The Bar Bitch
I graduated with an Art degree from a small liberal arts college, did a bit of traveling and moved to Annapolis from Baltimore about seven years ago. I currently manage a well-known Annapolis restaurant, serve and bartend. I live downtown and I like sunsets and long walks on the beach :)
The Bar Bitch's Latest Posts
Camping Anyone?
Summer in Annapolis always has the town packed to the brim with visitors. Especially with the recent storm, record high temperatures and elongated power outages, most people have felt the need to get out, or rather, get “in”, to an air conditioned restaurant. Let me be the first to remind you though, that even though […]
To Own Or Not To Own….Is It Even A Question?
It’s amazing how much ammunition I’ve been able to gather in the past several months of hiatus from my blog! What an interesting ride it’s been: three different restaurant jobs in the past six months and I finally truly think I may be one of the most qualified people in town to write this blog. […]
Blogger Don’ts
With the invention of the Internet, and more specifically the invention of blogging, anyone now can claim to be a world renowned critic. At what point can we disregard blog-obsessed know-it-alls? Granted, you may think I’m calling the kettle black; but I don’t fancy myself the be-all and end-all of restaurant knowledge, and clearly only […]
Oh Nah Uh
It has come to my attention that it does not matter if you work at Ruth’s Chris or McDonald’s, there are always going to be customers that try to scam the system. Take for example a situation I encountered recently at work: Imagine a bustling Saturday night, people crammed into our small waiting area by […]
Not my ID-ea of a good time
Oh spring just brings out the best in people, doesn’t it? It’s so much fun to spend hours outside while the days start to get longer and warmer, and who doesn’t enjoy a cocktail this time of year? I, for one, am all about it. I am NOT all about obnoxious midshipmen and their families […]
I Need Some Yelp Here!
In day to day life, everyone has the chance of encountering all sorts of different people. Sometimes those people are genuinely very nice, and other times they are flat out obnoxious. Take for example a customer I waited on a few weeks ago. It was a busy weekday night and this particular gentleman was seated […]
Merry Merry!
Merry Christmas to you all you Annapolitans out there! As you’re celebrating the holidays and gearing up for the New Year, don’t forget about your hard working servers out there. We get a lot of guests coming in to the restaurant and reconnecting with old friends during the holidays. One thing I notice this time […]
I Work Hard For The Money
I was faced with the unusual, but not altogether rare, situation last week where I was over-tipped. And when I say “over-tipped” I don’t mean a generous table that had left me more than the typical 18-20%. I’m pretty sure that my customers at this particular table left me a fifty dollar bill when in […]
Annapalooza!
Yes, after a summer of some travel and a little R&R, the Bar Bitch has returned. But before I head back behind the rail, I took a detour to Annapalooza! This past Saturday nearly 4000 Annapolitans donned their sunscreen and dancing feet and headed over to the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds for the first annual […]
Ooops, Did I Just Talk Back?
Every now and then a customer can irk a server so badly that we have to refrain from making inappropriate comments and risk losing our jobs. There are times, however, that our inner monologue somehow seems to rear its ugly head before we have time to register the course of events that has just transpired. […]
Best Customer Complaints…..Ever!
Well hello my fellow readers. Been a busy summer so far, doing a bit of traveling as well as researching for my future columns. I spent some time on the west coast and realized how generally happy the servers and bartenders are over there. Come to think about it, people in general are much happier […]
I’m Not Taking My Metal Detector To The Beach, I’m Taking It To Dinner!
I received an email from one of my readers who seems a little irked by some of the new “fashion trends” sported by the hipsters and the more brazen of today’s youth. Here’s what he wrote: Dear Bar Bitch– While you are good at dishing the dirt about customers that rub you the wrong way, […]
The Bar Bitch Turns The Other Cheek
It has been brought to my attention that one of my frequent commentors has a blog of her own–well actually several. It’s actually pretty hilarious from a server’s point of view and if you’re looking for a good laugh, check it out. I might just post an excerpt from her blog at the end of […]
Excuuuuuuse Me?
So, I just got home from work and was so irked by this woman tonight I had to vent, the dog wasn’t having any of it, so here you go! I was in the middle of taking an order from one of my tables when I spy out of the corner of my eye, two […]
Here’s a Tip For You…
Since the topic of “tipping” seemed to draw a lot of attention last week, I wanted to touch on that topic today. I did a bit of research regarding tipping in the United States and what it entailed. Sources say that 15-20% is the standard gratuity for a server, with 15% being the minimum and […]
StereoTIPPING
Ah, the elusive tipping. Anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant will tell you that many stereotypes exist when it comes to tipping. Wikipedia defines a stereotype as “a commonly held public belief about specific social groups or types of individuals”. Foreigners. When polled about what they liked least about visiting the United States, […]
Kids
Kids. They’re great. I don’t have any myself but after teaching, coaching, and babysitting, I’m ready to give them back after my allotted time. Sure when I have my own it will probably be different, but cleaning up after kids in the restaurant makes me realize that my OCD could never handle it on a […]
No Reservations
I read an article recently in Restaurant and Hospitality Magazine which really got me thinking about what people expect when they go out to dinner. In a nutshell, the article discussed proper etiquette on the part of the restaurant and the customer when it comes to dinner reservations. Is it okay for a restaurant to […]
There’s No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
We all know people who are very conservative when it comes to spending, but there are some people that take it a bit too far. Here are a few of my favorite examples. If you’ve ever been to a restaurant you’ll notice a pretty standard course of events. You’re seated; your server brings you drinks, […]
Going Mobile
About a week ago a minor accident at work caused me to be sans cell phone for four whole days. It was the most stress I have experienced in years. It really made me think about cell phones and our immense dependency on them. Women are giving birth these days and babies are popping out […]
Did That Waitress Just Flirt With Me?
Doubtful! I met this guy a while back who admitted to recognizing me from my restaurant. He said “Don’t you remember me? I was there with a big birthday party and I sat at the end of the table? You were our waitress and you couldn’t stop flirting with me”. Granted, I do remember a […]
I Am Server, Hear Me Roar!
I am an avid believer that everyone should work in the service industry for a few weeks out of their life. Screw community service in high school, require teenagers to work as a server, host, cook, whatever for a solid 2-3 weeks. I think then everyone will understand the crap that we have to deal […]
