We Make Murder Fun
The play's the thing, and to play is the thing. Our quest is for you to have fun that is funny, use your imagination, escape the everyday, to be entertained with comedy, drama, music and fun, and to keep everyone laughing.

Non-stop fun from the minute guests walk into the bar outside the fictional Cafe to the conclusion of the wacky audience-participation mystery. - Peggy Blizzard, Theater Critic, 1992

It's Award Winning Entertainment
We're the Only Award Winning Mystery Dinner Theater in Southern California. Spanning from Raves... Best Dinner Theater by Orange Coast Magazine for our debut production way back in 1990, to Best Mystery Dinner Theater in 2003 from Sunset Magazine, and most recently "Best of Nightlife," by OC Magazine again in 2008.

It's a One-of-a-Kind Experience
Unique to The Gourmet Detective is our emphasis on enhancing your overall experience. We offer a real escape with period settings, live music, authentic costuming, original musical score and scripted mysteries, all within the elegant dining atmosphere of the Mezzanine Restaurant.

There is dinner theather, and then there is The Gourmet Detective, which belongs in a class by itself. - Christopher Trela, Theater Critic for OC Metro, 1997

We'll Capture Your Imagination
This is audience friendly participation! It's our goal to provide a setting where a united audience and performers can abandon status and inhibitions while venturing into a realm of play, imagination and fantasy. We stimulate, transform and engage our audiences so it's comfortable to take a leap of faith and participate in the entertainment and enrich the experience.

You Get to Play Too
In between scenes and during the eventful pre-show you'll get the chance to interact, engage and query the characters one-on-one or as a group. You'll also get to witness a crime and help solve the suspenseful mystery while enjoying dinner... Served by the suspects.

We've Stood the Test of Time
We are currently celebrating our 20th season in Orange County. That's more than 3,500 performances and 7,000 murders for more than 750,000 customers!

Our Cast Brings the Performance to Life
Our actors take it a step further by partnering with the audience to transform reality into fantasy. They utilize a script, improvisation and audience participation to advance the story and your fun. That's both a challenging order and environment to perform within, so we only choose the finest actors for our cast.

The actors are accomplished at the fine art of improvisation - OC Metro, 1999

Quality Customer Service
Your first-rate experience with The Gourmet Detective begins once you pick up the phone. Whether you represent a company, an organization, a club or friends celebrating a special occasion, tell us when and how many and we'll make it a night to remember.

The Excellent Dining Experience
Our chefs, at The Mezzanine Restaurant in Irvine and The Avila Terrace Theatre, have won rave reviews from customers and critics, including The Best Kept Secret award from Orange Coast Magazine. Let's just say, the performance extends to the kitchen.

Our Corporate Hit List
We entertain both the individual and the group. Our Rolodex is pretty thick. Here's a partial list of the more famous, and infamous corporate clients we've performed for: