Hilarities 4th Street Theatre

If you’re even a marginal fan of comedy, you’ll instantly love Hilarities. I mean, really. Laughter is good for the soul, so do yourself a favor and check out this comedy club.
I always have those friends that say comedy clubs aren’t their «thing.» But if I can at least get them through the door, I can usually change their mind fairly quickly. It all begins with the location! You honestly cannot beat the buzzing street that is East 4^th. At night, East 4^th is alive with terrific restaurants and buskers, and you can have a fantastic meal nearby (make reservations!) or grab a bite at the adjacent restaurant, Pickwick & Frolic. This makes for a lovely evening before you approach the glimmering outdoor lights of this NYC style comedy club!
The food is quality, but just keep your expectations realistic. You are in a comedy club, not a five star restaurant. Its great for appetizers like sliders, chicken tenders, or other quick bites. Their strong suit is truly the drinks… those bartenders do not skimp! Their bottles of wine are also priced fairly, so that’s usually the route I go when with friends.
When i’m entering Hilarities, I tend to ask the hostess to NOT seat me in the front, but rather, a booth in the back. The booths are more private, and if I get seated in the front (which is where they usually lead me), I tend to get picked on in good fun by the comics. I am 5’10″ and blonde, so I guess I have that coming, but i’d rather enjoy my comedy in the dark privacy of the back… there’s not a bad seat in the house!
Also, don’t forget to sign up for the Hilarities newsletter, and fill out the little cards on your table to win free tickets. Hilarities is quite generous with their complimentary tickets, and the odds are high in your favor!

We always have such a great time here. I love seeing the local artists and lesser known open for the bigger acts. I’ve seen Dave Couier, Kevin Nealon and Rob Schneider here (not all on the same night, unfortunately), and they were all fantastic.
The only thing I don’t like is the seating and how they cram us in like sardines. I realize they are trying to make money, but at least make the tables a little bit bigger.
I will continue to keep going back as long as they keep the good acts coming!

We attended the comedy club.;
The club was clean and the seating process was organized and pleasant.
The comedy show was really good. For 30.00 we got 3 comedians and they were all funny.
Now for the bad. Not even keeping in mind that the club is INSIDE a restaurant (because that makes this even worse). the food was absolutely inedible.
We already had dinner at Brasa; it was GOING to be Pickwick and boy did I dodge a bomb on that one.
So just to have something to munch on I order the fruit and cheese plate. Served in a hamburger plastic boat I get some ‘fruit’ and ‘cheese’. ALL of it is at or above room temperature rather than nicely chilled, beading with ice cold water droplets.
I had about 10 warm grapes. They were all a combination of varied degrees of green and brown, all of which was mushy or well on the way to mushy.
Two warm strawberries that actually looked good but very warm???
A few blueberries, again soft, discolored and warm.
The cheese was warm as well, which is scary. The top slices were shinny as if they had been sitting out; obvious by the WARM aspect.
I brought this to the waitresses attention. She said it all looked like this and all was warm. I am thinking why did you sell it to me? Was this a case of…. Let’s see if HE will eat it??? For that price??? For ANY price?
So I exchange for veg plate. A few pieces of celery, carrot, broccoli. Again a 9000% markup which I guess we are supposed to just expect in a venue like this. And warm. Slightly cool to touch but not cold, not properly refrigerated; not even close. The plus side is that the vegetables were reasonably fresh. Proper color and crunchy so we kept it.
In closing I go to a lot of comedy events, and live shows and the season is upon us now. Will I be back? Maybe. If someone is there that I MUST see I will go back otherwise I will avoid.
This would have been embarrassing even with a club having an appetizer kitchen. This is a full blown two level restaurant.
Not to mention this was a first date LOL.
Come on guys you can do so much better. These two dishes require –1 on the skill level. Nature did ALL the work for you and it was still a mess. All you have to do is keep these items well chilled; place on a plate when ordered, THAT IS IT!

Kudos to Hilarities for overhauling their wine list. It used to have maybe 3 selections. Now it is quite extensive for by-​the-​glass pours. And… the servers can swipe your credit card on a little machine and cash you out on the spot. Convenient! Nice upgrades. We never miss Bobby Collins, Sebastian Maniscalco, or Rocky LaPorte. I just wish they would have Bret Ernst or Cedric the Entertainer. Those two are hilarious.

