Event review. My son's school had their annual gala here. This party space was on second floor. I was on set up committee. The staff were all nice and helpful. If you have an event, they let you use a "green room" to keep belongings/ supplies. I thought the space was nice. The food was also very good. If you want to host a dinner event here, check it out. read more

The iO Theater - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good location. So much talent. Nice fully stocked bars. Super clean all around. Chicken tenders were not good. Nice bartenders. read more

To whomever is in leadership, the customer service for attendees is atrocious. I asked three different people where to go and how to get the 'signature cocktail' and got three different answers, ultimately being totally embarrassed inside the theater. Does anyone that works here care about anything? For a family night out for $145, that is ridiculous. Jesus Christ. Forget this place forever. Zero stars, will not recommend. Not funny so far either. read more

Really enjoyed experiencing a show here. I hadn't expected such a cool vibe with multiple shows and a lounge downstairs. All the staff were super friendly and the place was a chill hangout. Even the F&B options were reasonable for a show-house. read more

The iO Theater - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Always have a great show here! Different rooms with many shows going. I've seen the holiday comedy improv show that played out like a hilarious hallmark movie. So great! Piano accompaniment was fantastic too. Also, been for stand up sketch comedy that was hilarious. read more

I remember back when iO was Improv Olympic (somehow, the IOC won its lawsuit over this, as if people would confuse this with the Olympics??). My friends and I would head down to Wrigleyville as high schoolers and watch the various shows, sometimes the 12am show where anyone could join them onstage in improv. The space is bigger and newer now, operating on Kingsbury near a variety of big box stores and not as many restaurants as you'd want. iO has four theatres, the smaller ones on the second floor. All have pretty good sightlines for short people, which isn't always something comedy clubs deliver. There really is something for everyone here. The shows include an improvised musical (and some spinoffs of this every so often), classic long-form improv, and specific genre-based parodies like Jane Austen, Shakespeare, or even Disney Channel Original Movies. They offer sketch comedy fully in Spanish as well! My husband and I come to iO often and enjoy the variety of shows. ComedySportz has a home here, and though tickets at $35 each are on the higher side of a place that usually charges less than Second City but provides as much laughter, if not more, it was still a great show. ComedySportz is kid-friendly, so kids and preteens were at the show and loved it just like the rest of us did. Speaking of variety, they have a good offering of drinks, not cheap but not as overpriced as elsewhere, as well as some bar food. I'm not sure if you can order their pizzas to the theatres themselves, but in the lobby, you can order them from the bar. There are menus in the lobby that show options from the theatre, as well as salads and sandwiches. Special mention, too, should go to how everyone working here is friendly and clearly enjoys doing so. This is a fabulous experience everyone should get to have! read more

just arrived to see my first show. the person checking me didn't greet me, silently scanned my ticket and just told me to sit front row. surprisingly cold experience at a house of comedy. in complete contrast, the show was fantastic and i will certainly be back. my abs still ache from laughing read more

Came here for the first time the other night. We saw the shakesphere show and then the Kohl's Cash. It was such a fun time. I was in tears laughing during the first act of the Kohls show. It was all just so the food and was surprised by how good it was. I got the pizza and fries. The service was also great. I found parking to be tricky and recommend trying to get a spot hero before hand or uber. The bar is open afterwards and is a great place to hang. I will definitely be back! read more

Came here to see a variety show and had a great time! Got there early to try to secure parking. There some limited free parking available within a few blocks of the theater. We grabbed some drinks while waiting for the show. The bartender was excellent and you could definitely see the care that was put into each drink. I think people start lining up outside the theater for the show a little bit ahead of time, and they make an announcement about 15-30 minutes before the show to note when they're letting people in. They also took drink and food orders inside the theater area. Onto the show, we came to see a special variety show and were laughing our butts off the whole time. It was my husband's first time at a comedy show and he enjoyed it a lot! Be wary if you're sitting in the first one or two rows, you might get called on! Definitely a great place to catch a comedy show! read more

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Had so much fun at the improv class we attended! Went here with coworkers for our training and got to participate in some improv lessons. It was so much fun!! The food here was also pretty good as far as bar food goes. We had pizza, wings, and salad which were all pretty good. The staff were amazing! Really attentive and sweet! read more

Came in on a Friday night to see Comedy Sports improv. The theatre was less than half full but there was good energy from the actors, host and audience. The intimate theatre was conducive in everyone having a good seat- easy to see, hear and get involved. I would have liked to seen a little more fun production- for example videos or fun advertisements before the show, better lightning, more hype in the music etc....The male host was definitely the standout. We appreciated his quick wit. During the improv sometimes it was so bad- unfunny that we found that funny. It was entertaining and appropriate for all audience members. Would have liked to see the actors engage with the audience (thank them for coming etc) outside of the theater doors/lobby as we exited- would be a nice touch. Overall, it was a nice experience. 3.5-4 star rating. read more

Sat at the bar hoping to get a drink before the show. For a half hour. During this time I tried to get the attention of the bartenders. Was unsuccessful so decided to leave and not even see the show because I didn't feel comfortable. read more

Io Chicago has been helping me laugh for over a decade! Ive taken classes. Nothing beats seeing the humans perform LIVE!! read more

The iO Theater - A Stage - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

In town for work and came here on a rec of a friend who was here December '24. Looked at the place ahead of time, thought it was kinda retro, and booked a ticket for 'Comedy Sports'. Walked in and thought I was literally in the wrong place the bar was so different. Expecting to see a place with character and color. Ended up thinking I was in a back room and would be asked to leave if I stepped too far in. Would have liked to spend time somewhere that felt a little more representative of the comedy. Got the 'Marty' and a beer that were fine. Too expensive for what it was. read more

Some of the most confusing and hilarious things happen here. I've been several times for improvised Shakespeare as well as a few other improv teams and I'm always laughing so hard it hurts. Def go here if you're also someone who likes laughing so hard it hurts. If you don't like laughing so hard it hurts, don't go here, because you will be laughing so hard it hurts read more

The iO Theater - What even... - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great theatre experience. The intimate setting was nice and clean. Theater has a lot of different shows to see. We really enjoyed Blast!

Great location in Bucktown. Large venue with various size theaters, break out rooms, restaurant, and an open area for events. Service was great and staff were very helpful. Food was a bit pricey, but it is Bucktown. That's the reason for 4 stars vs 5. read more

The best spot in the city to see improv. They have an amazing bar/lounge area with retro vibes and 4 comedy theaters.

Always a blast going every time I'm there. No matter the show it's an interactive type of show "improvised Survivor" or a great show that you can just laugh at as well. The instructor for teaching improv classes. They are on a current IO improv team or currently in the improv community and fully understand the curriculum. They take time to explain it. They got good food / full bar and a great seating arrangement both upstairs and down. Also, dod i mentioned they have a summer patio. They got a lot of cool nicknacks around the place also they get a mannequin that gets moved almost every week to a new place at IO read more

I have been here for numerous different shows and have laughed a ton every time. Improv Shakespeare has been a recurring favorite and I am looking forward to trying other acts. The bar/lounge is a really fun vibe too, especially after a big show lets out. read more

Just saw "Trapped in a Musical" at the IO Theater, fantastic such a talented cast. We will definitely be back!