That Was The Suck

So as I mentioned in my previous post, there’s a new Irish Pub/Sports Bar that opened just up the street from me. Well, after napping in my recliner (this activity replaced my video game activity) and waking up in the third quarter of the Michigan/Ohio State game, I decided I’d head up that way for some dinner and a few drinks. If the place was good, I’d stick around for the Cal/USC game.

The fact that there were several police, fire and ambulance vehicles on the other side of the street from the bar should have been my first clue that this place was going to be a train wreck. Granted, they weren’t there for anything that happened at the bar but the omen seems apt. I entered the too-well-lit sports bar and saw no seats at the bar. I grabbed an empty, two-seater table across from the bar and started surveying the place. Lots of college meatheads with a few older meatheads; many TVs showing different games (which is good, because the area in Lowell where I live has, until now, had no sports bars); and a large contingent of wait/bar staff wearing red shirts bearing the name of the place. I also saw the owner of the place, whom I’d met at my usual place while watching a BC game and who had told me that he was opening a sports bar downtown. A quick shake of hands and a congrats (they opened just last Friday) and I waited to be served.

Tables in the bar area are generally serviced by wait staff, so I didn’t go to the bar because I didn’t want to fuck the girl out of her tip. She came nearby and started talking to the owner about the table next to me. Apparently she was worried that they’d walked out on the tab. She was just finishing up with him, noticed me, asked me if I was all set, to which I replied, “No, actually, can I put in an order?” She was then distracted by the owner as the guys at the table next to me returned to pay their bill. She then completely ignored me. I sat there for a good 10 minutes waiting to be served. Nothing.

Fuck. I hate that. And she was a cute little Asian chick too. In the meantime a couple of spots opened at the bar. I forsook my table and grabbed a seat…and sat…and sat…and sat. What the fuck? The bar staff was standing around doing nothing. I waved. I tried to catch eyes. I did everything but shout (I hate shouting at people - it seems so ignorant to me, and if I have to shout I might as well leave). It took me another 5 minutes to get someone’s attention so I could order a beer and a cheeseburger. The part that pissed me off the most about this was that they were serving around me, as though I wasn’t there. I literally watched their eyes slide right off me as they served people to my right and left. I’m a giant guy with a red beard - I’m not easy to miss. Lame.

The only reason I didn’t leave already was because I was hungry and this was one of the few bars that served food. I don’t have much food in my place right now (I hate grocery store crowds on the weekend) and wasn’t in the mood to drive to a chain restaurant. Meanwhile I paid my bill (before getting my food, I might add - poor choice by the bar staff making me pay that just because their shift was rotating, which accompanied by the slack service) and drank my beer while watching the game. The staff rotated and I hoped that the new guys (a guy in his 30’s and an older guy who must have been in his 60’s) took up the rotation behind the bar. While I will accept that the place was busy, I’ve spent more than my fair share of time in bars and know that a two-person staff can handle both wait staff and bar customers without ignoring people.

The old guy was mostly useless, though a nice guy. Couldn’t hear people’s orders most of the time and didn’t really seem to have spent much time working a bar. The younger guy played the same game as the first staff and only served those who yelled the loudest. I got my burger, which wasn’t bad, and finally got another beer. The old guy actually managed to refill my beer without me having to wait too long, so I hoped maybe a rhythm was developing.

No such luck. The game over, now watching the Celtics getting embarrassed by the Knicks in the first quarter, waiting for the Cal/USC game and I sat there with an empty beer waiting for service. And waiting…and waiting. The old guy was busy stacking glasses on the other end of the bar. The young guy served around me at least four times. I finally exclaimed, “fuck this” and threw a ten on the bar to cover my $9.75 tab and walked out.

I know the bar is new. I know the bar staff hasn’t worked out the kinks yet. I know that the place will probably get its act together. But on my first night of vacation just wanting to drink too much, watch too many games and wander home with a nice buzz on I was in no mood to have to fight for a drink. My local liquor store is right around the corner so I stopped in for a sixer of Magic Hat and am going to watch the game on my HD LCD TV at home in the comfort of my own recliner.

I’ll have to check the place out one more time to see if it’s improved. I may need to speak to the owner just to give him a heads up that their bar staff needs to get their shit together. And just a heads up: I usually am overgenerous with my tipping, as anyone who’s gone out drinking or eating with me will attest. 20% is the base from which I expand. 15% is given when you do a bad job. Less than that and you’ve pissed me off or offended me. The fact that I tipped the first crew a dollar on an $11 bill and the second staff a quarter on a $9.75 bill says a lot about the way I feel I was treated.

Ah well, the recliner is calling.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 18th, 2006 at 9:30pm and is filed under Personal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.