Dimples is an average karaoke establishment. The song list is not frequently updated so the most recent songs are mostly from before 2010. Although I love to sing songs from my high school years, I also like to sing songs that are currently on the radio, as I remember their lyrics better. The karaoke rooms fit a party of 5-8 well and have a mirror that you can use to sing towards your audience -- your friends -- rather than sing towards the screen. The size and the fact that two microphones were available was definitely a plus. I wished they had an easier song selection device. The keyboard for the device was in Korean and didn't shift to English as easily as the staff had indicated. There were quite a few songs we accidentally selected that were in Korean. Also, if you are asthmatic, a word of caution; the entrance and exit to Dimples after heading down the stairs has a huge table for smokers. I had to inhale smoke on the way in and out, which made me cough a lot. read more

I came here a couple times with friends. Apparently, this is their chill spot. They knew all the bartenders and owner. I liked it b/c it's sorta hidden, you have to go downstairs (below street level) and it's like a world of it's own. It's a bar/lounge, so it's kinda got that dark setting to it. The bar tend to get filled with regulars that go there...seats about ten of them. We usually sit at the tables, service was good...since my friend knew them, they hooked us up with fruit platters. There isn't really much to do here. It's a chill environment where you just enjoy the company of your friends. They have dices available upon request. The first time we went there, knowing it was a Korean bar and I LOVE flavored soju....it was something I HAVE to order. The way we drink soju is by pitchers, we can go through like eight pitchers of them in a night at Hues in Santa Clara. But this was the first time we have soju here, so we only ordered a pitcher of strawberry to start with, and let's say that was it. It was too sweet and thick, not much soju to it. It was like if I was drinking strawberry juice. Kinda disappointed about that. I'll just stick to beer. The second time we went was for a friend's bday party...we went to there REALLY HIDDEN section towards the back for their private karaoke rooms. Consistently, the service was great...they offered came in to check on us and if we needed anything, the bar was right outside and we can order directly from the bartender there. The karaoke system is cool, there was a point system that comes up at the end. The songs were mediocre, it wasn't the newest but definitely not the oldest. There actually songs we were surprised we found there. We had total privacy, so it got really fun. One though is that they can sure use a better wall insulation, b/c we can hear pretty clearly what the ppl in the room next to us were singing when we weren't singing. Not bad though. Like i said, I like this place b/c it's hidden and not as crowd as loud as Playground upstairs. Will be back :) read more

Dimples - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

BEWARE. FUN UNTIL A RUDE WOMAN/BARTENDER CAME ALONG. I honestly would've given this place a five stars because my friends, fiancé, and I were having such a great time here. One of the customers next to us was singing plenty of songs while others were singing great as well. I believe the owner/mc was singing a couple of times, too. It was awesome! Majority of us had to drive back home to San Jose, so we needed water to sober up before we drove home. I asked a woman in black with a mole above her lip if I could have 3 waters. She said, "No! We don't give water! This is a bar!" Confused, I went back to my friends, and we decided for me to go back and see if I could buy water instead. I went back and asked the same woman, and she snapped saying along the lines, "No! You are just sitting & taking my tables. This is a bar! We sell alcohol. You can't have water." While she was saying this, the other girl bartender (who was super sweet) was watching. I was furious as we had ordered 5 rounds of drinks. After sitting back down, the other bartender kindly apologized and said that the other woman thought we were the other table who wasn't drinking, and then she brought us waters. Even though it was a misunderstanding, my interactions with the first woman REALLY ruined our experience. IMO, she should have went to the specific table that wasn't drinking and spoken to them directly instead of snapping at another customer who was actually buying alcohol. Even one of the other workers had to come up to us to apologize for your behavior and say that they don't like working with you. That's EMBARRASSING. To the woman: I understand that you prioritize business but that was no way to speak to a customer. You were an a**hole. Thank you for ruining this first experience in your bar. We will not be coming back, and I will GLADLY tell others to not to as well. Learn some manners, and maybe others will be more likely to drink in your bar. read more

