Otter Saloon is a neighborhood dive bar. The bartenders have a heavy pour, so the drinks are strong. The bartender was welcoming. Every night is karaoke night. Service is great! read more

Sorry, I forgot to update this Post. I did reach out to the Manager the next day and she did watch the cameras and saw that I was in the right. She did invite me to come back and have drinks on the house which I thought was very nice of her. Thank you for your kind support. read more

I used to be a regular in a previous life. Stopped in to get a bit of nostalgia. This was not the Ottef I remember. Different entrance and definitely a different vibe. Heavy metal was mostly sung. I was disappointed the place lost its luster. Was not packed to the brim like its heydays. On a positive note.... the bathrooms no longer have the universal towel everyone uses read more

Otter Saloon - Karaoke Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Went here for NYE. It was such good vibes, from the bouncer to the people. It is a bit cramped, but maybe that was because of the occasion. It's good for a small group of people, but anything more than 4 people, you'll have trouble finding space on a busy night. read more

Very welcoming bartender. Most of the customers were nice. It's a small but we'll spread out environment. They had chips so maybe eat before you come. Overall a nice experience. read more

This was such a fun little dive bar with lots of great karaoke! I would definitely come back here again.

2 different times 2 different experiences. First time I went great environment and able to get up and sing with friends overall 5 star fun. Second time I waited 45 minutes to sing and got skipped over multiple times. When talking to the DJ said don't use the app submit a paper form which is what I did when I first arrived. Would only recommend when fat Thor is running the show. Absolutely unacceptable worst experience I've ever had at a karaoke bar. read more

I had heard many things about "the otter", I finally went to check it out. Wow. Incredible. So bad it's good. So dang good. Karaoke is what those known for. Hot damn. It's an experience. read more

Overall "fine". The atmosphere was fun enough, but the bartender was on her phone every time I went to get a drink and my song was never called (despite the same people being called up 3 times between me submitting me song and when I finally decided to leave 2 hours later. Very dive-y, which is usually my vibe, but drinks were over priced. I might give this place another try, but based on this experience it's very much a take it or leave it type of place. read more

I've always had great experiences at Otter on a Thursday Night! The karaoke is great - Wawa Skittle does an amazing job. The queues to get to sing are not very long (unlike NE Moose). Kim the bartender is so kind & attentive - she's the only one working the bar yet still gets over to me within a minute. If you're looking for a fun karaoke night, I recommend Otter! read more

Yikes she really is as awful as the reviews!! So I flew in from Phoenix which is dive bar karaoke central ...so I thought i could relate to the obnoxious reviews but no this girl is next level awful, mean, drunk, and beyond unprofessional ... everything yelp says about her and her putting her friends first is true ... bartender was outstanding .... I hate people who treat people like shit... lame read more

Anyplace that has 2 for 1 screwdrivers at 11am on a Monday is alright by me. So what if it's well vodka in a plastic jug and quite possibly Tang instead of actual OJ... you love it. Definitely tops on my list of return visits next time I find myself back in the Twin Cities. read more

Otter Saloon - Karaoke Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Ladies I would avoid this place I raised my concerns about how women are treated by regular patrons. Instead of addressing these concerns the owner chose to shoot the messenger. Ladies you deserve a safe place to have a ladies night. Otters is not the place. read more

The Otter Saloon is that trashy dive bar that has some odd unexplainable pull. They keep the door wide open on hot days, so cigarette smoke comes right in, the male bartender is constantly in a terrible mood, and the karaoke singers screech so much that your ears want to fall off...and yet, people keep wanting to come back anyway. I'm one of those people. There must be something about the eclectic crowd that lures me in. The Otter Saloon has prime time "people watching" since every kind of person comes here to sing their hearts out and they take it very seriously too. They have a huge book of karaoke songs, so whether you're looking for the newest hits or oldies, there will be something to tickle your fancy. Even if you're not the type of person to get up and sing, the audience here is very lively. The male bartender is a cranky fella, but the female bartender makes the best vodka lemonades (there's always only 1 bartender behind the counter when I'm there). Come for the cheap drinks and stay for the show...karaoke every night is a fun way to spend your time, no matter what night of the week it is! read more

