I am so happy that they reopened. We had a great time the other night. I do prefer the old setup with the little tables. They really pack you in like cattle now. The service was really good and fast. We had some specialty drinks and they were great. The food looked really good but we were there for the late show so we hadn't planned on eating but once we saw the wings come out next to us we decided next time we want wings! Of course, the quality of the acts are always amazing here. The show started on time and they got us seated really quickly once the first show got out. The place looks good since all the remodeling! Can't wait to go back.
Review Source:It's never fair to judge a club by the comedians on a Wednesday night..... too bad, it would have earned a better rating because the actual show was great. Arrived with 4 friends and picked up our tickets, no issues. We were seated right up front and our original server quickly greeted us, brought us menus and told us about the special drinks for the evening; one of which was a mojito. One of my friends ordered the mojito and about 5 min later our server returned to tell us that they were out of mint. She was a good sport and just ordered something else but you would think that the servers would have been informed if one of the specials was unavailable. My white wine was served warm, gross. All of us ordered food. 2 of us got the Buffalo Chicken Sliders, one of us requested no blue cheese. After our food came I thought they had mistakenly brought both orders plain so I asked for a side of ranch. I later found a small drop of blue cheese on mine even though it wasn't enough to be noticed. Around this time, our original awesome server came over to tell us that he was cut for the night and introduce us to server #2 who quickly wanted to know what our second drink choice would be. One of my friends asked if food doesn't count as one of the items as she was the one driving.... No it doesn't which to me, it a horrible policy, especially if that policy is not made known. When the check came, I noticed that I had been charged $1.50 for ranch. I wouldn't have needed the ranch if my food was presented as it was advertised. The only thing we ordered that was actually good was the $8 side of sweet potato fries. I'm sure I'll be back because I enjoy comedy but next time, it will be 2 whatever-is-cheapest drinks and we'll go out to dinner elsewhere.
Review Source:Last night was my first back at the Improv since my previous review. I'd wanted to watch an open mic night and so a friend and I checked out the show last night. I got our tickets from the box office and hung out in the lobby waiting for my friend. It was cool watching the comics come in with the audience members and just kinda hang out before the show. Once my friend arrived, we were seated immediately near the front. I immediately noticed that they did a lot of (well deserved) upgrading to the place which looked really nice. I still hate how the tables are arranged (my seat was turned away from the stage so I had to swing around in my seat to watch), but it is what it is I guess.
Our server was nice, if I had to guess I would say she was new but nice still. The wrong food was brought out to our table twice (meant for another table), but it was quickly resolved. They have a similar menu to Stand Up Live, and I took a risk getting a mixed drink for my minimum since the ones at SUL have been weak in my experience. My drinks were great last night, though pricey ($8 for a rum and coke). My friend liked her mixed drink also and we shared an app that was good. The show started about 30 min late which was slightly irritating, but my friend and I were catching up so it was tolerable. The show was to be expected, some of the comics were great, some not to so great, but I had a good time. It lasted about 2hrs and there weren't any issues with my check when I went to pay. I appreciated that our server asked if we wanted our bill together or separate.
My only other complaint is that they got rid of the 2 item minimum for a 2 drink minimum. I would much rather prefer to have a drink and an app/entree than pay $8-11 for two drinks.
The one star is for the fact that I'm glad the Improv is back up and running in Tempe, the lack of the four other stars is due to their insanely overpriced drinks and poor service! Â I ordered a Moscow Mule (vodka, ginger beer, and lime) and it came to a whopping $19 (not to mention it was weak). Â I drink these all over the valley and I have never seen one exceed $12. Â Apparently it was the "Drink Special of the Day" and I was told that "they are always that price". Â I could buy a yard drink in Vegas for cheaper than that and get to take the glass home with me! Â I also ordered a top-shelf vodka martini which cost $14 (standard price). Â I tried to explain how it didn't make any sense that I was charged $5 less for a martini than I was for a mixed drink and his response was "Sorry, nothing I can do." Â Mind you this entire conversation with the server was going on while Pablo Francisco was finishing his act that I planned on watching. Ridiculous.
