On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Loading...
I am not into karaoke but a friend of mine is like a professional Karaoke singer, who sang a song for Budweiser commercial, so I came here.
The crowd was really friendly to any singers. I thought that was very civil and nice.
I can find many talents here and just to see them is fun even I don't sing a song.
I went here for my birthday on a Friday night. No cover, reasonable drinks, and a supportive crowd dressed in Halloween costumes. The stage is really not as intimidating as it sounds! Just sing your heart out, or sing with a friend or two.
There are some inflatable guitars in the back. If you sing "Umbrella" the KJ twirls his umbrella out! Awesome. Returning for sure!
Yes it CAN be a long wait to sing, especially if you arrive late at night. Make sure you put in your requests early...and have fun while everyone is singing!
Five stars just for the older bartender that made the best mai tai I've ever had! And this was after saying that he wasn't sure if it would taste all right without using better rum!!!
The bar was empty when we started and full when we left... my friend SHUT IT DOWN when he sang Life on Mars. I'm not into embarrassing myself in public so I can't comment too much on the karaoke aspect other than after I was wasted I did a rendition of Jolene that was terrible.
The mai tais were so good... how can you not get drunk?
The Mint has a little piece of my heart.
From the glittering Christmas lights draped around the stage, the lively DJ, the fantabulous song selection (there must be 5000 songs here with genres ranging from Top 40, broadway, gospel, classic artists like the Beatles, etc) how can you not like this place?
There is a 2 drink minimum (probably more enforced during Fri and Sat nights) since we came in on a Sunday, everybody was just chillin. My friend had to wait awhile for her turn but it was fun watching all the other performers. Drinks are affordable, about $6.50 for a cocktail. (I have no idea how much the beer costs, but they have Newcastle, PBR, Bud, etc. on tap) Not the best cocktails ever, but it'll do. You'll need some liquid courage when you get up on that stage.
I didn't even entertain the thought of going up there to sing, these singers are seriously talented and definitely American Idol worthy.
As Janis Joplin puts it:
"so come on, come on, come on....
let The Mint have another little piece of your heart now baby...."
In theory, a karaoke-only bar is absolute genius. Why have to wait for a particular night to get your singin' on?
At it's bones, The Mint is a decent bar. Nice setup with the actual bar being separate from the stage, so you can ignore it if you like (but, uh, why would you come here if you didn't want to listen to people belt out Journey over and over again like they think they're Steve Perry?). A pretty good beer selection, nicely stocked full bar, and surprisingly clean restrooms. Pretty much every song you could imagine for karaoke, with a nice big stage complete with fancy lighting.
Where The Mint goes wrong, it goes horribly wrong. And that's with the staff. The karaoke dude the night we attended was painfully unfriendly and at times downright rude. You could definitely tell he was biased toward the regulars, as it seemed like any place we stood was not okay and I just felt like he was barking at us the whole time. Plus, no drinks on stage? Worst rule ever. The bartender was no better, also a fan of the barking. The minute we walked in he yelled at us because he needed our IDs. Um, no need to yell, and why don't you have a bouncer, or just card us when we order our bevvies? He was surly in the not-charming way.
Did I laugh until I cried and have an absolutely phenomenal time at The Mint? I sure did. But it was due to the incredible folks I rolled in with, *not* because of the staff or services here.
First of all, it's almost pointless to review this place unless you adore karaoke bars, and I do not. But having been dragged here several times in recent months, I'm reviewing for all the folks willing to get passed that for the sake of their friends. And even my friends who enjoy karaoke have found it uncomfortable. I've never performed here and consequently have never had to interact with the DJ, but other friends I was with have had less than pleasant experiences.
Even if you can ignore the karaoke (and you can if you maneuver to the right places), it's still an incomfortable venue. Despite being labeled a gay bar since 1968, the year I was born, it's overwhelmingly straight. Mostly gaggles of girls in college drama departments who bring the occasional gay bff or reluctant boyfriend. It's way too crowded and the horseshoe bar in the middle of the room occupies way too much floor space. It's hard to get attention at the bar, only to end up with a relatively small/weak drink by Castro standards. And that's a major flaw, because seriously, the only way to halfway tolerate this place is to be way too drunk to notice.
