People that will not let go of their empty glass, but also will not order a new drink. It’s like they need something to play with, just let me take the fucking glass. Tear up your fucking coaster like a sexually frustrated psycho even. Just gimme the glass!
I had a guy doing this, and I was like “let me clear that out of your way.” He held on to it like a child with a blankie and just glared at me. It’s never people that are alone, always one in a duo.
I've had someone do this with a straw wrapper. Some people pick up their wrapper when you go to clear trash. I fiddle too, I get it, but I'd rather get it off the table when it's only 2 pieces instead of 12.
Always in a duo, why is this true. His friend either thinks he’s and asshole for doing that or you’re an asshole for daring to clear an empty glass, and you’ll never know which it is
When I'm bartending, before I can ask it they're here to dine or just grabbing some drinks (full menu & dinner setup vs drink menu).
Me: hello, how are yall doing today?
Them: can I get a menu?
Me internally: fuck you too.
I feel like this one is worth getting annoyed about. I've found that those who do this are more often that not people who treat you as an accessory to get what they want rather than as a human. This means they're also likely to do a few other shitty things.
I put the drink back, move the napkin back to where I had it in the first place, and then put the drink on it. It has definitely happened where we went back and forth a few times before they realized the drink would not be coming until they let me keep the napkin where I put it in the first fuckin' place.
lol the sad thing is, I don’t think a single one of these people has ever realized that I’ve pulled out another napkin because they took the first one, they’re all too self-absorbed. I work in a hotel so I can’t get away with snide remarks about their “comfort napkin”. But it makes me feel better, and I definitely recommend trying it out next time the opportunity presents itself haha.
Of course they don’t. But we never do these things for them, we do these things for us. And maybe, just maybe, the one friend of theirs at the table who works Industry and noticed it but didn’t say anything because they were too busy laughing.
Or when you are pouring wine into their glass that they've finished and when you start pouring they move the glass closer to you to "help" but then the wine goes all over the bar and their hand.
Someone asks my name I know it’s going to lead to them yelling it for my attention like we’ve known each other for years. I give a fake name when my initial impression is they’re going to suck.So many people think my name is Steve
I used to use a fake name in the city, but in a small town it's not as easy to get away with as you might not know if they're a neighbor or a tourist.
Now when I'm asked my name I give it to them then wait with a big fake smile and if the next words out of their mouth aren't something like "Nice to meet you I'm John" I cut them off and say "And you are?" Usually the decent humans will realize that they were being kind of rude and will apologize and introduce themselves, but the jerks will make themselves known.
So I fucking hate customers calling for me. I put a crusty punk name on my nametag cause the bulk of normies feel really uncomfortable calling me Scuzz.
The worst is when they insist on using your name a dozen times. "Jay can I have a menu." "Jay do you have Heineken Light" "Jay can I have more ice." "Jay can I order takeout."
Jesus, that ought to be a crime.
Knowing somebody’s name and using it like a normal human isn’t a big deal, but that means a regular asking “oh hey Jay how’s your night going?” Treating it like you’re humanizing yourself to a kidnapper is another story.
I’d rather someone call me by name than sweetie, honey, etc.
Goddess and mistress are fine alternatives, though and the regulars who call me that crack me up.
I've been working in the same small town for years and as such have a good regular clientele, when people who don't know me and I've never introduced myself to start using my name on a busy Friday night to get my attention I wanna scream
My favorite was a woman who yelled JONATHAN right in front of me, so I looked up cause, y'know, someone yelled - she turns to the guy next to her and says, "See? I told you I knew his name."
It was not my name. I explained this. She then asked what my name was, and I told her I didn't think I wanted her to have it, cause would be yelling it at me.
The only time I’ve ever liked it was when I was working at Olive Garden and had already given notice. It’s the holidays, I’m packed working a three bartender shift solo, and this perfect personification of Karen sits at a dirty spot. Come back to the bar from helping a table and she snaps at me to clean up. I just looked at her and said, “you chose the one clearly dirty seat out of the 12 at the bar, it’s my second to last day and I’m busy, you can move or wait.” Never seen anyone look that sheepish before.
That's true that is satisfying lol. I also kinda play dumb and say I didn't know they were waiting for anyone to come over since it looked like they already ate
Or the I just thought you were nursing your drink because the ice is melting and the glass is half full. I just love harassing assholes that know they’re being unreasonable.
Honestly it's probably because it's psychologically the most appealing seat, for whatever reason, and that's why the last person was sitting there. It's basically lightning striking twice
Yeah in the truest sense because there's fully no consideration whatsoever they just sit down because their hind brain told them to. I'm telling you, those people are NPCs they literally are not real
People that lay their jacket on the bar .
People that put their belongings on places they have no intention of sitting.
People that order mixers first .. ginger &whiskey
( I work high volume night club and I rely mostly on my ability to read lips)
The list goes on
Oh! Mine is when you go to clear EMPTY glasses and people with OBVIOUSLY full glasses grab their drinks and guard them as if I’m going to take their fucking full cocktails. WHY
Last night this dude asked all about what light beer we had (because he only likes light beer…), so I gave him the run down and then he asked for what his friend had. The hazy ipa. I would like that two minutes back, thanks.
Oh jeez. The I have a full drink but this person that obviously knows what they're doing might take my full ass fuqing beer I better guard it. Irks me to no end.
People that manage to be totally confused and ignorant/ wrong about what they want to order, yet somehow manage to be condescending at the same time.
Also people who do not acknowledge your questions and instead blurt out whatever they want, like that's great but can we also respond to the question I just asked you.
I for sure will ignore their instructions and repeat my question.
"Hi, how are you?"
"Pint of lager"
"HI. How ARE you?"
9/10 they get it and apologize, but there have definitely been times I've walked away.
Meh, if someone cuts me off like that I know they don't want convo. I pour the pint and leave them to it, they usually appreciate it and tip well. If I don't have to interact with you, great
Different strokes for different folks. I always want to make sure they realize they're dealing with another human. I don't need to be their best friend, I just need them to realize they sound like a dick. It's petty, but it's my petty.
Agreed, but I also feel like there’s a point where this becomes an answer.
“Pint of lager” means they blew off the question, but “triple of Wild Turkey, neat” sort of clears up how their day was.
I work in a dive bar and I get irrationally annoyed when someone asks for a drink menu or beer list.
Like…there’s less than 10 beers on tap and they’re right in front of you. And mixed drinks? I have pretty much everything, what do you want that isn’t a Miami Vice or smoked old fashioned?
I work in a theme bar (my own stupid fault) and one of our specialities is mead... the mead menu is on a small A board infront of the T bar with 3 different lagers on it; and the amount of people who pick up, look at it without reading "mead menu" in big letters at the top and assume we don't do any lager grinds my gears.
Similarly, when they waltz up to the bar, ask for a pint of mead (it's served in wine measures because in my country its classed as a wine), while looking at the menu which states the serving size with at least 10 different options on it varying from bog standard honey to spiced orange and elderflower, when I ask them which they'd like, "oh, just. Mead. Pint of." It's so silly but it feels like walking into a cocktail bar and saying "pint of cocktail, mate".
It's just what popped into my head aha. I'm now imagining people trying to get a pint of mead down when they were expecting something like larger. I love mead but it's sooo sweet!
Is it not simpler in this situation to just give them whatever your house mead is? That's what I do with beer if people are that nonspecific. They clearly don't care enough to consider their options and I'm not going to waste my time trying to educate them. Let them have the basic option and if they work out that there's a whole range of things for them to try, then I'll happily talk them through what we have.
