Absolutely love it here! Best place for karaoke in the city. The bar is small and narrow, but it is always a good time. It can get packed and crowded, but people are always filtering in and out. The prices are affordable and they are quick to make drinks. They are also quick to put in your karaoke song, and there's a great flow to it. The only thing that can't really be controlled is that if you submit a song, you have to let the crowd know it's your song, or else someone will sing the song for you! If you make it out, have so much fun and tip your bartenders!! read more

The customer vibes were great, good songs picked to sing, friendly atmosphere; however, the bartender was not as kind. She was rude both to us and the customer next to us. Claimed that karaoke was for customers only AS WE WERE PAYING ? We were not allowed to put in a song and left after finishing the drinks we paid for. read more

Bow Bow Cocktail Lounge - Lychee martini - Karaoke Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I love Ruggy J's review from 2012. 5 stars for Bow Bow because it's a no frills straight up drinkery karaoke spot in Chinatown SF. Drinks are reasonably priced and the karaoke system is great. I visited during this year's Chinese New Years and was jumping in and out of this bar to watch people pop off fireworks. Get that Bhudda beer just because the bottle is so cool! read more

Bow Bow Cocktail Lounge - Karaoke Near Me - San Francisco, California

Waited 30 mins for a song that I paid for and they kicked me out when we bought drinks. read more

Bow Bow Cocktail Lounge - Karaoke Near Me - San Francisco, California

If I could give it zero stars I would. Owner was super rude. If you don't order a drink within 5 minutes of you being there the owners are hostile towards you. You have to also pay to sing. We paid for a song and then someone else sang it. Go anywhere else for karaoke, this place doesn't deserve any business read more

Was headed back to my hotel late at night when I heard Whitney Houston playing loudly nearby. As I passed Bow Bow, I realized it was karaoke! I decided to go in, buy a beer, and queue up a song. After making some friends, one song turned in to four and I ended up staying until 2AM, it was that much fun. The boss and some of the regulars I met were very friendly. There's a large selection of Chinese and English songs. Every song I wanted to sing they ended up having, which is rare! Definitely recommend if you want to have a good time and perhaps socialize with some friendly strangers. read more

Last night was my first time at Bow Bow and had so much fun! It was recommended to me by some friends who wanted to get drinks and karaoke. It's a small bar, but very lively and a good system for non-private karaoke. I saw 3 karaoke books with the song selections and you write the number of the song on a piece of paper, hand it to the bar tender, and they queue up your song. There is 1 all-gender restroom, bar stools, and free street parking in the evening. Will definitely come back again. read more

Small lil place that went out of their way to make sure we had fun! Karaoke system wasn't working right but they made it work (might could use updating) but doesn't hesitate to go have fun in this lil divey place read more

waited 2 hours to sing 1 song for my boyfriends 30th birthday. Told Jenny the owner after waiting for over an hour with 20 people there and she acted like it would be up next. Waited 30 more minutes and decided we didn't want to hear "I am the walrus" for the third time when the same exact guy didn't know the words AGAIN. I don't care if it's a bad kateoke song I think it's part of the fun. But to wait so long and never get a turn on such a special night it was Very upset. The first bartender was great but I will never be returning. read more

If you actually want to karaoke. This is not the spot. Searched at least 10 songs by song name too, and they had zero. And then my drinks went from 16 for 2 to 26 for 2 read more

My friends and I came on a monday night when it was practically empty with maybe 3 other people there at a time. We sang a couple songs and got some drinks and when we asked for water, the bartender said, in a very rude tone, that she was going to charge us because we were singing too much. She was on her phone the entire night not being attentive and we had to keep going up to her to request songs. read more

Nice owner, passable drinks, and positive vibes. It also helped that our rendition of "dragostea din tei" was well received. This was one of the only non-private room karaoke spaces that I've felt comfortable singing at - I loved how intimate and supportive it was. read more

Omg how fun!! What a cool small little bar! Had the best time! Great location, love the bow bow cocktail, staff were super friendly, and was comfortable and welcoming. read more

I absolutely LOVE this bar! It has more character than most of the bars I've ever visited in my life. For you regulars: Mama Candy has retired, and the excellent Jenny now has the helm! I imagine this would be as close to a Hong Kong dive bar by the docks as you could get outside of Hong Kong! Narrow, long, & dimly-lit, but with a very modern, clean restroom! The karaoke is a mix of American and Chinese hits, with "Piano Man" as the long-standing anthem sung here ... sometimes 5 times a night! But who cares? EVERYONE'S singing! And that leads to the clientele: Everyone from around the neighborhood, city, county, state, nation, & world comes here. No joke! Drink prices here are the most affordable I've seen on the West Coast, too. All-in-all, this is one of my Top Three Dive Bars on the planet! read more

Awesome place to have a drink and sing some tunes, friendly vibes with very tendful bar tenders.

