If you don't like Mel-O-Dee we can't be friends. Mel-O-Dee is a divey lounge-slash-karaoke bar in a strip mall off of San Pablo in El Cerrito. The drink prices are reasonable, the bar staff is friendly and puts up with a sometimes rowdy crowd pretty well. I've only been here on Friday nights during karaoke time. It's public karaoke in a room that holds about twenty people - there's a bar area that also holds about twenty or so. The crowd is a mix of regulars, former high school musical dorks, and just normal folks that want to sing Torn really loudly, dammit. The crowd will get up and dance when someone hits a good number, which also takes some of the attention off the singer (pro-tip if you want to sing but perhaps not too public ally). I've heard rumors of some amazing late-night Tibetan dance circles happening here... ask around, I haven't been here late enough (yet!). read more

Went for my birthday. They have Pabst on Tap now, yeshhhh. And of course drinks are still super cheap. Now onto the karaoke... It was a busy night, I'll give them that. I think I was one of three parties there celebrating birthdays so I didn't get to sing until the very end of the night. Which is fine. BUT, there were people who sang multiple times before me. (one lady friend of the DJ sang 4 times). Also, my initial song request had apparently already been requested by someone else before me and I didn't know this until I heard them singing it. The DJ never told me anything when I submitted the song and when I went up there to give him another song he was was unaware of this issue. The same thing happened for two other people in my party and they were told that they can sing the same song as well and didn't need to put in another. That is SO against the karaoke rules! There are rules aren't there?! read more

Mel-O-Dee - My mother at Mel-O-Dee - Karaoke Near Me - El Cerrito, California

I have been coming here for years! The drinks are cheap, the crowd is never the same (which makes it exciting every time you go in), and Ralph, the bartender and owner, is terrific and down to earth. I have been here with co-workers, family, and friends which means it's a place a lot of people can agree on. However, if you're not an open-minded fun go-getter, you may not enjoy it as much but this place really doesn't depend on people of that sort since it is usually packed to the front door. If you're in town, go by for some drinks and karaoke fun! read more

I love it...Different kinds of crowd's & so far the bartenders are nice. Great booze selection....It's in a shopping plaza.

Came here for my birthday, we had plenty of drinks Atleast 3 per person. Had a party of 6 and the dj told us we had to many song requests after 4 songs and refused to put us In the cue. We asked twice for the same song 45 minutes apart and we never got in. Bartenders were nice and service was fast at least. read more

Fun, eclectic bunch of patrons but their karaoke equipment is the worst I've ever seen or heard. They seriously need to upgrade!

In case you didn't read the words to the left of this review, I grew up in Nevada. Which means I went to the Cal-Neva to gamble cheap, had many dinners in all-you-can-eat buffets, and was assaulted by cigarette smoke constantly. This place reminds me of Reno. A LOT. Partially because the red velvet flocked walls and carpet still are hanging on to years of cigarette smoke, also because of the saloon doors to the bathroom, but mostly because of the clientele. And I'm not just talking about the peeps who were on a mission to destroy their livers, but the cool dudes at the bar. This is just a cool place where Angelo can smoke Andrew at pool, I can chat with the hotness Sara about ANTM, talk to Jenn about footwear, look at Anna's awesome stocking choice, listen to Keith talk about how he got lost in a parking lot, or watch Shelly welcome the DYL virgins. Sadly, I missed the karaoke because I was too tired from hipping and hopping at the ho down, but not a bad place. They might want to invest in a case of Febreeze, though. read more

Luckily, there isn't really a need to try and impart to you the obscene cred of the Mel-O-Dee, because Wes Anderson and Sofia Coppola have basically already done that, but suffice it to say, it's like a David Lynch movie about a party in your pants. In Nevada. Or rather, El Cerrito. Same thing. Whatever. The wallpaper in here will blow your mind it's so fucking awesome (I think they actually rebuilt the El Cerrito Plaza around the walls of this place to avoid fucking with all the gilt and felted red brocade.) And, the ladies' powder room is straight fresh, second only in fabulousness to the powder room at the First Congregational Church in Oakland. Five stars. read more

