i've been eating here for more than a decade, dine-in and takeout. the food was always great, until today. you just lost me. cannot believe the condition of the wonton soup. it's maybe 5 ounces of broth with mini dumplings. the texture was like playdough with meow mix for the filling. on the menu, it's $3.25. you'd think $3.25 is the baseline for the smallest one, because that makes sense. no, not here. i paid $4.25 more for a portion that wouldn't feed a small child. $7.50. it's a joke. now for the bacon fried rice. i've eaten it so many times in the actual restaurant. when it's fresh, it's really good. tonight the delivery was stale, oily. i hate wasting food, but a few bites in and i feel sick. my stomach is in knots. this is not the Rickshaw that i'm familiar with. at all. i couldn't finish the rice or the soup, both of which were ice cold despite super quick delivery. it was like someone pulled them from the fridge and slapped them into containers. i'm so frustrated. what happened here? what went wrong? read more

They now have a 3% fee for using a credit or debit card. This was not disclosed to us prior to putting our card down. Never seen this at any restaurant ever. They should just absorb it in their pricing like every other business does. read more

I used to order from this restaurant regularly and loved their honey prawns. I hadn't ordered in a while and saw that maybe they had new owners, so I thought, why not. I ordered honey prawns - and got 10 smallish shrimp, a few cashews, on a soggy bed of cabbage and sauce. That cost $18. I odered the asparagus and mushrooms and it was scorched - all I could taste was burnt. And then the shumai, which is normally fool proof - but it was cold - and that made me think it was from frozen. I also got the smallest rice I had ever received. One order of rice was in a 2 in x 3 in box. I always try to order enough for leftovers, and there was no leftovers. The portions were tiny and way overpriced. That all cost me $47. So disappointing. I will not order from there again. read more

All the food was bland and lacked flavor. The shrimp batter was still a bit gummy and everything else slightly tasted like cardboard. Even the fortune cookie was stale and lackluster. It was disappointing. read more

Definitely high on my seriously does not suck list. This place's food is a hidden gem (avail for takeout, delivery services or shoving your face at the bar). Decent american-Chinese food. Broccoli beef, hot garlic beef, mushrooms, broccoli snow peaS (w/fried tofu is bomb). Even their burger and fries is solid. if you're in the mood for cheap strong drinks, karaoke and a killer hangover: also a damn good time. read more

Literally the best spot to karaoke !! They have awesome deals on drinks! Excellent spot for yokin' if you wanna do it any day of the week. The crowd is absolutely amazing as well, everyone is so sweet & supportive . read more

Rickshaw Restaurant - Dive Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

The food was cold, everything is a la carte and over priced. I ordered almond fried chicken for $14.95 and that is all I got...no vegetables, rice or tea. Very disappointing. read more

This is a hole in the wall, but it's not a hole in the wall. It's freaking amazing. The service... The food... The karaoke.... plus, after awhile, maybe the regulars will let us into the circle (don't hate on spots for having that). highly recommend. read more

The fact that the food here sucks has very little to do with the fact that it's Americanized. Even if you love American Chinese food and that is exactly what you expect going in, the food here still sucks. It is simply bad food that is cooked badly. It would only be edible if you were *very* drunk. And, well, that right there is the whole story. Also, I found a big piece of broken plastic in my food. (See the pic.) Please, for the love of all that is good and righteous, do not eat here. Or, at the very least, do yourself the kindness of getting thoroughly sloshed beforehand. read more

Rickshaw Restaurant - Giant chunk of plastic that I found in my food. Yum! - Dive Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I can't speak to the food at all BUT the KARAOKE IS ON POINT! People come to SING!!!! The crowd is local, friendly, happy, fun, and energetic. People can sing and the hostess is awesome. I really loved it here and will be going back. read more

