Horrible service. I visited this bar with a group of five friends, and we were sitting quietly at the bar. Three of us ordered drinks, and two asked for water. The bartender came over and told us we couldn't sit at the bar if we weren't all ordering drinks--which, while not the warmest welcome, we were willing to respect. But when I tried to clarify the situation, he abruptly told me to "calm down." I wasn't being loud, aggressive, or even remotely out of line--I was completely sober. When I responded that it was rude, he doubled down, raised his voice, and repeated "calm down" in a condescending tone. It felt completely unnecessary, demeaning, and honestly unprofessional. There's a way to set house rules without being disrespectful. This interaction left a really bad taste in all of our mouths, and I won't be returning. read more

This is a genuinely strange place with an extremely weird crowd and bad bartenders. Drinks are also terrible.

Fun karaoke bar. Good vibes and a playfully rowdy crowd. Only macros on draft. Saw some TVs but they weren't on during a weeknight visit.

The fries were a sleeper. the rest of the food was good too but the fries hit different! Pairs well with a nice cold one as well. I came for lunch it wasn't crowded, service was good. Looks like they have different specials for lunch. read more

Keats Bar - Goose Island - American Near Me - New York, New York

Had a nice time here after happy hour that I missed. Was pretty quiet on a Wednesday night. They have a good selection of draft beers. The food was just ok. I mean the burger patty was thicker than usual. But the bun and fixings were pretty low budget & plain. Fries looked to be straight out of the frozen bag. Plain. However, bartender seemed very enthusiastic and happy with the patrons. The atmosphere was "happy". Seemed like lots of locals who were happy to be there. They do add a 20% tip automatically and also a fee for not paying cash. So consider that before you sign that bill in the darker lit bar. I'll come back. read more

Keats Bar - Menu - American Near Me - New York, New York

The black girl behind the bar lacks a sense of urgency - as if she's doing you a favor for tending bar? She also slaps a 20% tax, no questions asked. The vibe is kind of dead - surprising for midtown pubs. read more

Staff is great! There are some old incorrect reviews. Karaoke is always free. But look at tip is a good thing. Drinks are well poured, and who knows who you may meet! I met UN ambassadors and fashion week models! read more

Came on an off day (Tuesday) and accidentally stumbled upon a stand up and comedy night! Fun little spot for hanging out, singing a couple tunes, and a few drinks. Didn't try any food but I would imagine it's regular bar food, nothing special (not claiming to be a fancy restaurant). Only reason 4 instead of 5 stars was place was far from packed and had a hard time getting the bartenders attention at times. Other than that solid spot! read more

Keats Bar - The men's bathroom wall above the toilet lol - American Near Me - New York, New York

We came here to watch the game with a few friends. I made a reservation the week prior with Eddy(ie) who was super polite and helpful over the phone and in person. We arrived and hung out to watch the game, ordered a couple of pitchers of bud light, and an order of sweet potato fries. The fries were standard bar food and the beer was fine. The ambiance was loud and rowdy as was expected. It was a lot of fun, it didn't get too out of control and was an exciting environment to be in. The wait staff was a little rude, but it was also hard to hear given that the game and patrons were so loud. It was somehow charming in that there was a dive bar feel that felt cozy to relax in. Might be back if there's another game! read more

Keats Bar - Sweet potato fries - American Near Me - New York, New York

Best karaoke bar in Manhattan. Drinks are cheap, food is good, karaoke DJ's are helpful and don't treat you like just a number. Rather than having only one karaoke video for every song, like most karaoke places, Keat's also lets you choose from among the many videos that exist on YouTube for this purpose. This is a huge plus because it means more and better options. read more

Had a great time second time going here. Will go with my nephew Quinn next time he goes.

This is honestly the best bar in the city. There is more heart here than you will ever find anywhere else. Shawn is what keeps this bar heart beating. I hope you are lucky enough to ever venture in and experience it. read more

Terrible Keats Management! False advertising claims that "free Karaoke" is available when you actually need to purchase two drinks in order to sing one song. Charging prices is $3 if you don't want to purchase a drink. When we paid the $3 as the employee advised. We were harassed by the bouncer and the host just because we were sitting enjoying the karaoke we paid for. We got told by the bouncer "If you not drinking you going to have to leave". When we clearly paid to sing and even brought a drink. We informed the host that we purchased a drink plus paid our money still an unpleasant response from her. Keats Bartender was amazing giving us respect and enough information. But the experience we had at Keats bar was disappointing. read more

