Clubs in Buffalo Grove

ComedySportz showcases sidesplitting talents in team-based improv spats on Fridays and Saturdays. In the signature ComedySportz shows ($8–$12/person) and ComedySportz Kidz matinee show ($7.50/person), comedic squads square off against one another in a some-holds-barred refereed stage match that is surprisingly appropriate for all ages. In an effort to keep humor clean, referees and audience members can call for the brown-bag foul, which puts offensive performers into bagged timeouts to think about both what they've done and what it feels like to be a grocery item. Each show is unique, with catalyzing situations ranging from rambunctious elimination rap battles to time-twisters that flash-forward and rewind as per the ref's arbitrary calls. ComedySportz encourages audiences to toss in suggestions throughout the performance to keep improvists on their witty toes and off their humorless heels. The laugh-riot arena hosts 180 unobstructed views to witness unscripted feats of farce. In between giggles, onlookers can nab some fermented ales at the on-site full bar or snag an order of fresh eats from the Howie's Restaurant menu featuring comfort fare such as hot dogs, deep-fried Twinkies, and boiled afghans.

For more than two decades, laughs have permeated the space within Comedy Cafe. On its stage, a rolling list of local and nationally acclaimed comedians—such as Tommy Chong and Bobcat Goldthwait—launch into schticks or go about repairing minor damage to brickwork. Audiences can work on their spit takes thanks to a menu of margaritas, martinis, and snacks such as popcorn.

Lively jazz tunes bounce off the brick walls, exposed rafters, and blue-tinged décor of Close Up 2 Jazz's South Loop location. Bartenders shake cocktail mixers in syncopation with smooth jazz that flows from a floor-level stage. Up-and-coming artists mix R & B and classical jazz in the loft-style lounge, whose music and ambiance have attracted numerous mentions in the press. Just steps from the LaSalle/Van Buren Brown Line stop, the chic club leaves its doors open from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. on weekdays and 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Saturdays to catch the postwork crowd and recently retired "L" train cars.

Funny-bone pummelers on The Comedy Bar's aluminum-accented stage weave witticism in front of cabaret-style seating that keeps guests close enough to reach out and touch jokes. Cool suds fuel revelry, and ice clinks against glass as bartenders concoct a variety of cocktails or work to separate feuding arctic explorers. From the curved, burnt-umber walls, dim sconces help create an environment that lures belly laughs from their natural habitat, and the Ontario Street location facilitates after-show festivities with its proximity to restaurants, bars, and public transit.

For more than 20 years, comedians of all levels of notoriety have peddled their laugh-inducing verbal wares on Riddles Comedy Clubs’ stages. An airbrushed city skyline sits behind the corner stage at the original Alsip location, where such comedians as Jeff Dunham, Louie Anderson, and Drew Carey slung jokes to side-split audiences. A full bar with overhanging LCD TVs dispenses alcoholic and nonalcoholic whistle-wetters in between sets at both the Alsip location and the new Berwyn spot. Additionally, Riddles' lots house free parking for those driving from far-off locales or patrons who can't find a limo service that takes knock-knock jokes as payment.

Chicago Limo Net ushers its office-, nightlife-, and airport-bound clientele about the Chicago area in a fleet of luxurious, custom buses and limousines. Twenty-four-passenger party buses bedecked in low-level lighting, leather couches, dancing poles, and mirror-laden roofs bestow a nightclub-like feel minus the acute stares of gargantuan doormen. Smaller 6- and 10-passenger limousines present many of the same creature comforts in a more aerodynamic package for airport or around-town trips. Each party conveyance is piloted by a professional chauffeur with extensive knowledge of downtown Chicago, who will gladly take the fastest or most scenic route and can offer unique insights into the city, such as how to differentiate between the Willis Tower and the pier's ferris wheel.