I've been coming to The Mint for about a decade now. Back when I lived in San Francisco, I was a regular, and even now that I've moved away, I still make a point to stop in whenever I'm back in the city. It's just one of those places that feels familiar in the best way. There's a solid crowd of regulars, which gives the place a fun, welcoming energy without feeling cliquey. The staff has always been great and keeps the karaoke and drinks flowing all night. The drinks are strong (in a good way), and the karaoke setup is exactly what you want: lively, a little chaotic, and always entertaining. Whether you're going up to sing or just hanging back and enjoying the show, it's an easy place to have a good time. If you're looking for a fun karaoke bar in SF, The Mint is a classic for a reason. Pro tip: it gets really busy after about 6:30, so stop in earlier if you want to sing more. read more

Hey, hi, howdy. This is my review of the mint: it's great. A consistent Kareoke joint in the middle of the city. Can't be beat. How about that? Ok ciao chow chyeao read more

We tried to go in for pride night and karaoke, we were informed by the bouncer it was a two drink minimum and he checked our ids, we are all late 20s early 30s, the bouncer took extra long to check my sisters id and then she lightly bounced into the door frame because two other people were in the door and he said "no we're not doing this tonight" and kicked her out because she was "too drunk"and so my whole group left since there was no sense in fighting with the bouncer. We have been to this bar before and enjoyed it and karaoke but this instance with the bouncer makes us not want go back. read more

Amazing place with great vibes (customers and bartenders/workers alike). I went for NYE and everyone was so nice. Just a reminder, it is cash only but they have an ATM inside. I met the owner's lovely wife and her lovely friends, they were amazing. I wish them all the best. read more

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I loved it here. What a supportive community of people. It was easy to reserve a table and while I always get a little because about meeting my drink minimum, my friends definitely drank more than their 2 drinks and with shots we more than met it. Good list of songs and you can check them out online before going so you know what's available. read more

Avoid! Service was fast but the rum and coke I ordered was 98% Coke if not all 100%.. same story with the vodka soda my wife ordered .. door man unwelcoming. Karaoke list is outdated and after waiting an hour asked if they even had the song I requested to be told they never got it (I handed to karaoke host directly) Avoid avoid avoid GO to SOOL for fun karaoke read more

My friends and I love to cap a night out in San Francisco with a visit to the mint. It's become a tradition for us to stumble in after a long night and get some affordable drinks and scream sing our hearts out. I've been to several karaoke clubs in SF and while some might have better ambiance, the Mint has a charm that makes you feel right at home. read more

The Mint - Making new friends on the karaoke stage - Karaoke Near Me - San Francisco, California

Service is great! Drinks are only $10. They're cash only. ATM inside, just in case. Always a fun time.

Came here the other night. Tried to have a good time, but their staff was rude and their drinks are way overpriced for a shitty dive bar that only takes cash. read more

Visited the Mint karaoke lounge during the last hour of the night, and thought the place was pretty cool, but super small and cramped. Got to see some guests perform karaoke, with songs like Creep by Radiohead, but there was not much seating in the karaoke room, so I just watched and listened from the bar side. The place has a casual vibe, not too exciting or fancy in any way, but inviting enough to wanna stick around. The place closed at 2am on a Saturday, but the last call for alcohol was around 1:20am (that's super early IMO), and the music stopped around 1:45am with a hard message to leave, from the staff. This didn't leave the best impression on me as my first time there, but if you like music in all forms, don't mind being in crowds, and just want to get a drink at the bar, you'll probably have a good time here. read more

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Don't come here unless you want to be threatened to get your "asks thrown to the curb" for hitting your vape. My girl and I came to this lounge as first timers loving the vibes. 45 minutes into hanging out here, buying drinks, and sining.. the bartender came over to use threatening to throw our asses out, threatening the police, and fining us. As soon as he let us know we couldn't vape my friend out her vape in her purse and continuously apologized letting him know we thought it was okay as we were smoking for the first 45 minutes without any warning. We respect the rules and as soon as we found out it wasn't allowed the vape was put away. The hostile attitude towards us made us feel uncomfortable and we left. Be warned you can't smoke. A simple "no smoking" would've been justified and respected however the threats were unacceptable. Be aware. read more

The stage was super sparkly and fun! Long line to do karaoke though. Cash only bar, but they do have an ATM inside.

