Stand-up in NYC is expensive — unless you know where to look. Time Out’s roundup lists five recurring no-cover comedy shows across Manhattan and Brooklyn, several booking comics with serious national credits. The unwritten rule: the show is free, so buy a drink or two to keep the venue happy.
- Female Comedians (with Tits!) — weekly at Tip Top Bar & Grill, Bed-Stuy: hosts Janet Hyde and Mary Cella book comics from Conan, The Tonight Show, and HBO; $3 PBRs
- Ambush Comedy — Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. at Two Boots Pizza, 558 Driggs Ave, Williamsburg: hosted by Josh Johnson (The Daily Show), Lucas Connolly, and Brittany Cardwell; free beer until 8 p.m. and a pizza raffle for ticket holders
- Stand Up! Comedy Show — Sundays in the backroom of Vig Bar, 12 Spring St, SoHo: comics from Comedy Central, TruTV, and NBC; no cover or item minimum, but a drink is the polite move
- The Bomb Shelter Comedy Show — Thursdays 8 p.m. at the Gaf West, 401 W 48th St: national headliners in an intimate room — no cover, no drink minimum, free pizza
- We Have Fun — Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. at Young Ethels, 506 5th Ave, Brooklyn: hosts Zach Sims and Dan Wilbur with lineups from The Late Show, Conan, and Comedy Central
Reservations are free via Eventbrite for all five, and free rooms fill fast — book ahead and show up early. Whether you want a pizza in Williamsburg or a no-frills room in Hell’s Kitchen, there’s a zero-dollar night out in this list almost any day of the week.