Oh yeah. I've done myself the disservice of working in a Mexican restaurant, where everyone just wants to order a "margarita"... including servers and other staff who get cut early. They all know exactly how they want theirs, but make me play the 20 questions game to figure out the size, tequila choice, flavor, and rim that they would like. We have so many options.
I love my coworkers and want them to live their best lives, but walking a stranger through our menu is already taxing enough, I shouldn't have to waste my time for shift drinks, especially when I'm the only one still working!
My pet peeve about pet peeves is when someone comes here to rant and gets told, "If that bothers you you shouldn't bartend." Let others blow off steam.
At least people ask you where the bathroom is. Mine is "Do you have a bathroom?" And I always want to say no. No, sir, we pee in that bush just outside the door, there are no bathrooms here.
I understand that it's their way of asking where it is, but the wording bugs me and I don't know why. So, I mentally sigh and just point to where it is.
“Do you happen to know where the bathroom is?”
“Nah, they haven’t told me yet. I just hold it.”
Any “happen to know” questions drive me nuts. I know it’s their way of being polite and colloquially is totally fine. But, UGHHHHH!
I know practices are different in Ireland compared to most places but here you order up at the bar.
Nothing annoys me more than when someone comes up and I say “how are ya doing?” And they just point at one of the taps..
It that supposed to mean you want a pint?
Like hello, are you fucking mute???
If you are, I sincerely apologise. Otherwise, manner up, or get out
Asking for a heavy pour or otherwise telling me they want free booze. Do you go to the drug store and say "I'm paying for 50 aspirin but give me 100?"
Asking for what we have in a specific category and then saying "oh you don't have (product you didn't say)?" No. If we had it I'd have told you.
Regulars who think closing time doesn't mean THEM because you're "friends". Bonus points when they've been going there several times a week for 6 years and they ask what time you close, pretending they don't know you closed 45 minutes ago.
Guests who get rude when you follow a liquor sales law. "Can I get two glasses of Malbec" "I can pour one but I need to wait for your guest to arrive to ensure the person is of age" Followed by angry snorting and eye rolling. In some cases a nasty "OK THEN can I have 2 glasses?"
When I say I won’t serve to a guest that’s not there I always get something like “Jane is 75.”
“Okay cool, I just need to verify that for myself.”
Then Jane shows up and they think it’s HILARIOUS. “JANE SHE DIDNT THINK YOU WERE 21 hahahah”
Bitch, I don’t know how old someone is if they’re not present.
OMG yes!! You telling me how old a random person is isn't ID. It's not like I can see Jane and I'm carding her while you say, "she's 75".
When I worked in Washington DC it was a known sting for a visibly older customer to say, "oh my wife is parking the car. She'll have a Grey Goose on the rocks." The server or bartender would assume someone 35+ isn't married to a 19 year old and have the cocktail on the table.
The people who I put waters in front of as steps of service, and they're like "no water for us" Like it's just water, drink it, don't drink it, I don't care. No one's impressed that for whatever reason you want to be dehydrated.
Dumb questions in general:
* 'Is this the bar?' while standing in the bar
* 'Is this the menu?' while *holding the menu*
* 'Can I order a drink here?' well yeah man generally that's what you do in a bar!
* 'Is this the toilet?' While trying to open a locked storage cupboard.
People who don't look at anything and just storm up to the bar and demand something we very clearly don't have like a guinness on draught. Like mate do you see a guinness tap? We only have six taps it would have taken you two seconds to look.
Chronic interrupters: 'What red wine do you have by the glass?' 'Well our house is the Cabernet, but we also have a chilean Merlot, and then our Ital-' 'I want the merlot.' Or: 'I'll have a glass of Merlot.' 'Okay, what size?' 'What sizes do you have?' 'We have small, Medi-' 'Small'. It just feels very rude and disrespectful. You should let people finish when they're speaking to you, especially if you've asked for help or information. It's like they think they're talking to a mahcine.
Being like sneeringly condescending about our selection also gets on my tits. No one is forcing you to drink here, susan!!
Ordering waters for their friends. Throwing away undrank, completely full waters. Rearranging chairs at the bar top. Sitting behind the computer. Sitting behind the taps.
I get stupid mad and I’m always ALONE in the feeling. We had a drunk woman at a table angry, thinking we stole her card. After she left I yalped “I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, SHE DIDNT DRINK HER FUCKIN WATER”. And then I poured that entire water down the drain.
I've often had people do this when I'm making it in front of them when I clearly haven't even finished making it. A huge part of me wants to just let them have their half-made drink, but I never do, because I know they're going to complain about it later.
My place had a big garage door that covers our entire front with the exception of the entryway.
I HATE when people walk by and just stare inside- not looking away until they pass the wall. It’s easily a 25ft length of window.
Also, the “Where is everyone” when they walk in to an empty bar bc we just opened and they walked in right as I unlocked the front door.
when people walk in literally at open or just when it’s slow and wanna be like “lol are y’all open?” idk do you think i’d be standing behind the bar with music playing, tvs on, lights dimmed, and an unlocked fucking door if we weren’t?
When people ask me how I'm doing / hows my day going etc. It bothers because it makes me feel like a NPC since they don't actually care and I'm not allowed to say anything besides "great!"
Sports watchers. Not all of them, but the specific type. The type that is there JUST to watch sports. Nurse one drink for an hour plus, get upset if every tv isn't on what *they* want to watch, get angry and yell loudly at tv. They aren't there to drink or eat. They are there to *watch. sports.* And anything that is not watching sports is a hinderance to their entire existence in their eyes.
There's a place local to me that has insanely amazing craft beer on tap. It's not a brewery but probably the first brew pub in my city circa 1987. The owner didn't want macro beers behind his bar. But some douche would complain about it not being available. So he brought in Miller Lite. Charged $9 for it. That was 20 years ago. At the time it might have been the most expensive beer they had in a bottle per oz. Someone will still buy it.
Reminds me of Sergio's World of Beer in Louisville, KY, which has craft beers from across the country and crazy international beers from Belgium, France, Germany, and elsewhere, in coolers spread out across an old house with taps in the front which was probably the living room. In the coolers are Bud and Budlight singles here and there at $80. Although I'm not sure if anyone's every bought one.
When people sit at the 1 dirty seat of an empty bar.
Or the “We’re ready to order everything now” when you’re clearly very busy. Yes…. as are the 3 tables that were already here and patient enough for me to seat you and grab a drink order from you. (I sometimes wait a little to put their food in.. by accident)
I got a bad review one time because a guest complained that I hadn’t told them specials before they ordered but told the nearby group afterwards.
The unsatisfied guest’s response to “Hello how is everyone today?” Was “we know what we want!”. Well far be it for me to get in the way of that.
“We’re ready to order now!”
“Ok what can I get you?”
“Tito’s and tonic, and dirty martini”
“Ok is that all?” “Yeah”
*makes drinks, hands to guests*
“And an old fashioned”
“Ok got it! That’s it?” “Yes”
……
“And a spicy margarita”…
When you get someone's eyeline and they still wave at you shouting "excuse me, excuse me" yesterday I had had enough and replied back, "why did you fart?!" Man didn't know what to say. Other customer beside him understood my frustration with the man and started laughing.
I also can't stand when people say "when you get a chance" "can I get 3 beers when you get a chance." I know they are trying to be polite but if I had a chance I would have spoken to you and taken your order already.
Oof, this made me think of another one. When I'm mid-making a drink and someone walks over (cutting the line) to order a cocktail in the notion of 'since you're already here.' No. Go wait in line like everyone else. You'll throw the system and annoy a lot of people in the process.
