We came to the Dinner Detective at the Omni Hotel in New Haven on a Saturday night ready for some fun, laughs, and crime solving. We parked in the Omni garage and did have to ask the hotel front desk exactly where we had to go. Beautiful and tasteful hotel. We were there early as instructed ( the show was to start promptly at 6p.m.) and while you should arrive on time, there is really no need to arrive 15-20 mins early (as suggested) as our host didn't announce himself till after 6pm and seating is already assigned by table so there was just a lot of confusion and standing around. Upon entering and registering, you write your code name on a tag you wear all night. It was funny to see some of the names and hear the back/cover stories. Great way to get to know people and also start thinking who might just be lying. Clever. The tables were set and salad was already at the tables when we were let into the room. The place holds about 100 people. The beverage line was never long and prices were not too outrageous, however it was a cash only bar. Keep that in mind. People settled in and began to eat and socialize. We were all provided a sheet to write stuff down that might point to a later clue or suspect. The cast members--some at each table-- were all great and I did admire the actors for their quick wit, humor, and ability to improvise. The audience's energy and participation really made the show better, so don't be shy. The appetizers were fine, the 3 course meal was pretty good ( salad was super, chicken dish ok, and the cheesecake was very good) and served and eaten in between acts. The waitstaff did a great job clearing dishes and refilling water glasses. The bathrooms were super clean. It was a fun and entertaining night which we enjoyed. We met some wonderful folks and had lots of laughs. I would recommend going with a group of 4 or more if you can. You can request someone (without them knowing) to be a "suspect" when you book your tickets online. To witness that was hilarious. Parking for over 3 hours was just a bit over $10 on this nite. read more

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It was a nice night out for a group of us. Food was decent and the acting was fine for what we paid for. Our team actually solved the murder first and we were awarded with one free ticket to come back We came back two years later, and we were disappointed that this group did the same exact story. We were hoping that every year they would change the story. Not sure why they would give out free tickets to come back to solve the same mystery. read more

It was ok. We were not expecting slapstick comedy. Maybe we should have researched it more. We thought it was a more serious but still fun production where we would be given real clues to solve together with our friends and family. What we got was a zany, loud, frantic attempt at comedy which sometimes succeeded and sometimes was just cringeworthy. It wasn't terrible and I credit the actors for their passion. The food was terrible. One bartender for 100 people? I would rate this as "meh". read more

The food was terrible. The acting was awful. There were 99 people in the room according to the host that evening. You're also so spread out across this room that you couldn't tell if someone was missing or not to put the crime together. It's not worth it at all. 2 of us went and it cost over $200 for us. I wouldn't recommend this show to anyone. Find something else to do with $200 read more

Amazing experience, and lots of fun! I would definitely do it again. Very interesting and interactive.

My group attended the Dinner Detective at the Omni Hotel in New Haven. It was a Christmas gift for my parents -- intended to spend time together and solve some crime! This would have been an embarrassing gift had they not simply wanted an excuse to leave the house with us! Haha. Honestly, I feel terrible saying so but this was absolutely not worth the money. THE GOOD: The staff was very friendly and welcoming. Every interaction with them was great and you can tell they are good people. That's what makes this review so difficult. I also liked they had the clues available on a QR code to reference. And breaks in between so you can enjoy dinner and discuss. Wine and dessert were good. THE BAD: The whole thing reminded me of a high school fundraiser. It was like the Wish version of Clue. Once we got to the hotel we stood in a long line to check in. Then we had to get right back in line to order drinks at the bar (aka table in the hallway) since they didn't take drink orders at our table. THE UGLY: The acting seemed to be mostly improv. Which is fine for professionals but this was not it. Our group found it confusing, not very funny, and just cringey at times. But the pasta. Guys, what in the world. The vegetarian option was tortellini and it was maybe like 9 tiny tortellini with strips of onion and a few mushrooms. It was so embarrassing we gave my dad, whose dinner it was, part of our dinners. The organizers should consider dropping the price, removing the dress code (wtf it's not fancy), providing better scripted performances, more substantial food options from hotel catering, and offer parking validation. read more

The Dinner Detective - a plate of salad and a sandwich - Dinner Theater Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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We attended the show at the Hilton Garden Inn in Glastonbury CT tonight. The show was absolutely entertaining! The actors were hysterical playing off of the audience! The actors were unsuspecting. My only complaint was directed to the food of the hotel. My salmon was good but I only had a handful of vegetables and my husband with his low carb special request had even less. Our table mates which we had never met before including one of the actors were great! This is a great fun relaxing evening out for 2 people to a larger group! read more

The Dinner Detective - Brochure - Dinner Theater Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Terrible. No way around it. Zero plot, terrible "improv acting." You can pay extra to make your guest a suspect, and all it means is they make you stand up and ask you random questions. Complete waste of money, and just plain awkward for everyone there. This event was at the Omni in West Haven. Food was average at best. July 2024. read more