Friendly crowd but the sound system is pretty bad, you can't really hear people sing. Also, the karaoke dj had major attitude. Drinks are pretty reasonable though....
Have to agree with others here. The DJ is super sensitive and often gets his knickers in a bunch.
We went tonight, A MONDAY, to practice for an upcoming charity karaoke event unaffiliated with The Mint.
The issue arose because one of my friends backed out a duet of Rick Astley's Never gonna Give You Up. Yeah We Rick Roll'd that place!
Well, her name is Anna and my name is Alex. I sang in her place and when he called my name he got very upset that I was back on stage. I apologized and tried to explain that Anna who's name was on the card had not wanted to sing. He was upset and shoo'd me off the stage. I complied and went to sit with my friend. Anna apologized to me, and when the DJ came over to give me what for she tried to explain it to him. He waved her off, threw my song slip at me and told me to write my name on it and resubmit. OK, but my NAME was on it. AS we had told him TWICE already. Never mind the fact that it was a monday night and a birthday party of chicks had been singing non-stop for the hour and half we'd been there.
Look I understand the need to keep people from dominating the stage on a busy night. But at 10pm on a Monday, you could be a little more courteous dude.
We left instead of dealing with the BS and I probably wouldn't go back on my own accord,
1 star for song selection
1 star for having the Rick Astley in the first place. (hmm i guess thats the same as song selection, but I'm feeling generous.)
1, Star lost for cash only situtation not properly signed
and 2 stars down for the DJ who seems to think he's fucking Madonna incarnate.
Look there's keeping it fair and then there's being a total ass.
Karaoke is lots of fun!! Get there early if you want to bust a move =) The crowd is fun and last time I was here someone was having a bday and generously gave me one of her cupcakes. Sweet!
Note if you want to actually remember singing, don't be a lightweight and drink 2 mind erasers before you go onstage... ;)
Highlight: Friend performs "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye. Female friends doubling as backup dancers remove his shirt and unbutton his pants while he sings. Large, unidentified woman wearing powder-blue velour jumpsuit CRAWLS across floor to pull his pants down and tuck dollars in.
Lowlight: Angry woman spills my own drink on my own shoes. Finds and wipes dirty, wet rag on my LEG. Says: "You're welcome."
Highlight: Female friend performs "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5. MJ himself couldn't have been this awesome. OK, he could've. But not in the last 10 years.
Lowlight: Spend too much money on shots of tequila, ensuring next morning's hangover and eventual eviction.
Highlight: Male friend performs "Just a Girl" by No Doubt. Confusingly fantastic.
______
The Mint is an average bar with above-average karaoke happening. Although, their hip-hop selection is fairly sad (Nasty Boy is the only Biggie song?). But the highlights outnumbered the lowlights, which always makes for a good night.
Being a resident of a city that makes the gay community feel welcome at any bar or restauraunt. This place makes gays feel like second class citizens. Such a shame. It has such potential. If you really want to sing make sure you tip the DJ when you put in your request, other wise your song will never come up.
I recently came here with a rather large group of friends. To put into perspective how much fun we had just picture me on stage singing Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" in my underwear. Yes true story. Not sure how I got there but indeed ended up in my skivvys with locals tossing dollar bills at me. I'd say that's a sign of a fun karaoke bar.
It is a small divey place. For what it is I would rank it very high. For the following reasons...
-Their drinks are appropriately served nice and strong for some liquid courage before belting out those high notes.
-The song selection is massive--they have everything from La Bamba to Chef's "Suck On My Chocolate Salty Balls."
-The KJ is good at allowing a mixture of singers, and not just the same regulars over and over again.
-They film your performance which is played on TV's throughout the bar, and they even give you the option to purchase your tape when you are done. Not sure if it is true or not but someone told me there is a sushi restaurant nearby that broadcasts the Mint performances to their there customers. So your not only making an ass out of yourself in front of everyone at Mint but some rando Sushi spot as well! If true, I'm sure the sight of me in my undies ruined someones dinner.
