Stress Factory Comedy Club — Restaurant in New Brunswick

I have been coming to the Stress Factory for a few years now and have always had a good time with friends and family but last night was a complete horror story.

My party (3) and I arrived early for the second show to see Marlon Wayans so that we could get good seats only to be one of the LAST parties to be seated in the venue which was extremely frustrating. We watched everyone walk in before us, including those who arrived way after we did. Apparently we were supposed to check in at the door to receive a number/ticket to enter but there was no one there to greet us upon arrival or a sign stating that you'd need to check in resulting in us receiving a high top table fit for someone who would have arrived late. There were other groups of people that arrived early who experienced the same issue.

We were initially crammed at a small table with three other people but were then moved to a high top table near the kitchen/main entrance which ended up being super loud but there was nowhere else we could sit because it was packed so we just let it go and tried to enjoy the night.

My friend placed her initial order at our original table but did not receive her food at the table we were moved to until almost an hour and a half into the show. All she ordered was mozzarella sticks and fries which shouldn't have taken that long to be made. These are premade items which takes minutes to drop in a fryer.

We tried talking to various staff members to see if someone would make things right but everyone was so rude especially the older woman with the sandy blonde hair. She was a complete nightmare and just overall difficult to deal with. My friend explained the situation about there not being a greeter at the front to check people in and about the cold fried food that took hours to come out and all she could say was "but you ate it right?" Like seriously? Why would you speak to a paying customer that way? After waiting forever to be seated, the least we could get is hot food. She ended up walking away because I assume she got annoyed only to return to the table to walk away again not resolving ANY of the issues. Just blatant disrespect.

The customer service was severely lacking tonight. Stress...

Stress Factory is a fantastic comedy club! I've seen plenty of shows here and it has always been nothing less than a great time!

First and foremost, the SF books top-tier comedians. Most recently I saw George Lopez. Seeing an A-lister like Lopez in such an intimate venue was a truly special experience! I've also seen Tracy Morgan, Hannibal Burress, Jim Breuer & Gary Gulman. Every single one was an unbelievable experience!

Second, is Vinnie Brand, the owner. Brand knows his business because he's IN the business. Brand is an active comic himself and he knows what makes a good comedy club...both for audiences AND comics. This means that the shows flow smoothly without major interruptions from servers or performer changes. Also, heckler and rude audience member shennanigans are not tolerated. Huge plus! Additionally, Vinnie Brand is genuinely funny as hell. He's always a great cherry on top of whatever other names are performing.

The Stress Factory has a decent menu or both food and drinks and the prices are very reasonable. There's a two item minimum order per person, which is standard. SF has handicapped/wheelchair access even though it's below grade venue. Just be advised that seating is first come first served. If you want a shot at getting choice seating show up early. This is not to say that there are any bad seats. On the contrary, the SF is an intimate venue and there really aren't any bad seats in the house. But if you show up when the club is mostly full be prepared to get in where you fit in. You will probably have to sit with some strangers or might have to split a big group up. These shouldn't be deal breakers, but just be aware.

Finally, the location of the club is great. There's a public parking lot right next door and there are tons of bars and restaurants within walking/short driving distance.

If you're a Jersey resident and within reasonable distance of New Bruns, and you're a fan of good standup comedy, the SF is the place to be. If you're passing through and need a recommendation for a good time, put the Factory on your list. You won't be...

The comedy was top-notch! The owner is hilarious and very welcoming. The tickets, food and drinks are extremely reasonably priced and the food was very tasty. I had the hummus and Pita plate oh, my husband had several Arnold Palmer's, our friends had a sampler platter and we didn't buy the buffet but those around us seem to be enjoying it and I regretted not having purchased it once I saw everyone else. I almost opted for the VIP tickets but I'm glad I didn't because while they're have a better vantage point and are directly on top of the talent, it's very cramped upfront and you have to maneuver through the seats to get to and from the bathroom. It is extremely crowded but that's to be expected of a good comedy club. The bathrooms our updated, stalls are plentiful they were very clean at the beginning of the show but by the end they had been slightly neglected. There was one waiter in particular who though he was not waiting on our table, walked over any way to stabilize the slightly wobbly table that wasn't bothering us in the least. He was extremely thoughtful. Our waitress was sweet but we were slightly neglected. Overall I think that a fifth Star could have been earned if they had employed one more waitress and someone to bus the tables as well as straighten up the bathroom throughout the set. Parking is directly next door and was not terribly expensive. An overall great experience, we hope to return when it warms up because the outdoor area complete with a cute little bar and tables seems to be a great place to wait on the second show. You do have to wait on line for the second show of the evening oh, they have space heaters exceeding is a first-come first-serve basis so it pays to get there early. All in all, a great night out!...