This place used to be my SUPER favorite spot for Karaoke, but NOW after what the management is doing with their so called special rule(s) for some and not for ALL ( 2 bucks per song OR 2 drinks minimum ) just to sing Karaoke along with PLAYING around with the prices ALL the time and when asking the manager why HE increased the price of the drink that I actually bought for a specific price and all of a sudden was increased regarding that I bought it the same time HE replied that it's the bartenders fault!!! jeezz! Seriously! The cash register computing system is right there in front of both of'em, and he thinks that people are dumb or something. His greed and misleading made me NEVER to go there again. There are a billion places to sing in New York City, and there no need for Keats anymore! Good Bye P.S. would he like to be treated the same way he's treating customers!? Following money that way is making him lose everything. Especially LOYAL customers read more

Lucy is the best bartender there, attentive and quick. Definitely knows how to manage a bar quickly and efficiently, Super impressive! She's also a conversationalist. Food is decent and drinks are great! Check them out for sure! Will definitely be back- thanks to Lucy! read more

Keats Bar - Spicy margarita and soup - American Near Me - New York, New York

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I really wanted to try their food but it was super fun nonetheless. They make the perfect amaretto sours and FREE KARAOKE! The service is quick and the karaoke operators are genuinely a fun time. Would definitely return when the kitchen is open ;) read more

I found out about Keats on Yelp and since my boyfriend loves karaoke I decided to check it out. It was just my style. Low key, casual, friendly staff and good local customers. It was my boyfriend's birthday and he loves karaoke but this was my first time experiencing it. I don't live in the neighborhood but I felt welcome and extremely comfortable. I had a couple of Keats cosmos and would absolutely go back. read more

The karaoke experience was quite poor. Not 1-star poor, but pretty close to that. 1) Songs were taken from YouTube, and were often too quiet or too loud- but because the karaoke host doubled as the bartender, he was behind the bar and unable to assist with the volume- going back and forth between songs to the karaoke computer. On two occasions a bad quality song was selected- once we couldn't hear the music (the song had to be reset), and once it was a version of a famous song that no one had heard of. 2) Karaoke is advertised as free, but is only that way if you order multiple expensive alcoholic drinks. Otherwise it is $5 a song, which is expensive for a bar setting ($1 - $2 is typical) - or you get one complimentary song with a non-alcoholic beverage. 3) A few people in my group commented that the bartender / karaoke person was quite rude. One person was tearing at one point, from the poor service/experience. read more

Gigantic burger for lunch! Beware coming on Thu and Fri... it gets packed and noisy!!! Great happy hour deals especially for UN employees! read more

Keats Bar - American Near Me - New York, New York

Recently went here for a night out on the town . Thought we would grab a quick bite as the reviews seemed good and do some karaoke. Karaoke was awesome!!! Food/ service ... awful. One person taking drink orders, making the drinks , taking food orders etc. ordered food ( took an hour for waitress to take our order) and then waited two hours to get cold rubbery burgers/chicken sandwich and mozz sticks. No apology for the long wait, no "Hey how is everything"... and 20% gratuity added to bill. Recommend this place for karaoke and drinks... but that's all!!!! read more

Went to karaoke here with friends and it was alright. They went out of order for karaoke so almost no one from my group got to sing.

Meh. Overpriced drinks and no air conditioning in the summer. No wonder I had never heard of it. Never again

I absolutely love this place. I have been going there since I turned 21 and i am turning 29. Shawn (former bouncer now manager) is amazing and has become a friend! The place has free karaoke starting at 9pm, drinks are good, and even their food is amazing and when the kitchen is closed, outside food is allowed. People who regularly visit there are so kind and its never a dull night in there. I love Keats and will continue to go and sing my heart out!! read more

Ordered a gin tonic. They serve in cheap plastic cup, mostly filed with ice. For 12$ Below average experience at a premium price It's a joke read more

Not allowed to sing more than 1 song because I did not drink alcohol. I can't drink due to medical issues. Drinking soda did not cut it. Was told it was $5 song even though they advertise karaoke is free. And this is how they treated someone who came in on regular basis since pandemic. Go figure. Add in that they quietly imposed forced 20% gratuity and credit card usage fees, and that quality of service has fallen, it seems as a result of limiting staff. Not the friendly neighborhood place it used to be. read more

Go to bar for un staff glad they finally opened up always a fun time at Keats drink always on point food is good also

To tell the truth, I've had some up and down experiences here at Keats. I don't dispute the accounts of others in anyway but most of the time I've noticed that the waitress and bartenders are doing their best to keep up with the clientele that come in; as they are pretty packed most of the time. Again, not disputing but I can empathize as I tended and bounced for years. To what's important; the atmosphere is that of your neighborhood dive bar but with the city right outside the door; I truly love that. The drinks are stiff and you don't pay the top dollar as you are in the city! The food, again, dive type of atmosphere so you don't get gourmet kind of dishes but the food always comes out flavorful and hot. I've only been here once before during a trivia night and honestly it was pretty fun. Then again, I'm not even a novice but an F.N.G when it comes to that. Karaoke, well I'm pretty versus to those kind of joints. Now, they don't have private rooms, they don't have an extensive selection, meaning they don't have different languages to choose from but you blow your lungs out to the public and either no one minds or they are rooting you on. Sound system isn't top notch but it's good enough for those that have that fa-la-la-la-laa itch! I believe that Keats has a lot to offer in a small package. It's just a place to hang your hat on in the city, sing, be merry and have feel good food on tap. read more