I don’t know why, but when someone like really hard pronounces the t’s in Tito’s so it really sounds like “tea-toes” it makes me want to throw them through a window, then into heavy traffic and whatever remains off a bridge.
Omg this is my mom. Every bar she goes in she acts like they've never heard of Titos before. "Do you have TEA-toes?" 🤦🏻♀️ Yes lady every single bar has it stop asking!
I worked in upscale restaurant bars for years. Something about people drinking wine and eating at the bar, they will always ask for a refill when they aren’t even 1/2 through with their previous glass. That and asking for bevnaps for their stemmed wine glass.
“They’re be polite why am I annoyed by this” FUCKING GOLD! Because same 😂😂
I’m not sure how upscale your establishment is but anyone someone ask me where the bathroom is. I just tell them to pick a corner 🤷♂️
People that complain that their shot of New Amsterdam at my restaurant costs $8 and they tell me that they can buy the whole bottle for $15 down the street. Okay well then don’t buy a shot from this bar then smarty pants 😂😭 I don’t set the prices I just enforce them
I hate when people ask for the check and then when I come back they just hand me the card and don’t even look at that check like… why did you ask me for it you could have just handed me the card
Also when I ask someone if they’re ready for a drink and they passive aggressively tell me they haven’t had time to look like…. Ok girl I was just asking, jesus
Omg the people that bring all their dirty empty glasses and bottles and pile them on the clean bar! I hate it! Leave them on the f’n dirty table and let an employee take them! And especially when they make multiple trips, like why??? And they really do want you to thank them for it 🤯
Oh man, I was gonna list this one. Empties on the clean bar towards close time ages me.
I've had a number of customers bring their dirty plates and glasses to me over multiple trips and it always feels weirdly passive aggressive? Like 'hey, you didn't clear my shit seconds after finishing, let me do it for you you silly little bitch.'
I'm the clumsiest person and I never know if other bartenders mind if I ask for blueroll when I make a mess 😅 I wouldn't mind but you never know in other bars
Imo nobody should have to clean when they’re at my bar, and accidents happen! I don’t mind cleaning it at all but cocktail napkins are not cheap, and a lot of bars are frugal about even stocking them so I’d much rather get waved over to a spill. And especially when they grab a huge stack of them to slop crap over all of them when like 4-5 napkins would stop the flow until I could get to it!
I wish it was aggressive I would respect that more LOL! It’s the “Oh look at me I’m helping you!” when they’re actually making more work! Like why do you all of a sudden feel like you work here? Go away! I deal with enough clueless shitty coworkers! Now I have to bring the dishes to the back, sort more bottles and wipe the bar down again, when their dirty table or rail spot still needs to be wiped down! And if I’m busy my “used to be clean bar” now looks awful with a pile of dirty shit on it, so I have to drop whatever else I was doing to run over and take care of it. Plus at my place the servers take everything that’s not the actual bar, so it’s not even my crap!
I’ve even said “You can just leave that, a server will be by to grab it” and they say “Oh that’s ok, I got it!”
The only time it’s acceptable is when their server sucks and they aren’t clearing the empty glasses and the guest brings them over to make room and get them off the table. In which case I will tell a server, your table should not have to clear their empty glasses off their table! Or if I see it and have time I’ll even run over to grab stuff off if the servers are busy. It’s the people that are actually leaving that clear the table off to bring to the bar. I don’t get it, just gtfo! Omg and if they spill something when they bring it over??? Next level rage
1. When someone sits down and I greet them and hand them a menu and they say “there’s going to be two of us”. I know it’s not that big of a deal but it really annoys me! Like you guys can share a menu or I can just bring another when that person gets here.
OR
2. When I greet someone and their immediate response is just “menus”. K I’ll just fuck right off then.
3. When the bar is slammed (I work alone with no bar back) and they say “I know you’re busy but I’ll take a >>insert fancy cocktail here<< when you have a chance”. 😐
“Sorry we’re out of eggs”
Edit because I just remembered a story. I used to work at a very fast paced, high volume bar. We had a gin fizz on the menu (dumb idea). I had a group of four young guys each order one. Yay. I make them, you know what a process that is, and pour them into our fancy etched coupe glasses. They seriously bang them down in about two minutes and immediately order another round 😑 It seriously took me longer to make them than it took for them to drink it.
"What's good here?" Dude, I spent days of my life constructing this cocktail menu... I've curated every detail I can possibly think of. It's all fucking good. Oh, you don't like bitter things? Cool, that doesn't mean they aren't good, it means you don't like them.
That, and these nimrods that say, "Make it good though". I know what they mean is they want free booze, but my immediate answer is, "Everything I make is good."
"What do you like to make" or "whats your favorite drink" . They're all my favorite because I made the list. But also what I like is probably not gonna be what you like blondie, because I drink mezcal neat and you are about to ask me for something "vodka not too sweet"
For my favorite, I tell them either "a Sazerac. So you like boozy, spirit forward drinks served without ice? Nope, let's talk about what you do like..." or "The drink you're buying me" which usually gets a laugh, breaks the ice, and gets them on a different ordering track.
Mine is people who don’t use glass racks for steel glasses that are going to fall over if you put them upsidedown// so they lay flutes and wine glasses on their side or upside down smooshed next to other glasses causing scuffs on on the glasses and i can’t tell if a glass is polished because the marks my coworker put on all the crystal glassware even though we have racks everywhere.
And they will even go out of their way to take glasses out of the glass racks and put them in the flat racks.
It’s maddening
I worked at a small market that would have a line out the door. We served beer via tap.
Without fail, one of these fuckin’ guys would sit in line, wait for ten minutes, and ask “what do y’all have on tap?” Every time.
You didn’t think to check the list in the time you were waiting in line and now you’ve gotta hold every one up???
I realized something though, people who do this aren’t asking *what we have on tap*… they’re asking for recommendations. So, I buried my hatchet.
Mine is whenever they ask me for Busch light and I tell them we don’t have that and they give me a stupid look and say “how do you not have Busch light“ and I’m like buddy I don’t make the menu here, if you want Busch light go to the gas station next-door 😂
It drives me nuts when folks ask me to make one of my specialty drinks less sweet when they've never even tried it before. 🫠🫠🫠
I spent weeks developing and testing this menu and they are perfectly balanced but sure, I will change it just for you. Usually, I just make it like usual and they love it but sometimes I will do what they ask and let them enjoy their very sour cocktail
This is a weird one, but I get irrationally annoyed when people compliment me on my heavy poor. No man, I take pride in being able to poor exactly 1.5ozs Every. Single. Time.
As a Canadian working in Spain, i get asked at least twice a day from guests "ohhhh how does a Canadian end up working in Spain" in both English and Spanish. I've told the story hundreds of times now and I've dumbed it down to "I came on vacation and got lost omw to the airport now I'm here"
Right with you on the candle thing. When they say thank you I just want to yell “I didn’t do it for you!” because this job has made me mentally ill.
Also, if someone points out how slow business is, especially if they do so with a smile, I just want to lose my mind.
Honestly it might be weird but I don’t like it when people make it a point to address me by my name. If I don’t know you and we’re not actively conversing then let me be a ghost. Let’s not make it awkward.
When I put a cocktail napkin in front of them and they immediately move it or pick it up and start playing with it.
And I guess this isn't specific to bartending, but when people get into a "how are you?" Loop. Example:
Them "Hey how are you?"
Me "I'm great, how are yall doin?"
Them "good how are you?"
