The wife and I are drinkers. We love to go out and sit at the bar. The atmosphere, chatting with folks, it's all about the social aspect.

But we are doing dry January and maybe trying to cut down on the booze altogether. Do bartenders get annoyed if you sit at the bar and don't drink?We would be ordering dinner so they would still be getting tipped.

If I’m alone I’ll sit at the bar for the sake of not taking up a table or booth. Can’t remember the last time I was in such a place alone during a busy time though. I wouldn’t want to eat at the bar if it were packed.

I'm a table first, booth second and bar last kind of guy. I don't mind being at the bar if I'm just drinking but I don't like to eat at the bar. Bartenders don't care as long as you are tipping. People who eat and drink generally tip better than people who just drink. Unless the food they serve you sucks.

Whenever a friend and I eat lunch at a local sports we always sit at the bar without drinking and no one gets upset. We only take up two stools and leave the tables for larger groups. We always get faster seating, good service, and leave a nice tip. Seems like a win for everyone.

Bartenders don't care as long as you tip.

If I'm not drinking, I'm not fucking around once I'm done eating. Sit, order, eat, move along. Also depends on how busy the bar is.

Speaking of tipping bartenders……you order a bottled beer and the bartender twists off the cap and sets it on a napkin in front of you. Barkeep says, “That’ll be $6.50, please.” You throw a Hamilton on the bar and get your change.

What do you tip?

As to the OP’s question, I’ve sat at the bar and eaten many, many times. Not a thing wrong with that.

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:
Speaking of tipping bartenders……you order a bottled beer and the bartender twists off the cap and sets it on a napkin in front of you. Barkeep says, “That’ll be $6.50, please.” You throw a Hamilton on the bar and get your change.

What do you tip?

As to the OP’s question, I’ve sat at the bar and eaten many, many times. Not a thing wrong with that.

A buck or 2. If I'm drinking more than a few beers I'd end up just putting 20% on the tab. If I'm not sitting at the bar and I'm paying each time I'd give 2, then 1, then 2, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeGLI:
If I'm not drinking, I'm not fucking around once I'm done eating. Sit, order, eat, move along. Also depends on how busy the bar is.

I'm now considering how much tip they would make with food vs. booze. I know they are fine if you aren't eating, so it would be a fair comparison. Say we finish a meal in 1 hour... I'd guess we spend about $120 total. Tip of $24.

If drinking only, maybe 3 drinks in that hour for me and 2 for my wife. 5 drinks at $15 is only $75 (assume we are drinking mid range cocktails and not cheap beer and wine). So they only make $15 tip.

Okay, I feel more comfortable just eating at the bar.

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:
Speaking of tipping bartenders……you order a bottled beer and the bartender twists off the cap and sets it on a napkin in front of you. Barkeep says, “That’ll be $6.50, please.” You throw a Hamilton on the bar and get your change.

What do you tip?

As to the OP’s question, I’ve sat at the bar and eaten many, many times. Not a thing wrong with that.

A buck a drink for me usually. Sometimes I'll round up an extra dollar for a few drinks, but never less than a buck a drink. Of course, that's when I'm ONLY drinking. When it's on a ticket with food, I end up tipping on the overall.

My drink orders are almost always a pint or a neat bourbon, not exactly the most laborious orders. Theres's no shaking, no smoking of wood, no zesting, no muddling, no juicing, just pour the fucking bourbon in a glass. But that's just me.

I sit at the bar for dinner often when traveling on business.

In answer to the Q, probably not.

Hmmm... Maybe it depends on the establishment. I was sitting at the bar in a house of ill repute once and was nursing a beer. When it became obvious I was not spending money (or going with a girl) I was tossed right out.
I did not leave a tip for that type of service.

If they serve food there then absolutely it is, most places kids are not allowed to sit at the bar so it’s a way to avoid little noise makers.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
Hmmm... Maybe it depends on the establishment. I was sitting at the bar in a house of ill repute once and was nursing a beer. When it became obvious I was not spending money (or going with a girl) I was tossed right out.
I did not leave a tip for that type of service.

Generally these would be nicer restaurants. Nothing crazy, but $50 steaks, $30 entrees. We get an app or 2 and a good meal. As I said, we spend ~$120 in an hour on a dinner at these places. If we go to a place of il repute we are drinking hard.

Since I'm alone, I only sit at the bar for dinner....or lunch. Even if I wasn't having a drink, I'd still sit there as I prefer it. I'll tip the same way I would if I were having a drink with my meal.

quote:

Also depends on how busy the bar is.

This. If not real crowded, no problem.
But if people can't get a drink... problem.

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:
Speaking of tipping bartenders……you order a bottled beer and the bartender twists off the cap and sets it on a napkin in front of you. Barkeep says, “That’ll be $6.50, please.” You throw a Hamilton on the bar and get your change.

What do you tip?

As to the OP’s question, I’ve sat at the bar and eaten many, many times. Not a thing wrong with that.

If I am eating the cocktails are on the tab at tip roughly 20%

If I am just having a beer or 2 if it was 6.50 I give a buck and the second one the quarters go to the next 6.50 and leave buck.

Tipping the bartender usually gets you a good drink and his attention to when you want another

The local watering hole I frequent has a 3.5% fee for plastic so I pay cash.

Also I deduct the 9% sales tax from the total when figuring tip.

You mean not drink booze? Sure, I’d think so- just remember to tip. I think there’s lots of people these days that have fancy mocktails when they’re out with no booze in them. I’ve ordered lemonade at the bar.

ETA: I usually try to tip at least a buck/drink, but if it’s a place I go regularly, and they’ve been good to me, I’ll tip more/drink, esp if I’m only going to have a couple.

As erj-pilots says, no big deal. In the aviation world I am often alone when i go to eat(different workout schedules and hotel routines between crewmemeber). I would rather sit at the bar as a single than take up a booth. Usually the bartender is working the room too so they have less travel to service me. I never drink on the road, so it's usually dinner and a coke at the bar. Not had a problem yet. If there is some concern, being busy or whatever, I will ask the bartender directly if I can eat at the bar or if he would rather me take a table. I found that works 100 percent of the time, sometimes they don't look it, but are very busy and the tables are being handled by someone else so they send me over there, no big deal.