Punchline is located on the second floor, so you have to take a flight of stairs/elevator up. At the door they check your ID, and then take you to your seats. I was relieved that I didn't end up sitting in the front, within the comedian's line of sight. I didn't want to be a target of their jokes. Comedians are  hit or miss depending on the night you go. Both times that I went, there were two opening acts before the main act.
What you need to know is that there is a two drink minimum. When I first went there, I found it a bit odd but I guess that's how they make money, especially when people can get in for free.
Got to tickets to a sold out show to see Chris D'Elia. Venue is nice but fairly small with an equally small menu consisting of drink specials and bar type appetizers (fries, wings, etc.). They seat you on a first come first served basis and fill every chair. We were really thrown off when they tried to seat us at a table with other guests (not ideal for a date) and not even right next to my gf whom I came with. Â I think that is pretty peculiar personally. I mean at the very least, you want to sit BY the person you came with to. Â So, all in all I would come back but I would make sure I ate some place before arriving and I would get there pretty early and come with a group of 4 or more so the staff doesn't seat you in some strange configuration at another guests table. I am sure I will be back.
Review Source:I came here last night for a show and was suprised at how crowded it was when I showed up. I would recommend showing up early if you want a good seat. I wouldn't recommend planning on a good meal here, they have the usual bar type food. Drinks are expensive as you would expect at a comedy club but they have the usuals. Overall, not a bad place, but I would definitely come back to see a good performer. I've also been to the one in San Fran...being a chain, they are all the same so you at least know what to expect. Clean and good service.
Review Source:I LOVE to laugh! Â And I LOVE live comedy! Â I have been to several shows at this venue and really do enjoy it. Â I appreciate that they put most of their shows on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgoldstar.com&s=b6950a2709804d536369ae4230f19e9fee5434ba02e8e56be5b9018064279249" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://goldstar.com</a> for half price tickets. Â Great for people on tight budgets (like me). Just saw one of favorite big-name comedians, Christopher Titus, and could NOT stop laughing. Â Of course, that's a testament to his comedy, not so much the place. Â I digress....
Two drink minimum but that includes non-alcoholic. Â Drinks are a bit pricey but I get that's how they are supposed to make their money. Â I haven't tried any of the eats here yet but everything looked really good that other people were getting. Â hee hee
I would even consider having a group party here sometime!
I went to go watch Dan Soder with my friend, the comedians were hilarious and Dan was awesome!
The place it self is fairly old, for the big names it has brought in it is small.
The staff was not the friendly but the waitresses were very nice and so polite.
They have a 2 drink MINIMUM and the drinks aren't very strong and about $8-10 each. They have to make money some how though.
Overall I enjoyed myself.
Have been here many times and most of our visits have been pleasant as far as customer service goes. Â The front desk/ticket people are always friendly (and even flexible when reserving tickets for a large group). Â Wait staff is the only place where I can see things fall apart sometimes. Even that is not too bad. Â When we have had an issue with an order, they correct it quickly and with very little drama.
Review Source:I finally went to Punchline after hearing so much about it. Now I went in very open minded because you have to do that when it comes to comedy. Now first thing I noticed was that you have a 2 drink minimum per person, and water doesn't count, which is sort of no big deal, I guess. Also I'm sure different comedians will be better than others. The comedian I saw was Steve Trevino, and he's hilarious. Definitely had a great time, the waitresses are super sweet and be sure to tip them well!!!
Review Source:Located in the Howe 'Bout Arden Shopping Center.
2nd floor above ULTA.
You can buy tickets online or at their box office during box office hours. 2 drink minimum at shows. They also serve finger foods like fries and nachos.. It's an intimate setting. Every seat has a good view of the stage. If you don't want to be with strangers-- be in a group of 4. Seating is first come, first serve.
