down, knowing there would be one too few place settings, waiting for them to come add a setting (there was plenty of room). They waited until the last couple arrived and then decided to start the process, which was very uncomfortable for everyone. Not great. If their process is so antiquated and insufficient, they should assume they will need to add a few seats every time and have someone waiting to spring into action. The food was somewhere above hospital food but below Denny's. The vegetable side was a steamed frozen veggie mix. The chicken was pretty dry. The vegetarian option looked positively dreadful. As to the show, introverts need not apply. The first thing they did was make us get up and do an ice breaker with everyone in the room that did not appeal to me, but what are you going to do? During the show, they pulled people out and really put them on the spot to perform in front of everyone. Like, not on a volunteer basis. When you buy a ticket they ask how involved you want to be in the performance, and I indicated a little involved but please don't put me on the spot. BUT, they had no way of knowing who I was - we all wore a name tag that had an alias name on it, and we seated ourselves at our assigned tables, so there was no way for them to respect anyone's preference. I am so thankful they didn't call on me. The acting was fine and the plot was fun to follow. But I appreciate great food and great theater, and this wasn't really up to par. read more

Food was ok, but had a great time!! Very entertaining. A lot of fun. We had two actors at our table and it was very surprising!!

It was a super fun experience! I loved how involved they were with the crowd and how great of actors they were! I also really enjoyed the food!! read more

The food was very good and the acting was top notch. It was hilarious. The service was good. The ambiance was hilarious. Overall it was a 10/10 read more

ABSOLUTELY the most fun we have had in a long time! We were kept on our toes the entire time! Would recommend any time! We will definitely be back and doing it again! read more

The Dinner Detective - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

It was a very fun experience, would recommend to a family wanting a fun night out. The food was pretty good and dessert was included. The actors were very nice and funny and made the night very enjoyable. They are located at the top floor of a hotel with an amazing view. The mystery ascent was nice and makes people socialize with each other. All and all it was great and would recommend. read more

Had a great time! My beloved and I were in town (from New Orleans) for Valentine's Day and the weekend to see the show and a couple of other things. We really didn't know what to expect and so had nothing to which to compare. So a quick summary for those who are considering the show. It's in the Marriott downtown in one of their meeting rooms. The room is a two-level space with plenty of room for about 150. It's set up with about a dozen round tables, each of which seats 10 (we had 5 couples at our table). There's a cash bar inside. There's a bar across from the meeting room where a bunch gathered waiting for the show to begin and the atmosphere was festive for sure. At 6:00 PM, the line formed and we each checked in. Tables are assigned, but your entire party will be seated together. We saw several large parties at some of the tables. You are also asked to think of an alias for yourself. that will be your name for the evening and you will wear a name tag. Once seated and everyone says hi and so on, the emcee starts his spiel and sets up the evening. He was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, which was surprising since the "dress code" for guests is smart or business casual. The mystery takes place as several acts, and between these we were served salad, dinner and dessert. Tea is the only beverage offered (other than the bar). The show was fun. In all, there were about 8 actors - all but two were "undercover" as guests at tables. Once a crime has been committed, "police" burst into the room, take over and they control the action, pacing and so on. They're improv actors and were all quite good. They involve the audience throughout. At the end of the show, a winner is selected and they receive a modest prize. But the fun is definitely the interaction among guests and cast. We would do it again. By the way, the hotel provided the meal, and one chooses ahead of time from a chicken, pork or vegetarian entree. Service was as good as any I have had at any banquet type setting (and I've attended too many to count). Having said that, here's why 4 stars: I expected the known cast to be in uniform like police or something, and this would have added to the experience. The salad was the usual desiccated lettuce carrot mix with a tomato and Ranch dressing. Well, for me, ranch dressing just sucks. How about a choice of Caesar, which is easier to prepare ahead and probably the most popular about now. The pork and chicken entrees were served with green beans and mashed potatoes. The beans were perfect, the potatoes, delicious and both the pork and chicken were moist and nicely plated. The demi glace on the pork was nice too. Tea as the only option is unacceptable to me personally and I had to console myself with an excellent local craft beer (Riverwalk Stein). Sob sob. :-) The dessert was very tasty, but downright stingy in portion. By that I mean that my slice of cake was literally less than 1/2" inch thick and topped with a single, previously frozen strawberry in sauce. If you're there for the food, keep moving. If you're there for a fun time and like to interact with people, you should have a great time and I'd recommend it. read more

We had such a great time at the show!! I was hesitant at first but the hostess and all of the actors involved really created a super fun environment!!! Everyone was laughing and working together to solve the murder. I would definitely recommend this experience! read more

My wife is a saint for finding this awesome experience. We had a blast with non-stop laughing. Great show, solid mystery, and wonderful actors. read more

This was a very entertaining show! I love crime investigative shows and this was just amazing to live through an acrining & dinner show like that! strongly recommend read more

Great time! Good food! Keep it up!! Lots of funny names all round! Thanks for a great evening!

the food was good and the entertainment was super funny and involved the audience a lot. we had no clue there were actors at our table!

I enjoy laughter...and at the dinner table is even better. I am glad my husband and I were able to go...great time.

This is a great way to escape your hectic work week. Come enjoy an interactive night out in the city.

Love Love Love!!! My husband and I absolutely enjoyed this event and dinner. We had such a great time and it was very well planned. Each set of the performance that's when they would serve you first- appetizers, then salads, entree, dessert. So that you have time for your food to go down and it takes away the hunger pains as you're watching the story unfold. The actors/actresses were just everyday people which made it even more suspenseful. We had some sit at our table, dined/talked with us..and it turned out they were part of the show!! We also purchased our tickets through Groupon and that was a very pleasant experience as you receive a bottle of wine and souvenir mugs. The entree I ordered the Salmon and my husband had the chicken. Good portion size as well as I requested for my entree to have less salt and let me tell you, they paid close attention to ensure that I received the correct plate, which made me appreciate their attention to detail even more! Overall a great great!!! experience and I highly recommend doing it at least once! This is for adults and I believe you can bring someone age 15 and older with an adult- but you may want to double check. read more