The Comedy Works

Everything about this place is sketchy, except the comedy. I’m really shocked by the number of positive Unilocal reviews of this place.
Maybe we just came on an off-​night, but I doubt it.
No part of this place is clean. I was part of the first wave on an evening of five shows, and seriously doubt the restroom had been cleaned in a while (as in days). Can’t imagine what it must have been like after 4 hours of activity.
The food looked and smelled awful. I would have paid not to eat it if that had been an option, and gratefully no gun was held to my head to force this stuff down my throat. Luckily my club soda came with a straw, and my husband’s beer in a bottle.
The person greeting the large crowd of Ansari fans at the door set the mood for sketchy. I enjoyed watching her randomly assign seats as people entered; it was high drama. In an age of Internet sales it should be possible to choose your seats– the club could even financially capitalize on prime spots. I’d rather do that than go through this 70’s-Vegas routine of a bouncer guarding the room and sizing people up, not to mention the time it takes to write up table assignment cards for every show– silly waste of staff time. She seated a complete douche in the very front who made the second comic’s set less entertaining for the comic especially– so much for the vetting process. We heard comments throughout the night from surrounding tables wondering about the seating policy (or lack thereof). It was a dismayingly sketchy process.
Our server Victoria was very pleasant and efficient. My only complaint was the mayhem that ensued at the end of the show when it was/​is clearly house policy to distribute checks. The owner was asking us to vacate the room so they could set it for another show, while dozens of people were hunting down servers to run credit cards. It is clearly not a workable system, and very unfair for the server who, because of house policy, causes their customer this baseless drama seconds before they decide on a tip amount. We waited easily 20 minutes before our transaction could be completed. I felt bad for all the servers.
The comics were GREAT! All of them, but this place needs a structural and procedural overhaul before I’d ever come back. With other sanitary comedy options in town– who also give opportunities to local comic’s– why would I return?
All the way home we were expressing concern about bringing home bedbugs or fleas to our pets. I’m still itching.
S-​K-​E-​T-​C-​H-​Y!

The Comedy Works is a cool little club showcasing local talent and bringing in the occasional big name comedian. Every other Thursday they feature some of the areas up-​and-​coming comics; my friend happened to be one of those comics last week so I went to support him. Price of admission for these amateur nights is only five dollars, a great deal especially since a portion gets donated to charity. The venue isn’t very large, and although it was packed the night I was in attendance, it didn’t feel crowded or uncomfortable and everyone had a great view of the stage.
Better food would have elevated the experience, but unfortunately the food I had was subpar and the beer list was pretty basic. I don’t know if the weekend menu is different from what was offered at the local showcase, but when I was there the menu consisted of a few sandwiches and salads, and five different kinds of fries. I ordered the Adam Sandler fries– a big, greasy plate of fries which were supposed to be covered with a spicy cheese sauce but tasted like regular cheese fries to me (maybe they’re named after Adam Sandler because they’re a flop). On a positive note, the waitress was attentive and continued to check on drink refills throughout the duration of the show.
Pass on the food, but come support the local comedy scene and have some laughs. It’s a great alternative to a night at the movies, and for the price it’s hard to beat!

Good was great, comics were really funny. Only complaint is the seating it really close. We sat elbow to elbow with our entire table. I would suggest having more shows for smaller groupings and not packing in the audience as much. Overall satisfied.

Pleasant surprise! Definitely sketchy location considering you have to drive through Arbor Hill from Center Square to get there, but once you arrive, it is easy to get tickets. We came about 10 minutes before the 7:30 pm show on Saturday night and got in right away for $ 25 each. It was a packed house so the only seats available were in the far corner, but we quickly learned that there were no bad seats. The headliner was Jake Johannsen — so funny! He made jokes about such relatable topics it made for a great stand up routine.
Definitely don’t let the area/​location of the club deter you!

The comedy was great! The venue and food not so much. My meal started with a salad with brown lettuce. I then ordered the prime rib which at first looked great. However it was encrusted in (no exaggeration I have a picture) of ¼ inch of Rosemary. I like a little in recipes but it was inedible. So my sister offered some of her chicken which she said tasted like steak. I tried a bite and because of the char– it certainly tasted much more like steak. The server came over and asked about my meal (did I want my uneaten meal wrapped) and I said I didn’t care for it and asked her why there was so much spice coating (rosemary nonetheless). She giggled, shrugged, and took my plate. My sister barely ate anything and just wrapped it because her husband will eat anything. So whatever you do — eat elsewhere before you go!!! Just gross.