Stumbled in on Jan. 1 after having dinner in North Beach. Super fun bar, hottie bartender, great crowd ready to karaoke and sing their hearts out! read more

Bow Bow Cocktail Lounge - Karaoke Near Me - San Francisco, California

EXACTLY how I like my dive chinatown bars...a few quirky characters/regulars, a nice bartender (who gives you both a free round!) a pretty decent bathroom, and reasonable prices. We just stumbled upon this place, and it was a nice end to our date night. read more

Stopped by on a whim on the week of Christmas, and was shocked at how cozy and lively this little dive bar was. The owner was warm but constantly asked if we ordered drinks before letting us choose songs to sing for karaoke. Still... it was a great crowd, average price shots ($12-15) and guaranteed fun time! read more

Bow Bow Cocktail Lounge - red ceiling with christmas lights - Karaoke Near Me - San Francisco, California

Sorry for the late post. If you want a small hole in the wall with good karaoke in Chinatown; this is the place. No food; just drinks and a good time. Husband and Wife crew really gave good service as we brought of group of 30 people so the house filled up really quick. Thanks for having us and allowing me to be a back up dancer. :) read more

Super fun karaoke spot in North beach! It's an Asian owned karaoke bar with a massive collection of songs and horribly bad cocktails! Very divey and relaxed even though they like to call themselves a cocktail lounge. The staff I believe are the owners themselves and they're awesome! Don't go here for cocktails but for music and fun vibes! read more

Went here after a night of drinking and had lots of fun singing and hanging out. The bartender, I forgot her name was AWESOME and friendly and really the best. She also has a beautiful singing voice. Will be back again! read more

SCAM ALERT! DO NOT GO HERE! This place just charged me additional $40 on my tap! I came in on Friday, I bought 2 drinks for $22 each.... Which she never even handed me. Just checked my phone now and I was charged $80s. One working bathroom for the entire bar so gross. The bartender was rude and clearly running some sus operations. read more

I came here after hearing about a bar with karaoke nearby in Chinatown. It is a long thin bar and can get busy and crowded on a Friday night. You should definitely check it out for a casual night out. The drinks here are to be expected of a dive bar. The bow bow special is probably the best one while the rest seem a little haphazardly made. Song selections are a little dated and comes from 80s to about 2010s which pulls in a different crowd of millennials and older. It can bring back a good amount of nostalgia whether if it's Chinese or American songs. Funny memorable moments were when Country Roads threw in a house remix at the end or when Dream a Little Dream of Me had a lengthy chinese segment thrown in it. Service is good and extremely friendly. When I went it was only one woman serving the whole bar which can be chaotic when twenty people are waiting but she handled it like a champ. read more

See all

Super fun night here! Tight little space but the karaoke is poppin' and the owners are super kind and amazing. Drinks were affordable enough, but make sure you have cash - it's a $15 minimum for card. Thank you Mama June! read more

Omg i love it here! Such a staple! Vibes immaculate, cute ambiance, friendly staff. Always my to go in the city for a good time. read more

Local karaoke dive with solid jams. Where Ma will take care of you. A must when in SF. read more

Bow Bow Cocktail Lounge - A Grey Goose Martini. It's what you didn't know you needed. - Karaoke Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love to stop at Bow Bow for a early evening Coctail and Song. I prefer to come here early. It's a small hole in the wall and you just never know if it will be quiete or crazy. Definitely not as Vibrant as when Candy was around. Miss seeing her . Karaoke is very Casual at the bar singing. big book no frills just have fun Chill vibe. no long waits like at other Karaoke bars. At times ita like the Patrons run the place. lol I like they have Tiger beer here. I see more older people here, not too many young people. they come in look around then leave. So I guess upu can say it's a favorite place for the locals who live close . Glad it's still around when I wanna sing and not be at the bigger Karaoke places. read more