Otter Saloon - Karaoke Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

A dive bar to end all dive bars, Otter Saloon is a karaoke institution and truly the best place to end any raucous night out. You never know who you might meet at the bar, and the karaoke isn't too bad either. This place is tiny, so be prepared to be packed in, but the energy is infectious so you hopefully won't mind too much. Pro tip: choose any pop song from the mid-2000s and the whole bar will scream-sing along with you, giving you about three minutes of being coolest person there. read more

The last two nights I've come here in an attempt to get my karaoke on. last night I came in late and it closed hen just 2 people were ahead of me and I get that when a place closes it closes, but today was some BS I got there around nine and put my song request in first thing when I got there. now about 15 minutes ago my name popped up and I was supposed to be 5th I was excited so of course I was talking my name on the screen but after two people had went I noticed that the screen changed, my name wasn't on there and some names that weren't on there before were including the host so I went to discuss it with the karaoke host Wawa skittletits she wasn't listening to what I was saying so she told me to put fill out the request form in and I told her I already had and she got an attitude with me so I said Im just gonna leave. she stops me at the door in what I'm guessing Was an attempt to let me know she'd fix the issue but instead the words that came out of her mouth were " you're taking up time from this person that's performing and that's not fair to him" first of all if you would've listened to what I said in the first place you could've said I'll fix it and I would've sat down, but instead you caught an attitude first thing and then proceeded to insult me by pretending that you're alive DJ or something. you are a karaoke host you put the song on the person sings and then you put the next song on so how exactly when he just started his song am I taking from HIS time I'm talking to this lady one on one I'm not causing a scene her attitude is ridiculous and after waiting patiently for almost 2 hours and politely letting her know what had happened I wasn't about to take her attitude especially when she did not wanna listen at all. When I said I'm just gonna leave for the second time and started to walk out the door she said "good" very unnecessary. Long story short if you want to sing karaoke find someplace else this place is highly biased to the regulars and staff from what I've observed. if you still decide to go try it out just know that you might get a immature redheadED head hostess Who's personality is basically having big boobs (wawa skittletits ? Really ? ... ) and being a massive duck who likes taking whatever anger she has out on you and making snooty remarks under her breath. Something that could've been truly epic has been ruined for me for sure hopefully your experience is better. read more

A Tale of Two Otters I've been to the Otter a couple of times, with about eight or nine years between visits. The heart of the Otter hasn't changed - it's friendly, cramped to the point of almost not being able to move on a weekend night, affordable, and you're going to have to wait like, two hours to sing no matter what. The song book is large and the host seems democratic - if you put your name in you'll come up in order. Things that have evolved: it's no longer going by the far-superior name of "U Otter Stop Inn" and there are now video screens with a rolling crawler that tells you the next five people on deck to sing and gives the song of the person coming next to avoid any confusion between name doppelgängers. I love the divey vibe and the fact that there's a camera mounted over the lyric screen for the performers so you can see your buds sing in all their glory - from a distance, that is, because there's no way your group is going to be able to push to the front since it's wall-to-wall people. There's only one entrance to the Otter, but blessedly there is a backdoor exit at the end of the bar so you can easily make your escape once you've paid your tab. I'll always call this place the Otter Stop, and I definitely think you otter stop in next time you're out and about in Northeast. read more

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The woman running karaoke is my only complaint. Bartender etc. were fantastic. Woman running karaoke refused to play anyone who wasn't her friend or herself. She sang three times before anyone from my table did. She is a sad excuse for a human and shouldn't work at anything beyond rubbing my feet. The rest of the bar was great. Would come if she was gone read more

If you're craving karaoke, you can always count on Otter Saloon. 365 days a year of karaoke! This bar has so much energy because if you're not on stage, you're probably singing along as there are a few TVs with the words on it. There's even a TV of the karaoke stage. I feel bad for the bartenders, they probably end up hearing Journey and Sweet Caroline every day. The downside is that it can get packed fast! Going on Saturday night might not have been the best decision. They have high-tables and chairs which is nice but is impossible to navigate through the bar. Be prepared to suck in your gut when squeezing through people. read more

