DC Improv in Washington, DC, DC

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Telephone:	+1 202-296-7008
Website:	www.dcimprov.com
Address:	1140 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC, DC, 20036 b/t N Desales St & N M St
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:	780 ftFarragut North 0.2 miMTA Bus Stop 0.3 miFarragut West
Categories:	Comedy Clubs

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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards	Yes
Accepts Apple Pay	No
Accepts Bitcoin	No
Parking	Garage, Street
Bike Parking	No
Wheelchair Accessible	Yes
Good for Groups	Yes
Ambience	Casual
Noise Level	Average

Good For Dancing	No
Alcohol	Full Bar
Happy Hour	No
Best Nights	Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check	No
Smoking	No
Outdoor Seating	No
Has TV	No

Today

Today	10:00 am – 11:00 pm Closed now
Local time (Washington, DC)	01:11 Thursday, 26 June 2025

Business hours

Monday	–
Tuesday	10:00 am – 11:00 pm
Wednesday	10:00 am – 11:00 pm
Thursday	10:00 am – 11:00 pm
Friday	10:00 am – 11:00 pm
Saturday	12:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sunday	12:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Description

Specialties

The DC Improv is nation’s #1 venue for all your comedy needs; featuring national touring headliners, local celebrities, a comedy school, two showrooms, plus a full restaurant and bar.

History

Established in 1992.

The Improv Comedy Club has been recognized as the nation’s première comedy venue. Founded by comic mastermind Bud Friedman, The Improv first opened in New York City in 1963. Originally built as a venue for aspiring comedians to practice their craft before both the public and the industry, the Improv soon became the hot spot for live stand-up comedy. The best in the field began at the Improv, including: Robin Williams, David Letterman, Richard Pryor, Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno and Andy Kaufman.

The Improv’s immediate success sparked a mass expansion across America, with The DC location being the most successful. Mainstream acts like Dave Chappelle, Carlos Mencia, Dave Attell, Brian Regan, Wanda Sykes and Lewis Black have performed here; plus fresh new talent on the verge of stardom. Surprise visitors including Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams, Chris Rock, Chris Tucker and Drew Carey have stopped in to experience comedy at its best; live at the DC Improv.

Meet the Business Owner

Allyson J.

Business Owner

Allyson got her start at The DC Improv as a server in 1998 at the age of 19 while in college at American University. At the age of 23 she became a manager and part owner of the club. Depsite struggling with several health issues inlcluding a rare optical disease; Duane Syndrome; she was able to overcome her limitations to become a success. Allyson’s love of stand-up motivated her to make a name for herself in the Comedy Industry. She created The DC Improv Comedy School in May 2003. Today, over a thousand people have enjoyed classes on improvisational comedy and stand-up comedy. In addition to booking comedy shows at her own venue she was lucky enough to book the 2005,2006 & 2007 White House Radio & Television Correspondents Dinners. Allyson got her start wanting to be a stand-up and has performed in the past. Currently she hosts a monthly Improvisational and is involved in every aspect of The DC Improv today.

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20 reviews of DC Improv

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Navi B.

Place rating: 4
Rockville, MD

I can’t believe I’ve never been here before. It was fun. The venue is located below street level right off of Connecticut Avenue. Be sure to get there early if you want a seat of your choice and you want to avoid a lomg ticket line. There’s a 2 item purchase minimum for this place so be prepared to order a drink (not cheap) or some bar food (not great).
But then again you are not going here to dine and drink. The comedians were good, the place seemed clean and the staff was generally nice.

Corey W.

Place rating: 3
Middletown, MD

Saw Bert Kreischer here last night — he was awesome.
DC was not as great as I was hoping. They told us to be there at 9:20pm when the seating would begin. We stood, with the rest of the customers. in the «holding pen» until 10pm. Not fun.
Service was great once we got in and the space itself is your typical dark comedy spot.
I would go back, but only to see Bert again.

Laura P.