The only reason I do not rank as a 5 star is that it is cash only. I hate $3 service charges.
Will certainly be back to visit this bar, but next time I'll try to keep my clothes on.
This is a cool karaoke bar with a rather sensitive DJ in charge of playing the tunes. I came with a group of yelpsters for an afternoon of drinking, singing, and acting silly.
You're only allowed to submit one song at a time. For my first number, I went up to rap to Eminem's "Superman" (it's a hilarious song, not to be taken seriously) and was given several dirty looks by the prudish DJ and eventually got cut off towards the end-- "Thank god that's over," he said, or something to that effect. Whatever, dude. I'm a woman and not easily offended, and I'm also not a misogynist. I can rap all day about putting anthrax on a Tampax because I think it's funny. Just sit your drunk ass on that runway, ho.
Good drinks, reasonably priced, good song selection, delicate DJ (really, if a song bothers you THAT much that you need to make comments, why include it in your playlist?) Seriously.
Oooo, how you doin', baby?
No, not you
You, the bow-legged one, (ha-ha) yeah
What's your name?
Damn, that sounds sexy
Here I go, here I go, here I go again...
"Shoop" is what karaoke dreams are made of.
Right about the time when I'm deciding singing is a bad choice, Peter D hands me a shot of tequila (aka courage), and I take the stage. The problem with karaoke though is the part where I start singing. Thankfully at The Mint, the DJ won't shy away from politely turning down the volume on your song and suggesting you hand over the mic.
Serious karaokers can be found here over-belting "Don't Stop Believing," so if you think you can hang, The Mint is probably your calling.
There's karaoke and then there's karaoke at the Mint...
You know you've had a good night when you find yourself on stage with a half dressed man, a room full of your rowdy friends cheering you on, and crumpled dollar bills being thrown on stage. Hell Yeah!
At the Mint the drinks are strong, the bartenders groove to the music, and the DJ could be an American Idol contestant. It isn't big or posh it isn't even well-lit basically, there is nothing that makes this place stand out from the thousands of other karaoke joints across the land. And still this place is a perennial favorite and once you go, you get the vibe, feel the love, listen to the regulars belting out their standards and know you need to jump on stage and do your best to hold your own and have the crowd rallying behind you.
If you're in San Francisco and have an itch for a small-medium sized bar for a solid drink and some live drunken karaokeing you'd be hard pressed to find a better spot.
I started off my night with Hey YA and then shook it like a polaroid picture the rest of the time as my friends sang I Want You Back, I'm Just a Girl (once you've seen a man belt this one out, it's like Gwen Who?), Sexual Healing, and more more more...
Karaoke regulars occupy a special place on the sing-along spectrum. On one extreme end are the blackhearts: so named because they practically (or actually) hate music and are unwilling to let it pierce their inky black hearts, let alone escape from their mouths.
Then you have the secret shower superstars. The only acoustic set-up worthy of their pipes are the... uh, surrounding pipes of their shower.
Next, the car-aoke singers: bold enough to sing out loud, but only within the confines of their cars. Two sub-classes exist here: the lone wolf, and the ones who can sing with passengers. I personally am a fan of the car chorus; no matter what your speakers (or your voices) sound like, having a carful of people spontaneously sing along at the top of their lungs to a jam is just plain awesome. So go ahead and belt out GNR, Beyoncé, MJ, Weezer, what have you. It feels good.
Then you have the occasional karaokeists, who can sally forth now and again and lift their voices up to the heavens (or at least to the drunken masses along for the ride). I lump in this category the Rock Bandiers, the Magic Mic'ers, the in-home karaoke machinists, and the noraebangers: public performers all, at least in small doses (typically helped along by large doses of alcohol).
And finally, you have the hardcore karaoke junkies. Obsessive. Aggressive. Sometimes actually talented. Often less so in reality than in that fantastic space occupied by their imagination. They'll actually, you know, practice. Probably in front of a mirror because they love to look at themselves. (Hey I'm not judging on that front. Mrs. Q says I have this look she affectionately calls my mirror-face when I'm checking my reflection.)
