Isabel F.
Yelp
I had an absolutely horrible experience at The Westy and want to warn others about their unprofessional, aggressive, and discriminatory behavior. From the moment I walked in, I was ignored by the bartender, Pearl, while others around me were being served. When I politely asked if I could order a drink, I was finally acknowledged, but when I requested a specific drink, rather than simply saying they didn't have it, the bartender rudely cursed at me, saying, "Why the f** would I make a drink like that? Order something off the menu."*
Shocked by such an unprofessional response, I remained calm and respectful, yet the situation escalated further. The bartender threatened to call the police on me for no reason--simply because I requested a drink. Then, without cause, the bouncer Eric aggressively grabbed me, thrashing me around and refusing to let go, even though I repeatedly and calmly told him to release me. Despite being completely non-confrontational and not being violent back, he continued to manhandle me in a way that was completely unnecessary and unacceptable. He was so aggressive that he broke one of my nails and injured my wrist.
It was obvious that I was being targeted and mistreated because I am a Hispanic woman--if I had been a man or accompanied by one, I highly doubt I would have been treated this way. After filing a police report, I was informed by law enforcement that this establishment already has a bad reputation for being discriminatory. This speaks volumes about how they operate and how little they care about treating people with basic dignity and respect.
This was an obvious case of discrimination and assault, and I will be pursuing legal action. I strongly urge anyone--especially women and minorities--to avoid this place at all costs. No one deserves to be treated this way.