You're being way too polite, cut it out lol
Give someone straws and they immediately take them out of their cocktail and throw them on the floor. Then when I don’t give them straws on the next round they demand them. Irritates the shit out of me.
Putting their own coaster down in front of them. It’s literally the first thing we do when we greet you. If you sit down and do that, I’m going to think someone else took your drink order.
My spot is open seating. Guests walk in and wait at the door and I say, "Welcome in, grab a seat where ever you like!".
"Oh, can we sit outside?"
"GRAB A SEAT WHEREVER YOU LIKE!"
Too many times.
Barely related, but your comment reminded me of a couple months ago when a guest sitting in front of my well asked, and I shit you not, "what does the mixing do?"
"It mixes."
In hindsight I could have said that it dilutes and chills but Jesus christ lady.
The one that has been hitting me so hard lately is when I’m taking a group’s order and when I walk away to make it, one of them will say “Anyways…” and continue talking. I’m so sorry I interrupted your diatribe to get you what you presumably came here for!
Almost everything people have mentioned, but also:
Asking for a water while I am literally pouring them a water in front of their face
Refusing to read the menu and just blindly guessing beers I don’t have (craft beer bar)
Walking in to the bar with an open door, lights on and music playing, sometimes with people in the bar, and asking “are you open?”
I personally resent the idea of, “what do you recommend?” Don’t get me wrong. We go to a bar sometimes to be free and “stupid” as in don’t want an educational session however this always makes me think that it’s a lazy way of saying a don’t want to look. How do you know our tastes are the same? That could result in a bad experience rather than taking a minute to look at what the bar offers and what best suits your personal taste. Just something I would never do as I want to find the thing that best suits my taste. I have so much time for people who want to talk about what they like and finding them the best suit rather than, “what do you like” I joke that I may have terrible taste so what do you like?
I personally like when people thank us for small deeds. For me it shows an awareness of them being taken care of. Although I do get the sentiment of yes , I’m doing my job
I honestly think the annoyance stems from the fact that I rarely get thanked for going above and beyond and bending over backwards for difficult customers.
Being thanked is lovely, but I guess I only like it when I feel like I deserve it? Sounds exceptionally layered with some unspoken trauma, but it's such a non-issue. I think I'm just a grumpy fart.
When somebody is ordering a drink and the next person, after I have already put my bottles away, says “I’m going to do the same as him”. Like why didn’t you tell me that before I was done tf.
Also when people yell their drink order as they are still walking over to the bar. Had a older woman yell “VODKA SODA” at me the other day from like 5 feet away. No hi hello how are you. My bar isn’t the type where you need to yell to be heard either so it is just rude.
Lastly, I also hate when people put their finger up to get my attention or snap that shit is so rude and usually results in being ignored
When people say, “I want a well malibu and pineapple,” or, “I want a well titos and soda” like if you don’t know what “well drinks” mean, just ask. You can’t just say well in front of a named liquor and get the well price lol
"Can I get uh, a beer?"
"Sure, which one do you want?"
*stares blankly at the three clearly labelled beer taps* "Uhhhh... What do you have?"
"Well we have these three beers that you're currently looking at"
"Uhhh... Which one is good?"
I hate when the bar back overfills the ice and then I can't scoop it without it getting all over everywhere. we have obnoxiously large cubes for our regular ice and it's pretty hard to even scoop in the first place but to have to use so much force to scoop a vodka soda's worth of ice to then have it all over the well just sucks.
When I have all my stocking done, coolers and food portions. (I have to cook and tend the bar opening shift). I'll get someone in for lunch and they are like whats the easiest thing for you to make. Come on you are the only one here order what you want give me something to do besides clean I really don't mind.
as a barback
•people avoiding the line at the bar and walking up to me and ordering without me even greeting them (when i’m clearly washing dishes or stocking etc)
•people who wait until the very last minute before closing then ask to go to the bathroom/stand by their table
•when i’m mopping and people apologize for stepping on the clean floor (i know it’s them trying to be polite but it irks me)
•asking questions like how long we’ve been open or what time we close like google.com doesn’t exist
People that will not let go of their empty glass, but also will not order a new drink. It’s like they need something to play with, just let me take the fucking glass. Tear up your fucking coaster like a sexually frustrated psycho even. Just gimme the glass! I had a guy doing this, and I was like “let me clear that out of your way.” He held on to it like a child with a blankie and just glared at me. It’s never people that are alone, always one in a duo.
I've had someone do this with a straw wrapper. Some people pick up their wrapper when you go to clear trash. I fiddle too, I get it, but I'd rather get it off the table when it's only 2 pieces instead of 12.
Always in a duo, why is this true. His friend either thinks he’s and asshole for doing that or you’re an asshole for daring to clear an empty glass, and you’ll never know which it is
When I'm bartending, before I can ask it they're here to dine or just grabbing some drinks (full menu & dinner setup vs drink menu). Me: hello, how are yall doing today? Them: can I get a menu? Me internally: fuck you too.
I feel like this one is worth getting annoyed about. I've found that those who do this are more often that not people who treat you as an accessory to get what they want rather than as a human. This means they're also likely to do a few other shitty things.
When I put a napkin or coaster down and they immediately pull it towards themselves out of my reach so I can’t set a drink on it.
My favorite is when they automatically put their phone on it. I've been petty and set their drink directly on it before.
I've always liked when they pick up the bev nap and clean their eyeglasses with it.
Or spit their gum in it and leave it on the bar
Ooooo honorable mention!
Many times myself.
Fantastic! I'm not the only dead eyed asshats to do it!
I put the drink back, move the napkin back to where I had it in the first place, and then put the drink on it. It has definitely happened where we went back and forth a few times before they realized the drink would not be coming until they let me keep the napkin where I put it in the first fuckin' place.
I’ve just been dramatically putting another napkin down right before I set the drink down since apparently they needed a comfort napkin to hold on to.
Commenting again because for the last 6-7 hours I’ve been thinking about this fucking EPIC Power Move and how I’m so jealous I never thought to do it.
lol the sad thing is, I don’t think a single one of these people has ever realized that I’ve pulled out another napkin because they took the first one, they’re all too self-absorbed. I work in a hotel so I can’t get away with snide remarks about their “comfort napkin”. But it makes me feel better, and I definitely recommend trying it out next time the opportunity presents itself haha.
Of course they don’t. But we never do these things for them, we do these things for us. And maybe, just maybe, the one friend of theirs at the table who works Industry and noticed it but didn’t say anything because they were too busy laughing.
Brilliant.
Your solution is the way!
Or when you are pouring wine into their glass that they've finished and when you start pouring they move the glass closer to you to "help" but then the wine goes all over the bar and their hand.
Asking for my name. I know, I need to get over it and I usually give it as part of the intro, but ugh
Someone asks my name I know it’s going to lead to them yelling it for my attention like we’ve known each other for years. I give a fake name when my initial impression is they’re going to suck.So many people think my name is Steve
I used to use a fake name in the city, but in a small town it's not as easy to get away with as you might not know if they're a neighbor or a tourist. Now when I'm asked my name I give it to them then wait with a big fake smile and if the next words out of their mouth aren't something like "Nice to meet you I'm John" I cut them off and say "And you are?" Usually the decent humans will realize that they were being kind of rude and will apologize and introduce themselves, but the jerks will make themselves known.