Comedian Steve Byrnes joked that he turned down a sold out Vegas show for a show in Sacramento of under 200 guests upstairs in a strip mall with no parking and neighboring a mattress store. Â Yes, this place was unexpected. I was used to going to the comedy club in downtown San Jose that wasn't inside a strip mall and whose interior was like a fancy theatre with velvet curtains and a multi-tiered floor. Instead this comedy club looks like a restaurant with a modest stage with a painted mural of the Sacramento in the background. Despite it's like of grandeur and low ceilings and casual restaurant-feel, I very much enjoyed my time there and laughed my ass off. Â
The restaurant feels cozy and is a much more intimate setting than other comedy shows I have been to. The coffee was really tasty and so was the pear cider I ordered. The drinks are definitely over priced but I guess they have to reel in the money somehow. The hostess was kind and so was my waiter.
Get on their text list, and you'll never have to pay for tickets again. It's so easy to get free tickets. I go here a lot and consistantly get good talent. While I've seen a couple bad shows, I can barely remember them amongst all the good ones.
I don't mind the two drink minimum as much as I mind the high cost and tiny drinks, but hey, I'm usually getting free tickets so fair game. Still I'd rather get a drink I won't finish in three gulps.
The wait staff does an awesome job for how packed the place usually is, and they are fun. Customer serivce has been good in that anytime I've brought up a problme at all, there's always someone trying to fix it and make it right.
All said, there's a reason I keep coming back.
This is definitely the best spot for comedy in Sac, even though it's in a pretty crappy location. Punchline usually gets the big names and the cost to get in isn't too bad... I really don't mind the 2 drink minimum either, especially since my inner alcoholic usually yearns for more anyways.
Review Source:Probably the only place in Sacramento to see a comedian when they do decide to come to town. Tickets are usually fair priced, and there is always a two drink minimum when watching a show. It's located on the second floor of a pretty boring old strip mall, so always be prepared for the comedian to say how boring our town of Sacramento is, and how sad our strip mall is. :P
All jokes aside, the establishment is okay. Pretty cozy, and plenty of seating. The workers are friendly and try to be as accommodating as possible, especially with big parties. These shows are always first come first serve seating, so don't be surprised to see people waiting in line an hour or so before the doors open.
I went here a while back with a few of my friends with tickets that I got at a great price. My first time here and I was very disappointed with the service at the club. The show was good but all it takes is one bad experience to mess that all up. I really should've read the reviews before getting the tickets. There is a mandatory two drink minimum, which I think is ridiculous. We were being forced to buy two drinks as soon as we sat down. Â The cheapest thing on the menu was $4, a 16oz bottle of water or lemonade. If you want good service then DO NOT come here. Also, if you do want to come here for the show, be prepared to spend over $8 each person. Good thing this wasn't my first comedy club because it would've ruined comedy clubs for me.
Review Source:It was my first time coming here for a comedy show yesterday, and let me tell u I had a great time. Food sucks and the drinks are ok but very pricy. The only reason I gave it an average review was for the simply fact that they have a minimum 2 drinks requirement. Â I think this a stupid rule. If I am already buzzed and your forcing me to drink an extra drink chances are that your going to cause me to get a DUI.
The waitress couldn't take no for an answer when I told her I was already drunk. I even asked for a bottle of water and she brings it to me and still persisted that I need to order my second drink. It was so bad that some people were getting kicked out due to being over intoxicated. You can't force someone to drink then expect them not to act like a fool.
I understand they got to make money but charging $22.50 a person should be more then enough to keep your business going.
Good place to check out stand-up comedy. Â
I saw Paul Mooney here recently, and had a great time. Â The employees were friendly and courteous. Â The venue is a good size, feels intimate but fits a decent crowd. Â Pretty good for bar food, and not too bad of prices on drinks. Â
My only complaint is the mandatory two drink minimum. Â I'd have at least two anyway, but just don't like feeling forced. Â Seeing how much everyone else in the crowd was ordering, it didn't seem like a necessary rule.
