This place sucks. I can't believe I even have to give it a single star...if I could give it zero I would. The bouncers are assholes and the place is a dump. I saw some girls' IDs get taken away at the door and the bouncer didn't even look at them but just assumed they were fake and threatened to call the cops. Honestly don't go unless you want to have a shitty time.
Review Source:If you can get past the jerky bouncers and employees running the place, you'll have a decent time here. Â The music is good, the drinks..ehh. Â But if you can name a club that has great drinks for a great price.. please let me know. Â Because that'll be like finding a four-leaf clover. Â But anywho, the decor is outrageously outdated. Â Lots of military and tourists here. Â Some locals. Â My favorite thing about coming here is the parking... $3 in the garage if you get the validation. Â That may help offset the $15 cover.
Review Source:Why I Don't Like Zanzabar in Waikiki, O'ahu:
1. There's a sign posted at the entrance with a lengthy dress code. They DO NOT enforce it at all. Thus, my efforts to be presentable and force my husband into a dress shirt was all for naught because they DO NOT enforce their own dress code.
2. Zanzabar needs a serious makeover. It has been over 10 years and the decor is still the same. I definitely DO NOT think LUXE when I step into their establishment.
3. In lieu of a kitchen they had people selling food as soon as you step in the door. This is definitely not a high end experience when the people selling food have chafers covered with tin foil to keep their servings warm. GHETTO! First - it means the food is not made to order. Second - who knows how long it's been sitting there. Sanitation code states that food must be thrown out after a certain period of time. I don't think they're following that.
4. You step up to the person checking your I.D. You get "wanded" for metal items. Then you walk up to the door where a very mean-looking, frowny-face woman stands and tells you to move on the side while other patrons are either exiting or a VIP person is getting in ahead of you. **rolling my eyes**
5. The bathroom is a wreck! I visited the bathroom about three times that evening. The stall I used, the toilet tank had no lid and there was no toilet paper.
6. They had a very mean and feisty attendant in the bathroom. It was just all wrong to have that woman in there. She tried to guilt trip everyone into tipping her. If I were the boss, based on her customer service, I would fire her. I actually heard her tell a woman that she should tip because she's in the military and makes lots of money. By my third visit to the restroom, I was OVER the rude bathroom attendant and I skipped her hand soap and paper towels. I just washed without the soap and shook my hands dry.
7. The girl to guy ratio swings in the LADIES favor. There are like 5 guys to 1 girl. That might be a good thing for a single lady. Not a good thing for a single guy unless he's into guys.
8. The music... It was the same music and mixes from my mid-20's. That was 10 years ago.
FINAL CONCLUSION: $10 cover -- I will never pay it again -- not at Zanzabar! They need to call Jon Taffer and the team of Bar Rescue to rehab the place.
I heard A LOT about here. The music is good and dance floor is big. But the people there are meh. We got a slip from this dude outside advertising the bar. So we only had to pay $5 for the entrance fee before 11PM. It would originally be $10 to get in. They seem to be pretty strict in what we can bring. They check all our bags and our body.
It was a nice place upstairs. The music was rocking and the people were crazy. I noticed there were a lot of tourists dancing.There are however a lot of immature underage people. A lot of them stand around and stare at people dancing. I wish they would all dance so it wouldn't look awkward dancing with a few people. I think it would be more fun with more people dancing as a group!
Drinks aren't that expensive compare to other bars. My friend just bought 2 bottles of beer for total of $6.
Oh Zanzabar. Â I don't know how many times I was dragged to Zanzabar (possibly 4 or 5?) but I despise you each and every time. Â We even had VIP service one time because we were working security detail for Cody Linley (from freaking Hannah Montana) but we were only barely amused because almost all the idiot girls there started gushing all over him and they were all wasted.
Each time I go its always packed with military wolf packs, creepy guy who try cheesy and scary tactics to dancers hit off on some poor girl, there's always like seven dudes for every girl there, and the bouncers are straight up overweight douchebags who just seem all too eager to pick off a drunk guy. Â Oh. Â Then there are the fights. Â There are ALWAYS the fights even though there are like ten police cars outside (they know a fight is always bound to happen from either Zanzabar or Playbar). Â This establishment needs a makeover, starting with security and I don't know a better dress code? Save yourself and go hit up the Villas or Oceans
Went here the first time on a Wednesday night, and it wasn't good. Super rundown place, there were way too many dudes, saw quite a few prostitutes, and the music was terrible (super old school with some random, terrible mixes). However, I wanted to give it another chance, so I headed over on a Friday night instead. There, I watched the bouncer take the ID away from this girl in front of me. Now I agree that it was completely justified of him to take it away in order to preserve the law. However, he was such an a$$hole about it, being extremely rude to this quiet girl (who wasn't even making a scene) that even my group was appalled. We decided to go to Playbar instead and had a great time there.
