'Can we have a female bartender': Top 10 Tales From Your Server This Week (July 28, 2023)

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jul 28, 2023 4:00 PM EDT

It's time to pay our respects to those who are living the server life. This week, we have a wide variety of restaurant and bartending fiascos, all of which were compiled from Reddit's r/TalesFromYourServer subreddit. Some of these stories include rude customers who insisted that they be served by a female bartender, a server who had to deal with a table full of influencers, a wholesome story of a Karen who actually learned her lesson and apologized, and even a mature hostess at a Hooters-esque establishment. 

 

If these tales serve any moral purpose in this world, hopefully, they will inspire you to tip generously the next time you see an overworked server struggling to juggle way too many tables and customers at once. Not only do these servers deserve a generous tip, but also they're most likely wildly underpaid and undervalued by their bosses and customers. If you have been in their shoes before, you'll certainly understand what it is that they're going through on the job. If you haven't been in their shoes before, consider their experience and try to make their shifts easier before you ask to send your food back to the kitchen a third time. 

 

Keep scrolling below for this week's collection of server tales. For more content like this, here are some top wholesome pickup lines!

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  • 01
    Font - Top Tales From Your Server JACK DA
    via Andrey Grodz
  • 02
    Font - "Can we have a female bartender?" Medium I've worked in restaurants for about 7 years now (back to front, and all the way around) and have only had a handful of experiences I could describe as "negative." I still laugh about this one from time to time.
    via u/CrysopraseEcheverria
  • 03
    Font - I was bartending a few years ago on a slow morning in my first restaurant, a fantastic tex-mex margarita bar. Two men looking to be in their 50's-60's come and sit at the bar. I am a larger gay man with long hair, a beard, and slight femininity. I greet them with the tried and true "Howdy guys, my name is blank and I'll be taking care of you today! What can I getcha fellas to drink?" One looks at me for a second and says "Can we get a female bartender?" I quickly say" I'm sorry sir, I'm t
    via u/CrysopraseEcheverria
  • 04
    Font - They grumble, and then give me their drink orders. Now I am always highly courteous, very prompt, and give nothing but positivity and goodness to my guests. But the rest of their time at my bar, I cranked my service personality up to 13. Their drink refills, apps, and entrees all materialized in front of them as if I had a replicator tucked by the ice chest. One could say over bearing but nothing less to ensure a positive experience all around. I just loved the idea of them getting back i
    via u/CrysopraseEcheverria
  • 05
    Font - does anyone else deal with entitled influencers? Short tonight, we had an 8-top reservation for an "influencer," free first round of drinks, free apps, and a margarita pitcher.
    via u/airfryer_enjoyer
  • 06
    Font - already, that's about $120. they ended up being 15 people instead of 8. they sat on the patio and moved the chairs and tables in a way that made it impossible for me to move around them to bring drinks and food etc etc. i wasn't able to take any tables besides them because they were extremely high maintenance, having me run back and forth every single time i stopped by the table. i was sweating so bad from running my off for 2 hours straight that i had to get a new shirt and change mid-sh
    via u/airfryer_enjoyer
  • 07
    Font - they weren't even a big foodie "influencer" either. 5k followers, uninspired content. i'm just so sick of these people coming in and getting all this food for free, working our off only to ultimately waste our time. never have had a good experience with any of them.
    via u/airfryer_enjoyer
  • 08
    Font - I had my first table ever to get angry over autograt tonight Medium Where I work now we are allowed to autograt 20% to parties of 6 or more. I had a table of 9 come in. They seemed pleasant and polite while I was serving them. They did go through many drink refills which was annoying but I stayed on top of keeping them filled so they were never out. It comes time to drop off their checks. I check on a couple of other tables afterwards and I circle back around to them.
    via u/Waitress-in-mn
  • 09
    Font - There were 3 separate checks and one of the men were gone when I went to pick up payment. They said he walked over to the bar area so I grabbed the 2 cards I could and go find the other man. He is over there yelling at my manager about the autograt and how awful his service was, how ridiculous it was to have to pay 20% on his bill.
    via u/Waitress-in-mn
  • 10
    Font - He finally just walks up and hands me his card, I go back to the table and drop it off. He snatches it from my hand very rudely and says again how the 20% grat was not deserved because of how awful of a server I was. I gave them exceptional service. They cleaned their plates so they obviously were happy with the food, drinks were refilled constantly, their plates were prebussed as soon as I saw they were finished. Everything went very smoothly. I have no clue what got into this man.
    via u/Waitress-in-mn
  • 11
