There are 3 colorful bars within walking distance of each other in Wailuku, this one being the oldest- about 9 years old. When it opened it drew lots of friendly attention as the only place to get a drink once the open beer garden closed down on Wailuku First Fridays. At the beginning it was 4 bartenders, soft live jazz, elegance, bouncers, and pro craft cocktails. Fri-Sun and holidays made up the rest of the week's day drinkers. As we say in hospitality-Everything changes to make ends meet. Enter DJs, Karaoke nights, and Mokes. You'll need to shout in my hearing aid to find out if there's enough seating, where the head is or whether your drink is ready. In the back, there was once an overflow area, that is now a perfect place to sit with others to have a conversation away from the 150 decibel speakers and the other two attractive bars are full. read more

We planned to meet friends before the theater doors open. That makes it a lot easier to find a parking place downtown. The Wai Bar would be the best location, so I checked their website. Opens at 4pm. Perfect. We'll meet there at 4:15. We arrived and the lights were off and nobody inside. Nothing showing hours other than Emo Mondays 9pm to midnight. Fortunately, Esters Fair Project was open for business and we had a good time there. C'mon guys, update the hours on your website. We'll come to visit and give you more stars. read more

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Great cool bar in the middle of Wailuku gets going later to disco music DJs great karaoke, unique club in the middle of Wailuku parking Johnnys Waibar is cool ! unique gem in Wailuku read more

The mister and I went here spur of the moment on a date night after dinner and we had fun. It's a small bar with a small dance floor but with a decent patio out in the back. That night there was a dj playing hip hop and thank goodness it was hip hop music that I recognized from my younger days. We had lots of fun having drinks and dancing the night away. The bartenders were really sweet even though it was pretty packed. I wouldn't mind going here for happy hour one of these days. Check it out! read more

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Wish I could have tried this place. Emailed, called and texted the number available several times over the week we were on Maui to try to get info on when they had karaoke and could never get anyone to answer/reply. It looks like a cool spot. Bummed we didn't get to experience it. read more

Came here for a random night out with friends. I really enjoyed myself. There was an optional fee for a buffet that was available (for those who were hungry). The buffet had a bit of everything (pizza, wings, vegetarian items, sushi, etc.). They also had Karaoke and really good drinks. The vibe was nice and everyone was super chill. I could see myself coming back. read more

Great customer service smooth comfortable atmosphere and the drink and food is fantastic. Great place to hang out and some local people.

The sleepy town of Wailuku has a lot of charm, specifically the buildings along Main and Market Streets that date back to possibly the late 1800's/early 1900's. They have a "San Francisco allure" about them that I love. Unfortunately, the town's potential isn't fulfilled as many spots sit vacant or close early due to a lack of surrounding nightlife. Enter 2017 and Wai Bar. Wai in Hawaiian means water or liquid. ATMOSPHERE: They've taken the right half of what used to be Emura Jewelry. The interior has a dark theme with simple decor. A good-sized bar sits to the right with a few standup-only high tops to the left, bay window seating with a view of Market St., and an elevated loft/stage at the rear. Because it was Wailuku First Friday and the event's beer garden is still dormant due to stringent liquor permit rules, the place was packed but never got overly crowded. Thankfully we were allowed to bring in food from the event while we enjoyed our libations. MENU: Their soft opening menu included beer, wine, sparkling wine, sake and non-alcoholic selections. I'm not sure if they'll ever offer food as there was no kitchen in view. BEVERAGE: A to Z Chardonnay - $5/glass. This Oregon-based white was light-bodied with subtle fruit flavors and very refreshing. I'm a wine newbie, so please forgive my short experience, lol. SERVICE: Regardless that this was opening night, everything flowed smoothly from what I saw. A woman who I'm pretty sure was the owner, interacted with patrons and bused tables all while showing a baby bump. Bartender service was friendly and quick. There were no wait staff though. TIP: Cash only but I'm hoping that'll change soon. OVERALL: Great addition to the area. Hopefully more entrepreneurs will take note and liven up Wailuku town! read more

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WAI BAR IS NOT A SAFE ENVIRONMENT! My partner got physically attacked at their establishment by multiple people and the bouncers were negligent in protecting the safety of their patrons. I also reached out to the bar owner to request video footage, so we could figure out how to move forward but was told they do not have access to video footage. What type of establishment has cameras if they aren't able to access them? That's a false sense of security. There has been numerous reports of violence at Wai Bar and every time it seems to get swept under the rug. I do not recommend doing business with Wai Bar at all. read more

So much fun! Great staff, great environment, great entertainment. Karaoke in particular is well run

Been a regular here from before COVID and love the neighborhood feel and friendly staff and service! Karaoke on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays where you get to sing on a stage with lights and pro sound. Bartenders know their stuff, drink selection is extensive and easy to make new friends and meetup with old ones! read more

How could I not have checked in each and every I have been here?!?! Wai Bar is without a doubt the place to be for happy hour! Pre-dinner! Post dinner! Just because! Any occasion! Tonight was no exception! Great place to be on First Fridays for their ambience, quality of libations and entertainment! Mahalos Wai Bar!! read more