I love this place. The staff is fun and unlike sooooo many bars now I feel like I can be mytattoed pierced self not in designer clothes and treated like everyone else. Refreshing. read more

charged us $455 for a few rounds of drinks... going to have to file a lawsuit with this bar, read the other one star reviews as well who say the exact same thing. this bar consistently overcharges people on purpose because they have been drinking, i'm sure they have gotten away with it countless times by the crooks who operate this place read more

Phenomenal Korean dive bar with karaoke. Drinks were very reasonably priced. Bartenders were outstanding, friendly and fast service with a smile. Perry and Rose are rad! Jan the owner is cool too. read more

What a crappy experience. After dinner, my brother and I decided to go to dimples for a drink. We ordered a beer and a jack and coke, $15. About right. Paid cash, tipped. We decided to stay for another round, Jack and coke, and gin and tonic. The bartender never asked what kind of gin, my brother never specified because "well" was fine with him. The bartender poured Bombay gin. The bill $22. Total rip off. This is the kind of place that you want to check your credit card the next day. Bartenders are shady. Don't go here. read more

This bar is awesome - good songs, happy crowd. And they were super nice - when we came in on a busy Friday - they found us seats without us even asking. read more

Hmmm completely empty when we arrived around 8 on a Monday. Not too unusual I suppose. The lady waitres was extremely friendly, so I can pretty much tell what the other reviewers mean by "hostess bar?" Haha. My drink was decent, however--i got the lemon drop -- I think it was because we were literally the only customers there though. There's actually just a "smoking room", the whole place isn't essentially smoke free. Drinks are about $10 each, pretty average prices, if not slightly below. The atmosphere is pretty nice for an evening run. 3 stars over all! read more

Dimples - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I really liked this place and had came here twice on my 5 day trip to San Fran. It's a Korean dive bar in Japantown with karaoke - right up my alley! Last night we were more or less the only patrons at the bar and my gf and I were hanging out with the bartender and the owner and we were all having a great time! We were all drinking shots and had some nice Korean whisky, which the owner stated was $15/ea. I like nice booze so I was happy to pay it. As the night went on, the owner shared some shujo with us and she kept saying "on me." Then the bill came and it was almost $500!! She took $80 off, but holy sh** I feel like I got really ripped off by this place, which is a shame. 3 stars only for the bartender and karaoke. read more

There's a certain charm and lack of pretense here that can be very hard to find elsewhere in this city. Drinks are poured with a heavy hand and are always insanely cheap. Your tab will literally be half of what it would be if you went to Harry's or another bougie spot nearby. Small enough that you can control the jukebox and actually hear whats playing. The best place to come with a group of close friends to really unwind. My wife and I actually came here with 35+ guests the night after our wedding. I can't remember the last birthday I had in which we didn't end up at Dimples. read more

Entrance is awkward... like going into a strip joint downstairs. Interesting and creepy at the same time. Sinia, the bartender was entertaining. She knows what she is doing and is good at her job... Making good drinks, making the customers feel comfortable, and keeping the customers there and spending $$$$. The night was a little odd and funny at the same time. Guys night out drinking and we end up at a joint like this? I have to admit, it was interesting... Chatted with Sinia, chatted with the manager, and also with the owner. Chatted with some "buy me drinkie" girls... Oh yeah, they're called hostesses. Whoops. All in all, an interesting night with good friends. When you're with good company, any bar can be interesting.... I guess?! read more

My new favorite dive bar in SF! Found it completely by accident, but oh, what a find it was... A group of friends met up near the Fillmore Center for drinks Saturday night. We got tired of being cramped inside a wine bar, so decided to trek over to Japantown. My suggestion? Festa Karaoke Lounge, quite possibly the best karaoke bar in the city. However, when we arrived, they were closed for a private party. D'oh! Where to go next? We walked outside and saw Dimples across the street. The neon cocktail glass sign drew us in. Plus, you have to go downstairs to enter, which is usually a good sign too. Yeah, it's smoky inside (yep, they still let people smoke), but the drinks are stiff and they have a killer jukebox. Reminded me of bars that I'd visit in another city outside of SF. No pretentiousness, no hipster mustaches, no bartenders explaining all the fresh ingredients. Just booze and music. Yessss. No, I wouldn't go here all the time, but it's fun for a drink or two. $2 gets you 7 songs on the jukebox, which is just enough. read more

