3 1/2 stars! Let's start with the line to get in. The show that we went to started at 9 o'clock and we got there at 8:45 and they didn't open the door till 15 minutes after nine. So just be prepared to wait. The VIPs get seated first and the general admission gets to fight over the rest of the available seating. So that part wasn't fun. They said it's upstairs in the balcony we could not see the stage for anything. But I never take what's just given to me, I went to the manager and explained to him that I can't see anything from upstairs and he told me that he had a full house was sold out and that there was nothing he could do. I told him that I saw some available seating (I didn't) he went looked, came back and told me that he found two seats right in the center of everything on the ground floor. Two drink minimum which is usual for most comedy clubs so I wasn't mad at that. I ordered two glasses of Cabernet. Which was only $12. I would advise that you pay with cash because the waitresses were completely unorganized and got people's credit cards mixed up.. No Bueno! Overall the show was good the acts were really funny and it was overall good time... I will definitely go back the next time I'm in Chicago. read more

Laugh Factory - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Awful. Gave out tickets without letting said tickets in. Have fun waiting on the cold for 45 minutes on a Friday

Im only giving it a 3 because I will always support local artists, but the way this place is just too chicago hood for me and its in too nice of an area for it. I understand a 2 drink minimum as they give away free tickets to shows, but I paid for a vip ticket this past valentines day and was still required to pay the two drink minimum plus an 18% gratuity I believe. What I didnt like about the servers and venue was they may be a little too used to broke people because I came in planning on using cash. You see, Im the type of customer to randomly give my server a very generous tip and was planning on doing that on Valentines day but the server said they didnt take cash, and demanded I give them my card to hold until the end of the show. I felt very rushed and the server was very dismissive Im not sure if she was having a bad night but I even offered to pay right then for my drinks I ordered but that wouldnt suffice. Throughout the show they didnt even come and take my second drink order until the last 10 minutes, and then gave me my card back and had already charged the gratuity. I go home, a couple days pass I check my credit card randomly and theres 4 different charges from that night. The only time my card left my wallet at all was when that server took it from me during the show. Not mad about the money, just very disappointed. Hopefully whoever the owner is that I see commenting on other reviews can put different systems in place to fix this because it seems to be common and not just have an F everyone that doesnt like it attitude towards me read more

It's a ok place for upcoming comedians. But it's over price water down drink the food is trash. You'll do better bring your own stuff. They have a 2 drink minimum which forces you buy there over price water down drinks. My wife and I used are cash app business card and the waitress said we don't take these cards and still took are card. At the end of the of show they charged the card .1 to test it and then charge pre 100 before we got are bill. Then want to charge us 90 for read more

First time, best comedy show I've seen in years. Also the drink service was fast and amazing

Was just there this past weekend for "The Nasty" show! I had no idea who the comedians were going to be or any expectations however was there with a group of friends that were celebrating their bday. Let me tell you that I was pleasantly surprised with the venue and the quality of the comedians!! These people (about 5 comedians) had me laughing almost the entire time... shout out to Joey Villagomez and Abi Sanchez for killing it on the stage! There is a 2 drink minimum and they will remind you! The drinks didn't have to be alcoholic so it should work out with everyone. I enjoyed my 2 Makers with coke so I can't complain about that given the tickets to the show were so cheap ($15 in advance). The venue alone seemed kind of small at first but its a good space to showcase local talent. Overall had a great time and I am already planning another outing there with more friends. read more

Talk about chilly! This place loves to blast the air conditioning. I had to go across the street to Gap to buy a sweater just to keep myself from freezing to death. I've been here three times and every time it's the same. Cold. The space itself feels large with very tall ceilings, but not many people showed up to the performance, so it also felt cold and empty on a whole other level. At least I was laughing! As far as the two drink minimum, there aren't great choices for a non drinker. They don't have any decaf tea options--or any tea bags at all on one of the nights I was there--so I was stuck with boring old bottled water, which by now we all know is really just tap water. I had to buy two. Otherwise, the staff is friendly. The headliner comedian was great one night but mediocre the other night. I would probably go back again, but not skipping and hopping. I'd simply stroll there, at a steady pace, because there's nothing amazing about laughing in the freezing cold and drinking from a non biodegradable bottle of lake water. read more

