Another Soda Story

brooklynbound

I've seen a few postings complaining about Soda, but I've never had a problem. The other night my friend and I were relaxing and having a drink when shards of glass came spewing onto us! The waitress had slammed a glass onto the counter in a rage. I asked the waitress why did she do that and she shook her head angrily without making eye contact.

I made a complaint to the bartender. The bartender stepped away to speak to the waitress. Later the waitress came to apologize saying that she didn't know she did that. I mean what can make someone that angry? My friend texted me when she got home saying her hand was bleeding. Apparently she didn't notice another piece of glass. Sheesh.

I've never had a particularly good time at Soda. I think I'm staying away for a while.

bkhoosierfan

i was just in soda the other day for only the third time..
first two times were just fine
this time i waited with my gf for 20 minutes at a table.. waitress completely ignored us the whole time.. so we walked out
im pretty much tempted to never go back..
if only they didnt serve my most favorite winter style beer!

sterling2000

Never had trouble there, of course I always go with my children in the afternoon and leave a big, fat tip. Was there two weekends ago, and everyone enjoyed our pizza, fries and peirogies...the boys dig the jukebox, too...

daver

sterling2000 wrote: Never had trouble there, of course I always go with my children

Please tell me you bring a huge stroller so that my day can be complete!

I'll bet you throw house parties with DJs with that riff raff at 436 Sterling too!

sterling2000

daver wrote: Please tell me you bring a huge stroller so that my day can be complete!

The stroller is ENORMOUS, and totally tricked out with a subwoofer and spinners...

alafairnadia

you may be a normal patron, OP, but the barkeeps and waitresses at soda have to deal with some real assholes. obviously shattering a glass is over the top, but, some of the shit they put up with is beyond over the top. I'm not defending assaulting your friend, of course, or making your concerned, but I don't think you understand how many fuckers are in that bar at any given time.

(caveat: I know people who've bartended and DJ'd there for years and years -- I know who a lot of the former problem patrons were and can only take educated guesses about current problem patrons. they'd drive anyone over the edge. that said, I don't think anyone at that bar would approve of shattering a glass all over patrons.)

daver

alafairnadia wrote: that said, I don't think anyone at that bar would approve of shattering a glass all over patrons.)

UNLESS said patrons are in strollers.

Well, I don't know if anyone THERE would be OK with it, but I might turn a blind eye.

Or if the patrons were Hasidim with do-rags and passed out Nordic sex slaves. I'd be all over shattering glass on those fuckers.

whyfi

^^^ daver channeling daveb!

alafairnadia

WhyFi wrote: ^^^ daver channeling daveb!

who I keep running into in the morning on the train. hilarious.

MOD

I don't care what kinda assholes you have to put up with, shattering a glass and cutting an innocent bystander is inexcusable and you should report it to the manager. That person needs anger management.

If the tables were turned and a pissed-off person at the bar slammed a glass down cutting the bartender, what would you think?

alafairnadia

Mamacita wrote: I don't care what kinda assholes you have to put up with, shattering a glass and cutting an innocent bystander is inexcusable and you should report it to the manager. That person needs anger management.

If the tables were turned and a pissed-off asshole at the bar slammed a glass down cutting the bartender, do you think for an instant that person wouldn't be kicked out and the police called?

I've actually seen that happen a few times and I've never seen anyone 86'd for it.

jack krohn

I stopped going to Soda about two years ago due to the slow, inattentive waitstaff. Now that the neighborhood has other options (Sepia, Plan B, Barrette, Beast), I'll surely never set foot in there again.

alafairnadia

Jack Krohn wrote: I stopped going to Soda about two years ago due to the slow, inattentive waitstaff. Now that the neighborhood has other options (Sepia, Plan B, Barrette, Beast), I'll surely never set foot in there again.

I don't go much anymore, either. mostly because it's too damn full of people I could have birthed. I prefer beast, weather up, sepia or FP.

karl the druid

Subject: Re: Another Soda Story

Brooklynbound wrote: [sic] I mean what can make someone that angry?

coke

lots and lots of coke

boogieknight

Bored at work so I'm jumping in. Waitress obviously upset about something - what it is doesn't matter - she comes over and apologizes, apparently sincerely. Bartender spoke to waitress after being informed by patrons as to what happened (unclear as to whether bartender witnessed glass shattering). No one, including patrons, noticed that anyone was cut by glass until after patrons ad left bar.

