Tuesday, December 30, 2008

♫ Yosemite Sam's ♫ - If Cartoons Owned Bars...

Location: 2126 Madison Ave. Memphis, TN 38104
Phone Number: 901.726.6138
Cover Charge: nope!
Food: possibly during the day, not at night.
Entertainment: Karaoke, dancing, pool, bigscreen showing the game...
Crowd: Midtown-y Variety
Service: Great - Pleasant Bartenders
Cleanliness: Decently clean - the tables and chairs are always wiped down
Drink Specials: $10 domestic pitchers
Smoker Friendly: Yep
Review:

If I had to create a boring slogan for Yosemite Sam's, it would be, "Midtown Memphis' Karaoke Bar!" because it is just that - not boring, but it is a karaoke bar located on the edge of Overton Square, right on the corner of Cooper and Madison. You know, next to Bosco's? Honestly, you can't miss it since it has a picture of gun totin' Yosemite Sam himself smack-dab on the side of the building. Even though it sticks out fairly well, I am shocked at the number of people I talk to who have never been there or even heard about it. Pardon me, Mr. Sam, for not knowing your history, but it is my understanding the bar has been there for a while, and it has certainly stood the test of time.

During peak hours & nights, you will not be able to park directly behind the building. There are plenty of well-lit spaces to park within a block, so I would advise you just skip trying to fit behind the building and move right along to the parking lot farther behind Yosemite Sam's small lot, or even a block West across the street from Memphis Pizza Cafe.  

As you walk in the entrance, you are greeted by the stocked bar immediately on your left and amateur singers belting out their favorite Journey song towards the back right of the floor. Go ahead and grab a seat - there is usually plenty of seating. Yosemite Sam's has tables-for-two as well as tables-for-twenty which make this bar outstanding for groups. 

With the bar being situated in the middle of Midtown, you will encounter many different types of people such as the artsy-fartsies, the college kids, the bachelorette party, the middle-age mamma's, you might even catch granny and grandpa there as well! Yosemite Sam's brings in a perfect blend of different groups and ages and asks them pick from a decent list of songs to sing for each other. If you don't sing, you can dance to the music, and if you don't do that, they also have a pool table - it's rarely open due to high demand, so get your cue-balls in early.

Drinks are, well, expect to pay a little extra for your drinks. They certainly won't rob you, but they do charge $10 for a pitcher of domestic beer which is a couple bucks more than they charge down the street. But the pitchers are nice and big - perfect for my group of friends since we like to make sure everybody keeps a full glass. The bartenders are very friendly and I get the impression that they have been working at Yosemite Sam's for a while. They certainly know what they're doing!

Though it's a great bar, I only have one complaint - when it is "the guy" who is taking requests and working the karaoke equipment, expect to wait a long time if you put a request in unless: a) you hand him a good tip, or b) you can push your cleavage together. I refuse to spend $20 to have my chance at a song, and since I'm a male, "b)" isn't an option, so it usually is a long wait until my name is called. But, I suppose this is good news for those hardcore karaoke'ers or well-endowed women who pretty much demand that it is their turn next...

Overall, this is a great bar located in a fun part of the city. You'll enjoy singing your favorite tunes while being able to knock back a few cold beverages. Bring yourself and serenade a stranger, or bring a big group of friends and put on your own little concert - see if you can inspire the entire crowd to dance and sing to your song. I promise you'll have fun, and you'll probably end up wanting to stay longer than you anticipated.