Love this place, but the cocktails were awful -don't order one. They also tried to kick us out after the set finished which was annoying.

Only giving one star because of the band. They were great and sounded amazzzinnnng. However the night was ruined because of the servers. Everyone working in the place had a very bad attitude and I'm not sure if it was just with my group/party. From the beginning they asked us not to speak or laugh too loud for the comedian. The staff was so rude people from our party ended up leaving. I deff would not want to return just because it was such a negative experience. read more

Great music! Good times! Nice place to enjoy drinks and live music!

Place is amazing. Went with a buddy from high school. The wings are absolutely amazing, and the music is even better. Set 1 got the entire crowd going crazy. People didn't even want to talk about it later. Shit got wild . I highly recommend going and having a freaky night. read more

Too much for too little! My friend had her birthday party here and made a reservation for about 15 people. What they didn't tell her is once the band starts, they will start turning people away at the door. If she knew that, she would have made sure to tell people to come early, but luckily (or unluckily?) my husband and I just made it. The band was decent, but so loud it was impossible to have a conversation, so it's definitely not a place to go if you want to catch up! Drinks were expensive and watered down and even if the band had been mind blowing, there was no dance floor to enjoy it! Then as soon as the band was over, we were rudely told we had to leave or pay another $15 cover fee for probably another cover band. Never again. read more

I went here on a Tuesday night and loved it! I was on my feet most of the night. The band was really good with the songs they covered, except I wasn't feeling it when one of the guys did Prince (they could of left that out). The people that went up for open mic were decent too. Nice crowd, drinks were good and seating was a little tight. The bathroom was ilk (I was ok not seeing any creatures), but it is in the Village. Definitely would make another visit. read more

This place is always a good time, I regularly shut my brain off here - the perfect antidote to a long work week. The band rocks, though you do have to hear a Coldplay jam every once in a while. But it's ok since it gets the ladies in a particularly good mood. The band is full of killin' musicians and the rotation on vocals rocks, and their covers are typically better than the originals - especially the Coldplay ones :) Between that, the venues legendary status, the location, and occasional celebrity sightings, what's not to like? Grab a booth or dance your ass off as you try and slay some out of town strange! read more

Worst expierence ever! Been here 4 prior times and today they just just came up with a "double cover" WTF!!! 15$ its pricey! And then double cover??? Thats a tourist scam! Dont came here if you dont want to loose money!!! Best scam in ny! Cafe wha is not what it used to be!!! Tourist tramp scam!!! Go to wicked Willis or other real cool places dont loose your time! Bad food expensive beer show Just ok. Avoid! read more

Band was great had a good time. Unfortunately the entire band was introduced, except for the only black woman who actually had some major lead vocals. I pointed this out to the host during a brief set change. But he shrugged it of as if it were nothing. I'm shocked that a band that was celebrating Bob Marley would be dismissive to black women! Utterly disgusting. Hopefully they do better in the future. One love! read more

House band was awesome and the crowd was really entertaining.

Went here on Saturday night for the 1130 show and it was awesome! I think that tab was about $420 for 8 of us which consisted of the cover charge and drinks. Thats about $53 pp which isnt bad and even if it was more it was definitely worth it!!! The band will definitely get you up and dancing and the service was quick and friendly. We never had to wait for a drink. A great place to bring out of towners or just for a night out on the town! Woot woot! read more

Ehhhhhh. Completely overrated. The house band was awesome, but I could've lived without the God-complexed bouncers and the overpricedness of the drinks. Must admit, the sangria was delicious though. read more

This place saddens me.. I'm sure that in the 60's. you could come here and enjoy food that was probably cheap, music that was awesome( especially when Hendrix was on the scene), and it had an atmosphere of close knit hippies in the once nostalgic "Greenwich Village"... I'm sure that there was once a time when you could come here and get a real awesome experience that didn't include an expensive cover charge.. and drunk A** holes... but those days are ABSOLUTELY OVER!!!! I came here once and was very dissappointed.. the band i saw was good, and the food was ok. but the cover charge at the end of the bill was ridiculous and the crowd was a mixture of obnoxious losers and drunk tourists . So in a nutshell. i wouldn't waste my time coming here again... I've got better things to do with my hard earned cash. read more

Nice chill spot... Open mic night was great. The band is amazing and celebrity guest appearances. I got to see Mike epps and Peter gunz.

If you need a low key spot to listen to live music on a date or with friends, this is perfect! Or if you want to showcase your talent at midnight by doing open mic, do it! read more

This place is a lot of fun. I didn't eat there, but the drinks were good, the crowd was energetic, and the live music was awesome! It's the type of place where the whole crowd gets involved, and the band puts on a show (at least that night they did). I went on a Sunday and couldn't believe how lively it was. Have only good things to say about Cafe Wha. Great time. read more

Having the best time! It's been too long since I have been to the Wha? And it still doesn't disappoint! The band was amazing. But certainly worth mentioning is the service led by the manager Julián. He accommodated our special needs and ensured our night was perfect. It was a great homecoming! read more

Great band & vibe, tons of fun!. Although mojito didn't have enough kick. Still definitely worth the visit.

The atmosphere was good considering it was a Sunday night and Valentines day. The hostess was quick to seat us and friendly...but if you happen to be from the state of Alaska they don't want your business. I don't know if the "manager" was unaware that Alaska is an actual state that issues legitimate ID's, or if he was insisting that it was a fake ID, or if he was just being placist. Either way I was less than pleased with that. They tried to resolve the situation by asking me for another form of ID, but lets be real here. I wasn't about to fly internationally. With the $10 cover charge on top of that.... next time I'll pass. read more

This place is awesome! I was visiting NYC for work and a friend recommended this place for good music. The band plays covers (seriously, like ANY cover..) and was amazingly talented , could've listened to them forever. The place and the band draw a fun eclectic crowd, anyone fits in and everyone is having fun. Two menu item min as the cover charge - stick to the drinks and music. If you're hungry, just walk down to Joe's pizza for a bite ;-). Highly recommend! read more

I love it here!! Been here a couple of times and the Band plays every type of music. Every time was a great night. Favorite singer is Byron :) keep on singing those bob marley songs. Drinks & food are good too. The wings are to die for, but it's more about enjoying the band. read more

LOVE Cafe Wha! The music was awesome- the house band put on one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. Came with a group of friends from out of town to show them a good time. We were planning on just seeing the early show and ended up sticking around for the whole night! The burger was surprisingly good and the drinks were very affordable by NYC standards. Will definitely be back! read more

So, this is one of those places where all these reviews are probably right. If it's empty, and it probably is on Tuesday nights in winter, I can see it being dull. We didn't eat anything, but the menu (fried mozzarella sticks, etc.) inspired no confidence whatsoever. I still don't quite understand the pricing, we had some sort of groupon and the waiter told us we didn't have to buy drinks, but we did anyway. It's a tiny place, low ceiling, narrow aisles, so once the house band cranks up you'll have a tough time ordering or asking questions of the servers. We went for an earlier (8:30) bossa nova show, which was fun. We ordered a bottle of pinot grigio, which was like $44 for something we can get in Safeway in CA for $6. That's not exactly a complaint, it took care of the drink minimums and reminded us of a time we had a bottle of wine and listened to bossa nova in Rio. However, this left us little prepared for what was to come. We were having fun and were told we could stay for the house band, so we did. Their act is decidedly NOT a white wine show! I figured things were going to change when they started setting up their TWO drum kits and the THREE electric guitars started plugging in. It was LOUD! I'll bring earplugs next time probably. Keep in mind this place is like 20 feet across, maybe, it's a cellar under an old brownstone on MacDougal Street. The band is really great, especially when the funk/soul singers start winding up. They played a crazy quilt of stuff, Peter Gabriel, U2, Maroon Five, Alicia Keys, James Brown, Michael Jackson. It was a blast, with folks dancing in the aisles, and we'll be back again. If you can catch an earlier show and then stay for the later set, you should do that. You'll get better seats and can enjoy a couple of different kinds of music. As another reviewer noted, it's not free, but if you compare it to the prices for good seats at Yankee Stadium or Broadway, you'll discover it's a decent value for a night out, especially if you can enjoy a (very talented) cover band. read more

By far my fave place in NYC. Overall experience, band, and comedian were awesome. The only thing I would critique are the drinks. I ordered a frozen margarita and it was literally water and ice w a splash of margarita taste. The chocolate martini was delish tho! read more

Cafe wha is great. Anytime I have someone visit me from out of town, this is where I bring them. The house band is super fun and talented. I've never eaten here so can't comment on that, but the drinks are fine. Come for the entertainment! It's a lot of fun. read more

In town visiting my daughters and we went there last night. Best time ever! Comedian was hysterical and the house band was phenomenal

