Hula’s Bar & Lei Stand — Restaurant in Honolulu

We arrived on a Sunday evening to discover two bartenders, whom were heavily inked on back and arms; one with a close and almost buzz cut (solely to identify them), whom presented as incredibly surly and passive aggressive staff members behind bar. The two bartenders, whom paraded up and down behind bar without serving customers; proceeding to ignore others at bar and only serve a woman, whom they appeared to be acquainted with already. They made my friend and I feel less than welcome, which goes against the grain of a supposedly LGBTQI+ venue in a community, where tolerance, acceptance and friendliness should abound. Moreover, the bartenders demanded I hand over cash or my bank card, after he placed my drinks down. I requested and proceeded to try and pay using my iPhone and Apple Pay, which then resulted in a petulant and unprofessional response from him, where he berated and lectured me for not having cash or having my bank card to surrender to him at bar. He said:

“you should’ve told me this”.

He then went and got the duty manager, whom kindly apologised and said they were getting used to dealing with Apple Pay, which is strange, as there is widespread use throughout the island. I thought the matter to be resolved, however on attempting to order again with the aforementioned problematic and hostile bartenders, I proceeded to pay and in passive-aggressive form, the two bartenders turned to each other and said:

“I don’t know do we take Apple Pay, I don’t think so.”

At this point, my friend and I left the bar feeling affronted and appalled at the manner, in which we had been treated in a bar, which is allegedly central to the LGBTQI bar offerings in Honolulu. It might have been a tough last few years with COVID-19; restrictions and lockdowns, however these bartenders continue to make life difficult...

I must say the bar tenders are absolutely amazing! My experience became terrible when I had an Encounter with the cook! Let me be clear we are very welled traveled people that have been to Hawaii numerous times and patronize this bar every time! We are always excited to patronize small business. We order a few cocktails and food the bill was $250. So you hope to be treated with a little respect. Now this bar is located on the second floor of a hotel that’s located two blocks from where we are staying. So we order a very large amount of food and the cook name( Bill) was extremely nasty to me because I asked for to go bags! His responds was "people normally eat here so I don’t have any bags” I had never heard anything so foolish in my life! A restaurant that do not have to go bags. His demeanor was so nasty and dismissive that I didn’t understand Why? was it because I was black(because this is the treatment we normally encounter) or was it because he is just a nasty person and this is how he treats everyone. being a business owner. I know that customer service is everything the way you treat Your customers is very important. Hawaii is a very small island and it doesn’t have a lot of accommodations for the gay community so being a gay man you want to patronize a gay establishment! It is truly sad that we are living in times where a customer is not valued or appreciated at all. I hope this review helps someone to be aware of what they may encounter and make the owners aware of the staff that he or...

"It seems like Hulas Bar has taken the term 'local watering hole' a bit too literally—instead of serving the locals, they seem to be watering down the sense of community with their preferential treatment. Maybe they should offer a 'stank face-free' happy hour for a change!"

My recent visit to Hulas Bar left me feeling disappointed, primarily due to the subpar customer service and the apparent preference given to certain customers. What was once a lively local hangout seems to have transitioned into a tourist-oriented establishment, leaving little room for the community it used to serve.

One of the most disheartening aspects of my visit was the attitude displayed by the bartenders. Their stank face expressions and lack of enthusiasm made it evident that they were not genuinely invested in providing a positive experience for their patrons. To make matters worse, it was quite noticeable that they seemed to prioritize serving white customers over others. This biased treatment creates an unwelcoming environment and contradicts the principles of inclusivity and equal service.

This shift towards catering primarily to tourists has diminished the sense of community that once thrived at Hulas Bar. Locals, who were once regulars, now feel neglected and unwelcome. It is unfortunate to witness the erosion of a bar that was once a gathering place for the neighborhood, where people could connect and enjoy their...