Best bunker for the end of the world vibe. The comedy is raw and opportunities for new and upcoming comics is palpable. A great venue for entertaining and hilarious even on a Tuesday night. Would definitely recommend. read more

This was a fun night. As an improv studio, the talent is quite impressive. Unique here is the combination of also adding in real education and interviews on real topics. We discussed and learned about the impacts of AI and digital identification. Ordering snacks and drinks can be done via QR code menu at each little table. Costs are typical of the area (most beers are $8-12/ea.) Service is prompt and pleasant. read more

The Comedy Studio - A discussion with Lilli, a funny counselor. She was "grater" than the others. (Bad pun required based on headgear) - Performing Arts Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Stayed for a while to watch their outdoor stand-ups. Tough crowd but I chuckled. It was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Harvard Square. Appreciate that they'd wanna throw themselves out there for free. read more

The Comedy Studio - Performing Arts Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Nice small venue. First time at any comedy club in Boston. Easy to find and they provide discounted nearby parking in a garage on the website (via ticket validation). Had the MC comedian, two warm-up acts, followed by the headliner. I'd never heard of any of them but that doesn't matter; I'm reviewing the venue itself. Though they were all very good. Expect a lot of stairs. Three flights if I recall correctly. Down and down until it opens up into a large room for the venue itself. Chairs nearer the stage and some high top tables toward the back. But the waitstaff --- they were incredible!! Polite and attentive!! Couldn't have asked for better. Typical cheapy food -- hot dogs, pretzels, chicken bites, etc. Good enough for a really unhealthy dinner, but exactly what you'd expect. But the most surprising part: NO TIPS!!! They refuse tips as they say they pay their staff a living wage so taxes and tips are included in the prices. Honestly, this was really REALLY refreshing to see. read more

I loved the show with Nasser Alrayess. The staff was very nice. The place was clean and organized. Great place for a fun night. read more

The Comedy Studio - Nasser Alrayess - Performing Arts Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Such a great experience!! I went to a show this week and was so glad to discover it. Super fun comedians, a great variety of acts. The host was funny as well! They have shows every night, 7 days a week. The space was intimate and cozy. Clean bathrooms. They have a bar there as well and serve drinks. read more

The Comedy Studio - Performing Arts Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Guy threw me out for saying "Huzzah"... ‍ Open mic It was ok- still not sure why I was ejected But, ok: eff this place read more

This is a great opportunity for new comedians to get stage time in friendly environment. Staff is warm & welcoming.

Saw the comedy gold show at 7:30 on Saturday night. This venue is a gem! Everyone is very nice and very professional and it has a great vibe. Sight lines from anywhere in the venue are excellent. The bar was efficient and the prices are indeed high, like they explain on the website. A box of movie theater size candy is seven dollars. Draft beers are nine dollars and there were $14 mixed drinks. Before the show you can go to the bar and mingle and during the show, you can order off a QR code on a little coffee table by your seat. Seats are fairly comfortable. The pace is clean and for a basement was well ventilated and comfortable. We never felt boxed in. There were two reasons why I took off a star, but hopefully the next time I return things will improve. The first the venue has no control over. We were seated next to a large and obnoxious bachelor party. It was like a MAGA fest group and they had reserved seats on the side. Totally unpleasant but not the venue's fault. One of the comedians actually told them to STFU which seemed to do the job, thank goodness! The biggest reason I took off a star is because this is a comedy club and we paid a lot for so-so comedy. The comedians in the lineup were either lacking stage presence or material. There was no headliner and the five comics had some chuckles, but some of the stories went on too long and desperately needed fine-tuning. group comedy shows can be hit or miss but this really felt more like an open mic night. For $26 a ticket, I expected more. I would like to come back because I enjoy going to comedy clubs and it's such a fun night out in Harvard Square. Hopefully next time we'll head a more consistent bunch of experience comics. Because truly the place is awesome. read more