Review Source:STAY AWAY!!! WAAAAAY WAAAY overpriced food, drinks. I just saw Pablo Francisco, who I've followed for a long time, and he was rushed and not funny at all like he used to be. I clocked him in at starting at 8:33 and ended and ran off stage at 8:58.....Needless to say I was pissed. Then I get the bill......$13+tax for a very watered down sex on the stage drink and then charged $2 more for vodka which came already in the drink!! I asked about this and they said yes but they charge them seperate...!?!?!?!...so its like they charged me for ice in a martini on the rocks! Then I ordered a coke as I was driving home later and I found on the bill I was charged $5.75+tax for a small coke!!! then I was told when I wanted a refill that refills are $10 more for unlimited!!! WTF!! So we ended up with an $88 tab with 15% gratuity included! I am sorry but it is up to me to pay for your worth...Also NOTHING IS AL-LA-CARTE they asked us if we wanted fries or sweet potatoe fries with the chicken fingers implying that they came with since the menu did not specify price nor what came with, and I was charged $11 for a small thing of fries! They also only showed the menu that had all the expensive drinks and nowhere on either side did it have sodas or beer! And since nothing had prices on them I ordered the cheapest drinks that I thought were cheap at the time and came to find out that not only did they have sodas which would meet their 2 drink minimum, but they also had beers!!!!! They purposely hid all the cheap drinks to get you to buy expensive ones and then slipped in charges for extra things that already were included!!! Also whoever was in charge of audio did a crap job as half the crowd was fingers in ears almost all night and I heard everyone around me complain about it. RIP OFF!!! STAY AWAY!!!
Review Source:Stoked to have a first rate comedy club in the area! Just saw bob marley last night and had a blast. as for the club, i don't know what the previous one looked like but it's like the Carnegie Hall. When it's a full house they mean full! We didn't com early enough to be sat up front so we sat on these back rail seats which turned out to be awesome bc I prefer more room. Our server  was super nice and took care of us well. Get a juke box hero!! I'd knock em down and she would be back more rounds. Overall awesome show and experience. Cheers!
Review Source:Overpriced small plates. Ordered the chicken strips which is listed as coming with ranch, BBQ or honey mustard. Asked for honey mustard & BBQ, received ranch. When I asked for the right sides was told they've never had honey mustard. Maybe take it off the menu? Mom Ordered a virgin strawberry margarita. It was thin and watered down tasting. Pick it up improv!
Comics were alright. Apparently it was Arabic night or something, I'd say about 85% of audience was of middle eastern descent as we're the comics. Most of the jokes were geared towards their background & political areas.
Previously the improv allowed 18-20yr olds only in the upper balcony. The show we attended was actually 15+, there was a small amount of cursing, heard the F bomb just twice. Check their schedule as some shows are 21+, some 18+, and some now even 15+.
Since the show shouldn't be rated (which btw was pretty decent) I'll focus on the food and service.
They were out of half of the menu. The excuse: They just re-open. AYFKM? Why do you open without half of the menu?
Anyways, that being said, the service was OK, the chicken quesadilla and steak salad were decent.
They have a list of cocktails that don't have price which makes it kind of sketchy. When I asked the answer was: Each one has a different price. OooooooKkkkkkk.
I had the Tito's vodka lemonade. Too watery, not enough kick.
The tip is included so that's interesting as well (party of 2).
With show and food, 3 drinks per person, around 65 each.