So much fun, the actors were amazing and hilarious dinner was also delicious !!!!! Perfect date night

So some of these reviews are so negative for weird reasons. I actually had a stellar time! Parking: They have a parking garage and you're probably looking at around $18. Food: I had the Chicken Marsala and mashed potatoes and it was pretty filling (maybe a little dry, but not too much), and a slice of cheesecake for dessert. I didn't drink but the line to get a drink wasn't excessive at all Performance: Oh their energy was superb. I think you have to understand that a lot of this is improv and I thought it was done well. Not every joke landed but they kept us entertained, we laughed, and I was SO stoked to find out who the killer was. Admittedly, I was also spoiled as I had TWO performers sitting at our table and they really committed to their backstories and were really believable. Warning: For introverts like myself, you're at a table with new folks and you have to interact. Ha, They were so sweet but I just have a bit of social anxiety with new people . I warmed up eventually but I was def a bit timid at first. Overall: Lighten up and have fun. I'd def check them out again! read more

Such a great show! Good actors and so worth it! Definitely a good challenge to solve. The food was good and they had a cash bar that was nice! Definitely a great experience. read more

I was hopeful that this would be a fun night out. Unfortunately, it was really bad. What was good??? Hanging out with friends. What was bad? Where do I start? Check in was very inefficient, but I guess not a huge deal. There was WAY too much talking by the actors that was not really relevant. If you're going to have a mystery to solve, make it interesting and not confusing. They have actors at certain tables who serve as potential suspects. Pretty easy to spot them, since they're alone and when the "detectives" talked to them, you could tell they were actors and not regular guests. They tried to get people to mingle with others at different tables, but most people seemed to have little interest in doing that. The questions they gave us to ask others were strange and unless you asked one of the hidden actors, did not help solve the mystery. The food was not good(enough said). It was supposed to end at 9 and ended after 10. After about two hours, we were so sick of being there, we didn't care about solving the mystery. Not worth the $. read more

Great show Vibes were high, actors and actresses were talented and fun Food was good, portions were plentiful. read more

I feel terrible writing this because i had high hopes. We came for a 50th birthday celebration and it was awful. The acting was not good, the food was meh. the idea is great but it was poorly executed, too long, confusing. Not worth the money. read more

We live locally and attended the show at the Omni hotel in New Haven tonight to celebrate my birthday tomorrow. My wife purchased tickets for us as a surprise gift for me. She had presented me with a little note last week so I'd know we were going. I was so excited the entire week to attend this event. I've been wanting to a murder mystery dinner for many years. The acting was good for the most part, we even ended up with one of the actors at our table. They should brief them a bit better about their backgrounds. Also a HUGE TIP FOR THE OWNERS OR DIRECTORS get chip and dale or any hosts wireless mics and a couple of blue-tooth or wired speakers AND PUT ONE AT EACH END OF THE ROOM. You're supposed to be professionals and that includes knowing some people are not going to be able to hear in a room with about 100 people. It's even worse for those who are hearing impaired. They tell you to get there at 5:45 pm to get thru check in for the 6pm- 9pm show. It was after 6pm and we were still standing in a long line out by the elevator and no one had come out to say anything. You start late you end late. That means anyone paying for parking or a sitter ends up paying more because you were late. Once we were seated and served our salad, I got up to get drinks. Imagine my surprise at paying $11 for a small mixed drink for each of us that the "bartender" didn't know how to make. Once I told her what was in it she made it, when my wife and I tasted them they contained to much rum and they were gross. I wasn't the only patron shocked at that price as well as the prices for wine and soda. The salad dressing wasn't pleasant either and was way too vinegary. I stopped after a few bites. A bunch of the people at my table had issues eating it. They had to drink their water just to stop the reaction from the vinegar. We had the Chicken Marsala which had chicken, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. The chicken was about 3-4 inches long by 1-2 inches wide by about 1.25 thickness. There wasn't even a cafeteria sized scoop of the mashed potatoes. As for the broccoli, I kid you not I got one Florette on my entire plate. The waitstaff sucked,no one at my table got a refill on their water or was even asked if we wanted refills. Never-mind they work at a hotel and should know what side to serve and clear from. When I pulled into the Omni's parking garage I saw a sign that said $9 to park. When I went to leave ended up paying $17... not sure what the story is with that. So overall .... we paid for the tickets, paid for the drinks, paid for dinner for our kids to eat with sitter, paid for parking... and got a well below par experience. I don't expect to have to eat when I get home from a dinner show that you pay this much for. The individualized actor tip envelopes on the table was a bit tacky. The company collects the price and the actors get paid out out that revenue as well as the hall location. You don't get handed a tip envelope when you go see a music or comedy concert. Based on; what I saw with others, what I experienced, and other reviews about the new haven show... I would totally ADVISE YOU TO GET AWAY FROM HOSTING YOUR EVENT AT THE OMNI. I WOULD NEVER RETURN TO ANOTHER OF YOUR EVENTS AT THE OMNI IF THESE ISSUES WEREN'T ADDRESSED. It's extremely upsetting to me that the first birthday I get to actually do something after being under lock-down and it gets ruined. I had given much better ratings on my sheet because I didn't really want to hurt anyone's feelings but once I got home I realized you can't improve the experience if people are not completely blunt with you. Maybe the experience at other locations is much better and I hope it is. If you'd like to get in touch with me you have my email on tonight's vote sheet under "Edgar Plum". read more