Review Source:Huh? I'm not sure why such bad reviews, I had a pretty good time here. Came here with my bf on one of the Sensual Fridays night. the club was PACKED. And anyone who goes clubbing knows that it's always a lot better when its packed than when it's dead. There was a long  line to get in. I think it was $15 but it'd be about an hour wait. You could get in for $50 right away. Bouncers seemed like typical club bouncers. Serious, lack of expression, kinda intimidating.
When we got in music was super loud, decorations were nicer than other clubs I've seen so far, they had these Egyptian looking painted gold statues throughout the place.
Anyways, lots of creeper guys bns of people. The DJ was pretty good, I was surprised, he was playing good songs and there were also 2 gogo dancers to the side of the DJ booth. They were working it! Props to them because I could tell they were getting tired at certain points of the night but kept gout hey that's kinda what you would expect. There were a lot of military there as well. There seemed to be more guys than girls this particular night.
The bar....well it's overpriced as most clubs are. 6$ for a tequila shot? No thanks. Buy your own bottle before coming and it'll be a lot cheaper. There's also a small area off to the bar with high tops, stools and some couches where I guess people can take a break and mingle.
Bathrooms are alright, wasn't as gross as some other club ones that I've been to, but still kinda messy.
There's also some food downstairs if you get hungry I guess, I didn't try it but from some of the other reviews, it seemed pretty good. A little pricey, but not ridiculous.
Parking was $3 with validation in the parking structure...make sure you get it validated or it gets to be I think around $17 or something crazy like that.
Overall, I had fun, stayed till 4 am. The only downside were the prices to get in and for the bar, the lighting could also be improved. They had kinda weak color lights going around but I felt that could have been improved upon. I'd come back.
Place is not what it used to be. Located smack-dab in the middle of Waikiki (on the infamous Seaside & Kuhio) mostly military and tourists go there (but some locals still go for their "legendary" (don't know why) Thirsty Thursdays). You enter on ground level and go up a set of stairs to get to the dance floor (with a few side tables). Bar drinks are too pricey. Restrooms are often trashed. Even getting a spot on the dance floor with the right person is difficult later in the night.
I haven't been here in years, and with good reason. Dance floor gets hot (and not the good looking kine). Young kids get kicked out doing stupid stuff (showing up drunk, drinking w/o wristbands, causing fights, etc. Also, what happens in the club doesn't always stay there. Cops often park outside by the bus stop because of not only the pros (titutes) but to prevent fights from happening when people leave the club.
So glad I don't bother with this club. Even if there is a special event, I try to avoid it. It was fun while it lasted.
This club sucks. It's ghetto ghetto ghetto ghetto ghetto ghetto. My wife asked the barista at Starbucks what a good place to dance was, she suggested  Zanzabar, God I wish I went to coffee bean that day. I payed $10 walked in had one drink and walked out. If you're think about going to this "Night Club" do yourself a favor, stay in, drink some cheap alcohol and throw $20 bucks in the garbage it will be the same experience.
Review Source:Sack of trash!
This place is complete garbage! No deals/events could persuade me to return to this peasant parade! Guy to girl ratio sucks, tons of creepers and shady people to insure that I am always looking over my shoulder, in case of having to sleep some cologne-soaked, drunken idiot. The scene overall get's trashy pretty quick, and it's mostly due to the lack-of-class you find in the majority of the crowd here. Always expect a fight to break out at anytime, so keep your boxing skills and senses sharp n' get that lil' slugger ready~!
The closest thing to "nice things" I could say about this place, is that it has two dance floors, decent music, and it's decently sized. In the end though, none of it will matter when you're packed down like sardines in a rusty tin-foil can of alcoholic swass, and low-class.
Absolutely filthy!
Zanzibar is the epitome of what you don't want to surround yourself with at a nightclub... if you have a modicum of class and are used to frequenting nicer clubs here in Honolulu and on the fabled "mainland".
Let me begin.
My review is based off of an experience several months ago, which I felt compelled to write after nearly bleeding from the eardrums over their radio ads, where I was begged to go by my good friend who was seeing a girl a few weeks shy of 21... which is a whole other questionable issue given his age. But I digress. I resisted his request without ever having been to Zanzibar, based solely off of the incessant radio advertising by seemingly every Top 40 radio DJ in Hawaii. But then again, they're paid to do so, and they probably shake their heads when having to shout you guys out. God, I miss having Satellite Radio. Anyway, that and the fact it was "18+" was a big red flag in my book.
I finally relented the Thursday night my buddy wanted me to go.
Fast forward to our arrival. Everything went smoothly, as far as getting through the door. IDs were checked, we went up an escalator and I believe I paid $10 cover. Bouncers seemed nice enough, no complaints there.
We get into the club and it's empty. Now that's not a reason to dislike a club per say; a lot of places don't get going until later in the evening. However, it was after this where my predicted loathe was confirmed.
