Akiko’s

Ducked in to get my Karaōke on and it was a fine time, here’s why:
* Hotties Dana and Molly were in tow, SCORE!
* Fast Eddie bought my drinks!
The place has two rooms. Traditional bar action in the front with juke box, in the back they have some disco lighting and glow in the dark shit on the walls and that’s where American Idol goes down. Replete with a little stage so your fantasy can be really vivid.
Popular with the college-​aged set and parking can be a challenge on big nights.
Cheap drinks.
Cabeza OUT!

This place is very «eh» to me. We came here for a friend’s birthday really hoping to do some karaōke and never actually made it up to the stage. All of us put in requests as soon as we got there and being there for about two hours without getting to sing just wasn’t worth it for me. We were told by friends that we would have to tip the DJ to get onto the stage in a decent amount of time but that didn’t seem to work for anyone while we were there.
The place is pretty small, has a front room where the bar is and then a back room with the small stage and DJ booth. Both spaces seemed pretty cramped to me. Right in front of the stage in the back room they have a little dancing area. I wish there was more room for this space to be bigger, but that would obviously take away from the very little sitting room there already seems to be.
Up sides: drink prices aren’t outrageous and it’s a karaōke bar.
Down sides: small and would have to be here (probably) all night to actually make it on stage to sing.

I love this place. Went on a Thursday night, drinks are priced well and the crowd was a lot of fun for singing karaōke to.

Was totally expecting to hate this place based on reviews that made it out to be a drunk-​fest with a karaōke nazi of a DJ, but I had a great time!
Yes, you have to buy a drink to get song tickets (three tix per drink), but I see nothing unreasonable about that, especially given the drinks are fairly priced (~$ 4 a bottle, I think).
The DJ on the night we went was very courteous and competent. Yes, tipping $ 1 a song will move you up the playlist a few notches, and I resorted to this when the place became busy (after 11p on a Saturday night). I’m not really sure how I feel about this, but it is what it is and even the non-​tippers in our party were able to get a few songs in without waiting too long.
It’s also possible the DJ doesn’t really maintain a strict first-​come, first-​serve order (tipping notwithstanding), choosing to group singers based on song genre. If so, then I appreciate this. I, for one, don’t care to hear «Love Me Tender» sandwiched between «Push It» and «Baby Got Back». Also, genre grouping makes sense at Akiko’s, since it’s the kind of karaōke place where a lot of people dance (okay, more like frolic drunkenly), so the DJ needs to maintain flow on the dance floor.
Anyway, I look forward to coming back. Unlike the few other karaōke nights I’ve been to in L’ville, this place is all about the karaōke, and everyone there, whether singing or not, gets into it. Plus it’s a super supportive and friendly (or maybe just drunk) crowd, though that’s not unusual for this city.

This place is fun to go to when you’re already trashed. It’s usually pretty empty because it’s kind of lame. Some of my friends call this place A-freak-o’s, which I think is a better name for it. The bathrooms are so so so so so gross (seriously avoid them at all costs). Over all, it’s not horrible and it can be pretty fun if you’re wasted and want to sing and dance.

I am a fan of hole in the wall karaōke bars. Akiko’s is just that. It has cheap drinks (nothing fancy and no draft beers), half-​broken tables, and sometimes a rowdy crowd. However, I have never NOT had a great time. You can sit back, relax, and listen to bad singing and wannabe Aretha Franklins with little expectations and need to impress others.

Been here a few times with groups of people. I’ve never seen it not crowded which is always a great sign. It’s fun and if you love karaōke, this is the place because it’s always going on. Great location on Bardstown Road if you like to be where the action is like I do.

Fun karaōke bar. I visited this place while relaxing with coworkers after work events. We are from out of town but look forward to our conference karaōke nights when we travel.
The bartender was pretty nice. The DJ was on top of things and it was surprisingly popular for Monday night. The bar stayed open until past 2 AM. The drinks were not anything to write home about, but we had a good time which was the goal. The list of songs was really impressive, even included things like The Lion King.

If you’ve hung out along Bardstown Road for any time at all, you likely have an Akikos story.
Mine involves the only time I’ve really sung karaōke … ever.
I’ve been to many, many karaōke bars, and have cheered all of my friends up to the mic.
But for the sake of all in attendance, I don’t sing.
I know what you might say: «Well hardly anyone who sings karaōke can really sing. Get over yourself!»
But for serious, I’m tone deaf. Like so much worse than Cameron Diaz in «My Best Friend’s Wedding.» I’m staying in my seat as a courtesy to you.
Yet, Akikos did get me up on stage — and it wasn’t because I wanted to take revenge on the ears of everyone in the crowd. I had fun!
My best friend and I made a duet out of The Strokes’ «Last Night.» (Not a song that requires much range.)
And I don’t know if it’s because the drinks I had were strong or if I was subdued into a hypnotized state, but I don’t even remember jeers from the audience.
Akikos will help anyone along to a good time, which is really what you want out of a karaōke bar.
Don’t know if I’ll ever attempt a repeat performance, but if I do, it will likely be at Akikos.

