Otter's Saloon — Restaurant in Minneapolis

I've been to The Otter about five times- but just for karaoke. The atmosphere and the people are pretty down-to-earth. The bartenders and bouncers are also friendly.

Karaoke can be hit or miss. Sometimes the DJ can lose the chronology and place someone who has signed up recently ahead of someone who's been waiting. This is the case even if you have given the DJ a healthy tip.

That probably doesn't sound like a big deal, but if you go there for karaoke (and only for karaoke), it ruins the experience. Why pay money and wait even longer when someone else who signs up later than you can still perform earlier than you? In the end, you're effectively tipping to wait longer than normal!

Tonight was an especially frustrating experience.

"DJ Spuce" was the DJ tonight. She bungled the chronology, so later entries took priority over earlier ones. I gave the DJ money, and even people who signed up 30 minutes after me still jumped ahead of me in line.

She would also sing songs by herself or interject into others' songs when she wasn't asked. If people don't indicate that they want to do a duet, don't assume that they want to.

What makes it more odd is because the night was especially busy, so if the karaoke DJ is taking up time to sing, it's eating up others' time. She told the crowd that she would "try to get to everyone" who had signed up so they could sing, but she had all the time to sneak in her own singing time. If that getting to all of the singers was really the priority, why spend time on yourself?

All in all, karaoke here is a bit of a mixed bag, unfortunately. When it's fun and everything goes right, it's awesome. But since experiences can vary wildly, The Otter gets a mixed review from me overall. Alternatively, I might point someone to the Vegas Lounge, where I've personally never had any of the issues that I've...

Otters used to be my favorite place for karaoke, and now it's not worth going to. I'll be going to Vegas Lounge from now on! In the last few months, my favorite bartender (Kim) and favorite DJ (Kat Luna) were unfairly fired. They both made this bar a very safe and welcoming space and I won't be supporting a business that is ran so poorly. The management here is unbelievably horrible. Everything is outdated and yet they're more concerned with firing their best staff than running...

I have always had a great time whenever the Otter ends up in the mix. The bartenders are all excellent. The prices are decent and right in line with what one would expect. They have pulltabs, and I love gambling. I especially love gambling for charity and I don't feel bad about losing, for that reason. They have the best, non-pretentious, fun-loving karaoke. Highly recommend checking this lil gem out! Oh, and did I mention-they...