Mogura

Great place, cheap and amazing food with a vibe-y atmosphere. Unfortunately think it is permanently closed due to the owner retiring. Forgot to snap a picture, will do next time I’m in the area!

cozy, intimate space with limited seating. perfect for hanging out with friends and having creative, memorable drinks for reasonable prices. staff and service are the best! tables have gratuity added to the bill

I use to go here until about 2 weeks ago... got acquainted with a lot of the regulars and staff... was becoming friends with some, as well. Then someone decided I was being inappropriate and I was kicked out without any chance to defend myself or anything. just told someone said something and now I was being refused service. I really liked this place so it honestly made me feel really heart broken.

This is one of my favorite spots and I make it a point to visit when I'm in the area: A cozy, intimate sake bar with nostalgic snacks. I've only been here when people were doing karaoke once, the other times it was quiet and relaxed. I've had the sake but not the sake cocktails, but they seem interesting.

the best bar there ever was in San Francisco, perhaps the world

Outstanding little sake bar with cool atmosphere.

My friends and I were visiting from MD and stopped into this place while walking around last night. The atmosphere/vibe was great and the bartenders were really attentive and kind. The drinks were also delicious. I'd definitely stop in again next time I'm in the area.

The sake martini is excellent and Chloe is one of friendliest bartenders in town

Came here on a double date after dinner in the Jtown mall before seeing Wicked. We heard there's usually a line so we were worried. We rang the doorbell and no one came for a bit, but then we snagged the last table! It was busy for a Saturday night around 6pm (dinnertime.) Drinks were very good. They also have food which looked good but that we did not try. Love the decor, service, and bar vibe. Felt cozy, warm, and like a speakeasy (it's up some stairs through a nondescript door.) They have karaoke as well apparently! Will be back.

Came here solo as the first guest on a Friday evening. I got the draft beer with the 3 yakitori specials for a quick bite. Though the yakitori wasn't amazing, they were great value-- big pieces of meats. Shoutout to Lucia for great service!

Came here late at night for a small bite and just chatting. I've passed by quite a few times, but if you're not looking closely, it can be easy to miss the entrance! During the day, the door is closed and at night, you need to ring the bell and someone from the inside will come get you and check if there's any space available to get seated. We ordered 2 food items and a drink and everything was pretty good. Honestly speaking, the food wasn't what blew me away, but the actual vibes and environment of the bar was what I loved. It felt very intimate and relaxing, the bartenders were nice and attentive. There's also karaoke that you could pay for, which was super fun to hear others singing. I would definitely come again and have been trying to find other places that have the same vibe as Mogura!

This bar is such a hole in the wall spot that I hope is gatekeeped for a long time (and here I am as I write a review for them). My friend is a regular here and I can understand why. Walking in I can already feel that it's not a fancy place that will upcharge their drinks. They seem to want to serve you fairly so you can have a nice night there! We had their happy hour sake bombs which are $10 Wednesday, Thursday, and one more night (forgot which) from 6-10pm. Originally I think $16? It was a hefty pint glass and so worth it. The popcorn chicken here is actually really good with lots of protein! Come by with a few friends if you want a chill, relaxed bar vibe!

I came to Mogura for a couple pre-dinner drinks, and this place is definitely a hidden gem! The entrance is on the second floor of the Kinokuniya building tucked in between Udon Mugizo and Marufuku. It's a small space with maybe 10 seats at the bar and a tinier section with tables. The intimate feel of the bar and décor of the place definitely transported me to Japan. The bartenders are quieter and more reserved than at a regular bar, but still provide good service and the occasional conversation. I highly recommend the sparkling peach jelly sake drink, it was so unique and tasty -- bubbly like champagne with peach jelly, almost like grass jelly in a boba drink. The Mogura bomb is also a good deal with a large beer and sake combo. Everyone that came by got food as well, and I tried to onigiri. The hot rice and crisp seaweed was so simple but delicious. I would definitely come again, this is the perfect spot for a quieter bar experience with the freedom to make friends with the people next to you if you're in the mood :D

It's a cute little hidden bar in Japantown! You walk through the doors next to the ramen place and then wait for someone to meet you outside. It took us over 30 mins to get in bc it is really small and you should call ahead first. My friends and I ordered three drinks and they were all pretty good! The service is good but i'm pretty sure they are all friends so they were all talking to each other and we had to wait until we could ask them a question since no one was looking our way.