Went to see a show with a group of my friends yesterday, August 12, 2018 . The host was not funny at all...Ok, i like good, dirty jokes, when they're pretty clever ones. However, when the jokes are low-level, something that you would hear 5th graders do...well, that's not stage quality, i'm sorry! His troupe of other comedians were just a tiny bit funnier, but overall - a big no-no. Poor microphone sound - a lot of people from the audience had a hard time understanding and had to repeatedly ask what the host was saying. I'd rather pay $100 per ticket, but go to see someone, like Russell Peters! read more

Came here by myself for something fun on a Saturday night. I would definitely come back. Only downside to my experience was that they don't take Discover. It was the only credit card I had so I wasn't able to get any drinks which was disappointing. read more

A remarkable waste of time and money. I could have picked 5 people off the street who would have been funnier that the 5 comedians we saw. Most of the laughs were that nervous, seems we should force a laugh now laughs. Sound system was cutting in and out, which was annoying at first and then was welcomed, making it easier to ignore what was on stage. Add to that the worst cocktails and service in Chicago. A must miss! read more

I attend the New Year's Eve show for December 2017, and the comedians were great! Everyone was funny and the show lasted about 2.5 hours, so that was definitely worth the 20 dollar tickets. A complimentary champagne toast was also included at Midnight. The ladies room was clean, and we easily found parking on the street. My problem was with the two drink minimum. Yes we knew about it ahead of time, and my date only planned on having 1 alcoholic drink and 1 non-alcoholic drink because we were driving far. My date and I both ordered wine for our first drink when the show began. No problems. We were preparing to make out second order, when suddenly at 11:10 the waitress dropped off 2 more glasses of wine to our table and walked away..... We were not going to order more alcoholic drinks! We wanted juice and water. That was extremely rude! Let your guest decide what they want and do not impatiently make decisions for us. My date paid for the second drink, but it went untouched. He didn't drink it. We didn't feel like complaining during the celebration. But that was a major turn off. read more

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This was my first visit to Laugh Factory Chicago and I certainly won't be attending again. We pre-purchased our tickets and then waited outside in -5 degree weather, past the recommended thirty-minute wait time. I could've been more understandable if there wasn't a massive lobby inside the entrance... Ticket taking was mayhem - for how long we spent standing outside in the bitter cold I would've thought they could have organized a better intake system. We finally made it in the door for some fairly low-quality comedy. If you're looking for surface level, immature jokes, primarily focused on sad sex and/or drug interactions, this is the place for you! Out of the entire night, only two of the comedians had semi-quality content - definitely not worth the price tag. As ridiculous as the two drink minimum is, we went along with it. However, we received our drinks barley before the end of the show and ended up with a great 18% charge for sharing a bill between only two people, completely without warning! We would've happily bought our drinks separately if we had been advised of the massive up-charge. If you end up going, pay in cash! If you're looking for a quality comedy club experience, PLEASE check out IO theater, Comedy Sports, Second City, or even the Playground (byob), literally anything but Laugh Factory!! read more

We went to the show last with the 7 stand up comedians and they were all pretty great. We loved David Holmes and Paul Farahvar the most! We had a loud group behind us and they did a really good job of nipping it in the bud without it getting awkward, before they got out of hand. Overall great show. All the comedians were great. The drinks were well priced but a bit watered down. Hook up them tickets!!! read more

I have to start with the good. Most of the stand-up comedians were very funny; the hostess was especially funny when she did improv/feeding off the audience. Clever. Slight raunch; mostly just good ole humor. First guy, "the vest guy" as he called himself, don't want to remember his name. Why was he there? Second guy "the Indian Guy" as he called himself, pretty good. Last guy "little Hispanic guy" as he called himself was awesome. Facilities-- not too bad. Clean bathrooms, good seating. Nice. Lady at the box office. What a tool. Coach her or fire her. She said we couldn't go in (general admission) until 730. Website said doors open at 7. What she COULD HAVE SAID was, you can go INSIDE and out of the bitter cold, but you have to wait INSIDE until 730 for seating. There was a long line of people out in the cold, and most of them could have been inside waiting for seats. She was ignorant, or unobservant, or just a malicious person. I'm guessing she was just ignorant. THE DRINKS WERE EXPENSIVE AND LOW QUALITY. I've been to places like this before and they're called dives. Buyer beware. You can do much better LAUGH FACTORY. read more

Horrible show. Jokes were just plain stupid, not clever at all, and all boring and repetitive. So glad we got free tickets using a promo code on Eventbrite, otherwise it would've been a complete waste of money. read more

