Comedy Gold in San Francisco

Rate Guide Rating_3_0 (2)
-620668388

San Francisco's gold rush in 1849 inspired countless treasure seekers to abandon their families for the chance to strike it rich. These days, San Francisco enjoys a different kind of gold rush: a comedy gold rush. A comedy gold rush of hilarity. Thanks to a generous allotment of comedy clubs, visitors to The City are constantly chinking their pickaxes on nuggets of comedy gold. Let's shift through the offerings before this moronic gold analogy compels me to jump in front of a BART train.

SF's Top 8 Comedy Clubs

San Francisco’s comedy scene offers up to 70% more yuks than similarly-sized cities, and yields nearly double the expected rate of guffaws. Chances for merrymaking are especially favorable at the following venues (listed in no particular order):

Much like myself, this club is renowned for its intimacy. But it still attracts huge names like Lewis Black and Dave Chappelle (who recently performed several legendary marathon sets). It’s a place to find both local fool’s gold and highly-polished nuggets of comedy.

Much like myself, this club is renowned for its intimacy. But it still attracts huge names like Lewis Black and Dave Chappelle (who recently performed several legendary marathon sets). It’s a place to find both local fool’s gold and highly-polished nuggets of comedy.

Purple Onion

140 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

An idiosyncratic loungey North Beach club that tends to attract lesser-known local comedians, but on occasion brings in a Zach Galifianakis or two. Anyway, it’s worth going here at least once, because the atmosphere’s as quirky as its name.

An idiosyncratic loungey North Beach club that tends to attract lesser-known local comedians, but on occasion brings in a Zach Galifianakis or two. Anyway, it’s worth going here at least once, because the atmosphere’s as quirky as its name.

Just like real college, the Comedy College is a good excuse to laugh and get drunk. They allow BYOB, so you can enjoy drinks at Safeway prices. There’s no “two drink minimum” unless you’re an alcoholic and enforce one upon yourself. The best bet is Saturday’s Naked Comedy: $12 for a lineup of amateurs and a headliner.

Just like real college, the Comedy College is a good excuse to laugh and get drunk. They allow BYOB, so you can enjoy drinks at Safeway prices. There’s no “two drink minimum” unless you’re an alcoholic and enforce one upon yourself. The best bet is Saturday’s Naked Comedy: $12 for a lineup of amateurs and a headliner.

Cobb's Comedy Club

915 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

This the largest comedy venue in San Francisco, and it definitely attracts the biggest names. Comedy becomes more impersonal and way more expensive at this scale, but that’s the price you have to pay if you find D.L. Hughley funny.

This the largest comedy venue in San Francisco, and it definitely attracts the biggest names. Comedy becomes more impersonal and way more expensive at this scale, but that’s the price you have to pay if you find D.L. Hughley funny.

Brain Wash Cafe

1122 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Since space is so constrained in San Francisco, you end up with places like this: part laundromat, part cafe. Improbably, they even have a comedy night every Thursday. Expect everything from established locals to unintelligible amateurs to fresh clean sheets.

Since space is so constrained in San Francisco, you end up with places like this: part laundromat, part cafe. Improbably, they even have a comedy night every Thursday. Expect everything from established locals to unintelligible amateurs to fresh clean sheets.

On Tuesday nights, Annie’s Social Club hosts a Comedy Speakeasy. It’s a relaxed ambiance, and the material is often delightfully underdeveloped. Afterward you can probably expect to drink some cheap beer with the comedians.

On Tuesday nights, Annie’s Social Club hosts a Comedy Speakeasy. It’s a relaxed ambiance, and the material is often delightfully underdeveloped. Afterward you can probably expect to drink some cheap beer with the comedians.

Deluxe Club

1511 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117

Mondays are your comedy nights in this classy retro dive bar. The quality of the comics is rangy, but since there’s no admission charge, you can use the money you’ll save toward a few Bloody Marys and/or Spa Collins, their specialty cocktail. Suddenly now all the comedians become funny.

Mondays are your comedy nights in this classy retro dive bar. The quality of the comics is rangy, but since there’s no admission charge, you can use the money you’ll save toward a few Bloody Marys and/or Spa Collins, their specialty cocktail. Suddenly now all the comedians become funny.

Bats Improv Theatre

Fort Mason Ctr, San Francisco, CA 94123

For some improvised hilarity, BATS has weekend offerings. Theater nerds will find each offering an absolute delight. The rest of us may also slap our knees once or twice.

For some improvised hilarity, BATS has weekend offerings. Theater nerds will find each offering an absolute delight. The rest of us may also slap our knees once or twice.

 
Widget_dnmvuk8tbjlkibvonoaz9q

Uncle Joey from Full House was a SF-based comedian. Thankfully, most real SF comedians have better material than pretending to talk with a woodchuck puppet.

Share on StumbleUpon Share on Facebook Tweet this Guide! Share on Digg Share on Reddit Add to del.icio.us

Discussions

About The Author

-620352758

wickensworth Rss 

Berkeley
Actually, I was looking for cruel Graphic User Interface dictators, so I typed in GUIDespot-dot-com. (I'm really into tyrannical widget designers; it's kind of my thing). But I also like travel, so this site still works for me. I live in the San Fransisco area (which is teeming with GUI despots).