The Comedy Studio - View of stage from 2nd row - Performing Arts Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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This place has re-opened recently and I have been to two of their comedy shows thanks to their student discounts. The crowd is usually 35+ maybe because most students still haven't heard about their 50% discount. The artists could be a hit or miss; you may find yourself bored with the same gay jokes that you heard in the previous show if you were here in the past. Definitely not the top comedy material. It is usually the outside/non-regular artists who have the funniest jokes. Ambiance: basement with a lot of seating and a bar on both sides at the back Food: mostly drinks; they in the past have served Joe's pizza and have popcorns available for $5 read more

Wonderful! Spur of the moment decision that lost me my voice! 10/10 and definitely deserving of a visit if your in the city! Also host was hot. read more

i'm paying to hear jokes, i'm not paying to hear the comics riff with audience members. service was good.

The Comedy Studio is the best! Great comics and atmosphere is always top notch. Can't wait to go back and see another show.

This is my favorite spot in Bow Market! The bartender is amaaazing. It's a fun ambiance, with so many killer cocktails to choose from. Plus, he's so knowledgeable he'll even make you a drink that's not on the menu. My friend asked for a mint julep, and the bartender made him a beautiful looking strong icy cold one with fresh mint. I had the cocktail he makes for people when they say they like mezcal. It's incredible! The smokey mezcal is perfectly complimented by the other ingredients in this mixed drink. read more

The Comedy Studio - Mint julep - Performing Arts Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

We came here for the comedy show and had a great time! The location is amazing because you can grab a bite from any of the shops and bring it into the bar to enjoy with a delicious cocktail. The show itself was pretty funny, with a great lineup of comedians. Make sure you buy tickets together with your group as you'll be seated together that way. I'll be back for jazz nights on Thursdays! read more

The Comedy Studio - Banana rum cocktail - Performing Arts Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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First time trying out this place. The comedy studio is located behind Variety bar. We were having trouble booking 2 tickets online so we called and the owner was really helpful and was able to book us 2 tickets at the last minute! Great customer service! Staff was really pleasant. Drinks were made to perfection. Reasonably priced and strong! Performers were hilarious ! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and definitely will recommend to anyone looking for a fun night out! We plan to come back again! read more

The Comedy Studio - Performing Arts Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This place was actually awesome. Didnt look like much front outside, but it didnt matter. For a $14 pp comedy show on a friday night, it was definitely worth it! The drinks were great and fairly priced. The ambiance was cozy, and they offered cool unique snacks! There was a host and 6 comedians - Diana lu, chris post, vinny pagano, etc. I got too wasted to remember the other 3, but those are the comedians who stuck out. Vinny pagano was a funny fuckin' bastard on that guitar ! Nice one Vinny babe ! read more

It's a nice environment, the comedians were pretty funny. The host/owner was hilarious. You must know the Pledge of Allegiance before coming to a show here, which thankfully I knew DON'T show up late to the damn show, its rude. Anyways, its in this nice little area called Bow Market which is a open outdoor space with a round shopping mall, it was so cool! Parking absolutely sucks ass, but you can find parking around on the side streets at houses and etc, AND not have to pay parking. A bit of walking but ya probably need it. Anyways, go to a show here, have a few drinks, live laugh love LOL. read more

The Comedy Studio - Stage?? - Performing Arts Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Nice and cozy venue. Performers are a hit-or-miss, but overall they are fun. Two hours show which is entertaining. Full bar and some food from the Chinese restaurant on the first floor. Make reservations in advance - it helps to get a table... read more

The Comedy Studio - Performing Arts Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

There have been a lot of recent bad reviews of this venue by people from far away due to it's connection to Ken Reid, who sometimes posts political views on the internet. This venue has been closed for a few months, and Ken hasn't performed there in three years, he doesn't really like stand up comedy any more and is focusing on his podcast "TV Guidance Counselor", check it out, it's a lot of fun. The Studio is currently closed, but will be re-opening soon in a brand new location in Union Square Somerville. I for one can not wait! Check out The Comedy Studio, Check out "TV Guidance Counselor" and also, I still love Ken's 2008 one man show "Ken Reid's Very Special Episode", here's a link to the first part, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55akZBso_iM read more

