Be Careful of this Bartender
Rolling out of the Tunnel Top last weekend, we careened up Bush Street to Chelsea Place, a dive bar more in tune with my sensibilities that night. It was only too bad the bartender wasn’t in tune to anything resembling competence.
First off, like Lebanese bartenders, she had never heard of my drink, the simple vodka gimlet, and then tried to sell my date on her “special exotic drink” – a poorly made Blue Hawaii.
Still I gave her initial credit for trying, I was a server for years and can identify with a training day, but this was not her first time and her performance only got worse as the night wore on.
When a crew of guys came in and asked for a dozen Irish Car Bombs, everything went very pear-shaped very fast, starting with “What’s that?”
Soon, guys were holding various amounts of Baileys and Jamison concoctions over semi to full glasses of Guinness. As the cheer to drink went up, serious yelps came out as drinks when in – beer sloshed over container sides onto people, clothes, shoes.
Later, as the “who pays what” crescendo peaked, bartenders accusing customers of shorting, patrons arguing over what was a drink or not, we took our leave.
While the Tunnel Top wasn’t as homey or cheap, at least there the bartenders know what they’re doing.
nice, put her on blast
Good god, do you honestly think anyone gives a shit about your bad experience with a bartender? I almost thought there might be some hope for you with your relevant but thoroughly covered “children in SF” topic, but this is just lame.
You know Wayan, I’m beginning to think that this bartender’s biggest mistake was that she didn’t fix you a Litvinenko Lemonade.
> Be Careful of this Bartender
Uh, yeah. Sound the alarm.
While you’re at it, warn the public of the looming danger posed by this one particular cashier at the SoMa Whole Foods who once included the weight of my magazine when calculating the cost of my salad.
In all seriousness: maybe I’m too easy-going and thereby help enable such galling service, but when I encounter a bartender who doesn’t know how to make basic drinks, I just have straight drinks or x-and-tonic/soda drinks. Or beer. I don’t treat it as something noteworthy enough to post a warning about on a public site, much less post a picture of the “offender”, as if she were a fucking child molester.
Yes, bartenders should know how to make traditional drinks like vodka gimlets and even Irish Car Bombs, but it’s not like it’s a public duty. Nor does a bartender’s lack of knowledge preclude you from walking out the door and going someplace else. Nor is an uncomprehensively knowledgeable bartender a terribly rare thing.
The content of your posts make it seem as if you think SF.metblogs is your personal journal — as if people are generally interested in reading about your personal, individual stint in San Francisco. Which, from what I’ve seen, is not the case.
This wayan guy is a complete freakin’ tool. Check out his lame website: http://www.bellybuttonwindow.com/
Not cool posting a photo of the bartender in best stalker/lynch mob fashion. So, she’s not a good bartender. Ok, so what? Just go somewhere else or give her a few tips on how to improve before you leave. SF tip #1: Be cool with what flows your way, and don’t be an ass about it.
Now that said, if you’re looking for supreme dive and supreme brew, you need to stumble down to Toronado and try some incredible local and imported beers. And don’t worry, the bartenders will all always know hella lot more than you.
http://toronado.com/
Make sure to try the Russian River brews for some excellent local product. Pliny the elder goes *yum*.
I keep saying to myself, “don’t comment on this ass’ posts.” You know, like when some fuck at the next table is blabbin on his cell phone–you try to play it cool and ignore the bastard, but sometimes you just gotta lean over and tell him to shut his hole.
I really wish this guy Wayan would go home. I read the posts on this site because I like to know what’s goin on in the City and the different insights and perspectives. Whether or not those come from Native Sons and Daughters or from Transplants, I really don’t care, so long as they actually have something worth saying and is worthwhile to read. But this guy. Man.
He’s visiting (I hope) from DC. That’s great, welcome to The City. He speculates that there’s a rivalry between SF and SJ. That’s cool, it’s not really there, but I can kinda see how one might think that. Called SF “Frisco”. Nuff sed.
But then this guy keeps on goin! I thought, “Ok, here’s here for Thanksgiving or something. He’ll be gone soon.” But no! This fuck is still here. And now he put some idiot bartender’s picture up on the site for all to see, Borat style. I don’t know, but where I’m from, when you have a problem with a person for whatever reason, and you gotta say something about it, you say it to the person. You don’t go and do what this guy just did.
Just. Go. Home.
Ah, I think I get it now.
If I say something bad about SF, somehow suggesting that the city isn’t super cool, the trolls come out.
-or-
If I don’t instantly get all the inside info that all the super cool locals already know, then the trolls come out.
Again, y’all take yourselves, Metroblogging, and life in general waaaaay to seriously. And to think people call DC uptight!
Yeah, yeah, but something tells me that if I asked what people are drinking in Itaewon, she would know.
No, Wayan, you don’t get it.
Wayan, why don’t you try reporting on a local event?
Since it appears you drink, you run, and you take pictures with your cameraphone, it would seem that the jaunt with San Francisco Hash House Harriers might provide you an opportunity to cover something not super-duper touristy.
Wayan, dude, you need to chill. If you want to quickly experience the city, do what most writers researching do – ask. Nothing wrong with exploration, naturally, but that’s a very personal experience. Simply and humbly asking, and then following up with (the search for) an answer, however, is substantial material for interesting writing and exploratory public dialogue. A community blog like this is uniquely suitable for this. Just a thought.
Oh, and btw, hanging a fracking wanted poster of a bartender you didn’t like on metroblogging isn’t exactly showing how non-uptight you are your own self.
Wayan,
We aren’t trolls. We are simply showing our distaste for your negative and/or boring posts. This is supposed to be a place where we can read about and discuss interesting aspects of our city. Your personal life does not fall into that category. Your blogging style obviously isn’t appreciated by those who read sf metblogs. Maybe you should move on.
Please.
Is Wayan that actor who plays Borat?
um or like, the character for his next film?
u are a troll in my city.
you hang some girl slinging drinks in some bar u think is cool to “dive” in cuz she cant make your stupid fucking gimlet and you call my family uptight.
i dont like assholes like you running roughshod over places and people i like.
go shit on yourself for a change. might do you good.
I appreciated the post, personally. If it’s neighborly to share a good experience, it’s just as neighborly to warn someone off of a potentially bad one.
We’re a town that drinks, and a town that doesn’t tolerate bad or unprofessional service industry employees, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Someone who can’t do their job just won’t cut it for long here. Hell, it’s a tough climate for bars and restaurants that are legitimately good.
If she had just been stumped by the gimlet I would understand, but a bartender who doesn’t know what an Irish Car Bomb is (and how much to charge for it)?! I hope she’s got a day job she can keep.