The Secret Group is an independent comedy venue and bar at 2101 Polk St in EaDo, on the corner of Polk and St. Emanuel, and it is the engine room of Houston’s alternative comedy scene. There are two stages under one roof: the main showroom, and a smaller room called The Box with its own marked entrance on Polk. Between them there is stand-up on the calendar essentially every night of the week, which is not true of any other room in the city.
What makes it matter is the volume and the price. A typical week here runs open mics, weekly series with names like $2 Bill and Master Debaters, late-night dirty shows, headliner showcases, and touring alt-comedy and podcast acts passing through. A lot of it costs under ten dollars and a good deal of it is free. This is where Houston comics build hours, and where an audience can watch the scene actually happen rather than watch a finished product.
The Secret Group vs. the big clubs: which one for which night?
The Houston Improv and Punch Line sell you a known quantity: a touring headliner, a two-item or two-drink minimum, and a ticket priced accordingly. The Secret Group sells the opposite. You will often not recognize a single name on the bill, the ticket is under ten dollars, and there is no minimum at all, so the whole night can cost less than parking downtown.
The other practical difference is that the big clubs run on a weekend rhythm. If it is a Monday or a Tuesday and you want to see live stand-up, The Secret Group and The Riot are realistically your two options. For an audience willing to gamble on unfamiliar names, that is a feature: weeknight rooms are where comics try the material that is not ready yet.
Open mics, and going up yourself
The Secret Group hosts more open mics than anywhere else in Houston, one most nights of the week, and they are listed on our Houston open mic page with sign-up details. If you are trying stand-up for the first time, this is the most likely place in the city for it to happen. If you are just watching, an open mic is free and unpredictable in roughly equal measure.
Food, drinks, and no drink minimum
There is a full bar and, in the club’s own words, no drink minimum of any kind, which is unusual for a comedy room and is a real part of why a night here stays cheap. Non-alcoholic options include locally roasted Cruiser cold brew on a nitro tap.
The venue does not have a kitchen, and rather than pretend otherwise it lets you bring food in from outside. EaDo has plenty within a short walk, and eating before or during the show is entirely normal here. One rule worth knowing: photos and video are not allowed during comedy sets.
Know before you go
- Where: 2101 Polk St #A, Houston, TX 77003, in EaDo. The club entrance is at the corner of Polk and St. Emanuel; The Box has its own entrance on Polk.
- Age: comedy shows starting before 10pm are 18 and up, shows starting after 10pm are 21 and up. Concerts are generally all ages. Check the individual event.
- Minimum: none. No drink minimum, which is rare for a comedy club.
- Food: no kitchen, but outside food is welcome inside the venue.
- Parking: street parking on the surrounding blocks, metered in places but free after 6pm, plus pay lots nearby usually running $10 to $20. Rideshare is often easier. Full breakdown in our Houston comedy club parking guide.
- Dress code: none.
- Tickets: sold through Eventbrite. There is no staffed box office, so most shows can also be bought at the door on the day, though anything likely to sell out is safer online.
- Hours: 5pm to 2am daily.
- Follow the club: thesecretgrouphtx.com and @secretgrouphtx.
The Secret Group also runs music, karaoke and other non-comedy nights. Those are filtered out of the list below, which is comedy only, updated twice a day, alongside every other comedy show in Houston.
Upcoming shows at The Secret Group
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on saleC U Next Tuesday: Weekly Comedy hosted by Corlis DeLauren and Tess Vergult
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on saleC U Next Tuesday: Weekly Comedy hosted by Corlis DeLauren and Tess Vergult
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on saleBeardo & Weirdo with Craig Gass & Chris Kael live podcast taping! 5pm Show
on saleBeardo & Weirdo with Craig Gass & Chris Kael live podcast taping! 7pm Show
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on saleon saleon saleon saleMore Houston comedy: All venues · Tonight · This weekend · Every upcoming show