Yuk Yuk’s

Yuk Yuk’s is a chain of comedy clubs across Canada.
The good: I have seen special shows by The Kids in the Hall and Nikki Payne here, but those were special feature shows, not a regular comedy night.
If you go on amateur night, that’s what you are going to get.
The bad: the room is set up to pack as many people into the room, and when it’s full you can barely move and feel like a sardine in a can, but when the comedians are doing well, you forget how uncomfortable it is.
The ugly: Beer choice is lacking anything even remotely craft like. Food is pricey and often cold.
I mostly am writing this review to defend Cal Post, a comic I know because he currently hosts the Wednesday night show at Spirits — the longest running open mic in Toronto. 20 years this year.
Another Unilocaler whined about what a bad time she had and that Cal Post’s jokes were racist. I have known Cal for years and his jokes are not racist. Some people are too politically correct and sensitive and should not being going to watch stand up comedy. Stick to Disney movies.
At the time he was also dealing with his girlfriend being diagnosed with ALS. Before you come on to Unilocal and attack an individual because you didn’t feel you got your money’s worth, think about how well you did on a bad day. Slamming a business is one thing. Attacking a person on Unilocal?Not cool. Not cool at all,
That said, for a long time Yuck’s was all there was, but now there are a ton of places to see stand up in Toronto, many have no cover charge and if you are from this city and can appreciate stand up, try a few, or try them all and decide for yourself how good or bad Yuck Yuck’s is.
If you go to other smaller cities and towns across Canada where Yuck’s is all there is, they appreciate the shows.

It’s pretty funny. I laughed quite a few times throughout the night (as opposed to my earlier experience at Second City Toronto where I didn’t laugh once).
There were 3 comedians + the MC. The MC was pretty decent and quick. 2 of the comedians including the headliner were reasonably funny. However, the 3^rd guy was terrible (can’t remember his name, but all his routines involve him playing his guitar and singing «humorous» songs).
The venue itself is okay. We came just before it started so had to sit right at the back (it was a full house), and the leg room was really limited. Think plane economy class limited. Beers are $ 7 which is not too bad, and also they don’t have a minimum drink demand, which is nice. I also like that theres no intermission, so no need to waste time.
Tips:
–free admission on your bday week. Apparently you need to sign up for that online
–they say that the box office closes 30min before the show, but it seemed to still be open when we entered just before the show started

My first foray into the Toronto comedy scene didn’t disappoint! At $ 22 per ticket inc. tax the prices are decent for a 90 minute live show. There was three comedians and an MC so a lot of variety, and all acts were very good in their own way with one stand out act (surprisingly not the headliner!).
A bit more improv/​audience interaction would have been nice: it leaned towards feeling a little scripted at times. The beauty of live comedy is that it has the potential to be completely different every show, but the jokes were funny and I laughed all night so definitely can’t complain.
Drinks are good value too and service was attentive: $ 7 cocktails /​$ 31 litre of wine /​$ 6.50 beers. The food menu was great too: huge portions ranging from $ 7-​$ 25. Check it out for a a fun, cheap, different night out in the city!

Great venue. Great host. And wonderful service during the acts. No complaints. Very centrally located. and easily accessible by ttc. Standard selection of beers available only by bottle for good pricing. And great selection of munchies to pair w it. Tickets are great deals and it’s one of those venues where no seat has a bad view. Be warned when in front two rows get ready to be picked on.

Its weird having someone seating me. I get reserved seating, but put a sign on the table and let me find my seat like an adult. Second, i ordered a diet coke for a whopping $ 3.25. It came out like a cross between swamp water and soy sauce in water. I told the waiter that I am sorry to bother him, but it really tastes bad. He brought me another glass that tasted just as bad. Maybe a little more aluminum taste give or take. Hope the comedians make up for the first impression.
After being crammed into the equivalent of a human sardine can, The first intro act was lacklustre, but the second intermediate act was pretty good and the headliner was killer. Props to Sunee D. He’s too good for this venue.

Thought the show was hilarious! The hist, Dylan, was great, engaged the audience and picked on a few people in a totally friendly manner. There were 3 comedians before the headline act… didnt really enjoy the first startup comedian, but the other 2 were great Headline act was absolutely amazing, seriously couldn’t stop laughing at all the random jokes he shot out. Some of his jokes mau have potentially offended some. audience members, but in my opinion, no one should have been… its comedy, being somewhat offensive is necessary! Only cost about 20 bucks to get in too, so if your looking for a cheap night out and some great laughs, this is the place to be!

