This is a fun thing to do when you are sick of the normal bar-scene night. A group of us are fans of the HBO series "Curb your Enthusiasm" and decided to go to the Funny Farm when the comedian from the show, Jeff Carlin, was doing stand-up there.

The actual location of the Funny Farm is rather strange. Located in a shopping mall, with the Burlington Coat Factor and 99 cent store, you feel like this can't be the location where they draw big names--especially because when you enter the building you realize the comedy club room is attached to a giant arcade, pool hall, and bar. But sure enough, it does bring big names from places such as comedians from Saturday Night Live, HBO, and some wonderful local talent as well.

The room itself is small enough and intimate to allow for audience participation. They do carry a full-dinner menu (mostly bar food -- just OK) and bar, but the service was slow the night we went. Find out more information here.

My wife and I like to laugh, so when we had friends in town visiting, we decided to check out the Funny Farm Comedy Club. We made reservations for the 10:30 show.

The Funny Farm is located inside the huge StarTime Entertainment Complex in Roswell not far from the Atlanta city limits (take 400 North from 285). Even for the late show, the vast parking lot was packed with cars. Lots of people were there to see movies or to play mini-golf and video games. These other activities could be fun for the entire family on a weekend . . . or before a comedy show if you're out on a first date.

Go inside and follow the arrows through a bar to the Funny Farm. If you're a smoker, get your nicotine fix at the bar before being seated because the shows are all non-smoking within the club itself. We had a quick drink while we waited for the house to open.

Once at our table, I took a moment to look around. We were seated in front of a decent-sized stage. The small house is a dimly-lit split level with a very casual feel. The waitresses were moving quickly from table to table. There is a menu available, and we were starving before the show. We ordered everything from a spinach and artichoke dip appetizer to a porkchop entree. The food wasn't excellent, but it was still pretty good. Our waitress was quick and efficient.

Then came the show. The host's schtick was "Southern stupid" as he made fun of some of the less appealing aspects of trailer park culture in Georgia. I wouldn't call him hilarious, but he didn't overdo it or take too much time. And he got the place warmed up. We saw three other comedians in all -- a woman and two men. The headliner was a writer for Jay Leno.

As with all live shows, the quality of the performances you see will always depend on who the club has booked, so check the before you get tickets. Sometimes they run specials for free passes on the web, too. If our experience is any indicator, the Funny Farm is a part of the circuit for some of the larger names in stand-up. It may not have quite the draw as the Punchline in Atlanta, but we still had a lot of fun.

Call ahead for reservations at 770 817-4242.