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Showed up around 11pm on a Saturday and asked the DJ guy who was running karaoke how we can sign up to sing, he did not provide directions and just said they already had a full list for the night. After about 2 hours of hanging out and listening to him call out names of people who weren't present countless times, we thought maybe spots would be open because of how many people signed up and no showed. Another person from my group went and asked at about 1am if they could get on the karaoke list, he said that they were still booked full. A couple more names with no shows passed and fifteen minutes later the bouncer sang a song, then the DJ sang a 5-6 minute Celine Dion song (not well). I'm sitting there thinking to myself "are you the customer or an employee?" Now that that more no shows and two songs from employees had passed, we gave it one last shot and a third person from our group went and told the DJ that we have someone who's very good at singing piano man (and gets the people going), the DJ said they're still full. But then he closed out the night by singing piano man himself. Employee song count: 3 Customer group (who waited three hours, asked respectfully, and bought dozens of drinks and tipped) song count: 0 read more

Did I tell you I love dive bar? I am not kidding. It is a place where I can be goofy and have a great time with friends. Oh and I love karaoke bar too. I am a horrible singer but singing Britney Songs is alright to me because I am pretty good at imitating her. We came here for a birthday party and oh boy...all I remember is singing to a bunch of songs and dancing the night away, sounds about right. The drinks are super cheap and the service is great. Friendly staff. Great location. Parking, meh...good luck looking for one read more

If you like dives.... then you'll like this dive. When you step into Otter Saloon, it feels like a decorative colorful trailer with all the locals and a whole lot of karaoke. They have karaoke literally 365 nights a year! There's a full bar and everything is pretty cheap. Granted, they don't have a ton on tap and their highest "shelf" vodka is Tito's, but you're in a karaoke dive bar so shut up about it. If you call your liquor, they're $6 each. I imagine rails are $4ish? Plus they have a ton of other specials and deals, oh, and some chips for sale. Parking is probably a pain but this is DEFINITELY a place you need to uber/Lyft to and NOT drive after. Cheers! Other current specials: - Happy Hour 1pm-7pm Monday-Thursday; 1pm-6pm Friday-Sunday - $2 PBRs all day every Tuesday - $7.50 Pitches Monday & Tuesdays - $3.50 to spin the wheel for a mystery shot (lol what fun!) read more

Love the Karaoke! Great singers. Pure fun! People are dancing and bartenders are friendly.

Don't even bother with this place. I'm not sure what their problem was, but Karaoke guy was extremely rude. This was on a Monday night. He said so many rude things that we left. So uncomfortable to be in a place where you're treated badly when you aren't even drunk or being rude. Tried talking to bartender about it and he was trying really hard to not hear us. They were only favoring their people. Besides the really awkwardly rude workers there, this place smells like shit. Like literally shit. It's super tiny and just has an old and not clean smell to it. read more

Listen this place is a dive bar amongst dive bars. Coming from Chicago, I can tell I've been to my fair share of them. Mo and I went here on a Saturday night and had fun. Being jammed close to 10p, we stood at the end of the bar, had some drinks and did some karaoke. Yeah i drank Hamms tall boys - what of it? Overall, it was a good time and the bartender was friendly. There's also a camera that projects on a large tv in the bar so you can really ham it up when you sing karaoke! One less star for the layers of dust in various places in the bar. A nastier look than the interiors of the Mena bathroom. read more

I love this bar They have fabulous bartenders like juhl, and the bouncer ben, and karaoke guy Kacey Great entertainment, great group of people Decently priced juhl and Ben are my favorites read more

Otter Saloon - Karaoke Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Dive bar Daily karaoke Credit Cards accepted $3.50 Old Style Lager beer Go here if you like crowds and fun Don't go here if your idea of fun equals solitude read more

