Nightlife in Sandusky

Comedy has come a long way since Trog the Cavemedian and his side-splitting "murder the audience" act. See the progress for yourself with today's Groupon: $5 gets you admission to an improv show by comedy troupe Something Dada (a $10 value). There's nothing funny about free parking, but you get that, too.

Wonder Bar delights patrons with delicious drinks, delectable gastropub fare, and the promise of frequent live music. The comprehensive drink menu boasts a meaty assortment of 30 beers and 15 wines, including selections from the local Great Lakes Brewing Company. Palates craving a sip of something stronger can patrol a list of Wonder Bar's inventive cocktails, such as marriage of red rice sake and sparkling wine known as the Sake-Tini, or the debauched childhood favorite known as the Root Beer Float (Three Olives root-beer vodka, Bailey's, and Coke). Channel the romantic potential of a retired Pog designer while drinking absinthe La Louche —served traditionally with water and sugar cube—or pair the herbal elixir with sparkling wine for a Death in the Afternoon.

Over the years, Reddstone’s outdoor patio has earned it plenty of love. In 2011, CBS Cleveland named Reddstone among the best outdoor bars in the city, and Cleveland Scene magazine deemed it the top spot for patio drinking. Though the patio garners a lot of attention, especially during its weekly pig roasts over the summer, Reddstone slyly offers the Detroit Shoreway and Battery Park community a dining experience to match its patio’s growing legend. The chef keeps the kitchen open until midnight every night, whipping up signature burgers and small plates to accompany 20 craft beers on tap. Rather than playing the "Star Spangled Banner" on a squeaky chair, Reddstone’s management team keeps visitors thoroughly entertained by booking weekly live performances from acts that range from standup comedians to jazz musicians.

Inside Miss Cue Sports Cafe, guests are greeted with the clatter of pool balls on 22 tables intermingling with the sound of laughter. Between table times, players shore up hand-eye coordination with games of shuffleboard and darts or play shrunken-down versions of sports, such as basketball shootout and foosball.

Sports fans keep one eye on the televisions scattered about the space and the other on the menu of Harry's Hot Dog Hut. The pure vienna beef hot dogs come with innovative toppings such as creamed peas, bacon, baked beans, and a spicy mango chutney made with a house recipe. The full-service bar stands at the ready to concoct libations that wash down dogs better than frosty mugs of mustard.

Landmarks of standup for decades, Connxtions Comedy Clubs remain mainstays for up-and-coming comics and national stars, with a roster of past performers that includes Sinbad, Drew Carey, Tim Allen, D. L. Hughley, and Rob Schneider. Headlining comedians, many seen on national television, keep the venues teetering Thursday–Saturday nights, whereas Wednesday nights host improv spectacles and open mics where rookies can begin their ascent into stardom or descent into miming. While refueling chuckle tanks, duos and groups can split a savory appetizer, such as fried pickle spears or buffalo popcorn shrimp, or enjoy a potent cocktail at the bar.

Few bars can boast a brunch menu as notable as their pours. But Around the Corner’s hot coconut cakes nabbed it a spot on _Cleveland Magazine_’s 30 Best Breakfast Dishes in 2012. Inspired by head chef Sonny Zarlis’s Indonesian upbringing, the light, crispy pancakes include coconut milk, a touch of Coco Lopez, and grated coconut on top—his mother’s recipe. But when morning fades to night and the sun becomes a mere puddle of butter in the sky, the eatery fills the brunch-shaped hole in customers’ bellies with a dinner menu of burgers, wings, and fajitas. Accompanied by local and craft beers, meals unfold amid live music and TV screens.