The Laff Stop was a comedy club, with locations in Texas and California.
The Laff Stop originated in Newport Beach, California and featured comics such as Steve Martin, David Letterman, and Robin Williams. There were also Laff Stop clubs in Claremont, California and Austin, Texas (which changed its name to Cap City Comedy Club in 1996).
The most well known location, however, was in Houston, Texas. Open since 1977, it was considered one of the most successful clubs through the 1990s and the heart of the Texas stand-up comedy scene. The club closed after Dec. 19, 2009 performances were completed in a surprise announcement. The Houston Laff Stop changed locations a few times durings its existence, the last stop becoming an upstairs strip mall location at Waugh and the Allen Parkway. The previous location on West Gray Street is now a bar called Local Pour while the original Laff Stop location—famous for being the launching pad of Bill Hicks, Sam Kinison, and others—is now a dry cleaner at San Felipe and Shepherd. The club later served as a starting point and hometown club for such acts as Sean Rouse, Ralphie May, and Brett Butler
Albums and Videos recorded at the Laff Stop include: