Cafe Nine — Restaurant in New Haven

Hello all readers. I had the best experience that I have had in over a decade at a musical show at Cafe Nine. I am a disabled person who uses a wheelchair and, on better days, two canes to get around. I was concerned about going to see any concert for so long due to my sensitive physiology. In contacting the owner, Paul, I was assured that the wheelchair I needed would be no problem, and it wasn't. Upon arrival i was kindly greeted by two men at the door. One taking tickets and the other saw me and asked if he could bring my wheelchair inside for me, which he did by hand (my wheelchair is not light at all and he was very strong). Everyone at this show/venue was so kind. I felt so safe and cared for the entirety of the event. In the beginning I had forgotten earplugs and asked for napkins to muffle my ears due to my sensory and TBI response to the live music volume (I was so unprepared since it had been so long since I had the courage to attend such a show). As I was balling up the napkins, one employee saw what I was doing and brought over individually wrapped earplugs for me and my companion/caretaker, completely unprompted. This was exactly as the owner and operator of Cafe Nine had described and more. The accommodations were so good I was actually brought to front stage by the headliner. Every single moment of that night was the most fun...I was able to enjoy the show and not worry for my safety. This is a venue that I highly recommend for anybody , especially anyone who has a difficulty going out for hours at a time due to disability. That night I got to forget about my wheelchair and limitations and it felt AMAZING!! The kindness and attention of everybody at Cafe Nine was above and beyond. I feel overjoyed as daily I remember how Cafe Nine (Paul and all his wonderful staff) made it one of the biggest highlights of the last decade for me. After the show I was helped out and parking was right outside, so incredibly convenient. Thank You Paul and ALL STAFF who made this night a wonderful experience and added permanent joy and confidence to my memories. This was one of the best nights of my life. 10 STARS out of 5! I will never forget you or this event and I hope to return...

I asked for a beer in a monotone voice and was kicked out for being rude. What, do I have to act like the cheeriest guy in the room to get a drink? Unbelievable. 10 years of loyal business. I won’t be coming back. A huge symptom of Asperger’s is speaking in such a manner. If existing as I am gets me kicked out, that’s is disgusting.

Treatment of this nature and lack of empathy are exactly why people like me struggle to socialize. In my life, I’ve never been barred from ANY business. This must be important to you to manage social climate in this manner.

I’m sure the federal government and BBB would love to hear of a business refusing to serve due to the display of symptoms regarding a social and learning disability. Asperger’s, being a protected disability, is not a reason you can legally refuse service. I’ll be filing a discrimination complaint with the state first thing Monday morning. Businesses of a hateful nature such as yours should not exist nor do they have the legal...

The music was great. The customers were also friendly and cool. The beer selection was awful, as was the whiskey selection, if you can call it that. The prices were a little steep, but i could forgive all that, if not for the bartender. It was the bartender who was unforgivable, that night. She'd create things to do to avoid dealing with customers, and avoided me for like 15 minutes, twice. I got two drinks with my friend, who doesn't drink. And she wasn't very busy, at all. I've worked as a server for years and support workers. But this waitress on the larger side (I only refer to her that way to hold her to account and to make a distinction from the other present staff, who seemed to do the opposite, as I don't know her name and will likely never be back in that city or bar) was beyond rude and dismissive, and plenty of other people could really use that job and would be decent to decent customers and respect clientele. This was just terrible. Maybe it's a Yale thing....