Cafe Wha?

New York, United States

3.2

23 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 212-254-3706
Website:
www.cafewha.com
Address:
115 MacDougal St, New York, NY, 10012
Greenwich Village
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
390 ftWest 4th Street-Washington Square (A,B,C,D,E,F,M)
770 ft6th Avenue & West Houston Street
0.3 mi9th Street (PATH)
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Today

Today –
Local time (New York) 19:35 Thursday, 28 November 2024

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

The Café Wha? showcases amazing talent with the three greatest house bands in New York City. Monday nights feature Brazooka, a completely authentic Brazilian dance band sprinkled with Jazz and Samba. Disfunktion takes on Tuesdays with soul music, radiating the roots of R&B and Funk. What about the Café Wha? House Band? Wednesday through Sunday they will satisfy your every need for sound, hitting on all styles of music; Motown, Reggae, R&B, and Classic/​Alternative/​Modern rock.

Café Wha? is a great place for bachelorette parties, birthday parties, or just a night out with friends to listen to great musicians play great music.

History

Established in 1959.

Since the 1950s the Café Wha? has been a favorite hot spot cornered in the heart of Greenwich Village. The 60s was an impressionable and revolutionary era. Artists of the time frequented the Café Wha? as it was known to be a sanctuary for talent; Allen Ginsberg regularly sipped his cocktails here. The Café Wha? was the original stomping ground for prodigies Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. Bruce Springsteen, Peter, Paul & Mary, Kool and the Gang, as well as comedians, Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby also began their road to stardom on this historic stage. The Café Wha? encompassed the Beat Generation and continues to hold tight to its spirit, entertaining all walks of life.

Café Wha? also recommends

Groove

179

reviews

Lounges

,

Music Venues

Café Wha? says,

«If you’re in the mood for a night more focused on soul, funk, and R&B, check out The Groove!»

Nearby

Near this location:
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Valerie Mae Ballet
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Players Theatre
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Top Star Fitness
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“Odd Birdz” by Tziporela
The Players Theatre 115 Macdougal St
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Humanity Studios
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Play Dead
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23 reviews of Cafe Wha?

