Ok, so I've been to a total of 3 comedy-ish shows, so bear that in mind regarding my "Woohoo! As good as it gets!" rating. My boyfriend is a fan of stand up and improv so when Yelp Gets Cultured offered free shows, I signed up. I didn't expect much because I thought this was going to be sports-related improv. I figured I wouldn't even get most of the jokes. So it was a nice surprise that the Sportz part of ComedySportz is the competition between the two teams, not the content. I'm not one to laugh at everything, but I was cracking up. My boyfriend (who IS the type to laugh at everything) was laughing so hard that he kept slapping my leg. I was limping after the show. If you stay for the next show, Hot Karl, you get half off. If you sign up for the email listserve, you get a free ticket, plus another ticket for your bday. I plan on staying for the late night show when I use my free ticket. Great show, definitely worth paying full ticket price. How many times have you paid that much for a crappy romcom? read more

Went to the 8pm show last Friday. The set up was very cute, made to look like a locker room with 2 opposing scoreboards. The two teams compete is various games to win points. There is a ref who does whatever he wants and an announcer who seemed to chime in whenever he wanted. The majority of the games were pretty funny, involving audience participation. For one game they even brought two audience members on stage to complete a thought whenever they were tapped on the shoulder. They weren't very creative or funny, not that non-trained people should be expected to be, but the cast should have overridden them or got rid of them sooner. Like others have said this is a clean, non-swearing show. So much to the fact that if an audience members suggests something 'naughty' they put a brown paper bag over their head for a few minutes. They did have servers that came around during the show (plus) but I felt the drinks were slightly overpriced with a limited selection. Overall it was funny, just not over the top, pain in my gut can't wait to go back funny. But I can see myself giving them another chance in the future. read more

I LOVE this place. Every time I have been there the actors do a great job and there is a lot of audience participation. I would not suggest toting along embarassing friends that shout out sexy slurs or when asked to name an occupation they scream "GYNECOLOGIST" *THEY WILL GET BROWN BAGGED (I am lucky enough to have not 1 but 2 of my genius friends have a bag put on their head...sweet, I know). Anywho, if you are looking for new place to go and you are done with the clubbin and pubbin scene, I highly recommend this place! If Chris is the bartender ask him for a long island. They are equal portions of the most delicious beverage you will ever consume. Two will have you feeling heavenly. shows are every 2 hours. last one is at midnight. read more

I didn't know what to expect of an improv show that bills itself as family-friendly, but the ComedySportz show (10pm, Saturday) was awesome. As another reviewer said, it's somewhat "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" style, where two teams compete against each other in multiple rounds of improv games. The show had us laughing the entire time, and if you're an audience member who wants to participate, there is ample opportunity! Guests of the 10pm show are invited to stay for free for the midnight "Hot Karl" show, which is long-form comedy of the adult variety. We elected to stay, just to see what it was about. The emcee kicked it off by suggesting the audience drink more, because the cast would be drinking too. Some of the cast members had also been in the pervious show, and they seemed noticeably drunk as compared with the 10pm show. There were some funny moments, but honestly those moments were not as frequent as with the earlier show. I don't shy away from adult humor, but a lot of the adult humor seemed forced for the sake of the show, and it was pretty obvious that some of the cast members were drunk (not in a funny way). ComedySportz Show (10pm) - 5 stars Hot Karl (midnight) - 2 stars I'd go again, but not to the later show! read more

This place was fun, and it'd be a good place to take kids, or your family (which can't be said of most comedy clubs). However, I wasn't going with my family or kids, so it wasn't really what we were looking for. We attended their 10pm show, which had "no swearing" rules. I wish I would have known that it would be a "clean" show before going. I was a bit perplexed, wondering who would take their kids to a show beginning at 10pm (shouldn't they be in bed?) especially since it was the later show and usually cleaner shows are the 8pm ones. When I go to a comedy club, I want to have a muthaf*cking good time, not a "darn good" time! That being said, it was fun and funny, though a little over-the-top with the sports theme (there was a "referee" for the games, loud stadium-type music, etc.) It was an improv show with the usual Whose-Line-Is-It-Anyway-type games. The enthusiasm level was a bit overwhelming, in general. Like if you've ever worked at a job where you had to do cheers or team-building exercises (that every normal person hates) with a really freaking excited leader? Yeah. After this, you could stay for a raunchy show for $5. This was reallly over-the-top in the opposite way, and actually less funny. It was like they were trying to make up for the wholesome 10pm show with the sickest stuff they could think of. And it was somewhat disconcerting to see the family-friendly referee from half an hour ago now miming incestual relations. read more