Great service and what a cute place for drinks and bites! Highly recommend for a little break while in the city! Fun and unique bar seating as well!

go here! we went for my birthday and had a really lovely time, the drinks are unique and playful and very pretty, the people hanging out where an eclectic crowd that was younger, but everyone was really sweet and friendly and the vibes were really great and positive, I even brought a small dog that everyone was so friendly and kind, the owner gave us her personal dog treats and shared with us a lot of warmth and friendliness. same with the servers, they were so friendly and look like they were genuinely having a great time working there, everyone loves chatting with them as well. I would come here again and again, and I recommend you go, too.

Loved: the warm & cozy atmosphere Liked: Oden, Ochazuke, Sake cocktails in general Wouldn't get again: Nothing

No rating, 7pm I was told, "we are fooly boocked. Open till 8pm. Restaurant 3/4 empty. Walking distance restaurant turns U down. If Ur single person looking for nice dinner. Keep looking, it ain't here.

If you're ever around Japantown looking for a fun drinking or karaoke experience, Mogura is it! My friends and I have been coming for years and have never had a bad time here. I consider it a Japanese speakeasy because you would never expect to find this place in the little hallway that it's located at the end of. There's a Japanese-style bar you can sit at but also tables for slightly larger groups. They serve some OK food, but have a large selection of sake and mixed drinks that I tend to favor more than the food. Take the time to explore some of the bottles, there's some good ones there. I can't talk about Mogura without mentioning the karaoke. It's a public karaoke lounge and for a small fee (I think it's $2?) you can pick one of their many songs and sing along with your friends. It's a friendly non-judgemental environmental and I don't feel bad about my admittedly poor singing there at all.

Another excellent find and hidden gem in San Francisco! I came here to get a nightcap after dinner, although this place is perfectly fine for dinner as well. While waiting for friends to arrive to go karaoke, I ordered the most delicious drink! It was a lychee and golden kiwi Mojito, have you ever heard of some things so delicious?! Luckily, it was just as delicious as it sounds. I even ordered another! The light bites late night here are great. I ordered some croquettes, he delicious meat and Rice bun, and small snacks. I'll definitely be returning when I go to Japan town!

Cute izakaya bar tucked into a corner in japantown center. The sake martini was delicious! Really like the pickled plum at the end as well. Wanted to check out the karaoke after dinner but they were full so we had to venture elsewhere

Cool hidden spot in Japantown. Very laidback vibe. Come here if you are looking for a chill place with a good cocktail. They also have a karaoke machine with a good selection of Japanese and English songs. One note: they only take cash for the karaoke- and it's $2 per song.

male bartender did not serve us even tho we made eye contact and raised our hand several times.

What an unusual place! It's mostly a dive bar with karaoke, suntory beer (kind of uncommon in the US) and some ok japanese food (including real japanese bar food like oden!). It's also very hard to find. You have to basically go into the door to the left of marafuku and walk down a nondescript hall until you get to a rope (like the kind used for airport/movie theatre lines). Once you get to the rope, a motion sensor will chime and someone in the bar will come to get you. It's super weird and very great. Can't wait to go back.

This place is awesome! Laid back and fun atmosphere. The food is surprisingly good for the price. The drinks do feel successively less strong through the night. I mean am a little person but 3 drinks usually do me in but 5 lemon drops later I was barely buzzed...but we had a blast anyhow.

I like this place to wait while our karaoke venue of choice is not yet open or with a private party that hasn't ended. All we need is a microphone, music (albeit the list is not updated for years) and alcohol. Works for me. This place is inside Japan Center, upstairs, at a corner, so it's easy to miss. You have to be buzzed in at the front door though. Inside it is dimly lit and feels like a lodge. It does have a lot of seating for such a small place. The servers do not talk nor interact with customers that much like our karaoke venue of choice though.

3.5 STARS Last stop before heading to dinner. I'd never heard of this place, but a friend said it was a fun place to grab some sake. We walked in on Thursday, February 25th a little before 7:45pm. *Nigori yuki (sake), 375ml: lychee ($15) *Nigori kikusui perfect snow, 300ml ($18) I didn't pick any of the sakes. I let my gf pick the drinks. At first we got the kikusui perfect snow. We were the only people there and there's a sign saying one drink minimum per person at the entrance. We ended up feeling bad and ordered another bottle, the lychee one. I liked our first bottle more as I don't like flavored sakes. When bustling, I can picture this being a fun place. Eating, drinking and singing karaoke. But it was just the three of us, so it felt very stark and quiet. We all quickly drank our sake so we could make our 8pm dinner reservation up the street. All in all, a cute spot.