Based on other reviews of this place, I'm clearly in the minority on my feelings.. This is pretty much the definition of dive bar. Why people enjoy places like this really is beyond me. Granted, I've never been much of a "bar goer" but this certainly isn't a comfortable atmosphere. It's small. How small? Well, without measuring I'd guess maybe 500 square feet or so. Let me put it this way, I live in a condo, and the place would basically fit in my living room. I didn't get beer, so I can't comment on that, though the prices may be reasonable as everyone else has stated previously, however.. for mixed drinks I certainly felt cheated. The cup is a small plastic cup, can't possibly hold more than 8 ounces or so. On the plus side it's not overfilled with ice, but given the tiny stature of the beverage container, the prices for mixed drinks shouldn't be as high as they are. Everything was at least $1-2 too much. That said, the drinks were mixed well, but if I'm paying $5 for a drink, that is supposed to BE a drink, I'd prefer it be larger and last a bit longer than a shot at most other bars... The karaoke selection is pretty good, everything I looked in the book for was there, but it's certainly not the kind of place I look forward to sitting around in for over an hour waiting my turn to do karaoke. I'll most definitely pass, I won't be back. By the way, for our wheelchair bound friends & readers, I've marked this as non wheelchair accessible because while I'm sure you could get in and out the door just fine in a chair, there simply wouldn't be anywhere to go once you did get inside. Too little room, too many people and tables/chairs -- everything was high-top too from what I saw, so that's not terribly wheelchair friendly. read more

To pay homage to Otter Saloon's former name, U Otter Stop Inn, I will write my review like so: 'U Otter' get to know Opal. My friends and I went in for an early happy hour once and she fed the jukebox 26 times for our quarter-less selves. 'U Otter' chat with the regulars. They will resemble "Friends of Santa Claus." They will cheer you on while performing. They will never heckle and frown upon anyone who does. 'U Otter' put the heels away. This is a down-home, we-don't-care-if-you-shower-daily kinda place and we need to keep it that way. Lastly, 'U Otter' perform a karaoke song. Just see yourself out if you have no singing plans. This place ain't for you. read more

U Otter Stop Inn? Otter's Saloon? More like I otter not be going into work tomorrow. If you are not having fun at the Otter, please leave. This spot is a gem, its corner location on Central and 1st Ave make it the perfect place to get out of downtown and into the fun zone that is the NE. Plus they serve Heggie's Pizza, it's tasty and the real deal of zas, how can you go wrong! Pro - intimate space, cheap drinks, and Heggie's (trust me, it warranted another shout-out) Con - when packed it's the worst cluster and I can never see who's singing This place is quickly surpassing Vegas Lounge as my #1 karaoke joint. read more

It was a freezing winter wednesday when I was dragged around downtown Minneapolis by my fiance and his UM gradschool friends. As we wandered into this place, it reminded me of my own favorite college bars. Dim, dirty, and so much sports crap hanging from the ceiling - it's gotta scream fire hazard. The highlights: karoake, cheap beer and pull tabs! Richie from New Jersey owned the mic this particular night - and by the looks of it, you might see him (and Pam) if you stop in midweek. He does a mean Billy Joel and dances too! read more

Ok I love this place for so many reasons. For a good chunk of time I was going here every few weekends. I haven't been much recently but I am sure nothing has changed. Things to love: cheep booze great people watching guy in flower hat that always sings the same song that changes up the words to fit what he wants to say. decor Its one of those places that doesn't feel clean. That doesn't mean its not a great time. Its perfect for holding birthday parties, drinking alone at the bar, last bar when your bar hoping, or if you are the karaoke sort they do it up here. Almost everyone belongs here. Hipsters, dirty people, nerds, frat guys, and goth all belong here. It is a little less collegey in the summer months. I have dated at least 2 guys that thought of this as one of their main bars. Also the pizza is pretty tasty after a long night of drinking or a long day of work when you are going to start drinking early. read more

Karaoke and Northeast always seem to go hand in hand, and this place doesn't disappoint. U Otter Stop Inn is a bar full of character, and could fulfill the every element on the "Dive Bar" checklist. Cheap drinks, karaoke, friendly atmosphere, this place has it all! And apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so. The place was well filled, but not to an annoying level. If you're looking for a fun and crazy night...U Otter Stop Inn! read more

Wait a minute....this place is called The Otter Saloon? Since when? I've had some good times here. I've had some bad times here. But lately, it's a safer bet that I'll have a bad time than a good time. My Otter days are over. read more