DJ is the worst. There’s no method to his madness. Dont waste your money in the tip jar to pay them off either because it won’t get you any closer to the stage

Fun karaōke spot but there were some really awkward guys that kept trying to steal the microphone when we were singing (and then screaming into them!). Took at least 20min of this nonsense before the bouncer kicked them out. Decent drinks, and a good amount of seating.

When searching for a place for fun, drunken singing, and cheap drinks Akikos is a decent choice.
You can rent out the place pretty cheap for a few hours before they open to the general public. Great option for private singing/​only your friends judging your talents. They have a gigantic song book with old and current radio hits, and if you’re lucky enough the DJ will do a duet with you. Our performance consisted of Macklemore’s «Thrift Shop». I, of course, was Macklemore with the DJ doing a fantastic Ryan Lewis impersonation.
This place is more on the dive bar side, with the karaōke room being a blackout room with no windows. But if you’ve had a couple drinks and always wondered what the Kenney Chesney song «Big Star» song, minus Banana Joe’s Bar, was all about then head to Akikos for non-​stop laughs and legendary performance.

As a karaōke fiend I checked this place out. I came early on a Friday night and there were only a few people and it stunk of cleaning fluid like the usual dive bar where some dude just threw up on the floor. Not impressed, but after a few drinks elsewhere I returned and the place was packed! And packed with hot women. I thought I saw the most beautiful woman and then another, and another, and another. It was like a sorority in there. There’s a bar and pool table in the front room and karaōke stage and tables in back. It was an interesting mix of people but that night mostly hot young women. So naturally I decided to go back Saturday night, and although there were a few hotties, not as many and coming in late it took too long to get my song up so I left. I guess a hit-​or-​miss place, but seriously, when it rains it pours.

Great fun place to go, reasonably priced drinks. it is split into two levels the karaōke section in the back, and the standard bar in the front with TVs and a pool table. It also has a smoking deck which is a nice addition. It is busy during the weekend but during the weak it is very open if you are nervous about singing.

Fun, cheap, and lots of fun. Really cool DJ. The drinks — sake are fun and great to bring a bunch of friends to. I love this place. Had such a great time there the two times I went there.

Pretty clean place for a karaōke bar with pretty cheap prices. It gets a plus for being different than all the other bars in the area. Don’t have enough experience with the actual karaōke section to really way in too much. Seemed like nobody was really have any problems.

Oh, Akikos. We have a love/​hate relationship. I love karaōke and you being pretty much the only karaōke bar in Louisville means you get my patronage. I feel like we have been pretty good together until recently.
The fact that you have to buy overpriced drinks to get paper to request songs isn’t cool. People want to have a good time, they want to drink and they want to sing. You make customers happy, they will drink more & not care how much it costs. You piss them off as soon as they walk in the door by telling them they have to buy a drink in order to sing — not cool. Some people don’t drink, some people are pregnant, some people just get a natural high from singing badly in front of others. They all should be able to request songs without buying a drink.
Secondly, your new DJ isn’t very nice. He lets his favorites go first. Now, I realize that on a Friday or Saturday night, it gets pretty crowded and it’s only normal for there to be a bit of a wait to sing. Everyone comes prepared for this. But to wait 2 and a half hours? When more than one person got to sing at least twice in that time span? Again, not cool. Bring back the other DJ — the one who wore all black! He’s the bomb.
I love that the dance floor is often lively and you can play pool if you aren’t into listening to people belt out Celine Dion but really, I feel like our time together has ended. Next time, I think I’ll have my own party, rent a karaōke machine & buy my own booze.

Meh is about right. The night we went, I had fun, but that was more due to the company.

I LOVE karaōke. But I won’t be back here again. And it’s mostly because of personal preference and not anyone being a total buttholio while we were there.
First, my man (who could barely stay awake on the drive to Akiko’s) was told not to bring his coffee drink in. It’s pretty usual that you can’t bring outside drinks in… but he felt that the guy was a wee bit more rude than he needed to be about it.
Whatevs.
In order to get slips of paper to write your songs on for the karaōke DJ guy you need to buy a drink. But I am pregnant and I wanted nothing that night. They do have water to buy, but I generally don’t buy water at bars… so thankfully I had a friend who wasn’t singing and she gave me her tickets. At least that worked out. It sucked for the first hour and a half ’cause I had to wait for my friends to show up and share some tickets with me.
Oh well.
We arrived pretty early (9:30 pm-​ish) and we only sang one song by midnight. The rotation was all funked-​up.
Grrrr…
Overall, the place ain’t too shabby. It just didn’t work for me on this night, I suppose.
I guess it was more of a letdown because we drove an hour to meet people there.
And the whole not getting slips of paper without drinking a lot thing was too silly for me.
The crowd was fun, though.

Want to have a few cocktails elsewhere, and then get up the nerve to finally polish up that ballad you’ve been saving for the audience in American Idol?
Sounds like most of the regulars at this place.
Strange and otherworldly black lights surround, and Pabst Blue Ribbon is served in bottles. Yes, it’s really that wild. You’ll hardly be able to contain yourself.