This afternoon me and my wife went to the bar in our hotel for some cocktails on our staycation and made friends with one of the guys there and we started playing pool and having a good time. Then one of the bartenders peter told us we had to leave after only one drink. We got up and left then I went back downstairs cause I left my card. Turned out he just wanted to open up the pool table for his friends. I get that it's a gay bar and so we were probably out of place but we didn't have to get kicked out like that just so someone's friends could play pool. Felt very unwelcomed in a place that I thought would be accepting of all people. read more

My fellow Kanaka Maoli, I plead with you to not support this establishment, please support other businesses who will appreciate locals as well as tourist and the LGBTQIA+ community . As a kanaka maoli wahine from Maui, I have NEVER felt as socially unjustified by an establishment as I did at Hulas. The bartenders were so respectful. However, Peter and the kitchen staff were so disrespectful. They said we "aggressively took" our order to our table. However, we asked if the order at the kitchen stand were our nachos and they said we had had to wait for our server to clarify. I worked in the service industry for 6 years, so I told Sy "no pressure" we were just checking since it has been over 30 minutes. We understand that food may take a while. Our server Sy, brought our food to our table, it was the wrong order of nachos, but we didn't say anything because we thought they messed up on our order. We didn't want Sy to get in trouble because he is so nice. Later, Peter came up to us and he said we "aggressively" asked for our nachos, but this is far from the case. I admit, I asked in Hawaiian if he spoke Hawaiian so I could speak to him privately, and he said "so you are saying you weren't being aggressive to our staff, but being aggressive yelling at me". Then walked away. The music was sooooo loud in Hulas, we had no choice but to speak in a loud manner. I also believe that he didn't speak Hawaiian, so that could have been part of the issue. Later we apologize to the kitchen staff for the misunderstanding and our bartender Drew. Drew told us our order was NEVER put it and apologized. Drew was so understanding. However, we were GIVEN our it order by Sy, we never took anything from the kitchen. We apologized to the bartenders, server Sy, and the kitchen staff, because we thought, there was a misunderstanding. At this end of the night, we were pressured to leave by staff after only ordering two drinks to share between the three of us. This would never happened in Maui. I have never left a yelp review before, but I felt so disrespected by this establishment, that I just had to write a review. My fellow Kanaka, I plead with you to not support this establishment, please support other local businesses who will appreciate locals, as well as the LGBTQIA+ community. From my experience, Hulas is NOT it. I feel like a Karen leaving this review, but I feel like the people needed to know. read more

Great little bar. Cheap drinks and amazing music selection. The service was great and everyone was very friendly more to me than my lady even! Wait... read more

Fun place! Me and my wife liked it so much we went everyday while in Honolulu! Lee was super friendly and great service! She is a sweet and wonderful waitress! We're gona miss her!! read more

Hula's Bar & Lei Stand - Gay Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I tried there, fire roasted duck quesadilla was a 7/10 but there Mia tias were amazing and they have a beautiful view service was excellent read more

I use to LOVE Hulas from the moment I first entered. I met the owner, Jack, and he really created the energy and magic to make the place the perfect vibe. We played pool together, watched the beautiful view, and sipped delicious mai tais. After being gone for 3yrs, I returned to a new staff which included a girl (Alex) at the front door checking ids. All was well until after one beer I took a trip to the bathroom to return to the bar to find out I could no longer be served, based on Alex's perception. I was confused because I had not done anything to even possibly be considered drunk, but since they did not know me & I looked different than those around me they took it as an opportunity to bully & ridicule me out of the establishment. Good luck to any PoC (particularly black) patrons entering this bar I, personally, shall never return (I will always love you, Jack! Thank you for being a friend, a good soul, and a stellar being!) read more

