Finding the entrance was a bit of a challenge, but once we made it inside, it had that classic,…read moreintimate comedy room vibe. It's a very small space, so definitely get there early if you want a good seat otherwise, you might be squeezing in wherever you can. What really stood out was the staff. They're comedians too, which made the whole experience feel more personal and fun. Everyone was incredibly kind, accommodating, and genuinely funny. You could tell they cared about creating a great atmosphere. The crowd and lineup were a great mix, which I always appreciate. And the comedians? Not amateurs by any means. The jokes were sharp, well thought out, and actually funny... you're not sitting there forcing laughs. While there was a little bit of blue comedy here and there, it wasn't overdone. It was refreshing to hear more curated, clever material. My best friend just moved to the area, and we've been exploring different spots together. We're really glad we checked this place out and would absolutely come back, just earlier next time for better seats. They do have a full bar, but keep it simple. This isn't the place for craft cocktails, just stick with the basics like a rum and coke or a screwdriver and you'll be good. Overall, we loved the cozy, up-close feel. It's a solid choice for an easy, night out before heading somewhere else for drinks. Definitely worth checking out.

Excellent lineup at the Elbo Room down town…read more Every single comic had at least a few laugh out loud jokes, which is not always the case at these small shows The show was upstairs at the Elbo Room on Broadway downtown. A small space with a bar in the back., no bad seats The people at the elbow room might want to take a look at their public address system. It seemed to actually mute the audio - when people didn't use the mic. It was clearer. I went to quite a few of these Oakland comedy events in the before days and I'm glad to see them coming back

It's Alameda's legacy local comedy club with open bar. Supporting and promoting local comedians…read more Ticket is for the show only. You need to order food and drinks inside. Food is just OK and service is fine. It's mostly fun with comedy atmosphere. Parking may be difficult but paid and free street parkings available.

I hadn't heard of this place prior to this year. The food here is amazing. Not surprised to hear…read morethat the owner knows many famous chefs. The vibe here is chill.

Fantastic improv classes & great community! The teachers are all different, but all excellent. I've…read moretaken at least part of 8 classes, and have had nothing but great experiences. You will learn not only how to improv, but also improve yourself as a human. Also, to anyone who has experienced sexism, racism, homophobia, or ableism in theater: not here, you won't. At least I think. I have never seen it. (And have been at theaters where this wasn't the case -- here's looking at you, Pan.)

I'm extremely disappointed with all out comedy. I had a bad experience a while ago but then tried…read moreto give the place another shot recently and left feeling disappointed. I feel like it's just not for me. Now, I'm giving 1 star because I have further concerns about their professionalism and customer service considering the owner kept changing their response to my other review to random rude replies. First they wrote in all caps saying I'm spam, then they said something like "your car wasn't even ever here".Maybe they are confusing me with another customer and not intentionally trying to manipulate the feedback to discredit my review, but I still can't recommend this place by the odd and unprofessional behavior toward customers regardless of who they think I am instead of offering the typical kindness that you'd expect from a business. It's safe to say I won't be giving this another shot in the future

Punch Line staff are great! I was worried about entering with my bag of groceries (they have a no…read morefood policy); I was even ready to abandon it next to the doors and (hopefully) reclaim it later. Luckily, they were able to hold it in their kitchen during the performance. The venue is clean and easy to get to via public transit. My only complaints are the prices of the nonalcoholic drinks. I hate that all the major comedy clubs have a two-drink minimum. I'd rather just tack on $20 to the ticket price. That being said, Cobb's does have better options for non-drinkers like me.

I attended a comedy show here recently and had a just okay experience. The venue was fine for the…read moremost part. However, we were seated too close to the front wall that sometimes we just ended up seeing the comedian from behind. I'm sure we would've had a better experience if we didn't have a somewhat obstructed view. There's also a two drink minimum per person, including both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. This rule was a bit strange to me because all the other comedy spots I've been to allowed me to select a food item to meet the two item minimum. However, Punch Line is very strict on the fact that your two items have to be beverages. The cocktail I got was unmemorable. I should've just gone with something premade and canned. I'd come back here for a comedian that I'd want to see live. Otherwise, I wouldn't go out of my way to come back.