Was disappointed with my karaoke experience here. We got to The Mint around 8:15PM on a Thursday evening. Sound system and karaoke setup was great, but it took a long time for our songs to come up. After over an hour, our names were finally called. Then it was over another hour. Most of my group members gave up waiting on their second song and left. I stayed until the end and managed to get in three songs within a five hour time span. Seemed like quite the wait...and that was with me abiding by their two drink minimum (cash only by the way) and tipping the KJ for each song. My friend put in a song, which never came up. I'm not sure if the KJ noticed he had left and just tossed his song out. By 1 AM, there were so many names called of people who had already left, that there was not much of an audience to sing to. There were definitely some singers who were most likely regulars who got to sing more than others. In regards to COVID precautions, they definitely have that in place. Plastic barriers everywhere and patrons including singers having to wear masks while singing even after having your ID and vaccination status checked at the door. Excessive in my opinion, but I understand they are just following the rules. I think if the lineup had been more fair, it would have been a better experience, but the wait time was just way too long; basically an hour-and-a-half between songs and some singers definitely got to sing more than others. I'm inclined to give the place another shot when they remove the indoor mask mandate, but until then, I'll stick with my other karaoke bars. read more

The Mint - Karaoke Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is a great local spot, don't get me wrong.... However there have definitely been nights where I don't have extra cash to "spot" the DJ so they'll straight up ignore my song requests..... most recent visit as an example ; sang ONE song, and ignored my groups request for the rest of the night. (We were there for damn near 5 hours) . ( last time I was there, I waited 3 hours and ended up leaving)... I understand the tipping culture bc I'm a bartender as well? But I felt taken advantage of from this place,,,,, I'm gonna keep going bc the idea of a karaoke night is GREAT, customer service is terrible, step it tf up.......... read more

it's a very selective bar. they don't show the line up and they give you a "hour and half" estimate but then say "we called you" we sat there the whole time ... not the vibe read more

Great place to celebrate with friends and family. I will definitely support this business again. The drinks are not strong, but the Japanese restaurant next door delivered our food, which was a plus. read more

Super fun if you can get past the mildew smell. The owners need to do something about the air quality. The smell is bad - mildew and old stench. No way is this compliant with laws. Get some air filters or something before you get fined! The service and staff are great however! read more

I can gloss how much I love the Mint, but I'm gonna give you a different angle. if you care about singing and going multiple times, your best bet is 5pm on weekdays. yeah everybody likes going during the evening, but if you're willing to get an early start, it's a far more enjoyable experience. plus there's happy hour discounts. if you have to go later in the evening. Wednesdays are good rotation, but the closer towards the weekends, the longer the wait because that's when you get amateur hour as well as those that take it seriously. if you have the patience, yeah the evenings can be electric and a fun experience. The Mint has internet options aside from their regular song list that's on their web list. so everything is wide open! read more

This is one of my favorite karaoke bars in the city. The people here are always so friendly and supportive. You never feel like a fool getting on the stage and having a blast. The drinks are okay, but this place gets crowded as the night passes. It's worth keeping out. Even if you're too shy to get on stage to sing, you can still enjoy yourself in the crowd. read more

Here's what happens when you visit this place. $31 with tip for two simple drinks. Regular " Jacquie" put hands on me, and when I reacted, I was shown the door, after I paid handsomely for my seat. If you're a male, avoid this place. The Mint caters to women who will paw you and then claim victimhood, and The Mint supports it. Additionally, I set down my wallet, and then when I picked it up, all the cash was gone. Garbage bar, avoid. You're not safe here, and they couldn't care less. read more

I'm not gonna lie, I tried this place a couple of times. The bartenders and the door guy are really cool, but it sucks when you're there for two hours buying drinks and food and you see people singing two or three times, or walking in 20 minutes ago and singing before you. It didn't bother me before, but one night I went with a friend (We are both AA) who brought it to the DJ's attention. The DJ tells him that he's lying and he actually had to show him a receipt that we had from the food we ordered to prove that we had been there for over two hours before he actually put us on the list. It was actually disheartening as someone who came to California to get away from this kind of behavior and is slapped in the face with it when simply trying to have a fun night out at karaoke. Needless to say, I haven't been back since. After looking at the reviews I found multiple people have had the same experience with the exact same DJ and their reviews have been put in the "do not recommend section" when you check their yelp. Unfortunate, because the staff is amazing. read more

One of my all-time favorite karaoke places on the planet! The staff is fantastic, the drinks are tasty (& affordable!), and the song list is second-to-none. Ironically, the only other karaoke song list I've seen that's longer is at Karaoke Kan in Tokyo! What makes The Mint even more special for me is that this is the bar my grandpa would frequent back when he was a guard at the *real* US Mint just around the corner. Everyone from every background and singing ability gets up to sing, which I think is great. What I enjoy is that a lot of the songs sung are classics I wouldn't otherwise hear at any other karaoke venue. The Mint is where you'll usually find me winding my night down winding my lungs up to belt out tunes! read more

It's a mess. If you want messy karaoke, go! Crowd is hit or miss. Bartenders are great, KJs are so-so. Good for killing time and people watching. Not the best for those that want to actually sing karaoke. read more

Had a great time, the ambiance was very warm and welcoming definitely would go back multiple times

Fun karaoke bar with an extensive song list. You can order food from the restaurant next door. Awesome.