Definitely pick a good comedian or you'll be disappointed. Â
Cheers
I obviously have bad mooshu when it comes to comedy clubs! I attended the Ralphie May show last night with my sister. The experience altogether was not even an A-OK it was kind of like a meh.... We arrived about 40 minutes before show time just incase there was a long wait line, but to our surprise we got right in and were seated. After we sat for about 15 minutes more people were sat around us and were attended to right away by different waiters. Our waiter finally came over and gave us a menu to look at and told us he would be right with us. As he returned to take our order, his very strong personality on asking us "are you sure you don't want this?" (each suggestion was an alcoholic beverage) I finally got to a point and had to be sterner with him and repeated our original order, which indicated just drinks no alcohol. He finally backed down, took our order and went to put it into the computer system. It took quite some time for us to get our drinks, people who sat down after us, were attended to first received their drinks and their food order before we even got our drink order. My sister and I were looking around for our waiter to ask politely if we could get our drinks, when I believe a manager came up to us to ask if we needed something. I thought it was very generous that he came over to attend to us, after we spoke with him briefly our drinks finally arrived and we were able to put in our food order. We received our food order a lot faster than our drink order which was nice, but also frustrating for we got there on the early side to eat before the show, the show started as we received our food and where we were sitting we had a hard time seeing our food to be able to eat. This may not be a big deal for some, but I like to be able to see my food when I cut it so I don't spill and make a mess. My sister ordered the chicken sandwich which she was not happy with for she felt it was quite dry and tasteless; I ordered the friend cheese and wasn't blown away but not upset. The food is what you would expect out of like a small dive bar.
There wasn't much more for our server to do after our 2 drink minimum and dinner, but he was polite to check on us through out the evening. In the middle of Ralphie May's set I got a text and I needed to leave to attend to my child, so we needed to get our check so we could go. My sister asked our server for the check and he insisted that he couldn't take care of it right now that we needed to check out in the lobby area. My sister was confused and said ok and relayed the message to me. I have been to a few comedy clubs and I have never heard of that, but we thought this might be new, ok let's just get up and go out into the lobby. As soon as we both got up and left a security guard turned and looked at us as if we were trying to skip out on the check he flagged our waiter down ASAP and he came running out the door. Our server walked up and asked if something was wrong and I repeated what he said to my sister. He said there was confusion and that he would get our bill printed right away. I asked politely that we were in a hurry for I had an emergency and needed to leave. We received our bill and it was wrong, he had added a few of the alcoholic beverages from the couple that shared a table with us, so I am thinking it took such a long time to check out because he had to correct our bill. After finally receiving our correct bill and card back he handed us the papers and said "Just so you know we already have a 15% gratuity added to your bill, but I only get 10% of that so if you like to leave extra that would be great, you don't have to if you don't want to but I just wanted you to be aware." This kind of irked me the wrong way because our service wasn't great in the first place and I am a generous tipper, for I usually always leave 20% when service is good. Just the way he went about it made me feel awkward and was a little unprofessional.
On a good note when the show started it was nice to be able to hear and see the comedians. Some clubs don't do a very good job at making sure everyone has a good seat and their sound systems are not that great! Also the remodel of Tempe Improv is quite nice! They did a very good job at sprucing the place up.
TERRIBLE SERVICE!!! Only reason they got 1 star is because I cant go lower....
My sister and I came to the Tempe improv for the first time sense its remodel. We came to see Ralphie May on a Wednesday night. The whole area was packed full of guest. We chose to sit on the end of the half booth half table. Many servers would come by and ask if we had more in our party so they could sit another couple in the seats, we did not, however every time they would put a couple in those seats the server would suggest they move because it was right in the walk way and people would be stepping on them the while time, or the people would ask to be moved because of the same reason. Right before the show began we had a couple that sat in front of us, only because they were the last seats available. We ordered our drinks and food at the same time, it took the server a bit to come over but we were fine just hanging out. Once we ordered, after he tried up-selling absolutely everything, we waited, and waited, and waited. We watched three tables who ordered after us get their food and drinks before we even got our drinks. The manager must have noticed my frustration written all over my face because he came over and asked if we had ordered. I said "yes we did, about a half hour ago". He apologized and we had our drinks about 10 minutes later. During the waiting of our food a server with a full tray of beverages spilled them all on the couple behind us. The customers were good sports and let it go. The ice tea my sister ordered tasted absolutely terrible, however it didn't much matter because I spilled it on her anyway. We tried maintaining the mess while servers walked by and and saw the mess yet did nothing. I finally got up and interrupted a server entering items into a register and said we have had a spill I need napkins. She didn't even look at me and said their are napkins right there. They were the small cocktail napkins your drink goes on..... so i took the whole stack, that got her attention! We cleaned up the mess ourselves and still waited on our food. The HORRIBLE food finally came out, and then the lights shut off for the show to start. I would say it is very difficult to eat in the dark but after a few bites I was done. The show started late so it went into the evening later then planned. I have heard Ralphie doesn't always stop when he is supposed to (which can be great) but it was time for us to get out of there. We asked our server for our check and he said he couldn't check us out in there that we had to step into the lobby area. It didn't make any sense but walked away without more explanation. I tried to explain to my sister what he said but she was just as confused as I. We went ahead and got up and went into the lobby, where there was not where for us to pay at all. The server finally came out and asked where we were going, I told him I said we needed our check so we could leave. He brought us the check, wrong, over $35 of the bill was not ours. I gave him my card and it took him forever but luckily got it fixed and as far as I know didn't charge me incorrect. By far this has been the worst experience I have had at the Tempe improv. May the remodle wasnt the best idea.....