Obviously the comedians change so I’ll just be reviewing the venue.
You walk in and there’s a large bar area on the left. I didn’t get a chance to check it out, but it looked to be a well-​stocked, big bar with lots of tables around it. To the right is the dining/​stage area. We were promptly seated and given a menu. There aren’t a whole lot of choices, food or drink wise. However, my friend and I split the «Cookie Smash» (basically a sundae with two chocolate chip cookies underneath it) and OMG. IT WAS SO GOOD!!! By far the best cookie sundae I’ve ever had, and I attribute that to them underbaking the cookie. It was amazing. I regret agreeing to share it, and I’m really looking forward to going back and ordering my own. No one in our party ordered any other food. They have your standard beers and a small mixed-​drink menu as well. I didn’t try any of those, but heard that they’re alright. This blew my mind: They only serve BOTTLED water in the dining room. I have never heard of this before. I find it really odd. Anyway.
The room was cool (though it was an unusually warm fall day so maybe they had the air conditioner on to accommodate that), almost too cool. But we were laughing too much to pay much attention. The stage is small, and the room has an intimate feel to it, I would guess that about 50 people can fit inside of it. You may end up sharing a table with people you don’t know. That didn’t bother us, but I imagine for some people that could be weird. The staff was friendly.
I’m looking forward to going back. I’m mostly looking forward to enjoying my own Cookie Smash. Seriously, if you go there, get this. You won’t regret it. I’m only giving it 4 stars because I don’t really have anything to compare it to, and I’m annoyed about the bottled water situation.

My wife took me out for a date night and to celebrate a big birthday. We had been here once before and had a great time, so we thought we would come back.
Well again it was a great experience!!! The prime rib was outstanding and asparagus was great. The potatoes were a tad undercooked but had good flavor.
The comics were also excellent!
We had a great time and will definitely go back!

I was here on a date on a Friday night and was late… as usual… lol…le sigh~
As soon as I walked in one of the staff showed me to my table in a room with standard interior. The comedians took a while to start being funny, but picked up towards the later half of the show… but not sure if it was the jokes or me just being a lightweigh and getting drunk on half a glass of mediocre riesling.
I think the highlight of the place for me were the tables outside the comedy room. These tables that built in candy machines underneath the table! o. O How cool~!!! :D
I’m fairly easily amused… but not by comedians apparently lol.
Oh, and unless you like being in the spotlight and all its glitter, do NOT sit in the front middle section because you WILL be the butt of their joke for a good portion of the night: P

You’ve got to be kidding!
The comedians WERE funny. The seating is traditional; uncomfortable long table and angles to the 6′ x 6′ stage. The drinks were good, cheap and easy to get.
If you like funny people, then have the balls to sit by the stage and say funny things to the comedians. You’ll learn funny fast. There’s NOTHING quite as funny as patrons who think they’re part of the act. Then the comedians have something to work with.
Comedians today have acts that are more like plays than live shows, so they can transport to TV. Only one of the three comics played the audience. In NYC, most comics play the audience and it gets REALLY funny. Nothing like a pretty drunk to liven things up. So, grab a hot one and head off to be a part of a live show tonight!
$ 20/​head plus drinks. Buy tickets online.

When my husband told me he got us tickets to a comedy club in the back of a Best Western, I thought he was trying to make a bad joke. I stand corrected. This place is pretty cool. There was a nice crowd of people and three funny comedians (one local, and two headliners — Chris Rich and Bill McCarty). I appreciated that the local comedian made a joke about how ridiculous it was to be playing in the back of a Best Western because come on, it is kind of funny.
We didn’t get dinner, but I did a quick scan of the menu and didn’t see anything that caught my attention. Drink prices were decent and service was friendly. I was glad to do something new and fun on a Saturday night. I’m looking forward to visiting again in the future!

we didn’t come for dinner so i can’t say anything about the food (i plan on coming back and doing so however). for dinner and a show it is $ 49 and show only is $ 20. the interior is gorgeous. a very large room with ornate columns, walls and ceiling. the staff is friendly and very efficient. we had wine and coffee with the show. the dinners that were being removed as we arrived looked large and well made (at least the remainder of them did) and the desserts they brought out looked inviting. they also have a snack menu as well.
plus the 3 comedians were all very funny. i will be back.