Improv Comedy Club

I come here all the time cuz it’s the best spot in hollywood. Great atmosphere and great comedy. Chef Juan cooks up the besssst food! I recommend the pizza. Chyeah!

Went to meet a friend and Paige who was working the door decided to cut my friend off from drinking. For NO reason. My friend had a — that’s a one — drink at the Hollywood bowl. I had more but Paige cut her off for NO reason. So weird. Everyone was dumbfounded. I mean everyone made comments about how they didn’t understand why Paige was being such a b. My friend wasn’t drunk. She didn’t exhibit any weird or drunk behaviors at all! I’m the one who had a drink too many. It was bizarre. She then disappeared so we couldn’t even ask about why she made that decision. So dumb.

Really great time! I’ve been to the oc and ie improvs but I loved the intimate setting of this Hollywood one. Came here mainly to see Dane Cook but was pleased with the rest of the line up. Very friendly staff members, especially the guy at check in. There is something to be said about their fries… They are so freaking addictive! Yes there’s a two item minimum but that is easily fulfilled even if you aren’t consuming alcohol. I sat stage side and figuratively lmao-​ed. Valet was $ 8.50. No stereotypical Hollywood issues. Awesome time.

The Improv is not a jazz club. Hey, easy mistake. Curiously, jazz and comedy can also be played blue, be performed in a club typically with a 2-​drink minimum, and if done exceptionally well, kill the audience.
We sat in the Main Room (not the Lab which I guess is for dogs) on a Thursday night with no special headliner. By not being a special event, it was a good test of the talent. Basically, talent is a huge measure of a comedy club. The roundup of standup comics was strong. Sure, not every one was hilarious, but the weakest act was still entertaining.
The tables are shared and packed tight. Like most busy music or comedy clubs, the closest seats go to the people that arrive first. Even if I arrived early, I probably would stay away from the stage. It prevents from being attacked as a verbal victim and I’m not an animated laugher (aka deadpan face) which comedians hate to see.
For a forty-​year-​old club, the place was clean (although the comedy wasn’t) and not beat-​up looking (although some comedians were). The staff was also friendly and helpful. This location is really an institution that has survived generations with the signature brick wall, noted owner Budd Friedman, and one of the first nationally known comedy clubs.
As with 99% of clubs, we ate somewhere fantastic (Chi Spacca) before coming here to avoid the commonplace and overpriced food. Since we’re forced to order drinks, the ordinary cocktails for $ 13 were okay, but straight shots and wine were cheaper alternatives with realistic prices.

What a night!
Let me give you the scenario… There is a room that you go into to wait and have to keep the hall area clear for waiters, so they ask you not to stand there and you figure out where to stand and wait. Most of us crammed I to the area in front of the bar. So we wait… Website says come 30 minutes before and the show starts at 9pm… We got there at 8:30, waited til about 9:30 to get in. Thankful we got in as one of the first ones so we had our own choice of seats. We actually had great seats… They came took our order and brought out our basket of fries and chicken nachos, which I must say tasted great! One thing I was a bit disappointed was that the chicken nachos were a little spicy and they bring our drinks out til like 20 minutes later. I wouldn’t ever think a comedy club would EVER make good nachos… Lol. And by 9:45−10ish the show started. Joe Sib, which I guess is Maz Jobrani’s mc was freakin hilarious. They had a girl named Niki Black who played piano and sang, with a phenomenal voice I must add. There was another comedian as the opener called Fozi I think??? He was pretty hilarious. Then a younger kid that is now debuting on MTV??? He kept talking about being Muslim… Pretty funny guy! BUT politics and religion jokes are not very interesting to me. Then Maz Jobrani’s came up and practically made us die of laughter. It was a great night full of good food and good laughs! (Something I really needed!).
The improv is a cool spot. I’ve been here but it was like 13 years ago, lol. Just an FYI– it gets pretty crammed. I think they fill up the place just short of what max occupancy/​fire hazard is lol. Also remember– it’s a comedy club. If you don’t know he comedian that you’re going to see… Don’t judge them on that. Their service is good. Look up comedians that you’ll like and you’ll have a good experience!

