I don't know how it is that I had never heard about The Dio until this year. This dinner theater is a hidden gem, and you must go! We went and saw "Something Rotten" and I expected a community theater-level performance and an okay dinner, which would have been excellent for the price point. Instead what we got was a polished professional performance and a good dinner. We will be back for sure, and I recommend you go buy some tickets. read more

The Dio - American Near Me - Pinckney, Michigan

Great food, amazing and talented performers, wonderful atmosphere. The owners are lovely, and care a lot about what they put onstage and the food they put on your plate. Also, THE RANCH DRESSING. A++ 10/10 would recommend. read more

Ronnie James Dio loved this place. Hence it was named after him. Like a rainbow in the sky! Though more of a Black Sabbath fan. That being said, this place is pretty cool read more

Wow, this was even more fun than I was expecting! I have to confess, I have had dinner and I have seen theatre but I have never been to dinner theatre. So I really wasn't sure what to expect. Would my chewing drown out the dialogue? Never fear, this place runs like a well-oiled machine. You arrive about 6:30 pm (at least for the Friday night show, they also have a Sunday matinee.) You are shown to your seat and a server asks of you'd like a beverage. They also have self-serve coffee and tea at the buffet. After about 10 minutes the food is ready at the buffet line and your server lets you know when you can belly up to the food bar. The selection on the night I was there included a salad with several dressing options, warm bread, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, crispy fried chicken and ham. Desert (yummy warm apple pie) was served during the 15-minute intermission between acts. The musical was first rate and very entertaining. The lights don't go down until about 30 minutes after the food is served. You can go back for seconds and continue to eat during the performance if you want to. We will definitely go back for a future performance. I'm already eyeballing the next two shows. Super fun night! read more

See all

Fabulous atmosphere! We went to see Rent and loved it!! The cast was professional and so talented. The family style chicken dinner with dessert was great as well. read more

I have become increasingly disappointed with the Dio and the selection of plays with an obvious social agenda and a departing from good entertainment. The latest play involving an Autistic boy was 3 hours of screaming torture to find out his Dad killed the neighbors dog with a pitchfork and his mother was shacked-up with a neighbor. The director waxed eloquent about putting it together in three weeks and it was painfully obvious. The served dinner as opposed to the buffet was quite disappointing. The ranch dressing was salted beyond edible and what parts went into the fried chicken is a mystery and was rubbery tough, and accompanied with shriveled peas. Please return to entertaining plays with a bit of mirth, plays as dark as the current times are, certainly are not entertainment and enjoyable. read more

We have thoroughly enjoyed all the productions at The Dio since we moved here 7 years ago. We have missed them. We can't wait for it to reopen this fall after being shuttered because of Covid. read more

Always have a great time with friends at the Dio. The meal is outstanding and the shows are full of great talent.

we drove down from Lansing last night to see the trailer park musical.It was absolutely hilarious. it was laugh out loud funny.had to wipe the tears out of my eyes on more than one occasion. we were lucky enough to have Steve ,the director and one of the lead characters for our waiter. All of the actors and actresses were SO TALLENTED! their voices blended perfectly.their facial expressions were so funny! So many great funny songs !Great set,music,lighting all very professionally done. it was our third time there.Every one there from the gentleman who greeted us when we entered to all of the actors were so nice to us .They took time to talk with us and wanted to know what else we needed.The dinner was a 10 on a scale of 0-10.outstanding food ! No wonder every performance was sold out ! cant wait to return. read more

Finally got in to see a show ( since I work a few doors down) and loved it. Went with a group of people and everything was great! Definitely getting more tickets for the xmas season ahead! Thanks for accommodating our group of 11! read more

