This was one of the liveliest places I've ever been! We had no intention of going to Characters--in fact, we'd never even heard of it. We just happened to be walking down the street at night after dinner and glanced in the window. I am not kidding when I tell you that EVERY patron in the bar waved and beckoned to us, saying "Hey, come in!" It was a bit of a shock, so we walked on a few paces and then doubled back just to see if what we thought just happened actually happened. Once again, every arm in the place went up, and we were invited in once more. Completely amused and a little befuddled, we opened the door and stepped inside. There was a massive, unanimous cheer and everyone welcomed us in.
It was karaoke night, and the place was packed to the gills. As we squeezed our way through to the bar, people shook our hands and patted us on the back. I think that the expression "the more the merrier" must have been coined at Characters Cafe'. Someone got the bartender's attention and we had drinks in our hands in a flash. Not about to be nudged up onto the stage, we worked our way toward the back of the bar and tried to find some seats. Some kind gentleman gave up his bar stool for me because he didn't think ladies should have to stand. I tried to refuse, but he insisted so I sat down and enjoyed the show. I think that some (or most) of the folks must have been regulars, as they really lit up the stage with their smiles and dance moves. There wasn't a croaker in the bunch! Everyone had wonderful singing talent! We enjoyed our drinks and took in the singers until I was ready to fall asleep right on the bar stool.
Heaven knows what time the regulars close the place down, because it was still jumping when we left. This is definitely the place to go if you like a high-energy crowd and a whole lot of fun after dinner. I think the funniest thing was watching other people walk by outside and receive the same welcome in unison that we had experienced. The looks on their faces were priceless. How funny we must have looked! Still, they all got the same cheer when they walked in, and the party got bigger and bigger.