I buy 2 beers, 1 for myself, and another for 1 of our group friends who was of legal age (group of 5 people). There were 3 girls and 2 guys (myself and my buddy) in the group.
I walk away to the bathroom and come back out. Within a few minutes, a menacing big bouncer tells me to follow him. I have no idea what he's talking about. I walk over to the side of the bar and he tells me I need to get out before he calls the cops for furnishing alcohol to a minor. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was the best example of a self fulfilling prophecy I had dealt with in recent memory, I could help but bust out laughing. I complied with nary a complaint, and the big bouncer handed me off to a Securitas guard who led me to the ground level through some sort of parking garage emergency stairwell.
Come to find out, after I walked home in sheer disgust at allowing myself to be treated so shitty, the *of legal age* girl I bought a beer for (and she had her own tab open, mind you) had given a sip of the beer to the minor. But no, instead of kicking out 2 girls involved, they kicked out the big white dude.
Thanks Zanzibar for being everything I thought you would be. I didn't even get a chance to see what others have said about you being ghetto, because the place was empty when I arrived. And you still ended up sucking. You guys really need to close and reinvent yourself if you ever want to shake your overwhelming negative reputation. But, if all you plan to cater to is the underage/military/ghetto demographic, then sure, keep on doing what you're doing. I'm sure you'll do fine since you've been operating for what appears to be over 10 years now.
As a side note, if you're a tourist in town and want to go clubbing, go to either Addiction or Pearl at the Ala Moana Mall, or even M at Manor on Restaurant Row. There are other options as well closer to downtown. Save yourself the frustration.
REVIEW AT A GLANCE:
-Ghetto
-Under 21 patrons
-Do not go
DETAIL REVIEW:
Came here over the weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday. There was some issue with our guest list and the guy at the door said the cover charge to get in was $10/person. (Can't even remember the last time I paid for cover charge in LA...) The guy continue to sell us on the club on how they get over 1500 people a night and the line goes all the way down the street and that the club itself has 3 dance floors, etc. etc. Since we were already there, we decided why not, sounds like it'll be a good time right?
After entering the club on the first floor, we were immediately hit by this smell of left over food (it did not smell pleasant!). We then hurried up to the 2nd floor where the club was located. On one of the dance floor, there were plenty of people dancing and having a good time. We started to go look for the other 2 dance floors... And guess what? There's only ONE dance floor and we were staring at it.
After that disappointment, we decided to try to make the best of it. We got on the dance floor and started dancing. There were 2 TV/monitors on each corner (one of them broken and showing static) displaying submitted photos taken by people at the club. The music played by the DJ was... well sucked is the only word that comes to mind.
And the people? Young. Not young in a good way like they look good for their age, but I mean they were literally under 21. (I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were 16 year old.) I started noticing all the people that didn't have a wristbands and I think only the people I went with had them on. (No wonder I didn't have to wait at all when I went to the bar to get a drink!)
Aside from all of those reasons, I was still determined to have a good time ... until what I saw next. We were all dancing and we see a guy lift a girl off the floor and right there in front of everyone, placed his face into the girl's crotch and started "eating sushi", if you know what I mean. And that was the moment that I officially gave this place a 1 star.
So if you're thinking of going to Zanzabar, go elsewhere.
Hahaha, Oh Z-Bar.
This is the perfect place to go if you're underage or in the military and dont know any better. Its rediculously overcrowded, and the long lines out the door make it seem more hip than it really is.
I'll keep my review of this place simple. Everyone that gave this place 4 stars or higher are perfect reasons of why not to go. Everyone that gave 3 or less, know what theyre talking about.
And girls, this is one place Ive seen that I can garuantee that you're going to get unwanted groping, and no one will care, so, consider yourself warned.
I really dont understand the hate. Â Yeah it's kind of ghetto looking, but seriously, what do you expect from a club that allows shorts and flips flops?
Zanzabar is absolutely awesome if you look at it for it what it is. Â And what it is.. is a dive bar style club that all the dorkier tourists go to (the cool ones party with the locals). Â
Reasons why I loved Zanzabar:
1) Remember that show Dance 360? <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DIxr9TQI0-NI&s=d18808631054b7a01ec1605941aa9d90dbdaf420efa4f64db55d87fcd60f2e7f" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>  and the crowd is chanting "Head to Head!"?  Well Zanzabar pretty much has this going on all the time.  And let me tell you, nothing is more awesome than getting the crowd to start chanting "Head to Head!" at a Japanese tourist dance battling a French Canadian, and it's doubly awesome when the crowd consists of 50% tourists from other countries and therefore they don't acutally know what "Head to Head" means. haha.
2) 2$ jager shots. Â Few things makes me happier than acting incredibly generous as I buy all my boys a round for under 20$.
