Davenport's Piano Bar and Cabaret: User Reviews

Davenports is the BEST Karaoke in Chicago I've been to and most def in Wicker Park for sure! Nowhere else do you get to go ON STAGE, with multiple mic's (and stands) and professional lighting that's not live band. They even have a piano which is awesome if you can play and sing at the same time! It's small and cozy and super fun I wouldn't go anywhere else. I actually was there the same night as the only person to write a bad review on here and was not part of the "same 4 people singing" that he mentioned so I'm not bias. I had an amazing time, sang a few songs myself and understood if I was skipped over for people that had been there not only longer but who's song choices were funnier or more entertaining. I've never ever been introduced as a new person and expected to sing at any karaoke bar I've ever been to before?!? This establishment is for friendly, fun and talented (and not so much like myself) singers who like a little more professional atmosphere and not a loud bar like Louies where there is zero chance to sing at all! The hostess is fair and fun but I think people think because the crowd is smaller there isn't a line of songs down the bar. I respect that other patrons have put in their 3 slips way before mine and am happy to wait my turn and enjoy the show. Besides who cares if people join you on stage for your songs if they're your friends or even strangers? Don't let one bad apple ruin this fun bunch.

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I could write 50 paragraphs about how great Davenport's is overall, but I have to address JohnnyChicago's outrageous review specifically. I've been to karaoke bars across Chicagoland and the world, and this is the best experience you will ever have - the best sound system, the best playlist, the most supportive atmosphere, and the fairest/nicest hosts you could hope for. Alma and Steve do a great job, and it is obvious that they have poured their heart into building this karaoke culture. There are no cliques or favoritism. If anything, the only bias is towards encouraging new singers and new faces.

Visit Friday night Karaoke at Davenport's and see for yourself. Oh, and by the way, you should catch the Nitz and Howe Experience and all of the other great entertainment there too! I'm thrilled that I found this gem of a bar last year!

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I have had the great pleasure of singing at Davenport's Friday night Karaoke. Presented with a stage and fantastic sound system, you can't go wrong for a night of fun and singing. I used to like to go to Karaoke bars but stopped because of a terrible experience at Mary's Attic. Karaoke at Davenports has sparked my inner karaoke diva, which was no small task given the poor taste in my mouth from Mary's.

Song selection is way larger than any other place I have been and the people who are in charge are kind and welcoming. They even tell you up front that if you don't see a song you want to sing, just to ask them because they may just have what you are looking for it just may not have made it to the song book yet.

If you love Karaoke, Davenports on Friday nights rocks!

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Regarding the review left by JohnnyChicago trashing the karaoke showcase at Davenports, I feel I must write to offer my take of the karaoke experience there. I've been there numerous times and every single time, the hosts, Alma and Steve, have always made me feel very welcome. They are the only karaoke place in town that I've been to where the singer gets to do 2 songs per turn. I once asked Alma why she does that and her response was that she felt the singers shouldn't have to wait for an entire round before having the opportunity to sing again. That, to me, indicates she isn't just running a business, but really cares about her customers and making sure they're having a good time. Alma is also very accommodating and mingles with *all* her customers, not just her "friends", to make sure they get their request slips in on time. I've witnessed that every single time that I've been there. So that's why I find it a little hard to believe JohnnyChicago's review to be a fair assessment of what the karaoke experience is really like there.

If you get there near closing and the request list is full, you can't really blame the hosts for not getting the opportunity to sing. If you talk to them, they will try to accomodate you as much as possible. I've seen newbies getting to sing immediately, so I don't think your statement regarding that untrue. They're just being fair to all their customers. Near closing time, putting a new person, like yourself, in place to sing immediately will mean someone who's been there longer and has waited longer will not get their turn to sing just because you came in late. Do you think that's fair? To make sure you get a chance to sing your two songs or more, get there a little earlier next time.

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I can't help but respond to JohnnyChicago's review of the karaoke at Davenport's. I'm an out-of-towner who has literally sung in karaoke bars all over the country. Few are as much fun and as well-run as the karaoke at Davenport's. It was so much fun for me that I made a point of coming back to Chicago in 2008 to do it again. Hopefully, I'll be able to return in 2010.

Contrary to what JohnnyChicago wrote, I saw nothing of "cliques" or favoritism. Alma & Steve run a regular rotation, which they stick to. Apparently the idea of a rotation is one that JohnnyChicago is either not familiar with. I don't know where the 99% of karaoke bars are that he says "new singers" are brought up immediately, but I've never been to one and I don't run my karaoke show in California like that. New singers are placed and the end of the rotation just like everybody else and are brought up in the order they signed up. If they come late in the evening, there's a very good chance they won't sing at all. Come early and chances are you'll sing several times. I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary with regard to the rotation at Davenport's.

All in all, Davenport's is a great place to go for a delightful night of karaoke entertainment and some truly talented singers. The hosts are very friendly and make a point of welcoming everybody to their show. The crowd is fun, friendly and they embraced us like we were part of their family.

For me, Davenport's is THE place for karaoke in Chicago.

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Dear JohnnyChicago,

This is Steve, you're co-host along with Alma for last Friday's karaoke show at Davenport's, for which you made all those unfounded derogatory remarks in your review earlier today. We provide what many call the best karaoke in Chicago, in the Cabaret Room at Davenport's every Friday from 10:30 to 1:30. We want every customer, yourself included, to walk away happy, and do everything possible to not disappoint anyone. Please allow me to address your concerns.