Gotta love thier overpriced drinks they FORCE you to purchase. 2 DRINK minimum...really! I dont drink so I was forced to purchase water. I spend money on the tickets yet I am forced to purchase 2 waters and on top of that they automatically add in 18% tip for a waiter that took forever to even bring me my WATER. I think not! And they are now owned by stand up live...so I guess I will be avoiding both places until they get their "act" together
Review Source:Had a great time at the Improv after its reopening! The food was great, service was great, and the comedians were hilarious(We saw Mitch Fatel). It was a BIT pricey, but we came to have a great time and these things are always going to be a bit pricey. All in all, it was a different experience than just hitting the bars and I wil definitely be back to the Improv.
Review Source:Great place to see live comedy. Their updated interior is a huge plus. Saw Mitch Fatel here and he was hilarious. It's too bad the staff didn't tell some talkative patrons to quiet down though - it was very distracting, and others were noticably annoyed. The waiter was a little pushy trying to sell us on bottle service - not really good for a Sunday night show. I would still go back to see other comedians.
Review Source:The Tempe Improv is back!!! And better than it ever was!!! First, you will be more than impressed by the décor alone, it looks like a true performance theater complete with a balcony and an upstairs bar. On the main showroom floor we had plenty of room to move around in our seats. (compared to the old club which had round tables, ugh!) The seating is lined up in rows, which means there is virtually no bad seat in the entire place.
Frank Calliendo was so damn funny!! I have never seen him live, so this was a real treat. Our server was excellent, even though it was the opening weekend and they were very, very busy. The food and drinks were just right, both in taste and price. I even took my souvenir glass and had it signed by Frank.
If you haven't been to the Improv in a while or ever before, now is the time to go! This place is going to become one of the hottest spots in Tempe! I will go again and again and again. Great job guys, Tempe Improv rocks it!!!
Well I know this will be my one and only review for Tempe Improv, I don't know about you guys but since I moved into the valley 12 years ago I have had great nights down at the improv, seen many acts, sad to see the doors closing. Â But I am a little torn because I hear rumors it is shutting down because Stand Up Live has run business out of the Improv, and I find this hard to believe to just blame it on one place, when cities all over have more than one comedy place that many comics goto. Â But what do I know....
My trip to the Improv was bitter sweet, the comedy acts where great & funny but this review is on the place and in a few days, it won't matter. One the comedians might have nailed it on the head that night , he said if the Improv put an e at the end of the name, it might have helped, Â he also said he wasn't worried about not being asked back, Â too funny. But I have to agree, if the Improv improved the place, not right now, but maybe a year or 2 ago, did some remodeling, replacing the tables/set up maybe it would still be here today. I found the set up to be the same as what it was 4 years ago and something that doesn't change won't last, reinvent yourself is what was needed. Â Maybe fresh paint, more pics by the stage and update the lounge area you wait in before the show could have helped. Â I don't know about you but that lounge area reminds me of a shady dive bar where you don't really want to seat down and touch anything ya know....
