Since the beginning of the summer, Side Street Dive restaurant has invited patrons to be a part of their world, where all the restaurant is a stage. Much like the dinner theater deal you get at Ellen’s Stardust Diner in Manhattan, every dish is served with a side of Side Street Dive restaurant, with the server-performers entertaining diners at Side Street Live.

Restaurant owner Max Feinberg said the concept was years in the making. During the height of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in 2023, he hosted a pop-up inspired by the singer-songwriter at The Ugly Duckling in Long Beach. He recalled the venture as “the most successful thing we’d ever been able to do.”

When deciding how best to repeat that success at his restaurant, which opened earlier this year, the singing servers of Stardust came to mind. Feinberg enlisted the help of Olivia Herrera, one of his bartenders, to organize auditions for the concept. Herrera has a background in musical theater.

“We auditioned over 200 people [and] picked a cast of 22 unbelievably talented individuals,” he said. “It was about a two-week process from auditions to rehearsals to our first performance, and it went incredibly well.”

Side Street Live hosts interactive performances four days a week, with each day bringing something different to your table. Wednesday night showings offer themed trivia, Friday night showings come with late-night karaoke, and Saturday matinees serve up Sunday brunch.

Patrons can expect elevated comfort food, shareable plates, and breakfast items served all day and all night. Feinberg said the focal point of the menu is the pizzas, one of which comes topped with crispy bacon bits, over-easy eggs, and gooey cheese. This writer enjoyed the Savi pie during her visit, which is a saucy, salty combination of pepperoni cups, hot sausage, and fresh mozzarella drizzled with hot honey.