My friend Phil took my brother and I to Mogura the last week in Feburary of 2016. It truly is a hidden gem inside Japantown. I felt transported away listening to them sing throwback reggae songs and bringing new vybez to the place. Mogura makes me smile and brings good memories to my mind. If you like karaoke this is the place to be.

Love the chill atmosphere. It's tucked in the corner right next to Marufuku so it might be easy to miss. Had about 4 drinks which were all pretty good. The food is pretty meh though, nothing special. I was pretty hungry so I was trying a lot of their offerings but nothing stood out to me.

I went here on 2/18/20 midnight and had one of the worst customer experiences ever. The bartender was extremely unprofessional and rude that I felt offended immediately within a few minutes after sitting down. I was polite from the beginning but she had a major attitude problem. I wanted to tip her a penny but decided not to. I don't think I will ever return or recommend anyone this place. Should have checked the yelp reviews. My fault for that :(

Stumbled into this hidden and interesting sake/karaoke bar by accident, already a few drinks in from happy hour'n, I had my crew and the rest of the bar singing Boyz II Men "I'll make love to you". OH MY! The karaoke is pretty cool and chill here. It's more low key than Vesta a few doors down becase you don't have to go on stage and preform. Here, for $2 a song, you sit around the bar and wireless mic's get passed around. I liked how it wasn't too crowded and it was pretty easy to get drinks. Can't go wrong w/ shochu and sake cocktails ($10) What also makes this place unique? 1. It's semi hidden. There's a doorway right next door to the new ramen joint (Marufuku) and you walk this non descript hallway (kinda like an employee only type entrance) and then you enter this dimly lit bar that just oozes Japan. The karaoke tv has Japanese subtitles, the female bartenders have Japanese accents, etc. Just a real chill place where you can go as a big group. I'd take some out of town friends here for that authentic SF experience.

This is still a chill place where you can hang out with some friends away from too much riff raff, but gone are the days when the hoards of white, loud hipsters didn't know about Mogura. You'll still get fantastic takoyaki and calamari skewers, but drinks are lighter, and the ambiance is not as quiet and serene as before. This is a super intimate place, so make sure you're not bringing your loud ones in.

Me and my friend love this spot. Shit faced? Let's go to Mogura and karaoke with other people at the bar! Friendly staff, there's food you can order, and best of all, a judgement free zone until closing time

This place is a hidden gem!! I almost didn't write this review because I love Mogura too much and wanted to keep its BRILLIANCE to myself. But my 2020 resolution is to be more generous so here you go... Do you love karaoke? Do you love sake? Do you love to watch strangers rap Kanye West's "Power" poorly? If any of the above appeal to you, Mogura is your paradise. It's basically a hole in the wall Tokyo karaoke bar down a shady hallway next to Marafuku Ramen on the second floor of the Japantown Center. Don't let the suspicious hallway or comic sans signs dissuade you--go thru the door and ring the bell at the end of the hall. You'll thank me later. Once let inside the inner sanctum by the amazing hostess, you will see a horseshoe-shaped wraparound bar on the immediate left. This is my preferred seating area --closest to the hostesses, right in front of a karaoke TV screen, so I can push thru my Shania Twain and Oasis song requests immediately. And of course for speedy drink service. They charge by the song and I think there's a one drink minimum. If you don't want to sit at the bar, no problem. There are booths on the far left for larger groups that view additional karaoke screens in the open seating area. The best part about Mogura is the open seating concept. You get to hear/enjoy/cringe at all the terrible ABBA and Fall-Out Boy song requests. It's a cozy karaoke experience like none other. Much better than nearby Festa IMO. Pro Tips: Always order sake by the bottle. Always stay until closing at 2am. Never go on Fridays or Saturdays when it's packed. I personally like to go on Tuesday nights when it's emptier and I get to hog the electronic song tablets. When it's too full you have to use the books and they're out-dated (AKA the song code for Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's "Shallow" duet ain't in the book, only on the electronic tablet)

It was so nice!! food, drink, karaoke and atomospher and so on!! Especially, staff service was awsome!! I would like to talk with them more! I go there next time!

Had an awesome time here after a day of hopping around at breweries/bars! Sake + karaoke? Let's do it again!

So random to have a Sake bar hidden away in the mall, but this place is a hidden gem. True electronica in the background a small but decent variety of Sake and pretty similar to many a Sake bar we went to in Japan. Decent place to wait after putting your name down at Marafuku. Also, there happens to be pretty fantastic karaoke and Takoyaki on demand. Looking forward to coming back and partaking in both.

