Karaoke House Nina Menu

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  • Vince V.

    Karaoke House Nina cracks me up. The one time I've been here was a subtle assault on my expectations. Maybe I had none. The first (of many) leggy Japanese hostesses promptly seated our party of 5. There was a stage that stood empty as the patron belting out an off-key standard sang from the bar. The acoustics were surprisingly good and the song selection is quite extensive. There were plenty of English, Japanese and even some Filipino songs to choose from. This establishment definitely caters to the Japanese businessman. There are plenty of little conversations initiated by the servers who come and sit down with the regulars. Some of the servers will actually pull off a decent duet with you, per your request. Tip generously. No one took to the stage until I did. This started a trend that we kept up for a few hours. Prepare to wait your turn a bit as the crowd gets bigger. Be prepared to sit through many inebriated performances. Expect not to understand half of what's going on, unless you're a polyglot or Japanese or drunk off your ass. Soak in the noise. Try the sake. It's all gonna be alright. Maybe.

    (4)
  • Daniel K.

    Take in a great time in the midst of another culture. My friends and I are huge fans of Sushi and Habachi. We've wanted to try the Ramen thing, since we had heard it was good, and thus far, it seems that we enjoy Japanese food. Combo that with Karaoke and you have a great night out. We got there at 8, and we were the only people there. Ordered food- pot stickers, rice balls, and ramen. All of it was delicious. I can't wait to go back to enjoy the food. If there was a ramen place by my work, I would eat lunch there. The service staff is made up almost entirely of friendly, leggy, Japanese waitresses. You sit down, and you get a nice hot damp towel (all restaurants should do this!). I told them to keep the Sake flowing, and we were never out. The bill was reasonable (as reasonable as you can get with 6 people eating and drinking all night). 10:00 rolled around, and we handed in our Karaoke songs. The place had filled with Japanese couples, and Japanese business types. We might have been the only Americans in the joint. The clientèle were really respectful, and we were respectful of them. To thank us for enjoying the food, the chef sent out a plate of a new dish he is working on, to see if we liked it. Our group stared the singing, and it didn't stop until long after we left. Generally, we sang American pop songs. The Japanese customers sang American and Japanese songs. It was karaoke as karaoke should be- off key, drunken, and hysterical. I recommend this place, for a memorable night out with delicious food. What else is there to say?

    (5)
  • Douglas G.

    I think i'm doing Nina a favor by saying this, if you're not a group of Asian people then don't go there. Obviously the want a certain type of client, and my group was not the right type. Took 25 minutes to get our drinks and the Karaoke books to start choosing songs. Took 15 minutes after a bunch of confusion to get our bill together, and then the price we were quoted was changed at the last minute. I think they add the 20% gratuity for two reasons. One, Japanese people don't normally tip anyways, it make it less of a hassle for them. Two, so the can milk money out of people who they treat poorly. I love Japan, drinks with friends and karaoke, and I HATED this place.

    (1)
  • Lauren H.

    I would like to say I'm a regular here. I try to go about once a month if I'm able to and though some of the times are more frustrating then others, there has never been a time that I don't look forward to coming back. $1 per song isn't that bad for this type of a karaoke bar. I know you could go to many American bars during the week and sing karaoke for free- but you're getting a completely different atmosphere at Nina. Though when it gets busy you have trouble getting many songs in or that much attention unless you're sitting at the bar. Generally the type of people you find here are Japanese(?) business men and what I'm sure the majority of the staff are used to dealing with. When my friends and I go in groups we get left alone for the most part since we're a large group and for the most part I'm fine with that. The food is pretty decent, I'm a really picky eater but I absolutely love the ramen they make. My sister is completely obsessed with their Pot Stickers as well. They have a $10 minimum between food, drinks, and songs. I generally specifically go there to sing and will spend all of my money on songs unless I'm very hungry- though when I bring my sister she goes specifically because she likes their food. The song selection is amazing. They update their songs about every three months so the newer songs you hear on the radio are in the new song binder. Meaning I get to sing all of my favorite Katy Perry songs (I apologize to the employees. They probably hear more Katy Perry in one night with me there then the rest of the month combined). They also have a book with songs in Japanese (and English) that has a scoring system where I believe if you score at least an 85 you get a free ramen (I'm not positive that's still an option though). This is definitely one of my favorite hangouts so I had no problem giving it 4/5 stars. I'd give it a full five but the service isn't always the best. They generally come by the tables a lot when you first arrive but once it gets busy you usually need to go up to the counter if you want something. Which I don't mind, but sometimes the friends I bring do.

