San Francisco has a legitimate comedy infrastructure that doesn't get much coverage: bar back rooms, monthly residencies, shows that live or die on word of mouth. The comics who named these spots are people who work them regularly, which means the picks skew toward rooms where the booking is interesting and the crowds are paying attention rather than on a bachelorette itinerary.

Specific show times, venues, and ticket prices vary by event — check each show's individual listing or the venue's calendar before you go. Most of these are $5–$15 at the door, cash preferred. If a show is in the Mission or SoMa, BART to 16th Street or Civic Center gets you within range of most of them; for anything in the Richmond or Sunset, you're driving or busing.

Practical tip: shows listed as "8pm" in SF comedy usually mean comics hit the stage closer to 8:20. Get there early enough to get a drink and a seat, not early enough to sit in an empty room.

If you have two hours: Pick one show, arrive ten minutes before listed start, sit toward the middle — not the front row unless you want to be in it.