Comedy Roundup: Your Week’s Worth of Comedy Open Mic Picks

Open mics are great places for comedians of all experience levels to try their stuff out. Audiences never know when their “I saw them when” moment will arise, or—as happened with a few Funniest Five winners—they’ll catch the spark that sets off the blaze of showbiz. Portland has open mics every night of the week, and depending on where you find yourself on any given day, you’re probably never too far from one.

Here are a few open mic nights to try out around Portland, either as a performer or as part of the crowd. Some are new, while others are established, but anyone looking to cut their teeth on Portland’s local scene ought to begin here.

Sundays

Start the week off with a hot meal and a side of belly laughs. Amir Kat hosts weekly Sunday Open Mic at the Ambassador Restaurant and Lounge, the Hollywood District Chinese restaurant and bar on Northeast Sandy Boulevard at 47th Avenue. The Ambassador’s karaoke setup lets amateurs let loose and have fun, so why wouldn’t the comedy work just as well? 4744 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-280-0330, ambassadorpdx.com. 7 pm.

Mondays

Matt Brown and Jenna Urban host a weekly Monday open mic out of the cozy Interstate-adjacent Haymaker Bar and Eatery on North Killingsworth Street at Montana Avenue. The “always free and frequently funny” show runs in a low-pressure environment sure to put everyone involved at ease. 1233 N Killingsworth St., 503-384-2698, haymakerportland.com. 7 pm.

Tuesdays

Dirty Angel Entertainment’s long-running weekly The Real Comedy Spot Open Mic stayed in the Madison South-area bar Misfits as it shifted from an anything goes dive at Northeast 82nd Avenue and Russell Street into an LGBTQ+ hub. Armaan Singh, Kris Cox and The Real Hyjinx make room for all, no matter how they identify, every Tuesday. 2530 NE 82nd Ave., 503-234-2337, misfitspdx.com. 10:15 pm.

Wednesdays

Starting Feb. 5, Colin Mattox will jam Yams into the storied Yamhill Pub. Yams will offer comedians the chance to prove if they can make it in one of downtown Portland’s grodiest, longest-running dive bars, they truly can make it anywhere. 223 SW Yamhill St., 503-295-6613, facebook.com/yamhillpubllc. 10 pm.

Thursdays

Brandon Lyons hosts a weekly open mic at Al’s Den, one of the McMenamins empire’s most revered comedy hot spots beneath the Crystal Ballroom. Plenty of Funniest Five alumni still stop by to stay fresh, so why not you? 303 SW 12th Ave., 503-972-2670, mcmenamins.com. 8 pm.

Fridays

Funhouse Lounge’s long-running Midnight Open Mic patiently waits for the bar-turned-theater’s prime hour shows to let out before turning things over to Matt Franco and the late-night jokesters who turn the Hosford-Abernethy chucklehut and home of the infamous Clown Room into a nighthawks’ nest. 2432 SE 11th Ave., 503-841–6734, funhouselounge.com. Midnight.

Saturdays

After the headlining weekend showcase at Covert Cafe, Aaron Thomas keeps the energy flowing at the cozy Montavilla neighborhood watering hole on Southeast 82nd Avenue at Morrison Street. 803 SE 82nd Ave., 503-254-8277, thecovertcafe.com. 10 pm.