    (4)
  • wasa B.

    This place renovated in October 2008 but the place has been in business for 18 years. I must say, this place is beautiful! The best Karaoke song selections around the suburbs!!! Japanese AND English. It has a stage you can sing on or you can sing at your seat since the microphone is wireless. I think the owner said they have a karaoke contest 2 times a year...but I'm not sure. The food is also great, especially the ramen noodles & fried rice! Soooo delicious!!! Karaoke is free but you must use at least $10 for drinks or food + tip. Its def. cheaper than the karaoke boxes. Great for any occasions, even if you have the munchies!!!

    (5)
  • Shark S.

    This place is terrible if you are not Asian. Went for a drink one night treated like a peasant. Don't get the place. Wish I could give 0 stars

    (1)
  • Tony M.

    Nina Karaoke was a nice surprise. Karaoke all the time not just on one particular day of the week. The system they have is top notch with a great selection of just about any song, There is a stage with lighting and great sound system. Its a very relaxed atmosphere and the owner will stop over and talk to you and make sure your up to speed if your not familiar with karaoke. They serve appetizers and drinks. The clientele is mostly Japanese with the exception of the occasional gringo such as myself.

    (4)
  • Mary O.

    If you are girl or married man, forget. This place, sure, have a "happy ending". The hostess (no waitress) are only kind to middle age men group.

    (1)
  • Nevena N.

    One star for bad bad service. They force you to pay 20% gratuity no matter what you spend or how many of you there are, and then realize they don't have to attend to you since you're already tipping them. The waitresses go and flirt with random japanese and white men that are regulars. Seriously, it looks like a geisha house. Amazing ramen, but not worth the shitty service.

    (1)
  • Gonzo G.

    Rating: 3.4 Short description: Hostess bar with ramen Pluses: Very good ramen, large karaoke selection, good mixed drinks. Negatives: Expensive. First time, little interaction with staff due to wives. Second time, got ignored by the servers because we had one girl with us. so welp. Recommendations: Try the ramen, it's very good, and leave wives at home or you might get the cold shoulder.

    (3)
  • Matt S.

    Ramen is really good here. Toppings are typical but the hot sauce they bring out takes things to the next level! They say it's really spicy but I added four little spoonfuls and it was just right for me. I would have been able to try more food but apparently there are times when they don't have certain items. I only got the ramen since they didn't have the pork curry with rice that I wanted. We tried to get salmon onigiri but they didn't have salmon... totally sketch! Either they're not prepared to serve food or the kitchen just says no to certain orders whenever they feel like it. The menu is smaller but offers enough variety. Beer is the way to go here since cocktails are all about $10. No use getting individual beers since they use smaller glasses which are maybe 10 oz. Get a pitcher if you want to drink. Must spend $10 minimum for each person. Service can be lousy unless you're a regular, a Japanese man coming in alone, or a group of middle aged Japanese men coming in together. If you know what hostess bars are like, then you know this totally makes sense. Hostesses chatting up customers shouldn't take away the experience from a group of non-regulars though. Waiting around for your server to come back when you can clearly see she's not busy can be frustrating, especially since 20% gratuity is automatically priced in your bill. Why tip 20% when the service is less than average, you know? Karaoke is available and it seems most people sing Japanese songs. Not all songs are Japanese so peruse the book if you want to sing your heart out. You can use the main stage or they'll bring you a microphone so you can just sing at your table. Karaoke is $1 per song. Despite my criticism, the lounge atmosphere is nice and the rolling leather chairs are quite impressive. Appearance aside, I don't know if I'll be back here too often.

    (2)
  • Mallory B.

    Walked in with a group of about 15. Should have been charged about $500. Brought the place more revenue than used to on a Thursday night. Discriminated against and still bought drinks for the bar. If you're anything but Asian, don't come here. They hate you. You're welcome for the revenue. Thanks for the imaginary $1000 tab. If you're anything but Asian, stay away

    (1)
  • Jenny H.

    Nina charges a $7 minimum whether it be with choice of food, drinks, or songs. We got there at 8pm with our usual large group. It was doubtful if each of us would get to sing seven songs in between their usual clientele. Most of us ordered a drink and felt compelled to order some miscellaneous food stuffs to meet the minimum. The whole night, we were treated like we were an annoyance. Sorry- if we ruin the vibe, but I'm pretty sure we ordered more than any of the clients trickling in and out. If you're not the japanese business man type... or male, don't expect attentive, speedy service.

