7 Bamboo Lounge — Restaurant in San Jose

I almost never write reviews so a place has to really make an impression on me before I feel the need to tell other people about it. 7 Bamboo was recommended to me via Reddit, my friend had heard of it, and as a long-time karaoke aficionado, I was excited to check it out. Unfortunately, I cannot honestly say that I am willing to pass on that recommendation. The service was quick and professional, drinks were priced reasonably, and security was courteous, but anyone planning to visit for the the primary attraction of karaoke should know the following:

First, you need to download an app to sign up for songs, so anyone who has a low phone battery or is short on memory will be at a disadvantage. Second, the app instructs you to sign up with your real name. There is no 'nickname' function, so if you follow those directions, everyone else using the app will be able to see your full name, surname included, on the list of upcoming singers. Even if you change your profile name afterwards, it will not retroactively update the roster once you have signed up for a song. Personally, I don't like giving out my legal identity to a room full of complete strangers, so if you're of a similar mind, be warned.

Third, don't expect to find all the songs you're familiar with from other karaoke bars; the app's selection is weirdly lacking in some ways and overabundant in others. I couldn't find stock standards like Johnny Cash's 'God's Gonna Cut You Down' and Sam Cooke's 'A Change is Gonna Come', but sometimes I'd search for a song and five different versions of the same track would come up. Sounds great to have options, but the app had no clear way to differentiate between 'this one has backing vocals' or 'this is the version made by [x] karaoke company', etc. Just really confusing UI overall.

Fourth and most disappointingly, the singer line-up here doesn't necessarily go in chronological order, so don't show up planning to sing more than one song per visit unless you have no issue staying out late. Apparently, the order is determined by whether or not you have sung already. This means that when I signed up for my first song, I only had to wait for everyone else in front of me to take their turn, as expected. But when I was called up to sing my second song - despite having waited around 45 minutes already - I was told I had been bumped to the end of the line because new people had signed up. 'Ok,' I think to myself, 'it's nearly 10pm, weeknight, but I can stay out a little late, how long of a wait are we talking? Six, seven people?' Try seventeen. That is a full studio album with bonus tracks. Including the time I had already waited, this means I would have been waiting for a total of something like two hours for a second song, with no guarantee that more new people wouldn't have shown up and pre-empted the opportunity even further. That is no exaggeration - another review floating around out there from one customer says their second song took three hours to get to.

Maybe this system makes sense on Friday or Saturday when the crowds are bigger and people don't have work in the mornings, but it felt pretty crappy to have waited all that time only to be told, 'first come, first served doesn't apply here, and in fact the amount of time you're expected to wait has doubled'. If a line at a theme park worked like this, people would be livid. It very much comes across as a business tactic to keep customers in the bar/spending money for longer than they would ordinarily stay. So to anyone else considering checking it out: have one drink, sing one song. Do not stick around, running up your tab, expecting a second.

Fifth, if you are with friends, avoid the corner seating directly under the screen/speakers - the volume is cranked up to the point that you will hurt both your ears and your throat if conversation...

What a lovely and kind addition 7-Bamboo is to our city. So. Much. Fun. Karaoke was fire, and the bartenders and security were welcoming and on point. Plus, where else (not even on YouTube) are are going to see a live performance by a Boomer first-generation immigrant absolutely slay Whole Lotta Love AND get high-fived all the way back to his seat, all for the price and pleasure of a couple of well-made drinks? I could venture a guess our crooner was from Vietnam, where so many of us San Joséans originate, but in whatever land he was born, I suspect Robert Plant wished he could bathe in its waters. Yep. It's a joyful place, full of...

The bathrooms here are transcendent, and arguably worthy of a michelin star.

The set list is sparse, but I was told you can message instagram to have songs added.

This bar has a handful of solid regulars who make it a safe and fun experience every night...