Medicinal laughter can be cheaply attained in Canada, where back-alley comedians sell jokes about famous Canadian postmaster generals. Today’s Groupon brings legal laughs closer to home: for $10, you get a ticket to Laughing Skull Lounge (up to a $20 value).

Tucked in the back of the den of deliciousness that is The Vortex Bar & Grill in Midtown, Laughing Skull Lounge serves up beer, cocktails, and side-splitting laughs in an intimate, 74-seat space. The comedy curators treat stand-up as a form of art, like Baroque string quartets or piñatas, and allow only the scene’s most prominent artists to regale audiences with humorous stylings. The laughs at Laughing Skull are often searing and served with a progressive slant, with upcoming shows that feature national touring comedians such as Tonight Show alum Tommy Johnagin, Web Soup’s Chris Hardwick, and 38-time Late Night With Conan O’Brien veteran Marc Maron.

Your spit-take is practically guaranteed to cover the vast majority of Laughing Skull, since it's the world’s tiniest full-time stand-up theater. Hit up Vortex for burgers pre-show and slink to the back for a hysterical, comedy-show dessert; audiences are discouraged from placing their leftover food on stage, even as a gift. Wash down the laughter with a couple of drinks—Laughing Skull's two-drink minimum is easier to swallow with today's deal.

Must be 18 or older. Not valid for special events.

Reviews

Creative Loafing Atlanta named the Laughing Skull Lounge Best Venue for Stand-Up Comedy in 2009, and Yelpers give it an average of 4.5 stars. Citysearchers and Google Mappers give the comedy lounge an average of five stars:

• In a room that small, crowd work becomes an inside joke, and the comic you've seen on TV transforms into your hilarious buddy, albeit with a microphone and a spotlight. – Noah Gardenswartz, Creative Loafing
• These are the nights I live for! Thank you Laughing Skull for an amazing evening full of surprises, laughs, skulls, and burgers! – spartevan v., Yelp
• I've been to other comedy clubs and this is by far my favorite. In fact every time I purchase my tickets on-line I get a small adrenaline rush, because I know there are some super good times in my future. – Lololyda, Citysearch