We spent Matt’s birthday this year at a Boston stand up comedy club: Nick’s Comedy Stop. We decided to make a night of it; we invited a few friends along, grabbed drinks beforehand and then finished the night off with dinner nearby. A night out in Boston is always an awesome time and this was no exception.
Boston Stand Up Comedy: Nick’s Comedy Stop Location, Getting There and Parking
Nick’s Comedy Stop is located in the Theater District at 100 Warrenton Street in Boston. It’s located near the Arlington Station and Boylston Station on the Green Line as well as the Chinatown Station and Tufts Medical Center Station on the Orange Line.
It’s a short 10 minute walk and if you need help with the subway, read my guide on navigating the MBTA.
If you plan on driving into the city, there is a parking garage located at 200 Stuart Street. Nick’s Comedy Stop has partnered with this garage and offers $10 parking with validation. You can have your parking validated at the service window inside of Nick’s.
I parked in the garage and had no trouble finding a spot. Just make sure to take the parking ticket with you to get it validated. This is how close the garage is to the venue:
Nick’s Comedy Stop Hours and Prices
The Boston stand up comedy shows at Nick’s run Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Most shows begin at 8:30 PM. Ticket prices are $20.
There are a lot of ticket deals for Nick’s, we used a deal from Yelp that offered 2 tickets for $25. There are also deals sporadically available on Groupon.com and LivingSocial. These coupons/group deals make a night out on the town very affordable.
You should know that Nick’s Comedy Stop turns into the after hours club called Venu. The show lasts about 1.5 hours, so at 10 PM, they begin herding everyone out to setup for the nightclub.
Getting Drinks before a Boston Stand Up Comedy Show
We were a big crowd, about 8 people total, so we needed a convenient place to meet up.
A quick, 10 minute walk south from the parking garage is the infamous South End. The South End is home to bourgeois specialty shops, exquisite fine-dining and a vibrant gay nightlife. It’s a great place to grab a quick drink.
We decided to meet up at Fritz Bar. Fritz is a popular gay sports bar that features a cozy, indoor decor, cheap drinks and TV screens everywhere. Fritz Bar is located at 26 Chandler Street.
After we assembled the entire crew, we set out towards our night of Boston stand up comedy.
A Review of our Time at Nick’s Comedy Stop
We had called beforehand to make reservations but we weren’t exactly early. It was recommended on the Yelp coupon to make reservations ahead of time, but it didn’t seem to matter.
They had our reservation written down but did not save seating for us. They sat us in the very back along the wall. The only way to see was to sit on the top portion of the couch.
On the plus side, we were very close to the bar and it was super convenient to get drinks.
Pro Tip: Even though it didn’t seem to matter for us, call ahead and make reservations if you have a large party. Be sure to get there early enough to get a good seat. Don’t do what we did and get stuck in the back of the club.
The show was really good. A total of 4 comedians performed and they were pretty high caliber; one of the better Boston stand up comedy shows I’ve seen.
Drinks, however, were expensive, but it’s to be expected in a venue like this. I recommend getting some drinks beforehand (and take a shot of vodka for the road) to keep costs low.
If you get seated behind the ceiling speakers, like we unfortunately were, it’ll take some focus to hear what the comedians are saying. The layout is essentially for a club: the stage in front, then the “pit” (dance floor) area where most of the crowd is sitting, then a bar behind that and finally couches along the far wall (where we were sitting).
This photo from the Venu homepage shows the layout of the stage. We were stuck way behind this:
The speakers are set between the pit and the bar and point towards the stage. This can mute and mumble a lot of what the comedians are saying.
Towards the end, people were getting a little too drunk and rowdy (I guess that’s pretty standard at any Boston stand up comedy show). Everyone started talking and at this point it became difficult to hear.
While this blog post is full of complaints, I did have a great time and the comedians were funny. My advice is to get there early to get a better seat than we did.
Dinner after the Comedy Show
Being incredibly hungry, we took to the streets. There are a lot of restaurants to choose from in this area or if you want to continue the fun, head to one of the many bars located just down the street.
We went to California Pizza Kitchen – I know, I know, a chain restaurant. They had enough seating to accommodate all of us and it was close by. Unfortunately convenience wins out when you’re trying to steer around a large group of people. The dinner was good and uneventful. It’s located at 137 Stuart Street.
The Verdict
I 100% recommend catching a Boston stand up comedy show at Nick’s Comedy Stop. If you use my tips above, you can have a great night that’s not hard on the wallet.
Get there early, get a great seat and enjoy the show.
How has your experience been with stand up comedy in Boston?
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