A great experience! I came here after a recommendation from a fellow Yelper. They have shows 6 days a week (all nights except Monday) starting at 8pm. Tuesday nights are magic nights, while the other nights are more dedicated to comedy. I believe tickets are $15 a person for Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday nights, and $10 a person for all other nights. If you book online there is an additional $1.45 fee, but it reserves you a seat so you don't have to worry about being sold out at the door. The comedy club is on the 3rd floor above the Kong restaurant, and you can order appetizers like Peking ravioli and scallion pancakes as well as drinks like cocktails and scorpion bowls from downstairs, and they will deliver it to you. We saw the magic show tonight. The show was great! It lasted about 1 hour 40 min and had 3 magicians and one stand-up comedian. Everyone was very talented, and the magicians involved the audience a ton. I thought it was definitely worth the ticket price. We left very satisfied. read more

Great value! Highly recommend checking this place out at least once. Show: There about 8-10 comedians who perform each night. Some are funny and some are not. Each performer only has about 5-10 minutes of show time so its not big deal if you don't like them. Location/Ambiance: Easily accessible, convenient location in Harvard Sq. You can take the train or park at garage ($10 discounted rate at ProPark). The comedy club is located on the top floor of Hong Kong Restaurant, a Chinese restaurant. The first floor is the actual restaurant, the second floor is a bar and the third floor is a dance club, which turns into a comedy club in the evenings. Food: You can order Chinese food from the restaurant during the show. The food is not very good so if you have time to grab a bite in Harvard Sq before the show go for it. They also do not have proper utensils (aka no butter knifes). Therefore if you order chicken, you cannot cut it with a knife into small pieces. You have to rudely bite into large chunks of meat...certainly not ideal first date etiquette! When I asked for a knife, the staff told me that they don't have them. I find it odd, mainly because there is a Chinese restaurant right downstairs. Even when you order take out Chinese food, they usually provide you with both a fork and knife. I mean these are plastic utensils, which probably cost a couple of cents. Drinks: pretty reasonably priced beverages. I suggest getting bottled beers instead of draught beers. Shock top is what they have on tap for extremely cheap...however it tastes rather funny. It doesn't taste like normal Shock top...tastes more like a carbonated juice. Service: One thing that bothered me was that during the show a keg malfunctioned and made an extremely loud sound. It took them at least 10 minutes to fix it. I couldn't hear the comedians or focus for those 10 minutes. I am not sure if that is a common occurence as I have only been to this place once. Value: The price of the show is a flat $12 rate per person (no drink minimum required). The price makes sense to me. I think that if the show was anymore expensive, it wouldn't be as great value. This is because the not all of the comedians are funny so you're never sure what you're going to get. When you're only paying $12, you have low expectations...therefore it always ends up being a good time! Overall, I had a great experience at the Comedy Studio. I would recommend checking it out as it is something different to do in Boston / Cambridge. If you plan on attending on a Friday or Saturday, you may want to get you're tickets ahead of time because the show does sell out. read more

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I went to last Friday's show at The Comedy Studio. All of their shows start at 8pm, and tickets range from $8-10 (depending on the day of the week). I'm a huge fan of stand-up, so I was excited to check out The Comedy Studio. A lot of seats were reserved- groups can call ahead and reserve their seats. The space was small, but we walked in around 7:45 and got a table for 3 people in the back without a problem. We saw about 9 performances over the course of the night. A few were hilarious, a few were pretty good, and one or two bombed pretty bad. Overall, I was laughing for most of the show. For $10, it was a great deal. My friend had gone to a show a few weeks ago, and he said all of the comedians were different. My one complaint was the service- we had a lot of trouble ordering drinks throughout the show. Our waitress seemed to get orders from one table, meander back to the bar, sit there and wait for the bartender to make the drinks (often texting while waiting), and then meandered back to bring the drinks to the table and slowly move to the next table. We could easily have drank double the drinks that we did, or ordered a bowl. But I would go back in a heartbeat- it was a great start to my Friday night!! read more