Came here with friends. Extremely disappointed. Headliner was Pablo Francisco, his set spent a third of the time revolving around his bald spot, then delved into an extremely offensive and not-​at-​all funny bit making fun of transgender persons. Then he made some cheap jokes at Indians’ expense, followed by some incoherent rambling about a pissed-​off homosexual drive-​by involving throwing Skittles out the window and screaming «Taste the rainbow, bitch!»
Like, none of the material was funny. Awkward, often offensive, but mainly just ignorant. And very dated – maybe some of it would have elicited a few more laughs back in the 90s, in a very different social climate.
People were getting up and leaving en masse towards the end. This is what Improv books as a headliner?
The warm-​up acts also weren’t great, either, but two of them were amusing for a while… until their material went in a very xenophobic, white-​privileged direction. :sigh:
Okay, so now that that’s out of the way, I’d like to get to the service, which is really what this place should be rated on. Unfortunately, this is where the one star comes into play. Every order our group made was messed up in some way. Whether the wrong pizza was brought out, incorrect toppings on the french fries, a drink order mysteriously doubled, or an extra surcharge on the bill… not one thing went correctly.
It was also cramped as hell at the tables – there literally was not enough room for someone to get up to use the restroom or anything. If Improv wants to cram more people in, I would recommend getting bench seats instead of just cramming chairs next to each other. It would be far more space efficient, more comfortable, and safer.
I just don’t see myself coming back to this place.

You know those LA nights you really don’t know what to do? Well this is the spot! Good food, great talent, easy parking and a very chill ambiance.

Love this place!!! IO cannot say enough good things about this club. From the Drinks and food to the room and show, everything weas perfect.
TIP: Go to their restaurant before the show, really really good food and drinks and you get priority tickets to the show. Happy Hour is until 7pm here so drunk up!
I was not sure what I wanted to drink after beer, so the bartender asked what I types of things I liked, and then he made me a special concoction of alchole, and whatever was in it, WOW. Fantastic job!
We saw Dana Carvey and was a highlight of my year! The showroom is smaller and intimate, so the audience gets involved very much during the show. about 30 minutes before the show right at the doors to the showroom. We must have been about 20^th in line, but since we ate their we had a special pass that once we got in we got great seats, first row about 5 feet from Dana himself. Amazing… They had it marked off with our name on a special card that said VIP on it.
MAJOR TIP: Don’t forget cash for the valet. I did not see any self parking and it costs like $ 8.00 to use the service plus a tip for the runner.

The improv club is great. The show is entertaining and really audience involved. I just sometimes think the comedians are hit or miss.
It’s small, the location is amazing and it’s the underground feel.
There is a bar attached, you can hang out before or after the show and you’ll see comedians hanging out.
There is a two drink minimum inside the club. The set up is pretty good, but it’s hard to see if you are sitting in the back, so try to come early so you can sit in the front.

First time here last night and really can’t say much except it was a great experience.
Had a couple happy hour (half price all drinks) at the bar before the show. Nice generous pour on my double jack and coke.
We went to see Ben Bailey and to our surprise one of my favorite comedians did an impromptu opening set (Bill Burr!)
The crowd kind of sucked during Bill’s set but he was definitely throwing some quality jokes out. After the show he was in a booth next to us so I said hi and let him know the set was hilarious (it was)
We ordered a big ass beer which came with a souvenir glass we got to take home.
Ben Bailey was hilarious as usual!
I’ll be coming back for sure.

I’ve been coming to this location for 15 years. It is such a gem. I’ve visited other Improv’s and this one is the coziest. They all are packed with seating so get over it.
I used to have a favorite dish here but they discontinued it. So very sad. That’s why they lost a star!!!
Anyway, go on Mo Betta Mondays and have a blast.

JUICE HAS NO JUICE.
Seats were packed tighter than sardines in a can, food was better than I expected, but Oh MY! — god-​awful comics. Had I not, the sardine that I was, been squeezed inside a sea of uncomfortable chairs — I would have left after the first two acts. I know Hollywood Improv must get good lineups, being one of the oldest comedy clubs in town, but tonight their Juice Night was just so painful to sit through. The acts were ill-​conceived and amateurish. The only decent comic was a drunk comedian who wasn’t even supposed to be in the lineup. Apparently, he was having drinks at the bar and was asked if he’d perform. If it weren’t for him, I would have rated it no more than 2 stars.
You know comedy is really bad when the comics are the ones who heckle the audience. More than one of them were complaining to us that we were dead audience and weren’t laughing. I have some free advice in response: BE FUNNY AND WE WILL LAUGH, I PROMISE.
You know how sometimes you buy what looks like a fantastic juice blend, only to read on the back of the carton «Contains no real Juice.»? My sentiments exactly about Improv’s Juice Night.

I’ve seen about 10 shows here. It’s hit or miss, mainly miss.
Their main stage is just as good as The Ice House in Pasadena but their Open Mic area is smaller and several people had to stand to see the comics. It is also harder to get to perform if you are interested in that. However, quality of their Open Mic Comics are about 2x better than The Ice House. Staff is nice. Some of the food is good.
TIPS:
PERFORMERS = Sometimes the performer you paid to see will not be there and you will get ripped off. They will not give you your money back either.
PRICE = expect to add at least $ 20 to the ticket price you see online:
+ $ 10 show
+ $ 4 online service fee
+ $ 2 street parking
+ $ 20, 2 item minimum w/​tip
= $ 36 total amount you pay
CAN’T DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO BUY A TICKET?
Here’s a point system I came up with that may help. Rate each performer from 0 – 3 points on how badly you want to see them. If the total points reach 10 points, then buy. If they don’t reach 10 points, then don’t buy. Example:
Performer A = 2
Performer B = 3
Performer C = 0
Performer D = 3
Performer E = 1
Total = 9 points = don’t buy, really.
Why is this important and helpful? Because stand-​up or live performances are usually a hit or miss. They’re usually a miss. You will feel like you just wasted your time and money, especially after paying the ridiculous service fee and the required 2 item minimum.

