Red Light Cafe

The most inhospitable staff I’ve ever seen. This is our first time here and all of our questions seem to annoy the staff. I haven’t gotten a single smile out of any of them all night. If the band wasn’t the reason I came I would have left by now. The food is a joke so eat before you come. They basically don’t serve anything they can’t pop out of a can and onto a plate. You’ve got like five choices between meals that should cost $ 3 at the grocery store but you’ll pay about four times that for a toddler-​sized portion. The $ 12 drinks aren’t anything special either. I had to ask for several drinks on the menu before I came to a beer they actually carried. I don’t think we’ll be back.

Went in for the Jazz Jam tonight and what a great time! The music was absolutely stellar and the people running the place are top notch! I literally felt like I was in a good friends living room! The food selection is great and there’s an awesome selection of craft beers! This isn’t your dads Red Light Café! What a great place to be!

Drinks are weak, poorly made, kind of gross. Atmosphere is bleh.
The real clincher for me was the Burlesque show I attended here. Wow… it was just terrible. Why call it «burlesque»? Why not just call it what it is… an amateur talent show, with a male host that is more creepy than charming (and completely unfunny). Total displeasure to watch.
I’ll be honest, the whole thing screamed of basic people who call themselves «freaks» and «outcasts» but aren’t oppressed at all, lol. Like minus the one gay boy with a guitar, the rest of them were just really basic straight people who were just kind of… flopping around. Wanna be way more interesting than they are so they dye their hair colors and called themselves marginalized.
The ONE redeeming quality was a single dancer (I think her stage name was Black Venus.?) but the rest of the event wasn’t worthy of her performance (really, she was phenomenal though, and really professional. How’d she get mixed up with this bland crowd? She deserves better) .
Anyway, I’m never giving this place business again, and I don’t recommend you to either.

This is an interesting little bar/​restaurant. We came here the other night for the bluegrass night and just came in to listen. There were very few people other than the ones playing in the group there. We ordered a beer and sat listening to them play for a while. Extremely talented individuals. They all knew each other, so I am not sure how welcoming they would be, probably pretty friendly though.
It has a really casual vibe with nothing too fancy. Some people in past comments complained about the bathrooms, meh, they were not super snazzy or anything, but they weren’t noticeably gross or anything. In fact, I actually don’t remember anything that stands out about them at all. Neat little place.
Beer was a tad expensive… about $ 7 for a beer, but since we came just to grab a beer and listen to music, I guess that’s not so bad. I didn’t try any of the food. Their menu looks like they mainly serve alcohol and just have a bit of food just to have it.

Service nonexistent. Bathroom needed attention. Folks behind the bar not helpful when cash was needed to purchase a ticket. Although offered another customer cash if charged to their card.

Looked like a charming spot for live music-​very cool atmosphere inside although a bit dirty. Bartender was beyond rude and very disrespectful. Never going back.

This is a cute little pub tucked away in a residential neighborhood, and I’d like to like it. The bathrooms were unbelievably dirty – I have not seen filth like that in quite some time. I can’t believe the health department doesn’t shut them down. I wondered if the employees have to use them or if they have their own, clean bathroom. If not, I have to wonder how clean the employees themselves are and I shudder to think about the kitchen situation. I can’t consume anything in a place like this. Too bad.

I didn’t try the food; I came to listen to my friends play music and to get a drink.
The atmosphere seems to be centered around the establishment being used for concerts. There’s dim, quirky lighting throughout the restaurant with plenty of focus on the stage near the front door. The tables and chairs are nothing fancy, which lends to a super casual vibe. It feels like the kind of place where no one would mind sharing a table with you.
There’s a couch seating area and a bookcase in the back near the bathrooms! My husband and I chilled out back there with some books from the shelf and enjoyed the singer/​songwriter artists who were playing up front. It was a very relaxed time, and I really enjoyed it.
The bartender who helped me was very friendly and gave me a tip on what kind of drink I should ask for. I really appreciated her help, and I really appreciated how kind and understanding she was. No «I’m better than you» attitude anywhere. All the other staff were very friendly, and they seemed to really know how to handle the crowd. They were making arrangements with the bar stools to make sure there was enough room for everyone
No complaints whatsoever!