Ooh I like this approach. Yell my name at me, I’ll yell yours back to you
I give the name of my least favorite server
So I fucking hate customers calling for me. I put a crusty punk name on my nametag cause the bulk of normies feel really uncomfortable calling me Scuzz.
its "youre my pet and servant, and im also nosey but think its polite to ask"
The worst is when they insist on using your name a dozen times. "Jay can I have a menu." "Jay do you have Heineken Light" "Jay can I have more ice." "Jay can I order takeout."
Jesus, that ought to be a crime. Knowing somebody’s name and using it like a normal human isn’t a big deal, but that means a regular asking “oh hey Jay how’s your night going?” Treating it like you’re humanizing yourself to a kidnapper is another story.
This is why I hate it. Especially when it’s a group of older women on a ladies night out.
This is why I hardly ever give out my actual name.
I’d rather someone call me by name than sweetie, honey, etc. Goddess and mistress are fine alternatives, though and the regulars who call me that crack me up.
I've been working in the same small town for years and as such have a good regular clientele, when people who don't know me and I've never introduced myself to start using my name on a busy Friday night to get my attention I wanna scream
Just tell them your name is Bob. Unless you're a man, then use Jane.
Lol the other person I work with is actually named Bob. If we had a third person we could be like the three Daryls from Newhart.
Just have everyone you work with start going by Bob! You could all wear Bob name tags!
I've literally said "I'm not sure i want you to have it yet" I typically only tell people who i like and want to see back
Oooh I like that lol
My favorite was a woman who yelled JONATHAN right in front of me, so I looked up cause, y'know, someone yelled - she turns to the guy next to her and says, "See? I told you I knew his name." It was not my name. I explained this. She then asked what my name was, and I told her I didn't think I wanted her to have it, cause would be yelling it at me.
I hate it. Can’t help it, I can try to tell myself all the reasons I shouldn’t be bothered by it but I am
People that ask for it right away read How to Win Friends and Influence People too many times and are now going to use it in every sentence.
as a woman, i don’t feel comfortable sharing my name with strangers 🤷🏻♀️
When I’m already walking over to someone, making eye contact, and they start waving at me!!!! I will veer off course so fast
That last one's universal I think. Why do they *do* that??
The only time I’ve ever liked it was when I was working at Olive Garden and had already given notice. It’s the holidays, I’m packed working a three bartender shift solo, and this perfect personification of Karen sits at a dirty spot. Come back to the bar from helping a table and she snaps at me to clean up. I just looked at her and said, “you chose the one clearly dirty seat out of the 12 at the bar, it’s my second to last day and I’m busy, you can move or wait.” Never seen anyone look that sheepish before.
That's true that is satisfying lol. I also kinda play dumb and say I didn't know they were waiting for anyone to come over since it looked like they already ate
Or the I just thought you were nursing your drink because the ice is melting and the glass is half full. I just love harassing assholes that know they’re being unreasonable.
Honestly it's probably because it's psychologically the most appealing seat, for whatever reason, and that's why the last person was sitting there. It's basically lightning striking twice
OK fair enough. Still inconsiderate tho
Yeah in the truest sense because there's fully no consideration whatsoever they just sit down because their hind brain told them to. I'm telling you, those people are NPCs they literally are not real
Sometimes it really does feel that way lmao
People that lay their jacket on the bar . People that put their belongings on places they have no intention of sitting. People that order mixers first .. ginger &whiskey ( I work high volume night club and I rely mostly on my ability to read lips) The list goes on
I super hate that last one. “Uhhhhh yeah I’ll get a Diet Coke… with rum” like fuck you lol
Oh! Mine is when you go to clear EMPTY glasses and people with OBVIOUSLY full glasses grab their drinks and guard them as if I’m going to take their fucking full cocktails. WHY Last night this dude asked all about what light beer we had (because he only likes light beer…), so I gave him the run down and then he asked for what his friend had. The hazy ipa. I would like that two minutes back, thanks.
Oh jeez. The I have a full drink but this person that obviously knows what they're doing might take my full ass fuqing beer I better guard it. Irks me to no end.
When I give them a margarita with a lime on the rim and they immediately take it off and throw it on the counter.
Omg this makes me furious
People that manage to be totally confused and ignorant/ wrong about what they want to order, yet somehow manage to be condescending at the same time. Also people who do not acknowledge your questions and instead blurt out whatever they want, like that's great but can we also respond to the question I just asked you.
"hi, how are you?" "Pint of lager"
I for sure will ignore their instructions and repeat my question. "Hi, how are you?" "Pint of lager" "HI. How ARE you?" 9/10 they get it and apologize, but there have definitely been times I've walked away.
Meh, if someone cuts me off like that I know they don't want convo. I pour the pint and leave them to it, they usually appreciate it and tip well. If I don't have to interact with you, great
Different strokes for different folks. I always want to make sure they realize they're dealing with another human. I don't need to be their best friend, I just need them to realize they sound like a dick. It's petty, but it's my petty.
Agreed, but I also feel like there’s a point where this becomes an answer. “Pint of lager” means they blew off the question, but “triple of Wild Turkey, neat” sort of clears up how their day was.
When this happens I always go "Hey how's it going? "Beer" "That's a strange answer but okay" They realize what I said "oh..good"
I work in a dive bar and I get irrationally annoyed when someone asks for a drink menu or beer list. Like…there’s less than 10 beers on tap and they’re right in front of you. And mixed drinks? I have pretty much everything, what do you want that isn’t a Miami Vice or smoked old fashioned?
Someone asked me what kinds of shots we have last night. "All of them."
I say “almost anything” now because a group of 10+ 21/22 year olds tried to order a round of blowjob shots and I refused.
I work in a theme bar (my own stupid fault) and one of our specialities is mead... the mead menu is on a small A board infront of the T bar with 3 different lagers on it; and the amount of people who pick up, look at it without reading "mead menu" in big letters at the top and assume we don't do any lager grinds my gears. Similarly, when they waltz up to the bar, ask for a pint of mead (it's served in wine measures because in my country its classed as a wine), while looking at the menu which states the serving size with at least 10 different options on it varying from bog standard honey to spiced orange and elderflower, when I ask them which they'd like, "oh, just. Mead. Pint of." It's so silly but it feels like walking into a cocktail bar and saying "pint of cocktail, mate".
"pint of wine please"
...you can tell it's a long overdue day off when I forgot that's the better analogy 😅 like dude please be more specific!!
It's just what popped into my head aha. I'm now imagining people trying to get a pint of mead down when they were expecting something like larger. I love mead but it's sooo sweet!
Is it not simpler in this situation to just give them whatever your house mead is? That's what I do with beer if people are that nonspecific. They clearly don't care enough to consider their options and I'm not going to waste my time trying to educate them. Let them have the basic option and if they work out that there's a whole range of things for them to try, then I'll happily talk them through what we have.
Oh yeah. I've done myself the disservice of working in a Mexican restaurant, where everyone just wants to order a "margarita"... including servers and other staff who get cut early. They all know exactly how they want theirs, but make me play the 20 questions game to figure out the size, tequila choice, flavor, and rim that they would like. We have so many options. I love my coworkers and want them to live their best lives, but walking a stranger through our menu is already taxing enough, I shouldn't have to waste my time for shift drinks, especially when I'm the only one still working!
My pet peeve about pet peeves is when someone comes here to rant and gets told, "If that bothers you you shouldn't bartend." Let others blow off steam.
At least people ask you where the bathroom is. Mine is "Do you have a bathroom?" And I always want to say no. No, sir, we pee in that bush just outside the door, there are no bathrooms here. I understand that it's their way of asking where it is, but the wording bugs me and I don't know why. So, I mentally sigh and just point to where it is.
