I came here on a date twice to see an improv show. It was a super chill vibe with tons of laughs…read more I had two cocktails while here but nothing stood out. They also offer a free improv class to trial before signing up. If you always wanted to try it out, I recommend signing up. It was not for me but it allowed me to get out of my comfort zone.

-Review for the Annex Theater- a friend of mine invited me to watch an improv comedy show here,…read morePunchlines and Piledrivers, and what a show it was. The actors were so silly and comical, and really poured their all into the characters! The staff seemed friendly enough although my interactions were extremely limited. It is a small room with lots of chairs crammed into a few rows. There is a little concession stand that sells snacks, popcorn, canned beverages including a couple different beers. I am giving the venue 3 stars because of my very limited view -- I sat in the front row, at the furthest point, on the side of the room opposite the entrance. The chairs are small and positioned right next to each other, offering very minimal personal space to the individual seated. The cast however would get 5 stars all day!

We went to see the Japanese comedians for the first time. It was a smooth entry and the service was…read morequick and clear. The beer was $9, though...

We came here for a show on Sunday (Mother's Day) for shapel Lacey. we were a few minutes late …read more They gave us a nice two person booth off to the side. Good view and our own table. Again we were LATE! Now the COMPLAINT: We had tickets to Steph Tolev last night 5/15. We arrived 50 minutes EARLY!!! Cuz I love Steph. And had extra time. Tell me why these dumb employees seat us by the KITCHEN DOOR UNDER A HUGE LIGHT THAT NEVER WENT OFF??? And all the at to the fuckn side of the stage??? Told us we had to share our table cuz it's "sold out" I'm like okay? Why can't we sit closer at those you know TEN OTHER EMPTY ASS CHAIRS closer to the stage??? We got here EARLY!!! They proceeded to sit tall people in front of us the rest of the hour . We were beyond confused! The kitchen was SO LOUD it distracted the WHOLE SHOW! also, whoever they let (they choose your seats For you! They walk you to them! It's asinine!) The front row SUCKED! The most BORING LOSER people to ever be chosen for a Steph show for the front row. They didn't laugh at all and were not good crowd work material for her type of comedy. Absolutely blow and let down of a show . And it wasn't because of Steph. It was the way they sat people . The employees. The venue.... What the heck! There were four booths in the middle empty too. We are a married couple. They made us sit with some young kids. It was super awkward and not chill. Helium , Next time you try and tell us we HAVE to sit somewhere ... screw off. We got there early and you make us sit in some jankey ass spot for my FAVORITE comedian. Ruined the whole night! Also the 25 dollar appetizer platter ... that comes out with absolutely nothing from the menu description... tf was that? Came out with half a platter of cauliflower bites, two tiny thumb sized chicken balls... "pretzel" bites and three mozzarella sicks.... The description was; tenders, fries, pretzel bites, jalapeño poppers, mozz sticks. like they forgot or ran out of food and put like a tablespoon of fries (6 fries) on there and dumped all the cauliflower bites in and said "oh that looks fine" no poppers and no chicken! like tf??? It was all air fryer food too. Bullsh*t. Glad we're going to see Jordan Jensen at the venue a block down the road.

We were able to enjoy "The Nightcap Before Christmas" menu. The drinks were delicious, the tiki…read moreholiday mugs were a great touch, and decor made it Xmas overload but comfy. Service was okay, server was friendly but I think over extended so to close out we did have to find him. If you have a chance before this is gone, go enjoy a festive nightcap.