"Cliques and favorites" - A good half of the 32 people we had Friday were first time customers, and most of the regulars came individually or in two's and three's, so I can't understand your notion about "cliques". One of the nice things about this room is that it has a different social mix every week, which you would know if you came more than once or stayed longer than an hour. There were a couple birthday parties -- it's fair to call those groups, but not "cliques". We (your hosts) had 2 personal friends in the audience. More on them below.

"If you go to try and sing a few songs, you'll wait, and wait.. when I tried to put one in the host gave me a look as if I had pissed on the floor!" - You know you didn't wait an hour, because you didn't approach our hostess until AFTER we stopped taking songs at 12:30. The show ends at 1:30. We had 18 singers signed up at that point, and only 60 minutes left. You were one of three guys who asked if you could sing after our wait list was full, and as she did with the others she was EXCEEDINGLY nice to you. She unpacked a songbook for you, told you you were still welcome to submit a song "conditionally", and if we had time we'd squeeze you in at the end, but there was no guarantee -- it would depend on someone dropping out before the end. We're always honest with our customers.

"In the hour and a half I was there the same 4 women sang" - We had 18 singers, plus 2 late arrivals besides yourself. For a total of 20, and they ALL got their turns to sing in the last 90 minutes of the show. It isn't even mathematically possible we gave 4 people "over an hour" and then squeezed the other 16 songs into 30 minutes. We allow group songs, but it always counts as someone's turn. They EACH had to sign up separately and wait their turns. We WILL count one number as 2 turns when that's the only way to fit everyone in, but that was not even the case Friday.

It wasn't the case because those 2 friends we had in the crowd, the ones I mentioned earlier, went out of their way and did something very nice for you. They voluntarily withdrew themselves from the rotation so YOU and the other 2 late arrivals could sing. That's the kind of customer we have at Davenport's. It's also the kind of staff we have.

And you became the ONLY person to NOT sing that night. That's why we remember you! Because 45 minutes after turning in your song, when it was your turn to sing, and after everything people did for you, you were GONE.

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As a frequent customer to Davenport's, and after a number of times attending Karaoke, I cannot say better things about Davenport's. I went to Davenport's three weeks ago on a Friday evening for Karaoke after viewing a "Chicago's Best" review on CitySearch. As someone new to the whole Karaoke scene, I couldn't not have felt more welcome. The host was very inclusive and inviting to a "newbie" like myself. She even went the extra mile to sing my chosen song with me when my stage fright got the better half of me. I almost walked off the stage after a small portion of the song didn't go so well, but she ran up to my rescue.
Everyone was extremely nice. The staff added to the great atmosphere in both the front piano bar (by getting up and singing with the performers) and the cabaret room by being wonderfully attentive to my drink situation. Although I've been at places with cheaper drink prices (and places with higher), the pour and quality of my chosen beverage was well worth the price. I did notice that the Karaoke books were taken away within the last hour of singing, but due to the larger crowd and after asking the host, I was told that was because they had more songs and singers than time would allow. Seems pretty fair to me.

I cannot wait to go back. The room is different than any other place I've been to. They call it "showcase" style and although I was intimidated at first, the experience went better than I expected.

I highly recommend it, but if you expect to sing, get there early because it's first come first served sign up for singing. I know that people have walked in later on in the night and did not get the chance to go up.

I cannot say better things. I can't wait to go back.

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This place has many positives, but the few negatives turned me off. The piano bar up front looked fun, and the singer got the crowd singing old songs and new, but I came for the karaoke, which was in the back room seperated by a door.

However, this was my first time and last time due to a few small factors:

1) the overpriced drinks - $8.00 for imported beer, $7.00 for a off the well vodka & cranberry? Horrible, makes me want to get a bottle and leave it in the car...

2) the karaoke - apparently the cliques and favorites are here, and they are pretty tight with the hostess. If you go to try and sing a few songs, you'll wait, and wait, wait, until you are forced to leave. In the hour and a half I was there the same 4 women sang, although she called out for one woman to sing and then all her friends came up, then there were the solo slips they must have put in as well. Meanwhile, people who have never been there (and I was in a group of them) waited and waited and waited. Another deplorable situation where if you know the hostess you get to go up immediately...

There is no rule apparently about "new singers" being brought up immediately to make them feel welcome, as 99% of the rest of karaoke hosts do, and since the cliques put in over a dozen slips, you wait, plain and simple.

I just got home from the place and I'm still seething. I spent almost $20.00 to watch the same 4 women sing for over an hour and when I put one in the host gave me a look as if I had pissed on the floor!

I realize it's the North side of Chicago, and this is how it goes - rude people, overpriced everything, cheesy atmosphere, but to the rest of the city it makes us all look bad.

Do yourself a favor and don't go here unless you're there for the cabaret piano singers - it looked fun. Too bad I can't say the same about the rest of the place. It just plain stunk.

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I went to Davenport's to celebrate my brithday with a group of friends and we all had a great time. The Nitz & Howe Experience is tons of fun. They did a great job with working the crowd and improvising. At one point, they went around the entire room and got a name of a Broadway show from every person - they then improvised a medley of songs from all of them - I was amazed that they got them all in. All of my friends had a great time and I think we will definitely be back.

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A GREAT place to go with a few friends or a large group! Great drinks and the entertainment is unmatched in Chicago. Especially The Nitz and Howe Experience on Friday and Saturday nights. This is an interactive, comic, cabaret act. Daryla nd George are hilarious, and the cover is only $2 even though it's worth the price of a broadway show. Defintely go for a birthday or bachelorette party. You'll have a unique, and amazingly fun time!

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