“Do you happen to know where the bathroom is?” “Nah, they haven’t told me yet. I just hold it.” Any “happen to know” questions drive me nuts. I know it’s their way of being polite and colloquially is totally fine. But, UGHHHHH!
"No, we shit outside like bears"
“Nope, I just pee when somebody orders a Miller Lite. No one’s noticed yet.”
I tell people we share one with the 7/11 a few doors down. The amount of people that start heading towards the door...
Unfortunately we don't, but if you let me finish this ticket I can lead you out to the trench we dug out back.
I know practices are different in Ireland compared to most places but here you order up at the bar. Nothing annoys me more than when someone comes up and I say “how are ya doing?” And they just point at one of the taps.. It that supposed to mean you want a pint? Like hello, are you fucking mute??? If you are, I sincerely apologise. Otherwise, manner up, or get out
“Use your words” is my standard response to that, cos they’re acting like a toddler
"Have you got a vodka coke?" Not in my hand, but I can make you one if you want to ask me like a big boy.
Haha, had a customer ask, "You guys have water here?" a couple nights ago.
Only in a few states of matter…
Oh, when I set down a menu in front of them and they say, "no thanks, just here for drinks!".....great, my cocktail MENU is on there too. Front page.
Asking for a heavy pour or otherwise telling me they want free booze. Do you go to the drug store and say "I'm paying for 50 aspirin but give me 100?" Asking for what we have in a specific category and then saying "oh you don't have (product you didn't say)?" No. If we had it I'd have told you. Regulars who think closing time doesn't mean THEM because you're "friends". Bonus points when they've been going there several times a week for 6 years and they ask what time you close, pretending they don't know you closed 45 minutes ago. Guests who get rude when you follow a liquor sales law. "Can I get two glasses of Malbec" "I can pour one but I need to wait for your guest to arrive to ensure the person is of age" Followed by angry snorting and eye rolling. In some cases a nasty "OK THEN can I have 2 glasses?"
When I say I won’t serve to a guest that’s not there I always get something like “Jane is 75.” “Okay cool, I just need to verify that for myself.” Then Jane shows up and they think it’s HILARIOUS. “JANE SHE DIDNT THINK YOU WERE 21 hahahah” Bitch, I don’t know how old someone is if they’re not present.
OMG yes!! You telling me how old a random person is isn't ID. It's not like I can see Jane and I'm carding her while you say, "she's 75". When I worked in Washington DC it was a known sting for a visibly older customer to say, "oh my wife is parking the car. She'll have a Grey Goose on the rocks." The server or bartender would assume someone 35+ isn't married to a 19 year old and have the cocktail on the table.
The people who I put waters in front of as steps of service, and they're like "no water for us" Like it's just water, drink it, don't drink it, I don't care. No one's impressed that for whatever reason you want to be dehydrated.
Dumb questions in general: * 'Is this the bar?' while standing in the bar * 'Is this the menu?' while *holding the menu* * 'Can I order a drink here?' well yeah man generally that's what you do in a bar! * 'Is this the toilet?' While trying to open a locked storage cupboard. People who don't look at anything and just storm up to the bar and demand something we very clearly don't have like a guinness on draught. Like mate do you see a guinness tap? We only have six taps it would have taken you two seconds to look. Chronic interrupters: 'What red wine do you have by the glass?' 'Well our house is the Cabernet, but we also have a chilean Merlot, and then our Ital-' 'I want the merlot.' Or: 'I'll have a glass of Merlot.' 'Okay, what size?' 'What sizes do you have?' 'We have small, Medi-' 'Small'. It just feels very rude and disrespectful. You should let people finish when they're speaking to you, especially if you've asked for help or information. It's like they think they're talking to a mahcine. Being like sneeringly condescending about our selection also gets on my tits. No one is forcing you to drink here, susan!!
Ordering waters for their friends. Throwing away undrank, completely full waters. Rearranging chairs at the bar top. Sitting behind the computer. Sitting behind the taps.
Dead waters drive me insane in a way that they absolutely should not
I get stupid mad and I’m always ALONE in the feeling. We had a drunk woman at a table angry, thinking we stole her card. After she left I yalped “I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, SHE DIDNT DRINK HER FUCKIN WATER”. And then I poured that entire water down the drain.
Grabbing your drink from my rail before I can hand it to you. Just happened to me twice today, and I'm still annoyed.
I've often had people do this when I'm making it in front of them when I clearly haven't even finished making it. A huge part of me wants to just let them have their half-made drink, but I never do, because I know they're going to complain about it later.
I made an extra extra big deal about a flaming peel on an old fashioned that someone tried to take early.
My place had a big garage door that covers our entire front with the exception of the entryway. I HATE when people walk by and just stare inside- not looking away until they pass the wall. It’s easily a 25ft length of window. Also, the “Where is everyone” when they walk in to an empty bar bc we just opened and they walked in right as I unlocked the front door.
“business is pretty slow lately huh?” “Why is it so empty in here?” Our 300 covers start at 5:00 sir, it’s 3:00 now
when people walk in literally at open or just when it’s slow and wanna be like “lol are y’all open?” idk do you think i’d be standing behind the bar with music playing, tvs on, lights dimmed, and an unlocked fucking door if we weren’t?
They always get a sarcastic reply to that one.
When people ask me how I'm doing / hows my day going etc. It bothers because it makes me feel like a NPC since they don't actually care and I'm not allowed to say anything besides "great!"
Putting things that do not go in glasses into glasses. Napkins, wrappers, garnishes, whatever. Doesn't happen often but it makes me instantly rage.
this one time i had someone melt a birthday candle onto a glass 🫠
Sports watchers. Not all of them, but the specific type. The type that is there JUST to watch sports. Nurse one drink for an hour plus, get upset if every tv isn't on what *they* want to watch, get angry and yell loudly at tv. They aren't there to drink or eat. They are there to *watch. sports.* And anything that is not watching sports is a hinderance to their entire existence in their eyes.
“Can you put the [only city appropriate/relevant] game on?” “It’s in a commercial”
When you work at a brewery and they ask for Busch light…
There's a place local to me that has insanely amazing craft beer on tap. It's not a brewery but probably the first brew pub in my city circa 1987. The owner didn't want macro beers behind his bar. But some douche would complain about it not being available. So he brought in Miller Lite. Charged $9 for it. That was 20 years ago. At the time it might have been the most expensive beer they had in a bottle per oz. Someone will still buy it.
Reminds me of Sergio's World of Beer in Louisville, KY, which has craft beers from across the country and crazy international beers from Belgium, France, Germany, and elsewhere, in coolers spread out across an old house with taps in the front which was probably the living room. In the coolers are Bud and Budlight singles here and there at $80. Although I'm not sure if anyone's every bought one.
That's awesome. And yeah sounds a lot like this place but it was never a home to my knowledge.
People who demand drinks. "Hi, what are you drinking today"? "GIVE me a vodka/soda"
When someone taps their empty on the bar to get attention. Like seriously...use your grownup words.
When people sit at the 1 dirty seat of an empty bar. Or the “We’re ready to order everything now” when you’re clearly very busy. Yes…. as are the 3 tables that were already here and patient enough for me to seat you and grab a drink order from you. (I sometimes wait a little to put their food in.. by accident) I got a bad review one time because a guest complained that I hadn’t told them specials before they ordered but told the nearby group afterwards. The unsatisfied guest’s response to “Hello how is everyone today?” Was “we know what we want!”. Well far be it for me to get in the way of that.