It's great that the 2 item requirement didn't mean you have to buy 2 drinks, but everything on the menu was overpriced. I ordered a long island ice tea and it was undrinkable, but for the amount of money it was, you best believe I drank it. Â Service was good; they could have been jerks since they are almost out of a job.
Went to the 9:30 showing and the show room was hot and stuffy, like they didn't care about turning on the air, it wasn't until an hour later that the air got turned on, it reminded me of that time the AC unit went out during a performance in June a few years ago, man that was a hot show haha. Â
But I have to say I will miss Tempe Improv, it was always a great place to go with friends or dates. The Improv will be missed. Glad to have gone to one more last show before the place was history.
If based on Friday nights visit I would have to give them a 3 star, but I am giving them a 5 star because of all the great nights I have had down at the Improv in past 12 years.
5/7/12...
I have to make a correction to my review as I received communication from someone with the club..
I was informed that they are not like other clubs as they have a "Two Item" minimum, not a two drink minimum. Â So you can order a food dish and a drink to meet that minimum. Â And I did confirm that one in our group ordered a bottled water which counted toward his minimum.
So I stand corrected.
I don't like the way they do tickets. I don't like the way they seat people. I don't like the old videos they show before the comedians perform telling you to turn off your cell phone. I don't like the sound quality. The seats are uncomfortable. The food is merely decent... seems to be Smart & Final fare. The drinks are stiff, but incredibly expensive.
That all said, I've never had a bad time here. I've seen some great performances at the Improv. It's a large, but intimate club. There always seems to be a few drunk assholes that heckle or disturb, but most of the audience respects the acts. I prefer seeing people at Celebrity, Orpheum, or Comerica, but there's something about Tempe Improv that makes it more personal and authentic.
The best thing about Improv is that there's almost always something going on there. If you're hard up for something to do on a weekend night, you can usually look up and find someone halfway decent performing there. It makes for a good date night (albeit expensive). It's tough to have a bad time here.
My husband and I have been to the Tempe Improv many times, but after this last visit, I just can't justify the expenditure any longer...
Worst margarita I've ever tasted. At $11 each, with a 2 drink minimum, they're the most expensive house margaritas I've ever had as well. Yuck.
No belly laughs from me or my husband (or anyone else in the house, save the relatives of the warm-up acts populating the audience) for the entire hour and a half...
A few chuckles, an hour wait sitting in uncomfortable seats in a too warm room with bad food and drinks is NOT worth the $100 or so we spent on the evening. I think they should have to PAY US $100 to come back...
Okay had a good time food was good wife had the Prime rib plate for only $12.00 and I had the average chicken wings (24) for $18.00 but the Cosmo drinks was $13.00 each and my double Jack and Coke cost me $18.00 each with a 2 drink minimum and we were there drinking with friends for 3 hours my  bill reached $170.00 for the two of us to have a good time, not including the tickets. so if you can't afford those numbers drink your specialty drinks at home order a beer or a glass of wine. Â
* I was a bit shocked when I got the bill.... I guess that's why they gave me some free tickets to come back!
This place is a lot of fun. Be sure and have your expectation switch shut off though. If you have never been here before then there are a few things you must know
-Expect bar quality food. I personally found it satisfactory but those who go in expecting way more might be disappointed.
-Expect to be squished. They pack you in like sardines. I understand they need to fit as many as possible but it does take on a new extreme.
-Drinks, pricey. Â Once again, they gotta make their money. Drinks are kinda rough on wallet but I really enjoyed them.
-Customer service blows. I don't go for the service.
 Have had a few great experiences there and I have really enjoyed the talent. My reason for the 4 stars is because the experience I had in line (people cutting, smoking, the line lasted forever, and the trouble I had getting a drink (45mins after I walked in before I got a drink) Â
Overall it's a pretty cool experience if you have never been. I still like to go for some of my favorite comics but I don't take advantage of free shows because after the two drink minimum and service fees I still ended up paying about $50.