Wai Bar Review - GW I have always been very nervous at the prospect of going into a new bar. So, I must have walked by Wai Bar many times on my way home from work. But this one time it was a hot evening after a long and thirsty day, with the door partially open and the bar visible. So, heart in my hands... I doubt that I could have been made more welcome. It was quiet at the time - early evening. I found a small neighborhood-type bar with simple décor and plenty of seating. a stage at the end of the room, a decent-length granite-type bar - and beer! Good draft beer, from lager to a strong IPA. Was I about to leave? Er - no. I have a dim memory of music that night, as there often is. I have loved live music for many years, and Maui is not the best place to find it. Two nights ago, the stage was occupied by a surprise, and fun, jazz band. Wai Bar's mix of karaoke, disco with full lightshow, and occasional bands keeps the place lively as the night goes on. Clientele is admirably mixed and diverse, reflecting the local population, and place itself is LGBTQ-friendly. And the bar staff--a real fun, talented lot! There was the one who opened her own clothing/bookstore next door. There are the ones who double as karaoke queens - did I mention karaoke, with the quirky hostess? And the conversations at quiet times have sealed the deal, for me. It's my local, and I am very happy with it. read more

One of the worst bars I've ever been too. Lame music, lame service, over priced drinks. Go anywhere but here.

FINALLY a place to go that has nightlife. The music is amazing as they have live or djs in the house every night. Bartenders are always on it! I highly recommend this place. read more

Not a safe place to attend. Got jumped last night. Solo single male (mahu) got jumped by a group of guys and a girl. Not sure why just got jumped. Mind you I was parked like 10 foot steps from the front door!! Not recommending this bar to anyone. Not safe. Looking for video footage to go after the group. It's Wai bar I doubt they will do anything, Or look for those guys. read more

Popped in with the hubby on a quiet afternoon and had such a fun server who was delightful to chat with and made a great cocktail. I wish I could recall her name. I would definitely stop in again. read more

Wai Bar - The Freshout! Perfect après acupuncture destination. Close, mellow and friendly! Yummy sting drinks! - Bars Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

one of their employees put their HANDS ON ME after staying an extra 15 minutes in their restroom they had three staff members outside the stall waiting for us and at the end of it the bar 'owner' asked us if we were masturbating in there ???? They are disgusting and incompetent if u are working in this kind of service I hope you treat future clients with respect and don't start a fight u won't finish... the second I stood up for myself the guy grabbed me by my arms and took me out of the establishment but NOTHING WAS DONE about the employee who shoved me to instigate a fight when we were only trying to communicate. That wasn't very MAHALO of your establishment. Do yourself a favor and walk a few steps over to Esther's prospect they are wonderful in every way,top tier humans. read more

I enjoy coming in for drinks here! They bring in cool DJs, Karaoke is always a good time on Thursdays, and sometimes Sunday's, they bring in a food truck, and you can get some of the BBQ food on the island from #Dopebbq. The service from the bartenders is nothing short of spectacular. Katie, Piikea, and Marlie are really skilled, super friendly, a lot of fun and will make sure they shut down any stupid drama that starts to get violent inside the bar. The manager, Alfie, always comes to shake my hand and thanks me for coming in every time I come through. They bring in pretty big crowds on the weekends as well if you like to dance your heart out. read more

Quite possibly the best bar I've ever been to. Not kidding. First time in Maui and I stopped in to this place my first night for a quick drink. The owner and all the bartenders were way too cool. Offered some great recommendations around Maui and made kickass drinks. I came back the next day for some live Jazz and killer drinks. Same experience. F*cking great. I discovered two of the best cocktails I've ever had: Fresh Out and the Wai Tai. Definitely check this place out if you're in Maui. Preferably on a night with some live music. read more

What a great find! Randomly came to this bar with some of our friends after checking out First Fridays. The drinks were good and the music was on point. Hip hop remixes all night!! Would love to know who the dj was on 1/4/19! read more

I've been a patron since they opened and have always loved the atmosphere! It's been a long time since I've been but stopped in last week Tuesday night for a quick hangout with a group of friends. Super appreciative of the owner: Had a personal misunderstanding that was resolved very quickly, he also didn't waste anytime getting back to me on the asap! Thanks again guys! We'll be back soon! read more

Amazing, best bar In maui. Drinks are amazing. Enjoy the atmosphere, everything was so fun and the staff was amazing! Definitely the best bar around. Don't miss the karaoke nights! If you meed somewhere to go when you land come here! read more

My favorite new bar in Maui... great atmosphere music and cocktails... I can't say enough as to how cool this place is... and how very needed in downtown Wailuku... this bar will be an island institution and mainstay for years to come! Congrats Wai Bar!!! read more

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Great Aloha here. They dont serve food but you can bring some or have it delivered. What ever you do SHARE. We ordered Umi sushi. Goes well with the drinks nice selection of whiskeys. Easy parking. read more

Lovely little bar in Wailuku with fresh squeezed screwdrivers. Dave the bartender is super friendly and has a great attitude. Sunday NFL is in the big screen and you'll have four Kona beers on tap to choose from! read more

