Lincoln Karaoke
Categories: Jazz & Blues, Karaoke [Edit]
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square5526 N Lincoln
Chicago, IL 60625 (773) 895-2299
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7:00 p.m.-3:00 a.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Music: Live
- Best Nights: Thu, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour: No
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
79 Reviews for Lincoln Karaoke
One of Lincoln Karaoke's Favorite Reviews
I love this place! I love singing to video of naked babies on the beach and guys in deck shoes sail boating.
The only complaint, which really isn't a complaint, is that the air conditioning turns off automatically when you start singing to keep it from drowning out your beautiful voice. This made the room get pretty hot after an hour of singing in a room with 12 people. But the owner kept bringing us drinks so we didn't mind.
I love this place!
This is the place to have your bachelorette party! Rockin tunes, great staff, free bottle of champagne, and $3 Coors! We had a fantastic time. The owner was great and really took care of us, he's the sweetest man you've ever met. I'm a bartender myself, so I know a good drink, and the bartender here makes a good drink! Watch out though, it may taste like candy but it packs a punch. We're having all of our parties here from now on. Bachelorette, birthday, it doesn't matter. We're coming here.
PS We waited for over an hour, and Superman never showed up!
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We had my birthday party here over the weekend, and I'm still horse from shouting into the mic. We got our room right away, got a free bottle of champagne, and drank like nobody's business on $5 rum and cokes! We had shots that tasted like cookies and chocloate, and shots that smelled just like cake. The owner was fantastic and made sure we had a fabulous time. He showed us how to use the machine like 3 times, and didn't even mind coming back to adjust the volume for us. He's the best host in Chicago!
"(Soo loo loo loo loo loo loo)
(Soo loo loo loo loo loo loo yeah)
(Soo loo loo loo loo loo loo)
(Soo loo loo loo loo loo loo yeah)
(Soo loo loo loo loo loo loo)
(Soo loo loo loo loo loo loo yeah)
(Soo loo loo loo loo loo loo)
(Soo loo loo loo loo loo loo yeah)
Oh, when you walk by every night
Talking sweet and looking fine
I get kinda hectic inside
Mmm, baby I'm so into you
Darling, if you only knew
All the things that flow through my mind
(But it's just a) sweet, sweet fantasy, baby
When I close my eyes
You come and you take me
(On and on and on)
So deep in my daydreams
But it's just a sweet, sweet fantasy, baby."
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Who knew the lyrics to Mariah Carey's song Fantasy consisted of loo's and soo's? I didn't but found out at Lincoln Karaoke. Okay, okay, I know there's no such thing as perfect lyrics, esp. in karaoke. Singing (I mean, screeching), totally made my evening...well after the Yelp Around the World event, of course.
PS: Is the song stuck in your head now? Yeah, it is. Faaaannnntastic.
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The reason I signed up for Yelp was to express my love for Lincoln Karaoke! Both times I have been here I was amazed at how welcoming the owners/bartenders/staff are and how much fun we all had. The private rooms make anyone feel comfortable, including those who are tone-deaf like myself. The second time we went, my husband was late in making reservations and even though they were very busy, as it was Saturday night, the owner went out of his way to make sure we could get in and have a room that was big enough for us. My husband also neglected to mention it was my birthday so I didn't get the usual champagne or cake offering that others have mentioned but suddenly delicious cookies appeared in our room a little while after the owners found out. Even if you don't sing, you can bang out a song on one of the light up tambourines or just watch your friends act a fool. Love it!
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I'm not going to lie; when I first walked into this place, I was not impressed. They spent absolutely no money on the décor and it showed. They have a tiny little bar, but they let us bring in food and drinks so I won't complain about that.
So why 4 stars? Because having a private Karaoke room for you and as many of your buddies that can squeeze into the room is crazy stupid fun!!! Best night out I've had so far this year.
Warning: This place is only for people who like to have a good time. If you have lame, unimaginative friends, then consider going to a movie instead.
Oh crap. I suck. I can't believe I never reviewed this place. What the hell is wrong with me?
Ok, this place rocks. Seriously. My friend and I had a joint birthday sing along here and everyone had the best time. If there happened to be a fire, you probably wouldn't get out alive, fyi. Still, that stuff doesn't bother me, not when I know that I get to sing Bohemian Rhapsody with 15-20 of my closest friends. Ah yeah. Oh, and bring cash for the drinks. Boas and wigs are optional.
Is it legal for them to show naked babies on the screen while drunks poorly sing along to shitty songs? Whatever. Fine. I'll be back.