This bar is a triangle. It is on a swirling corner in NE minneapolis, jutting out like a rocky peninsula, forcing the road to go around it and mooring boats, bikes, and hapless travelers at its doorstep. You are lucky to find yourself here. Because it is a tiny haven, where everyone is suddenly friends and the karaoke takes over and just as suddenly everyone is singing along! And you have to climb over people to get to the bar to order your cheap bottles of Premium. Everyone is happy and it's very hot and there's a long line of songs ahead of you and lots of strange objects to look at on the walls and ceiling. This bar is for people who don't like karaoke too, because it will make a convert out of you and you will go out into the night and sing the praises of the Otter Stop and your sonorous triumph there. Every time I go I expect not to find it, like it should just disappear and reappear on a whim. Or maybe that it should only be visible to those whose hearts are in the right place. Go. read more

Tiny, tiny bar. Huge character. I love to sing karaoke here if I get there early, otherwise it is fun to watch. Make sure you have cash if you are drinking and if you want to hit up the White Castle across the street after bar close, make sure to bring your non-vegetarian friends with you. read more

One of my only complaints about this bar is that, for whatever reason, cab drivers never know how to get here. Twice I've checked my phone after a long night out to see the Otter Stop on my iPhone's Maps application. Come on, Minneapolis cabbies. Anyway, onto the review. The drinks are small (but good). Getting in the queue takes forever. The karaoke jockey (heretofore referred to as the "KJ") is sassy and stands too close when you sing. And yet, I love the place. Why would anyone love a place like this? Two words - No Diggity. The Otter Stop has, hands down, the craziest, funniest, most comprehensive karaoke selection in the city. I love me some karaoke, and this selection surely bests my other favorite, the Country Bar, and my most hated bar, Grumpy's (see my reviews for more karaoke details). Like I said, the KJ stands too close, and it takes so, so, so long to sing your song (you really only get 1, and you're definitely there for at least 90 minutes before that) - but, there's also a White Castle across the street if you're interested in being the drunkest person at White Castle (easier than it sounds). All in all - 4 stars. read more

As I read down further, Kelly G. said it right : 'This is the place I almost lost my karaoke virginity. That cherry still has not been popped but it *could* have happened here.' I am in the same boat: after requesting song after song for Karaoke, my buds and I witnessed the usuals get up and sing multiple times until 2 a.m. Either way, I'm willing to stop by again and again to become one of these usuals and finally be able to take center stage at Karaoke. This bar was super cute and 'home-y' feeling, with friendly bouncers (who even call cabs for you at the end of the night!) and bartenders (except for one potentially drunk bartender who was just a mess behind the counter?). In the end, it is an all around good stop in anyone's NE bar trek. read more

Hey boy, sitting in your tree, Mummy always wants you to come for tea. If you can name the artist (*B-witched) or finish that tune, this may be THE place for you. Sketchy building, quirky crowd, & fun tunes. Oh, the U Otter Stop has so much character! Thanks to yelp, this place popped up on my radar when attempting to find a new place to go out in NE. If Karaoke is your game, then this is your go to spot, everyday of the week if you wish. C'est la vie, Jock Jams, Whoomp! (there it is), and Sweet Caroline were just a few performances of the night. However, as others have mentioned, be prepared to wait around an hourish or so until you get to sing, so please plan accordingly. This dive bar is a new favorite of mine, for singing, people watching, $1 chip eating, and cheap beer. Can't wait to be back U Otter. Next time I'm bringing Aaron's party back, if the Otter has this on file. read more

I've been here now a couple of times and I have to say it's alright. The first time I went it was nice and empty with only a few people butchering the musical stylings of various recording artists. I also remember being told it was a cash only bar. The second time I went in I was on a pub crawl and the place was shit house packed. This time they were running tabs which was aces in my book. The bartender told me however that I had to have a 10 minimum tab to run one. Telling me I have to have at least a ten dollar bar tab is like telling a fatty he has to have at least two plates at the OCB. Wait, that's me too.... Anyway, it's a fun little NE dive with the only downside being it's the size of somebody's garage. read more