My friend gave me the 411 on this place before we went here, so I thought I was prepared for it. Think again. I forgot my singing voice AND my obnoxious drunk asshole shield. Must have been having a blond moment back in Oakland. Now, I've been to El Cerrito before so I thought I was reasonably prepared for the kind of crowd that would await me here. Once again, I was wrong. Immediately my friend and I are greeted by a lumbering drunk guy who decided to use us as crutches. "LADIES LADIES! ARE YOU BUYING YOUR OWN DRINKS TONIGHT?" "Well, um....Yeah. It's just beer. It's cheap." "OH NO LADIES I WON'T HAVE THAT OH NO! HEY BARTENDER GET THESE LADIES SOME DRINK CHIPS! I WANNA BACK 'EM UP." Me, thinking "back 'em up" was some El Cerrito slang for "bang 'em up the ass" nearly fell out of my chair in anticipation - I mean fear!!!! FEAR! Anyway, this man was incredibly obnoxious and I was trying to decide the best way for us to make an escape. And honestly, there was no "best way" because the Mel-O-Dee is a pretty tiny bar. Thankfully the female bartender (didn't get her name) swooped into our rescue. Whatever it was that she said to the Jolly White Giant calmed him down, and he actually left the bar soon after. That woman is a total lifesaver and is absolutely one of my favorite bartenders ever! This place is a little weird altogether and it kinda makes me feel like I'm in that Bizarro episode of Sealab 2020. I saw a table of people that could have been myself and my friends had our lives all worked out a little differently. Everyone here was very cordial, but I didn't trust them for one minute. People that nice must have SOMETHING wrong with them. read more

Cool, easy access, karaoke, sports on TV. What else does one need? Always have a good time there.

I came here for my very first East Bay DYL last week! I frequent the El Cerrito Plaza, yet have never stepped into Mel-O-Dee before. I actually kind of didn't even know that it existed as a bar; I've always thought that it was part of The Junket next door for some reason, but alas, it is not. It's easy to not notice this place because it's pretty narrow and windowless, and their name painted on the wall isn't very flashy, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a cool Western saloon-esque bar when I stepped in. When I asked my fellow Yelpers, "What's good here?", everyone raised up their fruity looking drinks and unanimously said, "The Hurricane". So The Hurricane it was. The kind, lovely bartendress concocted an awesome drink for me. All I recognized was the pineapple juice and the Midori mix. Anything with pineapple and Midori is good in my book. And it was only $4 since it was the special of the night. Suh-weet! I adore the decor of this place. Fire-engine red velvet walls. Lovely dark wood beams. Swinging saloon doors. And I fell in love with their boudoir-esque bathroom! And the icing on the cake has got to be their location. In the middle of the DYL, I walked a couple of stores down to Trader Joe's, did some grocery shopping right before they closed, and then walked back to Mel-O-Dee to get my drinkage back on within 15 minutes. So convenient! read more

Aw shit!! I've discovered ANOTHER place to sing Karaoke! Honestly the world cannot have enough Karaoke bars for me. This has to be one of the best though! The drinks are strong and cheap! The wall paper alone is reason to love this place! I swear my grandmother had a couch that had the same material on it. The regulars are friendly and the most fun group of people I have ever met at a bar. Where else do you go up to sing and the bar patrons begin to dance? Dancing to Karaoke!!! If you really wanna feel like a super star you gotta karaoke here! They need hella more songs for their book though. read more