I signed up on yelp just to give this kick-ass karaoke place 5 freakin' stars. Not only do you get your own rooms, but hanging out at the bar area talking to people is all part of what having fun is all about, and this place provides exactly that. Last Saturday was my second time there, and we got out at 3am. Talking about singing to off-key, being buzzed, and slap-happy. Let the good times roll! Muahahahaha!
Oh the bartender was cool as hell...offered us complimentary bottles of water to keep us hydrated. I'm definitely coming back.
So fucking fun.
I've been here twice and had a great time the first time (which ended up with me puking out of a car on the way home and not being able to talk the next day) and an even *better* time the second time (which ended with my wife's sister bruising her forehead while puking in an alley on the way home and me not being able to talk the next day). What else could anyone ask for?!
All the employees are super nice (they remembered me!) and accommodating, all the patrons are in a great mood and friendly, and everyone's drunk. Awesome.
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We just got there while they were opening, and they were really nice. The song selection is weird (on what planet is Fake Plastic Trees good kareoke?), and they have a large amount of Korean and Japanese pop music. The systems are in Korean, but it's pretty simple to figure out. Overall, really fun. Soft drinks are expensive, though ($2 for a can :\), but the food is good and the snacks they have are also nice. I would reccomend for sure!
Oh I just went here for the second time with two great Yelpers Sam S. and Mari K..
Just like last time, I had such a good time. They put me on to this place. Prior to my first visit, I had never been to a karaoke place where it wasn't at a bar full of people. Here, your party gets their own room all set with comfy couches, a multi-color disco ball, 1-2 TVs displaying the lyrics, microphones, and guaranteed fun. What a great concept.
Now I like this place, but I wish there were more of a diverse options of songs. I also would like it if the songs could be listed by Artist as well rather than just by song. The bar is a bit pricey for the minute amount you get, so I would definitely suggest not going with any type of cocktails. I'd also suggest eating before you go. But don't let this turn you off. It's a karaoke spot, and karaoke is what it most certainly delivers on.
I'm so happy Sam and Mari brought me into their karaoke circle. Good times. I'm looking forward to the next time we go.
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Three words, "Dave the bartender"! This was only our second time here but he remembered us as if we'd never left. We come for all of our birthday parties now, it was decided after this last visit. We had such a blast last time, but it got even better this time! For all you SoCo-Lime drinkers, that is so pase. If you want a SoCo shot you've got to try Dave's Pineapple Bomb, it's like getting bombed off candy! For the best birthday ever, go here!
Karaoke Insanity, if you all know me, you know I'm a karaoke connoisseur. This place as C-R-A-Z-Y
We went in tipsy, left tipsier, had group sing alongs to everything, laughed at the fact that some of the song videos are nothing more than bad porn, drank Korean wannabe sake that left a hole in my gut, tried to decipher the all Japanese remotes, got a bottle of wine from the owner, think we sang don't stop beleivin about 4 times, couldn't talk the next day.
Guess where I'm going for my birthday, lol
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seems like any shit just FLIES at this place, which is good in my book
also that korean beer they have is killer
We had a bacholerette party this past weekend and it was the most fun I've had in a long, long time! We had a medium room for a few hours and I can't even describe it. Good drinks, $5 Rum and Coke!! and $3 Rolling Rocks!!, bad singing, and the owner was amazing. He got us a bottle of champain for our party and the bacholerette and bridesmaids got free shots! Really, you have to try it to understand how good a time it is. I would suggest going early, the line at the bar isn't so long. After about 10 o'clock it gets pretty crowded.
Yes, you'll find misspelled words in the lyrics. Yes, there will be uncomfortably odd backgrounds that include images of confused looking children waving at you. And YES, screaming into the mic = phenomenal singing (according to the scoring machine). After all, it is a Korean karaoke joint.
All that aside, this is my pick for karaoke venue in the city. They take reservations, it's a clean venue, and the owner's a nice guy. Where else will they provide LA Gear-style light up tambourines?!
Tips:
Get there before 9pm, or have fun waiting
Eat beforehand
Keep the song list filled, waste no time
Go w/ your I'm-almost-ashamed-how-ridiculous-they-are friends
Cut short the songs with long interludes, waste no time (the red button is your best friend)
Dance like no one outside of the room is watching
Take incriminating pictures and videos (potential valuable blackmail mat'l down the line)
My favorites:
-ANYTHING Bon Jovi
-Faithfully
-L-O-V-E
-Almost anything Madonna
-Alone
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it's always good times here. i'll be back to tear down the house.
peace.