We all get mad and do stupid shit. Everyone seemed to have behaved correctly after the initial lapse. I don't see why some are taling about people being 86'd and cops being called.

alafairnadia, care to dish details as to asshole behavior from past and current asshole patrons? (please omit/change names to protect the not-so-innocent if so desired).

alafairnadia

BoogieKnight wrote: Bored at work so I'm jumping in. Waitress obviously upset about something - what it is doesn't matter - she comes over and apologizes, apparently sincerely. Bartender spoke to waitress after being informed by patrons as to what happened (unclear as to whether bartender witnessed glass shattering). No one, including patrons, noticed that anyone was cut by glass until after patrons ad left bar.

We all get mad and do stupid shit. Everyone seemed to have behaved correctly after the initial lapse. I don't see why some are taling about people being 86'd and cops being called.

alafairnadia, care to dish details as to asshole behavior from past and current asshole patrons? (please omit/change names to protect the not-so-innocent if so desired).

shockingly, not really. hang out with me, you'll meet some of them - they're loyal bar patrons (aka alocholics) who can cause problems regularly. the others who don't come around much anymore are folks visiting the nabe from horrible other parts of the boro or nyc. in any case, soda is a large, decent bar so it gets a ton of business and attracts a huge cross-section of absurd. I've seen a lot of shit go down there ... and I've had a lot of fun there. I always feel bad for the waitstaff and bartenders - their job is generally thankless and difficult. I, certainly, could not possibly deal with 100 drunk people. at the same time, I recognize my own needs, which is why I don't go to soda too often anymore - the pain in the ass factor is a bit much.

putz

calling alafairnadia out:

- bullsh*t, you havent seen bartenders getting cut by flying glass a "few times"!
- can make the accusations against the patrons, but cant be bothered to share any specifics?
- hang out with you and we'll get to meet some of these jerks you try to avoid? HUH?
- "folks visiting the nabe from horrible other parts of the boro" - lets build a wall!!
- the "thankless and difficult" work of bartenders - boohoo!! the sweat and toil to pass a drink over the bar for a $1 tip. lets start a charity to send them back to college to finish their degrees.

cut the crap.

daver

putz wrote: - the "thankless and difficult" work of bartenders - boohoo!! the sweat and toil to pass a drink over the bar for a $1 tip. lets start a charity to send them back to college to finish their degrees.

Mr. Pink wrote: I'm very sorry the government taxes their tips, that's fucked up. That ain't my fault. It would seem to me that waitresses are one of the many groups the government fucks in the ass on a regular basis. Look, if you ask me to sign something that says the government shouldn't do that, I'll sign it, put it to a vote, I'll vote for it, but what I won't do is play ball. And as for this non-college bullshit I got two words for that: learn to fuckin' type, 'cause if you're expecting me to help out with the rent you're in for a big fuckin' surprise.

alafairnadia

putz wrote: calling alafairnadia out:

- bullsh*t, you havent seen bartenders getting cut by flying glass a "few times"!
- can make the accusations against the patrons, but cant be bothered to share any specifics?
- hang out with you and we'll get to meet some of these jerks you try to avoid? HUH?
- "folks visiting the nabe from horrible other parts of the boro" - lets build a wall!!
- the "thankless and difficult" work of bartenders - boohoo!! the sweat and toil to pass a drink over the bar for a $1 tip. lets start a charity to send them back to college to finish their degrees.

cut the crap.

okay. you disagree with my view. and? you work in customer service?

