Looking for a unique date night idea in Nashville? Check out these incredible dinner theaters for an evening of entertainment, delicious food, and romance.
As Nashville locals, we’ve experienced the city’s impressive array of dinner theaters firsthand.
Here’s our list of the top 7 most romantic, entertaining dinner theater date nights in Music City.
What Is a Dinner Theaters?
A dinner theaters combines a restaurant meal with a live stage performance all in one evening.
This convenient combo provides entertainment and dining in one place without having to rush around coordinating multiple plans.
It also allows for intimacy and amusement over dinner as the show unfolds right in front of you. Dinner theaters range from small intimate spaces to theaters seating hundreds.
Nashville’s dinner theater options cater to both large tour groups and couples seeking a cozy date night.
Dinner theaters offer a variety of show and menu options to give each venue its own flair:
- Broadway-style musical productions with flashy costumes and familiar hit songs
- Offbeat improvisational comedy shows where quick-witted actors create scenes on the fly based on audience suggestions
- Magic and illusion shows with sleight-of-hand artists performing close-up tricks at your table
- Interactive murder mysteries where guests participate and search for clues to solve the whodunit plot
- Country music or rock ‘n roll tribute shows highlighting favorite tunes
- Variety showcases with music, comedy, and magic blended together
Most dinner theaters serve a multicourse meal that coincides with the timeline of the show performance. Appetizers and drinks are served first to enjoy before the production starts.
Entrees are timed to arrive during intermission or slower moments in the show. And desserts are served towards the end of the evening to sweeten the finale.
With bars serving cocktails, wine and beer all evening long, dinner theaters offer a great night out with top-notch entertainment and dining in one spot.
It’s an immersive, amusing way to spend date night or an evening out with friends without all the rushing around.
Our Top 7 Favorite Nashville Dinner Theaters
Nashville is renowned as Music City, but its arts and performance scene extends far beyond country tunes.
The city’s unique selection of dinner theaters reflects Nashville’s diverse entertainment landscape.
From musicals and magic to mysteries and comedy improv, these 7 dinner theaters all deliver on food, fun and romance.
1. Skull’s Rainbow Room
Offering improvisational comedy shows in an intimate lounge setting, Skull’s Rainbow Room brings the laughs over cocktails and southern-inspired fare.
The small dinner theaters sits above Printer’s Alley in the heart of downtown Nashville’s bustling entertainment district.
The venue embraces a laid back vibe with red-checkered tablecloths, strings of tiny lights, and walls covered in blues music memorabilia.
Low lit booths and small tables encourage snuggling up close to your date. The southern-inspired menu features shareable appetizers like fried pickles, burgers and entrees like jambalaya pasta and shrimp and grits.
Specialty cocktails add to the good times. The comedy shows involve quick-witted performers improvising scenes, songs and jokes based on audience suggestions.
You never know what will happen next! The intimate, spontaneous format means you can shout out ideas and the cast will run with it. Couples take the stage for improvised first date scenes and guests supply concepts for customized songs made up on the spot.
Laughing together builds intimacy. Inside jokes and amusing moments from the show give you and your date shared memories.
For an entertaining evening sipping cocktails and enjoying improv comedy in a laidback lounge, Skull’s Rainbow Room can’t be beat.
2. General Jackson Showboat
For a romantic riverboat experience unlike anywhere else, check out the General Jackson Showboat.
This 300-foot paddlewheel riverboat cruises down the Cumberland River with the Nashville skyline in the background while passengers enjoy Broadway-style musical productions and four-course meals.
The General Jackson Showboat’s Victorian-inspired interior transports visitors back in time. Ornate bars, grand staircases, and old-fashioned decor create an opulent setting.
Live musical performances cover favorite hits from the 1950’s doo wop era through the 1980’s pop scene and up to today’s contemporary chart-toppers. The flashy productions feature dazzling costumes and choreography.
Multi-course meals catered by Nashville’s own Chef’s Market Catering are timed around the show’s lineup.
The menus include southern appetizers like country fried green tomatoes, salads, choice of entree including prime rib and grilled salmon, sides, and desserts like red velvet cake. Vegetarian options are available.
After the thrilling musical production concludes, guests can continue the evening sipping cocktails and dancing to live music late into the night in the Moonlight Lounge.
Nothing caps off date night quite like swaying on the dance floor with the city lights twinkling outside.
From sightseeing along the Cumberland to enjoying live professional entertainment and a gourmet meal, the General Jackson Showboat offers a picturesque evening out on the water.
For a date experience full of romance, adventure and entertainment, you can’t go wrong with this showboat.
3. Ray Stevens’ CabaRay Showroom
For an intimate and amusing evening blending live music, comedy, and magic, Ray Stevens’ CabaRay Showroom is a unique Nashville date night option. Tucked away in a converted warehouse space off of Music Row, this 280-seat vintage-style dinner theater offers a throwback night out.
The theater layout places small tables and booths close to the stage, with low lighting lending a speakeasy vibe.
Before the show starts, close-up magicians visit tables to perform jaw-dropping card tricks and sleight-of-hand stunts, delighting guests.
As the lights dim, variety show host and singer/songwriter legend Ray Stevens takes the stage. His singing career spans decades with witty novelty hits like “The Streak” and “Ahab the Arab.” Drawing on his musical comedy background, Stevens blends music performances with stand-up humor, welcoming a diverse mix of artists to join him. Shows incorporate illusionists, ventriloquists, and other novelty acts to keep audiences captivated.
Throughout the evening, guests can order from a dinner menu including appetizers and shareables like fried pickles, entrees ranging from shrimp pasta to burgers and flatbreads, and desserts like key lime pie.
A full bar offers specialty cocktail options to sip on while enjoying the entertainment.