I travel to SF for work regularly, and I often stay at the Grand Hyatt just a block away. I was…read morehere for the long weekend and have been in a bit of a valley in terms of happiness in my life recently. I decided to head over for the Sunday night "cheaper Than Therapy" show on my own to try to pick myself up. I grabbed a liter of beer () from the bar and then we all crammed into the main stage, which was very intimate and cozy. I laughed and laughed and laughed, and I can genuinely say that I feel much better about things after going there tonight. The staff and host were all great. I think I'll make this a regular habit from now on when I visit SF. Rob.

My husband and I I saw a Friday night late show. Each of the 6 comedians were very funny. There are…read more2 reasons for the 4/5 review: The comedians , although creative and intelligent, all made multiple ageist jokes. My husband and I are cool, fun people in our 60's ... guess it's easier to punch down. Anyway, I still recommend the show. The second reason is that my drink, a manhattan, was terrible. It tasted so watered down that I would have brought it back to the bar if it wasn't so crowded.

Absolutely love this place! Comedians were funny and this place is beautiful at night right by the…read morewater. They have comedy every Saturday night. I took my mom here because she loves comedy and we had a great time. There was a little grocery store right there and we bought food and snacks and brought it to the venue. I'll definitely be back.

I was surprised to see that there wasn't a page or review for The Comedy Edge: Stand Up on the…read moreWaterfront so here you go. Although I am a little conflicted about sharing this given that it was so amazing and it becoming popular may change things, I will tell you how good it is because the comedians and organizers deserve it, plus I am not about gatekeeping. I don't even know where to start... The location is fantastic, right at the waterfront. The stage's background was literally water + a beautiful sunset (See the photos if you don't believe me). It is outdoor but still covered, with plenty of heat lamps if you get chilly. The venue is right next to a small restaurant and gourmet-style grocery store and you can buy some food and drinks and enjoy them during the show (no drink/food minimum). The comedians were HILARIOUS right on par with what you'd see in any Netflix special. I've been to Tommy T's in Pleasanton, and House of Comedy in San Jose and this one is my favorite one. The environment is fun, yet relaxed and welcoming. The craziest part about this entire situation is that the VIP tickets are only 20 dollars and general admission is 10. I almost did not buy the tickets because the low cost of the tickets made me wonder about the quality of the show, but I was blown away. HUGE shout out to all the comedians and organizers for such a lovely and hilarious evening.

I've now attended 4 Critical Hit shows. It's an absolute steal of a night out. They've got great…read morealternating hosts, and comics that punch way above average. I've been to shows at Cobb's that were a big letdown and have yet to experience such at Critical Hit. Last night the crowd was ready and they had to add extra seats in the back to accommodate. Sure there's no brick wall or velvet backdrop, who cares?! I came to laugh. Xander Beltran closed out a night that already had everyone gassing with great sets from the hosts and Diana Hong! There's something special about local talent sharing a stage with other locals and touring comics. The standup community is a patchwork of regions and backgrounds that somehow finds ways of supporting each other and pulling the best out of these crossing paths. Need ideas for a date night? Critical Hit is the closer. Anywhere nearby in Temescal is going to have good food and drinks. If you're a planner, getting tickets more than a week in advance and it adds very little cost to your budget for the night. If you can't plan your way out of a paper bag, it's still stupid cheap to finish out your night with comedy on a whim. There's also a local ice cream shop around the corner open til 11pm on Saturdays. Can grab dessert before or after the show. I don't recommend making eye contact with the comics while eating your cone. Do not recommend. Actually wait, since you're the one eating and making eye contact, maybe I'm the one watching, so... highly recommend. Bottom line: I enjoy standup comedy, if you enjoy standup comedy, you'll like the laughs available at Critical Hit.

i have been going to this show for years, and always have a good time. it's a well run show with…read moreprofessional, diverse lineups. the hosts have been working together a long time and you can tell they have really fun onstage chemistry with each other. it's also in an amazing local business, one i've shopped at many times, and it just feels cool to be watching stand-up in a game store. i took some friends who were visiting from out of town, and it was an awesome way to show off oakland. would recommend this show to anyone! whatever style of comedy you dig, they'll have it