OK sportsfans, let's get cozy and set the scene so you can understand how an SF resident just gave a fucking bar in El Cerrito a 5 star review. Let us begin: Its Saturday night, and we get an invite to head to this place for some karaoke. To be spontaneous, a couple of us decide to head on over. We are getting steadily more skeptical as we notice that everyone is trying to get *into* San Francisco over the Bay Bridge, and we are the only ones trying to get out. We push on. After completing the odyssey in a motor powered horse buggy called my car, I notice that the directions dead end in a mall. I call my friend asking the absurd: "Are we going to a bar in a fucking mall" The response: "Um...yeah" (said in a tone like this was a totally normal thing that you would do all the time). We find the place on the backside of the mall and walk in to find some awesomely fuzzy velvet wallpaper...check plus! The crowd will be a weird mix of crusty old peeps and young Berkeley college types. A little weird, but just stick with it...it ends up being awesome. We get 3 well liquor drinks at the bar. It costs $11, and the pours are *stiff*. Check double plus! I notice the karaoke rules state: "please do not swing the microphone by its cord". Like this has happens all the time too...I'm now officially ready for an amazing night. We head back to the karaoke room which is set up like a full on stage (dancefloor included). As people take the mic, a few start to dance. At about 10PM, the whole place is tanked and people are seriously dancing like mad to people singing karaoke. How did this happen?! Oh yeah, and just when you think things can't get any better they flip on a badass laser with smoke machine. Yes, I said *smoke* and *laszszers* people...for KARAOKE...what the shit?! Crazy. I don't know how this place casts a spell over all who enter, but it succeeds wholeheartedly. Its worth the trip, and I seriously can't wait to go back. read more

"I wanna rock and roll all night..." And the karaoke here was fun enough that I almost could. The limitation is, as mentioned, that while they have a large book of songs, it's an odd mix and missing a lot of classics. Still, there are lots of fun ones, and the small, hardwood dancefloor allows you to bust out an 80's-inspired powerslide. (Not that I would know...) Still, the 60's mood lighting, velvet wall covering, and pleather booths create a fun atmosphere that helps you not feel like the cheesiest thing in the place while you drunkenly belt out Addicted to Love. A coin-op pool table and video touch-screen games provide additional entertainment. Kelly, the bartender, was very friendly as well as quick with the drinks. My main knock against the bar is that some of the bartenders will let patrons smoke inside...and you can sometimes tell. Oh, last tip: Don't let Shelly L. catch you sitting in one of the swivel chairs. She'll try to spin you round and round until you feel ill. :) read more

We came here for the Karaoke, we left because of the people. Frankly, this place is a bit of a dump, and the patrons are not any better. We were accosted within 5 minutes of entering the door by a large, middle-aged woman. Apparently, there is some kind of unbeknownst to the rest of the world "etiquette" in this place that if you place a piece of tissue on top of your empty drink, you are "saving" that spot. She started yelling that she would get her son to meet us in the parking lot. Mind you, this was AFTER we explained to her that we didn't know of this 'rule' and offered to move. Friendly patrons? I think not. Moreover, we had driven from Alameda to come here, since apparently the patrons are "friendly" and the karaoke happening. The latter was not true either; we came around 11:30 PM on a Friday, and the place was at best 1/3 full; the karaoke consisted of a mike on a mini-stage in a corner of the back room or "dance floor." The selection has to be one of the smallest I have ever seen for a self-pronounced karaoke establishment. Moreover, the crowd - apart from the large, angry lady - did not seem particularly excited. No one was singing along or paying any attention to the poor sod bleating out his song in the back. All in all, we will not be coming back. read more

I wish there were more old school bars like this in SF. It's definitely a come-as-you-are, neighborhood kind of place. No drama, no "scene," and I'd totally feel comfortable wearing sweats and a T-shirt. Just regular people, a little karaoke action (and it really doesn't matter how bad you are, so's the sound system and the playlist) and the occaisional drink special. The velvet wallpaper and saloon-style doors to the bathrooms add to the feel of the place. As another reviewer mentioned it's a little difficult to find, but on the plus side I got an unexpected tour of El Cerrito Plaza. I don't see myself making the trek often, but given a good reason I'd definitely do it again. read more

This place is super accommodating we came for my friend's birthday party and they allowed us to bring in a cake and they are flexible with meeting ur needs. I ordered several drinks and requested to have different ingredients. The bartenders obliged me and still charged me the standard fee. This spot is like a dive bar and you can definitely tell that their are regular locals. The highlight of this spot is the karaoke. Some of the older cats will blow you away. They can sang! But surprise you with rap songs and love ballads. The crowed was diverse ( older, young, mixed races). Towards the end of the night we all danced hugged and shared the mic. Our singing wasn't that great but the community we created definitely was. read more