We had a laughable experience.... Great way to end our first night in Chicago. Our service was consistent and great. All servers were friendly. Comedians were hilarious and there was a variety of comedic talent between 8-10 comedians ranging 10-15 minutes skits. We purchased these tickets from the recommendation of @ChicagoBucketlist's Instagram. Would recommend!!! Heads up, it may not be obvious but 18% gratuity is included when they run your bill. Overall, loved the experience and worth it! read more

Seems like a great spot (relatively inexpensive at 20$ish dollars to get in and then a two drink minimum) to hit if you're visiting Chicago to see some local comedians. read more

Heard good things about this place on the internet so my girlfriend and I decided to put it on our list to visit when we came to Chicago for the weekend from indiana. Paid for tickets online a week in advance and when we got there they asked to see our vaccination cards. It was never said that they would have to be presented in all 3 emails I got for reminders about the event. So my card is 4 hours away at home and they did not let us in and did not refund our tickets. read more

Grabbed some free tickets to a Monday night student show. The place was packed, only saw two servers for the whole place. Took about 15-20 minutes to get a drink after placing an order and it was hard to flag down the waitress. I swear they had the air conditioning pumping - it was 35 degrees outside and about the same temperature inside. I was freezing the entire time. Seating is very cramped. Pretty typical for comedy shows in Chicago - they all seem to cram people in as tight as they can. As other reviewers have said, they do have a two drink minimum policy and also they don't sell any food. They could at least sell bags of pretzels or something. read more

Extremely rude. The bartender refused to give water to my girlfriend. When we asked for a cup to fill up in the bathroom sink, he told me to stop asking questions. Once we finally waited through the sweaty line, we were crammed into seats. I can not believe the service. Once our server finally came we asked for waters and she made us all buy an additional drink. Don't let the $17 ticket fool you, it's a $40 night. Very disappointed. Wanted a taste of Chicago comedy and left with a taste of Chicago trash. read more

Had a great time. High recommend. Me and my friend enjoyed it and laughed a lot Had a great time. High recommend. Me and my friend enjoyed it and laughed a lot read more

Worst worst comedy show I have ever been to. You have a two drink minimum but I wasn't in the mood for liquor so I decided to get a glass of wine, two sips in and I let it go to waste because it was awful. I paid $6 for a glass of probably $2/bottle wine. Never again! read more

Laugh Factory - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was incredibly hard to understand a lot of what the comedians were saying due to the poor audio system at Laugh Factory. Comedians are using the old school mic set up and my suggestion is for Laugh Factory to put some money into a high quality audio / sound system for better reception by audience. Just my personal experience. We saw a collection of 6 comedians and they did well on November 5. Great seats for view of stage and staff was awesome!! read more

Wtf they have signs all over don't talk during show and the let them talk on the phone through the whole act. WTF! We left tried to get my credit card back! They wanted me to pay for the drinks! Are you serious we're leaving because you're not doing your job and you want us to pay? Don't waste your money! Bad place to go! read more

Very good time, but the drinks are a bit pricey, but I suppose that's the cost of seeing so many good comics. I think the comics could be a more consistent group, it was a little jarring switching between them sometime...not perfect but certainly worth the trip. read more

I attended the laugh factory. Yes I had a good time and laughed but I wasn't laughing at all by the end of the evening. We ordered 3 double Patron drinks at our table. We had to ask of it was in fact a double. I've had much better single pours most places. Anyway I thought oh well. That's how they pour here. Let me tell you 3 measly drinks was $110 WTH. I would have been disappointed with a $60 bill but would have expected it. That is a ridiculously high bill for 3 tiny drinks! I will never return. The only comfort I have is hopefully the money they ripped me off of will go to the talented acts. They are the only reason I gave it 2 stars. The acts themselves should receive 5 stars. What a shameful way to treat customers! read more

I'd rather pay $ to go to a funeral than ever come back here. The amount of PC politics involved in every comedian; *whispered* to a friend for 15 seconds? Be careful, a couple 500ft away might complain about you being "too loud"; people having a good time and being a little too loud once every 10 minutes? Be careful, you might be asked to "get the fuck out." I rather be in bed by 4pm than ever coming back. Learn what having a good time at a COMEDY SHOW is all about. read more

The comedians were good. Really great especially for a Monday night. This was our second visit. My fiancé and I went to the show with another couple. Our orders were taken separately, but since we knew them a "split" charge at 18% was charged when there were two of us paying for our own and our dates drinks. Petty, weird, why? The other couple wasn't drinking and one drink was ordered "half cranberry juice half sprite". They charged them for two drinks for that. My fiancé had gotten their card stolen the last two times we bought tickets from here. Today they tried to charge $900 to the laugh factory. We didn't use this card at the show so it was probably taken off the website. Figure out your server and figure out your payment problems on your website please. We love comedy, but we aren't sure if we want to go back. read more