Keats Bar - American Near Me - New York, New York

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Going back to Keats post-pandemic felt like a homecoming of sorts. It felt familiar, friendly and fun to be sitting socially distanced having a g&t at one of my favorite dives in NYC. Had the chicken sandwich which hit the spot and we sadly left just as karaoke was starting so that provided the perfect excuse for a return very soon read more

Keats seems like your average Irish pub; standard beers, drinks, food...but then they throw in the karaoke and turn your world upside down.* It was a friend's birthday, and I was just doing my thing, just doing my thing. Letting people sing, I'm just doing my thing. I was just catching up with some people I hadn't seen in quite some time, and focusing on the liquor at hand, like always. Then I heard my name over the PA. Suddenly 4 or 5 of my d-bag friends are dragging me up to the stage, and I find myself singing some Mariah Carey song. Now, I'm not some sort of pop culture leper. I live in the world. I could rock out to Dreamlover.** I might be able to eke out All I Want for Christmas Is You. But I can't even tell you the name of the song that was picked, and I certainly couldn't sing it up to my usual standards.*** I even forced my buddies up on stage with me, and they all agreed they'd never heard the song either. After about a minute of mumbling, with no sense of melody, we all walked off the stage. The MC even told the birthday girl she needs some more adventurous friends. So people, if you're going to blindside a friend of yours with a song by an embarrassing artist, at least make it something everyone knows. Otherwise it's just not funny. And if it's not funny, what's the point? _________ *And earn themselves an extra star. **False. Everyone in the place would be sadder, for having heard me. ***Somewhere between painfully terrible and completely mortifying. read more

Depending on your scene, karaoke can practiced in multiple environments: ghetto home rigged VCD style, Asian private room style, or the pub crowd just dying to see something crazy, ie. public karaoke, an all access pass to witnessing hellacious / drunken / jaw dropping / mic masters do their thing. Keats is precisely the kind of place to do just that. Some folks might be there to enjoy the fun happy hour and their fun bartenders. Maybe they're looking to grab some standard bar food (pub grub) or a place to drink with friends. However, it's more likely they're looking for ambiance in music - a high energy crowd along with some serious karaoke, be it bad or good, it almost certainly will be entertaining. The karaoke setup is pretty typical: a mini stage for the songstresses, an MC to pump up the crowd, with multiple mics for group songs and multiple karaoke monitors throughout the place to help the crowd follow along. The song selection is pretty decent and the sound system is solid all around. I like the fact they tend to show the queue on the monitors so folks will know when their song is up next. People without stage fright will do just fine at Keats. Those with an American Idol worthy voice will be greeted with cheers and invasive cell phone cameras recording the next YouTube viral sensation. And though the place is uber narrow and small, the ambiance consists of oodles of happy people crowded all throughout the bar. There are some ventilation issues at times, so expect a muggy time especially in the summer. And its the people that make Keats what it is. Definitely drink, but don't be afraid to sing. The crowd will likely cheer you on and you might just make a few new friends in the process. read more

Just so we're clear, I can't speak for the food, or even the drinks, because I didn't have either. This review is just for... (1) the atmosphere (2) my friend's free shot We came here solely because my friend shares the same name as this place, so the question is, how could we not come here? :O I just had water because I'm cool. :O My friend/his friends had beers, and when the guy realized the whole same-name thing, he gave my friend a free shot, which was pretty cool of him. Docking a star only because things are rather pricey here. read more

I coordinated a small happy hour at Keats for a group of 10 last night. Anne-Marie the bartender/manager was very nice and gave us no trouble with setting up a private area in the back. She even told us that karaoke starts at 10 PM. From 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM we ate, drank and talked about nothing.. quite the Seinfeldian experience. We ordered appetizers: mixed plater (wings, fingers and mozzarella sticks), fried calamari and chicken fingers. The food was not that great; the wings were disappointing. Climate control needed to be addressed, as it was "hot in herr." We had to beg for the AC. Restrooms are tiny. The men's restroom consists of a toilet, sink and urinal. One person can pass through at a time. Keep that in mind. The wait staff was very friendly and nice to us. Service was good. We had to explain what we wanted ie Irish Car Bombs, but they figured it out. A good time overall. IFHTP 1 read more

