The Comedy Attic — Restaurant in Bloomington

The Comedy Attic is not for everybody. But if it’s for you, it’s the best place in the world. Let me explain.

The Comedy Attic is easily one of the best regarded clubs in the country. Comedians who don’t normally play clubs will play the Comedy Attic because of how great it is. They book the best comedians in the country. Seriously. The lineups are spectacular. And the greatness of the club is no accident. The Comedy Attic is the product of a person named Jared Thompson obsessively trying to create the best place to see live comedy possible. And Jared has been astonishingly successful at doing just that. He has cultivated audiences that are regarded nationwide.

The Comedy Attic treats stand up comedy as the art form that it is. I will never understand why, but the art of stand-up comedy is not treated the same as many other art forms. You wouldn’t just go see any band playing live, would you? Of course not. You would check out some of the band’s’ work and see if you liked them. For some reason, there exists a segment of people who think all stand up shows will appeal to everyone. Art that tries to appeal to everyone is rarely good. So do some homework: For example, if a comic frequently talks about politics that don’t line up with yours, stay home. You’ll have a better time there and you’ll save some money.

Be warned: If you attend a show at the Comedy Attic, you will be expected to behave. You are not the show. The show takes place on the stage, and that stage features the best comedians working today. If you talk during the show, you’re going to be asked to leave. If you show up too drunk to stand, you’re not going to be allowed in. This place will sacrifice money in order to create the best shows possible. And as a result, this club has an incredibly loyal group of fans who come back again and again, knowing they will have a great experience every single time.

I’ve read some of the other reviews for the Comedy Attic, and it’s very clear that some of the people who wrote negative reviews didn’t do their homework or just aren’t the crowd the club is trying to reach.

I have seen a couple of complaints in reviews about the rules of the club. Any person who is complaining about the rules shouldn’t be going to the club. And that’s OK. Jared himself says in an introductory video (which maybe should be posted here) that it’s not for everybody. And he’s right. This club is for people who love stand up comedy. If you are looking for a place to get hammered, or if you want to be a part of the show, this is not the place for you.

I’ve seen a couple of complaints about the two item minimum and the quality of food. That’s just the comedy club financial model. And the people who run and work here have to eat too. For what it is, the food is good. But make no mistake, it’s mainly junk food. If you’re trying to eat healthy, you’re likely in the wrong place. If you’re looking for fine dining, again, you’re in the wrong place. (Luckily, Bloomington has terrific restaurants within walking distance.) But if you want to have some comfort food while you laugh, you couldn’t be in a better place. The room is a great space for comedy. It’s intimate, with a low ceiling. When a comedian is really killing, it just doesn’t get any better. The staff is filled with great people too. And some of them are members of the shockingly vibrant Bloomington comedy scene.

The Comedy Attic isn’t for everyone, but it’s my favorite place in the world. If you’re like me, it will...

The Comedy Attic is a great place to see some fantastic stand up comedy. The talent they get, and help grow in Bloomington, is always high.

The biggest faults are hard to avoid, sometimes. The options available for the 2-item minimum are average at the very best of them. We've went through the menu multiple times to find something edible and almost all of it isn't that good. They have repeatedly burnt very bland popcorn.

Seating wise, there can be problems. Seated by party size is understandable, but it shouldn't be a big problem to mix a few parties at a table. Waiting outside for doors to open for over 30 minutes, and being first in line, just to be seated further back from people who arrived twenty minutes after the doors opened feels a bit ridiculous.

Again, the talent and atmosphere is top notch. It's so good that their biggest issues don't detract from the overall feeling, as much as it should. It's the disappointing thing that our group has felt we must except these issues and hope that they're fixed eventually. We love to go for the talent and the atmosphere, but we always know we'll have issues with the quality of the 2 items we have to get. There's, also, a chance we could arrive earlier than everyone else, but still get seats that aren't ideal compared to others who show up distinctively...

The Comedy Attic is a stellar local venue for a night out, from headliners to open mic nights.

I feel like most of these 1-star reviews are from people who have never been to another comedy club before. All comedy clubs are tightly packed and have an item order minimum. If that's not your thing, know that up front.

Unlike most comedy clubs, their 2 item minimum includes food and they have a variety of non-alcoholic drinks in addition to the bar, making it sober-friendly. You don't go to the Comedy Attic for the food or drinks, but it's passable quality and not more expensive than anywhere else.

It's also not nearly as packed as some comedy clubs are, where the audience is quite literally chair-to-chair, which I greatly appreciate. It's also very clean.

Wish I could give a bonus star for the way the club handles comedians with bigoted material. I was there tonight for open mic, and after one comic said a racist joke, he was immediately removed off stage and his whole group left shortly after. Once they were gone, we collectively boo-ed them. Good riddance! I LOVE that the Comedy Attic backs their words...