Ira B.
Yelp
We had the most unusual experience at Hala Kahiki. My wife and I have visited this establishment many times over the past decade for this particular event, as we possess a property that we lease through Air BNB, VRBO, short-term leasing platforms, etc. The tiki art we have purchased over the years has been a great addition to our themes and has helped our aesthetics overall (See the attached pictures). We were celebrating a friend's birthday, and her mood started great, and she ended up having a nightmare of an experience. The evening started well, and we met two friends who we invited. We went to the bar and had a great experience with the bartender. Our crew consisted of four people in our 50s, two of whom are educators of elementary school children. My wife and I own a few companies collectively, and we understand customer service and everything related; we serve people seven days per week.
I started a tab and proceeded to the vendor booths, excited to see what sort of creativity these artists came up with. After browsing the place and spending $150 on art and more on drinks, we found a cozy corner to sit in. We sat in the tent during a brutal rain storm, and water was leaking within various areas, including the furniture I decided to sit on, which was saturated with water. My bottom was soaked for hours afterward. When our 4th guest arrived, she was ready to order a drink and flagged down who appeared to be the "server of our area."
The gentleman was a shorter, stout fellow, and I did not get his name. He was awkward during his greeting. He brought a round of drinks, and one of them was lit on fire with a cinnamon stick (See attached video). We assumed he poured alcohol on it; he had a device that looked like something you fill a lighter with. The cinnamon sticks had these long burning flames on them. The server walked away and left the straw in the drink, and it melted the burnt plastic in it. I had to grab the straw while lit and burnt my finger and thumb (See attached picture). Would a burning plastic straw and cinnamon stick with lighter fluid merit a new drink? But he disappeared entirely and avoided us for the rest of our time there. He also did the oddest thing. He would not accept a debit card to hold the tab. He made us pay our round upfront; this is the first time I've heard this, and we travel nationwide annually.
As we were getting ready to wrap up, one of the gals asked what he used to light the flame, and he said, "Lighter fluid!!" I don't even use lighter fluid on my charcoal, let alone put it in a drink. Even if it wasn't lighter fluid, telling someone it is, "Isn't kool." Also, another one of the gals asked if she could keep her stir stick and if it would cost extra, and the server said that would be stealing. That was the last straw, and we asked for the manager. A younger, taller gal came to the table who wasn't the manager; she came with a snarl and attitude before finding out what had happened. As one of the ladies tried to explain, she immediately cut her off and then accused her of raising her voice (Which wasn't the case; it was a diversion, so they didn't have to deal with the situation and, appropriately). Then we asked the owner and another young gal named Amy came to the table; she was clearly not the manager, based on her demeanor and approach, and if so, this bar was in trouble. Like the other gal, she turned it on us and told us we had to leave because we were raising our voices. We proceeded to go, and they followed us and harassed us the entire way out the door. The male server who poisoned my friends with lighter fluid was nowhere to be seen. That evening, one of our friends had difficulty breathing, was sneezing, and later vomited several times from the lighter fluid or whatever they doused the cinnamon stick with. Here is what I found online regarding lighter fluid, and these symptoms were happening to both of the gals with lit drinks:
Inhaling these fumes can lead to respiratory problems and exacerbate health issues. Additionally, if not burned off completely, lighter fluid residue can end up on your food, introducing potentially harmful chemicals into your diet. This server should not serve anywhere!
I'd recommend avoiding this bar; we will never be returning. It's sad, because the décor, took the original owners, from what it appears, a log time and many travels to gather the art work there. There are too many great choices with better service out there.