I've been here many times, but for some reason I've never written a review. I went here with a few (30) friends for my birthday this past Saturday and we had the best time! To start the drinks were LOADED and they were cheap. The show itself did not disappoint. All of the actors/improv specialists were amazing. They were so quick witted and were also able to put up with my obnoxiously drunk friends. I was surprised that we only received one brown bag, but we had a few close calls. Thanks again for an amazing Birthday party! I'll be back again soon. read more

We LOVED ComedySportz. We have been a few times and every time is different. Two teams compete against each other playing different games. The competition is a great way to get everyone involved. Everyone in my group was laughing hysterically - we loved that it was all improv (they take all suggestions from the audience). My husband volunteered to go on stage for one of the games and they gave him a free ticket to return. And we definitely will! Great for big groups. Check out discounted tickets on goldstar.com 12/365 read more

Best family fun night! The improv was clean and fun for all of us. Loved the team competition. If you have a free night, take the family here. Just a blast. read more

I have been here numerous times and have never been let down. Its "family friendly" so you can take your parents (or younger kids) if they are in town visiting. This doesn't dilute the comedy at all, good comedy doesn't really to fall back on dirty jokes and cussing. Basically, if you like "Who's Line is it Anyway?" then you will love it. If not, then do not go. The shows are short-form improv where two teams (usually comedy groups from different schools, cities, etc.) battle it out through short games in which the audience participates. At the beginning of each game, the "ref" will ask for suggestions for themes for the sketch. Some sketches even involve audience members going on stage for the duration of the sketch (my fiancee got called up once and ended up having a great time and winning free tickets). The comedians are always rotating, so you don't see the same group each time. Some are funnier than others, but I usually laugh out loud at least a couple times per sketch. The service here is great - waiters come around to your table and really don't miss a beat. There is also a decent bar in the waiting area where you can grab a brew. One time when the show was over there was FREE QDoba chips and guacamole set-up all around the waiting area! I had dreamed about this once but couldn't believe it was really happening - I ate about 5 cups of guac until I actually started feeling sick...best night ever... read more

I have been here about 5 times in the past 6 months and I have to say I have not been disappointed yet. It's just a real good quality comedy improv show that I am not afraid to bring anyone to (whether my family, friends or out of town guests). Everyone I have brought has said they had a great time...and many have even gone back a 2nd or 3rd time! Everytime I have gone the people are very friendly, the drinks are fairly cheap and the comedy is great. I love improv b/c everytime you go it's different. Though I do have to say that the first time I went was the best show...maybe b/c it was...well my first show! I have yet to see The Hot Karl but I think I will one of these days. What's great is that if you sign up for their email, you get a free ticket to use at any show! They only send out maybe two emails a month and they are usually worth your while to read b/c they have great deals on tickets. I will continue to come here b/c it's a fun thing to do on the weekend and I really like the show. It's different, unique and funny! read more

LOVED this place! I will DEFINITELY be back with more friends in tow! Although the place is not as fancy nor as big as Second City... the ENTIRE show is Improv. The company did a GREAT job of getting the audience involved without embarassing anyone. Several times the cast asked for ideas from the audience as well as for volunteers to come up on stage. It was great and I loved that they didn't push the shyer members of the audience. Me and my boyfriend went to the 10:00 show on a Friday night. I called the day before for reservations, and was able to use my Groupon I had that was good for a ticket and a drink for each of us. The bar selection is small but was fine. I stuck to beer at first and my boyfriend ordered a large vodka redbull for $9 (pretty much the price I expected). Every night they have "Team" Drinks... Blue Lemonade and Fruit Punch... signs everywhere advertised the drinks as "Absolute Blue Lemonade $7". So I was a little annoyed and confused that the bartender told me the drink was $10 after I asked for Absolut in it. I know I should have said something.. but I just didn't. The only other reason this place does not get 5 stars is that the Absolute Blue Lemonade drink was TERRIBLE. I'm not a lush, but I'm not one to leave a drink unfinished, let alone over halfway full. But i pretty much tried to get myself to force down some of the drink... I ended up leaving 80% of it. UGH- Seriously, just gross. Back to the show though... we chose to go to the 10:00 show and not the "adult" midnight show. My younger brother had been to both and said that the all ages show was hysterical... but that the adult show was just a lot of "fuck" "dick" "shit" and other excessive profanities. And coming from 19 year old college kid, I figured he had to be right. Overall: GO to the show... it's a great time and works for a HUGE age range. Just do NOT order the blue team drink. JUST. DON'T. read more