(and really, please don't ever introduce yourself to me - you sound lame)

prospectplacegirl

putz wrote: calling alafairnadia out:

- bullsh*t, you havent seen bartenders getting cut by flying glass a "few times"!
- can make the accusations against the patrons, but cant be bothered to share any specifics?
- hang out with you and we'll get to meet some of these jerks you try to avoid? HUH?
- "folks visiting the nabe from horrible other parts of the boro" - lets build a wall!!
- the "thankless and difficult" work of bartenders - boohoo!! the sweat and toil to pass a drink over the bar for a $1 tip. lets start a charity to send them back to college to finish their degrees.

cut the crap.

putz, i couldn't find the emoticon that had the clapping hands under it, but this smiling one comes the closest to it. THANK you for that.

alafairnadia

wow, really? gosh. I guess all of you are the hardworking barkeeps at educated bars all over the city where only civil patrons go. shocking. considering I've seen brawls at milk & honey, which is expensive, requires a reservation AND has a max occupancy of 20, I figure I must have more collective bar cred than y'all. not trying to say that soda is the bomb, or that the soda barkeeps are geniuses, but I definitely think y'all need to cut people some freaking slack. then again, what bars do you like? I want to be sure to avoid them.

sweet tea

i'm not half the barfly i could be, and even i've seen flying glass c/o a patron at a bar (not soda, but i'm rarely there). i'm not sure why it's so hard to believe that alafair's seen it happen.

and why would she want to out PIA patrons? she's told you she hangs out at bars, and you can see that she's got her picture attached to her words -- just maybe, she doesn't need asshole drunks who can work the internets pissed at her?

i've never been a bartender, but i'm perfectly willing to believe it sucks. i have worked in face-to-face customer service (after getting my first degree from a pretty fancy school, thanks; you might have noticed that the job market sucks from time to time), and i'd hate to have seen some of those folks if they'd been allowed to be drunker.

[/counterpoint]

putz

let's brainstorm the skills and qualities required to be a bartender or bar waitress, shall we?

hmm... basis arithmetic? nah, there are calculators, plus no harm in rounding up a bit when the bill gets long. mixology? nah, anyone can learn most drinks in a few days, particularly to soda's standards. be hot? helps with the tips, but not a requirement. let's see... ah, got one!

1) be friendly with customers; keep your cool with drunken idiots.

is there anything else?

in my book, this chick failed the sole requirement of the job.

pensodyssey

alafairnadia wrote: [quote=putz]calling alafairnadia out:

- bullsh*t, you havent seen bartenders getting cut by flying glass a "few times"!
- can make the accusations against the patrons, but cant be bothered to share any specifics?
- hang out with you and we'll get to meet some of these jerks you try to avoid? HUH?
- "folks visiting the nabe from horrible other parts of the boro" - lets build a wall!!
- the "thankless and difficult" work of bartenders - boohoo!! the sweat and toil to pass a drink over the bar for a $1 tip. lets start a charity to send them back to college to finish their degrees.

cut the crap.

okay. you disagree with my view. and? you work in customer service?

(and really, please don't ever introduce yourself to me - you sound lame)


I work in the customer service industry. The first page of the handbook says, "Don't shatter glass on your customers".


Alafair, you're fighting a losing battle here. The service at Soda has sucked since it opened.

alafairnadia

pensodyssey wrote: [quote=alafairnadia][quote=putz]calling alafairnadia out:

- bullsh*t, you havent seen bartenders getting cut by flying glass a "few times"!
- can make the accusations against the patrons, but cant be bothered to share any specifics?
- hang out with you and we'll get to meet some of these jerks you try to avoid? HUH?
- "folks visiting the nabe from horrible other parts of the boro" - lets build a wall!!
- the "thankless and difficult" work of bartenders - boohoo!! the sweat and toil to pass a drink over the bar for a $1 tip. lets start a charity to send them back to college to finish their degrees.

cut the crap.

okay. you disagree with my view. and? you work in customer service?

(and really, please don't ever introduce yourself to me - you sound lame)


I work in the customer service industry. The first page of the handbook says, "Don't shatter glass on your customers".