On the way home from a gallery opening at the New People structure next door, we were in the mood for one more drink. Dimples looked like a fun underground (literally) dive bar, so we walked downstairs and were greeted with an interesting bar scene. Lots of older gentlemen conversing with older ladies at the bar, tables and couches completely empty. Everyone was smoking, but the place was surprisingly well-ventilated, so we barely smelled it. We ordered a couple of drinks from the borderline surly bartender, and headed to the jukebox to pick out a few songs. Good selection of fun music, and as we listened to our selections it was interesting to see the interactions between the other patrons and staff going on. We got that it was a hostess bar, but later got the feeling it was more of a brothel, and reading the reviews from other Yelpers the next day, our suspicions were confirmed. Makes for a good story at least! read more

It's like Gabin, but the prostit...er, WAITRESSES are walking around in skimpy clothing & VERRRY friendly. Walked in there last night with a bunch of friends & it just felt weird. We couldn't tell if it was a gay bar (completely full of dudes) or a brothel. Upon further investigation, it has proven to be the latter. Seemed like a pretty interesting place, but we were on the hunt for real, genuine, cutthroat karaoke, & in times like these, there is no room for awkward feelings. Still, a tip of the hat to seedy underbellies everywhere. read more

Leave all your credit and debit cards at home, carry a handful of 20s, ask for the price of everything you order and don't run a tab. Keep your head on straight and a four-star night can be yours. read more

So this is not a place for nice young ladies to hang out. Which is perhaps why my friends (I had somehow intruded upon boys night out) tried to discourage me from tagging along. So here is the thing, Poppy already had four vodka tonics in her, hates being told she can't go somewhere and insisted on coming along. This place is a serious dive, the bar was populated by what seemed to be lonely men in brown leather bomber jackets. This could be due to the fact that by the time we rolled in, it was basically last call. One of the hostesses informed me that the man sitting across from me in the booth was her boyfriend and then she stuck her tongue down his throat. She then asked me to buy her a drink because her boyfriend had no money. I wandered around a bit while my friends were getting drinks (another Korean lady had come up to me when I was about to sit down and ordered us all to go buy our drinks at the bar). I tried to play something on the juke box but was too tipsy to figure it out. Then I realized half my friends had disappeared. Turns out they went down the hall through some kind of broom closet out a door and into some even divey-er sticky floored poorly lighted secret bar next door. That was one scary ass creepy place. It looked like a bar scene from a bad movie where detectives go to question prostitutes about their missing friend. Anyhow, I've never been somewhere like this so hey it was a good time. I was already inebriated upon arrival which is excellent because I think drinks are really expensive there. The music is awful, the hostesses are sad but the bathroom is remarkably clean and apparently edible food is available from somewhere close by. read more

The perfect bar for me! I ended up at this bar every single night after seeing The Black Crowes at The Fillmore. It's a bit seedy and I'm pretty sure it's a hooker bar but damn - I had some fun! They messed up most of the drinks I ordered (for the record a Jack & lime chilled is gross). The juke box contained all my best friends; The Black Crowes, Bob Marley, Janis Joplin, Hendrix, The Beatles... The whole gang was there! The band & the crew even showed up for drinks a few nights, that bar's got some secrets to keep for sure! My warning is: only pay cash! One night 4 of us put credit cards down and we were vastly over charged so be aware of that. I don't think I'll be able to recreate the fun I had in Dimples but I'd be willing to try! read more

