Review Highlights
“Diverse cast, incriminating photos, and free shots - that's a winning recipe for a great night, Comedy Cellar!” in 35 reviews
“This is a great hidden gem -- it's located under the Fat Black Pussycat (or whatever it's called..” in 10 reviews
“Seemlessly transitioning from Roberta Flack to Tribe Called Quest to Stevie Wonder, the house band knocked me out...” in 18 reviews
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About the Business
Business owner information
![Photo of Noam D.](https://s3-media0.fl.yelpcdn.com/buphoto/LoxFH4iIZ-W8qEPvqt9AIQ/90s.jpg)
Noam D.
Live Music D.J.'s Parties and Gatherings
Ask the Community
Q:
Does the 2 drink minimum count as the cover charge or is it an additional $15 a person on TOP of the 2 drink minimum?
A:
The cover charge and drink minimum are completely separate. That is basically how all comedy clubs in NYC work.
Jennifer S.1 person found this helpful
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Overall rating
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- Min K.Honolulu, HI5332485May 13, 2024
LOVE LOVE LOVE it here. The only con I experienced this trip was I had one more person to add to my party but couldn't accomodate as they were "full." The other party that sat with us was one gentleman who even left early.
Other than that, great variety of comedians and had a great laugh as always.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 1 - Apr 24, 20242 check-ins
No photos, as your phones get sealed in an envelope, but this is all I thought it would be!
The Village Underground is an extension of the famous Comedy Cellar (where Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart etc. have been known to make impromptu appearances to try new material).
I went to the 10 PM show. I asked the door people the best time to come back, was told around 9:20. I was returned at 9:20 and was given a manilla envelope that said, "1/40" and told to come back in about another 20 minutes. This was apparently my seat assignment. As a single, I was sat in a chair that was part of a booth-like setup with two couples. It wasn't weird at all, seriously, and everyone just minded their business and watched the show. At first, filing us into the club seemed chaotic, but it went fast and I quickly figured out the process.
There doesn't seem to be a bad seat in the house. Intimate, but didn't seem crowded. Comedy Cellar and the associated venues use a showcase format, which is what makes them unique. You see around five or six comics in 10-15 minute blocks.
Most of the comics brought some laughs. I mainly went to see Greer Barnes, who has been around a long time and doesn't get the credit he deserves (Netflix, get this man a special!). Overall, I chuckled a lot and laughed out loud at Greer. Pretty decent comics.
There is a two drink minimum, it can be bottled water, apps, alcohol, soda. Cover varies. I went on a Tuesday so it was 14 bucks. On busy nights/weekends, it is usually 24 or 25 dollars. The drinks are fine. But you're not here for craft cocktails.
This is a fun experience. I plan to go again, not only to see Greer Barnes again, but see some of the other comedians at some of the other venues.
Staff was nice and helpful. Door people were welcoming and knew what they were doing.
Very affordable night of levity in the east/west village.Helpful 2Thanks 1Love this 1Oh no 0 - Feb 22, 2024
What a great experience- no joke.
This is a great venue for showcase comedy instead of a headliner. Sure, sometimes you want the whole box of Lucky Charms, but sometimes the variety pack is great, even though for every five you will get the Corn Flakes or 100% Bran.
I don't advise going to any show late (I normally get to shows when doors open), but we had a very good reason to get there 14 minutes before show time. OK, not really, we lost track of time watching "Love on the Spectrum". But we somehow got to the club, got into an intimidatingly long line (with dreaded breaks at driveways allowing a-wipes to cut), and still got a great seat. We shared an area, but we weren't touching knees like most Improvs I've attended.
Service was great- you're lucky if you get Lars as your server. I saw him dealing with some rude people and he was always super nice. Speaking of rude people, some Australians up front kept talking, and they got booted. G'day!
The talent was great. I was excited to see Jeff Arcuri who is great at crowd work. The others made me laugh. None of them made me cringe, even with an uneven crowd with weird energy.
A bonus was Shane Gillis stopping by to try out some new material. He wasn't sure if the audience could deal with his jokes about kids with special needs but I was downs.Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 2Oh no 0 - 63015612007Jun 10, 2024
This was my second time at comedy cellar! I've been to the Macdougal location first and I lowkey like this venue more? Macdougal is the classic one thats always in movies/tv shows, and houses the big acts in general. But I like that this location is intimate yet a lot more space and it's not super cramped like MacDougal. The drinks and fries here are good and the comedians were outstanding. At some points, I was laughing so hard that I couldn't breathe. I came here with my friends who were visiting from out of town and they absolutely loved it!
Helpful 1Thanks 1Love this 1Oh no 0 - Oct 14, 2023
I just love the Comedy Cellar and made reservations for me and my 3 adult children on a late Sunday evening when we visited NYC in June. I normally go to the MacDougal location but they didn't have any available reservations - it was our luckiest day EVER though!
They do warn you that you never know who will show up and we hit the jackpot of a lifetime! The headliner cut their show short to allow the special drop in guests the opportunity to come up....at this location, we were entertained by Chris Rock AND Dave Chappelle!!!!!! Jon Hamm must have been out for the night with them because he was there and brought them their drinks! Dave didn't want to leave the stage and our 10pm show ended way way past midnight! What a once in a lifetime experience!
You just never know who will show up!Helpful 0Thanks 1Love this 5Oh no 0 - Mar 12, 2023
This Comedy Cellar location is laid out much better than the original McDougal location. It's not as narrow, more deep, so more people can see the stage better. It also has a guy on keyboard and a guy on drums which is a very nice touch.
The show went smoothly and the MC was good. There were about 6 comics for the 90 minute show. After the show they were forcefully pushing us out to get ready for the next show.
The food here is pretty good. I had the wings with the homemade potato chips and they were very tasty. The drinks were good too. There is a two drink/food minimum so be aware of that.Helpful 5Thanks 1Love this 2Oh no 1 - 1086092037Aug 23, 2023
What a great place and fantastically funny talent!
Line up to get in. They give you a bag to put your phones/watches in. They seat you, you order 2 drinks minimum. Enjoy the show!Helpful 2Thanks 2Love this 1Oh no 0 - Nic Z.New York, NY0999Apr 21, 2024
to start, i've been to better comedy shows in the middle of nowhere. Seemed like a very commercialized experience, they pack the shit out of the venue, hoard you out like a bunch of children. Last comic was drunk or high, bombed hard af. For this very well know venue and nyc, pretty disappointing
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Jul 5, 2023
If you're looking for a comedy club to go to in NYC, The Village Underground is the real deal. This place runs like a well-oiled machine from start to finish. The comics are all great and super diverse. There's a $15 cover with a two item required purchase (which does not need to be alcohol). The venue is nice, and there is not a bad seat in the house as far as viewing. There are also several options of food to order. The drinks were great, and our fries were pretty good too. Note- They do have a policy in place where customers are required to place their cell phones and Apple watches in a bag upon entry. They then seal it and allow you to place on your table when seated. We had a great time and a lot of laughs. [Pro Tip- when tipping, it is not necessary to tip on the cost of the tickets.]
Helpful 9Thanks 1Love this 2Oh no 0
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