My bridal party brought me for my bachelorette party. It was SO much fun. The actors were amazing!

Disappointing! The food served here (by the Omni hotel in New Haven, CT) was like diner food, the parking cost $21.00+ for 3 hours, and after paying the high ticket price for the event, there were additional tip envelopes for the actors! The improv acting was loud, abnoxious, and felt like a bad junior high school play. I wanted to have a good time, but this just wasn't funny or fun....and the clues made it almost impossible to figure out the crime. read more

Really fun and interactive. The cast had a good grasp of where everyone was and played off each other well.

The show was fun but the food was terrible. The "lasagna" turned out to be one overcooked manicotti and the chicken tasted like it was microwaved. The show was a little bit cheesy but it's fun if you go with a group of good sports who will get into it and commit to having a good time. Wine helps. (Also, it's a better deal than the soda -- $4.75 for half a can. Nuts!!) I should say that we went to the first show after a pandemic-related hiatus so hopefully it will get better once the actors (and the kitchen!) get back into the routine. The script was well thought out and there is enough clues to figure it out if you work hard at it. (If I'd had more time and less wine I would've gotten it!) read more

I recieved this as a birthday gift and I loved it. My first time coming. The food was good and the show was amazing. Okay close attention to your clues!!! Enjoy the show!!!! read more

Went for birthday and the beginning was a little rocky.. they had us get up to interrogate people but there was not instructions as to in regards to what and the questions were abstract. Would've liked a little context to what we were looking to get out of them, no one was even murdered yet.. the show itself was very entertaining and actors were funny . I loved the food the chicken was so good. Then as the show was starting to wrap up, all of a sudden we had 2 more murders and left with 5 mins to figure out who did it, but out of who? The interview people? Everyone? We now have 3 victims. In the summarizing and discovery of who did it all of a sudden there was evidence that wasnt expressed once in the show that tied things together. So the end got confusing and left us with more questions. Than really an ah ha! Moment. So if some context was added at the beginner before the mass interrogations that would be helpful because it was just awkward for us and we did know what to do without direction. Overall it was a fun time. read more

I feel bad saying so, but this was terrible. I went with 5 other people who felt the same way. We attended the show at the Omni in New Haven. It was incoherent and corny. Food was so mediocre. I got the "vegetarian lasagna" and just got two manicottis. For $80 per person, I expect way better. And then they also have the nerve to charge $5 for a soda and $10 for a small mixed drink. Save yourself the money and skip this..by far the worst night out for entertainment. read more

Just came back from the dinner show and it was really really not worth the drive or the cost. We knew from the beginning that the villains were sitting next to me, their story did not fit their appearance and the things they talked about with us didn't make sense. But okay, maybe we're just smart. There were ten people crammed into an eight-person table and I mean it was super tight and uncomfortable. The table had so much tableware on it there was no room to put your drink without carving out a tiny space. As noted in other reviews there is one bartender serving a banquet room full of people, so the line was obviously long. And slow. Drink choices were extremely limited. The dirty plates were not removed between courses until convenient at some point for the staff. The room was stifling. It was so hot many people complained and were told the manager needed to be told and then that the manager was coming but no one never came. It was terribly uncomfortable. The chairs pointed away from the center of the room had no space to turn their chairs around and many times missed the action, which wasn't all bad given the performance. It was like high school, only campier. It was a slapstick show trying to be funny instead of comically trying to solve a crime. They kept making guests get up and be humiliated. You could see people excited in the beginning getting to know one another and being up for something fun. But for all of the reasons I've mentioned the bubble burst by half-way through and the mood in the room changed to disappointment. The food was fine. My compliments to the chef. read more

It is a very funny experience. You are encouraged to eat, drink and meet others around you while solving a mystery. Pay attention to everything when your there and enjoy! read more

The food was ok, nothing to write home about. The acting is very amateur and cheesy...show was not enjoyable at all. Would not go again in the future. read more