Why listen to me? I've been doing comedy in Austin for over 4 years. The scene has changed a lot and there are more comedy shows than ever – but I also get lots of texts from friends who went to "duds."
It's more important than ever to make sure when you get tickets for a show, it's worth your money and your time.
I also produce the best show in town you can't buy tickets to. Visit ticketsnotforsale.com if you want to get on the invite list.
For a complete, daily-updated list of every comedy show in Austin, check out AustinComedyShows.com – it tracks 20+ venues and 100+ weekly open mics.
The Best Comedy Clubs in Austin, TX
1. The Comedy Mothership
📍 320 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701 · ComedyMothership.com
Welcome to Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership. Maybe the best club in the world (certainly the hottest one right now).
Fat Man shows are typically headliner-focused, while Little Boy shows tend to be "and friends" formats or crew shows. It's a small, tight room that can be fun with regular drop-ins.
Ticket prices require a 2-drink minimum purchase, so this is typically the most expensive show in town – however the consistency of the lineups usually makes it worth it.
🎤 Open Mic Info
Sunday & Monday: Signup at 5:30-6pm. List posted at 6:15pm.
Kill Tony: Monday. Signup at 6:30-7:30pm at Pour Choices (you have to stay the whole time).
2. Creek & Cave
📍 611 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78701 · CreekAndCave.com
Creek and Cave might be the most welcoming club in town and the regular "hang" for the majority of comics.
You'll find everyone from Mothership regulars to open mic-ers living in their car hanging out on the back patio. Shows are regular and pretty well attended. When the Creek is packed, it's a very fun show.
🎤 Open Mic Info
Weekday Nights: Multiple mics including New Joke Monday, Dunk Tank, and late-night mics running past midnight.
Banana Phone (Sunday): Heckle mic – sign up only if you've got thick skin.
3. Sunset Strip
📍 214 E 6th St Unit C, Austin, TX 78701 · SunsetStripAtx.com
Partially owned by Brian Redban (Kill Tony producer), Sunset is one of the bigger clubs in town. It's very comic-friendly with lots of shows throughout the week and tons of regular and pop-up mics.
They open early throughout the week and serve coffee, making it a good stop before doing open mics for the night.
When it's sold out, it's a rocking show. However, sometimes even well-sold shows can feel "empty" due to the venue size. The Kill Tony gang likes to rib Redban about Sunset's "high ceilings."
🎤 Open Mic Info
Java & Jokes: Tue/Thu/Sat at 3:30pm
Bucket Roulette: Wed/Fri at 3:30pm
4. Cap City Comedy Club
📍 11506 Century Oaks Terrace, Austin, TX 78758 · CapCityComedy.com
Cap City has changed hands over the years and is the "north" club. It's a solid room located in the Domain. Touring comics often headline here, and since it's owned by the Helium group, comics who stop over at one often stop here as well.
It's definitely the club that's farthest outside the main action of Austin, but if you're on the north side – it's a good time.
Cap City also hosts the Funniest Person in Austin (FPIA) competition each year – Austin's most prestigious comedy contest.
🎤 Open Mic Info
Tuesdays at 8pm: Online signup. Lineup posted Sunday nights.
5. Black Rabbit Comedy Club
📍 411 Brazos St Suite 100B, Austin, TX 78701
Black Rabbit might be the coolest room in Austin. A small 30-seater "speakeasy" style venue. It's very comic-friendly and show-focused – although sometimes hard to find due to no regular signage and being literally underground.
Most shows are producer-run, so ticket sales and show quality vary. However, when it's packed, it feels like an awesome underground NYC club.
🎤 Open Mic Info
No regular open mics.
6. Rozcos Comedy Club
📍 1805 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702 · RozcosComedy.com
Rozcos is the club on the east side of town. They do regular shows and have several mics and pop-up mics for comics in town.
Most shows are not produced by Rozcos, so quality varies based on the producer's ability to sell tickets – however the venue is solid and can feel full with anywhere from 20 to 100+ people.
🎤 Open Mic Info
Wednesdays: Open mic
Tuesdays: 10-minute mic
7. East Austin Comedy Club
📍 1305 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78702 · EastAustinComedy.com
Another "speakeasy" BYOB-style club on the east side. Located right across from the Cosmic Saltillo location – grab a drink there before popping over for the show.
Tickets are usually $20 and everything is BYOB, so it can be a fun and cheap comedy date if you're on the east side.
🎤 Open Mic Info
No regular open mics.
8. The Velveeta Room
📍 521 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701 · TheVelveetaRoom.com
The Velveeta Room is the oldest room in town and the original sixth street comedy venue. It has been upstaged a little with the Comedy Mothership and other venues opening just a block away, but you can still catch local comics headlining here regularly.
The Speed Mic open mic is one of the Austin staples (if you can make the list).
🎤 Open Mic Info
Thursday, 9:30pm: Signup online before Tuesday night. List posted Wednesdays.
9. Vulcan Gas Company (Honorary Mention)
📍 418 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701 · VulcanATX.com
While Vulcan is definitely not a comedy club (it's more of a music/house/bar/variety venue), they hosted Kill Tony for years and are a regular part of the Austin comedy scene.
They host lots of ticketed events from touring comics or podcasters and often have late comedy shows on weekends. During the week, there are usually no comedy shows and they don't host mics.
🎤 Open Mic Info
No open mics.
Am I missing any? Let me know in the comments below.