So, say you're on the verge of a serious breakdown because you've had TWO G-D DAYS OFF THIS ENTIRE EFFING CALENDAR YEAR... And say, you feel like you're constantly robbing Peter to pay Paul (whatever the hell that means) whenever you need a minute or two off because you're so damn busy that all kinds of "life" things fall to the wayside (you know, like dishes, laundry, friends etc). And say you have a Friday night meeting for work that's supposed to run until 7pm and that actually thrills you to death because it means that your Friday actually ends at 7pm and you might actually get to see your beloved friends for the first time in a long while on a Friday night, when the rest of the world is out partying and usually, you are still working.... And then, say, two of your best friends are also having "verge of a serious breakdown" days and they also want to see you so the three of you can get together and do what BFFs do--get trashed, bitch about our lives, sing drunken karaoke in El Cerrito, and then make someone's boyfriend come pick us up. Where do you go? To Mel-O-Dee, suckers! Crushed velvet wall paper, old fashioned cash register, song list straight out of 1988, and the nicest regulars ever. Seriously. This place is completely "scene"-less and a complete gem. read more

What the *@&!? Here are the reasons we love the Mel-o-dee: *Karaoke *Not a window in the place *Crushed Velvet Wall Paper *Spot Lotto is available *3 stiff drinks = $9! *People dancing to karaoke *15 minute wait for a hot girl like Vivian to get a drink *20 song selection from Merle Haggard (??) *Total sausage fest *The regulars are SUPER friendly You know it's a good time when you hear someone sing Elton John's classic song "Don't let your son go down on me" and when Jay H tells you your boobs aren't that special. Oh, by the way, did I mention we had a few drinks there? read more

THE MISSION: Meet with FaceBook engineer at 10:00pm, on a weeknight, for a drink, comfortable seating and have the ability to get online....in El Cerrito. Perhaps I should restate that last detail...IN EL CERRITO! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Found Mel-O-Dee, great seating, not too loud, free taco bar, amazing service and...free WIFI! Perhaps I should restate that last detail...Free WIFI in a dive bar! I'm sooooo giving you 5 stars, Mel-O-Dee! read more

I was pretty hesitant about going to a karaoke bar in a strip mall, but Mel-O-Dee did not disappoint! First off, the drink prices are super reasonable... much cheaper than at some of the nearby bars on San Pablo Ave. I tried a few different cocktails and they were all good. The staff was super friendly and the karaoke was on point! It's a mix of regulars, people who are actually decent singers and then those who are just awful but don't care and have fun with it. The one thing I will say is that it's a bit of an older crowd (my friends and I are early/mid twenties and were the youngest ones there by far). But honestly, who cares? This place is great and I will definitely be back. read more

The patrons and owners just don't care to follow the no-smoking ordinance posted on each pillar outside. Not cool at all when I am with my small kids and just trying to hit Trader Joe's on a weekend morning. No matter the time, there is a group of smokers. Fun bar to enjoy on karaoke night, but they don't care about their community or the law. read more

Mel o Dee was by far the best karaoke bar I've been. Everyone that sang was really into it, and majority of people were super talented! I loved the vibes I got when I walked in, very friendly, and supportive. The drinks are cheap and the bartender is awesome. The location makes ms really happy, right next to trader joes. They have a huge variety of karaoke songs, and a lot of the customers are older and sing frank Sinatra type songs. It's so great! Definitely check it out if you like cheap drinks and rad karaoke! read more

Hands down, , , one of my favorite bars in the east bay!!! Remember that 'Sex and the City' episode where Carrie ends up at some late night Chinese restaurant with Big, runs into an old friend and later finds out this is where guys take ladies they don't want to be seen in public with? That's the Mel*O*Dee. But not really. Just seems that way. Red velvet and gold wallpaper and retro ( I shouldn't say retro since they're the real deal) booths line the perimeter of this fine establishment. The ladies WC doesn't skip a beat either, plush pink carpeting, pink wallpaper and a vanity equipped with dainty old school vanity seats. Bartenders and patrons are both as old as dirt. Live music on Fridays was always a treat. You should see these seniors all dressed up in their nightlife attire, dancing to the band (keyboards, accordion and lead singer) and living it up on a Friday night. I can only hope I have that in me when I reach their age. It's a fairly small place, but big enough for groups. I had my "going away after party" here back in 2003. It's been a while since I've been to this gem, sounds like I need to get back over there and get my karaoke on! read more