Great venue for music. Just got out of an Amy Winehouse cover show and it was excellent. Food prices are typical of what you would expect. Bottle of wine was actually surprisingly cheaper then most places. You really get a good underground vibe coming here. The stage is right in the center and you can see it from basically any angle. Awesome spot! read more

We had such a great night this past week. From being greeted at the door to being wished a good night it was superb. Service was fast and fun, the warm up comedian made us part of the show due to our proximity to the stage. He was fantastic. The house band kicked ass with a variety of genres and front men and women. We'll ba back very soon. read more

We hired the Cafe Wha band for our wedding. They were phenomenal. Hap Pardo was our contact person and he invited us to the club to check them out first, he was extremely professional and a pleasure to work with. Their band leader reached out to us about a month before the wedding and we went over song lists and a guest stand-in performance that we wanted to have as a special highlight. The band was awesome and the dance floor was packed from the start to the end of the reception. It was the best day of our lives and the band played a big part in that. Their song list and great sound was admired and complimented by all our guests. We would recommend them for any wedding, they can play and genre and they do it well. read more

So it's my first time in NYC and I went to this dump. Service sucks. The waiter totally forgot about us and some sorry excuse " I had a tough time with a table that's the reason why I left". He never cleaned up our table after eating or provided additional napkins etc. Today I checked my bank account and noticed David at Cafe Wha charged me more than I wrote on the bill. I read previous bills that this place was shady. I should have chose a different place to spend 180.00 for food and entertainment at. It's the principle not the money issue that pisses me off. Well folks stay away from this dive bar. Peace read more

I Have been to Cafe Wha? on numerous occasions, including celebrating my wife's and numerous friends' birthdays. The food, music, and atmosphere never fail to please! The band is absolutely outstanding and food is off the charts. You can feel the history of the place the second you walk in. I've always felt welcomed by staff, bouncers, waiters, etc. and love the interaction you get with the band/comics/etc in such an intimate setting. I cannot say enough about this place! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! read more

My friends and I heard this club is a staple of the village - the place where Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix were discovered - so of course, to have the true New Yorker experience, we had to check it out. So glad we did! This is such a fun place, the ambiance and mood is funky and perfect, the service was so friendly and engaging, we had a really great time. But the flat out best part of this place is definitely the house band. We'd only planned on some drinks and a quick bite maybe, but we ended up staying for hours because the band is that incredible. We danced and sung a long, definitely a great night. You have to check it out if you want to say you're a true New Yorker with a passion for music! read more

Always fun. Definitely make a reservation. It also stinks a bit inside, but you'll survive.

I mean, what can I say that can't be said about Cafe Wha? It's a New York establishment for a reason. I was only able to stop in on a spur of the moment as I was only in NY for a weekend but the experience was absolutely amazing! The house band is absolutely insane. It was a party to say the least. It's crowded down there but that's New York in a nutshell. Drink were really tasty and all things considered the average price, but you don't go there to drink, you go there to rock out. It feels like gone are the days of Dylan dropping in and Springsteen trying out new material, but it's a blast. Can't wait to go again on my next trip read more

Nothing is happening in Cafe Wha. Nothing musically. Nothing culinary. Nothing atmospherically. It is a mausoleum with overworked waiters. Have some pity and just don't go there. read more

This small little hole in the wall bar/restaurant is one of the most hippest places in the NYC bar scene!! The live music from the house band is the most eclectic array of music genres you can ever imagine!! There is dancing in the aisles and even though its small, its service is pretty good and the food isnt bad!! I would highly recommend this for the atmosphere and the good time!! read more

Great bar/restaurant with live house band that plays a variety of music. The house band was fun and engaging. One thing of note is that there was a $5 door fee when I went on a weekday night. Drink prices are typical for the area. Highly recommend this place for a good time. read more

Great place and great music! It has a cover charge and a minimum of 1 drink per show, but it worth it.

horrible service!!! the waitress kept checking on us since one drink is mandatory from the second we got there,then when we told her we need a little but to make a decision,they took us out and in a most humiliating act the manger which i think his name was Greg or something start yelling at us handing the menus to us demanding to order right now. i hope the owner will read this and honestly they deserve to go bankrupt with the way they humiliating the same people that put food on their table! read more

If you like live music, literally just about any genre, go here. I went this past weekend with friends from college, it was our second time going. LIT. The comedian that opened was hilarious, name was Chris I think. The house band is so talented I'm just a sucker for good vocals. I look forward to many more trips to NY and nights at Cafe Wha. read more