Pretty cheap looking place. They could definitely do with a renovation. Funny standup though. Waiters are shit. We were seated in a terrible spot right by the kitchen and bathroom. Pretty much where most of the traffic is. Worth about half the entrance fee IMO.

We first came here for valentines day (2014) where we heard about their all-​black comedy nights special. We ended up coming Sunday August 31^st (last Sunday of every month)
The club started filling up and before you knew it it was rammed. I felt packed in their like sardines. On to the seats… which are horribly uncomfortable. Especially since the show started @ 8:30 and was suppose to end @10:30 but went until 12. We got a booth last time but this time they were all reserved. Next time we’ll make it a point to call in advance and book a booth. My bum was soooo numb .
The host’s improv was hilarious!!! Unfortunately, I think there were 1 too many acts. If I had to guess I think 8 different comedians… a few of which weren’t that funny but overall it was a great but loooong show.
I’ll need to do a bit of research because 2 of the comedians were definitely worth going to see else where.

A fun atmosphere but you never know quite what kind of comedy you’re gonna get.

Was brought here for a date last week to see a show. To be quite honest, I was a little disappointed.
Sever showed up once and we asked for more time, she never came back. Seemed like she was the only server for all the tables so I know she was busy but that’s still not an excuse — schedule more staff! The show was 2 hours-​ish and we couldn’t get a single drink/​food order in and came ready to eat, drink and laugh! :(
I actually enjoyed the bits of the host much more so than that of the actual comics… And I’m easy to make laugh but there were definitely several moments where jokes fell flat.
I’m not sure I would really bother to come back unless it was a big act, especially as I’ve found the level of service to be the same the few times that I’ve been here.

Only been here once. I guess it really depends what night you go, There will always be different comedians so they will either make or break the night.
Would give this place a higher rating but the headliner was the least funny person of the night. The rest of the comedian were great but the show ended on a lower note.
A little tip if you sit at the front at the stage your probably going to get ripped on. I learned this the hard way.

I come here every couple of months for black comedy night. I always have a good time and get some good jokes. However, the food and alcohol at this place is so overprice it’s ridiculous no one is spending that kind of money on your glorified burger. Also the venue is so pinched its laughable. If you turn ur head slightly to the right you are on someone shoulder and if you move a bit to the left you are on someone’s lap. The show in itself is great but the venue needs some serious work.

My wife said to me before the show started, «I hope it’s funny and not just dirty.» Well needless to say all the comedians either talked about pot and/​or their penis. In the case of the girl comedian, she talked about pot and wanting to have a penis.
I have seen comedy in many places. Worst show ever. We left before the show was over. Oh by the way, no air down in the dungeon. 36 degrees Celsius at least.

I don’t know what happened to this place. They used to get great club headliners and road comics. Now, the only time I ever see familiar names is because they’ve been playing shows here already… a lot. It all seemed to start going downhill when they aligned themselves with George Brown, starting a college comedy course which seems utterly ridiculous and a bit of an opportunistic cash grab. I don’t know if they still do this but back in the day with big names, the headliner would KILL with great closing bits and instead of letting the audience out on a great high note, you’d be stuck listening to the MC make a bunch of announcements about who is coming up, various benefits, etc. This isn’t as bad as waitresses coming around getting everyone in the audience to settle up their tabs for the night’s orders while the comedian is performing-​which also has regularly gone on here.

I have been to 3 comedy bars in Toronto so far, and this is by far my least favourite. I feel like it’s just a tourist trap.
A big group of us from work went a few weeks back. We went during the week, so the tickets weren’t too pricey, and they were good about the reservation; one of us held the seats with a credit card, but they just allowed us all to pay as we got there.
When I arrived I noticed that the stage looked pretty tacky with just a bright blue lit background. The tables were long, but all of the chairs faced the stage. It was good b/​c we faced the stage, but then on the other hand, for some people, their tables were now at their backs, so if they were eating, they would have to eat on their lap.
I was not very impressed with the service either. The staff was incredibly rude. Our table was even shushed for being too loud when we were LAUGHING. It’s like they wanted us to sit in complete silence.
The bathrooms were upstairs on another floor, so if you had to go during the show, it was a long trek — whoever designed that wasn’t thinking clearly.
I know it was a weekday, but the comedians sucked, and the hostess was even worse.
I would not go back here.