Hey you wanna go for a drink at the Mel-o-dee? No thanks. No thanks? What does that mean? I don't wanna go. Go where? For a drink at the mel-o-dee. A drink at the mel-o-dee! Now that's a good idea! come for the cheap booze, stay for the womb-like crushed velvet walls, plasti-gold coated circa 1978 light fixtures, and the most bizarre and spirited karaoke in the B-east, period. Hello, baby. Shut up! It's Daddy, you shithead! Where's my bourbon? read more

I was torn on how many stars to give Mel-O-Dee. The bar itself definitely deserves 4 or 5. It is cozy, has lovely decor (velvet wallpaper!), friendly staff, inexpensive drinks, nice seating areas, and a saloon door to the bathrooms. Fun! I had to take off a star for the karaoke. I had a similar experience to Rachel V. and Selina B. I love karaoke and was excited to try a new karaoke place. They don't have a huge song selection but that is okay with me. The karaoke guy came around and got our song slips, along with a number of other people's. He started going through the list. I noticed immediately that he was not adjusting the music tracks for people. A woman got up who had a lovely voice but we could barely hear her over the backing track. The KJ didn't seem to notice. We sang our songs and then turned in our second slips. Three people who had sung right before us during the first round were called up a second time so we assumed we were almost up. Then a bunch of new singers were called up. Then one of the men who was right before us was called up for a third time. At this point I realized that we probably weren't going to singing again. I am fine with only singing once when a place is really busy but it seemed like people who knew the KJ were given priority and allowed to sing multiple songs before others had an opportunity. I have never expected that treatment at my regular karaoke place and was disappointed that they do it like that here. I really liked the bar and would go back...just not for karaoke. read more

First off, the bartender had me name my cocktail "The Jessica" so that when I came up to order more, I wouldn't sound SO GODDAM LAME ordering a(nother) Malibu & Coke. For myself. Because I'm a lightweight but can drink this stuff for a hundred years and feel just skippy, that night and the next. So fug you, I like sugar drinks, moving on. It's important that the bartender did this because it speaks volumes- volume one, that she was encouraging me to drink plural sugar drinks meaning she will enable you to drink like a little fishy, or to your hearts content, whichever comes first. And volume 2, that I had a really good time there and never once wanted to punch that lady bartendress in the mouth for making fun of me. Trust me, I'm short and gamey- punching people who tease me, in the mouth, seems like a good idea especially after sugar drinks. POW! Anyway. This bar is optimal for your sight-seeing needs in the far east bay. Do you need to watch a man with probably drain bamage singing Strawberry Fields, Stairway, and Let's Go Crazy by Prince including splits on the floor?!?!?!? OH NO LET"S GO! Seriously, that and the girl who sang Father Figure with the most sincerity and intensity....what a memorable night. This is the best people watching place in all of El Cerrito Plaza. We didn't sing a goddam thing, although I threatened my bfer that I'd make him stand there while I serenaded him with I'm Your Man by Leonard Cohen, which I still think would be a funny visual, if you imagine me with a hat and maybe a tie. But they didn't have it. With the wallpaper/mirrors/tufted leather banquette.... it's like you've gone to visit gramma and she's naming drinks after you. Try The Jessica! 5 stars! read more

