Joke Joint Comedy Club

I have to update my review. They still don’t have popcorn (and not great food options), but this is the one comedy club where we consistently see good comedy. And since that’s the #1 reason for going, it’s only fair the review reflects that!
It is pretty cramped and still kind of gross in there, but I can deal with that for a good time.

It’s hit or miss on the comedians. Sometimes they are great. Sometimes not so much.

I’m torn how to rate the place, the Headliner was great the place is small and has, for lack of a better term has Character. If rating on comedy alone I would give it 5 stars.
Where this place fell short for me was on the service side of things. We took an Über there so we could drink responsibly, we stat down, each ordered a beer. When I received my beer it was warm I flagged my server and she brought me a colder one. After that I tried to flag my server down again but she was either on her phone in the corner or no where to be seen. The other side of the room the server was going from table to table to make sure her people had drinks. 1 hour after serving everyone in her section (45 mins after I finished my beer) she came back and started asking people if they wanted drinks, I then received my 2^nd beer. After some time of being empty I had to make a point to flag down my server again, she brought me my 3^rd beer, just as I finished it I see her dropping off bills at tables, the table next to me asked if they could get another round first and she said «The show is almost over.», then walked to my table to hand me my bill. I had 3 beers in 2 hours (would have had one every 15 mins if allowed), I could have saved money and driving my own car rather than 2 ubers.
I rarely do this but I left nothing for a tip and a note explaining why on the receipt.
Great place for Comedy and not a good place for service if you get my «server».

I’ve never been to a comedy club. But local hero Tommy Ryman is hitting the big time and I really wanted to see him. He was a semi-​finalist on last comic standing, and he has Roseanne’s seal of approval. This place fills up. We actually got to vote on the 7 comics for the semi-​finals. MN does have a lot of comic talent, as well as every other kind. They had 2 servers for a full house, Mitch and Tia. Both handle a crowd flawlessly. I got a very good gingerale on tap. I heard the food is pretty good. The crowd seemed to enjoy it. We had dinner at Moose Country first. Lilydale is just across the river. It’s at the old Diamond Jim’s and it’s kept up pretty nicely. They have a wall of old comedy album jackets, nice touch. FYI, You can get free tickets on Thursdays if you have an entrée at Moose Country. Worth it.

So funny, cried I was laughing so hard. Food was good but the comics really made the night. Great time for very little cash.

This place wasn’t bad! The main comedian was funny as hell, but I guess I’m not suppose to review him, rather the place. $ 15 isn’t bad at all for 3 comedians. The place itself is nothing fancy, the comedian even made fun of the place saying it looks like something out of «Boardwalk Empire» ha. Overall I would definitely go again!

I tried to make a reservation Friday night 11/​21/​2014 at around 3 or 4 pm.
no person to answer your call, So I left a voice mail. I never got a call back.

Went out to this club with my parents when they came to visit me the other night. I’d never been to a comedy club, and wasn’t quite sure what I’d think of one. Turns out it’s not too far from where I live. It’s kind of like an old school theater type feel. Very intimate setting. The price per person was pretty reasonable, and so we settled in for the nights show. At first there was only a few people there, and I was mortified that we’d be singled out by one of the comedians. Then, not 10 minutes before it started, it seemed like an avalanche of people came in packing the place, but not uncomfortably. It still felt like you had room to breathe. Despite the large amount of people there, the service was quite good. Very attentive. By way of food, it’s your standard bar fare, with some interesting options tossed in like mini-​tacos. I ordered chicken strips, mozzarella sticks, and a root beer float. The float was absolutely delicious, and I ordered two of them, but I don’t think it was worth the $ 5.25 price tag each time. The mozzarella sticks were great, but I was a little put off by the plastic cup the marinara sauce came in. Felt a little cheap, kind of like an apple sauce container. Tasted fine though. Just wished it was presented differently. Made it feel more like a tv dinner than an evening out. The chicken strips were pretty decent too, a little soggy, but spiced right. The show itself however was great, although things got awkward when the headliner started calling out people in the crowd. I think I’m going to end up being a frequenter of the club. Great way to spend a Friday night. I just wish comedians realized some people just want to watch the show and not be called out, especially in intimate settings. The act is what we are there for, not the razzing. That’s why I gave it three stars instead of four.

Friday night, we wanted to focus more on an activity and less on food. Linda wanted to go to the comedy club at the Mall of America, but they were booked, so I looked around and found the Joke Joint in Lilydale, which is a dinky little city squished between Mendota Heights and the Mississippi river. The town barely has its own zip code. Seriously, it could be Eagan or St. Paul, easily, and I’ve seen the address listed as each of those.
We booked tickets online, which is listed as cheaper than at the door, but the «convenience» fee makes the prices the same. We also paid for the premium seats, but that was a waste. It’s a small venue. It’s not possible to have bad seats. The front row is using the stage as a footrest.
First, the food. It was all fried bar food. There was nothing worth talking about, but the beer was just $ 4 for a tall domestic.
Now, the comedy. You don’t go to a comedy club for the food.
We saw two acts, plus a 5 minute opener: Nate Abshire and Paul Hooper.
Abshire was funny as hell. His riff on the 5 daily minutes to make a relationship last forever if you’re a woman had me rolling… and Linda scowling. Sorry, honey, but it’s funny AND true. I’d pay to just see him on stage. Plus he sold Bill & Ted inspired posters in the lobby after the show. That’s a pure win. Wild Stallyns!
Hooper was funny. His good bits beat Abshire’s, but his depressing bits definitely knocked the average into Abshire’s favor.
But they were both good. I’d go back.