Place rating: 4
Tysons Corner, Mclean, VA

DC– let’s be honest we can be uptight. What better to lose up than a comedy show? Even though you are asses to elbows (seating is tight) in this venue I love it. I have went here for many comedy shows for fairly well know comedians, as well as lower tier comedians, but I have always had a great time.
The Improve is a great place to kick off the night if you catch the early show, or a good place to have a low key evening and attend the late show. I’ve been here for parties, dates, and with other couples. If you are going with a group you need to purchase your tickets together or call and buy tickets to be added to a group or you will not be sat together for sold out shows. You may be sat with people you don’t know of you have a small party. This doesn’t bug me at all– it’s a comedy show; you’re all just there for a laugh.
There is an understandable 2 item minimum per person. They have a well rounded bar, but offer many nonalcoholic and hot beverages for nondrinkers. Food is pretty good, and is mostly finger food/bar food.
In my experience the MCs have always done a great job warming up the crowd. If your bashful or easily embarrassed ylu may want to avoid getting sat in the front as you are never a prime target to be the punchline of a joke. I’ve seen some comedians get pretty brutal (Guy Torry, Christina Pazsitzky).
Definitely a great place to stop in. Not for claustrophobes, and don’t sit in front of you can’t take a joke, literally.

Hans K.

Place rating: 1
Potomac, MD

Ian Bagg. Saw his show last night. Horrible. Can’t come up with any decent joke. Shocked he made it as far as he did on last comic standing. Nothing original about this comic. Save your money and go see a movie or eat somewhere nice.

Jane T.

Place rating: 3
Washington, DC

The show is great and funny yes. I had a good time but I find it odd they seat you with strangers which can be unconfortable and then they make you order 4 things on the menu. I didn’t pick up the tab but I don’t think it was cheap.

Gus F.

Place rating: 5
Baltimore, MD

I went to a show on April 30^th and got sick in the bathroom. Everybody including the guest coming to the show were great. I appreciate what they did for me.

Hiral D.

Place rating: 4
Ashburn, VA

We saw the debut of Clayton English from last comic standing and had a great time. Get there when the window opens so you can get good seats. There is a two item minimum but there’s a lot of items to choose from. I wouldn’t eat prior to the show. Lots of room but the venue is pretty cozy. It’s still a great place for laughs.

Robbie N.

Place rating: 1
Silver Spring, MD

If you’re going for a comedy show, then go for the show don’t eat or drink. I’m not exactly sure what type of business practices they strive to meet, but it’s definitely not one’s other well established places do.
First of all: the food is not edible and makes you sick. I think they used bad cheese because I’ve been sick all morning.
Second of all: their manager is rude and disrespectful to guests when their servers are wrong. Our server lied to us and uncharged us for a bottle of wine (we ordered the $ 27 bottle and he charged us for the $ 35 bottle) because it’s dark they don’t think that anyone will notice so they do whatever they please. When we got the bill we spoke with the manager about it and he said «but you drank the $ 35 bottle of wine so I’m charging you. We explained we ordered the $ 27 bottle and he said «that’s great but you drank the $ 35 so we have to charge you that.» WHY? we said we specifically asked for the other bottle and when served that’s what we thought it was. Finally after debating him for 10 minutes he finally realized he was in the wrong & needed to fix it. So he made us stand in the service station while he fixed the charges & ran the cards (how classy). When he was ringing us up more random charges «suddenly appeared» on our bills. Surprise, surprise.
Bottom line: if you don’t want to be sick, don’t eat the food. If you want any food make sure you have cash so they don’t over charge you, & make sure you leave enough time at the end to talk to the manager since their servers are sketchy and charge you whatever they want.

Taia C.

Place rating: 2
Washington, DC

The ticket prices are pretty reasonable ($ 20), but it stops there.
The food: There’s a two-item minimum… but NOTHING is edible! I didn’t expect restaurant quality food. We tried to play it safe with a southwest chicken salad… I mean, nothing needs to be cooked. How bad could it be, right? Uh… BAAAD, really bad! The chicken was so white and bland… not a drop of seasoning, no color, no salt, no nothing! There’s more… the salad greens was actually shredded cabbage instead of lettuce. I like cabbage, but not with my bland chicken and canned corn. LOL You get the point. No one at our table enjoyed their food — spinach dip, quesadillas, nachos… none of it was eaten. Total for a coke, bottled water, spinach dip, and «salad» = $ 30 plus tip.
What’s worse, the tables are so small and packed so tightly into the place that it’s light sitting on an airplane. I had no leg room, people kept accidentally bumping/kicking each other. It was very uncomfortable. The poor server couldn’t get through to take orders or bring out food. She literally had to have people pass the food. One guy had to get up several times throughout the show to let her by. Fortunately the headliner was actually pretty funny, (but only the headliner). Otherwise, the night would have been a total bust.
If you go, get there when they open to choose a semi-decent seat and secure some leg room!

Cupcake's M.