Hula's Bar & Lei Stand - me and jack in 2020 - Gay Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We walked in as a table of 6 on a Monday night... it was dead , but it was only 8:45pm so couldn't judge as the night was still so young. The hostess was very nice. She said if we wanted to order food then we had 10 min to do so. We already knew what we wanted , but no one came by to check! 10 min later Jeffrey came by and asked if we wanted something to drink. No HEY, HI, HOW YA DOIN'. Other reviews said the customer service here sucks and I can see why. We all were still skimming the menu on drinks and as I looked up to say what I wanted, not even 4 seconds in, he TWIRLED OFF and said 'few minutes, K, cool' ... uhm.... RUDEEEEEE. We left. We will not be back.. EVER. read more

Jason has been great, attentive and polite. The bar is super busy and he doesn't miss anything. A rare thing nowadays in most establishments. Great service and well made martinis. Thank you, Jason. read more

To the pissy little bitch (server) who shoed us out of his service area on Saturday afternoon, you could have handled the situation so much more professionally. We were pointed at to order our drinks in two different locations, no greetings, no welcome, nothing. Why would we want to come back to this establishment? We've been coming to Waikiki, and to Hula's for over 25 years. Don't need to receive this type of treatment from anyone. Imperial Court of Hawaii, we won't be combining back anytime soon. Emperor's 29 and 31 of Sacramento, California. read more

I love Hula's. The music is always on point and you can't find a more welcoming environment. Some of the best views on Oahu and the food is great for a "bar"! 10/10 one of my favorite places to go! read more

Since this place was so close to my hotel, I decided to stop in for a nightcap (or two. Or three...). Didn't know this was a gay bar when I walked in, but dammit if I didn't have a great time! There were quite few other straight singles and couples in there besides myself, and I felt totally welcome. This place struck the balance festive party atmosphere, and yet really chill. There were a few go-go dancers making their rounds. A packed bar with lots of people just hanging out and enjoying the evening breeze. There were also music videos playing on the handful of large screens situated in different locations around the bar (I acted a WHOLE fool when when they played "Hair, Nails, Hips, Heels". That is MY SONG, honey!) Not much to say about the drinks; I only had a few beers. The bartenders weren't very attentive or engaging, but because there were so many people there that night, I'll give em a pass for that. read more

Loved my Lei. Smelled amazing and got many compliments. Would definitely recommend. It lasted the entire night

Came here with a group of 4. Let me start with the positives. The bar really takes the extra step to make sure you're vaccinated and not running a temperature before you enter, which is admirable. However, the service, terrible. It's self seating, after we sat down, the server didn't come to our table ONE time. Her name was Lea, and she served everyone in the bar besides our table. It was honestly pathetic and we didn't eat because of this. Why give extra money to a business that doesn't even want to ask if you're okay or want something to eat? We took advantage of the drink prices. But beware of the VERY unwelcoming server. read more

I love this legendary Global location. The view of Waikiki, Diamondhead and the Pacific Ocean is dreamlike but really there. Top World DJs, personalities and live musicians have performed, drank and dined here. Which always makes me wonder at its glorious history and tales. The Pastrami sliders is my favorite on the menu. The drinks are tall, proud and poured well. Music and food safely done, even during Covid' read more

The service is amazing, the pours are amazing, and friendly people. Ask for Justin if he is working: he is the best bartender I've had in a long time. read more

Came here for dinner and the food and drinks were nasty and the service was horrible they don't even try. Why is this place still open?

Love the Mai Tai pitchers! $13 is a great price! Love it! We go here every Saturday night!

My husband and I revisited Hula's on a recent stopover in Honolulu fully prepared for the worst based on our visit early last year, but we were both quite pleasantly surprised. The bartenders (none of whom I recognized from previous visits) were extremely friendly, engaging, and poured good drinks. I think it helped that I made an effort to smile and tipped well, but they seemed to be interacting in a positive manner with just about everyone. The crowd was fantastic and I love that it's still a classic gay video bar. I suspect the bottom line is that, just like any other bar, the quality of your experience is going to depend strongly on who happens to be working on the night you visit. The doorman was also much better this time - thank goodness they got rid of the odious little bespeckled turd who was working the door towards the end of the pandemic last year. read more