3) You meet some seriously RANDOM (but friendly) people in there. Â I remember being in a fight with my girlfriend while I was there, and this drunk guy overhears my phone conversation with her and then after I get off the phone he tells me to "go to her, go to her, and make it right". Â LOL.
All in all, Zanzi is a great spot to go to if you have no where else to go.
With that being said, one of my boys ended up taking this Australian girl back to our hotel that night and she stole my pineapple the next morning. Â Not cool.
OMG....like I totally was taken by surprise. Â My girls and I were celebrating a bunch of birthdays, so we decided to have a throwback kind of party this past Saturday. Â The theme was "Before you were 21." Â Haha....and for reals, I haven't been to Zanzabar since I was in college. Â
I'm an old fart.  But heck, we still know how to have a good time.  You're never too old to go dancing in my book.  But I must say that with age, you tend to not let the little things bother you so much.  In the past, I was taken a back  a little by the type of crowd at this place.  Now as a "way over" 21 year old, hahaha, Zanzabar provided some nostalgic and cheesy fun for an old fart like me.  I liked it for these reasons:
#1 Friendly bouncers at the door. Â He took the time to crack some jokes with us. Â Maybe with age, we don't look like trouble makers. Â I don't know...but it's nice to be treated respectfully at an establishment. Â I remember in my younger years....bouncers can be real pricks. Â Bouncers always seem to be suspicious of something...I guess for a good reason at times, but not every time.
#2 Â Music was off the chain. Â I was really surprised. Â I remember Zanzabar playing a lot of soljah boy type music and booty stuff. Â Not last night. Â They played a nice blend of top 40, Neo Soul music which I absolutely love to dance to, some booty, Old school, you name it. Â They did repeat "This is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan twice, but I love that song so it's all good. Â It was very fitting for our "Before you were 21" theme.
#3 People were friendly enough. Â Everyone was just having a good time and no one tried to invade anyone's space. Â Every once in a while a guy would try to come into our circle, but they left us alone once they got the hint. Â That was nice. Â There is an interesting mix of people here. Â Lots of tourists of course since it's Waikiki, and military, but not so much local peeps. Â I figure just smile at everyone and everything will be all good. Â I bumped into someone on my way out the bathroom and I was super apologetic. Â No drama here. Â She told me it was okay and we hugged. Â End of story.
So, here's where things were a little bit off:
#1 There was a line to get in even though it wasn't that busy.
#2 You have to pass through a metal detector and your bag gets searched. Â It's a little weird and I haven't had this done to me at any other night club establishment around town. Â Based on the other reviews, I guess people get into scuffs here. Â But we had no drama at all. Â Interesting.
#3 They have this weird box office style of payment downstairs and there's a sign saying 2 drink minimum. Â
So my best advice, you have to know what you are getting yourself into. Â Waikiki is an interesting place. Â Go in with a positive attitude and a large group of people who love having safe fun. Â A large group helps to numb the weird vibe Zanzabar can have at times. Â Stick together as a group and watch out for each other. Â Waikiki isn't the safest place to get bust drunk by yourself or left behind alone. Â While you're at it, grab a hotdog from the stand outside...it's awesome and it hits the spot after a long night of dancing and drinking.
This place isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. I actually have a pretty good time when I go. I've only been a few times and all of those times I have had a great time.
The first time I went was with some friends, I was under 21 at the time so we "pre-gamed" at the house and later at the bar my boyfriend was buying me drinks...tisk tisk on the bouncers for not noticing ;-) We went on a Sunday night and it was absolutely DEAD in there...
The second time I came was with some friends for the Pro Bowl party they had hosted by Devonne Bess..It was packed and there were tons of people. We got there around 10pm...so there were a few people, but for the most part it was really dead. It didnt start picking up until about 11:30...
The most recent time I went was for my 21st birthday, I picked this place because I have friends under 21. My boyfriend got us VIP and the manager made a huge exception and allowed my under 21 friends, into VIP... It was all fun until one of my friends got busted drinking on the dance floor, got kicked out, etc... Ended up calling her a cab and resuming our party...
+$3 validated parking..
+in and out as much as you please(21+)
+Thirsty Thursdays(If you drink beer)..
+GoGo Dancers are pretty cute..nice bodies..
+drinks allowed on dance floor...
+good location...
+VIP room is nice, has a good view of the dance floor..
-no re-entry after 12(under 21)
-sticky floors
I will definitely come back here.. Of course there are better clubs out here as I'm sure I will find out..but this place isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be.
If you feel like getting punched in the face for no reason by a guy twice your size, come on down to Zanzabar. I made the mistake of not checking this place out on Yelp and decided to go there with a few of my friends.
My friend went outside for a minute, but never returned. We were told by someone else that he had been punched in the face for no reason. Naturally, we walked outside to see what was going on. We started talking to a local and he appeared to be friendly and willing to help us out. After talking to him for several minutes, he turned and punched me in the face for no reason. Maybe he didn't like the way my face looked, or maybe he was just upset the 49ers lost. Both plausible reasons. Either way, I would strongly avoid coming anywhere near this place unless you're looking to get knocked out.
