Toby’s Dinner Theatre Baltimore

I thoroughly enjoyed my evening at Toby’s. We came as a large group to see «Spamalot» and were seated in the middle across from the main entrance. This meant both great seats and blocked seats, and I think most seats were like that in some sense. Very cool about this place is that the stage is in the middle, so the cast is always facing different directions. It feels natural that way, and it’s cool to see a play from all sides. Sometimes you’re totally staring at people’s back for a minute, but it works out. And the microphoning is done well so you can hear no matter what.
The singers and actors were great. Very talented, very spirited, and very fun. In this show there was a woman who played a diva, essentially, and she nailed it. I’m still smiling about it days later. Likewise the ensemble was good fun!
The food was surprisingly good! It’s nothing you’d pay big bucks for in a restaurant, but for a dinner theater I was impressed! You start with a salad bar (who doesn’t love a salad bar), then have many main course options (e.g., chicken, fish, spinach, cheese cubes, fruit, carving station), then an ice cream bar AND plated dessert. Meanwhile there’s tea and coffee and maybe soda. You can separately purchase drinks, but we didn’t do that.
I would absolutely love to go back to Toby’s.

Every star here is for the amazing cast of Les Miserables. The show was amazing and the performance is the sole reason we will certainly be attending another show there. As for the rest of the Toby’s experience. The food was… bad. We weren’t the first ones in line so maybe we were getting the leftovers or something but all of the food was lukewarm. The shrimp was overcooked and mushy. I felt like it was the kind of thing that would give a person food poisoning so I pretty much avoided eating any of it. The taste of the food really might not have been too bad had it been the appropriate temperature. Another couple of issues (and I’m only mentioning them because I feel like it might help them if they worked on it). The sound system couldn’t handle the awesome voices of the performers. Sometimes the speakers were crackling and it was kind of distracting. The other thing is the begging for tips. Everywhere you look there are signs reminding you to tip on the cost of the tickets. Our waitress filled our water glasses once and dropped off some pie as she was taking the huge tray around. That’s it. I felt uncomfortable being asked to leave a $ 20 tip for someone to do 2 things that were done in assembly-​line style. She was a nice girl but this business of «tip your server because she’s the performer» thing kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. I just paid $ 100 to see her perform. Now I’m supposed to give her another $ 20 for this glass of water? Or feel guilty if I don’t? I ended up leaving a tip because I sincerely did enjoy the performance enough to, but being reminded constantly that it’s expected was strange and off-​putting.

Pulling into the parking lot and looking over the outside we were not thrilled. Our spirits were further dampened when we entered the premises, but the buffet was okay. Not great (food was not hot) but just okay.
NOW the turnaround… the performance of Les Miserables left us totally speechless! How in the world were they able to find such a talented cast in the middle of nowhere? And how did they manage to perform and assemble such intricate props so that it was actually believable? I’m still humming some of the tunes. There was so much talent it was impossible to choose which was the better performer. The voices and improvisation were out of sight! Every word sung could be understood.
One of the best shows we have ever seen! Thank you for a wonderful evening!

Was invited to attended the Theater with family and found it well priced, the buffet was excellent, the actors and actresses wait the tables and they were all just great. The play, IN THE HEIGHTS was very professionally done. Great Evening.

Rating:
Dinner and surroundings – 2
Show – 4
Details:
Tucked back in a corner of Baltimore that immediately reminded me of a lonely truck stop, this venue is one of a kind in that I would never willingly come here again. Theatre on second floor of a second rate Best Western complete with some of the hardest chairs you have ever sat on, the silliest notion of eatting for 2 hours before the show starts (and yes, the big people were in the house), not that diverse of a crowd, food relatively shabby, nasty dishwater-​like bin carried by bus boy right near the food you eat, way over priced for the experience — the only saving grace was that the staff were very friendly albeit somewhat urban. Even the complimentary Toby’s customized dinner glasses they gave you were messed up– they were stuck together. Why do they have club music from a club called Voltage in the hotel coming through the walls during the evening show?
Show (The Wiz) was actually good in terms of colors, lights, songs, dance, humor but sound system is not good– they made us eat first for 1.5 hours, wait 30 minutes, then sit through a 2 hour show just because they wanted the actors/​/​actresses to double as waiters/​/​waitresses instead of hiring a separate lot of waiters/​/​waitresses. Then they insisted that you pay an extra high tip because supposedly the actors/​/​actresses/​/​waiters/​/​waitresses combo people don’t «get paid much». Well then — who actually gets the money if I’m paying $ 55 a ticket ??

