'When I text you good night later, what phone number should I use?': 20+ bartenders share the most memorable pickup lines they've heard on the job

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Dec 8, 2023 4:00 PM EST

Here's a friendly reminder that when you approach someone at a bar with a bold pickup line, chances are there is at least one other person who is hearing everything you say: your bartender. If this list serves one productive function in this world, let it be something that motivates you to always tip your bartenders generously because you know they have to hear a ton of nonsense on the job from singletons attempting to flirt. Sometimes, as these folks from r/AskReddit shared, people were trying to flirt with their bartenders directly; other times, these bartenders had to witness their regulars feed a version of the same line to various potential dates night after night. Sure, watching this is probably distracting at work, but it's also a fascinating look at the various reactions these fools get and what their success rate (or lack thereof) looks like. As someone who never really had any "game" to begin with, I could have used an inside look at some of these pickup lines for brainstorming purposes. 

Keep scrolling below for the full list. When you're done, feel free to take a look at this collection of relatable 'me IRL' moments.

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  • 01
    guy: "hey, looks like you dropped something." girl: "really? what?" guy: "your standards, hi I'm Mike."
    via Ambitious Studio - Rick Barrett
  • 02
    r/AskReddit Posted by u/[deleted] Bartenders of reddit, what is the smoothest pick up line you've ever heard?
    via u/[deleted]
  • 03
    LobsterGarden Homeless man who'd wander in on occasion: "hey miss, could you spare a couple quarters? ...so I can call you later?" 24.5k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 04
    theworriedgypsy. I work in a bar. This is the opposite of a smooth pick up line, but it still worked. I overheard a guy mess up asking a girl out once by asking her is she "Wanted to go eat a movie sometime?". Her response was, "Sure! I always watch what I eat." I laughed and there was merriment and a good time was had by all.... 23.2k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 05
    aordsao I am a bartender. I met my husband at work, he was a patron. The night of our first date, he said: "do you wanna come over and watch half a movie?" 20.9k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 06
    e3kb0m63r. A regular would start a conversation with a girl, wait for the second laugh out of her and then drop the magic... "When I text you goodnight later, what phone number should I use?" Cue the third laugh and him getting her number. Every. Time. ✩ 18.5k ↓ Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 07
    MajorMustard. I was a bartender in a college town. The best one I heard was when a guy approached a girl at the bar; guy: "hey, looks like you dropped something!" girl: " really? What?" guy "your standards, hi I'm Mike" Girl laughed so hard she spilled her drink and he bought her a new one. 18.3k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 08
    pigiron5 My first month of bartending I had a girl quickly finish 2 cosmos. I came up and asked her how she was doing. "I'd have another one, but you'd have to take me home" Her group of friends got a nice laugh when I blushed. 16.5k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 09
    [deleted] I saw two people hook up without even saying anything to each other. They were looking at each other from across the bar, he raised an eyebrow, she half smiled and nodded. They met in the middle and it was on. They didn't even buy another drink. I know they did not know each other as the bloke is my cousin. 15.7k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 10
    king_of_chardonnay. Way late to the party but heard this one while closing down a couple weeks back. "Come on, lets go back to my place, I'll make you a quesadilla." This girl had been swatting guys away like flies all night but that one worked out. 13.4k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 11
    Myhandsunclean. "Hi I'm (so and so)" This coupled with a friendly handshake is literally the only line I've ever witnessed work. 12.9k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 12
    8023root. I am not a bartender but i saw this happen at a bar. I was sitting at a table with two of my friends, one girl, one guy. Some guy i have never seen before comes over, places three beers, one in front of each of us and proceeds to start talking to my female friend. I assumed it was just one of her friends i had never met. It took me a solid five minutes to figure out this guy was a stranger and then i was blown away with how smooth of a move that was. 12.7k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 13
    xray_anonymous. Bar tended in college. Guy walked up to a girl at the bar, goes "Hi my name is Ben*, and I'm going to buy you drinks until you find me attractive." Girl smiled and laughed and he asked what she would like to drink. She looked him over (he was already very attractive), turned to me and said "In that case, I'll have a water." He definitely got it that night. 12.6k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 14
    customcombos. I bartend in a pub next to a college campus. I watched a guy say "that's interesting" or "Oh, man, that's crazy!" for a full hour and a half before leaving with a girl way out of his league. Fake it till you make it, ladies and gentleman 11.8k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 15
    Elin_Woods_9iron. Not so much a pickup line, but I bartend at a big college bar and when you wordlessly hand your friend a beer when the bar is swamped and he just got there it makes him look that much cooler to whatever girl he's talking to. 11.7k ↓ Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 16
    Bloo_Berd I'm not a bartender, but I witnessed this line this weekend and I thought it was fantastic. After this girl had turned down some pretty good looking fellow, this other guy walks up to the bar like he's going to order a drink and just casually says 'man, he's definitely taller than me so I sure hope I can make you laugh' Didn't watch the whole thing unfold, but they were still chatting when I left 8.6k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 17
    FREAK_DOLPHIN A coworker tried to start a game of tic-tac-toe with a pretty girl by drawing an empty board on a napkin and handing her the pen. She just wrote down her phone number. 8.6k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 18
    HURR1CANE_WR1ST. Not a pick up line, but the smoothest thing I've seen from behind the mahogany. This guy was hitting on this girl at the end of the bar. She asked him, "you gonna bring me some roses?" and this man took two straws, a napkin, and a lighter and I you not made a rose with it. You bet your she left with him. Kudos, sir. 8.4k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 19
    executive313 Not a bartender but I was sitting alone at a bar and heard a guy say this to the girl next to me "You look like a night of disappointment and week of dodged phone calls" I didnt hear the rest of the conversation but they left together. 7.8k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 20
    general_dipwad. Late response, but a guy sat down next to a woman at the bar. She was obviously not interested. Then he said "I may not be the best looking guy here, but I'm the only one talking to you. You should try lowering your standards. I just did." She threw her drink in his face and slapped him. 7.7k ↓ Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 21
    eime8498 Step one: write phone number on lime. Step two: identify attractive person. Step three: hand lime to attractive person and tell them it's a "pickup lime." Step four: don't take dating advice from me. Edit: Everyone is ignoring step four and now I think I will be responsible for a lime shortage. ↑ 6.8k Share ..
    via u/[deleted]
  • 22
    YakiVegas Well, I'm a bartender, and so far "we're closing up, but if you want another drink, I live upstairs" has worked exactly 0% of the time. *edit: Thanks guys! Highest rated comment ever is about me not being able to even though I have the perfect setup. 6.5k Share
    via u/[deleted]
  • 23
    [deleted] I worked at a beach bar. I watched a young guy walk up to a smoking hot, tanned, female lifeguard and say "Help I can't breathe." She was legitimately concerned and asked him what was wrong. He said, "Looking at you takes my breath away." She was for a second than began to laugh. They talked for a little then exchanged numbers. *Edit cause of words 5.9k Share
    via u/[deleted]

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FAILS first date pickup lines dating fails askreddit relationships bartenders bartender reddit thread Reddit funny toxic relationship dating
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