Las Vegas laughs: A guide to 6 of the city’s top comedy clubs

Hence the advent of the comedy club.

Las Vegas is home to a growing array of them, with numerous new venues opening in recent years.

All of the rooms are appreciably different, with distinctive atmospheres and talent lineups.

With this in mind, here’s a guide to some of the top comedy clubs in town:

The Comedy Cellar at the Rio

The faces say nothing and everything at once.

The first thing you see when entering The Comedy Cellar is dozens of framed photos of comedy prime movers of the past and present, names such as Bob Saget, Ali Wong, Mitch Hedberg and many more.

All of them cut their teeth at the original New York City location of one of stand-up comedy’s most celebrated talent incubators.

The Vegas version, which opened in April 2016, was designed to approximate its East Coast originator, from the decor — the brick wall behind the stage, the iconic stained glass logo hanging from it — to the way the shows are programmed: Instead of longer sets from a given headliner, the club favors a showcase approach, where upward of a half-dozen headliner-quality acts might perform, usually for 20 minutes apiece.

“They really did it to a T,” veteran comedian Robert Kelly told the RJ in 2018 of the similarities between the Cellars. “It’s the same exact vibe. It’s the same show.”

Notable past performers: Dave Attell, Jeff Ross, Ari Shaffir, Todd Barry

Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club at MGM Grand

With his 6-foot-8-inch frame, hangdog features and Bela Lugosi-deep voice, Brad Garrett cuts a distinct figure.

His comedy club follows suit.

Originally opening at the Tropicana in 2010 before moving across the street two years later, the club was designed to have a 1920s New York City speakeasy vibe, with a brick facade, dark brown banquettes and maroon walls lined with vintage signage and portraits of comedic greats, from Rodney Dangerfield to Johnny Carson to Richard Pryor.

The club’s roster revolves around crowd-pleasing comedians with a broad reach, acts who can resonate with sitcom fans drawn to Garrett and his extensive TV past, no laugh track necessary.

Notable past performers: Ray Romano, Jason Alexander, Jerry Seinfeld, Jen Kober

Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club at The Linq

His name is on the marquee, his fingerprints are everywhere else.

Las Vegas native Jimmy Kimmel was hands-on when it came to designing the Strip’s newest comedy club and curating the talent.

As such, it has a distinctly personal feel to it.

The two-level club opens into a bar area appointed in gray and green tones, with walls covered in memorabilia from Kimmel’s career, from “Crank Yankers” puppets to framed family photos. Upstairs is the fairly spacious main room, where capacity crowds on the weekends conjure a raucous vibe.

The familial atmosphere extends to some of the talent, with Kimmel’s former “Man Show” co-host Adam Corolla stopping by for drop-in sets and ex-girlfriend Sarah Silverman doing a guest set during the club’s grand opening.

Locals take note of “L8nite,” a three-act, 80-minute show Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. where tickets start at $15 and drinks are discounted via a reverse happy hour menu.

Notable past performers: Chris Tucker, Nikki Glaser, Pete Holmes, Ron White

The Laugh Factory at the Tropicana

A who’s who of stand-up standouts have punched the clock at The Laugh Factory’s signature Hollywood location, which has launched more careers than your average comedian’s unhappy childhood.

To this day, it just might be the most famous comedy spot in America.

The chain has grown to five clubs across the country, and the Vegas entry taps into the franchise’s deep reservoir of talent.

The room itself boasts a throwback lounge feel, intimate and largely unadorned, with the iconic Laugh Factory logo illuminating the red-curtained stage.

The Vegas Laugh Factory doesn’t quite get the big-name drop-ins that its West Coast counterparts do, though Jon Lovitz has residency there through the end of 2023 and the club still brings in notable headliners like Chris D’Elia, Josh Blue and Paul Rodriguez.

Notable past performers: Jim Belushi & the Board of Comedy, Dean Delray, Tom Arnold, Pauly Shore

Wiseguys, 1511 s. Main St.

The walls here are layered with show fliers like a punk rock club — and rightfully so: since opening in the Arts District in fall of 2021, Wiseguys has brought in an impressive slew of big-name talent talent to perform in a relatively small room in downtown Vegas.

It’s a place to see the scabrous stand-up of a bonafide star like Marc Maron, who headlined Wiseguys in the summer of 2022 and who often plays large theaters, in a much more intimate, in-your-face setting.

Part of a chain of clubs with three locations in Utah and another one planned for Vegas in the near future, Wiseguys possess a gritty yet urbane vibe with a brick wall stage backdrop and sleek black seating.

It also features one of the city’s best open mic nights at 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday, where the cover is but $5 and who knows? Maybe you just might catch the next Doug Stanhope, an all-timer who also cut his teeth at Vegas open mics back in the day.

Notable past performers: Duncan Trussel, Big Jay Oakerson, Kyle Kinane, Annie Lederman

L.A. Comedy Club at The Strat

“My psychiatrist told me I’m crazy and I said I want a second opinion, he said, okay, you’re ugly too.”

See, even the ceiling is funny here.

Said punchline, attributed to the late, great Rodney Dangerfield, is featured on a portrait of said comedian, one of several suspended from the rafters at the L.A. Comedy Club alongside fellow luminaries like Eddie Murphy, Cheech & Chong and Lucille Ball.

Once located on The Strat’s second floor upon opening in 2007, the club moved to its custom-designed, chic new 270-seat Dragon Room on the casino floor in early 2022, where it featurres a well-curated mix of Vegas-based talent and nationally-touring headliners spread out over three shows a night.

Get there early for the 6 p.m. “Happy Hour Variety Show” starring the intensely exhuberant and endearing Julio Gonzalez. If he doesn’t boost your spirits somehow, the $25 all-you-can-drink special will get the job done.

Notable past performers: Aziz Ansari, Felipe Esparsa, Rocky Dale Davis, Loni Love

Contact Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476. Follow @JasonBracelin on Twitter.