First time at the Comedy Studio's new location in Union Square on a Saturday night with friends, and we were blown away by the venue and talent. Each of the comedians were unique in their approach, each were hitting it in their own way, and the owner Rick Jenkins held it together as tight as cheese curds in a piping hot skillet of poutine. My friends and I sat in the front row, and I arrived at my seat last of all, which set me up for indelicate ribbing throughout the night. Others in the audience were skillfully roasted as well (although not as often); my advice is to stay in the moment and be prepared to interact with the talent. Full bar with decent drink selection was on point, and the neighborhood teems with many fine restaurants and taverns for for pre-comedy bites and sips.. Bottom line is that I haven't laughed this hard in years and we will be coming back with more friends when the opportunity arises. read more

The new location is great! As always, the comedy line up doesn't disappoint. We bought tickets for a Saturday show and were really impressed by the talent. Also, it's in Bow Market, so if you grab an 8p show you're out by 10 and can grab a beer downstairs at Remnant. read more

The Comedy Studio - Performing Arts Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Amazing night out here on Saturday. It was easy to reserve tickets ahead of time online (make sure to do this as it sells out fast!) and the host was super friendly and got back to my email immediately. Upon arrival we found seats easily and our waitress kept coming by to ask if we needed anything. Very reasonable drink prices and pretty strong drinks. The comedians were great! The atmosphere was intimate but didn't feel crowded. There were about 8 comedians and they each performed for about 10 minutes each. Just enough time in my opinion. I will definitely be back! read more

Their new location in Bow Market is awesome! You are surrounded by all spectacular places to eat and drink. Rebel Rebel, which is my new favorite wine bar is there as well as Remnant brewery. For food, they have the famous JaJu, which serves the best Pierogis in Boston. They have so many other great places to choose from, depending on what you are in the mood for. For the Comedy Studio, located on the 2nd level, the show started at 7pm (they have 2 different time slots) and they had about 6 comedians in the showcase that evening. They also have a full bar called Variety which is great since some comedy clubs only serve mediocre beer and wine. After we were seated, the show started and let me tell you, we were laughing from beginning to end. It was also a nice evening, so after the show we were able to stay in the same location for another drink or dessert. I have been to so many comedy clubs, and this by far is my favorite. I can't wait to go back to see some newer comedians! I would highly recommend checking out The Comedy Studio! read more

You walk in and anxiety takes hold. This is WAY too small a venue for anyone's comfort. The comics can see your faces, and you theirs. If a joke bombs there isn't wiggle room, because there are so few people in the room. The drink weak enough to not keep you super buzzed. A sullen patron can heckle from the back and the back is far enough for a toddler to throw a baseball. An obnoxious Irish woman can try to derail everyone's night quite easily. As we experienced last night. Good God she was a nightmare. I feel for her friends and family who must constantly be apologizing for her behavior. But the line up was amazing. No one tanked. My stomach hurt from laughing. Midway through I appreciated my safety in the dark of the back while simultaneously enchanted by the intimacy of the room. The last performer of our night, Gary Gulman, was brilliant and his set was meandering and experimental and had long pauses and at times made me want to cry with the rawness. He touched on living with severe mental illness. But god he was funny. I've never seen a comic not be so schticky. He relied on his reality that so many share just as much as punchlines to endear the audience. I don't know if it worked for everyone the way it did me, but I felt like it was, this honor to be part of such a small group, both for him and the other comics. I would absolutely go back. This place does beautiful charity work and wants to make people laugh and make the world a better place. What a little unexpected gem. read more