Who doesn't like a good laugh? Always a great time at the Improv. Now we only go when we know the headliner, so we really can't rate the amateur nights. Anyways had a great night here a couple weeks ago. We decided to take my parents who are comedy fanatics like myself and we had an amazing time.
First of all it was so easy ordering our tickets online! BTW, since we go there frequently we got an email giving us the tickets for free. Always a nice bonus!
Make sure you arrive early so you can get a seat up close. Always fun when you have comedians who like to involve the crowd. We got there early enough to be close, but just outside the comedians reach.
We usually don't get food, but we ordered some and were pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Another huge bonus for this place since most comedy clubs we have gone too the food is usually sub par pub grub.
All three of the comedians were awesome! The Emcee was very weak, but the comedians did a great job getting people back to that happy place. I have the Improv bookmarked on my phone and computer to keep an eye on the calender of events. We will be back soon and often. Thanks Improv for providing a little laughter in the hot Arizona summers.
My main squeeze and I went a "Class Clowns" show (amateur night) at the Tempe Improv to support one of his former co-workers. The night was thoroughly A-OK:
The Good:
They do have some big names coming through the theater, and I signed up for their text message service which broadcasts the upcoming appearances.
The theater is spacious and well air conditioned complete with the tradition brick wall. "So how about those airline prices..."
The staff is VERY VERY attentive. I would say better than some of the restaurants that I have patronized.
The Bad:
In addition to cover charge there is a two item minimum for each person. Drinks are not cheap either, so expect to spend $50+ for one night.
The drinks were not very good for the price
We did not have the food, but judging by what I saw it looked like traditional bar fare. It is just horrendously overpriced.
TL;DR Would go back for a big name comedian, but too expensive otherwise.
When I draw a blank for date night, it seems the Improv always ends up working out.
LOVE that they have a dinner menu/show, and a late night option. I love options!
I think the best part of the show is how accessible the comedians are. The second or third time I went, I saw Tom Wilson (who played BIFF in back to the future) and he was great, and signed my trilogy set. Â We got to chat before the show and bought his stand-up CD.
Another time, we saw Jamie Kennedy (who is MUCH funnier than you'd think) and were able to see him after the show as well.
I LOVE the Improv!
My wife has taken me here a number of times. Â The opening acts are usually good for a few laughs.
I remember watching Russell Peters there. Â He was HILARIOUS!
Dave Attell was really funny too.
The Tempe Improv staff is great. Â They get you what you need in a timely manner. Â The food is good. Â You really can't expect much from a comedy club, as far as dining goes, but their food is very above average. Â
After the show, the comics usually hang out by the bar, and really interact with the fans. Â
Tip 1. Â Go to the bathroom before the show starts.
Tip 2. Â Don't heckle the comedians.
Tip 3. Â Be nice to your servers and tip them well.
I'd definitely go to The Tempe Improv again. Â In fact, I'll be there in a week and a half to see another show with a few family members.
Get some comic relief in your life.
Saw Adam Carolla here last week (who by the way was hilarious). We had dinner reservations (you come for dinner and get priority seating). Â Got there about 30 minutes after doors opened (an hour and half before show start time) and the place was already packed. Â We got seats on the 1st floor but toward the back - good view nonetheless (and Adam actually walked right by me and gave me a high five).
Ordered the calamari to start - very tasty. Â For dinner I had the pasta alfredo with portabello (yummy) and husband had the prime rib (he enjoyed it). Â Had a couple cocktails and a couple beers. Â Bill came to something like $130! YIKES!
Service was great, food was great, drinks were great, prices not-so-great!!!
Would love to come back again but will have to be more mindful of what we order so we don't spend an arm and a leg. Â FYI, the portions are large for the entrees so they could easily be shared between 2 people.
Took in a show here on Friday night (Josh Blue headlined).