Wow, their host JAKE is super rude. I met up with some friends from Las Vegas last minute to say hello 30 minutes before the bar was closing. After getting upstairs I noticed nobody at the front and excited to see my friends from out of Hawaii I walked in to tell my friends hi. Jake came over to my table and says "excuse me, I don't know what you're problem but you're not supposed to just walk in." And I said "well no one was at the front" and he said "can't you read? There's a sign here" so I asked "wow dude why did have an attitude?" He says "you started it" HORRIBLE. So rude. I'm so nice to customer service people, he needs a new approach. Absolute trash!!! read more

I don't drink very much nowadays but this is my favorite gay bar in Hawaii. Beautiful views on the ocean, especially at sunset. Every time I visit Oahu, I'm sure to stop by. Jonny (one of the bartenders--sorry if I'm spelling your name wrong) recognized me last time even though it had been three years since I had last spoken to him. read more

Great service. Bartenders are attentive. Awesome mai tai. Pitchers only way to go. Wonderful views. Very chill place.

Happy hour pricing was great. Bar staff was super nice. There was a medical emergency and the staff handled it great and were super helpful to the person in need as well as being apologetic to the patrons in the restaurant despite not needing to appolog read more

Hula's Bar & Lei Stand - Spicy Bloody Mary - Gay Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Good bar, great drinks/drink specials, and an awesome place to go for a night out on the town! Bathrooms and floors are kept clean and the staff is nice! Great place to check out and they have awesome shows and special guests that visit! read more

Hula's Bar & Lei Stand - Gay Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My favorite go to bar with friends. The bartenders and staff are friendly and make sure you have a good time. A great place to make friends. Great view of the beach. read more

My 200th review! We came here on Saturday to support my dear friend Aiko for the Divas Drag show! And it was SO MUCH FUN! This is definitely not your average bar! The music is pumping depending on the DJ they play all kinds of music, recent hits and some old jams! And They've also got a dance floor! Our waitress was amazing! She kept the drinks coming all night long. My cousin ordered the pina colada and she loved it! I got the blue Hawaii and I swear I had about 5-6 lol! My husband had rum and coke and it was strong too! But that's what makes the night fun right!! Lol bathrooms were for the most part clean at the beginning of the night lol. My friend aiko reserved us a table towards the front, where we got to watch the show up close! And it was AMAZING! They have one every 1st and 3rd week of the month! The host Tiana was hilarious! The atmosphere was pretty laid back, it is "labeled a gay bar" but trust me you don't have to be gay to come here! All kinds of people come here and it's cool. Gogo dancers were cool, majority guy gogo's and one girl and we kept tipping them all night long LOL! As far as parking, parking across at the zoo is the best option, or if you don't plan on driving and you want to drink (because you will) get a lyft or an Uber! Anyway most definitely will be back! And I can't wait! :) read more

Hula's Bar & Lei Stand - Getting our drinks started - Gay Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This is purely for the vibes. We just stopped in on a random Tuesday night. We immediately felt at home with all the rainbow lights and good energies. Lee was amazing! She gave us really good drink recommendations and was so friendly. The 5 stars are for her and the strong drinks. We will definitely be back again:) Parking: free at the zoo right across the street (after hours) read more

Nobody dances here, or maybe that was just the nights we went. Me and my husband got up to dance and then went to the bathroom, came back out, and everyone started dancing. So maybe they needed someone to break the ice haha. I loved the atmosphere here. I like how the weather is nice enough to just open all the shutters. I will say though, the alcohol seemed to be watered down after a couple of drinks but our friends warned us of that. Not a bad spot to check out though! read more

Hula's Bar & Lei Stand - Inside having drinks - Gay Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

jake was awesome!!!!! such a good server, so quick, so kind, so everything!! thank you jake for making my birthday awesome!!!!