You know what? I love The Rickshaw. I really, really love it. But getting to where I'm at today, loving The Rickshaw, was a journey - a quest, if you will. And in taking that journey I actually grew as a person. The first time, I recall, was scary. I was trying to get out more, and I like to sing, and it's right on the 75 bus line so I knew I could drink and still get home. When I got there, it was kind of dim and intimidating, and I sat way far away from the action, and it seemed cramped and crowded. It doesn't have a real restaurant paradigm where a server immediately sees you and provides service. At first it seemed like there are no waitstaff at all (I later learned this isn't true). I kind of got ignored for a while at the super busy bar. I'm short, and at that time a little meek and shy, and I think I actually became invisible. But I kept going back, and the magic kicked in after just a few visits. To become a regular here is like being embraced by the crazy love of a warm, dysfunctional family. Once I started to sit right up close, sing, drink, order food and participate, I started to get a crazy good level of service. At The Rickshaw, they like to see you a few times, they like to get to know you a bit, then you're in - like a 'made man' or something. What Patty (the main KJ) loves is people who are enthusiastic about watching the singers, people who are supportive of the singers. Patty - I could write a whole giant chapter on this woman. She is so awesome. Her voice is great too, and she will even sing a duet with you (we sometimes do Paradise By The Dashboard Light together). After I got 'made' here, I started feeling a love I had never gotten from any other source. I stopped taking the last 75 bus home and started cabbing home at 1:45 a.m. I learned a lot about who the regulars are and what the best nights and times to sing are. (They have karaoke 7 nights a week!) Tuesdays and Wednesdays are bliss, you can often sing 4-5 times if you stay all night. Thursdays you might sing 3-4 times. Fridays & Saturdays, however, can be way less fun - packs of fratboys and non-regulars flood in. Patty is so fair that she WILL NOT play favorites and ALWAYS lets everyone sing, no matter how long the rotation is. So, on these nights, you might sing twice if you stay all night, and you're going to hear a LOT of bad, drunk, non-serious singers. Man, I wish I was there right now. I'm going tomorrow night for sure. And even though it's a 30 minute bus ride from my apartment, when I walk in there, I'm actually going to be home. And that's a beautiful thing. read more

Rickshaw Restaurant - Dive Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This review is speaking ONLY to the restaurant portion of this divey place in N. Seattle. While I love the bartender here, the nightly karaoke, and the run down anything goes environment - the food sucks. It is quite possibly the worst Chinese food I've ever had. Don't go to Rickshaw to eat. Go there to get your drink on and sing your ass off. Now that's a blast! read more

THIS PLACE ROCKS! Skylar is the best bartender I have ever seen and, The food is amazing until midnight! Have you ever seen a bartender sing and sling drinks at the same time?! Check this out! It's Sunday and it's rocking!!!!!!!!! read more

This has been my all time favorite Chinese restaurant for forty years. Yes it's a dive, but had excellent food, reasonable prices, and good proportions. This has all changed after the sale of the long time owner, and even more in the last few years. On my last visit I noticed that they had bought much smaller plates to make the amount of food served on them look larger. I'd never been charged for tea before and was surprised to see a $5 charge for it on our bill. We got a small cup of soup and that was close to $5. The Mongolian Beef I got on the new smaller plates was lacking as far as the amount of beef. Mostly fried onions. The Mu Su Pork was served with thick Mexican tortillas instead of the normal thin Chinese pancakes. I asked them to take it back, that I didn't want them and someone from the kitchen came out to argue with me. The staff has always been exceptional, but this no longer a place I will go to. I'm not sure why the owners have done this. There's always a large crowd at the bar which shares space in the same room as the restaurant. I would think they were making enough money from it to have kept the restaurant items the same. read more

Chinese doughnuts. Sigh. They were just as good as any other I have had. I feel like food is not the #1 reason people attend the Rickshaw. In fact, I think the people in my group were the only ones eating at this place. The Rickshaw's bartenders do not lie. I was greeted by a woman who told me the well was always one oz, but for only 1.75 more I could get a Stoli with a lot more vodka. Went with the well anyway, thinking it was a sales ploy, but on my second drink I discovered this woman was a paragon of virtue. This drink had a dash of tonic, a squeeze of lime, ice, and 3/4 Stoli. That is my kind of girl. Decent selection of karaoke songs and an eclectic crowd to match. read more