Place rating: 3
Washington, DC

Went last night with a group of eight. a friend and I were SECOND in line and we were shown a table way off to the side for our group. Befuddled is really not the most appropriate word for how I felt about that seating.
A few words later with the manager and we were given better seats. So be fore warned… if you have a large group… split it up into fours and be sure at least one person from each group of four is there. That way you can sit together without technically sitti g as a large group. According to the managaer, comedians don’t like large groups cuz they’re loud… WTF!!! And… DC Improv has an insane policy of treating groups (who arrive early) like second rate citizens. Not Funny, Improv. NOT funny!
Other than that, the service was great. Loved our server. Brandon T. Jackson, the headliner… uummm… welll…he was just o. k…Now I can say I saw him — lol. No need to repeat.
I would go back again with a group, just following the theory I stated. lol

Keyanna M.

Place rating: 2
Washington, DC

Small, tight, cramp. Menu is pricey. I had a good time seen Tony Rock. Try to arrive early. Eat before you go. It’s very tight and compact. Didn’t have room for my coat or purse. Went with a crowd of 8

Ryan Z.

Place rating: 3
Washington, DC

Fun venue for some good comedy. The staff were all really friendly and the service in the lounge was attentive.
Food is not amazing (shocker) but it tasted fine was was shockingly cheap for being in an entertainment venue with a captive audience. Stick with salads and sandwiches that are hard to mess up. There’s a two item minimum. The tables in the lounge are extremely small, so if four people are eating, there may not be enough room for the plates and glasses.
Parking is discounted if you book ahead through their website. It’s in the lot next door and accessible from 18^th St. Be warned that you can exit through the elevators, but the building guard won’t let you in to get back to your car, so you have to walk around the block and down a very, very steep ramp down to your car. However, the parking is through ParkMe, and it accepted a discount code, so it was only $ 7.50 for the night.

Erin Y.

Place rating: 3
Arlington, VA

We came to DC Improv on 11/13/2015 to catch Marlon Wayan’s first show. Overall, we had a great experience. Marlon and his opening acts, which included his niece Chaunté Wayans along with Mitch Marchand, were all hilarious and really knew how to work the crowd. We couldn’t stop laughing!
Tip: Arrive at least 30 minutes before the show begins. We arrived early and were able to choose at our leisure which table we wanted to sit at. The setup of DC Improv is very much similar to Blues Alley — the tables are tiny and are very close together while the chairs are a bit uncomfortable. Since it was a sold out show, we shared a table with another couple and things were a bit tight. The seating can be a bit awkward and once the room is filled your view will most likely be blocked by another person’s head. Also, it’s best to use the bathrooms before the show since the space is difficult to maneuver once it is packed.
There is a two item minimum per person which did not seem strictly enforced. Since we had plans to go out for a nice dinner afterwards and the menu at DC Improv looked lackluster and overpriced, we shared the chips & salsa.
After the show was over, we were quickly ushered out so that they could turn over the room for the next performance. Marlon and his team were all about business, selling memorabilia and only taking photos with people who purchased something. Those who did not make a purchase were not allowed to take photos at all and DC Improv staff made sure of that.

Caitlín K.

Place rating: 3
Woodbridge, VA

Attended a murder mystery show to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I don’t want to include a review of the show in a review of the venue, so I will just stick to the facts of the experience.
The staff were all super friendly and inviting. We arrived not long after seating began, but still had to sit near the back; I guess to earn good seats you must queue outside far in advance.
Drink orders were taken quickly, however it took a while to order food (perhaps because it was a sold-out show). Appetizers start around $ 9, and mixed drinks run about $ 10, so it isn’t all that cheap.
A lot of the show took place off-stage, making it impossible to see behind the multitude of columns. I felt like I was listening to a radio show rather than watching a play; somewhat disappointing, and I wish they would have considered that while planning the performance.

Sarah W.

Place rating: 4
Washington, DC

I can’t believe I haven’t rated this place yet. I have been here twice so far and enjoyed both occasions. The first time I came with a friend, which turned out to be the perfect occasion for him since he has a sight disability. That evening we saw Tammy Pescatelli. What can I say other than she is great! She joked about her Italian upbringing. love and dating, etc. The other time was just recently, I went with a friend to watch Finesse Mitchell from Saturday Night Live. Again, wow, we had a really great time! Finesse is also pretty funny. He is from DC so he can really relate to the neighborhoods!
This is by far one of my favorite DC venues. The food is pretty typical for a comedy club and I believe they have a two drink minimum. The tables are small, so don’t order a lot of food. Also, because the space is pretty tight, the club forces its patrons to sit with strangers if you do not fill up your table, but so what. It wouldn’t stop me from going. If anything, get out and make some new friends!