Alafair, you're fighting a losing battle here. The service at Soda has sucked since it opened.

maybe it has - I dunno. for a stint (a like 2 year period) there, all I had to do was yell someone's name, hold up a glass and 5 seconds later I had a refill. twas teh awesome. haven't gone back enough to learn all the new names in the last few years. I have, though, seen glasses flying out of the hands of one patron toward another, from the hands of a patron toward the waitstaff, from the hands of a patron to a barkeep, and, really, come ON - this is board history - I've been at ground zero (as in knee/ankle/shin/groin injury) of the infamous brooklynian festivus fight at soda. did we not get any buy backs that night? yes. why? we made a big fucking mess the waitress had to clean up. did I get hauled out of the joint by the owner to explain the madness? yes. are we still friends (to the point where he listens to my wine demands for his new joints)? yes.

and, darlin', I have run into you there plenty of times. you may think the service sucks, but you still go. (or at least did, last time I saw you)

alafairnadia

pensodyssey wrote: I work in the customer service industry. The first page of the handbook says, "Don't shatter glass on your customers".

and really? should we edit that to read "don't shatter books on your students"?

josseleen

alafairnadia wrote: [quote=pensodyssey]I work in the customer service industry. The first page of the handbook says, "Don't shatter glass on your customers".

and really? should we edit that to read "don't shatter books on your students"?

ahahahhaha

bill c

i've always found the service at sodo courteous and professional. but when they ask if i'd like a glass w/ my beer i answer "no."

carnivore

segreto

I AM THE BARTENDER THAT WORKED THE NIGHT OF THE GLASS BREAKING INCIDENT. THE WAITRESS WAS BUSY AND SHE PUT THE GLASSES DOWN AND DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT THEY BROKE. ONCE I TOLD HER WHAT HAPPEND BECAUSE SHE WAS BUSY, SHE CAME OUT IMMEDIATELY AND APOLOGIZED AND THE WOMAN WHO GOT GLASS ON HER HAD ONE DRINK AND IT WAS COMPED. OBVIOUSLY WE NEVER WANT ANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS GETTING HURT, THAT ISN'T WHAT HAPPENED....AND BY THE WAY WE ALL HAVE COLLEGE DEGREE'S!!! BECAUSE OF YOUR RECKLESS WRITING ON THIS BLOG OUR BOSS HAS SEEN THIS AND IS STILL THINKING ABOUT OUR PUNISHMENT. THE WAITRESS (WHO HAS A HUSBAND AND 3 YEAR OLD SON) MIGHT LOSE HER JOB. SO I HOPE ALL OF YOU WASH WOMEN ARE PROUD OF YOURSELFS FOR GOING OFF ON AN INCIDENT THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT INSTEAD OF REALLY BEING ANGRY ABOUT THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER LIKE THE BOMBINGSS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE GENOCIDE IN DARFUR....GET A LIFE!!!

daver

segreto wrote: I AM THE BARTENDER THAT WORKED THE NIGHT OF THE GLASS BREAKING INCIDENT. THE WAITRESS WAS BUSY AND SHE PUT THE GLASSES DOWN AND DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT THEY BROKE. ONCE I TOLD HER WHAT HAPPEND BECAUSE SHE WAS BUSY, SHE CAME OUT IMMEDIATELY AND APOLOGIZED AND THE WOMAN WHO GOT GLASS ON HER HAD ONE DRINK AND IT WAS COMPED. OBVIOUSLY WE NEVER WANT ANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS GETTING HURT, THAT ISN'T WHAT HAPPENED....AND BY THE WAY WE ALL HAVE COLLEGE DEGREE'S!!! BECAUSE OF YOUR RECKLESS WRITING ON THIS BLOG OUR BOSS HAS SEEN THIS AND IS STILL THINKING ABOUT OUR PUNISHMENT. THE WAITRESS (WHO HAS A HUSBAND AND 3 YEAR OLD SON) MIGHT LOSE HER JOB. SO I HOPE ALL OF YOU WASH WOMEN ARE PROUD OF YOURSELFS FOR GOING OFF ON AN INCIDENT THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT INSTEAD OF REALLY BEING ANGRY ABOUT THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER LIKE THE BOMBINGSS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE GENOCIDE IN DARFUR....GET A LIFE!!!

This was a missed opportunity for you to be conciliatory, the bigger person, and do a service to the establishment that employs you.