korean lesson #69....."bagaji"...a large bowl like object.... now...stick a "bagaji" over my head...cuz...by the end of the night...that's me and my buddy....with bowls over our head.....not literally..but....figuratively speaking.... (let us rewind the clock 9 hours....round 1: beer and sake lunch at fuji......the first taste of alcohol during noon.....round 2: change locations to have a bottle of wine while chillin' in the sunset......round 3: another bottle of wine and beers while relaxin' in south beach.....round 4: dimples~!) after 3 rounds......round 4 was not needed....but...hey....it's hard to say...no....dimples is located in the heart of japantown....next to denny's......dimly lit bar....jukebox...and "vampires"....yes....money vampires.....their job....to suck as much money out of drunken patrons.....asking for shots....asking for money for the jukebox......typical korean hostess bar type....hostess bar?....a bar where the job of the women is to flirt and act like your best friends....drink much as possible on your tab....low quality hostess bar compared to la...grotty...but hey....it's sf.... get the creeps when strangers are all touchy-feely....yeah...that's the women's job there...but urgh....no thanks....and stop holding my hands.....if you were cute...maybe i'll let it slide..i know i drank...but, not that drunk~!......sip on scotch in peace.... literally couple drinks....and a miraculous tab for almost $200 after tip....yes....can we say..."bah-gah-jee"...again..."bagaji"....now put that over my buddy and my head.......yes....i laughed so hard after seeing the bill....i almost passed out....oh..i should tell you what "bagaji" figuratively means....it means to get ridiculously ripped off... read more

Black label. Smoking. Korean ladies. Hostess bar? read more

I almost gave this place one star, but I think it deserves one extra for the sheer novelty. I've always thought of this place as a dive bar, that's not *quite* a dive bar. You see, the whole "appeal" of a dive bar is the laid back atmosphere, and CHEAP drinks. This place certainly has that dirty dive bar vibe, but it's like $10 just for an OB beer! Everything else is ridiculously priced too. The bartenders are abrasive (at best), curse at you in Korean under their breath, smoke at the bar, and they're more or less incompetent. Want a bottle of soju? Be prepared to wait 30 minutes or so, and you may have to remind them a few times. Want to pay with a credit card? This will require the attention of all three bartenders, and about a 10 minute wait. NO JOKE. Now what's funny is that I keep coming back here... because damn if it isn't hilarious every single time. There are always some seriously grimy old lonely men at the bar. There's also usually some karaoke going on in the back, and occasionally an old couple slow dancing. RANDOM. Just don't expect much (other than to pay top $$ for mediocre everything), and Dimples will not disappoint! read more

I admit, not everyone makes the best decisions when they're buzzed. And I am not entirely sure why anyone in their right mind would recommend a place like this. The name is slightly catchy to me because I have dimples on my face (and I guess I can look forward to those other dimples that people like to call cottage cheese) but really, that's about it. You walk through the door to go downstairs. Our party of 6 just happened to stumble inside when there was a police officer standing at the other entrance/exit. Probably the most awkward silences I have ever been a part of. Something fishy must be happening, right? One of the waitresses asks us for our ids so we take them out. We pass. Then she proceeds to offer us oranges. (I'm sure they're laced with something.) Anyway, I don't order any drinks but my friends do. This place is so sketch and empty on a Saturday night that my friends and I decide to leave after being there for a mere 10 minutes. Another thing to note (already noted in other reviews): You can smoke inside. Disgusting. read more

Three stars for nostalgia - it was almost like walking into the Daly City Peppermill of yore - big fake trees, secluded little booths, lots of mirrors. . . . and the staff was super super friendly. We are SO planning a J-town crawl now that is definitely going to include this place. read more

Oh, sweet, sweet Dimples, how I love to loath thee. I go to Dimps every once in a while to remind myself that my life ain't that bad. I go to Dimps as kind of an affirmation that I don't need to piss away my life in a dark, cigarette smoke filled dungeon of a bar talking to tired Korean bar girls toiling in indentured servitude or the Mongolian "student" girls pretending to be Chinese/Japanese/Korean. I go to Dimps to witness the equivalent of a human car crash unfolding in slow-mo. The wheels of the lonely men there keep spinning, but they're upside down and don't get too far. read more