-c
My sister and I showed up late, and when we poked our heads in the door we thought we'd walked into somebody's house party -- random people mingling in a hallway, standing around with bottles of beer. But no, our friends came out to retrieve us, walk us by the bar so we could buy a drink and get a free shot from the incredibly friendly bartender, and then into a small room with the basics only: wraparound couch, coffee table loaded with drinks, and karaoke equipment. Hell yes.
I went with friends who've lived in Korea, which was the way to do it, as I never could get my songs to queue up without their help. The videos are hilarious -- apparently Korean music videos have half the components of every French movie, in that everyone dies at the end (in French movies, you know, there's sex and death, every time).
I'm glad I was late, because I won't cherish going again and having to wait a long-ass time for one of the coveted rooms, which of course you must do at a place this awesome and popular.
This is your standard "noraebang" (karaoke) fare. You get your own private room, a TV, karaoke machine, disco lights and set of mics. Add some alcohol and you're up and running.
This place has been getting a lot of positive rep lately and thus explains why it's so mobbed at all hours of the night so better call in advance and make reservations.
The owners are very friendly and will make the experience as pleasant as possible. They've been known to "share" the liquor to help ease the wait and to provide a more enjoyable time for everyone involved.
The food isn't top shelf but definitely gets a passing grade considering it is noraebang food. Meh - what did you expect?
There really is nothing like cramming an army of your friends in a tiny closet-like room and forcing people to endure everyone's bad singing.
MORE SHOTS!!!
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Suprisingly fun. Although the back entrance and from the street the place looks shady, you walk in to a different world. Lots of, well caucasian people in here drinking, having a good time. The owner was great and gave our little group of 5 people free drinks and shots. They keep the party going here. The karaoke is a bit daunting to navigate as maybe about 90% of the selection is not in english, but the massive song books ensure lots of diversity. Not a fancy joint, but clean and friendly. It seams like a converted apt or something, plain bare white walls, nondescript doors open to small (or some large) rooms with big TVs a karaoke machine and some couches and coffee tables. The big crowd is in the hallway, which has a small bar and kitchen, serving up drinks and such. Nice mom and pop place. Reasonable prices too.
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If you're somewhere above the age of 30 and would like to re-experience that feeling of being a kid goofing around in someone's parents basement---Lincoln Karaoke is your drug of choice.
Our trip here for my friend's birthday was inspired by a place I'd recently visited in Japantown in San Francisco. The Chicago version definitely measures up! Don't make the mistake I made and think that you will only want to be here for a couple of hours. We reserved the room from 9-11 and ended up staying until 2. I would strongly suggest arriving early (9:00 is a good time) and making a reservation because the place is extremely popular.
The owner, Steve, is extremely nice and somehow is able to navigate the chaos of all the people waiting at midnight. The male bartender is friendly--a bit world weary with an "I see young drunk people. . .all the time" kind of expression. But somehow that just adds to the experience.
I agree, there is a limited English song selection. The book we had only sorted by song title, not by artist. We had 10 people which was a little tight for the smaller room.
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Hands down, the best Karaoke joint in town! They take karaoke to whole another level.
-C
Wow! Had an unbelieveable time, at a reasonable price. We had a birthday party here and got a free bottle of champagne, and also got free birthday shots! The owner is the best!
Ever see Lost in Translation? Ever have such crazy Asian-style fun with microphones? Ever see grown men & women try to mock their favorite American Idol?
Well my friend, you in luck--Lincoln Karaoke has got these elements all down. Basically you rent a room for cheap ($35/hour), get your drinks at a shanty little bar (the bartender is ober friendly), plug in your favorite tunes on the television, pick-up the microphone, and then blast our your best mockery of the song! Don't forget to dance!
The best part? Singing in front of all your friends in a room while the electric disco ball is spinning. This was defiantly this best time I've had in a LONG time. I was glad that I came here for a friend's birthday. I plan on dragging my family to this place. I would love to see Grandma belt out, "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake. That's my dream for this place.
You=Come to this place & jam out
Me=Invited. Let's go!
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I'm a regular customer here and I don't think I could ever get tired of coming here. I had my birthday party here a couple nights ago and let me just say, we couldn't have had a better time! I'm glad we made the choice to come celebrate my birthday here. There were about 15 of us and we from 8PM to 1AM with no complaints at all. The music quality is great and there's a wide selection of music to choose from. It's so much fun just singing the night away with your pals. This place is just amazing!