My wife and I purchased Sunday evening tickets for the "Best of Chicago" 9PM show. We arrived at 8:40 and joined the line forming outside. We were allowed in the venue at 9:25. The show started at 9:35 and the first two comedians were funny, we were enjoying ourselves. The hosts then informed the crowd that no one was scheduled to perform and they did some terrible skit. It was a mess. Nothing from that point on was remotely enjoyable. Not once did we have a waitress come around for drink orders, as there is a two drink minimum per person, which doesn't start until the show starts. We ended up leaving early as it was that bad. I would have rather had the venue CANCEL the show and refund us our money so we didn't waste our wedding anniversary night at this mess of a show. This was our first and last time at Laugh Factory Chicago. read more

I love the Laugh Factory in general, especially when you can score free tickets off Eventbrite! They have a two drink minimum, which is standard for each of their locations. The comedians here are pretty good, and you can expect to see quite a few during the course of one show. The downside to this location is a limited drink menu and the smaller size of its venue. Compared to the LF in Long Beach, California, this one seems pretty tiny and has half the amount of seating. Get there early to score better seats! read more

Very funny really enjoyed the show, had me laughing continuously, definitely recommend.

Lots of hidden costs - charge you for water, automatic service charge, etc. The show was alright. Wouldn't go again

Had free tix for Weds show. We're told doors opened at 7, showed up 7:15, told by a very unfriendly doorman we wouldn't be let in until 7:30. Went next door for beer. Returned at 7:40 to huge line wrapping around Chipotle. Doors supposed to open at 7:30. Doors opened at 8pm, guess what time show was supposed to start? 8pm... 2 drink minimum, no problem. Tried to order 2nd drink not so easy. Btw, menu specifies: if you split the bill, all cards will be charged an 18% gratuity. Since our waitress was not the best, we thought it best to use one CC so as not to confuse her. We were still charged the 18%, would have liked to have my choice. Comedians were awesome, venue not so much. Won't return, free tix who cares, get your stuff together. read more

Went to a show on Friday evening. Great variety of comics! I highly recommend checking out a show!

Very impressed. My boyfriend and I went last year for comics around the country and it was highly entertaining! Good seats, and a very enjoyable evening! Man I wish the way things were before CoVid read more

listen kiddos to this story, I went in for some chuckles last night and I left with a stomach full of giglets. Try their Chicken tenders. I thought the kitchen was closed so I asked the waitress Sara who was holding a tray so full of drinks that it would make a body builder nervous, if the kitchen was closed. she alley ooped it over the bar man Joe. Joe is a treasure. He linked me up with the best seasoned Chicken tenders of my whole damn life. I cried. I told him it was allergies. I tried to touch his beard. He noticed and I pulled back. He made sure my Rum and cokes kept coming like an assembly line. The manager Curtis was so welcoming by the time I left we had our own custom handshake. highly recommend if you are also in the mood for some giglets -RHV UPDATE: WENT BACK THURSDAY NIGHT and guess what, just as awesome. The manager Curtis knew me by name at this point and came over and delivered our custom handshake. I would share it but I want it only to be viral between us. The comedians had me hurting from all the giglets they were throwing at me. This lady next to me was trying to complain about her day, and I was like "save it for the stage!" she was like "I'm not a comedian" I apologized. here is where it gets crazy. SHE WAS A COMEDIAN and SHE DID take it to the stage. The joke was literally on me at that point. Always a great time here. Bring your family. bring your one friend so both of you can make more friends. Bring your boss and remind them its ok to enjoy life and not worry about quarterly profits all the time. Bring your pharmacist and in between comedians say to her "You see? Laughter is medicine..." read more

Meh - the place needs a facelift and Botox. The act wasn't all that either, which might have been a function of the day and time. However, the place still needs to be renovated. read more

A gem in the heart of Lakeview. They attract some amazing acts and allow for those who are less seasoned to practice their skills and shine. I have never had a bad time here and leave with sore cheeks from laughing so hard. One tip is to double fist it on the drinks, as the service can be a bit slow. read more

Great night of comedy. Drinks the typical comedy club expensive so-so drinks - if waiter asks if you want water - you will be paying for bottled water - but my bad - know to ask! read more

We had a great time! Show was amazing! Can't believe I found a hidden gem in Chicago. Would love to see another!