Mystery Cafe

I have been to one other murder mystery dinner in another state. I decided to try this place out as I thoroughly enjoyed the other one. The Mystery Cafe is located in the second floor of Milano Inn. Upon arriving, we discovered there was a grand total of FOUR people running the evening. One waiter, two actors, and the host/owner/director. We were greeted by the two actors and informed that there were 21 parts in the play and 21 guests tonight so everyone would have a speaking role. They went around and handed out the roles as people arrived and started around 7:45p.The play was humurous, the staff was kind, friendly and funny. But I have given 3 stars for several reasons. First, the food. It was a 4 course meal with each course coming out between the 4 acts of the play. Minestrone soup, salad, entree and spimone. The minestrone had no pasta in it and instead had cabbage! I've never seen minestrone like this. The salad was pretty good, but chalked full of veggies. And for the entree you had 4 choices. I chose the chicken parmigiano. It was over cooked and not very good. The best part of the meal was the ice cream.The play: I was surprised that there were only 2 actors for the entire play. They were funny and diverse with their characters. But I just felt that I was watching a high school production. I hate to say it, but even a rehearsal in someone's attic. It was all very cheesy.Also, this play was based off of Guardians of the Galaxy and Iron Man, which I have not seen either. I found it hard to follow. Not only for this reason, but also because it wasn't written well. They would just admit characters randomly that would talk about random things. The play didn't make a whole lot of sense...to me anyway.I just felt the entire evening was not worth $55. Maybe more like $25. Sorry Joe :(

Trying to solve a murder mystery accompanied by family or friends, while savoring a multiple course Italian dinner is an entertaining way to spend several hours on a Friday or Saturday night here in Indianapolis. Two actors portray a multitude of roles while assorted diners take on bit parts between multiple courses that include bread, minestrone, tossed salad, an entree and spumoni. The show is fun and the waiters are fairly attentive.It's a little pricey, but frequent discounts available through groupon reduce it to something more manageable

By the end of the night, our group of 4 had a great time and made the best of the situation (with the help of some alcohol). The staff tried hard with what they have to work with. The owners could really step up their investment into the meal and show. They have to be making great money off of this low budget event. Setting: the atmosphere could be describe as a cafeteria style but one that is tucked away in an area that is not often used. Just felt cluttered and cheap with rickety tables crowded together. I was disappointed the moment we walked in the room and I was fully motivated to have a great and fun evening. The downstairs restaurant was a great setting that I had expected for this event, but instead we were led upstairs to an old dingy part of the restaurant that felt dark and unprepared. Food: I definitely expected much better food quality for the cost of $55 per person. The food was not tasty at all (like eating at a cheap cafeteria) and the presentation left much to be desired. Was hungry and barely ate much of any of it. We had to pay for cranberry juice after already paying the $55. A friend was shocked that he ended up paying $11 for a small martini. Theater: the storyline was poorly written for the most part. The clues were never explained at the end once the killer was revealed so most all the participants were left clueless as to how we were supposed to figure out which clues could have led us to suspect which the killer was. One of the actors was very good but the other was a constant distraction and really tanked the show. The "stage" was literally an old restaurant booth spot with the table removed. The props were incredibly disappointing. The crowd participation was fun and really contributed to somewhat salvaging the event.

Went here on Saturday night with a friend. It was a thoroughly entertaining way to spend an evening. The show keeps you entertained the whole night, no matter what the size of your party. It's silly, so not for those who take themselves too seriously. LOTS of audience participation, so if you're not willing to "ham it up", watch out. But, if you're willing to get into it and be silly, it's a ton of fun to get involved.When you sit down, you get a pamphlet with puzzles. The answers to the puzzles help you determine who the killer is. I was a big fan of this, because it really kept you engaged with the show, even after you've eaten a bunch of pasta.Food was fine - nothing memorable, but definitely good italian food. We got four options for our main course, plus we had soup, salad, bread, and ice cream for desert. Wine was charged separately.I recommend getting there early to get settled in. The instructions said "doors open at 7, with show beginning at 7:30". The actors started walking around, getting to know everyone and hand out "roles", around 7:10, and they started PROMPTLY at 7:30.If you're looking for something fun to do on a saturday night, do this.

We love the new location that Mystery Cafe has moved to. Now that they are at The Library, we get a fun evening of entertainment AND good food! The show is so much fun and my husband even hammed it up enough to win the Hammy Award! :D We will be back!

I purchased a Murder Mystery Groupon and used it a couple of weeks ago. It's definitely an adventure: prepare yourself for a long fun-filled evening. Also, don't be afraid of strangers because you get pretty close and cozy. There are four acts and between each act you receive a difference course of food. The food is delicious!! I loved how many of the audience members receive parts to the play! I would recommend this event!

Came here a few weeks ago on a Saturday and had a blast! The ticket price included your meal and the show so it was not a bad value overall but it can be a little steep with a large group. We had a really nice four course meal plus a few drinks which were extra. Our server was quick and polite we made sure to bring cash to tip because the ticket said gratuity was not included. They have a few different themes so we may be back in a few months to see a new one. Overall it was a fun (albeit campy) experience and the actors really tried to make it a fun night.

Great food.Service was good, but there was some delay in getting our checks back at the end if we paid by credit card. Ambiance was good.The murder Mystery was fun. Liked the performances of Petra and Zane.

Not sure why there are not more reviews but this was a ton of fun. A great idea for a date, family night, or just to get out and have some fun. Food was good but the show part was the star and was excellent. I'll be coming back and bringing other couples and friends of our children. Just go, you'll be happy you did.

I've been here many times before and have always enjoyed the show. Unfortunately, after attempting with great difficulty to redeem a Groupon I am incredibly disappointed. I called to make reservations but was directed to send an e-mail. I sent the e-mail and a month later I received a reply that the dates I was interested in were already sold out. I responded asking when the next available show would be. They replied telling me that they would schedule me 6 months from then. Unfortunately I had to reply that I would be out of the country and asked for a different date. I received no response and then attempted to contact them. I am very disappointed with the service offered. I feel that they bit off more than they can chew and now I'm just down and out of whatever the price of the Groupon was, $40ish I think. Too long to read:Very difficult to make reservations and there is no guarantee that a Groupon will be honored.