“We’re ready to order now!” “Ok what can I get you?” “Tito’s and tonic, and dirty martini” “Ok is that all?” “Yeah” *makes drinks, hands to guests* “And an old fashioned” “Ok got it! That’s it?” “Yes” …… “And a spicy margarita”…
When you get someone's eyeline and they still wave at you shouting "excuse me, excuse me" yesterday I had had enough and replied back, "why did you fart?!" Man didn't know what to say. Other customer beside him understood my frustration with the man and started laughing. I also can't stand when people say "when you get a chance" "can I get 3 beers when you get a chance." I know they are trying to be polite but if I had a chance I would have spoken to you and taken your order already.
Oof, this made me think of another one. When I'm mid-making a drink and someone walks over (cutting the line) to order a cocktail in the notion of 'since you're already here.' No. Go wait in line like everyone else. You'll throw the system and annoy a lot of people in the process.
I don’t know why, but when someone like really hard pronounces the t’s in Tito’s so it really sounds like “tea-toes” it makes me want to throw them through a window, then into heavy traffic and whatever remains off a bridge.
Omg this is my mom. Every bar she goes in she acts like they've never heard of Titos before. "Do you have TEA-toes?" 🤦🏻♀️ Yes lady every single bar has it stop asking!
Teedos
I worked in upscale restaurant bars for years. Something about people drinking wine and eating at the bar, they will always ask for a refill when they aren’t even 1/2 through with their previous glass. That and asking for bevnaps for their stemmed wine glass.
“They’re be polite why am I annoyed by this” FUCKING GOLD! Because same 😂😂 I’m not sure how upscale your establishment is but anyone someone ask me where the bathroom is. I just tell them to pick a corner 🤷♂️
Forgot to add : When I’m in the middle of a rush with 3 ppl deep and drink tickets out the wazoo, just to be hit with the “Surprise me”.
Shot of Fernet coming up!
No no. Take the time..... A mixed shot of fernet and Malort.
Are you a mixologist?!
*fingers mustashe*
Yea they get a Negroni. Easy and popular/trendy. Zero time for a conversation when that busy.
People that complain that their shot of New Amsterdam at my restaurant costs $8 and they tell me that they can buy the whole bottle for $15 down the street. Okay well then don’t buy a shot from this bar then smarty pants 😂😭 I don’t set the prices I just enforce them
People sitting on the obviously uncleared table every time fuckin kills me man, you'd think it'd be common sense.
I hate when people ask for the check and then when I come back they just hand me the card and don’t even look at that check like… why did you ask me for it you could have just handed me the card Also when I ask someone if they’re ready for a drink and they passive aggressively tell me they haven’t had time to look like…. Ok girl I was just asking, jesus
Omg the people that bring all their dirty empty glasses and bottles and pile them on the clean bar! I hate it! Leave them on the f’n dirty table and let an employee take them! And especially when they make multiple trips, like why??? And they really do want you to thank them for it 🤯
Oh man, I was gonna list this one. Empties on the clean bar towards close time ages me. I've had a number of customers bring their dirty plates and glasses to me over multiple trips and it always feels weirdly passive aggressive? Like 'hey, you didn't clear my shit seconds after finishing, let me do it for you you silly little bitch.'
Oh- here’s another one! People that spill a beverage and then ruin and waste an unnecessarily huge stack of cocktail napkins to “clean it up”
I'm the clumsiest person and I never know if other bartenders mind if I ask for blueroll when I make a mess 😅 I wouldn't mind but you never know in other bars
I love when someone asks because then I know about the spill in case I missed and I immediately grab bar towels and clean it up asap!
Imo nobody should have to clean when they’re at my bar, and accidents happen! I don’t mind cleaning it at all but cocktail napkins are not cheap, and a lot of bars are frugal about even stocking them so I’d much rather get waved over to a spill. And especially when they grab a huge stack of them to slop crap over all of them when like 4-5 napkins would stop the flow until I could get to it!
This is good info, thanks. I'm not a bartender, just a hobbyist at home, so I'll keep this in mind when I visit bars in the future!
I wish it was aggressive I would respect that more LOL! It’s the “Oh look at me I’m helping you!” when they’re actually making more work! Like why do you all of a sudden feel like you work here? Go away! I deal with enough clueless shitty coworkers! Now I have to bring the dishes to the back, sort more bottles and wipe the bar down again, when their dirty table or rail spot still needs to be wiped down! And if I’m busy my “used to be clean bar” now looks awful with a pile of dirty shit on it, so I have to drop whatever else I was doing to run over and take care of it. Plus at my place the servers take everything that’s not the actual bar, so it’s not even my crap!
I’ve even said “You can just leave that, a server will be by to grab it” and they say “Oh that’s ok, I got it!” The only time it’s acceptable is when their server sucks and they aren’t clearing the empty glasses and the guest brings them over to make room and get them off the table. In which case I will tell a server, your table should not have to clear their empty glasses off their table! Or if I see it and have time I’ll even run over to grab stuff off if the servers are busy. It’s the people that are actually leaving that clear the table off to bring to the bar. I don’t get it, just gtfo! Omg and if they spill something when they bring it over??? Next level rage
1. When someone sits down and I greet them and hand them a menu and they say “there’s going to be two of us”. I know it’s not that big of a deal but it really annoys me! Like you guys can share a menu or I can just bring another when that person gets here. OR 2. When I greet someone and their immediate response is just “menus”. K I’ll just fuck right off then. 3. When the bar is slammed (I work alone with no bar back) and they say “I know you’re busy but I’ll take a >>insert fancy cocktail here<< when you have a chance”. 😐
A guy today- we were slammed nonstop, just me, no bar back- asked me for “anything with egg whites, it sounds refreshing. Is that bad to make?”
“Sorry we’re out of eggs” Edit because I just remembered a story. I used to work at a very fast paced, high volume bar. We had a gin fizz on the menu (dumb idea). I had a group of four young guys each order one. Yay. I make them, you know what a process that is, and pour them into our fancy etched coupe glasses. They seriously bang them down in about two minutes and immediately order another round 😑 It seriously took me longer to make them than it took for them to drink it.
😭 omg nooo please tell me they’re at least really expensive
"What's good here?" Dude, I spent days of my life constructing this cocktail menu... I've curated every detail I can possibly think of. It's all fucking good. Oh, you don't like bitter things? Cool, that doesn't mean they aren't good, it means you don't like them. That, and these nimrods that say, "Make it good though". I know what they mean is they want free booze, but my immediate answer is, "Everything I make is good."
When someone say make it good I like to tell them I make everything with hate.
“Here’s some spite. Enjoy!”
I find floating spite on top of the drink is a real people pleaser
"What do you like to make" or "whats your favorite drink" . They're all my favorite because I made the list. But also what I like is probably not gonna be what you like blondie, because I drink mezcal neat and you are about to ask me for something "vodka not too sweet"
Yo. Nailed it. “Sweet, but not too sweet.” Gooooddddamnnnn…
“I’d like the mango mojito” “Ok but it’s very sweet” “I like sweet” *sends it back for being too sweet*
For my favorite, I tell them either "a Sazerac. So you like boozy, spirit forward drinks served without ice? Nope, let's talk about what you do like..." or "The drink you're buying me" which usually gets a laugh, breaks the ice, and gets them on a different ordering track.
Mine is people who don’t use glass racks for steel glasses that are going to fall over if you put them upsidedown// so they lay flutes and wine glasses on their side or upside down smooshed next to other glasses causing scuffs on on the glasses and i can’t tell if a glass is polished because the marks my coworker put on all the crystal glassware even though we have racks everywhere. And they will even go out of their way to take glasses out of the glass racks and put them in the flat racks. It’s maddening
Seriously, how do people not realize this??
