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    The Setup - Stand Up Comedy

    4.5 (89 reviews)
    ModerateComedy Clubs
    Closed 7:00 pm - 10:00 PM

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    Great seating
    Karen G.

    Fantastic venue in the heart of the Tenderloin. Wasn't sure what to expect but was pleasantly blown away. Saw Jamie Kennedy and crew and had a delightful night filled with much laughter and perhaps too much good beer. Intimate and classy best describes the venue. Everyone was nice and friendly. Jamie is hilarious! So was JR Cruz. Will definitely go back when they're back in town next month.

    Katie N.

    My boyfriend were in town and decided we wanted to go to a comedy show (we've been to one in Chicago and it was a great experience). We were originally supposed to go to Cheaper Than Therapy but he booked the wrong tickets and we ended up at The Setup instead. And I have no regrets going to The Setup!!! I love the intimacy that you're able to get with the comedian. The ambiance in the bar is super friendly and everyone is only there to have a good time. There is a required one drink minimum purchase before you head down (I see why it's called The Setup) now! Location is in Tenderloin so you know how that goes, but I definitely felt it was worth going out of my way to see the comedians there. Would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a cheap date night, or anyone who is looking to laugh.

    Sissy T.

    Kick ass place right smack in the center of the tenderloin! Bring cash or buy your tickets online. The line up was nearly making me piss my pants! Place fills up fast, get there ten minutes or so early and try to sneak up to the front of the line... Then you will get better seating... Sat on the couch, super comfy!

    Vicky B.

    Came to The Setup for the first time and loved it! The venue is a small room in the back of the bar and it's super cozy and intimate. There were 5 or so comedians and for the most part they were all great! I just wish the show was longer, it lasted about an hour and 15 min. The tickets are super reasonably priced for live comedy, at $15 and I had a discount code for half off. I'll definitely be back!

    Kayla H.

    I've been here twice. Once this year and once around this same time last year. Both times the show was suppose to start at 7:45pm and did not end up starting until 8:15ish. Both times we we still came around 7:15ish because the place is TINY! Some say tiny is intimate, but I would also say it's cramped as hell and there's always a big group that has to end up standing! So get there early and get good seats! Last year the bar sold cocktails. This year, the new bar, Beer Selection, only sells beer and wine. The bartender tried to tell us that the last bar didn't sell cocktails either, which was a lie because we bought several cocktails during the show. Kinda disappointing that I can't enjoy any hard liquor during a show. You would think that the bar would want people to laugh more. The comedians for the most part are pretty funny. They all have different styles which is nice because it appeals to various people in the audience. It goes from racist jokes, to sexist, political, theatrical, etc. However, some of them are regulars. Which means don't get your hopes up if you want some different material. One of the comedians was an Indian guy that was one of the same comedians that we saw A YEAR AGO and he STILL ended with the same material! It's been a year, work on your bit more. I bought tickets online for this past Saturday night. They were $10 each plus a $1.90 convenience fee. It ended up selling out online, so I was like "great thing I bought ahead of time!" Come to find out that my friends EASILY bought tickets at the door without any hassle, plus they didn't have to pay a convenience fee. So it was cheaper than what I paid. Granted, it wasn't too much cheaper so I can't complain about that.

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    Ask the Community - The Setup - Stand Up Comedy

    This has a one-drink minimum and I understand that; however my boyfriend doesn't drink and I'm pregnant, can we opt out?

    I believe there is a one drink/$10.00 minimum per person. I was the designated driver so I opted for diet cokes. It is a small business. They must survive to provide this essential venue for up and coming comics. You will enjoy the show no matter… Read more

    View All 2 Questions

    Review Highlights - The Setup - Stand Up Comedy

    My boyfriend were in town and decided we wanted to go to a comedy show (we've been to one in Chicago and it was a great experience).

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    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.

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    Cobb's Comedy Club - The seating of the club room

    Cobb's Comedy Club

    3.3(1.3k reviews)
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    Last week we went to Cobbs Comedy Club in San Francisco to see headliner Jason Cheny. My daughter K…read morebought sold out tickets months in advance. We had premium section tickets so we were seated up front. Getting seated was organized. There is a two drink minimum and the drinks run fro $15 to $25 each. They have a food menu that was surprisingly good. Ordered the nachos, garlic fries and the egg rolls. The room is huge with a tiny balcony. Jason Cheny was very funny and the opening acts were decent. Service ok very hard to get your second round of drinks. Find your own street or paid parking. We parked near the wharf and walked over.

    I had the pleasure of attending my first comedy show at Cobb's Comedy last Friday to see Will…read morePepper. I've been to other comedy venues in the South Bay but never in SF. From the photos on the website I was expecting a more spacious venue but in person it's actually quite intimate especially when it's packed with patrons. And there's even a second floor with balcony! Somehow I missed seeing that on the website. We had arrived 30 minutes late but the hosts were super helpful trying to find us seats together. We ended up sharing a small table with another couple near the front. Getting seated with strangers is the norm at comedy shows so I wasn't put off by that. But I wasn't expecting the A/C to be blasting (assumed because everyone is packed in close), so I was glad I brought a hoodie! There is a 2- drink minimum per person but you can order non-alcoholic drinks or food. The menu is not bad. There were the usual items like nachos and chicken strips. I opted for a pretzel and Modelo.. I highly recommend this combo!! The pretzel came out nicely toasted and warm.. and the Modelo was HUGE! Definitely didn't need a second drink after that! All in all, it was a fun first time experience at Cobb's and I would recommend checking it out if you're looking for something to do in the city. Warning: Cobbs Comedy is located in North Beach where parking is hard to find. Free street parking is scarce everywhere in SF but it's particularly painful when you are late to a show in this part of town. So plan accordingly!

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    Interior. Our view.

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    Secret Improv Society

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    My wife and I decided to go for a new comedy experience by checking out an improv show at Secret…read moreImprov Society, and we're sure glad that we did. Let's get into it... Ambiance - After getting your tickets from the ticket booth, you go down a sharp flight of stairs which dumps you out into a bar area with two large doors on both sides of the room. The room on the right-hand side is where they have stand-up comedy (Cheaper than Therapy), and the left hand side is where the Improv show takes place. You wait in the bar area until the doors open. Once you enter, there are a handful of rows of chairs (barstool style with backs) and it's general admission. It's a pretty cozy area, maybe fitting around 50 people or so if I had to guess. Before the show, one of the improv team members came around offering Oreos to guests. We did not partake, but if you like Oreos you're in for a treat. The show itself was great. There were four improv comedians and they took a bunch of crowd suggestions and tailor-made a show based around our suggestions. The show itself is about an hour and a half, but didn't feel like it was that long at all. When it ended, I was shocked that an hour and a half had passed already. Time truly does fly when you're having a great time! I would definitely return again as we had a blast and really enjoyed the quick wit the improv team had to offer. I would highly recommend checking them out!

    Incredibly fun and very inexpensive. Beware, outside a sign just says "better than therapy" which…read moreis a comedy club in an adjacent room at the same address. Also it was good that we got there a bit early in time to get drinks (a nice large selection). Small to moderate intimate theater with very talented keyboard player who "improvised the music" with each skit all night long. "Actors" were very personable and talented--so much fun--we will reco to all SF friends and family

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    Secret Improv Society - Some of the Secret Improv Cast with our new T Shirts

    Some of the Secret Improv Cast with our new T Shirts

    Secret Improv Society - We offer improv classes to all levels

    We offer improv classes to all levels

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    Stage during show

    The Setup - Stand Up Comedy - comedyclubs - Updated May 2026

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