While the rules of being a good bar patron are largely unwritten, they’re easy enough to understand: tip well, and don’t be a jerk. That said, there are some bar sins that particularly wear on bartenders’ nerves.
Barkeeps of Reddit are now airing their pet peeves on a recent thread, detailing the worst service transgressions they’ve witnessed — and they all sound pretty pissed. Whether you’re new to nightlife or building your status as a respected regular, consider this your official guide to not pissing off your local bartender.
1. Asking bartenders to do anything but tend the bar
Redditors advise guests to not ask for anything outside of bartenders’ typical scope, especially during a rush. Several users say they feel especially frustrated when customers bypass their table’s server to request silverware or adjust orders at the bar:
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by u/eye_hate_it_here_ from discussion What’s your service bar pet peeve?
in bartenders
2. Dirtying up their set-up
When returning glasses to the bar, patrons often place dirty containers too close to other guests’ fresh cocktails, or even worse, touch the prepped garnishes on the bar. For all bargoers’ sake, please keep your hands — and germs — to yourself:
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by u/watermelonredsenko from discussion What’s your service bar pet peeve?
in bartenders
3. Taking up limited bar space
There typically isn’t significant space behind the bar, so it’s vital to stay out of bartenders’ personal real estate. When patrons move stools to inconvenient areas or lean over the well, they risk slowing down service:
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by u/thatbroadcast from discussion What’s your service bar pet peeve?
in bartenders
4. Overwhelming your bartender with questions
Unnecessary questions about drink tickets were also flagged by posters as annoying. If a drink your bartender is making that doesn’t match the menu description of the one you ordered, it likely isn’t yours. Also, save silly questions for after the rush, please and thank you:
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by u/Other-Swimmer-3568 from discussion What’s your service bar pet peeve?
in bartenders
5. Arguing about the check
Things can get awkward when the final bill arrives, but Reddit’s bartenders say to save any squabbles over who’s grabbing the tab for somewhere and sometime else:
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by u/slick1260 from discussion What’s your service bar pet peeve?
in bartenders
So, if you’re familiar with basic restaurant etiquette, it shouldn’t be too difficult to keep your local bartender happy — as long as you remember to tip well, too.