"The bar that time forgot" ... according to the bartender, an older lady who is always smiling as she pours you amazingly cheap and strong drinks, the place has barely changed since it opened in 1969. With the exception of the removal of the adorable pink carpet in the lady's room. :-( It's tucked between a deli and PetCo in the El Cerrito Plaza shopping center ... weirdest place for the coolest bar ever. The gold and red velvet wallpaper is really something to see. On karaoke nights (Fri & Sat), there are always a few groups of hipsters celebrating a birthday battling for the microphone with the regulars, some of whom sing like pros. You'll see this old black dude who always sings Otis Redding boogeying down on the dance floor with a 22-year-old tattooed white chick, a middle-aged Philipino lady ("I Will Survive" is her song of choice) shakin it in the center of a group of indie rocker kids. It's amazing. I've never seen this happen anywhere else. I took my friend there for her birthday, without calling ahead or anything, and the propietors put "Happy Birthday Anna!" on the karaoke monitors. It's so hard to leave, because you always want to see what the next song will be. Go there this weekend. read more

OLD. It looks twice as old as the strip mall in which it's located. The people at the bar look like they've been sitting there since the wallpaper was put up in 1320. But everyone is nice! And Karaoke is hilarious; because they are good! I asked myself, "What the fuck am I doing out of SF and in a bar in El Cerrito? I'm at the Mel-O-Dee!" read more

Pretty awesome. Went here with friends on a Thursday night. Very cool crowd, real people, no hipsters, no "bro-grammers" just a nice mix of black and white folks, Asian and Latino folks, everyone seemingly "normal", just people who like to drink and sing. No pretentious douchebags - a nice break from the San Francisco scene. Decent sound system, although a tad loud, "strident", might hurt your ears if you get too close. But the interface with the monitors and the KJ all worked well. They've got a nice dance floor, and people definitely got up to dance on more than one occasion. If you pick a funky groove, you'll get the crowd moving. Yes, it's a little weird that this bar that feels like it's transporting you back to the Eisenhower era is sandwiched in between Petco and Trader Joe's. I don't know too many "strip mall bars", but we got over it quickly enough. Plenty of parking, there's an advantage! I would totally go back to this place. It worked well, the people were cool, and we all had a good time. read more

Any time I'm in Berkeley I'll be found here. This is my new home away from home. The karaoke is awesome. Great selection. Great singers. A sweet dance floor. A diverse clientele that loves to sing and dance. In between singers they play music and do random line dances like the electric slide. Its awesome. I don't know most of the dances and I wish I was as cool as these people are. Mel-o-dee was made for me. I really wish it was in LA but I know that if it was it wouldn't be half as rad. Oh yeah, and the wallpaper is a mix of linen and velvet in some sort of sweet tapestry pattern. It begs to be stroked. read more

If you like a dive bar when its not karaoke night or if you would like to celebrate your birthday by acting like you know the words to "Purple Rain" by PRINCE, then this is the bar for you. Don't go in there thinking that you're gonna have an "off-the-hook" time. Don't go in there asking for a "incredible hulk" or latest "crunk drink" because the bartender will not know it and wont even think about making it for you. This is strictly an old schoolers bar with a little karaoke in there. You might see the youngsters in there every now and then but this is a good bar for the experienced bar-hoppers, divers, middle aged and older crowd. Don't expect dope ass night at this place. Ain't gonna happen unless you already got this night planned out with your friends or loved ones. But that's not to say that you won't have a good time at all. In fact, i crashed some girls birthday party there one night by accident. My friends and i were the life of the party, even taking pictures with the unknown birthday girl and doing a karaoke duet with her! Now my friends and I are the official birthday crashers. lol So anyway, if you dig on somewhat cheap drinks, karaoke machine, crashing someones birthday, meeting old-timers and some newbies then this would be the bar for you. I gave it 2 stars because the last time i was there it was boo-boo. However, i would recommend this bar to someone when it's on a good night of karoke fun. And that's my review. Thanks for reading. Word. read more

The bartender ( I think she said her name is Margaret) she is so rude. We (my company) was trying to speak to a manager/ owner / event person etc. and Margaret said "9a" and just hung up while I was in the process of asking for someone else. Then we called back to speak to Owner and get the info. we needed. She said "hold on", came back and gave #, then I said" may I have his naaaa?" She said "ok, bye bye" and hung up on me again. Who gives a # and no name or info with it. She was so rude, we will not look at this spot for our office party anymore. The coworker that recommended it also said that the bartender can be a little slow & short with you at times. Guess they were right! read more