Judging by the reviews, this place can be hit or miss depending on the performers and the crowd. I will just say that personally, this place was a huge miss.
I went on a Friday night– tickets were $ 20. The crowd was decently sized, enough to fill the room comfortably but not packed so that you couldn’t find a seat.
Headliner was Cal Post. I didn’t laugh a single time during his routine. In fact, most of the time I was extremely offended. Every single joke was either racist or sexist. (Here’s a tip: if all you can joke about are women and third world countries, you aren’t funny.) I just felt very uncomfortable. Everything he said made me cringe or downright angry.
I came with three other friends, but if I had been alone, I would have just left. The other performers that night ranged from mediocre to offensive (unfortunately I don’t remember their names).
I would definitely steer clear unless you know for certain the performer the night you are going is of your flavour, or else you run the risk of having a horrible night.

I was here in March 2013; first time, and I had a really good time! The cover was about $ 12 to see Mike Wilmot, and there were about 4 opening acts. Too bad I don’t remember any of their names, but they were hilarious. The staff are really good at making sure guests are respectful to the comedians and the food portions are huge. The food isn’t the greatest, but lets be honest… you’re not their for the food.
Can’t wait to go back.

I’ve been here for amateur night as well as their pro shows.
I’ve seen shows where I laughed the entire time and I’ve seen other shows where I barely laughed (this goes for both the amateur and pro shows).
The crowd also varies. One time there were only about 20 people in attendance which was kind of awkward. Other times they get completely full.
The club lets select amateurs perform on Wednesdays as opening acts to help develop their skills. If you don’t want to see amateurs as opening acts, well, don’t go on a Wednesday.
Seating is a bit packed and uncomfortable. You’ll almost be shoulder-​to-​shoulder with your neighbour. About half of the seats don’t have an accompanying table, so if you’re sitting there and you get something to eat or drink, you’d have to hold it in your hand/​lap.
They have more spacious booths along the back wall for an extra $ 20. However, the booths don’t face the stage so you’d have to turn your head/​body to see the show which I imagine is annoying.
Pet peeve of mine: they have quite a bit of reserved seating, but even if they don’t get reservations for those seats on a particular night, they won’t open up those seats for everyone else. If the show is packed and no one’s coming to the reserved seats, let others sit there so it’s less crowded!
The stage and back wall looked decent enough. There is waiter service and the staff were good. Bring a credit card if you want to run a tab.
Even though I’ve had some good times here, Absolute Comedy is cheaper and in my opinion laid out better.

I went to see my friend perform on Thursday night at Yuk Yuks. Very funny! I’ve been to Yuk Yuks before but not this location. The tickets were only $ 15 which is pretty cheap. They do have a dinner and show deal which they have had since the beginning of time.
It was clean and it looked nice inside, which was a nice change from the dingy location that used to be at Yonge & Eglinton. They also have the option of paying 20 bucks to sit in a booth. It makes you feel special and you get a great view of the stage but thats it. I thought that the button at the end of the table worked to signal the one & only waitress over. Sadly, it didn’t work.
The food looked pretty inexpensive. We ordered the chips which were homemade and were very good with the dip.
**don’t pay for a booth, sit in front & get picked on. **

«Wow, baby, your eyes sparkle even more brightly than the rhinestones of an Ed Hardy t-​shirt». (REAL pick up line, or a comic’s attempt at a funny? You be the judge).
Duly impressed with Amateur night at Yuk Yuks (Tuesdays). Admission = $ 4. 2 hours of Humber comedy students refining their skills followed by open mic. For me, personally, the Humber students provided more groans than laughs, but there were a few real funny kids up there. The one singing about «After Breakfast Sex» is a legend in the making.
Love the venue. Typical comedy club set up — small, dark, intimate basement. It’s small and the seating is arranged so that everyone is close within range of the stage. There were some booths at the back but you had to pay $ 20 extra to sit in a booth. Not so cool, they should just hand those out on a first come/​first serve basis. Sheesh.
Drink selection was adequate and they had some food too. I saw some delicious looking fries coming out served in a large cone shaped hanging basket.
Will go back in search of some above-​amateur improv soon!