I've been to hulas many times over the last 8 years! It is a staple for the Honolulu gay community. Located at the end of Waikiki right across from the zoo. One of the only bars with parking close by. Drinks are affordable and they have a special almost everyday of the week. Also you industry employees receive discounted drinks daily. Great deal! Nachos, and Ruben sliders are a must try. The only area I believe they fall short is customer service. Out of all the bartenders at this location I've only had a good experience with one. She is the one who informed me of the specials which all these years I've never known they had. The other gentleman seem snotty, not very welcoming! When asking for a drink you almost feel as if you are doing something wrong. read more

Hula's Bar & Lei Stand - Mai tai - Gay Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Went out on a Saturday night during my honeymoon with my husband. We didn't have any issues getting in. Just make sure you can show that you've had the COVID-19 vaccine to get in. Good music, good people, and strong drinks. Everyone was really enjoying themselves. There were mostly gay men there, but also groups of straight women dancing, and a few straight guys. It was so nice to dance on their dance floor too! Definitely check this place out! read more

Hula's Bar & Lei Stand - Drinks near the bar - Gay Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Wow I usually never leave bad reviews but wow I've never felt so disrespected before. I was super excited for this gay bar but the host must of had a really Bad day. He was rude in the beginning and I let that slide. Then he kept on mean mugging me so I ask him if I did something. I couldn't hear him because of his mask but I heard "bye" . I'm still v confused at this point. Btw the bartenders were not wearing masks so I felt pretty uncomfortable so I asked to get my check. They tossed it at us and we left feeling really disappointed. I'm not sure what was in the air but they were NOT having it. It's disappointing because these reviews are good but I don't suggest anyone coming here tbh read more

This place can SO easily be 5-star. The vibe is awesome. The servers are friendly. The Happy Hour prices are *pretty good. The music (even live) is great. They do a good job during COVID keeping things open. Why 3 stars? Let's start with the food. I didn't ask when I visited, but I have to question if this place normally serves food, or if they are simply doing it so they can function as a "restaurant" during COVID. The first night (of 4) we went there, we had the nachos. $14 for ... let's be honest, a bunch of Walmart/Great Value-brand ingredients thrown onto a paper plate and microwaved. 2nd night - we had the Caesar salad, which again tasted like someone opened a packaged salad from a grocery store, added some shaved Parmesan and squeezed the packaged dressing into a plastic ramekin. 3rd night - we had the Cheeseburger sliders. These were actually not terrible. The meat tasted a little "dated" and unseasoned, but overall, something I would order a second time to satisfy the food requirement on our tab. 4th night - we weren't feeling the food at all, so we ordered the sliders again and gave them to a homeless person after we left. The other reason for 3 stars? Inconsistency in food ordering policy, based on local COVID protocols. A couple of times, we were "advised" that food had to be 30% of our tab, but only on the last night we were there was this actually enforced. Being from San Francisco, we are certainly used to strict policies during this pandemic, but the wavering and inconsistency in policy enforcement left a sour taste in our mouths, something the FANTASTIC Long Island iced teas definitely did not do. When we return to Waikiki in the future, we'll definitely give this place another shot. My suggestions for improvement: 1) if you're going to serve food, please serve original items which are actually thought-out and not simply microwaved 2) whatever policies you have to follow, just be consistent with them. We weren't mad about the policies, just the manner in which they were enforced (or not) read more

Stopped in for a drink, but the service sucked ass, and not in a good way! Want a friendly place, visit the in-between bar.

Lee is the most amazingly awesome server and it's so good to dance with her in between serving us drinks. She ie. FANTABULOUS Thank you Lee for making my visit to Hula's such a fantastic one read more

Hula's Bar & Lei Stand - Gay Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Got choked out by the bouncer for falling asleep at the bar. Was told by the manager that it was acceptable behavior because I was "belligerently drunk due to the fact that I was falling asleep" as well as "It was ok you got choked out because you didn't pass out" after being lifted by the neck and choked out for 20 seconds while being escorted out. I've never heard that logic before at any bar I've been to beforehand. Talked to the manager to figure out why that was done and wasn't given a follow up on it. read more

Seeing a trend here. The server Jeffrey. We ended up having to leave because his ongoing rude, sarcastic and unwelcome behavior triggered a friend who went off on him. Only to now look at my credit card statement and see that he likely inflated his tip. Lesson learned to take pictures of my credit card slips going forward. read more

