Maka L.
Yelp
I want to like Esther's so badly as there are not many bar options on Maui, however, every single time we have come in for a drink, our night has been ruined by such unfriendly service. As fellow local business owners, my partner and I make an effort to support local, small businesses. Perhaps it's our youthful looks, or our born & raised air that gets us side eyed, ignored, and scoffed at?
We are usually great tippers, and it takes a lot for us to leave a bad one, but we just had to. Esther's should hire more staff if they cannot treat every customer equally. The staff is stone cold & unfriendly, but not to everyone. We were not given any water or napkins while everyone else had them. We received an eye roll when asking if an off-menu drink was possible. We were ignored at the bar, and no one came back to check on us. We usually get multiple rounds, but that isn't possible when staff pretends you are not there...meanwhile, we noticed an over served customer who hit his head very hard on a street sign and stumbled into the road right after leaving. We also ran into a happy customer of ours who was about to get into her car completely sh*t faced.
The atmosphere at Esther's is great, and the drinks aren't a problem, but all of this potential gets trampled over by bad, inconsistent service. It is very disappointing to learn that the owner has so much restaurant experience and was the most rude of all! I am lost for what exactly causes this trend for us as the bar generally gets good reviews, and we are quiet, polite customers. It could be the way we dress, our age, or the assumption that we are just some silly kids although we are paying the same $15 per drink, like everyone else! I am not sure... but if you are a local, keep in mind that all of the low reviews share one thing in common: "RUDE STAFF."