At the hospital, the nurse said that she had been getting in a lot of people from that club. Apparently, it's the place to be if you want to get punched in the face.
If the low ratings and reviews are not a deterrent, feel free to go. You probably deserve what's coming. Enjoy.
I really think I should give place another try. I hear there are 'two parts' to this club, one where the under 21s hang out at and a packed dancefloor. Well me and a buddy were there on the dancefloor which was packed full of military dudes and transplants. The music was top 40 and everyone was having a good time.
Might gotta go again with a different crew. Strike one Z bar.
WHO THE HELL WOULD EVER PAY A COVER TO GET INTO THIS PLACE?!!! Â Oh, that's right... four tourists from LA. lol.
Came to Hawaii for the weekend. On the recommendation of our airport shuttle driver (who was like in his late 40s... so we really shouldn't have asked him which bars and clubs to hit up. Lol.), we hit up Zanzabar.
It was past 11... yet it was still half empty. Â (Supposedly it gets crackin' after midnight. Â Doubt it.) Didn't realize it was 18 and over before midnight so everyone there was, well, you guessed it--under 21! Â Oh except for the creepy 80-year old gramps grinding on a scantily-dressed 18 year old girl. Â Play on, playa!
We hit the bar up which was right next to the "21 and over" section... ummm there were like 5 people there. Â And they were dancing to "Laffy Taffy". Â Whoa! Â I didn't know that when I stepped into Zanzabar that I would be thrown back into 2006. If that's the case, I should be posting this review on a blog on my MySpace page instead of Yelp.
Anyway, you know it's a bad club if the bartender is telling you of better places to hit up.
Oh! Â And for those wondering--the cover was like $10 to get in after 10pm.
My husband and his marine friends claim that this was THE spot back in the good old days of being stationed out in Oahu.
We came here on our honeymoon... (because I love to club and dance and get drunk with my man.. yes even on my honeymoon)... and I had a really fun time.
We got there at like 9:30 and the place was EMPTY, but Mr. Nostalgia over here remembered it always being packed by this time (mind you it was like almost 8 years ago).
What I did like, is that you can sit at a table and waitresses come to you. As many people from Cali or Vegas know, in a lot of nice clubs, you have to pay for bottle service to get a table, much less get a cocktail waitress who brings you your drinks... so points to Zanzibar.
The decor? Egyptian. Being Egyptian, I thought it was a little weird since Zanzibar is not in Egypt at all. But also being Egyptian I was like... yeaaahhhh go King Tut :)
The people... what can I say? By 11:00 the place was packed. I got up for one song, and this bitch stole my drink. I was like .... No girlfriend... can't you read..?? This table has been reserved...! She quickly scurried away... In your face lame chick whoever you are...! Other than that, there was a huge mix of people... Hawaiian's, Marines, Whites, Blacks, Mexicans, Samoans, Asians, Egyptian and Italians (me!), El Salvadorian's (the hubby!), etc.. did I leave anyone out?? Who cares? Why can't we all just get along and dance the night away together as people not as colors!! And that is exactly what went down that night.
Good job, Zanzibar, for bringing us all together.
There are a lot of weird characters that go to Zanzabar, but you can say that about a lot of places. Â Its really diverse in Zanzabar which I like.
The biggest complaint I have is of the staff. Â They are always rude and disrespectful. Â The security guards in their pinstripe ghetto shirts think they are the bees knees (check a mirror), and they will show you that by talking down to you or putting their hands on you, even if youre a girl!!
Very rude staff. Â I cant stress it enough. Â They should have the cops called on them thats all I can say, and hey it might happen one day if they dont shape up and get some better management.
Good music though. ;p
Okay so I've been to a ton of nightclubs here in Hawaii.
I've also been to clubs in LA, Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, USA
and Rome, Florence, Munich, and Venice, EUROPE.
A lot of people say Zanzabar is trashy, lots of fat girls, military dudes, black guys, etc.
Here's MY input:
1. I've NEVER had one bad night at zanzabar. Maybe it's the kind of person I am, but it's always a good night. Especially if you go with friends, etc. You can go by yourself and still have a good time cuz people here are more than willing to dance... even on less poppin nights. You want to get crazy... here's the place for that...
2. Drinks are hard to get. But isn't that the case for almost every nightclub? Get over yourself.
3. Fat girls? Hey it may depend on the night... but I always see pretty girls there... local girls, white girls, etc. Maybe I go on the right nights? I also see a lot of my friends from HPU or UH. Yes there are also the "fatties" but what do you expect? Go to every nightclub and there they will be. I must admit, there are nights where its bad, but I've seen good nights too. I know a lot of hot girls and classy girls that go here.... what the EFF are you guys talking about? -_-
4. For the most convenient nightclub in Waikiki, I'd have to say their drinks are good prices. You would expect a club like this to charge ridiculously but it doesn't... so stop complaining about the prices because dang what do you expect? $1 drinks? Get outta here!