After checking their website and looking at the calendar, I called in late that afternoon trying to get tickets for the 8pm show which I was told was sold out. Â So I went ahead and purchased a ticket for the 10pm show. Â Showing up early (just after 9pm) the line to get in to the 10pm show was already forming. Â It was very humid and warm as I stood in line. Â They door men/bouncers passed out bottles of cold water to us in line. Â However, I would have rather been inside at the bar in the lobby having a drink before the show like I have when I have had tickets for the early show. Â
While it feels a little cramped at times once seated, everyone finds their space. Â The service is pretty good and it is fun to watch the servers move through the crowd getting to everyone who's ordered. Â Honestly I was impressed. Â The times I have been there they have been friendly. Â Prompt may be another story.
I look forward to future shows.
Hmm.. perhaps I'm rating so low because I was so amped to go to this place since I live in Tempe, love comedy, and love improv. I mean, I was really excited.
Me, my boyfriend, his friend, and my roommate went a few weeks ago to see... Hmm.. Don't really remember her name. She wasn't that great- perhaps one of the reasons of my distaste for the Tempe Improv. Either way, it was really annoying. When you get there before the show you have two options, stand outside in line, where all the smokers gab and obnoxiously flick their cigarette ashes carelessly... or inside the "waiting area-with a two drink minimum". The "bouncer" outside didn't really have a personality and was rude when explaining that to us. Strike 1.
Since I'm a non-smoker, I opted to not have the disgusting scent of ciggs on my cute outfit. We headed inside, all grabbed a seat, and chatted... eagerly awaiting the opening of the theater. We waited there for about 20 minutes, not once being approached by a server for our drink orders. Strike 2.
Finally, the cue was given and everyone rushed through the doors. There were ushers whom sat everyone according to party size. We sat at a long table, pretty close to the front. The chairs were very close together and a foot behind me was another party. We were all crammed in there. Forcefully packed like sardines. Strike 3.
I was already convinced by this point that I wasn't going to come back, but I didn't let that ruin my night. I laughed at the opening acts, ordered some ridiculously over priced beverages and attempted to enjoy the show. Once the main comedian hit the stage it was getting really warm from all the bodies inches from mine. I requested water and was brought a 16oz  glass bottle of Evian... for $6. Awesome.
Ugh, I've had better. I'll only be going to the Comedy Spot in Scottsdale, which despite its location, is more down to earth, breezy, comfortable, and fair priced than THIS.
Tempe Improv is a joke... literally.
We love the Improv. We go here all the time, most recently to see Jim Breuer (who was absolutely hilarious). If you haven't been to the Tempe Improv, then you might not be a fan of comedy.
Obviously, your experience will vary depending upon who the performing Comedian is and how funny he/she is, but for the most part, the Improv gets some pretty hilarious individuals passing through.
The venue itself is a relatively small "theater", which means that you won't be straining your eyes to see the performer no matter where you sit. As far as seat recommendations go, we always try to get a front row spot on the balcony, which provides a great view and a non-cramped seating arrangement (the table seating is cramped).
A few things keep me from giving the Improv 5 stars.
1) The 2 drink minimum is lame.
2) They don't serve their draft beer upstairs, which means that I can't order a Fat Tire and I have to downgrade to drinking Newcastle's, which I really don't like very much.
3) They are super agro about cameras & photos. Absolutely no photos are allowed. Even a grainy, blurry, camera phone snap will incur the wrath of the wait staff.
We're huge fans of standup comedy, so we'll keep going back to the Improv for more and more, but I just wish they had a good beer available in the balcony area.
We just happened to be walking by the Improv one night when we saw Richard Lewis's name on the marquee and said 'Hey, he's cool. Â Let's go see that.' What a fabulous time we had for such a spur of the moment decision.
OK, chraging extra because you're using a credit card is annoying, but its a comedy club - they're famous for dinging you any way they can. Â We were early so we ended up getting great seats in the center of the stage. Â We got the cheapest bottle of wine they had to cover our two drink minimum. Â Service was great, the wine actually wasn't awful. Â When you can get 4 drinks for $25 at a comedy club, that's a win.