I went here after seeing a movie at the Sundance Kabuki Cinema movie theater in Japan town; it is very close by & was convenient. This place in inside of a small shopping plaza. To find the door you walk down a hallway & you feel like you're entering into a staff only zone. It's pretty trippy. At the end of a hallway you come to a door that's kind of dirty. A sign on the door says "Magura" & you ring a door belle; the bartender comes and lets you in. It is a bizarre experience finding the place. Inside it is kind of cheap & simple but ok. There is a traditional bar with a very wide wooden bench that you sit cross legged on with round pillow to sit on. I liked this. They mostly serve sake and sake cocktails. The drinks seemed a bit expensive for how simple/cheap the place looks. The bartender said her favorite cocktail was the Magura Girl; I ordered it. It was sweet and had a Mellon liqueur-I liked it! They have a karaoke set up. This seems like a fun intimate space to go with a group of friends, get wasted on sake & let loose singing karaoke. During our visit, however, only 1 other guy was in there, hitting on the bartender. The bartender was very kind and attentive. This place is a bit quirky. I'm not sure I'll go back (because I felt it was over priced for what it was) but we enjoyed our time there and had good service.

After a horrible experience at Kaiyo, this was a total treat. My friends and I sat at the bar. The server was so sweet and made sure we were enjoying what we ordered. We had to order dinner after an awful dinner and everything we ate here was delicious! The drinks were perfect. The service and the food made up for what was lacking at the restaurant we had been to before. Additionally, it was very inexpensive! Great value, food and service. We will be back!

This hidden Japanese hostess bar has high sentimental value, and I enjoy coming back periodically to have a drink with friends, chat with the hostess, get caught up on the latest J-pop, eat Japanese bar food, and hone in on my inner rock star singing skills. Standard Japo beers are on tap and they have a decent sake and shochu selection, if the latter is your thing. The bar food does the trick and enables patrons to quaff more. I especially liked the salmon chazuke and the takoyaki. I was warned against ika no shiokara, or fermented cuttlefish, but I still tried (a bit of) it. I don't suggest it. Don't by shy, come in and drink beer and sing a few karaoke songs.

A hidden gem inside Japantown. Karaoke is available. Finger food is great and affordable. Go with friends, it's fun!

This place is the best kept secret in SF. Great snacks, beer that's so cold there's ice floating on top, and a enormous selection of songs. The atmosphere is very intimate, so please don't bring your loud, obnoxious party friends.

So authentically Japanese, I love this place!! All the servers are Japanese and if you are lucky you will stumble upon a night when all the patrons are speaking Japanese! The cheesy (and slightly run-down) decor and bar set up makes you feel like you really are in a hidden alleyway in Japan. Not much of a drinking selection, but still so fun, especially when people are doing karaoke. Will be a regular!

Okay! I think the long commute on the train will help contribute to the content I am about to put on yelp, ha. Mogura! Oh my, I was in love the instant I walked in. It's situated in a weird/hidden corner in the Japan center in Japan town. There are two entrances, one actually accessible on the street and the other in the center. It's a very cozy set up with a bar area where you get to sit in this hard-to-describe Japanese style seating. There's also an area with a number of cozy couches if you have a bigger group. I went there on a Monday night and it was somewhat quiet, however, it's supposed to be a pretty awesome karaoke place. They have some very interesting sake cocktails and a number of sake selections if that's what you are into. There are also authentic Japanese bar type snacks/food available like karaage, okonomiyaki, etc. I didn't get a chance to try their food, but if you are looking for an intimate, cozy environment for some Japanese culture/karaoke entertainment, this is the spot!

We happened upon this bar after dinner at Marufuku (next door). I think this might be my favorite bar in SF? I mean it's obviously not some swank joint, but it's just so damn fun and the vibe is so cool. Dark lighting, karaoke, and a lovely Japanese staff make this place feel like home.

Friendly bartenders with cozy lounge seating and karaoke. Choose from sake cocktails, premium liquor, beer, and traditionally poured sake. Great place for relaxing and waiting for your name called at nearby restaurants.

Feels just like Japan. Very small, loud karaoke, cheap beer. What else could you want? Come here for a rare time

So random. Decided to check this place out while waiting for the ramen place next door. This place is pretty cool and a hidden little kool saki bar

Say, do you want to do karaoke, but you're feeling too lazy to actually have to stand up at the mic? Well then you should head over to Mogura where you can sit around the bar on small cushions to do your singing. Please don't bring more than 3 of your friends though because this spot might seat 15 people if they are lucky. Also check out your feet situation because you will be required to remove your shoes. Karaoke songs cost $2 each and there is a one drink minimum, beer, sake, and wine only. Or you can get the sparkling malt beverage I tried. Recommended only if you like Zima or are trying to start a new "icing" trend among your friends. This is one place that is on my "you should really experience this at least once" list. And I'm betting I'll be back time and again in the future.

