Ripped off at Soda
We got ripped off at Soda last night. I know there have been a bunch of posts on it in the past, but it still stung.
We got the bill and as many times as we added it up, it was just way to high. We were there with a group and when we did the math, assuming a ballpark tax of 10%, they still charged us 20-25% tip (the menu states tip at 18% for groups). In the end, we just decided to pay and leave instead of making a scene. The waiter had been rude to us all night and the service bad and we thought it would only make it worse. The total was for like 125.50 and in the end we shorted him the 50 cents figuring they'd had the gall to rip us off. But then, as we're standing outside the waiter actually came out and demanded the 50 cents. Even after we told him they'd overcharged, he said "maybe my math was wrong, but you still owe me 50 cents."
I think we're all mostly bummed because we've been going to Soda regularly for over five years. Thankfully, it's no longer the only bar in the neighborhood, because none of us are going back there again. I urge the rest of you to do the same.
We got the bill and as many times as we added it up, it was just way to high. We were there with a group and when we did the math, assuming a ballpark tax of 10%, they still charged us 20-25% tip (the menu states tip at 18% for groups). In the end, we just decided to pay and leave instead of making a scene. The waiter had been rude to us all night and the service bad and we thought it would only make it worse. The total was for like 125.50 and in the end we shorted him the 50 cents figuring they'd had the gall to rip us off. But then, as we're standing outside the waiter actually came out and demanded the 50 cents. Even after we told him they'd overcharged, he said "maybe my math was wrong, but you still owe me 50 cents."
I think we're all mostly bummed because we've been going to Soda regularly for over five years. Thankfully, it's no longer the only bar in the neighborhood, because none of us are going back there again. I urge the rest of you to do the same.
Comments
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Man this place gets such mixed reviews.
Honestly, I've been there twice since moving here and I'm not really sure why it gets as much business as it does.
My impressions:
The drinks were mediocre (Im a drunk so thats good enough for me).
The music was mediocre at best (but I'm a snob about this and I acknowledge that).
The sound system is about as good as your average stock '83 K Car.
The vibe was reminiscent of a room temperature micorowave wet burrito.
I've never had the food so I can't comment.
So why is it always packed, considering the proximity of Weather Up, Barrette, Beast, Franklin Park... all of which seem to have their errythang together tighter? -
i generally choose barrette or franklin park over soda ... but i do like that soda changes their taps a lot more than the other places. as a beer snob, i don't like having to travel to park slope, brooklyn heights, or williamsburg for something new. while they don't have the best selection at soda, at least it changes fairly often.
that said, i think barrette is the best of the ones listed above for good taps. -
I've never really liked Soda. I'll go when someone chooses it for a birthday party or because they need space for a group, but not willingly.
I've also been puzzled as to its popularity, but I figure it's a different strokes for different folks situation. -
I like their burgers.
I LOVE their BLT's.
Aside from that....not much for me there. -
It's so hit or miss there
They always char my burgers
The cheese fries are good but need more queso
Some nights it is awesome, there is dancing, the girls are hot, it's jumping
Other nights it's fucking dead as shit. Lately it's been the latter.
I usually don't go expecting much, and I DEFINITELY wouldn't go with a bunch of people and run up a huge bill; at an understaffed place like Soda that is just asking for trouble. -
I've chimed in before on this, so I will again...
Never had a bad experience there, although admittedly it sounds like a lot of the posted problems occur there at night. I'm more of a weekend afternoon person, often with the kids for lunch. We like the food, the staff and the tunes. -
Subject: enjoy soda, but learn to work it
nip it in the bud...when i go to soda i bring cash, TONS of 5's and singles so there's no waiting for change...i ask for my check delivered with my food, and if the table drink service is lousy i get drinks at the bar and walk them to my table
any lip from the server on that and you just nod and say yes yes...sorry i'll catch you next time
on the rare occasions i've had horrible service coupled with rude 'tude, i've left 8% - i've waited plenty of tables, so don't give me any grief about that
and if you ever get a bill that's too high, do not pay and leave, challenge itMrLithe wrote: We got ripped off at Soda last night. I know there have been a bunch of posts on it in the past, but it still stung.
We got the bill and as many times as we added it up, it was just way to high. We were there with a group and when we did the math, assuming a ballpark tax of 10%, they still charged us 20-25% tip (the menu states tip at 18% for groups). In the end, we just decided to pay and leave instead of making a scene. The waiter had been rude to us all night and the service bad and we thought it would only make it worse. The total was for like 125.50 and in the end we shorted him the 50 cents figuring they'd had the gall to rip us off. But then, as we're standing outside the waiter actually came out and demanded the 50 cents. Even after we told him they'd overcharged, he said "maybe my math was wrong, but you still owe me 50 cents."
I think we're all mostly bummed because we've been going to Soda regularly for over five years. Thankfully, it's no longer the only bar in the neighborhood, because none of us are going back there again. I urge the rest of you to do the same. -
I'm sure I've said it before, but the serving problem at Soda seems directly tied to the amount of time the servers stand/sit at the end of the bar shooting the shit while waiting for drink orders. I've never waited tables, but it seems to me that the time it takes an overextended bartender to handle bar patrons plus table orders would be a good opportunity for servers to check in with other tables and take care of their needs. Seems pretty simple, and takes place at most restaurants. Why it doesn't seem to happen at Soda is beyond me.
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The fact that people are basically sharing ways to get around the bad service says something about the place.
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BrookFetish wrote: The fact that people are basically sharing ways to get around the bad service says something about the place.
Word.
I asked a friend who lhas lived in the area longer why he goes and his reply was this:
"Two words. It's cheap." -
BrookFetish wrote: The fact that people are basically sharing ways to get around the bad service says something about the place.
Not as telling as the fact that what appears to me to be clearly diminished business (just by eyeballing crowds in there vs. a year or two ago) hasn't lead to attempts at better service.
Yes, there are more options in the neighborhood than 12-24 mos ago, but the fact remains that all of these bars are somewhat niche places (Beast with the tapas/two notches above bar food, Weather Up for sexy, highly-priced cocktails (and don't get me STARTED about the insanely slow service there, even for specialty drinks), Plan B for sports bar vibe, and Barette for...um...something, I guess) and Soda probably only really has to compete with Franklin Park for the sport drinking crowd (which isn't really a competitor, as it shares an owner). -
OnEasternParkway wrote: [quote=BrookFetish]The fact that people are basically sharing ways to get around the bad service says something about the place.
Weather Up for sexy, highly-priced cocktails (and don't get me STARTED about the insanely slow service there, even for specialty drinks)
Then I'll get started.
I seriously throught they were trying to mock me or something by taking that long.
Bartenders sit and have conversations with each other and patrons *after* taking your order.
I don't mind paying manhattan prices for the kitsch and moxy, but at least *look* like you're trying to earn it. -
"In the end, we just decided to pay and leave instead of making a scene."
You don't have to make a 'scene' in order to properly settle a check.
It's seems very dopey to pay an inflated bill and then come to a message board and complain about it. What is someone to learn about Soda from this post? That a waiter made a math error? Because that's all I know at this point because you never made any attempt to deal with it. -
Old Time Brooklyn wrote: "In the end, we just decided to pay and leave instead of making a scene."
Hmmm are you the owner or the waiter? :P
You don't have to make a 'scene' in order to properly settle a check.
It's seems very dopey to pay an inflated bill and then come to a message board and complain about it. What is someone to learn about Soda from this post? That a waiter made a math error? Because that's all I know at this point because you never made any attempt to deal with it.
I think maybe the point of the post was for people to make sure to check their bills when they go to Soda.
I 'preciate it. I don't go to Soda at night anymore bc it's too crowded and filled with people of questionable (and sometimes dangerous) dancing... but if I ever go again i'll definitely cheeck my bill. -
filled with people of questionable (and sometimes dangerous) dancing.
What exactly does "questionable and dangerous" dancing look like? -
If you go to any restaurant and don't check your bill, again, you're dopey.
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I've posted about this in the past, but the terrible service at Soda bears repeating. These comments have been happening for years, yet the problem continues, so I can only conclude that the owners don't care and are able to still turn a profit despite complaints.
Barrette is my first choice. Beast and Noona are good backups. Weather Up sucks - slowest service I've ever encountered the first (and last) time I went. -
What exactly does "questionable and dangerous" dancing look like? -
Nice try, Muk. Not even close, though. Re-Run's the shit when it comes to dancing. Dangerous maybe, but definitely not questionable.
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mixergirl wrote:
Hmm... last time I was there, there was a group of college-age looking drunk kids dancing VERY vigorously (turns, arms flailing... I might have seen a half split thrown in... ok the half split was an exaggeration), with their eyes closed... It was quite dangerous for me. I was going to tell the owner, but I didn't want to cause a scene. :-pfilled with people of questionable (and sometimes dangerous) dancing.
