The Punch Line is a stand-up comedy club at 444 Battery Street in the Financial District. It opened in 1978 in a former dressing room next to the Old Waldorf rock club, and it is San Francisco’s oldest running comedy club. Bill Graham’s company bought it in 1980.
What to Expect
The room is small, seating a few hundred. Shows are stand-up sets by touring headliners and local comics, usually one or two a night with an opener and a headliner. Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, Ellen DeGeneres, Chris Rock, and Margaret Cho all performed here early in their careers, and current touring comics still play the room.
Visiting
Address: 444 Battery Street, between Clay and Washington.
Tickets: Buy through punchlinecomedyclub.com. Most shows carry a two-drink minimum.
Getting there: The club is a few blocks from the Embarcadero and Montgomery Street BART and Muni Metro stations.