Worst place, over priced, stinks, service not too great, and charge $2 for every Karaoke song. I wouldn't advice my friends to go there.

This karaoke place might as well be tucked away down a dark Tokyo alley. It's the ultimate hidden secret in that it's almost impossible to find and it's likely the most authentic karaoke bar in the city. Just wander into the unmissable Japantown mall (next to the Sundance theater), take the stairs and hang an immediate right. Once you walk in, you'll have to take off your shoes (don't worry, you can wear little bathroom slippers when you go to the bathroom), and rather than showcasing your pipes to a crowd full of drunks, you'll gather around the U-shaped bar and sing sitting. Festive, it's not, but if you bring a crowd it's unlikely to be packed (let the current 7 reviews be a testament to the popularity). For those nights when you wanna sing sad songs or watch other people do the same, Mogura is tops.

This is Mari-san's little business venture that is basically a bar fashioned from a defunct robata restaurant that went kerplunk because their cooking area wasn't up to code. In the J-town area, it's slightly better than- Dimples (no cigarette smoke, no Korean/Mongolian women in indentured servitude), Festa (no loud, drunk fools who can't sing to save their lives) or Ikkyu (drunk Japanese girl "students" who barely function as bartenders). Understand, Mogura is not a dive, and Mari-san tries to make it nicer than the aforementioned establishments. Her small plates are meh, but be forewarned, all of the food is basically pre-cooked and microwaved/heated up. I think she serves up the food just to satisfy the licensing requirements for the place. Drinks aren't exactly cheap, but then again, when compared to the aforementioned establishments, the cover charge seems like a good deal if you want a quiet drink. So, if you want a quiet drink in a place hidden away from the raucous drunken wails emanating from Festa just down the hall or respite from the cigarette smoke at Dimples or the drunken servers at Ikkyu, go to Mogura. One thing to remember, don't be surprised if there's an extra line item on your bill for a beer/drink that you didn't order. That's the price of admission if you have Mari-san "entertain" you with her witty conversation. Entertaining indeed. Oh, and yes, for all you guys who have the fever for Japanese girls, you can go there to try out your lame pickup lines in Japanese. At least these girls might understand them because they won't be drunk.

This is my favorite bar in SF. Period. It's a very Japanese bar, it reminds me of authentic bars you see in Osaka (kansai area in Japan), with some kansai specialty like takoyaki, okonomiyaki and oden on the food menu. The overall attitude of service is sweet, efficient but non intrusive. Their food and drink menus are minimalistic but everything they serve is very tasty. The servers are all Japanese and often times speak English poorly but they are always really obliging and helpful. However, you are not here for food or drinks specifically. Mogura is a karaoke bar. You come here to sing for 2 bucks a song plus a one drink minimum per person. This price tag is really cheap for karaoke in SF and the place is really really chill during weekdays. Anybody that says bad things about the place came in with the wrong expectations. You are at Mogura to chill, sing, while getting drunk and get fed at a nominal price. You can't get better food anywhere at 2am. Best hidden treasure in SF!

We were very excite to be trying this place. The reviews looked good and the pictures of the interior were interesting. My review will be short, as our visit was. We walked in at 11:30PM. We were asked to leave at 11:31PM. The place had at least six people. They were singing! THEY asked us to stay. The waitress/bartender asked us to leave. She said they were closed. Huh.

This place is terrifying. I wandered in here on a weeknight because I wanted to see where that random unmarked door in Japantown Plaza lead to, and a few minutes later I found myself forced to sing the Aladdin theme song repeatedly while buying round-after-round of sakes. The hostesses just kept bringing the drinks out even when I didn't recall ordering anything. I would've complained, but these girls looked like the type that'd keep knives in their fans. +1 extra star because I do remember thinking the hostesses were mildly attractive (or was that the sake?) and also, out of fear.

I believe all the customer should be treated evenly no matter if you're Japanese or American. They only serve Asians and White people. That's totally wrong. They have a security camera at the entrance and check what you are. Their microwaved foods really tasted nasty. Health department should check their kitchen. It looked not clean.

Traditional Japanese shochu bar with updated Japanese karaoke songs. Plus beautiful Japanese bartenders serve you in Yukatas. Quite expensive and bar holds max 10 to 15 people. Same owner of Club Mari, the Japanese hostess club next door. Ideal place if you want to host a small event in an authentic Japanese atmosphere.