Louis W.
Yelp
I have gone here for several months for the Testify show. Every time I am stunned at how slow and miserable the bartenders are. It has been every single time. When I say miserable... it is like they choose to come in miserable, angry and they move like they have no interest in being a bartender or serving drinks. I say this with some experience, I worked as a bartender and managed three in NYC for 15 years. Half the job is showing up with some care.
Every time no one knows how to order drinks here because the business is not making it clear. There ends up being this odd line in the middle of the bar even though the bar indicates a different vibe.
This last time, I decided to sit at the bar to see if the service is the result of the patrons or maybe the job is extra difficult. I sat next to a couple at the end of the bar. I put some money on the bar after 5 minutes to indicate I might be interested in purchasing a beverage. There was a sort of line that formed in the middle of the bar, which is a bit odd, because there are two bartenders and the bar isn't that long. Typically in that scenario you would split the bar between the two bartenders and work down the bar as you see folks arrive. A bartender does their best to do a first come first serve style, never perfect but you do your best. Each time here I see this line in the middle which sort of ends up being the result of the two POS terminals nearer the middle of the bar. However, it looks to be laziness of the bartenders rather than anything else. I digress...
So I sit there and other folks who sit right next to me, and this lovely couple, get served before us. I remain patient as I am there more as an observer. But then the couple say to me, "We have been waiting here for a half an hour to be served. Its almost comical at this point." I tell them that I have noticed how poor the service is on this Testify night. I wonder to them if it is because the show isn't that long and is more of an NPR crowd than a raging drinking crowd. (I can see how a bartender might not love a shift like that.)
Finally, this odd line has dissipated. The ladies, the couple next to me, still haven't been served so... the bartender (the more novice of the two which is saying a lot) who is not serving anyone.... I say, "Hey man, these ladies have been waiting here for awhile. Can you get them?" And the other bartender, Elliot was his name and he may have been a manager, comes at me really aggressively and says "DON'T YELL AT MY BARTENDER!" I look at him and say, "Who's Yelling?" because if you know the vibe of this event... there is just no yelling that would be encouraged. It is a calm crowd. We share some words and basically the gist is I say... they have been waiting for a long time and so have I and you are serving many others in front of us. He says, "We are working through the line." I say, "What line?" He repeats for that I am not to "Yell" at HIS Bartender. I repeat, there has been no yelling on my part. It's also just not my style. But I tell him if he wants, "I can yell, though, if you'd like." He walks away and ignores us. A couple minutes later, the novice bartender serves the ladies. I ask him, "Did you feel like I yelled at you? Because I don't want you to feel that way." He shook his head and said, "Its just been a stressful night." Hmmmm... a stressful night.
Anyhow, I don't ever order a drink. The angry guy asks me once later on and I say, "No, I'm good." I observer the rest of the night. And the Testify show was lovely as always.
But stressful night? - Again this is a placid night. I understand there are things we don't have eyes on... but this lazy, miserable service has been a problem every month. I believe the problem is ELLIOT, the taller bearded out of shape bartender who doesn't know how to smile. The other guy, Novice Kyle, has a lot to learn but at least he was pleasant. That is literally 30% of the job as a bartender, just. being. pleasant. If you have it in you.
Yeah, I wrote a long review. I want Elliot to read it and know that it might be time to meditate or get a new job. I'm sure Wednesday nights for Testify aren't super lucrative, but also it doesn't look like it could be easier. You're pouring win and making easy 3 step cocktails. You're pouring beer and soda. What is so miserable? Not to mention the stories are always engaging.
Finally, for my lack of yelling that I actually did... I yell here. If I want tips and decent money as a Bartender... I must serve people with a bit of care, a smile and hopefully some sense of understandable order. Being a jerk behind the bar is easy, but it doesn't get you anywhere. Lottie (sp) the MC of the event always does his best to remind people of the all the people who help put the show on. He went through the list... everyone got applause. He mentioned the bartenders... no applause. It was palpable. Why? Because they are yelling with their behavior that they don't want to be there.