Interesting place! Very divey and a little dead on the Wednesday we went (understandable), but we had fun. I'm sure it was safe enough (and this might not be out of the ordinary for the area), but it was a little strange to have to go all the way to the back and outside for the women's restroom. Fellow paranoid gals: definitely bring a friend when you head to the bathroom and you'll be fine. ;) read more

We had the best time at Wai Bar! Beth was our bartender and trip planner! She made us amazing Maui specialty drinks and gave us great ideas for things to do while we are in Maui. Thank you Beth! read more

Popped in real quick during the day and tried the Waiside Sour... awesome drink! I'd love to return sometime during an event but I'm sure it gets pretty crowded. This is a great bar for Wailuku and I can't wait to go back. read more

Worst drink I've had in a long time. They knew the drinks sucked and still charged us full price. After they said they would discount the bill.. Don't waste your time. read more

Aki the bartender is the best! Sat with him for 4.5 hours and had the time of our lives! Will come back on a Wednesday just to have a good time! read more

Had time to kill on way to airport, so stopped on this cute old Hawaii feel street in Waikula. Popped in this bar, good service, quiet right now being New Years Eve afternoon, but a local crew gathered after a while. Enjoyable, away from the maddening crowds of Paia, and fresh squeezed grapefruit for my cocktail, definetly a bonus, hard to come by even on the islands. read more

This is a nice little bar had a very nice time. The place was clean and the staff was friendly. Wide variety of beverages to choose from. Not too expensive, I think we spent under 40 for a couple classes of wine and a well drink. The had a jazz band playing and the were very good however I think they need to figure out a way to lower the volume. We will come again read more

My girlfriends and I went earlier in the evening. The bartender was helpful and made some delicious cocktails. As the bar got busier he passed by our table more than once servicing other tables and ignored us. Eventually we realized it would be best to just get our bill and leave. I think if you are going to start with table service it would be a good idea to let your customers know that it might end. The music and atmosphere were fun! Service could use work. I would suggest sitting at the bar if you want more than one drink. read more

I admire this place for trying. I've went after a few shows and the place has a line coming out the door. The police harass them incessantly. It's just cool that they are giving people somewhere to go. The bartenders are friendly and pour good drinks. They do look like there a little run down. It's really the only place to go on the island with any vibe. When they open up back rooms it's cool. read more

Best service, best bartender (Annie)! This is our third visit to Maui and we just came across this gem of a bar! The service is fantastic and the employees are very friendly! If you need a bar when you get off the plane come to Wai bar! You won't be disappointed! Thank you guys so so much for your hospitality! read more

Yay! New Bar Wailuku, we went Friday night , bar was popping, prices good.

---UPDATE: I got a response from the owner on Google Review apologizing. But it still does not make up for the fact that each of us in my party was going to be charged a cover, and the guy in front of us didn't get charged a cover. Inconsistent and shady! Also, the doorman and bartender still need serious customer service training.--- Went here after they opened and it was OK. The bartender didn't want to take our credit card and no one had cash on them so we had to go to a cash machine and pay the fee to get money out. Service was super slow. Went back again and we had a great time, no issues and they took our credit card. Went back for the Halloween event Friday and the bouncer wanted to charge us $10 (after not advertised as a cover in the paper). Then he said we had to go to the back patio and we would not be able to drink. We were confused and said OK so you said we're paying $10 each to get into your bar, and we have to sit in the back and we're not allowed to drink. And he said yes and we asked why and he said the bar was at max capacity. We said we're not sure we want to pay $10 to get into a bar we can't even drink because this doesn't even make sense, and he turned his back and ignored us. We talked to a guy walking away from the bar in front of us and he said he DIDN'T get charged the $10 to go in right before us, and it was lame because he wasn't allowed to drink either, so he left. Too bad.... we will never be going back to this bar to spend our money.. and we live very close and was excited to have a new spot in Wailuku. And we'll tell our friends our stories too. This spot is hit or miss, mostly miss, and very inconsistent. The bouncers need some customer service help, as well as the bartender. VERY DISAPPOINTED. read more

The Wai Bar recently opened up in Wailuku town (a couple buildings down from FHB in the old Emura's Jewelry space) and it's lighting up Market Street!! Dropped in for drinks with my girl tribe and the place was hopping mostly with people waiting for the Iao Theatre to open - the vibe was fun, happening, and LOUD!! They make good use of their narrow-ish space ... with the bar on the right as you enter and high-top tables with bench seats all the way to the back. Real "trendy" black walls and a small stage at the very rear for live music. Bartendress-es were friendly but got a little busy when the theatre crown swelled which made getting refills a little hard but they made up for it by coming out to our table to check on us afterwards. Full service bar - they were able to make cocktails not listed on the menu without any problem. New hangout in Wailuku town ... much needed night spot!! read more

Brand new up and coming modern chic and badly needed bar in Wailuku! Great staff and owner! Grab a bite at a neighbor restaurant and pau Hana here for great great great music gorgeous decor and value pricing read more