McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre

Piff! Mr. Piffles! Loved them! Particularly when he drank my Coke and the table over’s cake.
McCurdy’s: been here for several occasions. Caution when seating; too close = no leg room. Tables can be tight…
Love! Love! Love! I don’t have to be in a hurry to get good seat! That’s my seat!!!
Drink/​food orders delay, but they have lots to work with, parties not arriving same time, wiggle between and around. Food could be a bit more appetizing. Wish restaurants would sell Coke and Pepsi…
I walk a way recapturing moments. Regardless who they have it will always be a good time!

The place was clean, staff friendly. Lots of laughs. Our cheeks hurt when we left.
2 item minimum– drinks are a bit pricey– but you can get a few coffee’s if funds are tight and get outta there dirt cheap.
Took away a star for the included gratuity on the bill. I get it– and agree with adding it to the bill, but the hosts sat up there talking over and over about tipping the waitstaff… when tips were included. I feel that it’s a bit deceiving for someone who just pays their bill without looking to see gratuity was already added. Making the choice on your own, to tip over the 15% is fine… but encouraging double tipping is in poor taste (IMHO)… especially when the waitstaff only come by 1 – 2 times throughout the entire show.

Nowhere near as good as the Tampa improv, the owner wants to be a comedian and is the opening act and it was very weak, they get better performers now since they have a new venue but it’s still uncomfortable watching the owner up there trying to sell his DVD and telling 30 year old jokes

This was my first time at the «new» McCurdys downtown Sarasota. I was mildly impressed with the lounge as it was a decent sized room and had «the look» of a real comedy theater. The main theater was of a decent size and had a good, clear P.A. system. I will say Les McCurdy’s heavy southern accent makes him sound like a dum-​dum – I hate to judge him on that. I’m not sure what his real claim to fame is. I know he fancies himself a comedian and Im sure hes not a bad guy.
The staff were pleasant and attentive.
The cons:
1. They need to dim the pre-​show lights a bit in the main room. The lights were blinding me.
2. I don’t like that they enforce a 2 drink minimum. I feel like you buy the ticket, you should be able to choose whether to have a drink or not. However, I also get that Les has overhead and needs to make a little dough, too.
3. The drinks are ex$pensive. I had a soda water (3.95) and a virgin Bloody Mary (5.00). My girlfriend had 4 vodka drinks. The bill was 50.00, thats with the 15% auto gratuity.
4. My only other complaint, and a major complaint at that, is how squished together the seating is. The chairs are almost on top of each other in an effort to maximize occupency. As a result, you are elbow to elbow with strangers (drunk, obnoxious, strangers). The seats are very uncomfortable, too. Your ass and lower back will be hurting.
****If they removed about 15−20% of the chairs and sprung for a more comfortable ones, this would be a very nice little club to see comedy.
All said, considering its Sarasota we’re talking about and not a city proper, McCurdys is the best one can hope for. They likely arent able to get better acts and instead work with what they can get. I know Louis C.K. played here about 6 years ago or so. Hes probably too big to ever come back, what with having his own show, concerts at Carnegie Hall and getting so popular. I would like to see hipper, smarter, young comedians coming through but this just aint the town for that. Its not a destination for hip/​indie bands and comedians.
Overall, I would recommend McCurtys.

McCurdy’s Comedy Theater is one of Sarasota is gems. There are not many cities our size that will attract the kind of talent that comes through McCurdy’s. We’ve frequented this establishment when it was north on the trail and several times since moving to the fabulous new location downtown. Every time, we’ve laughed a lot. The talent is top notch, and Les McCurdy is one of the best.