First of all: staff smoking blunts right outside the door less than 5 feet from the door. First impression was ok. I thought the waitress was nice. Food is mediocre. My boyfriend and I have had cheaper hum bao that tasted way better. Mongolian beef was ok. What ruined it all was after ordering a cocktail after paying our original bill our second bill was 9.50. The waitress said "sorry I don't have Ones" handed is two fives as if expecting we were gonna leave her a $5 tip. She slumped us our change. HOW DO YOU NOT HAVE CHANGE ON SATURDAY NIGHT?! She totally pocketed our change. This was only offensive because we have her a $6 tip on a $26 bill because she seemed nice AT FIRST. I think she thought we were wasted or something after one drink? Do not come here unless you don't care about your money. read more

I went here for my birthday last year for karaoke. We got there early enough to snag a few booths up front. This was our first time at the Rickshaw, so we were pretty stoked. I had a great time. The drinks left more to be desired, but I was there for the karaoke. Midway through, someone in the group ordered these donut balls with sugar on them. Not sure if they were as good as they would be, but I was drunk and killer hungry! read more

Rickshaw Restaurant - Dive Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Lived in North Seattle my whole life. 64 yr. old gay man. Graduate of St Catherine's grade school in maple leaf district. High School at Blanchet. The Rickshaw has been in it's present location for as long as I can remember.Classic Chinese bar. Food has been up and down over the years. Mostly down. But something changed. Not sure when. I stopped eating there for a long time. Now...new chefs. Very good food. The bar is fun. Karaoke can be intimidating. Some nights it's like The Voice. Hehe. But there are some damn good singers there. It's a loose atmosphere. I read a review from a woman complaining about being harrassed. I am surprised. From my experience. It wouldn't be tolerated by the employees or the patrons. Both men and women. read more

the food taste good the ambiance is racist af old and run down place. they do not want you here if your a p.o.c the service was bad and slow. read more

I've had better food from Panda Express. Couldn't even finish the almond fried chicken, was so disgusting had to throw it out. The sauce is a flavorless "gravy", the chicken is mushy and the egg rolls smelled and tasted like rotten cabbage. The general tso's was raw in the middle and the sauce was runny and flavorless. Worst Chinese food restaurant in Seattle. read more

Eating here after picking up my wife from the hospital, it is probably the best Chinese food we've had so far. Highly recommend it if you are in town. The staff is great the bartender is very nice didn't catch her name and the food was tasty and was served quickly. A++ read more

Warm and friendly vibe, fast service (even on Christmas), delicious food, cold beer. There is a big party room in the back, worth considering for a birthday etc. read more

You can't beat having Chinese food and karaoke at the same time. Dont recommend the fried crab rangoons. It does not pair well with the karaoke. Drinks are dangerously deliciously tho so watch yoself. Also warning- watch your lighters. Every time I bring a lighter into this establishment, it disappears. Like wtf? Sometimes, I never even light up and they still disappear. Maybe there's a lighter ghost? A lighter gnome? Are lighters allergic to bad singing? read more

Get the Rickshaw fried rice, orange chicken, and/or sesame beef. Their food is awesome.

This place is so fun. I love it. The orange chicken is great and they use real chicken slices (unlike Panda Express where it's all ground up). Karaoke here is super entertaining and the bartenders are friendly. I come here every time I'm in town! Also they have dangerously cheap jello sho read more

Fun place for karaoke nights! Sarah is the BEST server in Seattle and one of the main reasons I love to go here with my friends. She is super friendly, funny, and attentive to her guests...and I swear she never forgets a face. Even when the place is super busy we never have to wait on anything! The food here is awesome, don't miss out on the homemade dumplings or Chinese donuts -- yum! Happy hour food is great too and a good deal. Drinks are good although there have been a few times when they ran out of whatever the special is that night. Get here early for karaoke on the weekends if you want a spot because it fills up quick -- and ask for Sarah!!! read more

Sarah is my favourite bartender. Upbeat, personable, her mixed drinks are on point...come for the karaoke, stay for her drinks. 5*

