The Dinner Detective

The show was fabulous and funny we were celebrating a birthday and we had a good time only complain we had 4 plates of chicken and it was really salty. But the show was very good

The show was great!!! We went with a big group and got split up between two tables, which was ok since the tables were so close together that we were able to talk to one another and there is a lot of time where you get to talk to everyone or «interrogate». The food is not 5 star quality but it was good. The interaction between the producers, actors, waiting staff and guests was awesome and very professional. The drinks at the bar were great too! Nothing negative to say! We def will be back again.

Had such a blast it was so fun!!! Went for my birthday and the atmosphere was great — the boat was like something out of an old movie and I guess we were lucky to have a good group of people. The actors were hilarious and it was pretty obvious who was an actor and who wasn’t but it didn’t spoil the night as we still got it wrong by overthinking. The only spoiler was the food which was like airplane food — but all things considered I would definitely go again especially as I hear they change the murderer each time.

It was a very fun evening, good laughs and I even got to participate in the show. We had a great snarky table and the laughs were many. Don’t expect a 5 star meal (we didn’t and were not disappointed) … All in all, a great evening.

I took a friend here for a birthday outing this past weekend. We were both excited to attend and for the most part it was fun!
Pros
*Everything was on time, very well structured and organized.
*The setting is beautiful and cruising around the harbor creates a nice ambiance.
*There is a full bar available & the drinks were strong.
Cons
*The hosts were extremely cheesy and although they were trying to be entertaining and funny, some of the jokes made about guests were rude.
*The «disguised» actors were obvious and easy to pick out. Pretty much anyone seated at the table alone was an actor. They would do better disguising the actors as a couple or at least 2 friends there together.
Side Notes:
*I was concerned about the quality and presentation of the food because other reviewers claimed it was horrible, but the food was actually fine. You’re not at a 5 star restaurant so don’t expect a 5 star meal. The highlight of the evening really is the show.
*The show is a slap stick comedy more than a suspenseful dramatic one. I was going to put this under cons, but for the sake of being fair I’ll just add it as an additional note — it could be a pro or a con depending on what you’re expecting.
*Finally, be advised that the boat does leave! This is something they don’t really emphasis, but it’s worth mentioning as some people may need to take Dramamine if prone to motion sickness. Not to mention the obvious, that you will miss the show if you arrive too late.
All in all it was a good experience, something kind of cool to do on a Saturday night!

Great Fun! The show is going on all around you and the acting is convincing and amusing at the same time. The police officer stole the show with hilarious lines. I was laughing most of the time. The entertainment was so absorbing that I did not notice we were cruising through the Long Beach harbor until I noticed the Queen Mary was much closer than she had been. Banquet style dinner was served by a very attentive waiter who also managed to not disturb the performance. I liked the food but really with the number of actors, servers boat staff etc., this show is a BARGAIN. I have suggested it to my friends as a Must Go!
The Dinner Detective Mystery Cruise. 11÷6÷2015; Time: 6:00 PM — 8:00 PM; Location: Grand Romance Riverboat 200 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, Ca.

Okay, first off, I’ve always wanted to do something like this and seeing that it was on a riverboat made it so much better!
The show itself was good; it was funny and interactive. However, the food was awful… hospital quality, tasteless, dry food. Overpriced for the quality of food we got… they really, really need to improve on this.

Came here for my birthday, we thought it would be a fun and memorable experience. The boat is a littler older and kinda shabby, but was big in stature and gave it that creepy feeling it needed to get you into character. The show started off fun and exciting with all guests waiting to see what will unfold. As you were seated you were given your «four course meal» this unfortunately consisted of a salad already at your table, Hors d’oeuvres, which were previously frozen cheeses sticks and chicken dumplings, main entrée, which my poor husband chose «beef», this was an over cooked very heavily peppered piece of hamburger meat, I almost didn’t receive an entrée, we had to grad someone 15 min into dinner because they had forgotten to serve me :(, anywho, I had the chicken, shake n bake I think. The meal was absolutely horrible.
So the show continued and we were soooo bummed out. The one individual who made himself thee most obvious suspect, I mean literally went to each table and practically told us he was the murder, ended up being the murderer! I was so upset! My husband and I looked at each other like we just got robbed, cause we did! This show was $ 86 per person excluding all drinks, those were $ 8 a piece (besides water), and we left wishing we had chosen anything other than this dinner show. I’m very sorry to be so blunt, but we had higher expectations for this event. I hope this helps any folks looking for something fun to do, or I hope this event makes some major adjustments.

Had a wonderful evening last night at the Dinner Detective. I won’t say that the food is horrible, it’s okay but you’re definitely paying for the awesome show rather than the food. The actors are hilarious and my date and I loved figuring out the mystery with the clues given. I’m definitely recommending this event to everyone I know. It’s great for a date and probably lovely for parties and birthdays too!

I took my boyfriend for he’s bday and he love it! First time for both and it was so much fun. Is definitely worth the money.

I was pleasantly surprised. The detectives were hilarious. The food (I had the beef) was okay. Not as bad as others had said in reviews. It was totally worth it, and I would do it again.