It's the cleanest of all karaoke places I've been to and the staff is great- they're so friendly and helpful.
The worst part is that too many people have discovered this place. It used to be my private paradise but even on Tuesday night, it was still crowded! I know the economy sucks right now but Lincoln Karaoke is way better than that place than the place down the street. It's WAY CHEAPER, friendlier, cleaner, better.. Basically way more fun. I just go on weekdays to avoid the crowds..
I am a karaoke evangelist, and was the only one among a group of five karaoke-naive this past weekend. I knew that we were on the right track, though, when I opened the door to our little room, and found a disco ball, three tambourines, and a ridiculous menu of songs that included quite a few selections of heavy metal (Enter Sandman by Metallica, Holy Diver by Dio...) and some more esoteric karaoke selections (several Radiohead, Nirvana). My friends were delighted, and quite happy with the little setup.
The night was fabulous, complete with a decent bar and free shots of bailey's + whisky poured liberally by the owner in celebration of: welcoming me from out of town, someone else's birthday.
We were pleased. And I was pleased that I had the opportunity to introduce the joys of karaoke to four people, at least one of whom had sworn he'd never sing karaoke, but by the end of the night was wailing out to Hangin' Tough.
Thanks!!
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Oh my lord, go here!! Go here NOW!!!
My husband and friends surprised me with a trip here to celebrate my birthday a couple of weeks ago. We had a very large room from 9-2, and I seriously could have stayed until 5am!
The employees are so sweet. We got a free birthday cake with the deal, and they even gave me and my husband some free shots.
But really, this is what it all comes down to: How many other karaoke places have you been to where you can belt out Skid Row while your choice of horrible, cheesy American or anime porn plays in the background? Hell, the videos alone would make this place worth another visit.
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Wow, this some serious fun! Bunches of people crammed into a room and screaming their heads off, dancing with light up tamborines, good selection of spanish songs, and letting loose after a long week. This is the way to do it. The bartender makes some tasty shots, he's got a pineapple bomb shot that rocks, and he makes a shot that tastes like ice cream! Have you ever gotten rocked off of ice cream? Wow! For sure though you have to make a reservation in advance.
DUDE, noraebang gets a serious upgrade from the usual cramped, dark, danky rooms that I'm used to!
TWO flat screen TVs (so that you can face your audience while reading the lyrics)! Not just two but as many as four - or were there five? - microphones! Lots of tambourines for the spectators who want to get in the action.
The song selection is pretty good - they have the standard choices that I have seen at almost every Korean noraebang that I've been to. The ones w/ the different colored sheets; plenty of Korean songs. Here's a tip: There are English songs at the back of the Korean supplemental inserts. Oh, and beware of the big Korean remote control. It might drive you a little crazy at first, but just remember to press the big green button after you enter your selection!
HELLA selection of drinks. Soju, beer, the hard stuff. The grumpy halabuji will even bring you pitchers of water with plastic cups to help with the dry mouth after all that festivity. Oh and some snacks to munch on.
Only a few minor complaint - what's up w/ the air/ventilation? It was getting hot and sweaty (as those of you hard core karaokers are accustomed to), yet the dial labeled for the fan lent only intermittent relief. Also, that is super annoying how the lights turn on after the end of every song. They should just go on and off with the regular switch. I'd also recommend making the room a tad darker. Sometimes after you've sung some crazy song, you just want to fade in the shadows and not be thrust into the harsh florescent light of reality (that you sound a lot better in your head than in reality).
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Being a Karaoke Restaurant regular we decided to check out some other options which led us to Lincoln Karaoke.
First the good:
- great selection of booze
- friendly and quick service
- decent price, no stickershock like Karaoke Restaurant
- complimentary shots!
bad:
- small selections of english songs
- difficult to operate machine (all in korean)
- terrible sound (often too loud, too low or squelchy feedback)
If we could merge Karaoke Restaurant with this place we'd have true karaoke heaven! We didn't have a BAD time but it didn't provide us a good karaoke fix.
*bonus points:
- the booby background selection (panel button way on the left "+19" setting)
- cute female server having to say "rocky mountain bear fucker"
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This is the way karaoke is supposed to be! Clean private rooms, new equipment, flat sreen tv's, the works. We had two tvs in our room! The staff is fantastic, they're about as friendly as it gets in Chicago, and the owner is the most adorable man. Ask for the Yellow Cake shot, I swear it smells exactly like yellow cake! It gets pretty crowded on Saturday nights, so call ahead for a reservation.