    Font - To top it off the table directly next to them started yelling at me afterwards because they weren't happy with their beers. They accused me of giving them the wrong beers when I did not, i gave them exactly what they ordered. I had to educate them on the beers they ordered. They overheard the whole interaction and were staring the whole time so I guess they decided to be mean as well. People are awful..
    via u/Waitress-in-mn
  • 12
    Font - The one time a customer was rude and honestly, genuinely apologized. Medium I've been in the industry for ten years, certain interactions have become core memories for me and this was my latest. A two top on a busy night about six months ago. She got a burger and asked to add some diced onions. Easy table. They get their plates so I swing back and around and with a mouthful of food the lady says "Am I crazy or did I ask you for diced onions?" I said "You did, I remember."
    via u/aquaticsardonic
  • 13
    Font - She interrupted me and said "I got NOTHING" in this pointed, weirdly aggressive tone. I matched her energy and replied "NOTHING?? Goodness I'll be right back!" So I bring her onions, when I dropped the card reciept I gave them my patented line I use for rude people "All I want is your autograph, thanks for being patient." (Don't steal that line I swear to god I'll sue you)
    via u/aquaticsardonic
  • 14
    Font - This lady approaches me on her way out. Her husband (?) had left. She says "Hey, I was mean about the onions earlier, but it's happened a few times now, it's just frustrating, and I'm sorry" I'm neck deep in the POS point of sale computer doing shit so I decided to (once again) match her energy in being honest and sincere in saying "Eeeeh, you could've said it differently, I should've checked on you sooner that's my bad, and I'm sorry they forgot your onions. Don't apologize, you're fine.
    via u/aquaticsardonic
  • 15
    Font - I hear a sniffle and for the first time in this interaction I look at her. This fifty-something year old 'Karen' looking woman is literally on the verge of sobbing crying. Actual tears on her face. And says "No, that was rude of me, I'm really sorry." I told her again she was fine and to have a good night, and I genuinely meant that because now I feel bad all of a sudden but she was walking away and I don't know if she heard me.
    via u/aquaticsardonic
  • 16
    Font - I hope that lady had a good night, that was a really minor negative, on my end, as far as busy nights go. I hope she comes back someday because I will instantly recognize her and she will eat every single godda onion in the building if she so pleases. Often people will apologize about being picky or needy which is one thing, but this was the first and only time a customer has apologized for being outwardly rude/standoffish.
    via u/aquaticsardonic
  • 17
    Font - Bartender stealing customers? Medium So I just want to make sure I'm in the right for being upset and not tipping out my bartender at the end of the night.
    via u/Alwaysangryupvotes
  • 18
    Font - It was a Thursday night and my bartenders switched shifts around 9pm. It was a really slow day until the industry people got off work and started coming in. A group of 20 comes in and fills up my section. I seat them and one of them walks up to the bar and starts asking the others what they want to drink. Mind you the bar is full. So I tell him that I can take care of them. The bartender is looking me dead in my face when I say this. And instead of telling him that I'll be serving them he
    via u/Alwaysangryupvotes
  • 19
    Font - During the course of this these guys are ripping shots, ordering draft beers, and seeing who can chug Irish car bombs the fastest. So as you can imagine they racked up a pretty hefty tab. And they tipped the bartender well. I was in awe that the bartender had the audacity to do this when his bar was full. He shouldn't be doing this ever but I can understand if he wasn't making any money. I wouldn't mind throwing him a few customers so we can all eat you know?
    via u/Alwaysangryupvotes
  • 20
    Font - So after my shift was over. I counted my measly earnings for the day. (A 10 hour shift.) and it clearly left a bad taste in my mouth. I drank my shifty, tipped out the busser, and left without tipping out the bartender. nothing has been said about it which only furthers my assumption that he was in the wrong and knows it. would you have done the same? or am i just being dramatic?
    via u/Alwaysangryupvotes
  • 21
    Font - Got told I couldn't food run anymore after one mistake. Short Have been a host at a restaurant for about 9 months, okay job think I did fine. Anyways my manager asked me to run food because we needed runners I said yes. I got scheduled to train at 1 (the normal time the restaurant gets super busy).
    via u/PhantomApples
  • 22
    Font - Surprise it was insanely busy. Got almost no training and was just told to "bring the food to tables" which I did okay although was really struggling. Then I brought the wrong order to a table it was a wrap and since all the wraps look similar I had brought a wrap from a different order so I brought it back and got them the right one. Shortly afterwards my manager told me "I don't think you have it in you to be a runner". This was all in the span of 1 hour. Sorry for any spelling mistakes
    via u/PhantomApples
  • 23
