Mottley's Comedy Club

Performing a set at a sweaty, cramped, underground club like Mottley's is the embodiment of what comics call paying your dues. Owned, operated, and booked by two funnymen (and their business partner), Mottley's is a proving ground for some of Boston's most promising comedy talent. The stage show is the main attraction, but if you hang back by the bar, you'll get a second serving of entertainment—eavesdropping on the performers' post-set repartee — for the same reasonable admission price ($8 to $20, depending on the show). RUNNER UP: The Comedy Studio at The Hong Kong