Cobb's Comedy Club runs a free Secret Guest List night — check their site for the current date, doors typically at 7pm, show at 8pm, 915 Columbus Ave in North Beach, no cover but you need to get on the list in advance. Separately, "Hecklers Welcome" bills itself as SF's first stand-up show that actively invites the audience to heckle — check SFFuncheap for the current venue and time, as location rotates. Both shows are 21+; bring ID. North Beach parking is brutal on weekends; take BART to Montgomery or Powell and walk or grab a Muni 30 to Columbus.

The Cobb's free nights are a legitimate get — comics working out tighter material in front of a real room, not a bar open mic. The caliber varies night to night, which is part of it. "Hecklers Welcome" is a different proposition: the premise is the show, and whether that sounds fun or exhausting probably tells you which one to attend. Food and drink are available at Cobb's; plan accordingly if you're eating first, because North Beach restaurants on Saturday will have a wait.

If you have two hours: get on the Cobb's list, show up at 7:30, sit center-left of the room where sightlines are best, and order before the show starts so you're not flagging down a server during a set.