And of course Richard Lewis was great. Â He had three local comics warm up the crowd, which they did to varying degrees of success. Good laughs, nice club, friendly service. Their upcoming schedule showed several well known comedians, so I highly recommend catching the light rail to Tempe and trying this out.
Fun! In my three week excursion in the Valley of the Sun (alone on business travel, sad, no?), this was definitely a highlight. Buy your ticket online, show up maybe an hour and a half early for a decent seat and meal, and you've got your evening all set!
Staff was very nice. I re-ordered my drink a few times because I swear they didn't put any alcohol in it (yeah, I'm Asian, but I'm not THAT lightweight), and that created no issues. Waitress was quite attentive, but maybe that's because I was alone and she felt sorry for me. Who knows!
Food is meh, but you don't come here for the food. Pretty pricey too; I ended up paying over $50 for nachos, a French dip sandwich, a cocktail, and a couple beers. Thank goodness I'm not paying for it!
Performance was great. Mitch Fatel was definitely rated R (highlights included discussion of inverted nipples, explicit things to do with white bread, and gynecology), and don't sit in the front unless you have little shame ;). Have fun!
Man, I love this place!! It's the perfect place to go for a night out. The comedians are amazing- I can't say that I've seen a bad one in the dozens of times i've been and who doesn't love to laugh?? The food is a touch overpriced for Tempe, but it's nice to sit and chat for awhile with an appetizer before the comedians come on stage.
My favorite place to sit for a date/2 person party: in the back of the showroom at the high-top tables. Then you can  have some private conversation - at the tables on the floor, they seat in 4s, so if you go with a date, you will end up sitting with 2 other people- can be good for conversation, but that depends on the people you're next to.
What a fun night! Â I have a tradition of eating dinner at India Palace or the Ethiopian restaurant across the street then going to the Tempe Improv and neither ever fail me! Â Since it was a holiday weekend and a Sunday night show, it was no problem getting last minute tickets. Â The service was great and the comedy was even better! Â I have been to many comedy clubs with cheesy, overpriced drinks, but the Improv has one of my fav Pinots for only $9/glass!
I also learned that with the purchase of an Improv Tee, one can get in free every Thursday night---I'm in!
This is a world class comedy club. Â Every time I go here I end up smashed and laughing my ass off. Â 2 drink minimum of course, but that is expected.
They bring in the creme de la creme of comedy in here. Â I saw Joe Rogan and was rolling on the floor almost. Â
The food is pretty deez, but this is a comedy club and anyone with half a brain would hook up dinner before the show. Â Drinks aren't too pricey, and actually cheap in respects to being sold in a venue. Â
Check out their website and roll in one night when a performer you dig is there, you won't be disappointed.
Get there early for dinner and you won't be disappointed! Â They have a really great appetizer selection.
I actually like sitting in the balcony. Â I'm a shortie (5 feet tall) and sometimes have difficulty seeing the stage when I set downstairs.
I'm a bit partial, since it was my first stage, but the management and staff are awesome!
Check out their website. Â Sometimes, they have locals perform on Sundays with the weekend headliner doing a guest spot. Â It's cheaper!
And don't forget: Â When Jerry Seinfeld decided to return to comedy, he picked the Tempe Improv to be his first show! Â It's the comics' favorite place to perform!
I just returned home from my 5th or 6th visit to Tempe Improv... Tonight we saw Owen Benjamin and there was a guest appearance from Jimmy Fallon - they were fantastic! Â The show was a little shorter than expected, (it was just over an hour), but we had a lot of laughs. Â Brandy, our server, took good care of us - we had a group of 8 and we all arrived at different times, so we were probably not the easiest table to wait on. Â Food is pretty good and they have a full bar as well. Â I had the Four Seasons Salad with shrimp and stole a bunch of fries from my friend's plate... the waffle kind - yum!
In the past, I've seen Todd Glass, Flip Orley, and Craig Shoemaker "The Love Master" Â perform... It always fun and something different to do. Â Expect to pay around $20 for the ticket and another $20+ depending on what you order during the show. Â I think it's worth it for all the laughs!
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