Was here on Thursday night for the Michael Jackson tribute show. Band was great! But the service, the service was terrible. Not a single appetizer or food item shows up for an hour and a half. Four people and 1 items shows up as the show is ending. Paid for the first round of drinks and that 1 app, cancelled the rest of the "mystery items" and left. Waitress full of apologies but every table in the place received their food except ours and tables were completed bused and left in that amount of time.Suffice to say we ate elsewhere and if we had know would have made dinner plans beforehand. read more

To be honest the band was good and the waitress Who served me was a nice young student that did her job well but the management and the rest of the crew there were terribly disrespectful rude and I feel embarrassed after the way I was treated over there! I had 12 hours to kill between two flights so I went to New York City to have a drink, when I was searching around to find a nice place to sit in, this nice guy that was sanding in the entrance a lore me to come in by telling me that they have great music tonight (he mention names of artists that they covering and I really like and he said that they just started) so I decided I'm going in and then he say that they charge $15 cover for tonight and he explained that is for the music, I agreed and after having a couple of beers and enjoying maybe 45 to 50 minutes of music the waitress came to me and say that If I want to stay I need to pay extra six dollars for the next show. Now I felt totally scammed I thought that is very rude to not tell you about different shows that end and starts every hour and whatever you pay for cover it's just for one "show" (it's not even a show it was live music same band different songs they just take a quick break but to keep sitting there paying cover one time and buying drinks won't be enough for them so I asked to speak to the manager of coarse I was speaking politely like i always do. the manager told me I don't have to stay either the extra 6 dollars either I can go! very rude guy after he went I ask from the waitress to speak to a different manager or someone in a higher position after waiting more than half an hour for that I decided to leave but before he left I asked for the manager name and the name of the guy that gave me wrong information when I got into the plates in that moment the manager just freaked out and he decided to kick me out of this place now I am in the airport feel embarrassed and shamed I would never go back there I never got kicked out from any place for any reason I don't think that asking for his name politely supposed to lead there plus I felt scammed at the very beginning already when they forced me to check my backpack for 4$ and then when I asked to leave my coat with the bag they asked an extra 4$! Seems like this place is struggling to get his money in the right way not a good business!!!! The manager have to be a businessman with good Communication abilities and not just a big rude guy that looks like a bodyguard! If this place want to respect himself and his customers he should let them know what they paying for in the beginning and I never heard of a place to charge cover few times in one night! read more

This review is for their performance at our wedding: I really don't think we could have hired a better band than Cafe Wha for our wedding a few weeks ago. We saw them perform at the actual Cafe Wha last year and knew they would be a blast for the event -- and we were absolutely right! Aaron, the band leader, and Hap, the band manager, were a pleasure and easy to work with from start to finish. They listened carefully to our vision for the evening and performed flawlessly. We hired them as a ten piece band after having looked at a few other options. Budget-wise, they were an amazing value. They played a mix of Motown, oldies, rock and pop that struck all of the right notes with the crowd. Their keyboard player also played the venue's grand piano during cocktail hour. Many of our guests told us how great the music was, some noting that it was the best wedding band they had heard. They kept the dance floor packed at the right times and during our seated courses they continued to play soft music -- no iPod breaks or periods of silence, at all! They set the tone perfectly. Truly, I could not recommend them highly enough!!! read more

The band is amazing but the venue management are thieves!! We paid for bottle service which was painfully expensive and were then charged an additional $200 to not share our tiny space with other patrons. I've never felt more deceived at a venue in my life. Shameful and disgusting!! read more

Went last night and a great, great band perform: SWEET FIX. I loved the music but the staff was very, very pushy. Not crazy about their in-house band either. The food was okay tough pretty expansive. read more

As several others have noted, this place will run up unauthorized charges on your credit card that they insist on holding in order to serve you. I highly recommend that everyone refuse to hand over their cards, and if they won't take your cash, go somewhere else. Having to deal with a fraud investigation after returning home from vacation is not a fun ending. read more

Great band, otherwise avoid it. They make everyone sit uncomfortably close. And it's in a dark, dank basement. There are better music venues all over the city. This is not worth your time. read more

Great music, band was amazing. Everyone was dancing in front of the band, great atmosphere!