Anyway, these are the denizens of the Mint. I had the good misfortune of hanging out here the other night, and I was so fascinated by these karaoke regulars that I ended spending an extra hour after the rest of my illustrious company had skedaddled off to the hinterlands of San Francisco in their quest for Farolito goodness. Finding myself alone, I then found myself in another, quite unexpected state: accepted. There they were, a row of misfits lined up sitting along the bar, each awaiting his or her turn at the brief, dim, cracked karoke spotlight of the Mint, and well, I just happened to plop down right in their midst. Rather than shun me, I was welcomed, offered a drink, and encouraged to sing. It was nice making 5-minute friends. Just add liquid (in the form of alcohol.) Apparently, it's much easier connecting with other lone wolves when your pack leaves and you choose to stay behind.
So brave karoke singers, abandon all hope, and company, and you shall be accepted at the Mint. Sing your black heart blue, for just a night at least.
P.S. The ultimate sing-along experience, in case you didn't know, is the concert sing-along. Utterly transcendent in the right conditions.
Great selection of songs! This place brings interesting, both good and bad, people. That alone can entertain you even if you're not singing. =)
The good and bad thing about it is that it does get crowded. My suggestion if you really want to sing more than once is to get in early while it is not crowded (though if you do this a lot this is the case for most open karaoke places).
Drinks are okay, but I love that there is a sushi bar next door that you can order some food and have brought in bar.
Definitely worth trying if you're looking for a place chill with friends and sing.
I LOVE THIS PLACE. As my friends will tell you, I love karaoke and I'd probably sing anywhere and any song you gave to me, but that said, a total 'roke ho like me will know exactly what is a good venue and what isn't a good venue. This karaoke bar is perfect--it's a cheeky dive bar with a touch of class and a big sense of fun. Drinks are affordable, service is fast, and it's located right next to a Japanese restaurant so you never even have to really leave. :)
If you want to be able to sing your song without waiting an infinity on weekends, you need to get there early (3-8 pm). If you want to be entertained, come anytime after people start singing: The place is crawling with pros as well as people who just totally have fun on stage. The KJs have very unique personalities, and many can sing pretty well themselves. The songbook here is one of the thickest ones I've ever seen, and is filled with a wide selection of songs and artists. Buggles! :)
I recently attended (and helped put on) a Leo birthday party here and it was a blast! The owners were really great about providing a table in the back and starting karaoke up early for us because we'd called ahead. Our party took up the entire mezzanine side of the bar, and it was nice to be able to have all that space. Of course, when you use any bar/restaurant as your venue there's a chance of people crashing your party to mooch food or whatnot. Despite the staff's best attempts to cordon off our zone just for guests, the Mint is not immune to moochers who will lie. There was one particularly terrible couple (bottled tan, way too much cologne) that pretended to know me so that they could have some of our cake and food. Ugh. It wasn't until too late that it was discovered they were fakers.
Tip: Parking in the area is super-tight, so I recommend taking BART to 16th St. Station, or taking MUNI Metro to Church St. Station and then walking the few blocks to the venue to save on spendy and hard to find metered parking.
People who know me know I love karaoke and strong drinks. This is the reason why most of my birthday… Read more »
It's as good as it gets if you're into karaoke. We came last night after dinner and had a blast. Met up with Ramon and Chandra, and we all agreed to sing one song. R & C did a duet "Don't go breaking my heart"
Heidi sang " Sweet Caroline" bom! bom ! bom! it was "so good! so good! so good!.
And I sang Right Said Fred's "I'm too Sexy" in a German accent under the stage name 'Gunther'
All crowd pleasers and got the the patrons up and dancing. Then we left.
Also, the bartender and the Karaoke Host made us feel welcome.
The Mint rocked it OUT, plain and simple.
Most times, it seems like the quality of a karaoke bar is in large part dependent on the crowd you share the space with. Sometimes it's great...sometimes it's a bust. We hit the jackpot on Saturday night, and I definitely see myself rolling the dice with The Mint again in the not-too-distant future.