It's been 7yrs+ since I've been and I love coming here when visiting Portland. The food is always a…read moregood base for the drinks that follow. The staff are nice and always down to meet new people. Over all I love the rustic, hole in the wall comfy vibe. Love the Annex! :)

This was a pretty cool venue... the theater had a nice vibe, sorta "messy" with exposed wires and…read moreinteresting lighting above, but it worked for the event we attended (Martini Tonight Comedy Show), a simple set on stage with just a bit of props, and seats were typical fold down style with cup holders. The concessions stand/bar only served very basic cocktails like gin and tonic, and not even made very well, the gin brand not very good (the cheap stuff). The canned wine was better, an oregon pinot noir (underwood). For theater candy, they only offered plain m&m's and red vines, so options for drinks and snacks were extremely limited here. The coolest part about this place was the clown art, with endless creative pieces like the clown last supper. A cute and cozy lounge with seating and a fake fireplace provided a nice little area to hangout before the show. Some outdoor seating available as well. We enjoyed the comedy event, which included some great stand-up acts, the feeling of being in the live audience for a talk show with a host that stayed in character and was actually quite funny, and great music and sound effects too by the house band. Note, the show started 20 minutes after the listed start time and ended about 10 minutes later than advertised online.

If you're looking for Portland Center Stage, you're in the wrong place. This unique place is so…read morePortland, it's what Portland is all about, IMO. It feels underground and has vibe for days, it's plainly, beautifully perfect. If you have a chance to see a play or any event at this place, do it and bring your friends. It's smaller than most playhouses in Portland, but that plays into the whole vibe of this place. Small bar, yes and prices are very fair. We purchased VIP tickets, which got us assigned seats and a super cool t-shirt. I totally recommend doing this, it's worth it. I was reluctant to review this place as I didn't want to break the local code of keeping it on the DL. With lots of bars and restaurants within 1-2 blocks away, easy to make a whole night out and not driving all over the place to do so. All & All ; VIP package is highly recommended, Bartender rocks. Content Warning - If you have Coulrophobia, might wanna stay away, FAR away.

I have attended many storytellers shows yet the Mystery Box remains my favorite. The theme is…read morealways sexy and tasteful. I have never felt uncomfortable. In fact, I always feel as if I am hearing a friends story over cocktails. This is probably because the hosts are incredible. They are funny and in tune with the audience. They always have the best prizes for the raffle! The theater has a full bar and I every seat I have sat in was a good one. For our 16 year wedding anniversary, my man and I bought the VIP tickets for the first time and we are both super excited to attend the show on the 7th. Do yourslef a favor and go see the show. Buy your tickets online and in advance because I am pretty sure the show sells out every time.

Iszy is the epitome of female hotness! God, to be the Man O'Peg! So incredibly desireable...I…read morewould pay so much more just to hear her tell me ANYTHING again. I've thought of Iszy so many times....

Pros: This was a fun little venue. A few drinks and snacks…read moreare offered at the concession stand, and there is more than enough room in the lobby to hang out with friends. I got there about 25 mins before the show started at 9pm, and I'm glad I did - I was able to get better seats (3rd row and on the aisle)! The host was fun, the improv staff were hilarious, and I thought the show was great, especially for the price! Cons: Parking is uncool and there were more than enough shady looking street roamers walking about but considering the location, that tracks. Just dress sensibly and park near a street light if possible. Also, allow yourself extra time to park if you aren't taking an Uber.

The new space is great, and everyone you meet there are *delightful*! I'm excited to see what the…read morefuture holds for CS!

I did not know this space was here! I have tried to drop in to see comedian friends perform in the…read morespace but had not actually looked it up so I had no idea what I was walking into. So many of the smaller venues are a bit tragic and in older neighborhoods, it could go either way. What a truly great surprise because it was really well decorated. So creative and unique - love it! Even with the very open floor plan it, somehow, feels intimate inside when you are seated for a show. I had the pleasure to see Canon Shakespeare perform Julius Caesar: "Mischief, thou art afoot." I was impressed at the use of lighting for the stage show. I was able to get a reasonably priced cup of wine at their concessions plus I loved that they had quite a few options for non alcohol and snacks available. My only complaint was only seeing one of the restrooms! One of the staff said that the restrooms were both themed and that one was themed 'Ladies Room' even though they are unisex restrooms... But each time I was in range, that one was in use. The other bathroom was spacious, very clean and covered in The Last Supper art pieces. Perhaps someone had a religious experience in the restroom?