We LOVE Toby’s in Baltimore, It is inside the Best Western Hotel. The food and shows are excellent. It is a great deal if you buy a subscription or use a buy one get one free coupon. Like them on Facebook and get on their e-​mail list for coupons. We have seen so many shows like, Hairspray, The Wizard of Oz, Aida, Beauty and The Beast, Xanadu, The Sound of Music…

I’m an avid «show-​goer», so Toby’s is like having my own personal Broadway in my back yard for a lot cheaper! I have been to both Toby’s locations (Baltimore and Columbia) and have yet to be disappointed by the show. But let’s talk the Baltimore venue.
1. It’s located in a hotel right off I-​95. There’s ample parking and its not difficult to find the show. Plus if you’re from out of town this is perfect for dinner and a show. then you can just go back to your hotel room afterwards, or go 10 minutes down the street to downtown hoppin’ Canton.
2. The food is pretty good, although I would suggest going to the dinner shows rather than a Sunday brunch. I find that the dinner selection is well above par compared to the brunch options.
3. I have seen shows here that include: Cats, Dreamgirls, Grease and more. I’m currently awaiting to buy tickets for my mom’s Christmas present, I’m taking her to see The Sound of Music!
4. The seating is a little unorthodox. There’s always enough seating but the layout of the tables with the stage at the front, just doesn’t do it for me.
5. I’ve found that there are more technical difficulties at this location on the «techie» end, so if you get some muffled sounds/​songs. unfortunately there is nothing the actors can do about it– so don’t penalize them.
6. The serving staff is your cast. They act, sing, dance and serve you your dessert! Make sure to tip them accordingly but if you’re not sure how. just read the card on the table that explains the system.
If you’ve never been. it’s really worth the $ 50-​$ 60. You get food, drinks and a show by a really fantastic local cast of actors. Even better, check out
; Toby’s is always running half-​off ticket price deals regularly. I just bought two tickets for the Sound of Music for $ 70, that’s almost $ 40 off!

I have been to several Toby events. The performaces are usually quite good. The food is generally very mediocre. The food is very subpar. The meats are gissled with fat and are not flavorful. There is usually long lines to get subpar food. Even the drinks are mediocre. There are relatively few choices. Those that are available are poor at best. You can do a lot better for the $ 50 cost than Tobys charges. However, there aren’t alot of dinner theaters around other than Blair Mansion, which is MUCH better and maybe one more. It’s too bad. Tobys could easily have attracted a lot more attendees if they drastically upgraded their cuisine, which always has bordered on «just barely edible.»

For the cost of a dinner and a movie, you can do something a little different for the whole evening. Yes, the food is below par and hovering around a 2star minus level but the shows are entertaining. The actors who double as servers, are decent on stage and, in my experience, usually lacking as waiters. The hotel banquet chairs seating is a little to be desired, especially since you will be watching the show from these seats also.
Nonetheless, I go 2 – 3 times a year with different people because its convenient to where I live and something out of the ordinary, in this day in the internet age.
Parking is easy and its right off of I-​95 and I-​895 on the Southeast side of Baltimore.
Tickets, drinks, and tips usually came out to $ 50−65/person in my group. Dinner and show lasts about 3 – 4 hours.
I would recommend. (I considered buying a season pack but didn’t).

Housekeeping issues 1^st — I’m a Certified Tourism Ambassabor (CTA), and we receive admission to select Baltimore attractions (Toby’s Baltimore included) so my ticket was complimentary. There is no requirement to promote the venue or any other strings attached! That said, my enjoyment of the entire evening is the sole reason for this review.
If you’ve been to Toby’s, you know dinner is a buffet that offers a little something for everyone… First stop — yummy rolls & salad bar! Then on to the main courses with salads, veggies, shrimp, chicken, seafood, ribs and carving station (turkey, beef and ham.) For dessert, there’s cheesecake, cake and a soft serve ice cream station. Last night the yummy, perfectly cooked green beans were our favorites :) Not to worry if you’re hungry, there were at least 2 calls for seconds that I heard and possibly more!
Now onto the centerpiece of the evening — the show! Although I have not seen Dreamgirls before, I knew the soundtrack was amazing. WOW is all I can say about it from beginning to end! A few friends of mine who already saw the show said they thought Jennifer Hudson was on stage when Crystal Freeman (Iffie) sang «I’m Not Going» and «I Am Changing», but I must disagree — she was better… and it would be a surprise, in my opinion, if a Helen Hayes nomination isn’t in her future! Jonathan Randle was perfectly cast as the somewhat uptight, philandering but visionary Curtis and Ray Hatch simply was Jimmy Early! Each of the ‘girls’ — Shalya Simmons (Deena), Ashley Johnson (Lorrell) and — added in late in Act I — Dayna Quincy (Michelle) were not only amazing vocalists but could also move and did Hatch’s choreography proud. We all know each actor in any part at every moment on stage has responsibility to stay in the moment and carry the scene forward. Evidently, each ensemble performer was up for this challenge — excellence all around! Each of the actors/​actresses on stage are worthy of individual mention … but alas, space is limited :(
We have all come to expect first rate productions at Toby’s, but in the case of Dreamgirls, Toby has … well … bested herself! As mentioned, my admission was free but my daughter joined me and I paid for her ticket. Although I wouldn’t rate the food itself 5 of 5, the entire evening (food, service and show) was! Dreamgirls run thru mid Oct and I’d highly recommend you make your reservations now since you don’t want to miss it!