RL is the greatest bartender in the world! He is so nice and so amazing. He has the best smile and will make sure you are having an amazing time!! Highly recommend. Give this man a hug!! read more

Great ambiance and party. DJ and everyone was welcoming and very entertaining. Good times!

I always have an incredible time at the Mint. Whenever I have a friend visiting from out of town, I always take them here. The vibes are always a blast, full of cheap drinks, lively and eclectic patrons, and very passionate singers-- the worse the singer, the more fun! It's free to submit a song, just keep in mind that it'll be a pretty long wait on weekends. In the meantime, you'll forget about the wait time because it's so fun to sing along with everyone else. This place is a gem within San Francisco, and I can't wait til the next time I go! read more

The Mint Karaoke Lounge is San Francisco's Premier Karaoke dive bar, with a very hip and authentic atmosphere which includes still being a cash only bar (there are two ATMs at the front door to make obtaining cash a little easier), talented mixmasters like Jane, Daddy, and Brian who have the skills to create an impressive array of specialty drinks, and of course the karaoke diva regulars that come in super early to sing when there's almost no one there. Located on Market Street just on the Outer Edge past the Castro, it was historically and remains a mixed LGBTQ and straight folks bar. that has always been a part of its charm. it's not just an LGBTQ-friendly bar, it's a bar where Brian will regale you with tales of the Castro back in the day while he pours you a drink. Jason does enough costume quick changes on stage to compete with any drag performance or burlesque show while simultaneously caging, blowing bubbles for the crowd to play in, and joining you on a song doing harmony. I swear, that man is the hardest working man in karaoke show business. LGBTQ regulars are also a part of the flavor of this establishment It's these little touches that make the mint a time capsule into the 1990s when karaoke first got really big in the Bay Area. if you ever sit in the little table near the front, which was the owner's table back in the day, you'll see a wall full of commendations and best of the Bay Area writeups. It's directly connected to Sushi Delight, which serves excellent Sushi and Bento boxes. They will bring the food right into the bar if you ask them to deliver it there. The Mint is also chill about you bringing in food from other places as long as you don't bring in any beverages. Different days of the week have their own regular crowd and their own particular flavor. as you might expect, Fridays and Saturdays are the most popular nights. Jason KJ's on these nights, and they're the nights on which you're most likely to find a younger crowd. there's usually one or more birthday parties going on, and I highly recommend booking a birthday party at the mint . my nieces bachelorette party was on a Saturday and Jason was caging he did two entire costume changes while entertaining her and making it a night will never forget. sometimes he puts on his wig and he jumps up there with the blow up guitar and starts playing it in the middle of the show. He is a blast and is very well versed in modern pop music, as well as music from the '80s '90s and 2000s. It is the night on which the under 30 crowd is most likely to party, everyone from Gen Z through Boomers and older this one regular who's 80 years old show up on these nights. I like coming in on Thursdays and Sundays when Jane is at the bar, a talented Mixmaster with a wry and entertaining wit, blue hair, a love for Nick Cave songs, usually some kind of cool band shirt on, and wonderfully informed and deeply thought out opinions that she's never afraid to share. She is the kind of colorful character that makes you want to hang out in places like this. she's been working there for 30 years and is usually surrounded by a grouping of very loyal regulars talking politics or sharing the hot gossip. Sundays are a welcome environment for the alternative rock crowd, and since the crowd tends to be a bit older (35+) it's usually mellower vibes, fewer drunk people, and most frequently you'll hear a lot of grunge era music on a Sunday night, mixed with some goth, punk, ska, nu metal, nu punk, emo... you get the picture. That doesn't mean other genres of music aren't heard cuz it's karaoke and people will sing whatever they want to sing. But that crowd does tend to come that night. KJ Daddy loves bands like The Clash, Pixies, The Pogues, and The Specials and wears cool Hawaiian shirts. He is super laid back and chill. Mondays, aka Minty Mondays with Toto and RJ are the OG night where they have a lot of much older people AKA boomers and up, and it's definitely the best night to bring your family to the mint if you want to have an intergenerational karaoke experience. show up and bring your mom, you'll all have a good time. You can bring your kids and your parents, you can even bring your grandparents. '60s music, show tunes, R&B from the '80s and '90s are the vibe. Will, the Wednesday night KJ, likes pop, 90s/2000s R&B and hip hop music, and a lot of times the KJs have loyal fans who will show up on their night. The Wednesday night crowd tends towards older Millennials and Gen X, and songs from the 2000s and '90s are very common. Again, any music and any crowd is welcome on any night but as a rule of thumb this is who shows up. Will is very technically proficient and is good at finding your song if it's not in the song book. If you come early on Thursdays, Brian will entertain you and Regale you with his stories of the old Castro and possibly sing some show tunes or if you're very lucky, some 70s alt rock like The Runways. he's another one who's been on staff for like 30 read more