Honestly I had very low expectations for this. Being I'm from New York City and am used to paying $50-$100+ for a show that doesn't include any food, I didn't know what to expect at such a low price point. Here any show below $40 has been pretty bad for me so far. I also didn't know what I would get in some small town in Michigan. I found this place looking for things to do with my Mother and Grandma that was in a reasonable driving distance form Dearborn. I took them to see the Cabaret. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised. The show was not bad at all! It was entertaining, the acting and singing was on point, the set design was great, and they really invested in their costumes and props. It was top quality, and admittedly better than many shows I had seen here in NY. They really did a wonderful job. We all enjoyed it very much and didn't have a single bad thing to say about it. The food was pretty ok too compared to other things I ate while i was visting (considering most of the dining options in MI seem to be fast food chains)....although I don't know what it is with the obsession with iceberg lettuce in Michigan. Case in point I enjoyed this too much not to make my way on to yelp to leave them a great review. I would definitely go to see another show next time I am visiting family. **Note this does seem to attract a large Senior crowd. I would say that they made up 95% of the audience. So it is either a positive if you have an elder person you want to bring. They would feel comfortable here, and they are installing a little elevator for handicap. A negative if you find this to be an issue and want to be with people of your own age...or a neutral if you simply don't care and want to see a great show! **** read more

When I heard that Pinckney had a dinner theatre place, I knew I had to check it out. I'm not an avid play-goer, but the promise of food and a show together had me interested. I went on their website to do a little research into the show ticket prices - ($35-40 for all-you-can eat buffet and a play afterwards) fit my budget. The play was called Almost, Maine, and their description intrigued me, so I ordered and printed my ticket out a week in advance. I got there before 6:30, and was quickly greeted and shown to my seat by a very cheerful and friendly host. I was seated in the front row, and there was a program, some silverware, and a handkerchief placed on the table for me. I was quickly served a drink by our waiter, who also happened to be the director. The buffet food soon came out, and was absolutely wholesome and delicious (compliments to Chef Jarod) I went to the buffet, which consisted of a huge garden salad, and steaming trays of homemade mashed potatoes, honey-glazed carrots, fried chicken (better than KFC's), and shrimp scampi in angel hair pasta. Everything was delicious and filling. They gave us about a half hour to eat before the show started. The show was also very well-done. There were 4 actors who played 19 different parts. You would think that it might be hard to follow for the audience, but it wasn't because the play consisted of 8 different skits taking place within the town of Almost, Maine. Many were funny and ironic and a couple were sad, but the actors were all relatable, expressive, and humorous. They brought out a little ice cream for dessert during intermission. The atmosphere is awesome there, the lighting was great as well. One of the coolest things they had was the light effects on the ceiling to represent the northern lights and stars. A few of the actors came and talked with us after the show too. Overall, the experience was amazing and I plan on seeing more of their future productions. The service was great (bring some money to tip your server) and the food was delicious. Check it out and see for yourself! read more

I have been to 4 different shows now, and will definitely go back again! The food is awesome! The shows are great, and there is bonus nice smelling lotion in the ladies restroom! read more

simply amazing! I have seen Lost in Yonkers, Home for the Holidays, Almost Maine, and I already have tickets for Country Roads! The shows are so well done and the food is fantastic! It is a very welcome addition to Pinckney. Every production as been perfectly cast, with extremely talented actors. This is a must visit time and time again. read more

You can't find a better way to spend a few hours! The food is always delicious and the shows that I've seen over the years have ranged from very good to excellent. The Dio always brings in top-notch talent to give you more than your money's worth. Believe me, you'll find yourself telling your friends about this place. read more

A friend took us to this venue yesterday for lunch and a show. I didn't know what to expect, but was blown away at how good the food was. The show was awesome as well, we were laughing til we cried. Probably the best part of the experience is that Jared, who was an actor in the musical, was also our waiter! He took very good care of us and even let my daughter and her friend take a picture with him! The actors came out after the show to mingle with the guests also, so it was fun to meet them in person! Go see the Drowsy Chaperone, or any other show here, it will be well worth it!!!!! I wish there was a 5++ button! We will be back! read more

I love love love this theatre! They always put on fabulous shows and and have great food. I would recommend this place to anyone and everyone. Such nice people here too :) Definitely go to a show here if you have the chance!!! read more