Funky Buddha

they have a new DJ/​VJ there he’s great. always plays for the crowd and takes requests. he mixes video too. its a unique fun experience

For some reason, I’ve been to this place like 5 times in the last 6 weeks (all on Saturday nights), so I feel pretty well-​informed.
Good things:
— awesome windows bring out my inner exhibitionist and allow for a great view of Whyte
— 2 levels, 2 bars, 2 sets of bathrooms
— I have no complaints about the bar service — it’s typical for a busy nightclub
— fun atmosphere, all ages (18+ obviously) have fun without feeling too young/​old
— no cover and the line isn’t a problem until midnight or so
Bad things:
— the Saturday night DJ is really… let’s just say there’s so much room for improvement. He’ll never ever play a requested song, the song transitions make everybody cringe, there’s no rhyme or reason to what he’s playing. When I am drinking, I will dance to anything, but cutting songs off mid-​way and playing the most random things ever doesn’t make me buy more drinks, it makes me want to leave :(

Funky Buddha is the perfect place to get someone’s feet wet into the club scene, and if they’re more brave, put them by the window on the dance floor! The one gripe I have about this place is that the main floor is so ridiculously tiny, and for some reason nobody ever goes on the second floor (which is nice when you want to get a breather but don’t want to have to deal with bouncers or worse, winter). I also find it’s a good place to wind down a night before you hit up steel wheels or a donair place, too, since it’s a much more chill atmosphere.
Be aware about drink prices, though, more than a few times the staff asked for a higher price than the drinks actually were and backed off when I corrected or questioned them.

I gave this club a couple tries in the past but it always fell short. The venue first off is super tiny so be prepared to get to know the people around you!
The dance floor, or what they call a dance floor is this little overly crowded space at the front of the venue, conveniently placed in front of the window– which gives the illusion that this bar is «happening» but it truly isn’t…

Oh, Funky Buddha. I feel like you are the forgotten club of Whyte Avenue. You know who says, «Wanna go to Funky Buddha tonight?» No one. No one has ever said that.
Sure, your giant windows are a little weird and perverse. And karaōke on Sundays is an odd choice. Your sidewalk promo people are also too aggressive. So yeah, you’ve got flaws. But you also have the cheapest Jagerbombs in town, and no one can complain about that.
My advice: stop by for 10 minutes mid-​pub crawl. Load up on cheap Jagers. Dance to Top 40. Continue on your way.

I’ve been going to Funky Buddha with friends since its opening night.
While I’m not Into the nightclub scene, I avoid it because it’s packed on the weekends, my friends and I LOVE their karaōke Sunday nights.
$ 4.00 drink specials and Strongbow on tap!
Karaōke is hosted by Scott from Mr Entertainment. The sound quality is closely monitored and the son choice is huge! Some of Edmonton’s best karaōke singers make Funky Buddha their regular Sunday event!
They also have a music Bingo on a weeknight I found myself at when friends and I were looking for some cheap wings.
It was surprisingly a blast!
I had my birthday party here on a Sunday a few weeks ago, and the management accommodated me and my friends very well. There were 30+ of us and we were all kept comfortable and welcome and well– served!
So if you’re not into the crazy nightlife, avoid this place on the weekend, but I’d want a place that won’t just have you seated, drinking and staring at the walls, the Buddha offers a variety of fun nights for social gatherings with friends!

I have only been to this place 2 times. Both were on a wednesday for salsa dancing. The dance floor is a little small in my opinion. But salsa was fun and my friend works there. Other than that, nothing special.

The last time I went to Funky Buddha, it was for a birthday party.
I’m not a big fan of Funky Buddha. It’s a pretty popular place, especially for girls who are very intoxicated and want to dance in the big window overlooking Whyte Ave. It definitely puts them on display.
The dance floor in Funky Buddha is tiny. I don’t know how they fit so many people inside this bar with a dance floor the size of my bathroom. It gets crowded, to say the least.
I think I’ve only been upstairs once and it was nothing special. This whole bar is nothing special. It’s cool that they have salsa dancing here on Wednesdays but that’s the only thing that makes it unique in any way shape or form.
Funky Buddha is a typical Whyte Ave club. Nothing special.

I had had some good times at this bar. Kinda… Sorta.
I can’t remember much of my nights at Funky Buddha. The place is pretty much like every other bar on Whyte ave, with the exception that the place has large windows that overlook Whyte ave and all the strangers walking by.
I don’t really understand the concept of this bar. What does it have to do with Buddha except the large Buddha statue they display? I think this place is having an identity crisis and needs to find a zen moment to re-​think the design of this bar.

I like stopping at funky Buddha for a drink but other than that it’s nothing special. Don’t get me wrong it is a very popular place on Whyte Ave but they get so packed and the dance floor gets so crowded. You are constantly getting bumped into all night.
In the middle of the bar their is a giant Buddha and while some people think it’s cool, I wasn’t too impressed by it. It seemed kind of out of place to me or maybe it was just me who was out of place. The place gets really loud and attracts a rowdy crowd. It’s not exactly my thing.

I’ve been to Funky Buddha once and never went back. It’s a bar with good geography but a severe identity crisis. That won’t stop the drunk crowds from going, but I won’t be back. It wants to be all Zen and cool with its name, but there’s no Feng Shui touches inside, except for a ludicrously large and tacky Buddha that looks like he belongs in an amusement park. There’s a small, impossibly crowded dance floor right at the front window, intended to show the people outside what a good time people on the inside are having. The girls’ skirts seem to be two or three inches shorter here. There are these big, red lights that look like giant chili peppers all over the place, which makes the bar look like it wants to be Mexican too — but if you want Mexican, why not just head across the street to Julio’s Barrio. Funky? No. Buddha-​ful? Not at all. So what is it? Your guess is as good as mine. Just one more place to drink on Whyte Ave. for undiscriminating partiers.

This is a very popular bar on Whyte Ave. I met some friends there on a weekend night and it was very packed. Luckily they were allowing people in upstairs.
It’s kind of a neat bar, obviously with two levels. The dance floor is upstairs and wasn’t too populated when I was there. They’ve got bars and bathrooms on both levels. There was some seating upstairs but the main draw was the dancing. It offered a nice view of Whyte from the second storey windows.
To exit the bar, we walked through the main floor area which was mainly tables. In the middle of the bar was a giant Buddha which was pretty cool. Naturally we all stopped to rub his belly. How could you not?
The main floor was especially loud and crowded. I’m not entirely sure how much visiting you could really do there but I guess the more drunk you get, the louder you get.