The Mint - Early at the Mint getting extra songs in with the rest of the regulars and Karaoke divas - Karaoke Near Me - San Francisco, California

A great place for after work enjoyment karaoke at the mint also with my friend Christopher Castillo yeah much fun but now he moved away not in the bay area anymore yeah also Jim read more

A fun divey karaoke bar with weak drinks! The staff are friendly & will space out requests so everyone gets a turn. The place had a great atmosphere with lots of birthday parties, and everyone was singing along to the songs. Lots of seating, but lots of people as well, so they go quick as the night progresses! The vibe on the stage did seem to be more individual performers, but they were lively with lots of crowd support & everyone certainly didn't seem to mind our big group going up. The music definitely skewed oldies, which the crowd loved! This might not really be fair to hold against the bar, but there was a creepy guy who was hitting on every girl in our group (and in the bar) all night stationed right by the stage, would love for them to do something about people like that. Overall a good time, I would just recommend pregaming well & getting here early to get more songs on before the place gets packed! read more

Very intolerant atmosphere. We went with a large group of both straight and gay friends. One of our friends was wearing an American flag bow tie, and was immediately approached by a patron sitting at the bar and questioned if he was a republican. After refusing to answer he was shoved and sworn at and told to leave. The bartender witnessed this entire thing and made only a slight effort to calm the aggressive patron, and made no apology to our friend. So we left. Bringing our group here was a mistake we won't repeat. read more

Been going to karaoke places all over the country for 30+ Years. This place is the best I've been to. Full Stop. It's old-style, although I understand they have karaoke rooms; I sang at the stage at the end of the bar. Staff (and Manager) were present, fun, attentive, and both sang, as well. The Vibe is amazing ("Chill", my son would call it). Just the best. read more

Love this place sooooo much. Made it a second home. I remember finding this place back in July 2023 and met so many who've been coming for decades. read more

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Don't waste your time. You can't karaoke here unless you pay $20 to the "dj" We waited for 2 hrs and someone who came in after us sang the song that we requested. We were told by a patron who said that she has been coming here for 30 years that unless you pay enough to the "dj" that you will not be able to sing in a reasonable amount of time: I also rarely write reviews but frequently visit restaurants if you look at my history. The bartenders who deserve all of the tips in cash are amazing.I refused to a man city at a booth choosing karaoke songs tips that the bartenders deserve. Yeah I 10 out of 10 do not recommend this bar. Don't come here for a bachelor party, don't come here for anything unless you wanna waste your money on your crappy drinks and terrible karaoke service. Saving grace is the bartenders who are amazing. read more

The Mint - 10 out of 10 do not recommend - Karaoke Near Me - San Francisco, California

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the bouncer made our night! shoutout alan for the nutella bread. what a friendly bar - the bartender made us the best white russian we've ever had. 10/10 and the DJ cared to curate a fun vibe to the bar. this was our last stop of the night and we had a great time. read more

This is a fun Karaoke bar. I really dig the the tv's of the performers above the bar which is on a slightly lower level then the performance area. The Tv's look like some really bad music video from the 80's! My boss knows whats up and paid 20 buck to budge in line.. Hungry why wait! I did my standard Born to Run by the Boss, drank some Bud heavy and had a pretty darn fun time I must admit! Decent sound, nice staff, and the bathrooms were pretty darn clean! Met some friendly folks.. A nice hour spent in this spot! read more

The Mint - Karaoke Near Me - San Francisco, California

My stool is at the end of the bar near the front door. PLEASE do not sit here, as you will be sitting on a ghost!!!!!!! This place is SF's living room! Hey Ya'll! Love Brendan read more

Such a friendly staff! We ordered sushi from next door. Drinks were strong and large. KJ was great about moving us around if we needed a break. Great place for a Bachelorette party! We had a reservation which was right next to the stage. Friendly regulars showing us the ropes. We had a great time! Thanks y'all!! read more

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This is a charming home in the wall karaoke bar, with an exceptional Karaoke dj. Jason was the sweetest and the drink prices are great for SF standards! Will definitely be back on my next trip! read more