I went by myself on a Monday night while visiting, and they happened to have open mic as their activity. The place is small but cozy and the entrance is up some stairs through the hotel. Reception was very nice and affirming while checking my ID, and I felt very safe. I sat at the bar, but there are some tall tables with stools or tables against raised benches against the open air side. The breeze coming in is nice and you get the view of the street. There is a dance floor with mirrors and a tv screen that was playing some funny telenovela type thing. Not too loud at all, even with the DJ. I was one of only like four people dancing but that's ok Bar staff was great! They continued to check in on me and ask if I was ok, and if I needed anything. The restrooms are small but decent all things considered (however the female restroom is located like, down a small hall and around a corner but the male restroom is right in front by the stage: It's not obvious, but it's there.) $9 Mai Tais were excellent. Locals were kind and friendly, I showed up casual and I didn't feel out of place at all. Could really be my true self here. Would come again! Other details: I took uber from Waikiki to this place, if you're coming from the LayLow hotel area I'd say don't walk. It may only be 15 minutes on foot but as I was watching the streets it's kinda isolated. I'd have no idea where you'd park if you had a rental car. It's a 3 minute drive so it's more convenient to just take a car service. read more

Serendipitously stumbled upon the bar and it's really quaint in the day and quite perfect to take a break from the sun as you soak in the lovely views of the beach and Diamond Head, gentle breeze in your face, while enjoying a lovely Mai Tai. Caught a sunset here and truly gorgeous. Good happy hour and I got a cheap pitcher of beer following my Mai Tai as they transitioned into evening live music. Pretty chill overall and friendly staff. Aloha. And welcome to Hula's. read more

Hula's Bar & Lei Stand - Mai Tai time - Gay Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We wanted to go have drinks and dance...Hula's was near the Pacific Beach hotel, so we walked over. Since I have a Hawaii ID, Tracy and I got in for free and Deb was half price...pretty cool! We grabbed a table and a young guy came and took our order. As we waited, a female go-go dancer started and she was good! As the evening progressed, the second female dancer was awful! It was like she was dancing as a favor to some guy who she was hanging out with earlier. Then a young man came on and he was alright...Deb went and gave him some money and said he wasn't all that "big"....LOLLLLLLLL! The funniest part of the evening was the group of Japanese girls who came in and shyly put money in the first girl's shorts...and they did that funny "hand over mouth giggle"...LOL! We danced with these lesbians which was fun...and then the group of Japanese girls came and danced with us. It was a fun night! Mahalo! read more

Hula's Bar & Lei Stand - Aloha! - Gay Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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What a fun place! We were staying in a hotel right around the corner(literally) when we found this place on Yelp! and decided to drop on in. Its actually located on the second floor of the Waikiki Grand Hotel, just past Teddy's Bigger Burgers. We walked in and grabbed a seat overlooking the Zoo/Beach area. This place, like many in the area, has that open air thing going which made it great to take in the great weather and enjoy some prime people watching! Shortly after sitting down we were approached by our server/hostess. (?) I think her name was Li (not sure and I apologize if I got it wrong) My friend is not a drinker at all, so I asked for something fun and light she could recommend for him. She recommended a "Sex on the Beach" and I ordered a pitcher of Miller Lite, which was on special for 5.00 each. It was great just getting to take in the scene, kick back a few drinks, and chat it up some. After a little bit we decided to get some things to munch on. We got some wings and mini quesadillas. The winds were not so hot, but the little quesos were tasty! Without even so much as being asked, Li brought us a bowl of lotus chips and sauce to enjoy as well. Awesome and friendly service the whole time we were here! On top of that, since it was Valentines Day, she also came back with some chocolate treats as well! We didn't stay for long, maybe an hour or two, but we really enjoyed our time here! I would not hesitate to recommend Hula's to anyone visiting Waikiki! It was a fun, friendly, and relaxing experience! 4 stars. read more

Hula's Bar & Lei Stand - view of the zoo from the ledge - Gay Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii