I typically love 'speakeasy' type bars, but really didn't like the vibe at Acacia. A group of friends and I went around 11pm on a Friday night and the place was decently busy, but not so crowded that we couldn't snag seats at the bar. I immediately noticed that the clientele at Acacia was VERY diverse. One guy was wearing pajama pants (literally), while others were wearing suits and bow ties. The drink menu was decent, with many different beer, wine and cocktail options to choose from, but at premium prices. Because Acacia is the type of place to go for a well-made cocktail, I ordered a tequila-based one that sounded good. I was disappointed that most of the cocktails were whisky or gin heavy since I am more of a vodka/tequila drinker. It took quite a while for the bartender to come over to take my group's order (we were sitting at the bar) and it was about ten minutes after that before I got my drink. I know cocktails take longer to make, but I was watching the bartender and he was just essentially twiddling his thumbs instead of making our drinks. Once I finally got it, I was impressed with the cocktail-- the flavors were balanced nicely and it had just the right amount of 'kick'.
Even though I wasn't having a super good time, I was down to have one more drink before moving on to somewhere else and spent 20 minutes trying to order another drink by doing that awkward stare at the bartender (My group was still sitting at the bar and we all had empty drinks). After witnessing the bartender (a different guy than the original one who served me) speak rudely to other customers (statements such as 'Don't you know it is rude to close your tab then order another drink fifteen minutes later?'), it became clear that Acacia is full of pretentious staff members who think they are doing you a favor by serving you. I was fed up with the terrible service and generally obnoxious atmosphere and decided that despite wanting another cocktail that I would settle for beer at a bar down the road. If I'm paying $12+ per drink, bad service is just something I refuse to tolerate.