The 8 Best Karaoke Bars In San Francisco - San Francisco - The Infatuation (2024)

photo credit: Pandora Karaoke & Bar

If you’re reading this guide, it’s probably after midnight, you’ve had a few drinks, or you just looked up “best karaoke sf.” Or maybe you realize that spontaneously breaking out into song is one of the surest ways to improve a bad week. Either way, a night out at karaoke is a music—and usually alcohol-filled—event. So when you’re looking to sing (and sway) along to some Rihanna, head to one of these eight spots to harmonize into the wee hours of the night.

THE SPOTS

When want to sing along to some Taylor Swift, head to Silver Cloud. This Marina karaoke bar is packed on the weekends, and audience participation is encouraged. A night here is more than just karaoke—it’s a bubble machine, string light, tequila-fueled party. The singing starts at 9pm every night of the week and goes until 2am on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. There’s even skeeball and two arcade-style hoops games if someone thinks they're too cool to sing along, but don’t worry, the energy is infectious enough they’ll eventually give in.

The Lucky Horseshoe is where to sing rock, punk, or oldies of any kind. This Bernal Heights dive bar is a beacon of energy on an otherwise quiet street, and on Fridays, their karaoke shakes the whole neighborhood. There’s a big stage, so don’t come here if you have stage fright, but do come prepared to sing a power ballad with your best friend. You’ll fill out a white card with your name and song request and deliver it to the karaoke DJ—just don’t be surprised if you’re lightly nudged to order another round when you get your card.

Open since 1993, The Mint is one of the oldest karaoke bars in San Francisco, and it’s the one that your friends are most likely to suggest. Located right around the corner from the actual Mint—that big official-looking building—this Mint doesn’t print money. Instead, it’s the spot to sing an entire Eminem song from memory on a small 180° stage surrounded by a field of strobe lights.There’s a two-drink minimum, and tips are expected at the karaoke DJ booth if you want a shot of getting a song in. It gets packed, so come early.

Dimples is a basem*nt-level karaoke dive with moody lighting, plenty of armchairs and bar seating, and an impressive song selection ($5 cash for two songs). You’re not coming to this Japantown bar for craft co*cktails and a polite listening experience—but the well drinks are strong, and the stage can easily fit your entire margarita-infused group of seven or eight friends. There’s also plenty of space to spread out and bob your head to whatever vaguely familiar lyrics are splashed across the screens.

The songbook at Festa in Japantown is 300 pages long, so you never have to worry about running out of options at this intimate karaoke bar. The low-lit space has a bunch of small tables around a stage in the corner, and it’s packed most nights with not-very-sober friend groups and solo singers taking the stage to crush a few Kendrick verses. It’s $2 cash per song, and there are supportive crowds and lychee martinis to keep you company while you wait your turn. They also do reservations for groups of six or more, or you can book the entire place for a private party.

For the musically inclined introverts out there, K-Box is your happy place. This Japantown spot, which shares space with the boba shop Little Sweet, has completely private rooms that can fit anywhere from five to 14 people. Pack in, queue up whatever miscellaneous throwbacks you want to sing, and get up close and personal with the handheld microphones. If you get hungry, there’s a QR code to order boba, egg puffs, and even chicken wings from the shop upstairs.

There are no private rooms or elevated stages at this karaoke bar—just a TV on the back wall, a book packed with songs from “Footloose” to “Forever Young”, and a microphone that’s up for grabs (if there’s a lull, the owner will happily snag it for an impromptu solo). The moody Chinatown dive is the ideal landing spot after a night out in the neighborhood, especially if your preferred way to end a bar crawl is by belting a power ballad at the top of your lungs. Plus, the drinks are cheap. If you’re not into performing, you can just play Yahtzee while listening to drunk people try to sing.

Pandora Karaoke & Bar has something for the entire spectrum of karaoke-goers. There are a ton of different-sized private rooms downstairs for the attention-averse INFJs (reservable via email), plus a main stage that welcomes former theater kids to let out their best belts nightly. The Union Square spot also has a full bar, which delivers to the lower-level rooms, and tons of couches upstairs if you just want to sit back and watch people show off their best renditions of “Valerie.”