My boyfriend and I decided to try out this local legendary spot with some out-of-town friends... and we sadly were very disappointed. We went on Saturday night, a couple weeks ago, and our waitress couldn't have been more unwelcoming. When she came over, as a NY cocktail waitress, I was first put off by her random leg warmers. On a Saturday night? Gym shoes and leg warmers? I don't mean to sound superficial, but at my job in meat-packing, I would have been sent home. But even though I tried to look past her weight-room ensemble, she was so rude and pushy, I felt like I was on the elementary playground about to get a wedgie from the older "bully." The second she deemed our table as not "high rollers," she couldn't rush us along more to get up and leave her section. The only reason we stayed for two complete sets, is because the nice blond waitress saw how our table was being mistreated and came to our rescue. She was so super friendly and welcoming, she made us feel happy to stay instead of leaving this establishment. She told us all about the band, venue, and helped us get a final round of drinks/shots (which she suggested) when our other waitress was nowhere in sight. All and all, the one star I'm giving is for the cute blond and the awesome band, but I just think this place needs to clean-house on it's service staff and recognize what is means to be a good employee (in the service industry) in NYC. read more

Every time I come here with my out of town guests, we have such a great time. The drinks and appetizers are satisfying and the bands are extremely talented. I enjoy how they cover various genre of music which includes Latin, R&B, Motown, Reggae, Alternative, etc. Great intimate setting and the occasional dancing (if you can find space) makes this one happening place! read more

went here december 2011, on a tuesday night. was a fun place, awesome music. the band disfunktion wer pretty cool. entertaining and could play any song u asked them to play. the bands r definitely the best thing about the establishment, besides the feeling that ur at a music bar where greats like dylan and hendrix once played. if that feeling is enough for u to pull out ur wallet and spend a bunch, then ur okay. drinks r way over priced in comparison to alot of other bars n club visited in NY there is an added cover charge (which we wer definitely made sure we knew about before we came in, no suprise). but this means ur first drink with ur gf/friend/whoever there will be priced at around $50 for the two of u..kinda dampens the mood to drink more haha. and the waitress added the 'recommended' tip on top of every round of drinks, which tipping i guess in a standard thing in america, so atleast she recommended the cheapest percentage on the list (15%).. weekends would be alot busier and therefore crappier service, tuesday was calm enough to get to know some people around u and not feel cramped. the waitress constantly came back to see if we needed any thing more. i just advise beer drinks buy a few buckets of beers (6 in a bucket for around 30$) otherwise ur wasting ur money. ive rated it 4 stars, because of the feeling of being where jimi n dylan n velvet underground n such played, hearing some unknown great musicians play whilst getting drunk, and being reasonably satisfied with my night. this being said, if i wer a new yorkan i would NEVER make this my local, it is a 100% tourist trap that i loved doing once for the experience and would not necesarrly go back unless taking a new person there. read more

My new bride and I had a fantastic time at Cafe Wha this weekend. We were visiting New York on our honeymoon and wanted to hear live music. Based on a recommendation, we ended up at Cafe Wha and were not disappointed. We arrived around 1am after some post wedding rogering. The manager found out it was our honeymoon (I always brag about my new ball and chain) and went out of his way to make us feel welcome. Our server was Carlos, and he was friendly and attentive. The music was great. My wife and i recommend this place and we will definitely return. read more

Absolutely love Cafe Wha - but solely for the band. Everything else is kind of hit or miss. The band makes up for everything, though. They are so so so good... when I come here I often can't help but stay til the last set (that ends around 3:30). They sing anything and everything you can think of and while it's similar every time I go (A few times a year), they always throw something different into the mix that I'm impressed with each time. The drink situation is just horrible - get your drink on then come here later! They are regular New York prices, but they taste like there is NO alcohol in them... every time I go I try to tell my waiter it's weak, but they never fix it. This time I ended up switching to vodka on the rocks because I was so annoyed to be paying $12 for something that tasted like plain soda. Anyway, if you've never been here - GO! Hands down, my favorite live music venue in NYC. read more

Great place, their House Band is amazing, staff is friendly, so highly recommended place to have an unforgettable time in NYC.

