Denver bartender serves couple. Then the woman makes a strange food request: ‘There’s a couple ways you can get it’
Denver bartender Jay (@injaywetrustdenver), in the latest installment of his wild and hilarious “Yo! I’m a Bartender” series, walked followers through what he called a “bizarre” service encounter. He says a customer at his restaurant rewrote the interaction in real time, then walked out mid-meal after her own dining companion refused to back her story.
A couple sat down at his steak-and-seafood restaurant and ordered drinks. The woman initially told him she wanted “crab and shrimp.” Jay walked her through options including a combo appetizer and an à la carte pairing. She chose a house crab entrée that came with one side. She also ordered a baked potato and a side of shrimp. “Now we’re dialed in,” he recalls thinking.
Jay says he asked coworkers in the kitchen how to plate the dish, then ran the food out. He admits he forgot the baked potato and the shrimp — both, he says, were sitting in the kitchen window as they spoke. Before he could apologize, the woman cut in, saying, “This isn’t mine. I didn’t order this.”
“You and I had a conversation about my baked potato,” Jay recalls her saying. “I saw you write it down.” He explained the fried potatoes garnishing the plate came with the dish, and offered to grab the missing sides in 10 seconds. “No. I’ll just eat this,” she said. Then, a beat later, she added, “I want the shrimp.”
He got the shrimp and swiftly returned. She was in the bathroom. He set the plate down and went back to his other tables. When she came back, she doubled down: “I don’t know why you think I’m in the wrong. You’re the one that took the order.”
Jay asked if she’d like a restaurant manager. When the manager arrived, she gave “a totally different” account of what happened. A patron seated one seat over reportedly backed Jay’s version of events. So did the woman’s own companion. On his way out, her companion purportedly met Jay’s eyes and said one word: “Sorry.”
Jay didn’t respond to an inquiry from The Big Lead.
Who was in the wrong?
Restaurant workers have been describing a durable shift in customer behavior for years. The Boston Globe reports that New England restaurant staff have begun encountering people who yell in their faces over minor inconveniences like the lack of Monday-night room service, prompting industry groups to launch “Please Be Kind” campaigns.
Trade publication Bar & Restaurant put it plainly, noting that abuse from customers, colleagues, and management is a routine feature of work in the restaurant industry.
People who commented on the clip were firmly on Jay’s side.
“Bro why are you saying you forgot it you just didn’t bring it out yet,” said one person.
Many complimented his storytelling ability. “I absolutely love your voice and storytelling!” said one commenter. “I set you on my couch and finished my work day off listening to your mindscrew of a story. Thank you for being awesome!”