Being that The Mint is a proper karaoke bar (karaoke 7 days a week, 365 days a year), their bible of song options is several inches thick, with almost anything you can come up with. The diversity and support of the crowd really made the night, and no matter if your pipes were golden or tin...everyone was applauded and supported. If you take issue with loud music in general, combined with the strong possibility of the person next to you screaming hell-bent at the top of their lungs along with Deniece William's "Let's Hear It For The Boy," you may wish to consider another venue for your weekend night.
BONUS!
The adjoining sushi bar will deliver fare straight to your table, and it's not half bad. An order of spicy tuna and spider roll and a few Grey Goose + club sodas is sometimes just what one needs in order to find the courage to rock out Madonna's "Lucky Star" to a packed house (JM, ZT, C).
Drinks are a little on the pricey side, but considering the night's worth of entertainment we received - I didn't leave feeling robbed in the least. Whether you're a wallflower, or a full-blown attention whore...The Mint has awesome potential to satisfy everyone. I woke up with a headache and only a shred of my voice, and don't remember the last time I had so much fun.
CASH ONLY! And please tip the KJ.
footnote:
Crowd-Pleasers Included:
"Rock With You"
"Don't Want To Miss A Thing"
"Strokin'"
"Build Me Up Buttercup"
"Paul Revere"
"Yellow Submarine"
I went to the mint last year with my future daughter-in-law because if I were to have a bucket list this would be one of the things that I would put on it,
I wanted to go to a gay karaoke bar and sing the song ''Toucha-Toucha-touch me'' from Rocky Horror Picture Show.
There were some people who were just getting ready to leave until I told them what I was singing,they waited an hour and a half just to hear me sing and everybody loved it.
My only complaints are it's a very small place so it's very crwded.It took a long time before I got to sing and the DJ was a pissy little shit!
All in all I'm gad I did it!
I ended up at the Mint pretty late in the evening, but I was there long enough to get a feel for the place.
The song selection is definitely deep. Unfortunately, it is deep enough to include songs from High School Musical AND High School Musical 2.
Plenty of hipsters, but there was actually a decent variety of people in the crowd. Speaking of the crowd, the other reviewers are right when they say this place can get uncomfortably full.
The bartenders were fast, and the gin and tonics were decent strength.
The guy in charge of karaoke sounds just like an auctioneer when he calls people up to sing, which can be amusing depending on the song title he is calling out repeatedly. I didn't actually interact with him personally, so I can't comment on his attitude regarding song selections.
There were a few people with legitimately good singing voices, a few off-key druken idiots, and this guy who sang "Father Figure" and was totally earnest and still wearing his work clothes and it was so endearing because you could tell he was really letting it all out and it felt good because his day job in the financial district totally sucks.
We came here for a friends bday after getting kicked out of the Rainforest Cafe. I've been to The Mint a couple times and always enjoy myself.
The singers are usually pretty good and the DJ keeps things moving. Bartenders rock and keep the drinks coming so you can have all the liquid courage you need.
The crowd is always friendly and understand if you're vocally challenged.
" If you wanna be my lovaaaa... you gotta get with my friends...!"
Yeah. We did it. We rocked Spice Girls at The Mint. And everyone loved it and sang along.
I went to the Mint with a couple co-workers for sushi dinner next door and rockin out with our er... fabulous voices on the mic... and we did just that. The mint is a small spot that gets a pretty big crowd. Some regulars that are passionate about their kareoke experience, some tourists, and semi-regulars who seem to roll through ever so often. We had a good time gettin out kareoke on, the only downside was that the place got crowded so the wait between songs got kind of long... oh and the DJ wasn't the nicest guy out there.... Nevertheless, my group had fun watching people sing and bustin out our vocals and dance moves on the hole in the wall stage.
Love love love The Mint! They have a good selection of karaoke, a nice eclectic crowd, a good setup with a stage and a camera that broadcasts your "performance" to the entire bar, as well as the sushi restaurant nextdoor. This bar is BTK approved!