I came to watch the Flips & Beaners Comedy Jam and to support my friend JR. I have to say that these commedians had me cracking up! The two drink minimum didn't surprise me at all, but I was surprised that my slender glass of cherry coke was around $4; and the server came around to everyone for refills, except for me. I thought it was a 2 drink minimum? Oh well! :) Haha
The nachos looked pretty tasty, but i didn't get a chance to order because like I said, the server came around to everyone but me.
I'd definitely consider coming here again on a date, or with a few friends for some good laughs. My fav pictures on the walls of are Tracy Morgan and Dave Chappelle.
Horrible! VERY unprofessional! I went there with group of friends to watch a stand up comedian. Once we got there, they told us we had to buy min/2 drinks (over priced and not made well at all) in addition to the ticket . When I told the waitress that I couldn't drink an alcoholic beverage because I was pregnant, before I even finished what I was saying, she rolled her eyes and very rudely interrupted me: Â "well you need to order something". It also took for ever for them to bring out the tea and the virgin mojito I ordered, she brought me wrong appetizer and not at all what I ordered . They also got two other people's order wrong and on top of that, they over charged our table and it took them forever to figure that out. the two waitress we had were so rude to the point that not just me but everyone in the group was discussed by the place and the manager was not much of a help either...
Review Source:As our comedian said to start the show, "The best comedy club next to a Sleep Train in the country". In all seriousness The Sacramento Punchline exceeded my expectations.
It wasn't dirty! And It is a lot bigger than I expected, we had a full house, and there had to be 100+ people, all fitting comfortably. Seating is first come first serve, we got there 10 min after the doors opened and the "prime" spots directly in front of the stage were already filled! - Not to worry, we sat off to the side but the floor was raised slightly, so you can still see the show perfectly. The backdrop is a beautiful cityscape of Sacramento, including the capitol and many noticeable downtown buildings. Â
Our tickets were 25 dollar, and of course there was a 2 drink minimum, which is standard. Our drink bill for 2 people (alcoholic drinks mind you) was about 30 dollars, a little less than you would normally spend at a bar, but not overly priced to the point of ridiculous.
Parking can be difficult but not too bad, since it is in a busy shopping plazas. There are tons of options in the Arden Area for dinner before or after the show.
The price was well worth the entertainment value!
came here last weekend (7/20) Â to watch Jb Smoove, Marcella Arguello & kabir singh "kabeezy".
It was a last unexpected event... i was hesistant because we were coming from Vallejo BUT i was so glad we went. They were all great from start to finish. JB Smoove is a fool. I have been to Punchline in SF & forgot how much of a good time Punchline can be.
Drinks were so good, strong & worth the price.
Good times.
I've been going to The Punchline regularly for a few years. Â Most of the time I'll just go on a whim without even looking into who the stand up is for the night. Â I'll say 9 times out of 10 I'll be happy I did. Â
Comedians: Â
Usually I'll go without even checking who is the headliner, 9 times out of 10 you'll have a good time even if you've never heard of the comedian. Â Amazing how much talent there is that goes unrecognized. Â
Atmosphere: Â
Nice ambiance. Â The low lighting and size of the place makes it for a great place for dates/fun nights out. Â If you can, try to avoid sitting on the left or right side of the stage, it's not quite as fun if you end up looking at the side of the comedian all night. Â But again, that sorta depends on the comedian. Â Some comedians walk around a lot, other times they stick to the center looking forward. Â To be safe... try not to get on the side. Â Â
Staff: Â
Busy but friendly staff. Â Bouncers probably have it the worst for having to try and handle the crowd. Â It's a hazy line to try and figure if someone should be ejected for the club or not sometimes. Â
I think this club is one of the most underrated spots in Sacramento. Â Great place to be if you are looking to have a fun night. Â Oh yeah... if English isn't your first language, you might struggle with the comedians. Â I've made the mistake of taking a few international students here before, it was comedy for me, but not a good idea for sure. Â = P
Went here to see Lavale Crawford(spelling)...great comedian..and because of the size of the show i was able to meet and take a pic with him...pretty awesome
HOWEVER
We had to stand in line nearly 45 minutes to get in..Its cold, its dark, the line is outside and i am in heels. Finally we get in and it is the most cramped venue i have been to. Sitting shoulder to shoulder at a small table with strangers sucks. There's no room to  walk. Even though i needed to use the restroom i held it the entire show because of he hassle it would have been to get to the bathroom. The waitresses took forever and seemed like it was her first day on the job.
and to make the night even better...After the show i came out to the parking lot to see that my car had been broken into. Security couldnt be flagged down. The manager didnt really care and the hostess told me it happens all the time.