We just attended a performance of the“Beehive”. Great singing. Wonderful production! I just love both locations of Toby’s :-). The food here is just fine. Not 5 star dining but better than old country buffet. Service here is always friendly. Toby’s rules!

My wife and I took our visiting friends to see «West Side Story» here. Since this is a dinner theater, you have the play and also the meal that factor into the whole experience. I gave them a 2 star rating because the overall experience leaves much room for improvement.
The play part of the evening was pretty good; I would give the play 3.5 or 4 stars. There were a few times when they didn’t hit the note they were trying to sing or they were way too loud and the sound people didn’t compensate, but if they made any mistakes on lines or dancing, I couldn’t tell. The dance moves were pretty difficult and they appeared to nail them all. Some of the minor characters failed to convince us that they were the tough gang members they were supposed to be, which took away from the feeling of the story as a whole, but the play overall was entertaining and well done.
The dinner part is really where they could make this production shine if they ever care to. The room is overly dark and decorated more like a basement bar than a dinner theater. The tables could be rearranged to give everyone a better view of the stage, and the chairs are not comfortable enough to sit in for so long.
The theater is located in a Best Western Hotel and conference center, so all the food comes from the hotel, which is still no excuse for what a company serves its paying customers.
The salad bar, while adequate, was kind of lame. The selection was very small, everything was a notch or two below peak freshness, and there was only a single tiny salad bar, so the line reached across the entire room. They obviously used bagged salad, and some of the toppings had that cheap canned taste.
The buffet, for the most part, was good. However, it was 2-​star cheap hotel good, not 5-​star, high class dinner theater experience good. They have shrimp so they can advertise shrimp, but they’re the cheap kind that you have to shell yourself, which is more trouble than it’s worth. The mashed potatoes are from a mix, to which they added peppers and onions cover up the mix taste. The green beans and carrots were the standard hotel version that look good, but aren’t. The pasta was ok, but very cheap hotel tasting, and wasn’t warmed evenly. They had a good selection of meats, but you could tell they took the cheap route. The beef was grisly and the chicken also had rough spots. They had au jus, but no little cups, so you just poured it on your plate, which meant everything was swimming in it.
The buffet system could be upgraded. When you arrive you get a number; when they call your number you can go, but you have to take your number with you and also the plate from your table. I realize they’re trying to control the line and keep people honest, but they need to treat people less like dishonest cattle and more like paying customers.
The buffet is included, alcohol and mixed drinks are extra, and they’re all overpriced. At least the milkshake and piña colada are not very good. They make you buy a souvenir glass with your drink. In fact, I didn’t get a drink because I didn’t want to have a stupid glass to clutter my house. I would have been much more likely to buy a drink if they would let you not buy the glass and take $ 2 off the price. We had to ask about soft drinks; they do have them and it appears they’re included in the ticket price (or he forgot to charge us), but they’re not listed anywhere; you need to ask.
Some of the actors double as your server to earn some extra money. I get it and feel for them, but they try to guilt you into giving a huge tip because «that’s where most of the money they earn comes from.» They ask you to tip based on the cost of the drinks you order plus the tickets for the show and buffet. For the 4 of us, their recommended tip would have been almost $ 50. While this may work for friends and family who come to watch the show, I have a hard time justifying such a large tip for a server who had far too many tables, took forever to even stop by our table, and all he did was bring us a few drinks and water. We got our own food at the buffet, and a busboy cleared the used dishes. Sorry, I went to have dinner and see a show, not attend a charity function. I realize being an actor means low income, but trying to pity me into tipping so much just detracts from the experience and feeling of quality.
They have a sundae bar, but it’s also lame. It’s obvious they took the cheap route to get one so they could advertise a sundae bar. It’s just a low-​quality soft serve machine with chocolate, vanilla, and twist. You fill small, cheap looking Styrofoam cups and then spoon a few toppings from bowls on a table.
Our tickets were a little over $ 50 per person, plus the cost of the gross drinks. At the end of the night we had to convince ourselves that it was worth it, which really means it wasn’t. It would have been worth $ 20 a person just to see the play, which was good, but $ 50+ each for the whole experience was too much.