A little crowded, so be prepared to bump elbows, wait in line for a drink, and wait awhile to sing. Unless you are btk, of course. ;)
Fun place! Can you guys at the Mint work on your audio stream? Thanks a lot.
Nice song selection and drinks. I went there last night for a karaoke night fundraiser and enjoyed the experience. There is a large bar on on side of the room and individual tables on the other side to chill with your friends. We did not sing because we got to the event late and it took a while to circle for parking in the neighborhood. But, it was fun being spectators and watching others go up to the open mike and perform.
Best karaoke bar I have ever been to
.
Sushi next door.
Drinks are so-so.
I have yet to work up the courage to get on stage (rather air guitar at home) yet they always remember me when I come in and force my friends up on stage.
We are thinking I am more of a rapper.
Haha! I were there! The four of us girls were singing "girls just wanna have fun" while our group cheering on us. We drank beer and had sushi. Very prompt and efficient service. It was a long wait for the karaoke because everybody there were excited and so ready to go up to that stage! There is no time to be shy! The atmosphere was cheery, friendly, loud and exciting. It doesn't matter how your singing, as long as you are brave enough to go up there people will put their hands together for you. A nice experience. I think it would be great to go there for a birthday celebration because it opens late too.
Last stop of a long thursday night spent with work buddies seeing off a co-worker to a new job. Legendarily thick song book, diva-like performance area complete with wavy neon bubble lights, lots of seating (not that any of us were in the mood to sit at the time). And they let us order in Amici's! The DJ is a real smooth operator, and the lady behind the bar was friendly, especially considering how obnoxious the lot of us must have been, all up on the chairs and whatnot. I don't generally go for karaoke, but I'd go for the limelight at the mint again.
Once a month the work friends and I get together here for some Friday evening Karaoke the place is always crowded! There are always parties and large groups going on. So if crowds are not really your thing, then I suggest you stay away. If you go to karaoke bars so that you can get Your singing on then I suggest you go elsewhere as well. Look forward to an upwards of about 1+ hours to sing your tune. But If you really just want to watch silly drunken hot people sing then this is the spot to be! I don't sing but I love singing along with people. Good times!
P.S this is a party crowd...so stick to the upbeat songs...the softer songs don't do too well...sorta a bathroom break for most people
I have been here a couple times and always enjoy my experience! The talent is pretty good, but luckily not intimidating, you still feel like you can sing and act like a fool which to me is always the point of karaoke. The bartenders are quick to refill your drinks, even though it can get insanely crowded in the bar.
I usually go Thursdays to catch the down time so I can get up on stage more often. This is the only karaoke bar that has had all of my song requirements: Catherine Zeta Jones "All That Jazz," Huey Lews & Gwneyth Paltrow's version of "Cruisin'" and The Marvalettes "Please Mr. Postman," so they automatically jump to five stars.
You need to know how to work the system, so here's a few tips:
Come with cash handy so you don't have to pay the ATM fees.
Talk with and tip your karaoke DJ. They're super friendly and they have to deal with a lot of drunk people that are slow getting to the stage or have insane requests, so they deserve some extra love. Plus they'll be more likely to process your request faster.
Make friends with the regulars. Always best to have a crowd of support and you'll quickly find yourself on stage more frequently.
Participate, but don't sing too loudly if someone is good....it's nice to actually hear them. Unless the whole bar is singing, then it's a free for all OK.
Pay attention to when it's your turn!
Minimize songs that go over 5 minutes to give everyone a chance to get up or ones with frequent/insanely long musical measure breaks.
I like this place so much I hosted my 25th birthday here. They will always accomidate reservations and since there is a Japanese restaurant next door you will never go hungry. My favorite drink is the Root Beer martini which I have yet to find anywhere else. My only complaint is they don't seem to have all the songs they advertise, several times I've tried to do Third Eye Blind songs which are listed in the catalog but the DJ never has them. My suggestion for a duet is Under Preasure by David Bowie and Queen.
What do you get when you put a great karaoke bar next door to a sushi restaurant? Uber-awesomeness, that's what!!!
I went for a friend's birthday and though I'd never done karaoke before, I loved it! (I don't live under a rock, promise!)