5. For all you people claiming this place is a "wanna-be" Vegas.... are you kidding me? This is Hawai'i. More chill than that. And because it IS the most popular club in the island... it will attract EVERYONE. YES EVERYONE! Meaning, white people, black people, locals, military dudes, etc. So yes the ratio will just be that. Everyone. And you got hotter people than "Vegas studs" in Hawaii. We don't dress up to the tea... but you would look like an idiot if you do that for any club here pretty much. If you're looking for celebrities... or trying to compare this place to cities with celebrities, then you will be disappointed. But that's not Hawaii's CLUB's fault people...
6. Level 4 was hot at one time. That one place? what's it called that was right across from playbar? I forget already. But I'll tell you one thing.. there's only ONE club always gonna be poppin... zanzabar!!!! like it or not.
7. Parking is awesome.... with validation is $3... If you know Waikiki well, then you KNOW that it's a good deal... Â now try and beat that price in Waikiki without the dang walk!
8. Wild Wednesdays... one of my FAVORITE nights with the BEST dance music!!!!
9. Yes they play top 40's and it's for THOSE that do dance. Thank you very much!
10. I love the set up & how there's two sections. VIP is pretty legit. I just like the whole set up from the stairs to the lounge area downstairs... to walking outside where you will see everyone you know... or even meet new people. Some of my good friends now I've met at Zanzabar!
11. BLACK PEOPLE ARE COOL! and really fun to battle dance with, know how to dress, and better dancers than a lot of people anyway... they help me perfect my cat daddy ;) haha so shut up about so many black people there already.... gah dang!
12. It gets packed.... i don't know if you see that as a good or bad thing.
13. There is a lot of room... and many places to sit... so it's great to party hard! Hang out with your group of friends because everyone can have a sit down area... for those girls dancing all night, you're gonna need it or prepare for a morning full of blisters...
14. Creepers are everywhere (not just zbar!)... but  they're the ones keeping these nightclubs running. Paying cover to check out & creep up on girls.. buying drinks. You may hate them... but you should thank them...
So to be quite honest, whoever writes bad stuff just don't know a thing or two about what's really good... maybe you need to be a party person here.... I really don't know. Cuz I know for sure that I get down!!!! Always a good night! =D
Hate, hate, HATE this place. If I could, I would give NO stars. The place is cheesy, the crowd is boring, and the DJs always sucked whenever we went. They all seemed to have this love for mash-ups that lasted about a minute before switching to the next song, which usually didn't mesh with the last beat AT ALL. I know I didn't pay a crazy cover charge to try and accomodate for a DJ's ADD!
The creeps come out in full-force once it hits midnight and there have been so many times where I've been followed by someone from the club to my apartment, which was across the street. Eff you, bouncers. (And thank you, guy friends.)
Alcohol was expensive and the cover ridiculous. Boring place, creepy crowd, expensive coping mechanisms. Run from this place. Fast.
This place sucks. Here's why:
1) There must be no ventilation or A/C. It's hot and it causes mofos to sweat and stink up the joint. I think because everyone is drunk, they don't seem to care.
2) The bathrooms are downright nasty. And I feel sorry for the ladies because they always seem to be waiting in a long line. But then again, I don't feel sorry for them because...
3) Girls don't dance with me. Even the fat ones. Well, that's my fault I guess. I don't have game.
4) Fifteen dollars is too expensive for a cover charge.
5) Beware of prostitutes roaming around.
They play the typical top 40 music but which club doesn't? Where the hell is Taka from the radio show? He always hypes this place up but I never see him anywhere.
For an 18+ club, Zanzabar is actually pretty nice. Â We came here on a Sunday night and signed up for guest list online pretty easily, no cover. Â I liked the music - all hip hop, but not much mixing or anything. Â The dance floor is not particularly crowded, so that's kind of nice. Â Drinks are surprisingly cheap for a club.
My main complaint is that I found some unidentifiable object in my drink. Â It looked kind of like mold. Â Whatever it was, I fished it out of my drink and presented it to the bartender. Â She made me a new drink right away, but I couldn't even bring myself to drink it because I kept flashing back to the piece of mold. Â I'm sure this probably happens at a lot of clubs and you're just too drunk to notice, but unfortunately that memory will always stick with me.
We visited Zanzabar Night Club two nights in a row--Friday and Saturday--during our stay in Oahu. We payed around $15  for cover each night  and although there were people nearby on Kuhio passing out flyers that boasted a discount on the cover charge, the line hardly moved until the time on the flyer had lapsed (sneaky sneaky).
