Paul F.
Yelp
The number 1 "Golden Rule" of professional bartending is to be friendly and sociable to ensure that the customers are at ease and comfortable.
Well, if that's the Golden Rule, then Debora Mathews Lee ( the Irish bartender at the Green Room, is the anti-christ!
In all of my years of going to bars, performing live music etc, have I ever encountered a more unprofessional, toxic, misguided, mean spirited psychopath, then Debora Lee.
For reasons I simply do not comprehend, this woman has opening communicated for the better part of a year, her dislike of me, which in it's self, is wildly unprofessional particularly in a client facing capacity.
All of this stems from performing at the Green Room a year ago, where Deborah torchured myself & my guitarist, by asking us to turn it down repeatedly, to the point of no amplification. And this was an "Acoustic gig" no less. At the close I turned to her, and constructively said that "you need to decide what you want to be. A live music venue or a movie theatre, but please figure it out"
A year later, and a years worth of incredibly bad behavior on Deborah's behalf, (I've returned all of 6 times to support other musician in their efforts, despite her), this infant of a woman, still can't get past holding a grudge.
Fast forward to last night, I asked a friend of mine to join me in supporting another local musician, with whom I'd spoken to that day and we'd talked about me sitting in on a song or two.
I walk in, gear in hand, Deborah sees me, I greet my friend, and he and I ordered drinks and sat at the end of the bar for the better part of 2 hours enjoying ourselves and listening to music.
At the close, as we are about to leave, Deborah, moves in, in this menacing and hostile way with her body language and shouts "So are you going to be on your best behavior Paul?" Confused and quite frankly stunned by her aggressive demeanor, I responded with "what on Earth are you talking about"?
What kind of bartender/manager, would think they were within their rights to openly, publicly harass a client, at the last moment of the night, who wasn't drunk or disorderly, wasn't loud or obnoxious, wasn't carrying in in any way other than to peacefully and quietly enjoy my friends company and conversation, and go on the attack!
All establishments, (bars, clubs, restaurants, etc.) reserve the right to refuse service to any customer that choose, particularly if that customer represents a threat to other customers or is basically obnoxious, but that simply was not the case.
Not one to back down, especially from insane public conduct intended to humiliate for personal reasons, I defended myself stating that Deborah was WAY out of line, was clueless as to proper bartender etiquette, ( not to mention committing aggravated assault - Class C misdemeanor in most states), and that if the owners or board of trustees ever got wind of her outrageous, aggressive and harassing conduct towards a local resident, a local business man, a fellow musician, for PERSONAL reasons, they'd give her the boot in a New York minute!
It might have been almost plausible, had this personal vendetta been announced as I walked in, but to wait the entire night, allow us to buy drinks, talk for hours and then as we attempt to leave, launch into this infantile attack, defied all of the remaining patrons sensibilities as they watched in disbelief.
Needless to say if Deborah Lee was prepared to level this kind of insane conduct to a bar goer who was minding their own business, I can only imagine that this conduct is the tip of the iceberg as to how she's treated others.
STEER CLEAR of the Green Room and especially Deborah Mathews Lee from Ireland and spend your money in an establishment that appreciates your business and doesn't employ a psychopath!