Chaz C.

Place rating: 4
Kensington, MD

The staff and management really care. My wife and I will be going here again as they were very accommodating. Don’t hesitate to go to venue if a comedian you like is here.
It is in a basement location but there is elevator access.
Seating is usually first come first serve and they get packed pretty quick so keep this in mind.
The owner seems to be there to make sure all his patrons have a good time so if there is any issue, make sure to speak to management before you leave.

Kathryn L.

Place rating: 5
North Bethesda, MD

5 Stars for Arnez J!
I got the tickets the day before, ended up with a decent table. No long line so that was cool. Got a 60 second rules of engagement for the etiquette of the show & the doors were open.
Our server Alana was expedient & not intrusive in demanding the ordering requirements, she allowed us to go with the evening’s flow of fulfilling the minimum purchases.
The Improv’s object to sell out tickets to cover the Talent is more than understood, yet the cramp layout of the tables needs some adjusting, especially for the in the corner tables.
Once everyone seemed to be seated, the show started with the opening act, who was pretty funny and was able to hold the crowd. After a good 30 – 45 minute set, Arnez J. came out and crushed it like he always does. I’ve always like the late/finale show as the artist seems to give their best before resetting for the day/night’s performance.
It really was a hassle free effort from the tickets, entry and seating. I’ll make an effort to come back more being back in the DMV.

Katie B.

Place rating: 4
Washington, DC

Went to see Kevin from The League a few weeks ago, and was pleasantly surprised by this place. (This show was completely sold out!) Even though the building is under construction, there were clear signs directing patrons on how to access the comedy club. The staff were all really friendly, and very efficient on seating everybody. You don’t have a choice on seating– this is definitely a first come, first serve. The sooner you get there, the better your seats. Though, besides the high tops in the very back, it looked like everybody had a great view.
Food wasn’t anything super remarkable, though I didn’t expect it to be. We had the sliders and I forget what else. Drinks were decently priced. Definitely going for the performer, not for the food/drinks. Great ambiance though!

Mary Kate M.

Place rating: 3
Washington, DC

This review is based on my visit during their monthly trivia.
I came here with a 3 other Unilocalers where they have monthly trivia here. The subjects are all related in some weird way, but it is great trivia. I’d say it was kind of tougher than a couple of places I’ve played at in the DC metro area. I liked that he threw in some trivia that was even somewhat localized meaning he had trivia about the DC metro and what stuff of that nature.
Why the 3 stars? Though I found the patronage to be hospitable; I felt it was a bit much for them to only have one server taking care of all the tables inside the trivia room. You could tell she was a bit overwhelmed by all of the activities which made it more lackluster since you had to track her down for everything.
At the end of the meal, one of the Unilocalers divided up the check with taxes included. My bill was charged $ 4 than was to be. She told us what she did. She had calculated it herself despite the fact of us telling her we already did it ourselves and put what was left over on my tab. I realize it is only $ 4, but that is not the point I making. My point is she disregarded what we told her.
As far as food goes — I tried a few various things, but my overall thought was the food was overpriced and overstated for what it was. I wasn’t sold on my chicken wings even though I ate them all… you will eat about anything when you haven’t eaten a good part of the day because I was having difficulty keeping stuff down. I kept down the chicken wings. lol
I need to come back for the open mic or comedy skits and shows. I think that would be much more worth my while than the mediocre service during trivia.

Susan A.

Place rating: 3
Washington, DC

DC Improv is a well-known comedy club in the area. I took my brother here to watch Pablo Francisco for the 8pm show. This review is for the venue only.
The first show each night is seated according to the time of your arrival. Doors open 90 minutes before show time. It is a medium-sized space (I’d say less than 100 people but more than 60 people can fit in the main show room). The seating is like a restaurant, so there are tables and chairs. The smallest table they have is a four-person table, so my brother and I sat there with a couple we didn’t know. It was not awkward. The crowd that comes here is mostly 30-somethings, so my brother and I felt a bit young. Some of the jokes are also geared toward an older audience. The show was good, and all the seats have a fine view of the stage.
Cons
— Overpriced and bland food (they have quesadillas, french fries, nachos, etc). French fries were $ 6.95 for around a Medium size at McDonald’s.
— No refills on drinks.

DC Improv

Washington, DC, United States

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20 reviews of DC Improv