Friday night you could tell that this venue was 18 and up...and with this sort of demographic of course you get the riff raff. The DJ was TERRIBLE and when he lucked up and played a song that got the crowd hyped, he changed the music within 30 seconds...NO BUENO.
Saturday night was a bit more stomachable. The music was 100% better on this night and we stayed until the last song of the night.
The drink prices were pretty standard and most of my drinks were mixed to my liking...a.k.a. just strong enough.
If you're in Waikiki with nothing to do on a Saturday I recommend this venue if you don't think cover charges on are a rip off; however, since there are so many contingencies that could make your visit to Zanzabar one you don't want to remember, you might want to look into other places to drink, dance and mingle.
I really don't like coming here. Â I agree with Riana S, the cover isn't worth it, and there are a lot of creepy people who don't understand the word no. Â I'm pretty sure if I push you away and tell you to get away, then I don't want you near me. Â That's just me though. Â Maybe it translates differently in creeper talk. Â
The DJ kept switching up the music...like the song would only play for 30 seconds and he'd change it. Â That was super frustrating -_-
Z-Bar..the one good thing I have to say about you is that I got inside of you for free. F-R-E-E. And, it literally takes me 2 minutes to get to your front door from the hotel we stayed at, so you kind of win by convenience. That leaves me little room to complain. Plus, we don't dare risk getting pulled over (or excuse me, "walked over") close to Ale Wai like last time we attempted to drive elsewhere. Damn those Nissan Altima rentals headlights! lol
But seriously, wow..you need a new decorator. I can't tell you how incredibly cheesy your smorgasbord of brass statues are. It resembled a peculiar gaudy collection of different treasures from 'round the world. Hello King Tutankhamen's head. Hello, vase carrying European beauty. Hello, little cougar. All that marble and plush pimp furniture..wow!
Luckily we already came slightly tipsy and were in good company, so in any other state of mind we would have probably not hung out for as long as we did. Don't expect to come to a party, you have to BE the party..so bring the right group of people with you if you intend to have fun. Let's face it, with the right people, you could be anywhere and still have shits & giggles.
The "VIP" area felt like a Champagne Room in a strip club. I've never been in one, but this is what I imagine one would be like. My friend jumped up on a piece of furniture plyometric style (don't ask me how or why she gets such urges), and an asian man in a suit wagged his extended pointer finger at her as he reprimanded her saying "This is not your house". We laughed, as it was followed by one of the cocktail waitresses saying "I though that was pretty cool!". Take that, wagging finger dude.
I go here Tuesdays for the Latin night. It's one of the better (best?) places to dance salsa, bachata, and yes, merengue in Hawaii. They powder the dance floor so it's nice and slippery, and the decor is classier than any other club I've seen in Hawaii (eg it HAS decor). Bathrooms are usually pretty clean.
On the weekends, it's just like any other club--sketchy. I'm so glad I discovered salsa. I don't have to dance amongst sketchy men at clubs when I want my dancing fix anymore!
Get in for $5 before 10pm.
Salsa/latin dance music til about midnight, when they change it over to reggaeton and I leave.
Back in 2004 this place used to be awesome, but after they made it 18 and over I can only explain this to be the most ghetto club in Waikiki. Â There are always a million people here, but they look like they traveled too far past Kalihi. I see fights there all the time. Clubs are places to have fun, not a place to prove how angry and manly you are. You know its bad when the cops hangout outside to make sure people don't shoot each other
Drinks are cheap, decorations are a bit 80's for sure, If you enjoy hangin out with douche bags all night then this is the place to be.
If you have any sense of class, I suggest you stay away from Zbar
Ok, so here's the deal. Â
If you like:
-being in small confined areas with too many sweaty people and not enough ventilation
-a group of unattractive people and way too many drunk military guys
-underaged girls dancing like sluts to steal drinks from unassuming guys over 21
-overpriced drinks that taste like the alcohol has been married and is no longer the actual liquor the label intends
-obscene lines for a $10 cover or a short line for obscene cover $20-30
-a terrible DJ that plays the good songs for a good 10 seconds and a weird ass, shitty mix of songs that makes no effing sense
-creepy guys that have no problem putting their hands all over you and trapping you in a corner to dance with them
then this is the place for you!
if those don't sound fun, i would highly suggest going elsewhere. Â don't let the lines fool you. Â we thought, "oh wow, look at that line, looks like an awesome place to go" and then we went in and thought, "oh shit, it's a whole bunch of little 18 year olds trying to act hard that think they're super cool". Â pass on the babysitting and go to a real bar.
I went here one night while on vacation in Waikiki and it gets three stars alone for the pure people-watching entertainment aspect. Â Yes, I am kind of an asshole like that and I am content to sit in a corner and laugh at people all night. Â But whatever.
I'm not sure why people paid covers, I went on the website and got in free. Â It's very easy to avoid covers. Â And compared to the prices of the drinks at the resort I was at, this place was a bargain and a half. Â I never waited long for drinks at the bar, and the few times we ordered from a waitress she was very prompt.