Always a great time here. Been to plenty of shows here and nearly every single commedian has been funny.
Sign up for the e-​mails and you can score some free tickets.
Service is usually good, seating from anywhere is good, but I prefer to pay extra for booth seating ($ 25) or table seating so you can have more elbow room and your personal space isn’t being invaded by another couple.
Great for a fun, inexpensive, reason-​to-​get-​all-​dolled– up date night.

This was our second time here and our Cleveland comedians are generally pretty good (especially the weekends). Our featured comedian both times were a bit of a disappointment, especially the one last night who was drunk the entire time and lost half his jokes. However, Hilarities was decked out in holiday décor — the Santa chair is awesome, and the space is pretty nice. The food is a bit pricey, as is typical for most comedian venues. I do like the free ticket raffle though.

Wow. One week ago, I was visiting Cleveland, Ohio. Meeting my boyfriends wonderful family and plans had been made. We were to visit Hilarities on the 11^th!
We went to an amazing German place, Hofbräuhaus, for dinner right before so right as we took our seats, the lights dimmed.
I forgot the name of the first comic but with a cocktail in my hand, my boyfriend right next to me, the stage lights on, I was excited for a great show! Then Sam Klima, the/​a manager, approaches us and politely asks Serena, my boyfriend Danny’s sister, to remove her feet from a chair in front of her. The chair wasn’t being used but she put it back and all was fine.
The comic begins with a slow and steady start but when he gets to the gay jokes, I can’t help but bust up! This guy is hilarious! I’m laughing! Danny’s laughing! His mom, Tina is laughing! Her boyfriend, Jerry is enjoying himself! Danny’s sister Serena, her husband Brian and don’t forget Melanie and Rich are all audibly accepting every incoming joke! We were all enjoying ourselves heartily and we were all having a gay old time.
Then Sam Klima returns. Asking us to keep it down. KEEP IT DOWN. In a comedy club! I could not believe this. Danny and Jerry immediately ask to take this outside while the rest of us enjoy what we have paid for. FIFTEEN MINUTES PASS. Still no return.
The second comedian steps up and takes the stage. Five minutes into his act, Jerry returns and asks us to accompany him because my boyfriend Danny had been kicked out because of his belligerent behavior. We get up, get out and get ready to see Danny super stupid drunk.
I see him standing outside, arms crossed, an irritated grin has appeared on his face and when I approach him, in calm plain English (not belligerent at all) he explains that he asked the guard why when all of the jokes were being directed at us, when the comedian had singled us out in the audience and sang our praises why was the club so insistent that the gay corner get out.
I turned immediately to look at the security guard.
Now when people describe rabid animals, you know raging and foaming at the mouth, you figure that just pertains to animals. No no. A security guard at Hilarities exhibits the same traits! He was already screaming. He was already red. He had his taser gun out AND POINTED TO MY FACE. He then told us to back off because he could and was going to shoot.
I was so shocked that I continued closer. This could not be happening. You did not kick my boyfriend out for being loud. You are kicking us out because we’re gay. The comic had only singled us out two minutes prior to being asked to tone it down. Literally he called us the gay corner when Klima arrived. This is the definition of discrimination. I continued moving closer and closer and he erupted. HE SLAPPED ME. A SECURITY GUARD SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE! The security guard at Hilarities not only slapped me but his swing followed through and struck Jerry in the nose.
Immediately I felt people holding me back and holding the security guard back. Ok firstly, I’m not a fighter. Hold me back all you want but I’m not running forward, I’m just there reeling from that smack. Secondly, I’m not in the wrong, I was smacked in the face. He was enraged, aggravated, trembling with fury before anyone had really said anything. For him to brandish a lethal weapon in my face, for him to get so consumed with anger when asked what the exact reasons he initially approached us for, and lastly for him to assault Jerry and myself so violently proves that this man needs to be fired. How can Sam Klima stand there and watch his security guard slap a gay man in front of him? Does Sam Klima feel the same way? Does the entire establishment know that a manager and the escort guard are homophobic?
The fact that not one person from management has reached out to compensate us for the price of the tickets or the fact that we have yet to receive an official apology after we’ve called and left messages proves to me that this establishment is ass backwards, excuse my French. I cannot and will not live in a world where this is tolerated. I will spread this like a wild fire until my words are heard. You do not slap someone and expect them to walk away with their tail between their legs. And you especially don’t strike two.
Please spread the word on FB AND
Twitter that these people support physical violence to control the crowd.