Came here on travel from LA, our group was pondering on which bar to visit and this establishment caught our eye. The Bartender was pleasant to speak to and made our drinks quickly and tastily. Definitely recommend trying this bar if you're around and are unsure of where to go in J-Town. read more

Love this place. Vinyl booths. Beautiful Asian women bartenders. Advice: Ask price of drinks, otherwise sticker shock at end of night. I guarantee that you will have fun here; I have never seen bad stuff going on here,other than cig/ cigar smoking. A very happy place. Bring money. I think I am going to learn Korean. read more

One Hite beer, a Crown Royal & ginger, and a well vodka & soda = $25.00 Really? I thought I was in Japantown. How did I end up paying Manhattan prices? I mean, it's cool to have a jukebox that has Def Leppard's Hysteria and Dr. Dre's Chronic album, but as cool as it may be, is not $25.00 worth of cool. read more

Walking down memory lane still...Upcoming birthdays always make me feel nostalgic! Psst...I used to come here when I was 19 and it was still called Resistance. Flavored soju and menthols...those were the days. Or it was karaoke and midori sours (haha, don't laugh) at La Dor. Funny how I could've almost bumped into a future ex who was spending his weeknights drinking with his friends around the corner at Rookie's (now called The Flow) during this time. Small world. read more

After hearing about this place from Jason R. I knew at some point I would have to check it out. In fact, along with Eric F and another friend of ours, Jason and I hit up this place a few weeks back. We enter this joint and Diamonds and Pearls is playing on the Jukebox and a few different parties of people are sitting around the bar. We head straight to the bartender, a hot Japanese girl who looks to be in her mid-to-late twenties and we order some drinks and light up some cigarettes. Old white men sit around the bar with young Japanese woman who are hanging on their every word. I come to learn the not so secret karaoke rooms are behind the windowed door. Occasionally you see people coming and going to and from karaoke paradise. For those of you like me who have never been to Asia but have been to many a strip club, this place seems like a strip club where nothing happens except in the champagne room. And the girls weren't aggressive. None came over to our group the whole night. This was prolly in part because we were a group, and we were playing dice the whole time. That was cool with me. If I ever need to wine and dine some Japanese businessmen I know where to take them now. read more

Don't even try flagging the waitress for a drink if she's sitting on some businessman's lap. especially if you are a girl. I order in English. If there's going to be a receipt, it better be in freaking English, otherwise, what good is it to me? Yeah sure two forties of Hite, wait sorry they didn't have Hite so IMITATION Hite costs 20 dollars lady. There was a strange odor like mild bleach and grime. I considered lighting a match to mask the stench. Fantasies of flame-throwing the kerosene soaked drapes in the corner filled my mind. I laugh maniacally. I reach behind the counter and grab the source of the asian cocktail mystique... a bottle of midori. I smash the neck on the counter then take swigs of it until it is gone and my lips and tongue are green and I am surrounded by fire. Sure I could have twisted it open, but that would not be awesome. This place is burning rubbish. Screw that. read more

I wasn't sure if it would be more appropriate to call the police or write a yelp review about this. Isn't it illegal in San Francisco to smoke inside public places? I ask because the waitress who served us definitely started smoking a cigarette behind the bar right after she served us our drinks. In terms of ambiance, smell, clientele, and service, this bar was a cross between a grandmother's living room with walls yellowed from smoke, the taipei international airport, and a failing bowling alley. Yuck. read more

I don't know what the hell these guys are complaining about. I've been coming here for years, and its sister bar "Pagoda" (formely The Flow). It's true what they say about the girls here...but all you have to do is ignore them. I only come here because it's convenient for me and you can smoke inside. I think the guys who wrote the bad reviews are just bitter because they got taken for a ride by one of these girls and they feel this is the only way to retaliate. All you have to do is simply say "no" and most of the time they go away. If they don't, be rude and ignore them. It always works. I can drink and smoke in peace with my friends while watching these drunken idiots with Asian fever get taken for a ride. Suckers. Thanks guys, you're great entertainment! read more