What exactly does "questionable and dangerous" dancing look like? -
Can't sees the youtube, but we'll always have Seinfeld...
-
mixergirl wrote:
Everybodies doin,filled with people of questionable (and sometimes dangerous) dancing.
What exactly does "questionable and dangerous" dancing look like?
What they shouldn't be doin
Everybodies doin it
In the middle of the street
Everybodies movin
What they shouldn't be movin
Everybodies moving it in the middle of the street
Improper dancing in the middle of the street
somebody better notify the cheif of police
every bodys freakin
who they shouldn't be freakin
every bodys freakin in the middle of the street
every bodys showin
what they shouldn't be showin
every bodys showin it in the middle of the street
Improper dancing in the middle of the street
Man those ppl must have demons livin in their feet
And i want to reach into the fire of your heart
i want to program all those beats right from the start
Have you ever been to NEW YORK CITY?!
and music starts to play (play)
bodies start to sway (sway)
the devil is the dj in the middle of the street
beats are droppin
bodies rockin
hearts are stoppin
electric shockin
i cant believe what i am seeing
in the middle of the street
Improper dancing in the middle of the street
somebody better notify the cheif of police
stop
CONTINUE -
Vanilla ice warmin' up...
Come on and bring it white boy!
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eh. I've said it a billion times. soda is awful on weekend nights. it can be a little nuts on weekday nights. when it gets full, I go to the bar. they still have the best burger in PH. and yes, the drinks can be cheap.
lately, getting older etc, I prefer beast and weather up. mostly I want to much on classy food with bubbly (beast) or drinking a perfectly prepared cocktail (weather up). again, I try to skip weekend nights. -
mixergirl wrote:
A little bit of this:filled with people of questionable (and sometimes dangerous) dancing.
What exactly does "questionable and dangerous" dancing look like?
And a little bit of that:
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the BLT is good
and they have 3 dollar tecates.
and its close to me
however Barette has go go dancers and 3 dollar big buds -
Subject: Glue in Lock
Just put a bit of model airplane glue into the locks when they are closed. (Just squirt it in)
You do this a few times and owners become nicer and more appreaciative of customers.
Sad but true magic.
H -
Lo Kee wrote: [quote=mixergirl]
Everybodies doin,filled with people of questionable (and sometimes dangerous) dancing.
What exactly does "questionable and dangerous" dancing look like?
What they shouldn't be doin
Everybodies doin it
In the middle of the street
Everybodies movin
What they shouldn't be movin
Everybodies moving it in the middle of the street
Improper dancing in the middle of the street
somebody better notify the cheif of police
every bodys freakin
who they shouldn't be freakin
every bodys freakin in the middle of the street
every bodys showin
what they shouldn't be showin
every bodys showin it in the middle of the street
Improper dancing in the middle of the street
Man those ppl must have demons livin in their feet
And i want to reach into the fire of your heart
i want to program all those beats right from the start
Have you ever been to NEW YORK CITY?!
and music starts to play (play)
bodies start to sway (sway)
the devil is the dj in the middle of the street
beats are droppin
bodies rockin
hearts are stoppin
electric shockin
i cant believe what i am seeing
in the middle of the street
Improper dancing in the middle of the street
somebody better notify the cheif of police
stop
CONTINUE
Improper dancing, indeed. -
Lo Kee wrote: [quote=mixergirl]
Everybodies doin,filled with people of questionable (and sometimes dangerous) dancing.
What exactly does "questionable and dangerous" dancing look like?
What they shouldn't be doin
Everybodies doin it
In the middle of the street
Everybodies movin
What they shouldn't be movin
Everybodies moving it in the middle of the street
Improper dancing in the middle of the street
somebody better notify the cheif of police
every bodys freakin
who they shouldn't be freakin
every bodys freakin in the middle of the street
every bodys showin
what they shouldn't be showin
every bodys showin it in the middle of the street
Improper dancing in the middle of the street
Man those ppl must have demons livin in their feet
And i want to reach into the fire of your heart
i want to program all those beats right from the start
Have you ever been to NEW YORK CITY?!
and music starts to play (play)
bodies start to sway (sway)
the devil is the dj in the middle of the street
beats are droppin
bodies rockin
hearts are stoppin
electric shockin
i cant believe what i am seeing
in the middle of the street
Improper dancing in the middle of the street
somebody better notify the cheif of police
stop
CONTINUE
Improper dancing, indeed.
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