Nakama Anime Bar

Was visiting from out of town as Jax is my hometown. I finished up for the day and was looking for something local to do before I have to check put and leave tomorrow and a freida recomeded this bar. I saw that they have izakya vibes and was really intrigued and I was not disappointed! It wasn't packed which was perfect for my energy level right now. My bartender was so personable and chatted with me a bit, made AMAZING suggestions bassed on my preferences, and asked subtle inclusive questions that made me feel welcome and included as a visibly queer trans man (Like asking if the name on my card was the name I used). At one point I couldn't decide between two drinks and I asked him to surprise me and when he brought the drink he turned it into a game and had me guess which one it was. This was such a nice, personalized experience! It's a wine bar too so you can try quite a few things more than a regular bar! For someone traveling by myself just looking for a nice local experience I had a perfect time!

Cool for all anime and manga fans. Place has private karaoke rooms and public karaoke. Also has large selection of anime themed beverages and some video games.

Sometimes a bit quiet, sometimes very lively! With a Karaoke booth, the vibes stay alive throughout the night. The restaurant is a bit spotty on the hours and availability of certain food items, but is paired very well with the anime bar! The bar itself has 4 TV's one of which is normally for switch gaming like smash and Mario cart, the others play live anime and occasionally films/ movies from Japan. The booths are pretty comfy and have nice coffee tables within theme. The whole atmosphere is very well put together and decorated. Including a lot of merchandise available before you reach the bar. Not to mention the private karaoke rooms being insanley decorated!! The bathroom is mid, sometimes not properly stocked but always available. To boot the bar has live DJ's, themed events, beer pong tournaments and a back area right outside the back door with seating. It's a nice chill spot.

I’ve been to this anime bar multiple times and usually enjoy it because of the target demographic and the fun atmosphere it provides. This visit was on May 1 after celebrating my college graduation, where I reunited with a high school friend. We decided to book a private karaoke room since we had a great experience doing that before. I will say that there have been some technical issues with karaoke in the past, but I noticed they upgraded to Bluetooth microphones and speakers. The bartender working that afternoon was very helpful, setting up our room and assisting us whenever needed. I was able to sing one song, and everything seemed fine at first. However, after I stepped out to grab Ramune sodas, the remote and TV stopped syncing when my friend tried to start her song. We let the bartender know, and we understood he was busy handling multiple orders, so we were patient and went back to our room. This is where the situation became uncomfortable. A random man came into our room and insisted on helping. At first, I thought he worked there, but it quickly became clear he didn’t. He started asking personal questions like our ages and continued the conversation in a way that felt intrusive. Some of his comments didn’t make sense, and at one point he made a remark about my friend not being the one who graduated because of her tattoo, which felt unnecessary and inappropriate. He also suggested joining us to sing, which made the situation even more uncomfortable, especially since we were just two girls trying to enjoy a private celebration, and we felt like we had to keep engaging in conversation just to avoid escalating things. Eventually, the bartender came back, and I was able to privately let him know what happened, and he apologized, which I do appreciate. I’m giving this place 3 stars because while the staff was kind and doing their best, it felt like there weren’t enough employees to properly monitor the space. Situations like this could potentially be avoided with more staff presence, especially in private room areas. I still enjoy the concept of this bar and don’t want to discourage people from going, but I do want to raise awareness, especially for other women, to stay mindful of their surroundings.