Visited this place day before Thanksgiving and had an awesome night. Music was fantastic due to the house band. Wonderful night? You wont be disappointed coming here for live music. read more

Went here last night, a Friday night. We made reservations earlier that day and arrived before 9:15 as suggested. They had our reservation and we got seated immediately. Cover charge was as stated on their website, $12. You don't pay until the end of the show because there is also a 1 drink minimum per person (does not have to be alcoholic of course). We asked to sit at a booth across from the band which in my opinion was the best. The 4 of us did have to share the booth with 2 other people but that was fine. The show started a little late with a comedian and then the band performed for a little over an hour. Kim was awesome, I was looking forward to hearing Mike but he wasn't there on this night. Instead they had the Soul Man perform and he was very talented and hilarious. Overall a great time, highly recommended. read more

Awful service. And pay very little attention to customers so have to do entire order at same time.

We bought a bottle of wine ($48) and we got kicked off the bar 15 minutes after because the show was over.

Live music, great appetizers, and superb cocktails! What more is missing? Nada. Zilch. Zero! My friends and I danced the night out! We had such a blast eventhough it was quite packed that night. The waiters were so nice and not to mention cute! I'll be back for more! read more

It may be a bit "touristy" (I don't know) but it was a fun atmosphere and the late night menu was devine! Thanks for the entertainment, great musicians, smiles, and great service on a late weeknight! read more

This place is well worth the cover charge! Friendly staff, great bands. Take a group of friends, sing along and dance the night away!

If your group of friends have as diverse tastes as mine do, this is the place for you all. It's a chill place with great music ranging from rock, hip-hop, reaggae, and latin. You'll be sure to have a great time with anyone you go with. read more

REALLY fun place. Really accommodating. They gave us the bet seat in the house. Drinks were expensive, but we were drinking Grey Goose. Fun live singers. We even bought the lead singer a drink. Nice spot for after Comedy Cellar. read more

The room is incredibly cold and music was average. This is pretty expensive (charged 12$ for the band) and atmosphère was quiet

Such an amazing music venue! The house band is filled with singers from every genre of music.. You will be dancing all night! Such a talented group of people!!! read more

This place is crowded, but the live music makes it worth it. While I did come as a tourist, this was possibly the best live music I have heard in any city. The Wha band was very lively and energetic, and possessed a genuine musical talent and passion for performance. I'd highly recommend this place to anyone who is looking for great music and fun, or if you like to dance. Don't come if you like noisy places where you can't hold a conversation. read more

I really love Cafe Wha? I used to go here all the time while I was a student, and I recently was back in New York for the holidays, and I had an absolutely fantastic time! The House Band is so talented, and the always get the crowd up and dancing. This has been a landmark since the 60s, and should remain one for many years to come. Thanks Cafe Wha? for another incredible evening! read more

Had my birthday here, and they were great. I made a reservation a week before and they catered to my large party (25 people). The waitress who took care of us was fantastic and we had no problems with the whole group. I just wish the band set was longer! We had a great time drinking and dancing. Highly recommend for birthday parties, just make a reservation. read more

This place would be so cool, if the staff didn't SUCK. Everyone that works there seems rude, miserable, and bothered by their tables. The establishment doesn't advertise anywhere that there will be a cover AND a 2 drink minimum, even when we tried to find out multiple times. They cut off the band we were there to see at least 2 or 3 songs short-- which meant that we spent all this money (cover + minimums) but didn't even get the full set of the band, and were rushed out of there so early. This is so badly run. It's too bad, because it has the potential to be a very fun place. read more

Sweet Jesus I love this fair city, I mean adore it. The music, art, literature. Went to the Cafe Wha? with a knowing feeling that i would embrace some history as well as a considerable bill. $62 for four drinks. $62. On a Monday night. Came away feeling dirty and done. The bouncer mumbled something about 'cover charge' and 'id' at the table. Two Coors Light and two Cuervos later I'm handing over $62. Turns out the Cuervo was $10 each. Still Stings. I'm aware that Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac are long, long gone but some slight semblance of that original beauty would be better for the city(as well as my hard earned savings). Ouch is putting it very easy..... read more

Not only is the name great, but my night at Cafe Wha? was one of the highlights of New York! My girls and I danced the night away, it's impossible not to have a blast at this bar. The selection of songs and quality of of the band was fantastic, plus great sangria and food served late! read more