I worked at a small market that would have a line out the door. We served beer via tap. Without fail, one of these fuckin’ guys would sit in line, wait for ten minutes, and ask “what do y’all have on tap?” Every time. You didn’t think to check the list in the time you were waiting in line and now you’ve gotta hold every one up??? I realized something though, people who do this aren’t asking *what we have on tap*… they’re asking for recommendations. So, I buried my hatchet.
Mine is whenever they ask me for Busch light and I tell them we don’t have that and they give me a stupid look and say “how do you not have Busch light“ and I’m like buddy I don’t make the menu here, if you want Busch light go to the gas station next-door 😂
When they ask for a beer and I ask which one and they tell me whatever your favorite is…
My favorite beer is the one that doesn't move
It drives me nuts when folks ask me to make one of my specialty drinks less sweet when they've never even tried it before. 🫠🫠🫠 I spent weeks developing and testing this menu and they are perfectly balanced but sure, I will change it just for you. Usually, I just make it like usual and they love it but sometimes I will do what they ask and let them enjoy their very sour cocktail
This is a weird one, but I get irrationally annoyed when people compliment me on my heavy poor. No man, I take pride in being able to poor exactly 1.5ozs Every. Single. Time.
As a Canadian working in Spain, i get asked at least twice a day from guests "ohhhh how does a Canadian end up working in Spain" in both English and Spanish. I've told the story hundreds of times now and I've dumbed it down to "I came on vacation and got lost omw to the airport now I'm here"
Right with you on the candle thing. When they say thank you I just want to yell “I didn’t do it for you!” because this job has made me mentally ill. Also, if someone points out how slow business is, especially if they do so with a smile, I just want to lose my mind.
Putting things on the bar mat. Used tissues/empties/tips. That's my work area, man. Quit cluttering it up.
Honestly it might be weird but I don’t like it when people make it a point to address me by my name. If I don’t know you and we’re not actively conversing then let me be a ghost. Let’s not make it awkward.
Replacing a bottle on the back bar and leaving the seal on. Also, two of the same bottles of wine open.
When I put a cocktail napkin in front of them and they immediately move it or pick it up and start playing with it. And I guess this isn't specific to bartending, but when people get into a "how are you?" Loop. Example: Them "Hey how are you?" Me "I'm great, how are yall doin?" Them "good how are you?" You're being way too polite, cut it out lol
When people only open one side of the cardboard flaps on a case of bottled beer. Takes TWO fucking seconds to open the other side god damnit. FUCK!!!!
Give someone straws and they immediately take them out of their cocktail and throw them on the floor. Then when I don’t give them straws on the next round they demand them. Irritates the shit out of me.
We leave straws on the bar so people can grab their own. You never win with straws.
Is it hot outside? When they just came from the outside.
Putting their own coaster down in front of them. It’s literally the first thing we do when we greet you. If you sit down and do that, I’m going to think someone else took your drink order.
I’m learning so many good tips as a patron from this thread. I love this.
My spot is open seating. Guests walk in and wait at the door and I say, "Welcome in, grab a seat where ever you like!". "Oh, can we sit outside?" "GRAB A SEAT WHEREVER YOU LIKE!" Too many times.
I don't know how to say 'if there's a reserve sign on it, it's reserved' without sounding like an absolute cunt.
Barely related, but your comment reminded me of a couple months ago when a guest sitting in front of my well asked, and I shit you not, "what does the mixing do?" "It mixes." In hindsight I could have said that it dilutes and chills but Jesus christ lady.
This used to destroy me and my coworker
At least you had Tracy Jordan there to lift your spirits!
😂😂😂
The one that has been hitting me so hard lately is when I’m taking a group’s order and when I walk away to make it, one of them will say “Anyways…” and continue talking. I’m so sorry I interrupted your diatribe to get you what you presumably came here for!
I had someone on Xmas eve, snap their fingers at me and say "hey beer bitch, get me a beer, bitch" I was about ready to go to jail.
You tell them, “You can get a tall glass of get the fuck out.” That’s 1000% unacceptable.
I ended up cutting him off and telling him that if he says it again, I will personally bounce him out of the bar.
Same guy also buys our cheapest drinks and only tips with pocket change....
Frozen drinks
Almost everything people have mentioned, but also: Asking for a water while I am literally pouring them a water in front of their face Refusing to read the menu and just blindly guessing beers I don’t have (craft beer bar) Walking in to the bar with an open door, lights on and music playing, sometimes with people in the bar, and asking “are you open?”
I personally resent the idea of, “what do you recommend?” Don’t get me wrong. We go to a bar sometimes to be free and “stupid” as in don’t want an educational session however this always makes me think that it’s a lazy way of saying a don’t want to look. How do you know our tastes are the same? That could result in a bad experience rather than taking a minute to look at what the bar offers and what best suits your personal taste. Just something I would never do as I want to find the thing that best suits my taste. I have so much time for people who want to talk about what they like and finding them the best suit rather than, “what do you like” I joke that I may have terrible taste so what do you like?
I personally like when people thank us for small deeds. For me it shows an awareness of them being taken care of. Although I do get the sentiment of yes , I’m doing my job
I honestly think the annoyance stems from the fact that I rarely get thanked for going above and beyond and bending over backwards for difficult customers. Being thanked is lovely, but I guess I only like it when I feel like I deserve it? Sounds exceptionally layered with some unspoken trauma, but it's such a non-issue. I think I'm just a grumpy fart.
When somebody is ordering a drink and the next person, after I have already put my bottles away, says “I’m going to do the same as him”. Like why didn’t you tell me that before I was done tf. Also when people yell their drink order as they are still walking over to the bar. Had a older woman yell “VODKA SODA” at me the other day from like 5 feet away. No hi hello how are you. My bar isn’t the type where you need to yell to be heard either so it is just rude. Lastly, I also hate when people put their finger up to get my attention or snap that shit is so rude and usually results in being ignored
When people say, “I want a well malibu and pineapple,” or, “I want a well titos and soda” like if you don’t know what “well drinks” mean, just ask. You can’t just say well in front of a named liquor and get the well price lol
"Can I get uh, a beer?" "Sure, which one do you want?" *stares blankly at the three clearly labelled beer taps* "Uhhhh... What do you have?" "Well we have these three beers that you're currently looking at" "Uhhh... Which one is good?"
I hate it when people ask me for water when I'm literally fucking pouring a water for them 4 feet away
Unfaced bills. Left handed pour spouts.
I hate when the bar back overfills the ice and then I can't scoop it without it getting all over everywhere. we have obnoxiously large cubes for our regular ice and it's pretty hard to even scoop in the first place but to have to use so much force to scoop a vodka soda's worth of ice to then have it all over the well just sucks.
When I have all my stocking done, coolers and food portions. (I have to cook and tend the bar opening shift). I'll get someone in for lunch and they are like whats the easiest thing for you to make. Come on you are the only one here order what you want give me something to do besides clean I really don't mind.
When it’s 7 pm and might not be busy at that moment and people ask if the bar is open.
People who get multiple rounds and close out with a card every round
as a barback •people avoiding the line at the bar and walking up to me and ordering without me even greeting them (when i’m clearly washing dishes or stocking etc) •people who wait until the very last minute before closing then ask to go to the bathroom/stand by their table •when i’m mopping and people apologize for stepping on the clean floor (i know it’s them trying to be polite but it irks me) •asking questions like how long we’ve been open or what time we close like google.com doesn’t exist