Stopped in with a few friends on a Thursday night, looking for a chill place to grab some beers and chat. We passed by WXOU Radio on our way to White Horse Tavern and thought it would be a cool spot. Boy, were we wrong.
There were maybe 8 other people in the bar. We roll in, order four beers, pay, and grab a seat at a table. We weren't even settled into our table when the bartender (older, dark-haired, heavyset ""gentleman"" - and I use that term lightly - with an obvious chip on his shoulder) promptly leaves his station at the bar, walks over to our friend who paid for our drinks and tells her that her tip wasn't good enough and that it was ""poor form."" (She gave him 20%.) You know what else is ""poor form""? Cornering a customer to complain about your tip. I would have reminded this guy that times are hard and not everyone in NYC is gainfully employed... but then again, he IS a bartender. If anyone knows the pains of a bad economy, it's a bartender. Newsflash: as a former waitress and bartender, opening four bottles of beer shouldn't automatically guarantee you a fabulous tip. If he was looking for $20 to open four bottles of beer, perhaps he should have applied for a job at Essex House.
Oh, and did I mention the dead cockroach on the bottom of my beer bottle and the FILTHY, feces-ridden bathrooms?
AVOID THIS BAR.
Cons: staff
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