Best Dinner Theater In Detroit

The Daily Meal Staff|Oct. 14, 2014 1:23 pm EST

Genitti's Hole-in-the-wall is located in downtown Northville and offers various show and dinner combinations. What's unique about Genitti's name is that although a "hole in the wall" restaurant normally means a small or simple place, Genitti's is literal: the building was initially a meat and grocery store in 1971, and in November of 1979, a hole was knocked out of the side of the store, creating Genitti's Hole-in-the-Wall restaurant. The restaurant prides itself on its "seven-course, family-style Italian dinners," which include homemade soup, pasta, salad, Italian sausage, Italian steak and potatoes, and baked chicken with zucchini; don't forget the cannoli for dessert, too. After dinner, the theater production begins. Dinner theater is $49.95 and lunch theater is $35. This November, Genitti's will be performing "The Five Days of Christmas;" remember to make reservations ahead of time.

If you're up for a mini road trip, check out The Dio in Pinckney, about an hour's drive from Detroit proper. "Dracula: The Musical" will be playing this October through November, and adult tickets are $41, with student and senior tickets for $37 and children (age 13 and younger) at $35; groups of 20 or more also receive a discounted rate, at $35. Your ticket includes the theater production as well as a dinner of house salad, dinner buffet, and a non-alcoholic beverage. Dessert is also served during intermission.

Andiamo has 10 or so locations in the Metro Detroit area, but its Warren location features its Showroom and is where most of its performances take place. Some performances include dinner and some do not, so be sure to check the website for details. This year, check out The Scintas on December 4 through 6 ($99 dinner and show); Andiamo usually features "Tony 'N Tina's Wedding" with dinner each year, too, and this year's was on October 10. Make sure to join Andiamo's Mille Grazie club before dining as well to earn points towards future dining there.

If you're looking for a "whodunit?" to solve, check out murder mystery dinners at the Eastpointe Manor, hosted by The Murder Mystery Company. Tickets are $60 and include both dinner (a three-course meal) and the show, and can be bought online; check our "Murder at the Masquerade" on Sunday, October 25 for some pre-Halloween fun. Dinner begins with a tossed salad and your choice of entrees – chicken siciliano or pasta primavera – as well as "buffet-style" sides such as coleslaw, macaroni salad, potato salad, dinner rolls, and a cup of rainbow sherbet for dessert.

Detroit proper doesn't have many dinner theaters, but if you're willing to make the drive to Lansing, check out the Starlight Dinner Theatre. Tickets can be bought at the box office or online, and dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7:30 p.m. The theater's tenth season starts on October 17, and you can see "What is Susan's Secret?" dubbed as "an American farce" and written by Michael and Susan Parker. If you'd prefer to wait until March or May 2015, you can check out "The Garage Sale" or "Camelot." Each show has its own individual menu and vegetarian entrees are available upon request when making your

Liz Parker is a freelance writer and a University of Michigan graduate with a degree in Creative Writing and Literature. Her work can be found at Examiner and yesnofilms.