Had dinner at Yoshi's Oakland on Mother's Day before the evening show. We ordered the calamari,…read morespider roll, fire dragon roll, warriors roll, and avocado maki. The calamari was definitely my favorite! Loved how lightly fried it was, and the jalapeño sauce was such a nice touch. The sushi rolls were on the smaller side and felt a bit too rice-heavy with not enough filling. After dinner, we headed into the music venue side of Yoshi's to see The Best Intentions and they were incredible! One thing to note: seating is assigned by the venue and can feel pretty tight since tables are often shared.

I've been contemplating writing this review for a few months. I wanted to give a raving review as…read moremost of the experience was great. Anyhow, we had dinner first for a party of 9. The restaurant itself was a nice atmosphere. We ordered salads, appetizers, sushi, entrees, desserts, and plenty spirits/cocktails. Our server, Owen, was on top of his service. He was great with suggestions and checked on us often. The food was a bit pricey but expected. Nice presentation and food was good. For the show afterwards, we had a booth with a great view. It was a good time. Good vibes and all. The service was there as we kept the drinks coming. My only thing that knocked two stars down was the host. Which I think his name was Chung. He was absolutely rude and had such a condescending attitude towards my party when they were checking in. If you're a host, act like it! You represent the restaurant and the front line of it all when patrons come in. Such a disappointment for a nice establishment! Luckily, the rest of the experience was pleasant.

Can't believe it's taken me so long to write a review for Fox Theater! It's a great concert venue,…read morewith beautiful Indian-inspired architecture, harkening back to the days when American theaters were inspired by not-politically-correct ornamentations of foreign cultures in their escapist surroundings. Over the years, I've been here to see a variety of artists perform, including Evanescence, Lindsey Stirling, and most recently AFI. Fox Theater is Bart-accessible and in a safer part of downtown Oakland. If artists I want to see perform live come here, then this venue is a definite yes on my list!

The inside of the theater is beautiful. Thats pretty much it for a positive note…read more Seating is super tight. Sound was not very clear at the balcony level. Unless you are seated very close up, you are just looking at an ant. Drinks are close to $20 each. Also, if you order water at the bar, they tell you to go get water in the lobby. Bad service for that.

Attended Slam Town's Ekpyrotica at the Continental Club this past weekend, and had an enjoyable…read moreexperience. The listed ticket time was 8:00 to 11-ish, but in reality it was more like 8:45-11:20pm (doors opened around 8:00pm, and the entry line went quick). The place wasn't too crowded, and though there was a bit of seating against the walls, it was mostly standing room for viewing of the show. Beware, the action takes place both inside and outside the ring, so be ready to move if you're on the first level and the wrestlers end up battling it out and rolling around on the floor or against the pillars, or on the merchandise table (like they did this past FrIday). We watched from upstairs, and didn't miss a thing... they had a large screen for closeup views of all the shenanigans happening in and around the ring, too. There were quite a few matches throughout the night, including characters like Cereal Man, Prisoner 420, and my bf's fave, Bart-Man, doing their thing. I was a big fan of the MonsterTown tag team, all of the creatures dressed in comical costumes and putting on even funnier moves against their rivals, especially the three-headed giraffe and mummy. Lots of props used throughout the show, including ladders, full-size doors (for the dramatic illusion of slamming opponents into these and breaking them), and fake weapons...... oh, but THIS IS REAL... and the dynamic chants from the crowd will remind you all night. Commentary by the "news anchor" host helped guide the storyline with a bit of humor, but I've experienced better and more entertaining announcers outside of Slam Town. Apparently this underground wrestling show is a lot tamer now (in April 2026) than it used to be, back when it was known primarily as "Hoodslam", but we still had a good time. The next Slam Town event is happening on May 22nd at Drake's in Oakland.

fun hyphy vibes in a quiet neighborhood AND hotboys for food?! it can't get better than this!read more