This downtown comedy club wants to put San Antonio on the map

Zoom in: Owner Brian Gendron opened The Riot in October in the basement of The Maverick hotel downtown, expanding from the club's original Houston location.

• The venue hosts nightly shows. Open mic nights are free, while general admission tickets for headliner shows start at $12.50. Table reservations are also available.
• The Riot has hosted comedians including Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias, Mark Normand and Ralph Barbosa.
• Aspiring comics can sign up online for open mic spots.

The vibe: The 110-seat club has the polished feel of a New York basement comedy venue, paired with a speakeasy-style bar, The Library Cocktail Lounge, where patrons can order drinks before or during a show.

• The Riot is intimate by design, but general manager Rene Gonzales tells Axios the goal is to pair that atmosphere with the polish of a bigger comedy club.
• "We're the small comedy club, but we feel like a big established brand, because of the location of the bar, the room — everything's well put together," Gonzales says.

The big picture: Gonzales says his long-term goal is for The Riot to become a destination, drawing visitors much like Austin's Comedy Mothership or Los Angeles' Comedy Store.

• "I want people to come to San Antonio just for The Riot," Gonzales says.

The intrigue: The club's location, a short walk from the Majestic Theatre, has occasionally led to an unexpected bonus — comics who've just finished sold-out shows there have dropped in for surprise guest sets at The Riot, Gonzales says.

What's next: The Riot is planning a first-anniversary celebration this fall, with details still under wraps.