Great little venue in Amsterdam Walk. Very unpretentious and welcoming for a drink and to hear live music. My husband’s band played here on the Thursday night local jam recently, and I was really delighted by the evening, both music and menu. The food was great – Brie appetizer and the pulled pork sandwich. Food seemed to be made in-​house and was plentiful for the price (admittedly, they’re not curing the Brie behind the bar, but it was a nicely ripe round). The drinks selection looked plentiful, but I was there for the cute drummer. Bluegrass jam out front ended around 8, and was very friendly with musicians of talent (and a couple who knew when to hang back). Inside, the stage is small but the acoustics and sound system are good and the space is well kept. Staff was friendly and helpful. A really pleasant evening in a great space supporting local music. Was so glad we found out about this space.

Wasn’t really a fan of the vibe here or the food items on the menu. The chili was not great, the pimento cheese breads were plain and boring. Their homemade pickles were very sweet and disappointing.

The Red Light Café is my home way from home at least once night a week! They have great shows and events for musicians — Wednesday night open mic and Monday night songwriter’s group are the best! And I’ve heard they have bluegrass and burlesque nights — not the same night, but that would be AWESOME! All of the staff are super friendly, great and unique drink selection, and overall good vibes!
To the poster that was sent away — sometimes they do have private events — perhaps it was one of those nights. :)

Regular and popular entertainment options, however high cover charges per person topped by wine offered at 4x retail value and grossly overpriced food leaves a bad taste in my mouth… my third visit is my last.

We walked in at 12:30am on a Sat night and they told us to leave and go to loca luna. We were looking for something chill and found only an angry bearded barista. If you’re looking for a place to chill, don’t bother with red light café.

We went to see a friend’s band last Thursday night on bluegrass night. This is a cute little café (we didn’t order food as previous Unilocal reviews advised their food was not their best asset). I love the moonshine cocktails offered — very original! Service was great and I enjoyed the venue.
I’d gladly come back here if/​when my friend’s band plays here again…

Grab food elsewhere… The food blows but the setup is good. Yes, mismatched chairs and tables but plenty of space. Not Eddie’s Attic by any means but works for the intended purposes of seeing up and coming local musicians and it is smoke free inside.

I stopped in late on night and the place was friendly and fun with live blues playing.

Visited this place recently for a friend’s dance performance. It’s tucked away into a strip mall right at the very entrance of Amsterdam Ave, ample parking. The place is decent, has a little stage up front, good sound system, nice seating area. They have some limited drinks and food, nothing fancy, just what you’d want to munch on while watching some performances. Dude at the bar was quite funny. Nothing fabulous, just another spot in town.

I went to Red Light for the first time last weekend to see a friend’s band play. This is a small little spot, which is great for watching a band if you like an intimate setting. There was a great crowd and the music was fantastic (except for the second band. you know who you are) The food here was less than desirable — we had the chili queso dip and it was more like water something chunky dip for $ 8 BUT. we went for the music and beer and both of those were excellent.
This is a small gem tucked back in the Amsterdam Ave cove that I think you should definitely check out.

My friends and I went for open mic night on Wednesday. There were only about six people in there, yet they charged a $ 3 cover that seemed unnecessary considering it was virtually empty!

I played here about 4 years ago, hopefully things have gotten better. Very small stage, lousy management, and horrible sound guy. But a great place to meet other musicians and grab a beer.

Went here last night night to hear a friend’s band play. The space is tiny. There’s a small stage in the front, about 10 tables, some couches and a small bar in the back.
There is no table service here. When we walked in, the door person told us that we’d have to go to the bar to order drinks and food. Good to know. No big deal. I was kind of surprised to find out that the bar only served beer and wine, no liquor. The food menu was also very limited. We didn’t try anything, so I don’t know if it was good or not.
The music sounded good, but the place felt very cramped. We got there early enough to get a table and were sitting at a 2-​top that was against the wall. There were a lot of people standing and even though I was sitting, I felt like I was constantly having to move my legs out of the way of people passing by.
All in all, a cool little spot, but get there early if you want to be comfortable. And eat beforehand.

Went for Wednesday night open mic. Men playing guitars. Awesome.
Hungry. Ordered:
— 8″ pita pizza with green peppers, mushroom, onion
— Chicken wings
— brie and baguette
Wow. The food was GOOD. I peeked into the kitchen and, noting no one there, asked the bartender if he was the cook. One and the same. The pizza was delicious (his specialty he said, not just those particular ingredients). The chicken was so freaking moist, the warmth of the meat remaining after half an hour…
Seriously, I was surprised. Shocked.