With an old-fashioned, intimate vibe, live music and comedy, and tableside magic, Ray Stevens’ CabaRay Showroom delights couples seeking a date night reminiscent of vintage Vegas variety acts. It’s an evening full of laughter, inspiration and charm.
4. The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery
For couples who enjoy active participation, competition, and getting in on the action, The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery offers an immersive evening of intrigue and improvised entertainment.
The interactive show blends improv comedy with an evolving murder mystery plot that unfolds over the course of a plated three-course dinner.
Guests become characters in the whodunit story. As suspects act out scenes surrounding the mystery, audiences can question characters and piece together clues to deduce the murderer.
Costumed performers improvise scenes based on audience involvement.
Tables work together to gather and analyze clues like physical evidence and testimony in order to complete investigation forms.
The evening culminates with guests making final accusations about whodunit. Teams who guess correctly are entered into a drawing for prizes.
With sly humor, improv antics, and the thrill of puzzle-solving, The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery keeps guests engaged all evening long.
For couples who love seeking clues, making deductions, and friendly competition, it makes for an unforgettable date night.
5. Nashville Jubilee
Located right in the midst of downtown Nashville, the Nashville Jubilee dinner theater provides a rollicking evening of music, comedy, and southern-inspired fare. This venue celebrates Nashville’s heritage as the capital of country music and humor.
The Jubilee’s stage entertainment ranges from talented young performers paying tribute to country greats like Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline to knee-slapping comedians in the corny joke-filled tradition of Hee Haw. Some shows even get the audience involved in wacky sing-alongs to country classics.
Between acts, the Jubilee’s southern-inspired dinner menu includes favorites like fried chicken, catfish, BBQ, and other comfort food fare. Desserts like peach cobbler and banana pudding round out the meal.
With boot-stomping country hits, zany humor poking fun at country life, and down-home cooking, the Nashville Jubilee captures the spirit of Nashville’s historic charm and musical heritage.
The lively music gets couples dancing in the aisles! It’s guaranteed to be a boot-scootin’ good time.
6. Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theater
For Broadway-caliber entertainment in an elegant theater setting, Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theater serves up musical productions rivaling those on the Great White Way.
Nightlife presents major touring shows and casts that evoke the spectacle of Broadway in its heyday.
With incredible professional actors, elaborate theatrical sets, glitzy costumes, full live bands, and soaring vocals, the shows at Nashville Nightlife create major wow-factor.
Before the curtain rises, guests are welcomed into the elegant theater complete with chandeliers and velvet seats.
The dinner menu changes nightly with options like pecan crusted trout, rosemary chicken, pasta primavera, and NY strip steak prepared fresh.
The Lux Eclair dessert cafe next door provides a sweet spot to enjoy coffee, desserts and cocktails before the show.
For couples seeking a dazzling date night of glamour, music, and theatrical enchantment, Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theater hits all the right notes. You’ll leave feeling like you just experienced a marquee show on Broadway.
7. Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre
No list of Nashville’s top dinner theaters would be complete without the iconic Chaffin’s Barn Theatre. Established in 1967, Chaffin’s Barn is Nashville’s original – and longest continually operating – dinner theater.
The cozy theater resides inside a converted horse barn lending historic charm. With a repertoire of musicals, comedies, and dramas, Chaffin’s presents an array of show options in rotation so audiences can experience something new time after time.
The Barn’s line-up includes locally written works and world premieres alongside classic Broadway musicals like Hello Dolly! and Chicago.
Plays ranging from Agatha Christie mysteries to Southern favorites like Driving Miss Daisy offer variety. Patrons can enjoy a different show on each date night visit.
Pre-selected multicourse menus change seasonally and feature cuisine incorporating Tennessee flavors.
Entree selections may include prime rib, salmon with corn relish, or goat cheese ravioli for vegetarians. Their red velvet cake is legendary.
With a charming setting, fantastic food, and varied show lineup, Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre offers a quintessential dinner theater experience in Nashville. First-time visitors will delight in the Barn’s legacy and cozy ambiance.
Final Tips for the Perfect Dinner Theater Date Night
When it comes to picking the perfect dinner theater for date night, you first want to consider your combined interests.
Couples who both love mysteries or country music will have different preferences than those seeking Broadway glamour or comedy club laughs.
Browse the show schedules at your desired theaters; you can often book tickets online in advance since many productions sell out. Consider attending newer shows early in their run before word gets out.
Dinner theaters provide everything needed for an amazing date night out under one roof, with no rushing around town.
Just arrive on time, relax over drinks and dinner, enjoy the show, then head home or out for a nightcap afterwards with ease. Here are some final tips for planning your evening:
Dress the Part
Where you’re going helps set the dress code. At a casual comedy club, smart casual is fine but if you’re seeing a Broadway-style show, dress it up a bit more with cocktail attire. Look sharp and celebrate the night out.
Book Tickets Early
Reserve your seats well in advance, especially for weekend nights. Nashville residents love dinner theater so hot shows sell out fast!
Booking ahead ensures you get prime seats for the performance you want.
Check Menu Options
Most dinner theaters can accommodate common dietary needs with advance notice. Check menus online for dishes you’ll enjoy.
Ordering a bottle of wine or bringing a small gift for your date can also enhance the experience.
Arrive 30 Minutes Early
Give yourselves time to park, get seated, check coats and order drinks before showtime. Late arrival causes disruption, while an early arrival lets you relax and get in the mood.
Engage Together
Chat during dinner about the show you’re about to see. Hold hands during touching songs. Discuss your favorite moments or laughs afterwards.
Let the experience spark conversation.
With amazing entertainment, gourmet meals, and quality time together, Nashville’s dinner theaters offer phenomenal date night fun. Now get out there and experience it for yourself in Music City.
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