D.C. Venues

Venues are grouped by neighborhood. If you have any pictures or reviews of a venue that you would like to submit, please e-mail them to chris@dcstandup.com.

Several large theaters in DC have occasional comedy events as well; some top national headliners perform at Constitution Hall, George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium, and the Warner Theater, for example. They advertise the hell out of those shows -- you'll won't miss it unless you're in a coma.

You can also see listings for Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Adams Morgan

HEAVEN AND HELL. 2327 18th St. NW, DC 20009. This is usually a dance club / bar. The middle floor, Purgatory, started hosting showcase comedy on Wednesdays in July 2008.

DC ARTS CENTER. 2438 18th St. NW, DC 20009. The 50-seat black box theater at the DCAC is sometimes rented by local or traveling comedians to stage shows. You can get get a full calendar of events (and information on how to rent the theater) at the DCAC Web site.

RENDEZVOUS. 2226 18th St. NW, DC 20009. This lounge had been home to a regular Wednesday night open mic since July 2006, but that stopped in winter 2008. Shows might return at a later date. You can check out the Washington Post's general write-up of the venue right here. MORE INFO WANTED: if you have pictures or reviews that you'd like to submit regarding the comedy night at this venue, send them to chris@dcstandup.com.

CHIEF IKE'S MAMBO ROOM. 1723 Columbia Road NW, DC 20009. Chief Ike's is a dive in a good way. Its primary function is probably dancing, but it has hosted comedy in the past -- a series of showcases. In November 2007 comedy returned with a Monday night open mic organized by DC Comedy 4 Now. You can also check out the Chief Ike's site. MORE INFO WANTED: if you have pictures or reviews that you'd like to submit regarding the comedy night at this venue, send them to chris@dcstandup.com.

SPY LOUNGE. 2406 18th St. NW, DC 20009. This is part of the Felix complex ... as of December 2007, it is hosting a Monday night open mic. MORE INFO WANTED: if you have pictures or reviews that you'd like to submit regarding the comedy night at this venue, send them to chris@dcstandup.com.

Cleveland Park

UPTOWN TAVERN. 3433 Connecticut Ave. NW, DC 20008. Some Friday showcases started here in July 2008. More info to come. Washington Post write-up.

Columbia Heights

WONDERLAND BALLROOM. 1101 Kenyon St. NW, Washington, DC 20010. There have been several iterations of comedy at Wonderland -- the upstairs bar is a fairly ideal setting for a show. Currently (October 2007) there's nothing going on there, but we'll let you know if comedy returns. Wonderland site. MORE INFO WANTED: if you have pictures or reviews that you'd like to submit regarding the comedy night at this venue, send them to chris@dcstandup.com.

Dupont Circle Area

DC IMPROV. 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, DC 20036. Arguably the best regular comedy venue in the DC area. National headliners in the main room every week (close to 300 seats), plus lots of monthly showcases, special events, and a comedy school (for both stand-up and improv). In summer 2006 the Improv added a second 60-seat showroom and refurbished the main room as well; this room is available for rental, and you can read the terms right here. For more information, check out the DC Improv site.

TOPAZ HOTEL. 1733 N Street NW, DC 20036. The Thursday night open mic in the Enlightenment Room has (as of April 2007) been running for about two years; here's the Topaz Hotel site. MORE INFO WANTED: if you have pictures or reviews that you'd like to submit regarding the comedy night at this venue, send them to chris@dcstandup.com.

CAFE JAPONE. 2032 P St. NW, Washington, DC 20036. The long-running open mic at this karaoke joint/restaurant has been on and off as of winter 2008, we believe it's off. If it returns, you'll hear about it. More info is at the open mics page. MORE INFO WANTED: if you have pictures or reviews that you'd like to submit regarding the comedy night at this venue, send them to chris@dcstandup.com.

H St. Corridor (Atlas District)

PALACE OF WONDERS. 1210 H St. NE, DC 20002. Palace of Wonders bills itself as "The World's Only Sideshow Museum and Home of Variety in the Nation's Capital." They have all kinds of eclectic shows, including some open mic comedy on occasion. Sort of funky setup, with seating at the bar, a few tables, and the balcony above. Here's their web site.

MacPherson Square

L STREET LOUNGE. 1426 L St. NW, DC. We don't have too much info on this venue, but in January 2007 they started hosting Friday night shows. Here's a related MySpace page. MORE INFO WANTED: if you have pictures or reviews that you'd like to submit regarding the comedy night at this venue, send them to chris@dcstandup.com.

Southwest

ZANZIBAR ON THE WATERFRONT. 700 Water St. SW, DC 20024. This is a nightclub with tons of entertainment each week -- on occasion they do bring in comedy, so keep your eyes peeled. They have a very slick Web site.

BEST WESTERN CAPITOL SKYLINE. 10 I St. SW, Washington, DC 20024. In May 2008 some open mic comedy started at this hotel bar.

Takoma Park

TAKOMA STATION. 6914 4th Street NW, DC, 20012. Primarily a jazz club but over the years they have had various incarnations of a comedy open mic. The latest was in January 2008, put together by Riot Act Comedy, but as of June 2008 it appears to be dead again. You can get more venue info at their Web site. MORE INFO WANTED: if you have pictures or reviews that you'd like to submit regarding the comedy night at this venue, send them to chris@dcstandup.com.

U Street / Cardozo / Logan Circle

HR-57. 1610 14th Street, NW DC 20009. In the past this jazz club has served as a venue for the DC Comedy Fest and also as the home to Riot Act Comedy club. Right now (Jan. 2008) it doesn't seem to be home to any regular comedy shows, but they've certainly been open to it in the past. Here's their Web site. MORE INFO WANTED: if you have pictures or reviews that you'd like to submit regarding the comedy night at this venue, send them to chris@dcstandup.com.

SOLLY'S TAVERN. 1942 11th St. NW, Washington DC. In polite terms this is a dive bar, i.e., it's fun. They had a few showcases in 2007, and now the DCC4N people are putting together showcases (as of January 2008) on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Here's their Web site. MORE INFO WANTED: if you have pictures or reviews that you'd like to submit regarding the comedy night at this venue, send them to chris@dcstandup.com.

JoJo. 1518 U St NW, Washington, DC 20009. This jazz venue on the U St. Corridor is trying out Tuesday open mics starting late August 2008.

READING ROOM: On occasion we get humor pieces from comedians -- you can find them all archived in our Reading Room.