If you are even looking up the Rickshaw on here for research on its food, paying attention to this review will be a lost cause for you. If you, like me, treasure old-skool karaoke and questionable atmosphere, well, keep on reading! Sunday night = industry night = $2 WELLS! Songbook = not the best... but lots of standards and karaoke classix. Monitor = early 90s karaoke "music videos" ! YEAHHHH SON Waitstaff = awesome. And nonjudgmental. Patrons = an intriguing mix of young, old, talented, horrendous... Overall experience = EPIC. If you want to drink and sing, head north to the Rickshaw and never look back. 24/7 karaoke. Nothing can stop you now. read more

How is it I have not reviewed this place yet? Seriously? I've spent more than a small amount of quality (and not so quality) time stuck to the vinyl booths at this place, not to mention gracing the stage with the awesome rock power I bring. The karaoke is great, the drinks are strong (although don't ask for anything too complicated) and the atmosphere is dive-tastic. The selection of songs is vast, laser discs for the older songs are HILARIOUS and the host is entertaining if not sometimes a bit bitchy. I can't hate on her though, after the house-rousing closing number of Paradise City that Michael O, her and I did, she's won a permanent place in my heart. One tip: do not eat the food. Seriously. Trust me on this one. read more

So sometimes I get confused easily. Ok, ok, you're right, all the time. When I shake my head you hear a rattling sound. I got confused by the Rickshaw after I walked in... that is, after navigating through the crowd of smokers blatantly violating the 25 foot rule and blocking the door with a football huddle of tobacco smoke, raspy voices and bad breath. At the first table by the door, lo and behold, a crowd of Yelpers. I managed my surprise well; one of the crowd had set up an event here. The room is long and thin, like my nose, with several tables lining either side, and what I thought was a big mirrored wall along the right wall over the tables. Imagine my surprise when my reflection in the mirror looked just like an older woman singing karaoke! Me, thinking to myself: "Whoah, this is like Disneyland! How'd they do that?!" Me, shaking head: *rattle rattle* Me, accidentally saying out loud: "Oh, that's not a mirror." Table of Yelpers: "What the f*$@% are you talking about Will?" Yes, beware when you're having a conversation with me. You may actually be listening to me having a conversation with myself and sharing some of it out loud. And this is before I have anything to drink. Multiple choice test time: So, I'm standing in a Chinese Karaoke restaurant, with a full bar along the back wall, and what I realize are multiple tables of Yelpers and other buzzed fun people. And no mirrors. I haven't eaten. What's the first thing I should be doing? A) Ordering food B) Ordering drinks C) Greeting friends D) Choosing a song to sing If you chose B) Ordering drinks, you were fricken wrong man. Sorry! LOSER! D) Choosing a song to sing, of course. Gotta get your name in there and pop the evening's Karaoke cherry and stamp any shyness and embarrassment into the ground, early. That's the trick. That's my trick. Now you know why I'm such a moron in public. I searched for my favorite warm up: Black Crowe's "Hard to Handle" but couldn't find it (they have it, just not in the book I looked in). I opted for "Boys are Back In Town" by Thin Lizzy, with Duran Duran's "Rio" as my follow up. Then I C) Greeted friends, followed by B) ordered drinks and lastly A) ordered pot stickers and some beef fried rice. Or as my buddy Chang from 3rd grade used to say, "Beef Flied Lice!" I miss that guy. He used to wear at least one piece of his Cub Scout uniform to school daily, regardless of whether we had a Cub Scout meeting that day or not. A medal, his hat, the scarf, the socks.... Awesome. You could get away with that kind of shit back in 3rd grade, before you had any concept of what being cool meant. In my opinion, 7th grade was the beginning of the end. Suddenly everyone was so damned concerned about what everyone else thought, they started editing themselves. It took me 10 years or so to get back to not giving a damn... or at least... as close as I've been since. Karaoke helps with that kind of mental un-brainwashing. Here you are, standing in front of a crowd of people, wailing like a banshee to a song you probably only know the chorus of. Everyone's looking at you. You're shy. You're embarrassed. Maybe your zipper is open. Maybe you drool by accident, or spit a little. Maybe you belch into the mike, or fart. Maybe you sing completely out of tune or your voice cracks. Maybe you dance around stupidly and lose your balance. You have a choice: do you laugh at yourself and do it anyway, and discover that people actually respect you more for giving it your best? Or do you sit at your table, paralyzed by fear, the voices and looks and sneers of those assholes back in junior high school making fun because you took a risk and it backfired weighing down on your mind? Well, if it's the latter, then hook up with some Yelpers and go sing some Karaoke and break out of that shell, because if ever there's a crowd who will like you more for being a dumb-ass, it's them. I'm a prime example. I couldn't be more of a dumb-ass, and people *keep inviting me* to do shit with them. Does that mean they're a bunch of dumb-asses too? Well... maybe. You gotta come out to find out. :) The potstickers were pretty tasty. They were huge. Like bigger than my ear. The plate of Beef Flied Lice was enormous and, though a bit greasy, tasty as well. Drinks were strong and served up by a really cool bartender named Mandy (I think? Mindy? Something like that). The Karaoke Queen was a great singer, and gave great compliments after performances. And the non-yelp crowd was pretty cool too, cheering and applauding regardless of the spitting/drooling/farting/falling/screeching coming from the stage area. Honestly, I can't really think of anything I didn't like about this place. Plentiful parking. Strong drinks. Cheap food. Karaoke. My only problem with it is it's in North Bumblefuck somewhere, but I can't deduct stars just because I decided to live in the 'hood down in South Seattle, now, can I? read more