Super fun place, out 1^st time there and we will come back. Cheap tickets good seats and a small menu. Only thing is it took 50 minutes to get a order of french fries, I had to ask the waitress where they were… Then 20 minutes later they showed up. I recommend going but I highly recommend eating ahead of time.

I must say the comics here were some of the best I’ve seen for seeing a non A list star show. I’ve seen quite a few comics, including some bigger stars at Second City in Chicago but I laughed much harder here. All of them were quite good, especially the canadian who adapted humor well to local culture. pretty impressive.
I also enjoyed the student discount, which reminds me I should go again while I still have it. Went with a large group of friends and we had no trouble sitting together and got front row seats. Drinks weren’t too badly priced and was a fun outing out, highly recommend for a good laugh and something different to do than just clubbing!

This was our 3^rd visit. Always have had a good time.

I usually love the Joke Joint. The comedians they bring in are funny and the tickets are affordable, many times you can find a deal on Groupon or LivingSocial, but they need to get their service staff together of busy nights. This past Saturday my husband and I waited 20 minutes for a bucket of beer and over an hour for a shrimp appetizer. The server was nice and kept us updated, but they should be prepared for everyone coming in at once and ordering at once. This kind of wait was a little ridiculous and took away from us enjoying the show. Next time we’ll eat somewhere else first.

Took my hubby here for a date night and had gotten a deal on the tickets – 2 tickets and 2 drinks for $ 19. We got there later than I wanted and were seated up in the balcony — I think we were seated up here because of our ticket deal — which was ok, but not great. The place is a bit rundown and could use some freshening up. The acts that night were ok, nothing hilariously funny, but this is all subjective so I’m rating this on the actual venue and not the show.
I think there were only 2 waitresses on and they were working both the top & bottom areas. It took a bit to have the waitress stop, but drinks came quickly after.
I did order the brownie sundae, which I WOULD NOT recommend. 1) it came after waiting almost 40 min 2) it was served in a Styrofoam cup, with ice cream that was melted by the time we got it and the brownie was microwave hot. I do not understand why it took so long to get this because it was a prepacked brownie that was heated in the microwave, put on top of a scoop of ice cream and topped with a little whip cream and chocolate sauce. YUCK!
Bottom line, I don’t think I’d go back and I definitely wouldn’t go back without getting another deal on tickets.

We had a blast seeing Dave Williamson there! I was laughing throughout his whole act. Overall, we enjoy the Joke Joint. The drinks are pricey, but there is not a drink minimum, which is nice. I also don’t think there’s a bad seat in the house! We even enjoy the balcony.

On my local bucket list … bought grope-​on type coupons way long time ago that had expired … change of plans last nite led us here after a great meal at Jensens supper club.
We left Jensens down in spirits because their regular Fri nite singer, Sonny Bryant, formerly of the Platters, has been ill. So this was exactly what the supper club doc ordered.
Heard an excellent local guy Michael Thorne, by his own description, Nordeast white trash, and the opening acts were quite good too, esp Jolene Lunzer. My pal, who’s a recovering theater/​arts promoter, but still an active patron, loved her.
I love this venue for its history and now I can love it for its excellent, appropriate reuse. M.o.d. was friendly to all my queries post-​show and took paid value of coupons no questions asked. Oh, and then he left a msg at 11 pm, my driv lic was found in the parking lot (not sure how that happened but I officially hate that purse).
If in area worth a last minute check in to see if you can get in at the door as it’s huge and there was ample room for us walkins last nite. I imagine with national acts of course book early.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I found the Joke Joint to be a great place for comedy. I liked the ambiance and definitely the fact that they serve drinks during the show. This is a good casual date place.

What a great venue!
I have been to the Joke Joint 4 times & have loved it every time. Not too busy or overcrowded with local & national touring comedians performing most nights of the week.
An old-​time theatre ambiance greets you as you walk in the door. Grab your tickets & have a seat before indulging in bar fare such as popcorn & buckets of beer :)
Get ready to laugh out loud & smile til it hurts because usually you leave satisfied & happy!
Wednesday nights are open mic night with FREE ADMISSION to patrons.
Check-​in on Unilocal & grab the $ 15 for $ 30 deal, or watch the local daily deals (groupon or living social) for half price deals.
Check it out!

This is a really nice room for audience and performers. Good service and nationally touring comedians every weekend. The club hosts a workshop on Wednesday nights before the open mic. The open mic itself is a good free show because the Twin Cities has one of the best comedy scenes in the country.

Okay. First this is a local, family-​owned small business.
For a date night (Thursday, Friday, & Saturday) this place is great! Open-​mic is on Wednesday, which is free. The door price isn’t bad, you can often find B1G1 deals which makes this a great deal. The drinks and snack foods are not the cheapest, but hey you got to pay the comedians, the waiters, the mortgage, the lights…
When you put it all together, add a dinner beforehand, throw in a B1G1 deal makes this an inexpensive date night.
The comedians are not bad, they cycle people in and out. They really do get some great people, SNL & C-​Central writers and the like… like most places the openers are mostly locals.
There is another big plus which we found out about last weekend. There is a wine shop next to the JokeJoint. The wine selection was massive. We bought a bottle, was able to carry-​in and got a discount off the cork-​fee after showing the waiter our receipt. Show up 20 – 30 mins before show time, enjoy a snack and a drink… Good Times.