Went on a Saturday night and it was a very interesting experience to say the least. The crowd is a bit older but it was a real fun experience overall. From the time you walk onto the boat, the staff makes you keep your eyes and ears open for clues. It’s like the game of Clue but with a pulse. I have honestly never heard of this dinner/​show in Long Beach but I would definitely recommend checking it out. Its definitely a long ways from just having dinner and bar hopping but that’s what makes it a bit more special. I had the beef dinner option and it was quite tasty. If you want to have a change from the usual Saturday night in town then this is definitely your go to. By the way I learned that every night they change who the real killer is for obvious reasons but I won’t mention who did it on my night. Just go, have a few drinks and a few good laughs and try figuring it out.

Super fun! The actors did a great job and were so funny! I didn’t pay much mind to the food really, I wasn’t expecting it to be stellar after reading other Unilocal reviews, but that didn’t take away from our time. The cheesecake is yum! Some say the cocktails were over priced but my bartender had a heavy pour so I didn’t mind. Overall great experience, friendly staff. Thanks guys!

I went on the May 30^th cruise and had a fantastic time! The show was very entertaining and the entire staff was welcoming and gracious. I also felt compelled to write a review because of previous comments about the food. It was difficult not to go in with very low expectations because the frequency of the complaints. But the dinner was delicious. I ordered the beef entrée, and it was served with garlic & herb mashed potatoes and seasoned vegetables. It was very, very good. My friend ordered the vegetarian ravioli and also said he loved it. I highly recommend this experience. I’m sure it’s wonderful year-​round, but it was especially nice right now because we got to watch the sunset over the ocean during the cruise. I’m so glad that I got to go and will definitely return soon.

I’ve been wanting to do this for years. Where shall I start? They messed up our reservation and did nothing about it. The food was TV dinner status. The drinks were over priced and they for sure watered down the booze. A bathroom was broken so the smell was awful. There was some sort of club going on downstairs when we got back from the dock so we couldn’t even hear what happened at the end. It was like watching TV on mute. I’ve given them a good solid month before writing this review, so my anger would settle and give them some time to reach out in apology. I have heard nothing from them, nor have the other 12 people in our group. I would not recommend this to anyone. The idea is awesome. The experience is over priced dog sh*%.

This was a perfect date night. It would be fun with a group of friends to. The entertainment factor was really great. The actors were good, the clues were fun to try and put together. the food could be better but wasn’t bad. The bar was basic, bottled beer for 6 bucks and cocktails starting at 7. No need to show up early, 15 minutes before is all you need. It’s assigned seating not first come first serve but the entire space is the stage so every seat is a good one. Would do 5 stars but the plumbing in the bathrooms seemed to be having issues, the toilets were not flushing properly but I’m sure this is something the owner of the boat will fix. Overall good experience, I recommend it. And the surrounding area is really cool as a bonus.

I loved it! Very entertaining.
The staff was very friendly & the actors were great. Our group had a great time.
However, the food wasn’t that great but the cheesecake was good. My drink cost about $ 8 & you can take photos when you walk in with or with out props –that was fun, but they were $ 25 each!!!
Overall, I would do it again but eat before going.

UPDATED: STAY AWAY — I learned after the trip that the bathroom was FILTHY — that my guestS — were disgusted — — that it was UNSPEAKABLE filth in the bathrooms… THIS IS INEXCUSABLE.
Registration process (from initial through check-​in, including support staff): Excellent. Fourteen people in party, different meal choices, suspects, upgrades, not a hitch.
Food and drink: Excellent, perhaps heavier portion though. Nice to have appetizer, thanks. Perhaps make the soda, included and include pitchers of coke and sprite (need to pay $ 3 but unlimited refills). Excellent mixed drinks. Great bread, meat, veg, dessert. Just maybe a bit more of it and some included drink other than water.
Actors: Been there before, these were good but perhaps not as interested or passionate or effective or something as before. However, Rachel was GREAT. And the other actors were very good… but seemed tired or thinking about a party they were going to go to afterwards. But did their job good. Perhaps not great last nite.
Pricing: Would be excellent but for the fact that ship was docked: That should have knocked off $ 25 from the price IMHO. Not the same sitting at the dock. STILL great time — fun… but the feel of cruising thru harbor significantly better.
Seating, environment: Excellent seating arrangements, and environment. Great service. Somebody made a comment that was not polite about the bathroom cleanliness but I never went in that direction with that warning.
Will do it again. Good folk.

I was very skeptical before arriving. VERY.
We laughed so hard all night! The actors are so good at what they do. Sure the food is so-​so, but they have a great tiny bar and setting is awesome. Nothing like sunset in the Long Beach harbor next to the Queen Mary.
Don’t half step. Go here with your fun friends (not your cranky, too cool friends).

Where do I even start? I was with a group of 13 and the host and co host were so accommodating with our tables we were all seated near each other and were all very happy. The show was hilarious and the detectives were so funny but not in a cheesy or hoakey manner. Everyone at my table had a blast. One thing I should note was the food. It was just ok but the show made up for it completely! I can’t wait to have my next big occasion with the dinner detectives!