Boston's Best Dinner Theater

When scouting for a place to have a little fun with a meal, dinner theater is one of the best choices. It can take many forms, so diners can choose from comedy, drama and the ever-popular murder mystery dinner. Boston itself has a few establishments within its borders that serve good food and entertainment at the same time. The surrounding area also has a few theaters that like to throw in some eats for guests. People from all around the Boston area can enjoy dinner theater any time of year.
(Image: iStockphoto)

(Image: iStockphoto)

Mystery Cafe
161 Devonshire St.
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 426-1999
www.mysterycafe.com

Mystery Cafe is Boston's premiere dinner theater restaurant and the best place to solve a fake crime in the city. The food end of the bargain is a bit of a mystery until booking and guests have to choose an entree at least three days in advance. It is a little fussy for the casual diner, but this experience is as much about the theater as the dinner. The evening is meant to give guests a chuckle rather than a fright, so children can attend at their parents' discretion.

Related: Boston Area Movie Theaters With More

(Image: Starline Room Dinner Theatre)

(Image: Starline Room Dinner Theatre)

Starline Room Dinner Theatre
Paris Cabaret
49 Monk St.
Stoughton, MA 02072
(781) 297-7469
www.starlineroom.com

The Starline Room Dinner Theatre, roughly 30 minutes outside of Boston, does not require guests to arrange dinner ahead of time or sit in a formal environment. This is a casual dinner theater experience with stage theater happening in the same room. Guests do not have to interact with actors or be involved in the show. With plays like "Little Shop of Horrors" and "Seussical," there is no mystery to solve, only amusement to be had. All shows start at 8 p.m., so parents can tuck in the kids with a sitter or give them a treat and let them tag along.

(Image: Medieval Manor)

(Image: Medieval Manor)

Medieval Manor
246 E. Berkeley St.
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 423-4900
www.medievalmanor.com

Medieval Manor is a Boston staple that gives guests a taste of what it would have been like to party in a medieval king's banquet hall. Dinner is very casual with guests having to dine with their hands. Those who need to use the bathroom must ask the king to "walk the Canterbury Trail" or be teased by the staff. Wenches sing and jesters joke at Medieval Manor. With roots in vaudeville and burlesque, there are dirty jokes a-plenty. and this is not intended as a family show.

Partners in Crime Murder Mystery (Image: Student Entertainment Company)

Partners in Crime Murder Mystery (Image: Student Entertainment Company)

Student Dinner Entertainment
53 Billings St.
Sharon, MA 02067
(781) 784-1300
www.studententertainment.com

Just over a half an hour away from Boston is a dinner theater company that works primarily with students to provide dinner theater that is clean and suitable for kids grades 5 to 12. The theater lasts for about two to three hours and comes in many forms. Student Dinner Entertainment can do dances, mysteries, improv, scavenger hunts and even game show theater. There is an educational side to events too, making this company ideal for school events.

Related: Boston's Best Combinations Of Food & Fun

(Image: iStockphoto)

(Image: iStockphoto)

John Carver Inn
25 Summer St.
Plymouth, MA 02360
(855) 318-9749
www.johncarverinn.com

John Carver Inn is a hotel located about 40 minutes away from Boston in the scenic waterfront district of Plymouth, MA. The hotel offers several dinner theater packages for shows like "Finnegan's Wake" and comedy tours. Guests can come just for the show, for dinner and the show or for dinner, a show and a room. Perhaps the best part of this out-of-the-way dinner theater experience is the fact that guests can also enjoy the hotel's spa and a stroll down by the water, if they desire.

Shelly Barclay is a professional freelance writer and amateur author. She writes on a variety of topics from food to mysteries. She loves to share the culture and rich history of her birthplace and home, Boston, with the rest of the world. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.