Laughing is my favorite, and this place is a great place to do it. Great atmosphere, lovely servers. The food is so-​so (bar food-​ish), but lets be honest, you go for the entertainment, and entertained you shall be. The local opening acts are often as funny if not more funny than the headliners. The food and drinks upstairs aren’t too bad either, just skip the dirty martini– not-​so-​good. You can order from the upstairs menu downstairs too, and somethings are okay, but its a little overpriced for what it is. A very cool place to catch a comedian!

Between a three and four star review…
I was looking for something fun to do when I was in downtown Cleveland and found Hilarities…
It’s your basic comedy club. Close seats that would push any one struggling with claustrophobia to have a mini panic attack… Over priced drinks… But they bring some well known artists to the city and it’s always good to laugh.
I came and saw Dom Irrera. He, the pre act and the pre, pre act were good. More time was spent on stage by the pre-​acts than the main artist… I ended up spending $ 25 on a ticket and $ 25 on drinks (there is a 2 drink minimum) and got about 1 hour and 15 minutes of entertainment… I guess that is about the going rate.
As of the time I write this review they had a lot of entertainment options. On various nights they had burlesque shows…
Overall, I thought it was ok. If you wanted to go and have a night out in downtown Cleveland it may be fun, but I am sure there are plenty of other comedy clubs in the greater Cleveland area…

Went for my first time last night and I’ve got to be honest; I wasn’t impressed. The venue was decent, the acts were okay (for being free) and our waitress was attentive BUT the food and drinks were exceptionally bad, especially for the price.
I ordered chicken tacos that came with a side of fries. I don’t understand how you mess up either of those dishes but both of them were completely lacking in any flavor. I also ordered a Mule and I can only assume they were out of ginger beer (since it was on the cocktail menu) and substituted it with cheap lemon lime soda.
I understand that they have to make up the cost for free tickets elsewhere, which is why I don’t begrudge the 2 item minimum for EACH guest, but that’s not a reason to charge literally twice as much as what your food is worth.
Overall, I would probably bring some out of town guests for a night out in a pinch but I probably won’t go out of my way to return any time soon.

Went here last night, Michael Che was the main comedian for the night. Hilarious, and fantastic at improv. Will definitely be returning here! Awesome place for those with a sense of humor. ;)

This was my first time going to a comedy show at Hilarities (though I’ve dined at the restaurant, Pickwick and Frolic numerous times) and I really enjoyed the experience.
It was a great way to spend a Friday evening. The comedy club was larger than I expected and although the tables are close together, it didn’t feel overcrowded. We got there just a few minutes before the show started so quickly grabbed drinks — gin and tonics were well made and a little strong, just as I like them. Definitely plan to arrive a little early if you want to order food or browse the cocktail menu since it gets pretty dark during the show without breaks in between acts. Our waitress came by twice during the show to refill drinks and see if we needed anything, which based on my experience at other comedy shows is more attentive than I expected.
The show itself was excellent. I didn’t know the opener or the main act and laughed the whole time. The host, whose comedy set was also great, led the show seamlessly. The crowd was fun, open to the raunchier jokes and enthusiastic.
Overall, I definitely plan to return for a show in the future and arrive early enough to select on of the specialty cocktails and maybe even a snack from the menu.

Service was so-​so but they have good shows. I was pleased to get discounted tix to see John Leguizamo’s stand-​up routine. And we got to meet him after the show

First timers and we loved it. The comedians, all three of them, were enjoyable.
We purchased table seats in front of the stage, which provided an intimate experience with the talent.
It’s a great way to spend the evening and the servers were very active. We ordered a few drinks and some cheese and fruit.