Yeah, a lot of people dressed sleazy and there were some creepy guys, but seriously, what do you expect at a club? Â I have been to some of the more upscale places in Miami, Boston, and New York and there's plenty of sleaze no matter what kind of bar you're at. Â
I thought it was a fun time, and the entertainment factor is fan-effin-tastic!
After Bar35, a lot of people still wanted to see what else was in store for us that night. This is where we ended up. It was our 3rd and final stop. This place is located in the Waikiki Trade Center and the entrance made me believe it was nice and all upscale.
However, I was completely disappointed. The place was way too ghetto and a lot of the people there were sleazy and very inappropriate. The BF probably noticed the sleazeballs and we ended up not staying long, maybe 20 minutes. Then BF grabbed me and led me out all the while sleazeballs grabbing me in very inappropriate places. If I wasn't being led out like there was some sort of fire, I would have drop kicked someone. To think that I even had to pay cover for that. Lame.
The only thing they had going for them was the size of the place. It's spacious but it's not enough to get me to go there ever again.
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/C8DySws_urYlTfCFiYJquQ?select=N0S3XGWBoR1SeILAW_iTpA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
No dress code.
No cover.
Decent music.
All good components for a fun night out? Hmmm...
A tad too ghetto for me with the locals tryna pick up on the tourists. Single ladies do get descended upon so make sure you go to the bathroom in pairs (See fellas, there is a rhyme and reason to why we go in groups). The VIP lounge is chill but the type of place I would def not leave my drunk unattended. Feels almost like you're dancing in a cave - a cave with mirrors all over the walls and ceilings like a crazy funhouse.
But I was there with good company...and well, 2 girls find a way to have fun anywhere we go. Doesn't hurt that we drank two-thirds of a bottle of Henny before heading out either...
They say it's not the place you go, but the company you keep that makes the night exciting.
Zanzabar has a staff of college students who are very friendly and attentive. Cover is cheap, maybe $5-10, but get on the guest list for a waiver. You can wear liberal attire here, but no flip-flops or hats. If you have a hat, it will be checked at the door. Make sure you validate your parking ticket, as it will save you about $4.
Zanzabar used to be a great club. Over the years, it has begun to decline into oblivion, with Friday nights bringing a tiny crowd (if you could call it a crowd), and Saturday nights only drawing a few more customers. It's 21 and over, so Fashion 45 nightclub upstairs siphons off a lot of potential customers with its 18 and up policy.
On Thursdays, the local radio DJ Rick Rock from 102.7 "da bomb" hosts Thirsty Thursdays, which features obscure drink specials on beer I don't like. It's closed Monday, and Tuesday is Latin night, which on some occasions has had a really good crowd dancing to salsa & merengue. Friday and Saturday have a moderate turnout, but the crowd is a little ghetto and usually rowdy.
The VIP area is generally open unless there is a private party. There are two dance floors, the main floor pumping the usual chart-toppers with a mostly hands-off approach to DJ mixing. The other dance floor has a bar that is only open when it is busy (read: rarely open) and features Latin, Raggaeton and occasionally some house or mash-ups.
A final thought: If you are drunk, drive with extreme caution while exiting the parking structure, since there are usually about four Honolulu Police Department patrol cars camping the exit, with maybe six to ten police officers hanging out, checking your tags, your tints and your muffler.
A final, final thought: If you are drunk or hungry, go to the Jack in the Box down the street. Not only will you get a delicious Chicken Ciabatta (well, what else would you get?), but you will also enjoy the dramatic patrons loudly fighting, making out, or both at the same time while waiting for their fries.
Hmm, not surprised to see how Zanzabar has such low ratings, but I figure I'd write on it to serve it some justice.
So yes it's trashy alright, especially on the weekends. This is definitely a tourist spot, locals rarely hang out here especially now that the Shack is right next door. It seems like the crowd flocks in around 1am then the club is all of the sudden packed like sardines.
Why I still come? well, cause on thursdays local id get in free. Drinks are relatively cheap ($5 per cocktail), decor reminds me of a hostess bar in Asia (in a good way though ha), also it's spacious compared with most clubs in Hawaii, and music is great!
So no, Zanzabar is not a hook-up spots, nor would you see much sexy bitches (go Hanohano room for that.) But it's kinda nice to hang out with friends, shake your booty then head home on mini fridays.
Ok... if you're truly looking for a shady meat market then you'll probably like this place. I thought this place totally sucked. First off I am in no way racist what so ever but let me tell you I thought it was a 50 cent convention going on in there. I mean, if you're a black guy you'll love this place... it's totally perfect for you because you'll find a smorgy of f.o.b. hootchies.
Me, I like to be in an atmosphere with more intelligent looking people. I think I've said enough about this place... time to move on (heh).
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