Best bang for our buck!
I got a big group of friends to meet my boyfriend and me here to surprise my boyfriend for his birthday. It was all of our first time going there and it was a huge success! We were so surprised that we got to see Dane Cook that night (during Loud Villiage) and every other comedian managed to get a lot of laughs out of us too. $ 12, good alcohol selection, and comedy. not a shabby night at all.
A few recommendations:
1) make sure you have $ 8.50 in cash to pay the valet so you don’t have to worry about parking very, very far away
2) if you’re picking up your tickets from will call, don’t forget to pick up your wristband to get in right after
3) they may not fully enforce the whole 2 item minimum purchase deal. not everyone at the table bought 2 items inside and there was no penalty.

Great lineup and awesome drinks. Totally will be back. The place is cozy and intimate vibe. Loved it.

What a great venue for a comedy club. The venue is very intimate so every seat is a good seat. This is a much better place than the Laugh Factory: the food is better, more drink variety, there are actual tables to put your drinks, and they accept AMEX as a form of payment (which is always a big plus for me). I thought it was also cool to see pictures of all the famous comedians who have performed on that stage.

Hilarious! Awesome place to come on a Sunday night when you have nothing else to do with friends. We saw top-​notch comedians take over the stage. One comedian by the name of Paula Bel, just caught me off guard and I was completely mesmerized by her performance. I mean, she had the old school George Carlin feel to her that just made her shine! I also enjoyed the talent that was headlining that day.
I definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves a good laugh — you will enjoy this! Also, make sure to seat in the back during the comedy show, if you don’t want to picked on by the comedians! Other than that, great ambience and great energy within the entire day. Another bonus was a surprise visit from George Wallace — a legendary comedian who also happens to have a residency show in Las Vegas!

I have been coming here for years. It was one of the first places I came when I moved here. The bar is awesome, and the shows are top notch. It’s a headliners only club so you’re going to see a fantastic show pretty much any time you come.
With the newer restaurant attached the quality of food for a comedy club is really impressive. Whether just eating or catching a show you won’t be let down.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect since I’ve lived nearby for 3 ½ years, but went for the first time last night.
At the front door, they’ll check your tickets (if purchased online) and give wristbands for the show.
You then walk directly into the bar, which has seating for perhaps 30 – 40, with several TVs scattered throughout. We just hung out without purchasing drinks, waiting for the theater’s doors to open, which seemed fine to others (a good thing).
The doors to the theater opened perhaps 15 – 20 minutes before the show, which are located to the west right behind the bar. There, servers sat us at specific tables, though they seemed open to allowing folks to switch seats if desired. With the seating, most tables were about 12−16″ wide, with 3 chairs on either side. The back half of the theatre sat about 6−8″ raised, which gave everyone a better view.
The servers then started to come around, and they all seemed pleasant and relatively efficient. (As other reviewers have said, there is a 2 drink minimum per person, most of which were $ 8 – 12.)
The show started about on time, with a comedic host starting it out, and then 3 – 4 back-​to-​back acts over the next hour, and a headlining act going the remaining 45 – 50 minutes.
The comedians all had very funny moments, though they were pretty different. Some focused more on impressions, others musical cowboy humor, and the headliner more in a storytelling format. Not surprisingly, all bordered the inappropriate at times (so if sensitive, may want to reconsider), and a few interacted with the closest audience members (so sit at least 5 – 6 seats back if this isn’t desired).
Overall it was a great time — lots of laughter and a rely fun time. The only downside is that between tickets and drinks, it can quickly add up to being $ 40 – 50 each (though ticket deals and nonalcoholic beverages could minimize this).
We went to the 8 pm show, which was dead until about 7:58 pm.

I like the Improv. Oh excuse me, it’s the WORLD FAMOUS Hollywood Improv. This is the place that helped launch some of the best stand-​up acts the world has ever seen. It is a place that is well known, and respected by artisans and comedians alike.
If you come for a show, expect to see some new talent, some locals, and even a surprise guest or two. This place is well enough loved that often you’ll find some big names stopping by, just to pay homage to the stage that helped launch their career.
The food is decent, the drinks are spendy, but not ridiculous. They have to make their money somehow! I would recommend seeing a show here. Support your local talent.