(Well as a tourist you wonder around and start checking out places to have a drink and listen to music , so basically we won't have a booked table anywhere , plus the bouncers on the doorstep start telling u come in check out our place bla bla, this is how it goes usually Right ?!) Anyways we went to a jazz place which was amazing and after that our fr that lives in New York told us that his frs are in cafe wha and we need to check out this place So we left and head to cafe wha We told the bouncer/hostess/doorman I don't know what his role was at the door he was wearing eye glasses, we told him that our frs are inside he told us it's fully booked there is a small table if you so we told him our frs have a table inside and we can sit with them so he was like go check it and come back, because the place was dark and they gave us a minute to find our frs we came back and told him we couldn't find them and we are ok with the small table that u offered us , he was like sorry you had your chance to find your frs and now you won't get anything now go and good bye don't come back and started waving with his hands in a mean way He thinks he is the king of this small Crappy place Well this place isn't cavalli and this place isn't a 5 star pub , We are tourist and we are here to give you money and basically handing you your salary at the end of the month so you have to beg us to come in not to throw people out as if they are shit and treat them bad The reason I'm writing it because he was sooooooo rude and he was so mean to us and I know that places could be packed and could be fully booked but not tell us ya you had your chance we won't give you a table or talk in a mean way Well yes I am the one that told you you have to go to Dubai and see how we treat you there and see how we treat the tourist there , Dubai has the best hospitality and the best service Good luck read more

Went to Cafe Wha? last night expecting to like the music (we did) and hate the food and detest the service. We didn't. I suspect management of taking their negative reviews to heart and turning the place around. Based on yelp reviews, we ordered the spicy wings along with Sangria and both were quite good. Other options may not be as good; I can't say. But the real surprise was how good our waiter was. (Thanks, Billy Joe). My visiting cousin and I both noticed that table service was prompt, the bill was fair and even the staff we encountered on the way in and on our way out seemed to be going out of their way to be friendly and helpful. Cafe Wha?'s been around a long time but I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. read more

wow what a place music is awesome food not so awesome but well worth it for the entertainment. service is mediocre nothing to write home about but as said the band will make up for all the downs!!! read more

Cafe Wha is one of the most fun places in NYC! I have been there several times and the band is always amazing, the waiters are attentive, and the location is excellent. I go every time I'm in New York! read more

My experience at Café Wha was disappointing. There is not much variety on the food menu and it is overpriced. My friends and I were seated in a small cramped area making it difficult to see and enjoy the live music. But that's not the worse......I saw a RAT run pass under the tables as I was leaving!!!! read more

Trouble deciding. Had been to the late show. Arrived around 8, had dinner, saw comedian and listened to the GREAT band. Left about 11:15 and enjoyed the night.Then, went with a group of friends to the Michael Jackson review....expensive night for an hour and 10 min. We paid the cover, had dinner and the band played a pinch over an hour. We were told we could stay but had to pay AGAIN but just HALF the cover price.!! We would have stayed and ordered drinks but Graham and his other manager didn't seem to put customers first. THERE WAS NO ONE WAITING FOR TABLES AND NO LINE TO GET IN. It was fairly quiet to listen to the 9pm set. It took us an hr to get there, the music was about an hr long(THEY NOW SAID EARLY SETS ARE SHORT) and we paid enough. The late set is about 2 hrs and that's what we expected. By the time we had just finished eating, we were told we would have to pay to stay longer. RIDICULOUS. They should be ashamed of themselves. Yes, they have been there a long time but DON'T CARE about keeping customers happy. We will spread the word and not sure if we will ever return. They don't care anyway. read more

I've frequented this establishment many times over the years, most experiences pleasant. On this one particular occasion security and particularly it's management were projecting the lowest level of professionalism. My brother and I were invited down to the club to check it out before actually paying a cover, as most patrons were. The major difference being was the way I was treated once down stairs. As my brother and I were greeted by Adam, a generously described security "professional", he stated this establishment was for paying customers only. We explained that we were invited to check the place out first by the gentleman at the door. Adam became verbally forceful. I explained that we fully intended to spend time and money at the bar. While my brother waited, I attempted to use the restroom. While fully exposed, Adam burst into the restroom saying "you have to leave". I tried explaining that we intended to stay, but he proceeded to place his handheld walkie talkie on the sink and subsequently his hand on my shoulder, pulling me back from the urinal. I naturally refused to move, but upon further shoving from Adam, decided to leave the establishment. The doorman, as much of a gentleman as he was, was absolutely no help in mediating the situation. Finally, after specifically asking numerous times for the manager, the doorman pointed him out. I calmly approached him, and as nice as he was, he seemed like this situation was completely irrelevant to his bottom line success. This was an absolute disgrace. Please spread the word that as creative as a place that this may be, the management and security firm is an atrocity. Not that this emphasizes my point one way or another, but I'm a military member on leave for the first time in 8 months. Disgraceful. read more