This is the only karaoke place in North Beach worth seeking out. You'll always get a chance to sing a song here. read more

3 of us walked along China Town and stopped at 4 bars along the way. We were losing faith in finding a good one until we stopped at this little gem. This was our favorite and really the only one that we liked. The ladies behind the bar are super sweet and friendly and there's just a nice vibe in here. They have karaoke and the bartender has such a great voice! Very impressive. The restroom here is nice and clean. We don't make our way out to SF very often but the next time we do, we are definitely stopping by. Thank you for the great time and for holding onto my sweater that I left there! You ladies are fantastic! read more

Came here for a chill meet up with friends & was served by a very nice bartender! She seemed to know a lot of the regulars and made everyone feel like home. They also have a karaoke machine you can use, but the songs are quite old read more

Favorite bar in Chinatown town, grab a drink, (I usually do a lemon drop, or tequila shot) let loose, and sing the night away! There's no food, but sometimes people get pizza nearby, and they might offer you a slice. The local uncles and aunties are always charming, and Jenny the bartender is an enigma. Come here if you want to experience the community that is Chinatown. read more

I am almost loathe to write this review because I don't want anyone else to learn about my absolute, hands down, favorite bar in SF. Do you like cheap drinks? Singing your heart out to a mediocre list of karaoke songs? Excellent service from someone who will also give you snack bags of chips? This is your spot. It is my spot. Take your bad vibes elsewhere. Bow bow forever. read more

If you want a cool divebar and bad karaoke this is your spot. Although every now and then you get some real dam good singers lol. Mama has since retired but the new owner is just as fun and friendly. Parking is limited to the garage or whatever street parking you can find. Best to carpool or uber/lyft. If you're near Chinatown, hit this joint up read more

We came to Chinatown for the lunar new year parade and of course the food. While my sister and I went shopping my bf and her fiancé went to this bar to chill while we walked around. Once we were finished we went back to the bar and the bartender Jenny immediately remembered my bf and sisters fiancé. She came to pour us shots and even offered us some bags of chips for snacks! Then proceeded to give us full packs of fireworks to set off in the streets loved Jenny she was amazing and so accommodating, even took a shot and picture with us. Definitely would come back next time we're in china town. read more

See all

Fun, karaoke place with solid drinks. Easy going. Have a beer, bring a friend. Small but cool to hang read more

See all

A very lovely place for quality beer, shot, and hangout. The services were quick and efficient - didn't wait more than 5 minutes to get our drinks even with a full room. The karaoke system has a decent amount of songs and the quality of its mic and speakers were good. They have a hike box which is a separate system from the karaoke machine, but I think when people are singing, the juke box remains muted. I was told that the juke box can be played if no one's singing - which makes sense. Will try it next time. read more

See all

At first the impression was to walk away fast, but curiosity and reviews made us stay. We are glad we did... it was only 2 patrons when we walked in, about 30 minutes later there was no room to stand ,.. I am talking 60 people with about 20 capacity .. Fun, fun, fun... mama Candy is amazing character, straight out of movies, drinks are excellent, price is reasonable...with plenty drinks on the house. No food, but who cares.. eat before you come with lots of choices of Italian restaurants around the corner . Come early , grab a seat..take a journey. Good times. Thank you Mama Candy Omg! The best way to end our trip in San Francisco. Unexpected, how so many people can get United with music. We met so many great people, had so much fun. This was by far the best night ever! Couldn't have asked for anything better. San Francisco, you will be missed. SG read more

Bow Bow Cocktail Lounge - Karaoke Near Me - San Francisco, California

Always have an amazing time here. The bartenders put up with a lot, so if they seem a little slow to respond cut them some slack. If you come in with some respect and a smile, it'll be returned to you tenfold. read more

Bow Bow Cocktail Lounge - The karaoke screen - Karaoke Near Me - San Francisco, California

If you're looking for a dive bar with a lot of cool people down to earth, you've come to the right place. This place is a small little place but I've had some of the best time here and most of the time, the crowd is awesome. It looks like Yelp doesn't recognize this as open but I went recently and was so happy to see that it was open again. Good old world charm of Chinatown, and a just an old fashioned good time with drinks and yes, karaoke! read more

See all

Best karaoke. Such a fun whole in the wall bar. Our group had such a good time here!!