    Font - Mature Hooters server? Short After a year of hostessing, I recently moved up to a server position at a chain Darden steakhouse-just in time for the summer slowdown which other servers say is worse than normal. In fact, all the server shifts have been reduced and I, being the newest, went to one shift per week.
    via u/susan4stars
  • 24
    Font - I've heard Hooters servers make fairly decent money and I'm thinking about applying there to try to pick up some additional shifts. I think I fulfill most of their requirements in the appearance category (I think they hire "entertainers" rather than servers so they are allowed to hire based on looks), plus I go out of my way to be friendly to the guests and provide great service.
    via u/susan4stars
  • 25
    Font - I notice that men of all ages flirt with me at my restaurant, especially the more senior ones when not when their wives, LOL. But I'm concerned that being mature (40's) is a deal-breaker at Hooters. So, anybody know of mature servers working at Hooters?
    via u/susan4stars
  • 26
    Font - Teenagers alone in a restaurant. Short I was a server at a IHOP and worked the night shift (open 24 hours). It was prom season so we had a lot of teens come into the restaurant. I had a 15 top with 12 separate checks. It was all you can eat pancake season as well. So you could just imagine the nightmare that was.
    via u/Cork_Marie_727
  • 27
    Font - They ran me ragged. When it was time to pay the checks many of them either had to call their parents to send them the money for the bill. And a few even went outside to get cash or card from their waiting parents. All and all the tables total was close to 350$. On many of the checks I was left as little as 25cents for a tip. I believe the most I was tipped on the 12 separate checks was $2. The teens were loud rude and many times I had to ask them to watch their language because they were
    via u/Cork_Marie_727
  • 28
    Font - I must be from texas since I say "y'all" Short So I always greet my tables with "Hey y'all", sometimes I say "good afternoon" etc but hey y'all is just my most natural greeting. I don't like to say "hey guys" in a work setting but also y'all is just a good, comfortable and gender-neutral way to reference a group.
    via u/RolyPolyRaveCat
  • 29
    Font - Yesterday I had a table ask where I was from (the suburbs of Denver, CO) and they were so shocked and said it sounded like I had a Texas accent because I said y'all. For reference I do not have Texas accent at all, I've lived in colorado my whole life and if you know anyone from here we don't have much of an accent whatsoever it didn't bother me, I just thought it was funny and didn't realize that "y'all" was still being associated with southern accents.
    via u/RolyPolyRaveCat
  • 30
    Font - How do you greet your tables? Where are you from and do you say y'all? EDIT: woah I've never had a Reddit post blow up this much lol I thought this was a lame one Seems the general consensus is that "y'all" is commonly used in various regions outside of the south, but it's significantly more common in the south. And wow y'all come from all over the country!
    via u/RolyPolyRaveCat
  • 31
    Font - And thanks for all the ideas about alternative ways to greet my tables! I'll be trying "hi everyone", ""hey party people", and just "Hi, welcome in". But rest assured "y'all" will not be leaving my vocabulary.
    via u/RolyPolyRaveCat
  • 32
    Font - To the few people who felt the need to go on the much, much overheard "everyone has an accent" rant: good job, you're so smart! I specifically wrote "don't have much of an accent whatsoever" rather than "don't have an accent" in order to avoid it, but somehow that was the most stand- out part of the post for some people There is a dialect known as General American English which applies to the majority of English speakers in the US and is what many of us call "no accent". Yeah it's technic
    via u/RolyPolyRaveCat
  • 33
    Font - Witnessed two dr nk Karens get cut off and yell at the poor hostess and my server Medium So, it's my day off and my fiancé is napping. I figure why not, I'll take myself out to lunch. I'm having a wonderful time chilling then I hear YELLING (the restaurant was pretty much empty); felt like an atomic went off. These two ladies were livid they were being cut off at the bar,
    via u/LazyBee7349
  • 34
    Font - claiming they weren't even driving and they were just "throwing money away" to be there. With this kind of logic, I'm assuming you might have drank too much. Keep in mind, I'm used to dealing with this kind of behavior, not witness. I would have even said something if they weren't twice my size (I'm 5'9 but I weigh 140 lbs so I'm not very big per se Imao) and I'm not an idiot looking for trouble on my day off. So I hid my head behind the very tall booth in front of me, just soaking in the
    via u/LazyBee7349
  • 35
    Font - Edit: omggggg as I'm typing this they're BACK arguing with the hostess and trying to justify their behavior. This bad hostess deserves a raise, I would have been telling them to gtfo, I have no patience for belligerent guests, especially if you are disrespectful to me or my coworkers. What would y'all do in this situation, working or as a witness? Am I coward for not doing more?
    via u/LazyBee7349

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customer service bar karens server restaurant server life karens in the wild bartender entitled reddit thread Reddit tales from your server funny karen entitled people
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