OMG I love this place. What a great time out on the town with friends. I have seen 3 shows here thus far and they were all pretty good. The one time the headliner cancelled and we were left with the openers stretching their act to cover for lost time. Instead of comedy he turned it into making fun of the audience. But he was in a bind you can’t blame him. Other time I took BF to see John Caparulo for his birthday and got booth seats. They were very cozy, the show was great, the red wine was fantastic, and we laughed the night away. Won tickets to see Dave Coulier from Full House, took 2 other friends. We were thrilled when we got table seats, so we proceeded to drink an unreasonable amount of Moscow mules and giggled till it hurt. I always have a great time here, even if the comedian bombs.

This was our first time at Hilarities on E 4^th and I must say we had a great time. The ticketing was super easy over the phone and we picked up our tickets at Will Call very quickly and easily. Our seats were in the loge and although we were on an extreme end of the theater at the side of the stage, we had a great view and had a great time. We saw Norm McDonald as the headliner and he was outstanding as was the featured act and the opening act. We had good experience with the drink service; the server was efficient and the prices were reasonable, although we had to ask for water twice. Overall, we can’t really think of anything negative except possibly this venue could use more restroom capacity for after the show.

Have been to a few comedy shows here, and have loved every visit. The theater is nearly perfect in setup — I’ve been seated near the front, in the very back, and on the loge — not a bad seat in the house. Drink and bar food prices are decent (not so much for Pickwick & Frolic, but that’s another review). The food is just your standard bar fare, nothing to rave about, but you don’t go there for the food.
The service has always been stellar — even when it’s a packed house. I’ve even been part of a party that unfortunately included a psycho drama queen who stormed into the kitchen crying about something unrelated to the venue, and still, the staff was nothing but gracious and friendly (well, to the rest of us at least).
I’ve seen comedy shows in about 15 different venues over the years, and Hilarities is easily my favorite overall, and they manage to continue to bring good shows to town.

Went on a Sunday night with two buddies for a comedy show. Pick Wick is really nice, as is Hilarities inside. High quality. The night we went, it was half full and the audience sucked. Comedians were okay, but not great. But the venue is great.
The menu they have is a cheap bar-​oriented menu. We asked for the restaurant menu, which was much pricier but fuller. That’s where they hid the veggies. I had a Farmer’s Salad, which was decent, bathed in ranch dressing (which I don’t like), but not that bad otherwise.

I love comedy; it’s what life is all about.
Hilarities didn’t fail to deliver a great show on a Friday night to two guests who were new to the city of Cleveland (thanks Unilocal for helping us track this place down!). We purchased tickets at the box office and although they had some computer issues (so tickets took a little while), the women behind the counter were pleasant throughout the whole experience.
We were seated as we walked downstairs to the show and enjoyed the drink /​appetizer service as we did the comedy. I loved the ambiance here too — a great place to go on a date. Upscale, but not snobbish. The acoustics are great too. There’s not one single bad seat in the house. Whether you’re in the front or the back, it’s a win. You can see!
–1 star for the food options. Would love to see more available and even some upscale tapas options (oysters, please!) to fit the environment. We enjoyed the fresh veggies appetizers, but would have liked to see more veggies in it ;).
Small tip: use the bathroom before the show, as after — everyone rushes to it and there’s some crowding, especially on a popular show.

OK… to say I love this place is an understatement. First of all, if you sign up on their website, they will throw free tickets at you at least once a week. Seriously, I have a restraining order against these folks.
Comics are usually so good, my sides and cheek muscles hurt after a show. Sometimes, out of three comics, we get one that is just OK. But usually… EXCELLENT.
Beer selection is boring. (Really? I’ve gone right to the beer so fast? Geez.) BUT, they will pull beer from the bar upstairs at Pickwick and Frolic if you ask. No really. they will.
Menu at Hilarities is fine. It’s a comedy club folks.
Wait staff is usually very attentive. As boring draft beer selection is $ 1 per glass M-​Thur… Tip these folks well! We always tip according to the hustle, not the bar tab.
With the free tickets that are thrown at us, and the cheap beer nights, we can enjoy a night out for under $ 20. And that includes parking. Seriously… TIP YOUR WAIT STAFF.
i LOVE THIS PLACE. Let’s face it… 4^th street is just awesome. This is another jewel in the crown.