Please let me begin by saying that the comedy club itself in the acts that we have seen so far are wonderful. My lackluster review is basically geared towards the food. My husband and I went to the club last night to see Tom Arnold and he was funny and very entertaining to us from what we could hear. Just be aware that there is a two item purchase requirement for every seat inside the comedy club this does not count the bar green room area. You are inclined to order at least two things once you enter the comedy club before the show starts. I learned my lesson from our last visit not to order the coconut shrimp so I went with something that I thought would be easy and simple and would be tasty no matter who made it. Well that didn’t turn out so well I ordered the chicken fingers which was basically just fried batter with a smidgen of chicken inside and a couple of fries. This was not a good tasting basket of chicken fingers and fries and I love chicken fingers and fries yet, I could not even begin to eat more than a couple before I just quit trying to eat. I had ordered a mudslide drink before the food had arrived and it was decent. After trying to ingest the so-​called chicken strips the waitress came by and I asked her to please bring me a Coke. She was very nice don’t get me wrong. When the Coke arrived it only had a couple of almost completely dissolved ice cubes in it and the Coke was warm like it had been sitting out for a while I didn’t even bother trying to ask for anything else at that point I just tried to concentrate on being able to hear the show. The problem though was that at a certain point the waitress kept coming by bending down and whispering to every group and at every table down our row making it very hard to hear the act that was happening on the stage I understand that Mccurdys has to make money by selling more food and drinks but I just think that the constant questioning by the waiters and waitresses disturbs our enjoyment of the show that we are trying to watch. The other thing that kind of annoyed me was the fact that before Tom Arnold set began we all got to watch recorded comedy sketches either old ones from Saturday night live or old ones from comics that are coming soon. When I go to a live comedy club expect to see live comedy acts not pre-​recorded or old sketches from SNL that I can see on video myself. I’m sure that I will end up going to Mccurdys again but I think I’ve learned my lesson to just order two waters when we get inside and tell the servers right away we don’t want anything else so that maybe the avoid our table and we can listen to the show and then we will get something to eat before or after the show but not from Mccurdys.

Just saw Tom Arnold last night! It’s certainly an honor to live in Sarasota and to be able to see great comedy. I always leave here hurting because I laughed so much! There’s not a bad seat in this beautiful theatre. Love the design of this place. The green room is where you can meet your friends and get a drink before the show. They have excellent parking and valet.
The wait staff does a great job getting our drinks and food. I don’t mind paying for their 2 drink minimal rule. A small fee for professional comedy! Thank you Pam and Les for dedicating your lives to making ours more funny!!!

i had a gr8 time and hope to get to headline there soon #hlscomedy #hence iam comedian

I don’t know how you can’t love this place. Super friendly staff. Great entertainment. Always buy drinks by 2, there’s a lot of people so be understanding. Sound system is great and never a bad seat in the house. Score! Menu is larger since they moved. still the same type of simple easy snack foods but always enjoyable. Make certain you go pee before opening act!

This place is just awesome. The comments about the food may be true but we’ve never had a bad experience. We don’t go there for gourmet food — it’s a comedy club and for that they are the best. I’ve lived all over the world from London to Louisville and Les, Pam and Ken have built a great place here in Sarasota!

Disappointing. We expected a higher level of comedy presentation given what we were told by some locals. The food was poor but we were told it was marginal but it was a notch below that. Tables are squished together so there are 4 to a table with hardly any room for food or drinks and even though you don’t know those at your table there is really no time to chat because your looking at the back of their heads. I don’t qualify as an angel for sure but the first two comics had 4 f words for every 10 they said and that might have been redeeming if the lines were funny. They weren’t. The headliner was much better. Too bad he didn’t have half the show. Service was good and friendly. I know their successful but I know good stuff when I see it. This could be so much better.

We love Mccurdys. Always have a great time! Their new location is a step up as well. But, I do miss the terrified run from my car at the last location. :)
If you want to have a good time, go. Les is more!