I ended up here once on my birthday when I was new to the city and had the greatest time - if an awesome house band playing covers of songs that you can sing to is your scene - go for it. I'm not really sure why everyone is so bitchy about this place, yeah it's a dive, yeah it's expensive, so are 75% of bars in the city. Get over it. This past weekend I brought 2 friends from Toronto here, we made reservations, altho - we didn't need them and after waiting in line for about 2 minutes, we were sent downstairs. YES - they seat you with other parties in booths to fit everyone. If you're going to be cranky about this - don't go. If you are cool with sitting with other people (by the end of the night you'll be best friends anyway) and enjoy the house band you'll be fine. HOWEVER - my friend caught the attention of the waitress and asked her if we could move because they were next to two very burly men in a booth and were squished. I cringed because in the other reviews I had read - everyone has said the service is poor. WRONG. BEST. SERVER. EVER. Her name was Nelly. Not only did she set us up so that we had the best table, right in front of the band- with no one else next to us, she was there all night, smiling, joking with us, bringing us more drinks with just a nod. At the end of the night we HUGGED her goodbye. How many times can you say that's happened anywhere? I'm okay with cover for the night you get out of this place. I ordered 2 pitchers of Sangria and split them with someone else, for $28 each. I like that they include the cover AND tip in the bill so I don't have to worry about it until the end of the night and by then I don't care that I spent $60 for a memorable night. That's 5 drinks somewhere else that doesn't have an awesome band. Oh and we got nachos so bonus! I don't even remember how many I had but the point is - worth it. My friends had the greatest time, still can't stop talking about it, had their phones out the entire time recording different songs, loved the guitar solos, singing along to EVERY SONG. It's all chillin' music. My only qualm is...the under-agers. I mean, I'm 27 and so are my friends but the youngin's? GET THEM OUT. They can't drink there - but they obviously drank somewhere else beforehand and crowded up the dance floor taking pictures with their phones and embarrassing themselves - so much so the singer in the band periodically made fun of them by singing her songs while photo-bombing them. Overall, if you want a place to go and don't mind the $15 for a show that lasts from 11:45-3:30AM go for it. You'll have fun no matter what. read more

The Cafe Wha band and the main host are always awesome and a lot of fun! The venue is great! I go periodically and often taken out-of-town friends here. The service is usually terrible though. Most of the servers have attitudes (and it doesn't seem like management encourages anything better). I'm probably being generous with 4 stars, because the music and venue are so much fun, but the service (and watered down drinks) always takes something away. They also want ID with credit cards, which makes no sense. No other place asks to hold IDs with credit cards. This is inviting identity fraud and a lawsuit if anyone has their identity stolen and even thinks it came from Cafe Wha. And servers often try to put the tip in automatically, but you don't have to accept this. Having or expecting automatic gratuity almost certainly contributes to the bad service (no motivation to give good service). I saw a couple sit next to me only 20 minutes before the end of a Saturday show. They paid $15 cover each and ordered drinks. They were starting their second round when the server told them they would have to pay extra for the next set. I could see if they sat through the whole set, especially since the place was packed (when it isn't packed, they don't usually try to charge for additional sets, beyond expecting people to order more drinks). But she knew they had only been seated 20 minutes before, had paid $15 cover, and had ordered 2 rounds, and so she clearly figured she could get more money by pushing them out and getting new people in. They objected and she was very rude about it (as she had been to others). This type of service is all too common. Someone else said on Yelp they found $3 extra charge on their bill the day after the came to Cafe Wha. I need to check my bill too, lol. It really seems like some very easy but very significant changes/tweaks would make Cafe Wha a legitimate 5 stars, rather than an extremely generous 4 stars. read more