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Place rating: 5
West New York, NJ
love love love this place! I have been going here since 2009 and it never ceases to amaze me! Its a great place for good live music — the band is seriously amazing and plays a variety of music. They have a $ 5-​$ 15 cover depending on the day you visit. The drinks are decent and the prices not too surprising. Yes, the place is a little small and they seat far too many people on those seats. But I am not complaining! Once the band starts playing most people are anyways on the dance floor so the seating really doesn’t matter. If you love live music and just want to have a good time, this is a place highly recommend you visit!
Place rating: 4
Manhattan, NY
Café wha is great. Anytime I have someone visit me from out of town, this is where I bring them. The house band is super fun and talented. I’ve never eaten here so can’t comment on that, but the drinks are fine. Come for the entertainment! It’s a lot of fun.
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
Always fun. Definitely make a reservation. It also stinks a bit inside, but you’ll survive.
Place rating: 4
New York, NY
Great singer and live band, I’ll go again! The drink is good as well.
Place rating: 4
Fresh Meadows, NY
I love the live comedy and music here they are all awesome the place is very small and too many tables to fit many people, which I wasn’t so into, but the food music ppl were really good and nice funny I would highly recommend to my friends to go here!!! just have a drink n close ur eyes while listening to music then u will see the beach right infront of ur eyes!!! Love it!!!
Place rating: 1
New York, NY
Despite the great music, Café Wha? has a truly unpleasant bouncer and a TERRIBLE — I really mean TERRIBLE… — table service.
Be prepared to meet waiters in bad mood and totally inconvenient. I have been there several times for the music and faced all types of bullying waiters and servers.
Some keep insistently pushing clients to eat/​drink. There are also the ones who suggests new and unaware customers (specially tourists) that there is a minimum drink charge, when in fact there is not.
Yesterday, when I asked for the check, one waiter had the chutzpah of writing his own tip «on my behalf». In other opportunity, I had friends who were directly mistreated by waiters. The examples are countless…
I really wish the musicians who play at Café Wha? find a new place to perform, as this venue definitely does NOT worth your visit, AT ALL.
Place rating: 4
Bronx, NY
By far my fave place in NYC. Overall experience, band, and comedian were awesome. The only thing I would critique are the drinks. I ordered a frozen margarita and it was literally water and ice w a splash of margarita taste. The chocolate martini was delish tho!
Place rating: 4
Vancouver, Canada
We got in without waiting and the band playing was awesome! They were between sets when we arrived but once they started up they were great. A good mix of genres and a bunch of guest vocalists. You pay a cover charge and then drinks/​food on top. Drinks are typically priced and the food isn’t all that great, but we were just there for the live music and it was a fun time.
To note that if your group doesn’t take up all the seats in the booth, they may squeeze another group into the same booth with you to share.
Place rating: 4
Manhattan, NY
Great bar/​restaurant with live house band that plays a variety of music. The house band was fun and engaging. One thing of note is that there was a $ 5 door fee when I went on a weekday night.
Drink prices are typical for the area. Highly recommend this place for a good time.
Place rating: 2
New York, NY
I went to a Michael Jackson tribute and was nice. The food wasn’t that good and the place was packed, we couldn’t even move and service could be much better.
Place rating: 5
Eskilstuna, Sweden
Awesome place! First livebar i’ve been in. Hard to beat this one for sure. Music you can sing along, Good service with happy staff. You just have to go there if you are in NY.
Place rating: 1
Brooklyn, NY
Terrible customer service!!!
I have Been here a few years ago and had a great time! That said…
I came in without reservation and just wanted to know what the chances of me and friends getting in. Instead of answering the question, the workers yelled at me and said we have to wait in line. I was on with waiting but just wanted to ask a question! There was no excuse to yell at me for wanting to ask a question! I was ok with waiting until he line, just anted to ask a question ! Apparently that was too rebellious !
Such terrible customer service
Place rating: 5
Flushing, NY
I love it here! Been here a couple of times and the Band plays every type of music. Every time was a great night. Favorite singer is Byron :) keep on singing those bob marley songs. Drinks & food are good too. The wings are to die for, but it’s more about enjoying the band.
Place rating: 4
Columbus, OH
Great little bar; the house band absolutely made the night. Such a good vibe, very glad we made it here.
Place rating: 1
New York, NY
First of all, be aware that the process of getting drinks is very slow and cumbersome as you must wait for a waiter/​waitress to take your order and it takes forever. At the end of the night when you settle your tab, the $ 12 per person cover charge is added to your tab. It’s their sly way of trying to increase the tip amount. My friend was asked whether she wanted to tip 15%, 18% or 20%. To her dismay, she later checked her credit card account and saw that the total amount was significantly higher than the amount she had paid (after tip), presumably due to Café Wha changing the tip amount. And since then, we have heard NUMEROUS stories of people who had the same experience!!! VERY SHADYYYYY!!!
It’s a shame that our experience was dragged down by this shady activity. The music was great!
Place rating: 4
Jersey City, NJ
We did not wait for a long time. The bar food is okay. The band is awesome! So much fun! Love this place!
Place rating: 1
Kew Gardens, NY
I wish I could give 0 star. I had horrible experience. My friend and I went this place for listening quality of live music. Entry charge $ 10 each person which is ok for me. If anybody wanna go this place be aware time they just want you to get in. We are really disappointed about live music because we only listed couple of song after 10 minutes live music done. How is that possible they should tell us!!! They are expecting to pay us for that come on that’s funny. Anyway I had pay of course we drunk something. Service was horrible and ambiance just ok. Our bill was $ 43.61 something I left $ 7 tip which is high for this horrible service. Then they added one dollar more $ 8. Whoever do this I want you to know this is not legal!!!
Place rating: 1
New York, NY
UPDATE: I have been coming here for years. Spending hundreds and hundreds on drinks. Bringing friends too. I brought my friends from Dubai here and they spent like 1K in two nights. I forgot (ok lost my ID) and the manager at the door pulled me out YELLED AT ME and then this huge bouncer stood in front of me not letting me back me. Are u really going to treat people who spend HUNDREDS HERE EVERY WEEK LIKE THAT? I told the bouncer, «ok well my purse is there and my phone, can I take it?» He only kept repeating, «leave leave leave.» Okay, Café Wha?, idk if you wanted to sell my phone or take my cash for extra profit but this is ***** up!!! I came here for so many years and spent so much freaking money and I shall never come to this place ever again. Whoever owns this hole, wake up! People at the damn door do that! Oh and the lovely door guy knew me and tried saying something but the manager (wtf is your issue man? Small ???) didnt listen. Okay if u kicked a bum out but, sorry, not someone who brings profit and i brought 10 friends that night. Thanks Café Wha?, you died with Jimmi Hendrix.
ORIGINAL: Oh, how I love Café Wha!!! I think this place has this unique chill vibe that makes you want to just stay here forever)))))) You come here, grab a drink, listen to lovely live music and you are happy :) The menu is not huge but who cares about the food when you have all that live music? The House Band is quite awesome :) BLAH BLAH BLAH …
Place rating: 1
West Bronx, NY
Gross, bad lightening, service /​food
Full of tourist and an older crowd. They sat 3 of us in a shared bench, with other people so that I had to get up everytime someone needed to use the bathroom or get up… the service was mediocre at best! The food came out cold (short ribs, steak frite, mozzarella sticks & buffalo wings) nothin was seasoned we had to ask for salt & pepper and the steak sauce bottle we got was almost empty. Honestly the food was probably microwaved. The AC is on blast so the cold food freezes, the drinks we watered down and my beer was room temp. 2 drinks + 1 beer + 3 plates + 1 app + cover charge for 3= $ 170 w/​o tip!!! Wtffff!!!
The best thing was the band which was ok and the Buffalo wings.
Place rating: 4
Wanaque, NJ
A Village staple for drinks and live music. Cool atmosphere though a bit Spartan and the cellar vibe largely smells of spilt beer like a frat house. The overhead lights get quite annoying as they flash them during the performances. Drinks are pricey, and add up through a long performance. The house band is pretty awesome. They roate in and out singers to mix up the sound and it keeps things lively. They played a great mix of modern music from Oasis to Taylor Swift. Even the comedian who opened up for them was pretty good. We stayed for two sets but they stay out a while so a set is pretty long.
Place rating: 2
Albacete
Great live music. Good atmosphere but dark place. Tips are too high! They choose what you have to pay! For me it isn’t suitable nor polite.
Place rating: 4
Nueva York, Estados Unidos
Música en vivo, soul, funk, etc muy bueno
Place rating: 4
Paris
Un must !
Excellente musique live (Ryhm & Blues, soul, rock, salsa, merengue etc) tous les soirs à partir de 21h, entrée payante le mercredi et samedi soir (env 20 $/​pers) + consommation obligatoire.
Compter 6 $ pour un verre dans une ambiance de folie !