BE AWARE
Went here for the Russell Peters show at 7 PM on March 10. When we bought our tickets, we were assigned row and seat numbers... Thinking our seats were assigned, we reached at 6:40.... (Oh did i tell you that we drove from the bay area for the show!!! ) Once we reached, we noticed that there are "NO SEAT NUMBER AND NO ROWS" ...People were sitting randomly and we were seated on a table far far far far away from the stage... As soon as we sat, this crazy lady behind us started shouting at the host cos he made us sit in front of her.... we were looking forward to russell, so we swapped seats with her..
The place has a "2 drinks minimum" rule... which is "mentioned" on the ticket... the fact that seating is on a "first come first served" basis is NOT MENTIONED....
We ordered 2 Mai tai's... it was all wrong... I think the bartender used Vodka instead of Rum.... Yuckkkkk....... and the drink was 90% ice and 10% liquid...
About the show:
---------------------
Finally the show started at 7:05.... there were 3 "opening" acts... they were good but we were there for Russell Peters, not 3 people we haven't heard of, cracking run-of-the-mill-youtube-jokes.....
Finally when Russell arrived on stage, it was almost 8:10.... It felt like Russell was the closing act for the 3 performers before him... He ended the show abruplty at 8:40 and we were disappointed...
All in all, it was not worth wasting a saturday on this show or this club...
P.S. Sacramento is a beautiful city.... We absolutely loved the city....
----
My first club ever. And it was a comedy club! I wouldn't have it any other way.
Went here to see Russell Peters! If I were to rate his talent on Yelp, he would be off the charts.
The opening acts included Dylan Garcia, Yoshi, and this other hilarious guy. It was actually a really great line up and they all made me laugh pretty hard as well.
There's a two drink minimum for this place, and I chose to go with water and gingerale. Drinks are pricey here! Two drinks are around $9 total..
I went to an early show and it was absolutely fantastic. Just a tip, if you ever go this comedy club, always try to buy the earlier show because I saw people stranded outside in line waiting to get into the next show at 10:30. Plus, the comedian will be fresh and not as tired!
This was a very close knit comedy club and my face hurt so much from laughing, it felt as if I just got out of a Botox appointment when I walked out. I'll probably only be coming here for Anjelah Jonhson, Gabriel Iglesias, or Russell Peters if I had to come back again.
Here's a tip: Don't go to the late show.  If you do, expect to be standing out in the hallway an extra 45 minutes to an hour after the doors were supposed to have been opened. Comics: If the people in the late show are in  a bad mood, now you know why.  No one is going to be happy about waiting around unexpectedly for almost an hour.
Another one? Â Order both your drinks at the same time when you sit down and pay your bill right then and there if you are going to use a credit card. Â Otherwise, you might not get a 2nd drink and it could take forever to get out of there once the show is over.
Also, 2 drink minimum does not mean alcoholic drinks, although the non-alcoholic drinks are not much cheaper than a Budweiser. Â
The bathrooms: Just be sure to check and see if the stall you chose has toilet paper, otherwise you might get stranded.
On the plus side, since this place is in a strip mall, there is plenty of parking.
I came here a few months ago for the Paul Mooney show. Â Luckily this is not a review about Paul Mooney or there would be 0 stars. Â Anyway, apparently the first show ran over making the 2nd show, the one I bought tickets for, late. Â Instead of telling all the folks who were waiting in line what the hold up was instead we waited in line, (me in heels) for at least an hour. Â Then, when we got inside no one apologized or offered a discount, nothing to show that they had at least some remorse about their customers waiting outside for such a long time. Â
So, no. I won't be coming back here. Ever.