My parents have been going to McCurdy’s for years… they have been to all the different locations. McCurdy’s is great no matter the location, but the new location is so convenient. We went to see Elaine Boosler recently and it was really fun. The new location is so much better! They have a little bar attached, the Green Room, which is nice, but the drinks you buy in the Green Room do NOT go towards your 2 item limit once in the club. Once inside the club you are required to purchase 2 items off the menu. The menu has definitely been updated from the previous location… it includes some appetizers, snacks, desserts and of course alcoholic beverages. The menu items are overpriced, but I mean they have to make money. The entertainment is always good and it’s a really fun atmosphere. If you sit in the front row you WILL get picked on by the comedian. The club is huge with lots of seating. If you have never been to a McCurdy’s location, the seating is typically 4 seats to one small table with all the chairs facing forward towards the stage (this means two people will be sitting in front of the other 2 people). Its so nice to be able to walk around downtown before or after the show now! Lots of great restaurants near by. Can’t wait to go again to see some of the upcoming comedians!

The club is VERY small inside, and so are the drinks… especially for the prices, (and 2 drink minimum). The show was hilarious, and we will definately be going back VERY soon! What a FUN date night!

McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre is an absolute must do in Sarasota. Now located in Downtown Sarasota just off Main Street in the newly renovated space, this laugh factory is the best way to start off your weekend, go with a group of friends for a night out, or a mid-​week diversion. Les & Pam McCurdy treat you like family and you always want to come back for an encore. Warning: 2 item minimum order per person. But you’ll walk with a smile on your face and jokes you’ll be telling for days or weeks. The Green Room for pre-​show drinks is also a great addition!

Why 5 stars? Because it’s one of the nicest comedy clubs I’ve been to.
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I hadn’t been to McCurdy’s in a couple of years since they opened up this new location, and I have to say — they did a phenomenal job. The décor is modern and clean, there are TV’s throughout, and even the food is better than at most comedy clubs.
We enjoyed the appetizer sampler, and the highlight was definitely the pretzel bread. It was honestly as good as it gets. And when the usual comedy club fare is 3 stars at best, something that delicious will really set you apart. I didn’t plan on drinking, but I ordered a bubble gum cocktail because it sounded so intriguing. It was so tasty that I ended up getting two.
I’m not the type to just randomly see a comedian I don’t know, but I’ll definitely be back here to see one of my favorite comedians in the future. So far, I’ve seen Mitch Fatel at the old facility, and just recently saw Jim Breuer.

1. The comedian was great.
2. The rest was awful. And here’s why:
1. Long wait times to pick up will call tickets (plan ahead).
2. They seat you oddly. If you are a couple they seat you behind your partner not next to you, so when your at a table of four and it’s two of you, you are sitting next to a totally stranger– maybe this is normal but we found it quite odd.
4. 2 drink/​item minimum order (even if you paid for tickets)
4. Long wait to be served and for drinks to come.
5. The one thing that erked me the most was the added gratuity if 15%, fine whatever, but don’t charge me 25% gratuity and expect me not to notice. Waiter knew he screwed up when we called him out on it and had another waitress bring us the correct check. I believe that was icing on the cake, the only reason I gave it two stars is because the comedian did a great job.

Soooo we loved the original. Just left a show we paid for. Experience was horrible. We booked tickets for the 9:30 show, arrived at 9. Once we got in & purchased a drink we were told there was a ‘delay’ and we would be waiting for admittance till 10. Barely any a/​c. Sweltering in there. We’re not allowed to stand outside w the drink we just bought. Once we got in the ‘host’ threw us into a squeezed in seat my husband couldn’t even get into & we left. We won’t be back. It’s unfortunate. It was never this tight at the old place but change is good, right? I’d rather drive to Tampa for a show.

I’ve been going to McCurdy’s for over 11 years. My 1^st time was when it was at the Big Kitchen, which is where I learned that they had comedy classes, I took both of them & started my comedy career there. It has been great to watch them grow over the years & now in their new, best location yet, downtown SRQ! I’ve met famous comedians there which has been a thrill for me! I have never seen a bad headliner there. ALWAYS a great time! Worth the drive from anywhere!

Hilariously entertaining! Perfect for a date night with your partner or a double date with another couple! My husband and I always have a great time and if you let them know your birthday or anniversary they will call you with free tickets for you and your friends! Love it!