Sanai’s Murder Mystery Dinner
“The actors were hysterical and really had the whole room feeling like we were back in the 80s sooo happy I found this.”
“For the entree we had the pork chops that were flavorful but a little tough.”
“Please also let me point out that the crowd was diverse and everyone interacted well for a really good time amongst strangers!”
Sanai’s Murder Mystery Dinner
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
6 reviews
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Interesting place to say the least. Food was blah. You can probably get better at a nursing home. Not enough wait staff, so good luck getting a drink. Definitely not a place to come in he summer as the restaurant is located in the attic and there are only a couple of window ac units and two fans. Add 90 degree weather and 100 people in the room, and you have a giant sauna! As for the murder mystery, that was kinda fun, but they enlist regular diners to be part of the show and after they have had a few drinks, they can't get their story straight anymore, so the whole story gets very convoluted. If you have a groupon and you come with a group, maybe you might enjoy it.
Personally I thought the 80s murder mystery was entertaining. I came here for my birthday outing with friends and expected it to be silly fun because after all, it's an 80s themed murder mystery. I dressed up in my best 80s attire and was ready for a night out. We all had a great time and M played the roll as Dr. Joe King which was hilarious to watch. The end with who committed the murder didn't quite make sense, but a few drinks in with a great group of friends, does it *really* matter? Many parts of the show were laugh out loud funny and overall is was a good time. If you're a stick in the mud and don't like silly fun, or if you want to feel like a true detective solving a real crime, this is not the show for you.
We, along with what appeared to be everyone else in the room, attended on a Groupon. Price with a groupon was good. Full price would be too expensive.
3 stars is exactly right – everything about it was just ok.
Arrival: note no parking on site. Lot immediately next door is available for $8. Start time is 7:30, all of our paperwork said to arrive at 7 for seating, etc. We arrived at 7, room wasn't ready, and we had to wait in the bar for 30 minutes. Could've just come at 7:30.
Food: Again, just ok. We paid extra to get appetizers. Got a margarita pizza which was good but in no way, shape, or form a margarita pizza. (Clue 1, it had cheddar cheese on it.) Also got fries – they were good. Sangria was average, had no fruit bits in it. For my meal I had pork chops. Came with 2 large chops (I was only able to eat 1), a disproportionately small amount of veggies, and mashed potato. I took a taste of my friend's penne vodka and it was better, I'd go for that if I were to return. Dessert was a chocolate brownie thing that tasted as if it had been frozen.
Acting: again, just ok. Over-acted but perhaps that was intentional. This isn't Manhattan, so set your expectations appropriately.
Misc: Ads all said event was 2.5 hours. We got out at 11, so considering the fact that we were told to arrive at 7, that was 4 hours. Wayyyy too long in general and much longer than we were told to expect. By the end it was just dragging on.
There is a photographer there who will take pics of your group and sell them for $20. This was the best part of the night. We bought the pics and then will scan them in to share accordingly.
Sometimes the noise in the room made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to hear the actors talking (both to the entire room and when they were walking around talking to individual tables).
My date bought the Groupon for this dinner on a whim. We had long talked about attending a murder mystery dinner and decided to go for it! Then… I read the reviews. We drove in to Jersey City with low expectations, figuring we'd either make it fun or leave early, shaking our heads and lamenting the fact that we didn't bother to check Yelp! first.
Parking, as many mentioned, is non-existent. The many open lots had no attendants, making us wonder whether we could safely park there or not. We ended up miraculously finding free street parking not too far away.
If you are like me and don't enjoy interacting with strangers on a creative level, hopefully you don't get chosen as a "suspect." My fiance was the victim at our table, but fortunately he loves talking to strangers, so it worked out.
Drink service was spotty. He tried to order a beer, but we later found out they were out. Then they were out of Jack Daniel's. Then he finally got a Blue Moon but we were never given water (which he did ask for.) The courses were brought out in a timely manner and the food was pretty decent. There was even a vegetarian option!
There's a $5 per person "service fee" tacked on if you order anything, be it a drink or appetizer (like you're going to get through this sober.) They also try to sell you two photos of you and your date for $20.
The show overall was fun and entertaining. We were fortunate to have a very interactive crowd and many of the attendees chosen as suspects really got into character. Sometimes it was hard to tell who was an actor and who wasn't! There are a lot of characters and information to remember about them, which makes solving the mystery difficult. Only one or two tables at our show actually guessed correctly. I'd say the Groupon price is decent for a "different" kind of date night, but I wouldn't pay full price.
Purchased a living social deal, and decided to go with two other couples. We arrived a little early and were seated at table 10. Slowly the place filled up, and the evening began.
We ordered some drinks and also an appetizer (nachos). Nachos were ok…. Came with some pico de gallo and some sour cream.
Salad was served soon after…. Mixed greens with some vinaigrette. At this time we were introduced to one of the characters from the evening of mystery, Lancaster, the host and attorney. He assigned one person as the captain and also picked one person as a character in the story ; dr. Butcher.
We were given our first assignments and had to mingle with the crowd to get clues.
Every table had a character and everyone had to get up and investigate. Periodically the staff would take Over and preform. There were three segments where you had to get up, investigate and get clues. Finally the detective came on, spoke with each suspect and then we had to figure out who did it and why.
The evening was fun.. But I do agree with other yelp reviews… That there were too many characters/suspects.. And it did get a little confusing… And chaotic. Also, with so many people, it did get a little tight to maneuver through the crowd.
Best part of the night was the photos… They took our groups mugshots and that was great. Photos are $10 for one, or 3 for $20. Well worth it for the memory.
Getting back to the food… I picked the chicken entree, which had a good lemon flavor… And the mashed potatoes that came with it were great. I didn't have any of the desert… But it did look good.
Staff was also great. Worked hard and took care of all of the guests.
It was good to do once, and for what ended up costing $100 with drinks etc… Really not a bad price for two people, for dinner and entertainment.
Go, and be ready to participate, be entertained and have a great time!
What a birthday surprise!
My big sister took me here to celebrate part of my birthday month. It was really cute. Murder Mystery, WHO DONE IT? Was it the prom queen? The Math Teacher? Is there a Spy? Why is the Detective so Clueless?
All great questions at the murder site of a 1950s prom where people may not be who they appear and some secrets get revealed.
The table we were seated at were really into solving the crime and we all worked great together.
Dress up if you want! We did and a lot of other guests do as well so don't be shy!
The experience comes with dinner but no beverages. If you are a club soda drinker like I am DO NOT ORDER IT HERE. It is superrrrrrrrrrrrr flat, might as well just stick to water.
Also, best to know exactly what you want when the server comes because they will not come to check on you to see if you are dying of thirst or hunger.
Also take your photos at the booth and get crazy with it! A great way to remember the night!
Super way to spend a few hours on a Saturday night!