The atmosphere is fun and friendly, and the catalog is endless. Whether you come to sing or just listen to more vocally-talented people, you'll have a great time!
The DJ was really great. Such a fun guy!
The only downside is the wait to sing your song, so submit your requests early!
As for the sushi, it's well-priced and delicious; no complaints.
If you're taking BART it's a bit of a walk from the Civic Center station, though you can always catch a bus the rest of the way.
This place is hysterical. It is karaoke on a stage in front of people (as opposed to the rooms you can rent with friends at other studios), but it is a really good time. The whole bar gets into it and you don't need to be good! Everyone is treated like a star! Plus the drinks are strong and cheap. Good times!
After scouring all the karaoke reviews on Yelp, I felt confident that the Mint was the perfect place to kick off my birthday night with a group of friends. I had been plotting my "Like a Prayer" duet for months! We arrived around 9:30 and the place was full and the stack of song requests was already mile-high, it seemed. Get there early if you are in a hurry to perform, or bring lots of cash to bribe the KJ (which worked well for us).
They have the place sectioned off nicely so the bar area is on one half of the room and the karaoke "stage" is on the upper half. You can still see the stage from the bar area, but you're somewhat segregated. I wish we would have stayed here all night. The crowd was pretty tame when we got there, but my group got everyone on their feet and it had turned into somewhat of a dance club by the time we left at 11pm.
There's a lot of "professional" karaokers, but pay not attention. We got up there as drunk and foolish as can be and nobody booed us off (or at least I didn't notice). I cannot wait to go back and spend the whole night karaoke-ing it up! This is THE ideal place to sit back and watch people botch up your favorite songs, or do it yourself. See you there (I'll be singing Madonna, of course)!
"They've got cars big as bars they've got rivers of gold
But the wind goes right through you it's no place for the old"
(I'm really drunk right now - even with my glasses I can't completely make out the lyrics. Standing up in front of people, especially people who come here to sing sober - is disconcerting)
"You were handsome,you were pretty, Queen of New York City
When the band finished playing they howled out for more"
(Where's my beard? Did I lose it in Dogshit park, or maybe when that dude gave me the raspberry vodka shot? Is that other Santa making a move on my drink?)
"You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy Christmas your arse, I pray God it's our last"
(I really, really should NOT have picked this song. Are people getting offended? I mean, would my holiday sensibilities be assaulted by 240 pounds of disheveled Kris Kringle wrecking what has to be one of the least kid-friendly Christmas songs ever written? Only one answer: SING LOUDER)
"And the boys of the NYPD choir
Were singing "Galway Bay"
And the bells were ringing out
For Christmas day"
(Well - if Shane McGowan were singing this in person, he'd be drunker and scarier than I will ever manage, in Santa suit or out. At least I have all my teeth.)
Whew.
Where's my drink? Why'd the bartender clear it?
I've only been here twice, but both times have been on a Tuesday. It's a great night to go there, because there's a good crowd, but it's not crazy like I hear Saturday is. I got there around 11pm and I still sang two songs. The drinks are reasonably priced and I got wasted last time I was there. The song selection catalog is out of control, and downloadable so you can think about your choice at home. Maybe get a little practice in. I'm having my birthday party there this year. CInco De Mayo...come through and sing a song for me!
no credit cards, but there's an atm inside.
A great place for old friends, new friends and lots of laughs. Some people have singing talent and some just know how to win the crowd over with their lack of singing talent. They have a two drink minimum (not really enforced) and a cash only bar, but there is an ATM, and you can order sushi from Sushi Delight next door and it will be served to you at the Mint (they're connected).
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Karaoke
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Karaoke
Neighborhood: Parkside
Category: Karaoke
Booze is cool, and so is San Fran. Wait, I'm not…
Now all you need is some Marvin Gaye. In no…
Where I go for karaoke -- the good, the bad, and…
I didn't leave my heart here (I'm using it right…
I seem to end up in the Castro a lot... and here…
Let loose, kick back, laugh until you cry, get a…
Hayes Valley is a textbook example of recent…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