Rickshaw Restaurant - I call that dance the "Gitchy Gitchy." Singing Karaoke on a Thurs night at the Rickshaw. - Dive Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Oh I hurt..... Went there for the Yelpers Karaoke Night...last minute James & I decided to just eat there before the big shindig so we ordered BBQ pork and General Tso Chicken. We were a bit surprised at the prices, but I thought it better be really good for the price....I am VERY picky when it comes to Chinese because I tend to compare everything to my favourite hometown restaraunt, House of Kee. Well, I was NOT disappointed! YUMMY! It was better than expected. And by the time we got to the General Tso I was getting full from the BBQ Pork so we looked at the Tso plate saying 'OMG'....there was a good helping of it, so we ended up passing the rest to the fellow Yelpers. I'd love to go back there again for a family dinner though because I want me some Potstickers (which are HUGE- someone else ordered those), Won Ton soup, and Fried Rice. I'm curious to see if the family dinner plates are as big as when you order the plates seperately. Drinks were....let's say....generously-poured (not over-generous)- just right, IMO- And not expensive either. But be careful- if you don't finish your food or haven't done karaoke before, the karaoke lady will not hesitate to make you feel bad or embarassed about it. Although she has a good voice (she has been doing it since like the 80's obviously) and cleans up the tables as she's singing, you will be reminded that you are not a regular there. Anywho, besides that factor, it was a fun atmosphere and great food. Definately a hot spot for groups! read more

The yelp crowd and event was BEYOND 5 star fun, by yelp definition or Betsy's! Don L rocked The cure. Dawn R rocked Rod stewart and won fistfuls of cash. Jessie rocked Billy joel. Rob nailed candy man..and on and on and on...crazy times. The pour was not *as* strong other reviews led me to believe, but certainly heavier than water! ;-) The Rickshaw fried rice was good, and the potstickers are the size (and consistency) of small nerf footballs. The karaoke host, Patty, was AMAZING and tons of fun. She knows, and loves, her job...and it shows. Next time you are headed to the Rickshaw, I expect a text!! Let's ROCK! read more

I've driven by The Rickshaw hundreds of times, but never made it here for karaoke before as it is so far from my house. But last night I decided what the heck, and met a bunch of Yelpers there. First impression: this place attracts some odd characters. Some poor fellow at the bar was trying desperately to connect with other folks and kept offering to buy us shots. Second impression. The food: not so hot. The fried rice was edible, but I don't know that I would try much else, just from looking at the menu and what others had gotten. Third impression: This is an excellent place to do karaoke. Especially if you are with a loud rowdy group, and can handle some harassment from the karaoke hostess. The song list was long, though not super up to date, and fairly lacking in hip hop and alternative. But plenty to sing none the less. Best part: they have a contest that if you either randomly, or intentionally pick the Song of the Day, you can win cash! It was in its second week, so the hostess was giving out lots of clues. And I got it! You had to sing it before she would tell you if you were right, and normally I wouldn't start the evening so early, and with a song I don't know well. But it was really good for me, and I won $170! Woo hoo! Not everyone in my group liked the scene, but I had a great time, liked the other odd groups there, and was hugging the hostess by the end of the night. Karaoke love! read more

