12 replies to this topic

[GabachaYucateca]

So as not to come across as a sour Sally, I'll start with the positives:

• lovely space
  
• great beer selection
  
• more and more of a mix of people (now I see Cape Verdean clients from Woodlawn there in large groups pretty regularly)
  
• so close to work that we can have friday afternoon meetings over beers and fried things

Now to the part that ticks me off to no end:

The service SUCKS!!! There is NOTHING I hate more than female bartenders with major 'tudes who serve men first no matter who belly-upped to the bar first.  I can kind of understand how this happens if the bar is packed, and it's difficult to figure out who arrived first, although I also thinks it's the bartenders responsibility to make that work.  But this was Friday evening early, and there was only a handful of people waiting.  She served some dude who arrived a full five minutes after me, and of course he didn't know what he wanted so she stood there whinnying and tossing her hair as he decided.  Of course, since I was there for a refill, it would have taken her all of two seconds.  Alas, I have no penis, and it seems that she regularly (this is not the first ocassion) takes that into consideration when deciding whom to serve first.  

I've seriously considered stopping the tips.  I mean, bad service, no tip, right?  But I'd still feel like a royal a$$.  At any rate, her slow service and bad attitude truly make The Blackstone a less than stellar experience.

And we ALWAYS have to plan to be out of ther by 8:30 or 9:00 so we won't have to listen to the god awful bands they insist on having play.  I'd rather listen to Feel Like Makin' Love over and over again than sit through that $hit that passes for live music.

[frymasterspeck]

I did about 15 years in food service, front and back of house. If somebody sucks, you have to let them know in the only language they understand.

I once got service so pathetically bad (at Paragon) that, on the tip line of the CC form, I wrote "Practice makes perfect."

But then, I AM a total ass.

[ArtInRuins]

After the rant, feel better? It usually helps me.

For the most part, i agree with you. But since I have a penis, i may only be able to take it so far. Maybe I get better service sometimes, but I don't feel like I do, because i don't consider myself as aggressive as other dudes, so the assholes usually get served before me.

The problem as I see it is that they haven't made it a priority to have a bar back or someone else help behind the bar who doesn't serve drinks. The way it works now is the bartenders have to refill ice and the coolers and wash glasses and find new bottles of booze and make the food. When it is packed in there, it gets crazy. They shouldn't have to worry about anything else except service. Other bars have bar backs to do those things.

And to your point about the bands... yeah, i don't like them either, but bands – however good or bad they are – badly need a place to play around here. There are fewer and fewer bar venues like this to play at, so a band needs to play out. Whether or not they can draw a crowd will tell them if people like them or not, and eventually, the good ones will continue to play...

Gotta support Pawtucket, though, even if it can be annoying.

[GabachaYucateca]

All excellent points...I can think of any number of instances in which the behind-the-scenes decisions affect how front line people do their work, and of course, it's always those front line people that bear the brunt of the complaints.  This is a perfect example, and thanks for pointing that out!

I did return the other day, no issues with service at all...I am sufficiently chastened and sheepish!

Also found my new favorite dive right by my house...complete with free for all karaoke (apparently people tussle over the microphone), free pool, a diverse crowd (including some mullets)!!!

[brick]

GabachaYucateca, on May 28 2008, 04:05 PM, said:

Also found my new favorite dive right by my house...complete with free for all karaoke (apparently people tussle over the microphone), free pool, a diverse crowd (including some mullets)!!!

Smart not to let UPer's actually know which place you are talking about lest they show up and ruin the fun!  

[GabachaYucateca]

brick, on May 29 2008, 06:39 AM, said:

Smart not to let UPer's actually know which place you are talking about lest they show up and ruin the fun!

How transparent am I?

If any UPers are currently sporting a mullet, then I will push their party-in-the-back out of the way and whisper it in their ear.

[Cotuit]

I think I would have to ban someone if they had a mullet.

[Frankie811]

Cotuit, on May 29 2008, 01:52 PM, said:

I think I would have to ban someone if they had a mullet.

Howz 'bout just a warn?

[jencoleslaw]

GabachaYucateca, on May 29 2008, 12:56 PM, said:

How transparent am I?

If any UPers are currently sporting a mullet, then I will push their party-in-the-back out of the way and whisper it in their ear.

is that a pervy euphemism?

[GabachaYucateca]

jencoleslaw, on May 29 2008, 02:00 PM, said:

is that a pervy euphemism?

No, no perviness intended...taken from the fact that another way to describe those who rock the mullet as the "business in the front, party in the back" and the fact that the party in the back often blocks the ear if you want to whisper secrets into it.  This is generally only true for those whose mullets need some grooming.

[jencoleslaw]

GabachaYucateca, on May 29 2008, 04:27 PM, said:

No, no perviness intended...taken from the fact that another way to describe those who rock the mullet as the "business in the front, party in the back" and the fact that the party in the back often blocks the ear if you want to whisper secrets into it.  This is generally only true for those whose mullets need some grooming.

i need a cold shower now.

[Lowerdeck]

I remember one time, at the Pizza Hut in Greenville (now closed) ... left a one dollar tip because the service was that bad.  It was less than 10 percent, maybe around 5.  Hopefully it left a message, I bet they just thought it was to be cheap or a jerk.

Edited by Lowerdeck, 30 May 2008 - 08:14 PM.

[frymasterspeck]

So the name and location of this karaoke bar is...?