Keats Bar - September 2007 - fried calamari and mixed platter - American Near Me - New York, New York

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visited over pride weekend and it was amazing. however issues with the cashapp card today doubled the transaction and I assumed that this establishment change the tip and charged me 200 extra but this was not the case. So I want to say I am sorry for jumping the gun on the matter! You all were so awesome and amazing! Love you Diamond read more

My new karaoke home. Bar tenders are amazing, not only at their craft of cocktails but also at hitting the mike. And if you get here early enough the food is freakin' amazing as well. read more

The guy/host who runs the karaoke (or did pre-covid) really ruins the experience. Think his name was "Shawn"? Karaoke is supposed to be a fun event -- not something to be run by a rude bully, and his posse of 5 clique-ish regulars. Played people's requests WAY out of order. My girlfriend finally dragged me up there (our song was out of order as well, and I was trying to focus on paying the bill by then). Host says afterward, really snotty: "Wow man, thanks for singing". Host successfully bullied several others as I observed. One guy who was a little buzzed, accidentally rubbed into some others, and the host started in with bouncing him from the premises. Guy did NOTHING wrong, other than be a little drunk. Another person (non-posse, non-regular) sang a song, and was scolded after by the host, as he angrily said "Come on man, you're supposed to know the song". It wasn't pooched that bad. Seriously, you don't treat customers like this!! Don't even get me started on high prices for watery drinks. I see I am not the first to make mention of that. The bathroom is a tiny disgusting spot. I cannot fathom what it must be like to be a woman, and try to use a place like it. The one redeeming quality of the place, was they were playing old Headbanger's Ball on a TV. Would I go back for it? NO THANK YOU. It cannot even come close to equalizing the doucheyness of the karaoke host, the watery drinks & high prices. And I can crank Judas Priest just fine on my stereo or YouTube at home. I cannot remember the name, but there is a 3-story club on 47th between 7th and 8th, that has basement karaoke that is FAR MORE FUN. read more

I stumbled upon Keats this past week with a friend...we were in search of a bar with three things: - A table-top where we could actually sit down. - A somewhat quiet place where we could talk. - Nachos. Keats had all these things, which was great for my friend and I who'd rejected about ten other places on our mission, but it wasn't a "great" place. It was suitable, but not interesting. The servers were friendly to a point, the food was good to a point, and the clientele was really mixed with some older couples (ranging from 50-80 years of age), younger 20ish women dining together, and single 40ish men looking for a pint and some conversation with the bartender. The bar and dining space is adequate, the bathrooms are really in need of a gut renovation, and the location isn't ideal at this point on 2nd Avenue. But the live music was pleasantly surprising and we enjoyed it enough to tip the guitarist/singer. With so many other places in the city, I won't revisit Keats anytime soon. read more

I want to like this place, but there are factors that make it very difficult. As a standalone bar, it's about as average as you're going to get in Manhattan - prices and selection right in line with just about everyone else in the neighborhood. As a karaoke bar it is abominable. I consider myself a karaoke person, but they miss the mark here. The sound system is horrendous. I'd rather have a buffalo take a diarrhea dump in my ear than listen to anything that comes out of the sound system here - and even worse, the karaoke hosts are pretty easily bought off. I get it - it's a job, I do the same job on the side. However, when you have 40-50 people waiting to sing, and the same person goes up three or four times before new entrants go, that becomes a problem to me. The concept for a good bar is there, but the execution is poor. If better managed, I think they could have a good thing over here. Also - several people mentioned the rest rooms, i'd imagine there were better facilities in concentration camps. read more

New owners, worst vibe. They auto tip every transaction 20% AND charge a credit card fee on top. No wonder this place is always dead now. Karaoke vibe is better at Cornerstone a few blocks away. read more

Keats is a bit out of the way being down on 2nd Ave, but if you hop enough bars in Midtown you'll invariably end up here if you're hopping East. The crowd is varied and their biggest draw is their karaoke. Down a few pints of Guinness and everyone turns into a bar rocker. It can get pretty crowded with the narrow space but do your little shuffle through the people and you'll be pretty surprised at the efficiency of getting a drink. They're pretty quick to take care of everyone, even when packed which is pretty impressive seeing as most other places have a hard time as soon as all the stools in front of them get filled. Prices are pretty reasonable here with no outrageous pricing. The only thing that could be a little better is having someone keep track of where that song binder is. You'll see it disappear into a crowd only to reappear an hour later from the other side of the bar or to our dismay, coming out of the bathroom in the wet hands of that chick you can only hope just washed her hands. read more

Great place to hangout. Service is excellent and food is good. This is my favorite place to hangout after work or during champions league matches ... read more

Keats Bar - American Near Me - New York, New York