Continuing the POS HH, I followed some fabulous yelpers onto the lovely Rickshaw Restaurant & Lounge. Walking straight to the bar, I could tell I was gettin served a strong pour. The bartender was nice but had a no bs demeanor about her. The guys at the bar came off as partial regulars and were very excited about my Tequila shot (no salt, no lime). I was basically harassed into shooting it "right here, right now". You could say that the locals are friendly, at the least! The layout is sort of different. You've got the booths in the back making this place seem elongated. A barrier of booths and partial glass wall separate the bar from the restaurant area but it's still got an open feel to it. Entering, you've got the Karaoke area to your right, bar straight ahead and dining area to your left. The "bar" food is good *appetizers* and the Chinese food is so bad but it tastes soooo good! read more

Karaoke, drinks and questionable food. If you're not one for gambling, don't order from here. If you're out for drinks and a good time this place is pretty fun, but the food is what usually ruins the evening for me when it comes to the rickshaw. Atmosphere is chill and the people are usually cool. Not to mention it's always fun to watch the people doing karaoke, aside from the ones that take it TOO seriously there. haha. read more

I always thought the Rickshaw looked really sketchy and weird so I never went. Well I went on Halloween and it turns out it is awesome. Not all that sketchy. Well it is but it's not horrible. It's much better on the inside than the outside. The drinks are cheap and strong and the karaoke is really fun. Patrons seemed laid back and friendly and the bartender was great. The song selection is extensive. There was a bartender's special- $4 for almost any drink including their house cocktails excluding Maker's, Grey Goose, and a couple other top shelf liquors. I was stupid and ordered a lemonade concoction that made my teeth rattle. Others enjoyed their drinks. Can't beat that for $4. Really fun night. I will be back when I'm jonesing for a divey night. We tried the chicken wings and we all agreed they were the worst wings we'd had pretty much ever. So based on that I'm not sure I'd recommend the food. read more

I'd give Rickshaw 0 stars if I could. The food & service absolutely sucks. My wife & friends make jokes about how bad it is. It is more known for karaoke but since it has "Restaurant" in the name, you'd expect decent food & decor. The booth cushions had holes in them and tables were dirty. However, it is not the worst place we've been. It is the 2nd worst. read more

Great food, great people, great karaoke. Truly a north end treasure. The staff makes you feel like family. In my opinion the best karaoke hosts in the city. Great food, peeps and 365 karaoke, what more can you ask for? Just John. read more

Let's establish a couple of things about this place: -It's a dive bar. There ain't no finesse or ethnic authenticity or "artisan" carefulness to the food. If it's fast, greasy and smothered in sauce, it's good. They have that here. If you're looking for a thoughtfully prepared meal, this ain't it. -You sing in front of everyone. You do not get a room. Go hard or go home. You might as well entertain everyone. I came with a huge group and we had some performers in our group which made it lots of fun. I'm not much of one so as much as I hog the karaoke mic when in a more private setting, I did not sing a single song. Still it was fun and if you're in the mood for it, this is a solid place. read more

Holy Karaoke Batman..... As Loree stated her and I came out for this after passing this place numerous times and here about it millions of times..... I thought "Rockin the Rickshaw" might be just the time to experience it. Decided to chow down my preference of the ol General TSAO Chicky... Yummy and plentiful....... ended up sharing it... Got a GREAT laugh from all of the singers....yes I do have video and I will post it on YOUTUBE soon( keyword: Yelp Rickshaw Karaoke) give me another day or 2 though.... Had fun Rockin the Journey...Thanks for all the compliments.... See you all soon.... read more