I never do stuff like this! Deterred by many things - namely: the 20 minute cab ride, the sketchy interior, my being tone deaf - I would do it again in an upbeat! Once I had the mic in my hand none of my fears mattered. The world outside faded away and was replaced by colorful disco ball bliss. It took an hour and several shots of Grey Goose, but my friends finally convinced me to do a superb duet to "Barbie Girl" and I happily belted "ah ah ah yeah". Long Live Lincoln Karaoke! Life in plastic really IS fantastic...
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Go on....just try it. It's impossible. Yes, I DARE you to NOT have a good time at Lincoln Karaoke. Last night I celebrated my 25th birthday at Lincoln Karaoke and it is now my happy place.
First off, this is truly enjoyable karaoke. Being in a room with my hand selected entourage meant that we didn't have to wait an hour between songs that we cared about. The room we had was very comfortable and easily sat 15 people on comfy couches. You could fit even more if people stood or sat closer together.
The system was easy to use once you got the hang of it. They didn't have every song we wanted to sing, but they had a lot of them and you had a lot of control over how it could work. If you're willing to brave the korean controls you can even change the key or the background video (they even have videos for those who are 21+).
Service was fantastic! It was very easy to make a reservation. The owner made sure that we knew how to use the controls and everyone was just very nice and friendly. I definitely got a warm feeling inside and I don't think that it was just the booze talking.
And as for value? I assure you that this place is a bargain for what you get. Rates range depending on the side of the room. We had the biggest room and it was $35 an hour. Drinks are very reasonable. what really makes this place an absolute steal is all the extras....snacks are freely given, as were several shots AND my very own birthday cake! Really, it's like a whole party package at an amazing rate. You can believe me on this point, I'm a curmudgeon on this point and I thought it was great.
And lastly....I'm just happy about what a great time I had. Usually I'm done partying by 10 or 11 and feeling ready for bed by 12 at the latest. Last night it was 2:30 and I regretfully decided it was time to go since all of our voices were shot...but I can assure you, I'll be back!
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My friend and I were hosting an engagement party and wanted something outside of the standard $30 all you can drink for 3 hours kinda party. Well, lets just say this was it. When we first got there, someone (of course a guy) seriously suggested that he go to the gas station to buy a deck of cards and by the end of the night and a few stiff cocktails made by our friendly bartender, wouldn't you know it but he was singing like a bird. Well, a drunk bird but a bird no less. It was nice that offensive singing did not directly affect strangers and there was little inhibition in singing only in front of friends. Lets also mention that drinks are stiff and cheap and the bartender likes to make fun "bartenders choice" shots!
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So, what's not to like?
1. They raised their prices.
2. Haven't updated a songbook(english) since 2006 or so.
3. Their karaoke player plays the cheesiest karaoke version of the song imaginable.(Court hill will have songs with real guitars recorded, etc)
4. Forget about a reservation being honored if the rooms are full.
The only redeeming quality now is, if you ask nicely, the owner will put the videos to the "R rated" version. Just ask. Nothing like singing to soft core porn, I guess.
This place is really fantastic. This is the first review I've written just because this place is so great. Please go if you have the oppurtunity. The owner is extra nice and soooooooooo accomadating. I threw a surprise birthday party for my boyfriend there yesterday and he loved it! It was fantastic fun for everyone...and reasonably priced!
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This place is a RIOT!!! the owner is this friendly, spunky, happy guy. he had the bartender make me a shot he was fixing for some other people at the bar. that made for a pleasant start. half a beer later, and we were all singing to the worst songs you could imagine regardless of whether or not we were holding a microphone and trying to decipher the korean to program the playlist... quite the experience. trying to imitate the cheesy dancing anime characters was also quite a hoot. none of us could sing very well, so i fit right in! i was so sad i had to leave the earliest. i will definitely be back! however, just as an FYI, the bank parking lot is "claimed" by the club across the street late at night and some random guy tried to make me pay $5 as i was leaving. it was hard to tell if he was actually legit, but he said i could go "this time." that's right, buddy.
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This is the best place to do karaoke in town!
Since it's just you & your buds in a private room, you're guaranteed to have fun and loosen up. And you don't have to worry about someone you don't know hogging the mike all night!
The owner is so friendly and nice, he made us custom drinks and checked on us several times to be sure we had snacks!
I am definitely returning, it's a great deal for the price and atmosphere
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