The RA of my floor organized a "group outing" to The Comedy Studio on a Wednesday night. The comedians seemed to try to cater towards the undergrad lifestyle (since we essentially had all the tables reserved, comprising roughly 60-70% of the crowd), which was a mistake. Jokes about drinking, facebook, random hookups are old and kind of insulting to my intelligence. I can't blame it all on them, as many of others in "my group" (ugh) were there mostly to get drunk off their cheap scorpion bowls. Also the "smarter, socially aware" comedy seemed to make a lot of my fellow BCers uncomfortable, especially some race jokes (which were really fantasically on-target). I loved the intimate space and think it would be much more enjoyable with a different/better audience. The plastic monkeys in the scorpion bowls are fun :) read more

Improbably located upstairs from the Hong Kong Restaurant, the Comedy Studio makes for one of the best nights out in Harvard Square. For a very reasonable fee (admission varies between $8 and $10) you'll be able to see a diverse lineup of up-and-coming stand-up acts, some of which are likely on their way to being famous on the national stage. The comics here are seriously funny (I don't think I've ever seen an act that was a dud during my visits). The material can be quite edgy, but the overall vibe is pretty laid back. The audience heckling that does go on is good-natured, and the performers, staff, and Rick Jenkins, the host and owner, are all very friendly and seem to really enjoy what they're doing. Shows tend to sell out very quickly on the weekends and holidays, so I would suggest booking your ticket online in advance to get a table and a $1 discount on your admission fee. If the tables are all booked, do not fear, you can get there early in person and snag one of the seats available along the wall--this setup however, is not terribly conducive to enjoying Chinese food and scorpion bowls while watching the show ;-) read more

This place is raw. This place is dark. This place is bare bones. This place is pretty awesome. It's basically some guy's passion project where he rents the out-of-the-way function room at a restaurant and brings in comedians. The barren stage is dark and deliciously low fi. They pack the place with as many folding chairs as will fit snaked along collapsable tables and the beer stained walls. But the comedy itself? This isn't a glossy club that books known acts. Like I said, this is raw. You might get killed by a big name who wasn't on the bill trying out new material before he goes on tour. You might be checking your watch while a scientist spews awkwardness as he tries to fulfill rock-and-roll dreams (on a comedy stage). But there's a reason it always sells out. And that reason is raw awesomeness. read more

OH. MY. GOD. WOW. just WOW. first off: 2 words: SCORPiON BOWL(S) (as per the suggestion of fellow yelpers) you can't even taste the alcohol, but be assured there sure is SOMETHiNG in there. I am hardly ever the type to jump up on stage to participate in antics, but after a few sips out of scorpion bowl #1 I was already up on stage acting a fooL! I went for the Tuesday Night MYSTERY LOUNGE. And by time you stumble out of there you'd swear it was a Friday night!! I HAVE NEVER had so much fun on a TUESDAY night. The vibe was beyond excellent. I almost don't even want to go back because I'm pretty sure I can't recreate the awesomeness of last night. And they even gave DVDs out to the people who participated on stage!! I HAVE NEVER gotten more BANG for my BUCK!! THANKS to GROUPON I brought all of my friends. Go with a group. . .makes it even more hystericaL! only 1 con: the 3 flights of stairs are a bit daunting after 2 scorpion bowls. . . read more

Went here with two friends while visiting Boston. Seating was interesting and I couldn't figure out if people with tables were a part of a party, had paid more or just got there early. Our friend had picked up the tickets and seemed surprised that we didn't get a table. Where we ended up sitting gave us a good view of the stage but, inevitably, meant that waitresses would be walking back and forth in front of us. They made the best effort not to stand in front of us for any period of time. The owner/main man was funny and did just enough to make sure that you were enjoying yourself but didn't steal the stage. There were only a few funny acts. The rest were either nasty, resentful or downright offensive. I can laugh at offensive things, but these weren't funny. I just got angry. Drinks were fine, no dollar or order minimum that you see in other comedy clubs, but if they can only pick three good acts out of about ten, we won't be back. read more