I Went to the 10pm show on a Saturday night with a group of friends. I've been to a ton of comedy clubs, and was here once before. I definitely enjoyed myself and the format. Basically, two comedy teams of three people each, face off in competition. Each team has a hilarious theme with costumes to match. I witnessed the "WWF" versus "The Nightly News". The WWF team featured a skinny guy dressed as the late great Randy Savage, a short fat guy in a Nuche Lubre mask, and crew-cropped girl who wore various village people outfits(cop, military, ETC). The Nightly News team had two tall guys dressed as Rachel Maddow, and (sic)"the tall blond from Fox News" and a short guy as a nerdy and a little creepy Wolf Blitzer. The two teams faced off in bazaar competitions with lots of input from the audience. Although humor is a matter of taste, I found myself laughing most of the time. They have beer, liquor, wine and non-alcoholic drinks. One nice feature is that they don't allow any obscenity for this particular show. Anyone who says overtly sexual or vulgar suggestions, whether audience or comedy team members, get "brown bagged". A brown paper bag is literally placed over their head, and they are not allowed to say anything else. All in all it's a good time for a good price. They also let you see the following show for free if you stay on. read more

It's short form improv along the lines of "Who's line is it anyways?" - it might be good or it might be bad. You're best bet is to show up and not be all snooty. Just come here, relax, be energetic and enjoy the show. What's nice here is the clean family fun - adults and youths in the same room for a fun comedy show. They always seem to give away free tickets to audience members to return too. It's almost like they aren't just there for the money (drinks and snacks are fairly priced too). So what's not to like? read more

I adore improv. What a wonderful way to get my giggle on! This place is one of the best improv joints in the city. I have always laughed to the point of busting a gut. And, the shows have never come close to being similar to one another. I even attended a portion of one of the improv 101 classes. I learned several techniques to thinking off the cuff and even made myself laugh quite often. The instructor was thoughtful and helpful, and helped many of the students come out of their shells. This place should not be missed and should be visited time and time again! read more

The acts were OK there was no stand out in the actors when I went. The audience was a few groups of children under 13 so the jokes were very sophomoric. I would go to second city over this act in the future. if you do want to go (with children) go to Hottix they are always listed. read more

I have to recommend the late night shows. I have been going to ComedySportz since 2000 and while the ComedySportz show is fun and entertaining, for the late night shows the kids are kicked out and there is no brown bag foul. The Hot Karl on Saturdays at midnight is my absolute favorite. They cross the line and then some. P.S. I love the new theater and bar. I went to a ComedySportz show last week and I have to say it was one of the best groups I've seen on stage in a long time. The way they worked together made you think that you were watching a rehearsed sketch, but it wasn't, it was just awesome improv done by people who know their craft. It was a Thursday when I went so I stayed for the Improv Match Game. I really liked this show because the panel of guests were improvisers from around the city and not only did they have funny answers, they picked on each other throughout the night. All in all a good night o improv. read more

$2 Wednesday night shows! This place is small, but everyone here is friendly and accommodating. You will get picked on if you're in the audience :) But it's all in fun, and you'll end up laughing so hard throughout the night that your sides will hurt. read more

My first time at comedysportz last night and had a blast! Student ID got me in for only 10$ to the ten o'clock show (regular price: 22$). It's hard for me to describe improv since I imagine it's quite different at every show. The crowd, from my best guess, was mostly 20-somethings and older with a few younger people mixed in. The suggestions were okay, but the teams were hilarious. They were witty, silly and quick. Even the "ref" and announcer were funny. I laughed through the entire hour and a half show. I will definitely be back, hopefully sooner rather than later. My only complaint is the girls selling tickets. They could have been a little nicer, seemed a little more happy to see people coming to the show. I understand they must deal with a lot of drunk people and rowdiness, but, really, a smile would be nice. read more

Comedy Sportz is freakin' great. Seriously. Every time I've been there, I've laughed hysterically and had a wonderful time. Competitive improv? Whoda thunk? I approve. They do all sorts of other stuff too, so take a gamble. read more

I am not typically a fan of improv, it's usually pretty clunky, almost like watching a car crash. I went because ComedySportz was raising money for my friend's charity ($5 from each ticket sold went towards a different Lakeview charity for the whole month of September. Way to give back to the community ComedySportz!) It was actually a lot of fun. It's well organized as a competitive improv, pitting two teams against each other with a variety of sketch "games" to choose from to decide who is the funniest. They included the audience, but didn't force anyone to participate. The "referee" was great and the comedians were professional. They enforce a "brown bag foul" rule that ensures the show is clean (or else you wear a brown bag on your head) so it's good for all ages. Afterwards, there's a racy show called the Hot Karl, where you can stay for $5. It was a cold, rainy night so they actually said drink with us and stay for free, so we got two shows for the price of one! It's a great spot for your birthday, date night or just a fun night out. I'd definitely come back. read more