This place is bizarre-o. You walk down the stairs past the Denny's and step into what feels like a seedy soft core Korean porn video ... cloudy from smoke, brightly painted women, and weird Korean music. Don't order anything in English. Someone I was idiotically ordered a martini, and instead got something that smelled and tasted like gasoline. One star for novelty and another for comical value. read more

So this place was interesting as hell. A group of four of us sat at the bar, so we didn't have any service issues that other people are complaining about. Come on... it was like 10pm on a Sunday night and this place looked like a fun place to go. The atmosphere was totally straight out of some kind of weird indie asian flickr with a red lighted display of bar glasses behind the counter and sharp blue spot lights on your drinks. Yeah. You really don't get to see other people so much with the moody lighting. But man, it was perfect for what we wanted. read more

Had to kill a little time before heading to a movie at Kabuki so I thought it would be a good idea to grab a drink as any alcoholic would. Walking around in my hunt for a bar, I saw the "Dimples" sign with the martini glass and wandered in.down the staircase. The scene was quite unexpected to say the least. You see a bunch of mid-age lonely men flirting with these Asian servers/escorts. One these escorts was trying to make conversation with me and I almost threw up in my mouth. My gf and I definitely had a good laugh about how out of place we were while sipping on $10 drinks. If you are super lonely and need a chick to sit there and hear you bitch while you drink yourself into debt, this place is absolutely perfect. read more

I don't know what it is but I love this freakin' bar. Maybe it's the awkward name. Maybe is it that being greeted by an anonymous staircase isn't exactly inviting for a bar. Maybe it's the way the brazen bartender women accidentally blow cigarette smoke in my face. Whatever it is I love this place. This is your true dive and karaoke bar. The place reminds me of a big version of one of my childhood Asian friend's kitchens. The place ain't huge, the selection is limited and jukebox ain't the best but I think it carries enough charm to really have personality. I consider this a prime location to go if you want to get sauced before/after a movie in the Kabuki Sundance Theaters. There's late night sushi available at the place next door which is a bonus in case you get the drunk hunger. It isn't ever too packed and if you don't mind smelling like smoke, it is a chill place to grab a drink and chat. It actually reminds me of one of my previous favorite bars. That place (which shall remain nameless) used to allow smoking inside and have a good clientele but then it scrapped the smoking and it ended up being a haven for douchebaggery. And no, I am not a smoker. If you're looking for a hip new upscale hidden gem, you're in the wrong place. read more

this place is not bad at all. It used to have a few more younger cuter korean girls standing around the bar waiting for you to buy them drinks. The last time I went there which was like a month ago only some old ones. We ended up buying them drinks anyway since their night seem sooo slow and we were generous. The bartender is half black half korean with some huge boobs. Not a bad place to just chill out for a bit. Dont come here watching your wallet otherwise you wont have a good time read more

I agree with Mariah, I came in here expecting that any place with a nice divey sign and that you have to descend into a carpeted cubicled off bar had to be a nice little cheap dive but alas, I was disappointed by the price of my drink. It was pretty small too. I guess I should just sober up and not be such a lush but oh well... Anyhow, I had to bail after that one drink to keep my buzz going while still being able to pay rent! read more

Although I'm giving this place a 2 because of how EXPENSIVE it is for WEAK drinks, entertainment wise, I give it a 6+! Why you ask?? I felt like I was back in Thailand. Chang Mai to be exact. Talk about HILARIOUS! These women are doing their thang... make that money honey!!! I can smoke in here? Great... but wait, why are there sooooo many women that work here? Why are there nothing but business men in here? Why are they going in the back room? Why are they going together? These are all questions I would ask if it wasn't for the fact that I've seen it first hand in Thailand. Funny shit! I love it! read more

I was so stoked to go to this bar because it was in Japan town and japan town needs a good bar, but the prices DO NOT REFLECT the atmosphere, here's a tip when you a dive bar be yourself and that will attract a lot more customers. Unlike trying to be a "high class" establishment when your not, that's why you're empty. read more