Waterwheel Lounge

Fantastic karaoke, and service. Lovethe old school vibe. Don't sleep on the Waterwheel!

Super fun my sister and I stopped in for a couple drinks around 5pm on a Saturday. The regulars were super fun and nice and the bartender was awesome and she was so friendly! Happy this place has stuck around want to make it down for Karaoke as it's so many nights a week! Fun place a gem of dive bars

I love a good dive bar, and this Ballard classic doesn't disappoint. With its dark interior, vintage seating, and hidden away vibe it checks all the boxes for a place you're not likely to run into anyone you know. But **wow** do they deliver for karaoke night! Held multiple times per week, I've been twice now and it's probably one of the best karaoke bars I've ever been do. The music is great, the sound system is fantastic, and (best of all) the crowd is over-the-top amazing.When I sing karaoke, I like everyone to think I'm Beyonce herself slinging out the tunes on the main stage. Of course, I'm no Beyonce. In fact, I can barely hold a tune. But you wouldn't know it 'cuz this crowd is on FIRE. They dance. They cheer. They sing along. They make you feel like you should be touring the country with your latest rendition of "Take on Me" or other long-ago tunes. The Waterwheel also has an impressive selection of good beer on tap, strong drinks, and deadly jello shots. Getting a little warm after belting out the hits? Their outdoor seating area is great too! I haven't tried their food yet, but...next time for sure.

This bad review is for the karaoke only. Super involved and great crowd! Too bad the sound system didn't do the fun crowd justice. Muffled and very poor sound. KJ uninvolved and not caring about making awesome singers sound their best. Sound system and mike are very bad.Plus about the bar, fantastic audience participation, good pours, packed. Good energy!Hey y'all, come to Portland visit The Alibi or Baby Ketten to see what good sound is!

Special K is filthy. All the staff have super serving/singing abilities. I had a great Saturday night kickin at the waterwheel

If there was a negative star I would rate this karaoke bar a -10 So much potential with an engaging crowd. We are from Portland and was searching for a great karaoke spot in Seattle. This spot disappoints.... Great crowd but the sound system is so terrible. Great karaoke singers shouldn't be subjected to the worst sound system north of Oregon. KJ is checked out. We won't be back. Cheesy speaker system says it all...

We finally made it here after years of wanting to check it out but never having an opportunity. We walked in around 9:30 p.m. and stayed for nearly two hours, so that gives you an idea of our experience! We knew they were known for their karaoke nights, but had no idea we stumbled into one until the host announced it shortly after we arrived. Well, let's just say it was a BLAST and probably the best run karaoke event in the city. One of the Waterwheel's own bartenders even sang a song which brought the house DOWN. After a year and a half of the pandemic, a crowded bar with happy vibes and lots of cheering and clapping felt so good. What was also good: the drinks. I saw they had house cocktails so I ordered the Spaghetti Western (rye, Cynar, angostura) and the Patsy Cline (their house lemonade mixed with huckleberry syrup and some kind of alcohol, forget which). My partner got his dive bar favorite, a beer from Seapine. The bartenders were friendly, efficient and took good care of everyone from start to finish. Also, the place was clean and had ample seating. We loved the 70s aesthetic with the wood paneling inside and astroturf outside. Definitely grab a seat inside if you're looking to participate in the karaoke nights (or just watch like we did). The crowd was a great mix of ages and backgrounds, which made for a fun song selection. My only wish is that they would go back to serving food in-house (even just fries), because I heard really good things about their brunch and late night menus. But I guess during COVID they have a partnership going on some days with local Mexican pop-up El Xolo. I hear it's pretty amazing so I'll have to check that out soon!

do not call them for any reason, I called to see if they did kareoke nights for kids. their responce was "no we dont, were 21 and up all the time I dont know any place that even does that".

I've given this establishment lots of money, but they hired this super rude, brash bartender named Sarah. She's rude, yells at people, doesn't seem to be able to deal with slightly tipsy patrons ( why work in a bar?). I was excited to bring friends and co workers there , because they've never been. She was so rude for no reason. They won't go back. She also starts rumors about other people. It's immature old and gross. Sorry, but your excuse " I'm from the east coast" Is BS. No one from the EC claims you, because that excuse is embarrassing. The sad thing is.... She makes the bat money, and I'm sure it's all the bar cares about. Won't be going back. Kudos to the Friday and Saturday night karaoke hosts though! Super fun and positive. Will not recommend otherwise.

After grabbing a sandwhich at Un Bien, we walked over the waterhweel on their recommendation. Glad we listened since this place is great!We went here for the first time on a weekday afternoon and the place is awesome. Super chill bartenders and their outdoor area is great. Cornhole and Ping Pong with plenty of seating area. If we weren't short for time we probably would have stayed much longer. Keep it up, dudes!