We went to their Monday night "100 Proof Comedy" show, which is just stand up comics, not improv or skits or anything, and we both really enjoyed it! There were a total of 6 comics, probably averaging 10 minutes each. It seemed like they were free to go a few minutes longer if the crowd was into them, and the one comic that flopped HARD left the stage after just 5 or 6 minutes, much to my relief. We were both pretty tired by 9:30 (don't judge us), so we didn't stay for the free open mic show, but I still feel like we got our money's worth ($10 each), and I think there's a very good chance we'll make our way back to Comedy Sportz on some Monday night in the future to see some more stand up comedy. read more

I went on the 24th of january for my boyfriend and my birthday. I couldn't have asked for a better time! The ref was amazing and all the players were killer. The face that they have little interludes and all the actors know what dance to do between each game is FANTASTIC. We went to the 8 o clock show which of course was a blast but had ALOT of children. They have a midnight show that is way more vulgar and more my speed. I should be hittin it up with weekend. read more

Saw Lady Parts. The show was great. The video skits may have been the funniest, but the others were also funny; some hilarious and some just amusing. They serve drinks before, during and after the show. Everything is pretty cheap. read more

Went here for the first time a few nights ago. The teams concept was interesting and I agree with a couple of the earlier reviewers that it was very clean in nature. I haven't seen the "old" location, but this was very convenient to get to from the Red Line. Comedy clubs are something I want to see a lot more of in this coming year and I may want to update this review after having more to compare to by going to Zanies and Second City, etc. Overall though, had a fun time. read more

I've seen this show at both the old, crumbly lakeview venue and the new temporary digs on chicago ave. It seems a little pricey for improv ($19/ticket), but I have found it to be funnier than improv olympic and some second city shows. Two words of warning: buy your tickets in advance and go to a later show. The early shows are packed with junior high kids who are very adamant about their suggestions...and make you feel a bit dirty about yours. read more

True improv. Truly enjoyable. Great bartender (GO JOE!) Talented crew. Good for laughs. Fast-paced improv at its best. read more

I came here for a team-building workshop with a group of college student leaders and everyone had a great time. Tara and Erin ran the improv workshop and they quickly had everyone laughing. They provided example activities that our group could use with others and Tara always related each activity to a "life lesson" as she called them. I would strongly recommend this place to anyone who's looking for a fun, interactive team-building activity. This may also be a great idea for those who are in an HR-type position and have trouble identifying a "team-builder" that doesn't make your employees groan. read more

We went to the 10pm show last night to entertain some friends of ours. This is consistently good value for your money as the show is approximately 1.5 hours long and is thoroughly entertaining if you enjoy improvisational comedy. The theatre is small so you feel connected to the performers throughout the show and the audience is consistently asked for ideas to form the improve scenes. It is engaging and entertaining as your requests are worked into the act. There is a bar in the theatre and also waiter service at the tables in the theatre. The show itself pits two teams of improvisational comedians against each other. As funny as they are - the referee and the announcer can be even more entertaining. Highly recommend this show and we'll, of course, be back again. read more

It's like Second City, but a lot less expensive, crowded, and quite frankly better. We're talking serious side-splitting laughs. Great for date night or any kind of night out. I've been told the late night shows get a little raunchy ... been meaning to check that out ... 157/365 read more

Cool and casual place! It's a nice change of pace from doing the same old thing. I saw 3 improv groups perform. I would say the later show absolutely had some more adult content which was awesome, but be aware it isn't really family friendly after 10pm. All the groups were great; there were obviously some stand outs who were very quick and funny. Love the crowd interaction too; a lot depends on how fun your audience is. You should check it out. read more

Two groups of people duking it out for applause--and they use words instead of fists. Funny, funny words. I have never been disappointed with Comedy Sportz. It is a very intimate gathering so you really feel involved and can get a lot of suggestions incorporated into the show. The clean humor means that they actually have to be FUNNY, and not just nasty. (If you want nasty, just hang out for the Hot Karl--you'll get plenty of nasty) Everyone's hysterical, but I've gotta say that Katherine Gotsick is my all-time favorite ref. I got pulled up on stage when I went for my birthday and had an awesome time singing a song with the group--we each could only sing one word at a time--not to mention the free tickets I received in return! I just checked out their website and it seems they've got Karaoke on Fridays. I think I have a plan for next Friday. read more

