John T.
Yelp
2.5
Spoiler alert: they serve more than beer. Wandering around Krog Street Market, it dawned on my friend and me that we needed booze. We hadn't seen each other in years and, while we had a few days ahead of us, the best reunions are done around the bottle. So, before we could decide on a place to eat, we decided on a place to drink.
With gluten not being my friend, I am not much of a beer drinker anymore. I know. It's sad. When we came upon Hop City, my first thought was, 'Maybe they serve cider?" I didn't need to worry. Not only do they serve cider, but wine and cocktails are on the menu as well. If you're looking to drink, Hop City has you covered. The only 'problem' is that Hop City is the only bar in a very city market. This means that you'll be fighting with nearly every warm body in the place for space at the bar and/or a seat once you have a drink. Since this isn't my first rodeo, I knew to look for the opening. Rather than get in line where everyone else was queued up, I went to the other side of the bar. Success.
The bartender was a bit overwhelmed and more-than-a-bit over it (I get it; crowded) but she was nice enough. I'd had time to glance at the menu and seeing several ciders I didn't know much about, I told the bartender the taste profile I was looking for and let her decide. My friend (ordering cider) did the same. My friend got her cider first -- a gorgeous pour in a snifter. Classy. Me gusta. When my cider was up to bat, all the bartender could get was foam. After four tries, I told her it was fine to change up the order. The keg was kicked. She disagreed and said she could get a pour. She could not. She served me a half-full glass (less accounting for the head) and then told me that was the way it was supposed to be served. She didn't even blink.
No. No ma'am. Not wanting to go ape sh!t in front of a friend I hadn't seen in three years, I paid, seethed and sat. To top it off, I didn't care for the cider, as it didn't match the profile I asked for. My friend didn't much care for hers either. She offered me a sip of hers and asked for a sip of mine. Being a germaphobe, I am not one for switching beverages, but I was counting on the booze to kill anything crazy. We switched. Wouldn't you know we liked each others' ciders much more? And my friend - now with the crappy pour - complained about said crappy pour. So, not only did the bartender pour a bad beer, continue to pull on a keg that was tapped, and lie about it to my face ¸-- she, either didn't listen to what we wanted or didn't know enough about the product to give a good opinion. If the latter, that's fine. Just say so.
This wasn't a good impression but I am giving the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the crowds got to the bartender? Thing is, I can't imagine a time where the bar *isn't* busy so... caveat emptor and all that stuff...