The best comedy shows happen here. 2 bathrooms, affordable bottled water/drinks, and good service.read more

My hubby took me to the mystery dinner for our 2nd month anniversary date. It was an amazing…read moreexperience and he ended up being the murderer! We went to the Old Spaghetti Factory on South Waterfront. The location was beautiful for date night. Loved about it: It was nice to get into the character and be on the set of a real life clue game. Loved how we everyone was dressed for the Masquerade Billionaire Club Ball. It really added to the whole ambience. People actually got into character! Loved to see how everyone acted and showed emotions. Drawbacks: The people on our table were a little shy (on their 2nd/3rd date) and weren't participating as much so that was a drawback for us. Food was so/so but again we were there for the experience and not the food and that is where I took away a star. They were a little loose with the directions with what to do with money or who should respond how. Now we are looking forward to next time because we know what to do. They took mugshots in the beginning and during the event and promised to send us the link to the pictures via email. We never got them :( take your own pictures! Tips: Its all about the guests! Be involved in it and have fun. Going in a group would be fun. Its fun to see how your friends/other couples act/react in different situations. Talk and mingle with other.

Our first dinner murder mystery experience and we had a blast. The characters were fun and…read moreengaging and the food was delicious. The only down fall was the lack of all the clues, as well as short amount of time to solve the mystery. After the killer was revelaed and the reason why it was evident that the evidence we would have needed to come to that solution was in the killer's hand most the night. We are definitly going to go again once there is a new "show".

We took our company out to Darcelle's for the show. It was so much fun. The entertainers were…read moreincredible, the show had so much energy and Stephanie took great care of us with drinks! If you are noise sensitive, I would bring some earplugs because it was pretty loud, but take a chance... I'm pretty confident you'll leave with a smile on your face! We need to keep supporting this business that has been around for nearly 60 years.

Darcelle's is iconic and such a fun place! I hadn't been to the brunch show before so we had to go…read morefor our monthly girls get together. It was a great show; I loved every performance, service was excellent and the food was good! They serve everyone the same plate & you can get brunch cocktails. Seats are first come, first serve so show up before the doors open.

Baffled sometimes when people say theatre is expensive to watch. We have so many great places to…read moresee plays for many different budgets, and Portland Center Stage hits the mark on it. They have a number of programs, like $25 tickets, Rush/Standby Tickets, Arts for All, Pay What You Will days. All very affordable! And for the quality of the shows here, it's absolutely worth it to go see at least one show a season. The stage crew and actors put on great shows! Every staff member I've encountered there have been friendly, patient and accommodating. I've done the Standby tickets for a few shows now and it's a great experience. Put your name on the wait-list about 90 minutes before showtime, go grab a bite to eat, and if you get a seat, that's great! If not, they can put you on the wait list for the next show (and then you can go do another activity downtown). They keep the place pretty clean too, really nice bathrooms haha.

I need to do an update as I have become a lot more attending of the performances here. The reason…read morefor this is accessibility. As someone with limited mobility often - I have a tissue disorder and some days I am far more mobile than others. I am also, due to the tissue disorder, more modest means. Thankfully Portland Center Stage is a proud Arts for All member. In addition - they really do welcome people. They have a lot of seating for ADA and accommodate you should you need chair arms or no arms or will have a spot cleared for your wheelchair. I appreciate tickets being low cost for me but with ADA it can be tricky and the events at the most challenging ADA locations expect you to show up right before a show hoping they will have an extra ticket which I cannot physically do and would not want that on ushers either. When inquiring, I have been treated with less than stellar attitude. I would love to have money and mobility and I used to! I know so many who are starting to struggle with mobility as they age and I really encourage them to go to spaces like this where they can easily get in and out. But even just calling - they actually answer the phone and are so helpful! I get that they want to sell as much at full price but it makes me really appreciate how truly welcoming Portland Center Stage is. Arts are healing and the productions here really are top notch. Their staff is very diverse throughout the theater making it feel like a safe space for everyone also. When seeing shows here, they do have a great concessions stand/bar with a great wine selection and some decent snacks. The theater is in such a great location - to the back of the theater is a favorite gelato place of mine and also some of the most delicious West African food if you want to make a whole night of it!