Comedy Sportz shows and classes are amazing! One of the more affordable training centers and totally worth it. You learn all the fundamentals you need to know to get some confidence and skills up on stage in a very relaxed and fun environment. Definitely recommend it for beginners as a great place to start and get to know what improv is all about. CSz shows are also really fun to watch and I personally find it extremely refreshing to see a good show that's also clean. It takes great skill to be funny without resorting to vulgarity. I much prefer when I can be wholesomely amused! However, CSz has it all! If you prefer off-color humor they have those shows too. By all means. Go! Great Players! Friendly Staff! luv u! read more

My sister and mom came into town this past weekend and we went to a ComdeySportz show. One of my friends saw the show while she was on a date and suggested it for when my family came to town because it was clean and hilarious. We laughed the whole time. At one point I am pretty sure my sister was crying because she was laughing so hard. Try this place once you will not be disappointed. It is interactive improv with no strings. Everything is based off of the audience participation which made it even more fun. But watch what you say or you might get the brown bag if it is dirty. They make sure to keep the show clean in order to allow people of all ages to have a great time. The three of us were very impressed with the show and how quick the comedians think of things and how funny they were. Thank you ComedySportz for giving us a clean improv show that is hilarious. read more

Cute place. Has a lot of potential. Right off the brown line stop on the EL, so it is def conveniently located. Room was good, a nice variety of comedians. Drinks reasonable. Well drinks were on special for six bucks. Wait staff friendly and appreciative of tips. Music way too loud between comedians and at intermission so couldn't talk. Tried to discuss different comedic styles right after intermission since it was so loud during intermission and got "shushed" by the MC in front of the entire crowd. Saw some funny, funny comedians and had some good laughs. My only suggestion would be, if you only have 5-8 people in the audience that aren't comics waiting to go on...you should probably be nicer to them. read more

My friend and I stopped by for the 8pm show on a Saturday night on our recent Chicago trip. We were early enough to score a table in the front row, oh yeah! So close you can feel those hot a$$ lights! They have waiter service and a pretty good drink selection. The show was hilarious! I've seen improv and this style of improv a bunch, but this was by far the most creative and the funniest. I also like how they keep it clean, I think it takes a lot more work to be funny without being crude. Loved it and would love to go again! P.S. tickets are only $2 on Wednesdays! read more

I came here on Saturday night for the Yelp Gets Cultured event. It was funny enough, but I think iO is better. In fact, my companion took classes at iO and said the competition games they did on stage is what they do at iO to warm up before shows. It took a long time for our server to come to us, but he was fairly attentive once I think he decided he had a crush on my friend, lol. I would sooner say 3.5 stars, but I will up them half a star for offering a free show to Yelpers. : ) read more

LOL Didn't realize how scarce it is to find an all-ages comedy club I could take my teen to over winter break. In fact, Comedy Sportz may be only one in Chicagoland. Good news because it was FANTASTIC. Two improv teams vie to win by garnering most audience applause. There's a lot of audience interaction which adds to the experience. The actors are very skilled at their craft and it's a high- energy show. The 1.5 hour show flew by. They even offered 1\2 price tickets for the following show if we stayed. If we didn't have somewhere to be, we definitely would have stayed for second serving of laughs. Wait staff was great and never had that awkward "where is my server" moment. Drinks reasonable. Expect to see lots of kids and families but lots of young adults, too. Get there early, it fills up plus you need to find street parking. read more

i didn't have high hopes going into Comedysportz... i stumbled upon the show when I was trying to get last minute tickets to the lion king, and remembered the location was pretty close to me. Went in a group of 5 to the 10pm showing, we had a blast! it was so much fun we all loved it and laughed A LOT. I was shocked I hadn't heard more about it, as funny as it was they didn't make the audience participate unless the audience nominated themselves (which is nice, i'm not much for getting up on stage) on "absolut saturdays" absolut drinks are $7 student tickets are $10...we loved it and will definitely be going back! read more

I've been to ComedySportz a number of times and think it's a great way to spend an evening. Because skits are based on audience suggestions and players rotate, it's never the same show twice. The shows are family friendly, and so the humor is clean. The box office staff are friendly and helpful. I also like the convenient location - near the Belmont El and a variety of restaurants. read more

Brilliant show- clean comedy and fun atmosphere!! The show is themed on two different teams competing and I believe it gives you an opportunity to relate with one or the other style!! Definitely recommended for kids and some awesome family n friends time... P.s. Brilliant staff and a great Referee!! Looking forward to many more shows :) read more