Still a comedy club, with all the requisite comedy club stuff. They appear, however, to be trying to improve service. Our server, host, and the bouncer were all just more pleasant than in the past. Still a two drink minimum, but the updated prices are as follows: $7 "wells" (which are still brand name), $7.50 Jameson (with a decent pour), $4.25-$5.50 12-ounce beers. It's comparable to a bar. Also, $20-40 bottles of wine and champagne.
Can't speak to the strength of mixed drinks. If you're worried about value, you should probably forego cocktails for straight liquor, in general, anywhere.
I don't know HOW they get such great comics...but they do!!!!!!! Â The hot chocolate is a great choice for those who will be driving. Â Sign up for the drawing and you can get called for free tickets - just need to purchase 2 drinks per person (minimum.) Â Chair are kind of uncomfortable, so if you have physical needs to be comfortable for two hours, ask for a booth. Â
Great comics I have seen: Chelsea Handler, Mike E. Winfield, Dennis Gaxiola, and Pablo Francisco.
I won ten tickets for a show. Â So I gathered 8 friends who wanted to go. Â Can you say Free.99 ---Winning!
Jim Jeffries was the headliner. Â I was impressed with the comedy club staff and the comedians. Â My service was pretty good considering the place was packed. I ordered cheesecake but never got it. Â A mix up in the kitchen and no cheesecake. Not a big deal. Â Other than that my service was great and I received a full refund for not getting my cheesecake. The comedians were very funny. Jim Jeffries was totally funny! ***side note do not heckle the comedians they get paid to do this for living and you don't*** Our heckler got slammed with a ton of jokes from Jim Jeffries, it was hilarious and pretty embarrassing for the hecklers. I like the place overall and I will definitely be back to see more comedians here.
Welcome to The Crapline, Sacramento!!
The Punchline is plain, gross! The one good thing about this Sacramento comedy staple, are the comedians that stroll through. Given that Laughs Unlimited is their only competitor, they don't have to do much to look slightly less shabby.
Since its a super small venue, you have to get there early. And by early, I am suggesting an 1hr+, hopefully you have some nice friends who will go first and you can cut the line. Just ignore the stank eye's and smile - no one will say anything ;)
So, maybe you should arrive in your gym clothes, because while you wait in line for the show you will sweat. Not just a little glisten, but probably enough that you should change clothing upon entry. It is so hot in there and this last time it was Friday at 9PM. They did however, step up their game and they got rid of the cockroaches that love to hang out in the hallway with you...I wonder if they paid the $7 service charge too?
They run a tight ship here. You have to tell them the # of your party, then they seat you, wherever you can fit - good luck trying to get "one of the good" ones (seats).
Sometimes they are strict on their 2 drinks/person and sometimes they aren't. They also serve food, but don't let that fool you...you STILL have to order two drinks. What a horrible policy, let two items suffice, we're in a recession, remember?!?
Another trick I learned this last time - call Punchline yourself to order your ticket, you'll forgo the $7 service charge from Live Nation. Depending on the comic, don't wait until the night of...it's a gamble I wouldn't bet on.
I guess overpriced laughs do your soul good once in awhile....
First off, thank you Elif for tickets to see Ben Bailey from Cash Cab and putting up with: a group of incessant hecklers, some puking and almost getting 86'd, twice. You, Ed and the gang were troopers. The entire night was epic and worth reviewing, but I will try to stay focused here. Although I will say that you want to get invited to Elif's house. She is the hostess with the mostess from endless cocktails, impromptu dance parties, and late night homemade pasta with scallops and other treasures from the sea. Gawd damn amazing. Ok, on to the review.