    (2)
  • Justin B.

    This is an odd place... but don't get me wrong... it's enjoyable. First and foremost this place is about karaoke. They have a stage, wireless mics, good sound (for karaoke) and a huge selection of songs. The drinks are a bit pricey and sometimes the service is slow if you aren't an apparent regular or sitting at the bar. What is strange and also kind of great is that I've never seen this place packed. Half the time your group can do 90% of the songs in any given night without having to wait for 10-12 people before you're up again. That's great for a karaoke place as some places in Chicago you may only get one song a night. This place is ideal for a large group that wants to sing early and often.

    (4)
  • Vicky F.

    I love karaoke and this place has the best song selections hands down! This place is very very clean, and it has really good ramen. It's like a ramen karaoke house. Love it!

    (5)
  • Patti M.

    I don't know what happened to that dude who said you don't get good service here "unless you're Asian." Um, not true at all. A big group of my friends went there one night and had a blast. We got great service all night. They have pretty good food if you're looking for some late night snacks. The pot stickers and fried rice are delicious! Karaoke is $1 a song and their song selection is huge. I stuck to beer so I can't speak to their cocktail quality, but we will be back purely based on the awesome service alone.

    (4)
  • Kalina N.

    Where do I even start? I have been there several times over the years. Their service have been getting progressively worse. There is minimum $7 per person charge, songs are $1 each and a 20% gratuity is already included. They used to have a system where if you score 85% or more on a song you would get a small bowl of noodles, but the score is now 90% and only on Japanese songs. The staff is not knowledgeable about their menu. It seems that they only come to take your order once and then you have to run after them to order something else. They spend their time with the men that are regulars. They have drinks with them and sit with them rather than paying attention to the rest of the customers in the restaurant. Having a bigger group and ordering more than their regular clientele doesn't mean you get better service. Easily put, don't go there unless you're a single man.

    (1)
  • Jessica G.

    This is an interesting little place. We came in tonight just after opening, which is 8 PM right now. No other customers except for us. We got seated quickly and got our first round of drinks quickly. $10 minimum per customer with a mandatory gratuity added. Something to keep in mind. We were actually in to try the food, not to sing,, because we had heard it was good. We tried the takoyaki, the okonomiyaki, the rice ball, and then we each had ramen. Everything was tasty, though it did take quite a long time for the food to come out. Perhaps that is why there are "hiring" signs in several spots through out the place. Just as we got our ramen, a group of loud rednecks came in - already really drunk and loud and swearing, and then they started singing. Obviously this is where the money is coming in - $1 per song plus all the beer they were drinking. Definitely not the clientele I was thinking I would see there. Either way, I think if you're a group of male customers, you will likely get some pretty good service. Ours was not bad, just different. As we were leaving, not sure if the server/ host/ owner though we were leaving because of the group of loudmouths but she stopped us and asked us why we weren't singing. Not gonna lie, I wanted to take the microphone from the other customers's hands but I didn't want to ruin the birthday of whichever one was celebrating so we just told her we were there to eat and went on our merry way. I think we would try it again - the food was good enough that it would make it worthwhile. Not sure if we'd sing but... maybe?

    (4)
  • Rosie D.

    Went here for the first time tonight with a group of friends. At first I was impressed. The space is really pretty. Not huge but definitely had a diamond in the rough feel. I was greeted with a hot towel while I decided on my drink. Which leads me to my first piece of advice: avoid the martinis! They are gross! I had a mango martini and it kinda tasted like sushi. No lie! Most disgusting thing I've ever had. So then I grabbed a tequila sunrise and it was the business! Absolutely delicious. So just make sure you watch what they prepare for you. They had a huge karaoke collection. I wad totally impressed. You can sing from the comfort of you table which is awesome. But if you expect good service and you aren't a Japanese business man or with a Japanese business man you are outta luck. We had to constantly bug the bartender for drinks and food. Overall I had a good time. And $1 a song for an amazing karaoke list is not bad at all. I'd def go back again, but maybe next time I'll just stay posted at the bar.

    (3)

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Opening Hours

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Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner, Late Night
    Parking : Private Lot
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : No
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Music : Karaoke
    Good For Dancing : No
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Happy Hour : No
    Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat
    Coat Check : No
    Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Karaoke House Nina

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