If you are even remotely creative you will appreciate the Mel-O-Dee. Drinks: Well drinks for $2.50 that are strong and taste every bit as good as their $6 counterparts being served at similar dive-y establishments. Really friendly, fast, down-to-earth bartenders. Ambiance: Alice in Wonderland meets your grandmother's living room: each time I enter the Mel-O-Dee, I feel like I'm entering another world. As others have said, red velvet wallpaper, swinging western-y doors leading to the bathroom, Karaoke set-up complete with a laser storm and smoke machine. Crowd: Three generations getting wasted in harmony. While crowd-watching here, you start to wonder if you could become an independent filmmaker and do a documentary on the people who frequent this bar. Amazing. Karaoke: Music from all generations appropriately represented in karaoke selections. Some really fantastic vocalists and some really terrible vocalists (as it should be!) Great KJ. Night usually ends in some sic dancing. So jump down the rabbit hole and become a part of the weirdness that is the Mel-O-Dee. read more

I stumbled in the doors of the Mel-O-Dee on one of those nights when I should have probably just hopped on BART and gone home, but instead found myself singing karoke in a room with fuzzy red and gold wallpaper. Since I live in the heart of Hipster Nation, it's really nice to take a vacation from it, so I was REALLY happy when I took around at the crowd. It was like being in Iowa at one of those old bars along the highway that only the locals know about. Everyone is slightly off, strange but sweet, and of completely indeterminent age. My little group got 10 stars for effort and dramatic interpretation. Just about everyone else in there got stars for actually being able to sing, and giving us standing ovations just because we were unafraid in our foolishness. The drinks were really cheap and the bartender was so sweet to us. Best part: the Mel-O-Dee is only a block away from BART and at the ass-end of a shopping center/strip mall. read more

You have to be in the right mindset for the Mel-o-dee. It is not cool. It is happily un-cool, and not in a hipster pretentious way. Its like going to your grandmother's house, and finding out your grandma can still shake it. the decor is tacky, yes, but the bathrooms are clean and the drinks are cheap. The best thing about this place is the people. The crowd is very mixed, but there is a feeling of togetherness that warms the cockles of my jaded heart. Its an accepting place, where everybody cheers everybody on. (I once heard someone say "There's no boo-ing here!" very sternly to another patron). So come, embrace the cheese factor of Mel-o-Dee. Be part of the weird magical purgatory of lost karaoke souls. And no booing. read more

Love this place. Nice environment and staff. Great drinks and friendly folks. Worth stopping by for a drink.

I am updating my review of this place. I used to be a diehard regular and bring all kinds of friends here. Sadly I have boycotted Mel O' Dee's for well over a year now. First they fired the KJ who might have been a bit slow, but he had the best sound in the East Bay and most of SF and was a nice guy. The replacement had poor sound quality. Then they insulted me for letting them know what I thought when they asked me to put a note in thier comment box. And from what I hear through the rumor mill, the unfairness on the list is super obvious and biased toward one person. It's a shame because it it close to me and a cozy hangout. I guess the old saying is true, what goes up must come down. And down it went. Luckily there are plenty of fine karaoke joints in San Francisco, and I might say worth the drive and toll. I have met many fine people and had great experiences branching out. VIVA KARAOKE (just not here). read more

Came from out of town 3 times - each time The guy who is DJing cuts people off by 10pm. Haven't had the chance to sing here once as the guy shuts it down too early bc of requests. Good place to sing, but get here early otherwise you'll spend the night watching a group of 20 singing together and take up all of the guy's time to "DJ" read more

OK, Yes the wallpaper is not a joke! This place has become my favorite spot in El Cerrito. The bartender Ralph is a very nice guy, but what I really like is the Asian duo that takes over Fridays after 9. Wooohoo! Karaoke DJ is the MAN. He's got all the latest, and oldest songs. BOTTOM LINE! AWESOME PLACE, TIP THE BARTENDERS AND THE KARAOKE DUDE! read more