First, know that they do not tolerate any alcohol. Well, at least according to a big orange sign outside their door. You stare and stare and stare at this warning as you are waiting in line. Got it. No booze. Then, you go inside and they make you order two drinks! OK, I know this is standard comedy club policy but I like to rant about it, nonetheless. The service was decent to good and the nachos were bloody amazing.
The security was excellent, but I already mentioned that.
The first two acts were hilarious but I can't remember their names or their jokes. Wait ... something about "buy my baby" and something else about how idiotic men are who to complain about the scent of a woman (in bed).
Now, onto the headliner. Ben Bailey isn't funny in Cash Cab and he is negative funny on stage. In fact, I think his shtick is actually "awkward." Before he had finished, about 1/3 of the audience had left, either because they weren't laughing or because they *really* weren't laughing due to Ben calling them out. This included a comment to a gaggle of large-bewbed (thanks Khan & Yelp talk threads) ladies. Something about "flapping bewbs everywhere." Â Yeah, they didn't like that. Goodbye girls. Bye-bye bewbs.
I'm really surprised we didn't get more of Ben's wrath considering we were oh-so-slightly obnoxious. I think he was ignoring us. I'm not too concerned about it. While the clientele at Punch Line is not really my regular scene, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and will return, hopefully with the same crazy kids.
Mos Def the Chairs are very uncomfy unless you are sitting in one of the very few booth seats they have! I think our show was about 3 hours as well and my bootay was so numb when we left!!!
I love this comedy club better than Pepperbelly's in Fairfield because its more open and well over all they treat you a little better! Maybe it's jus me though!
So we came here on a spur of the moment kind of thing! We originally were trying to see the 8:30PM show but it was already full so we went down the street to have dinner and came back for the 10:30 show! OMG, that line was out the door, good thing we bought our tickets ahead of time!
We had to wait in line for about 20-30 mins though! And man this place seemed so huge to me, until I got all the way inside, lol! Anywho, the comics for that night were: Nico Santos (Host) aka Darth Gaydar, Dan Gabriel (so funny, although he was a little slow, lol) and of course the main event Rex Navarrete!!!
So I loved all of Nico's jokes, and not just because he was gay, but he was being real and diverse. Dan Gabriel had me dying laughing, especially when he did his phone sex skit, lmao!!! As for Rex, he was funny, however, he only talked about the Philippines and the Philippine culture, all I'm saying is, "don't you got any other things to talk about?" I mean he was funny, but its like OK, I live around Philippine's everyday so I already know all that funny stuff! Oh well I had an awesome time and I would go there again!
Oh but they do have a 2 drink minimum, and don't get the sex on the beach, cause it was more like sex in the sandbox, LMAO!!! There was so much juice in it that I thought it should have been served in a sippy cup, lol!
It was the oddest place for a comedy club. Â I was expecting it to be downtown or somewhere cool... but its in a suburban looking strip mall next to a Sleep Train.
I also didn't realize that going to a comedy show was like going to a 18+ club. Â Skanks galore - gross.
The waiting area for the Punchline was in a HOT and musty hallway. Â We had a group of 12, who had to rotate standing outside on the balcony because waiting in that line was unbearable. Â With all those people waiting to get in - it was swamp ass city. Â Not cute. Â They were 30 minutes late in letting us in the room - so we sat in a stink sauna for quite some time.
The waitresses were slow - and apparently our money is no good at the bar. Â They sent us back to our seats and had us wait for our waitress (who never came again). Â There's a 2 drink minimum but the drinks were cheap so it wasn't a big deal.
I looked at the upcoming lineup and there was nobody impressive... Â maybe it's just a bad month for them, but I'd much rather go to the San Jose improv.
Um, just so you know this place is located in a pretty ghetto strip mall, on the second floor next to a mattress store. The drinks SEEM cheap but they're served in what seemed like kids sized cups. The venue is pretty gross, but then again the last comedy club I went to was equally as ghetto so maybe it's just a comedy club thing.
When you go make sure your entire party is there early because they won't seat you. Eat first because the food is expensive and nothing special, and they won't let you bring food in either.
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