The first time I ever performed comedy in front of a paying audience was in 2005 at The Comedy Studio. It was a new comedian showcase. I had just 'graduated' from comedy class--yeah, it does kinda sound like clown college--and the instructor knew Rick Jenkins. I am indebted to Rick Jenkins for being a mentor during my two years as a weekend, part-time, $68-earned-during-my-career comic. I have been to other places and nothing compares to The Comedy Studio. Last night I spent a shirtload of dough attending a show in the theater district. My girlfriend turned to me and said "That place in Harvard Square had way better comedians." You cannot be a true fan of comedy and NOT have been upstairs at the Hong Kong restaurant. I double-dog dare you to buy tickets NOW and NOT enjoy the show. You'll thank me. Besides, I'm Joe Isuzu. You have my word on it. read more

For my sketch comedy final a couple years ago, we had to put on a show at the Comedy Studio. The fact that the audience/friends had access to scorpion bowls while watching the show was pretty awesome/helpful. hah I've been to the studio on different nights and the magic shows on Tuesdays are always pretty funny (what can I say, I'm a fan of Dr. Magogo). I've been randomly chosen (after a friend in front of me backed out) to get up on stage to put cards under my tuckus so that they can be magically removed and stowed under some other person's tuckus.. so that's always great after a couple of Buds. You definitely get a lot of bang for your buck on weekdays because you generally get to see not just one or two comics.. but several people. I dig the camp-style tables that have pictures of comics that have passed on through. The cover changes...although I remember getting in free as a student because my teacher did stand up there. Check the website for more details. Be careful what you say in the bathroom..if the studio is in between sets.. the people outside just might hear you. Oh and don't sit up front if you don't want to be chosen/picked on. read more

One Tuesday Mystery Lounge (magic+comedy) night, I "shared" a scorpion bowl with a friend. Apparently, drinking the bowl with 3 straws can either be a really great night or a really bad night. Sure, I may have been picked for the magician's act every time to be drunkenly duped (perhaps slightly intoxicatedly swaying). It's true they will give you a dvd of evidence, but damn what a great night that was. I've been here many nights just to replicate that one night. While they don't come close, it's damn good enough. I love this place. read more

This place can be hit or miss. It's more often hit, but there are definitely some misses. I've seen some really good shows here with some very funny performers, but I have also seen a couple of shows that had very awkward hosts and some comedians simply are not so funny. I would've given it 3 stars, but one of the times I was there, Bill Burr stopped in as a special guest and was so funny. That right there gives it an extra star. read more

I went to Ken Reid's show with big expectations, basically wasted my money and time, i don't care if you're democrat or republican, I just wanted to have a good time but this guy didn't stop being political and 0% funny. read more

Was just there this past Friday night because a good friend told me an Emerson alum was headlining. The environment is great, save for the 3 flights of very steep stairs you have to climb to get there. If you order your tickets online (etix.com), there is an extra $2.44 service charge per ticket, but when you arrive, you will have seats reserved at a table (instead of having to sit in chairs against the wall). & something I noticed is that even if you don't purchase your tickets together, they somehow manage to still get friends sitting together. Unaware that they serve the full menu upstairs, hubby & I ate downstairs before arriving. Next time, we'll know better. The food & drink service is a bit slow at times, but drinking scorpion bowls while watching comedy is totally worth a couple minute wait. There were about 8 comedians when we were there - some funny & some incredibly not so funny (mostly these are the college undergrads so they just need work). The show started about 20 minutes late, which meant that everyone had to rush through their sets a bit, but it kept the more seasoned comedians on their toes. read more

This place is a hidden gem for the Boston newcomer. When was the last time you saw hilarious comedy in Boston for 10 bucks? I've been here at least half a dozen times and noticed that the main performer usually has the same jokes...but that doesn't make them any less funny. If you're at least a semi-attractive woman, just know that you might get hit on as part of the act. You can order a scorpion bowl and a chinese app. platter and watch the show. No seat is a bad seat as it's a small place. But, you do kind of feel like you're part of a group up there. I'd recommend it!! read more