Nightlife in Spring

Though Puffabellys menu clearly states they opened in 1995, the restaurant carries an ambiance and a history evocative of a much older establishment. Initially housed in an old train depot that was relocated from Lovelady, the eatery burned completely to the ground five years after opening. The original structure was completely unsalvageable, but reclaimed materials were collected so that the new structure would echo the personality of its ancestor.

Today, aged tin signs for train lines and ice cream bedeck a dining room where weathered tin cans brimming with peanuts sit on each table. Diners crack the nuts' salty shells as they await plates of fried catfish or the eatery's popular fried green tomatoes. A selection of 10 open-faced burgers exposes steamy layers of shredded cheese with bacon or jalapeños, effectively forcing sandwich picks into early retirement. On Wednesday nights, live music plays during the Songwriter Showcase.

The PG-rated program is led by a talented team of in-house improv experts in the vein of Drew Carey’s popular Whose Line Is It Anyway? show on the ABC Family Channel. As a member of the audience, you’ll not only create the show (skits are created on the spot from audience suggestions), you might be in the show, too. Each week, the guffawing gurus invite members of the peanut gallery on stage to act out scenes and test their improv skills.

Laughter and lovable fur companions are undeniable life joys. Score a twofer with today's Groupon, offering a $20 ticket to Canines and Cats Comedy Hour on January 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Houston Improv Comedy Club and Dinner Theatre (presale tickets are available for $25 until 1/24, after that the tickets are available for $40). The laughfest doubles as a fundraiser for Houston's homeless pets, benefiting HOPE, HPPL, and SNAP. There's a full bar and dinner served at the show for maximum laughter enjoyment. The club also has a two-drink minimum and a mandatory 18% gratuity on your meal.

At ComedySportz, the spontaneity of improv humor marries the competitiveness of athletics in three weekly shows that churn out laughs for roughly 100 minutes each. During a match, two opposing teams of comics square off as a referee presides. The teams launch into sketches and routines fueled by audience suggestions, much like on the TV shows Whose Line Is It Anyway? and World News with Diane Sawyer. Since random, casual outbursts are so integral to the show, no two performances are the same, and many fans check the lineup to see when their favorite funnypeople take the stage next.

The soothing sounds of the saxophone and the call of the trumpet fill the air inside the Red Cat Jazz Café. Several nights a week, artists such as Brian Best and Dean James play on the café's stage, which also hosts boisterous events including the Red Cat Jazz Festival. Open-mic nights let lesser-known acts make a splash, and happy hours and special events encourage artistic expression through words, mixed drinks, and opportunities to complain about coworkers in song.