Beer Menu

[ingchr1]

Is a beer menu too much to ask for in a restaurant! There are a few places that I go to that I know full well they have a decent selection of beer. Yet they have no menu listing what they have. You ask the wait staff and you get one of two answers:

"we have everything" or "bud, bud light, coors, sam adams, bass, guinness, etc."

It usually ends up in me having to get up and go scope out the bar to see what they actually have. Oh, "I'll have an Arrogant Bastard".

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I love it when I ask the waiter/waitress about a particular beer that they just named off and then they have to go find out some obscure detail like style, abv, or ibu. It is even better at the restaurant section of a brewpub. Then I ask about hop varietals. Nothing too crazy and things I would expect a person working at a BREWERY to know when talking about the beers they brew. I guess I need to lower my standards.

 

[Homercidal]

I am RIGHT THERE WITH YOU!

It's so sad. They have a complete wine list, right in the menu. Yet it's too much to ask the wait staff to carry a handwritten list around in their pocket.

"Do you have any craft beers?"

<screws up face> "What do you mean, craft beer?"

"Like, something made in Michigan"

"We got Bud, Bud Light, Miller, Coors..."

"F ME..."

 

[JohnnyO]

I love it when I ask the waiter/waitress about a particular beer that they just named off and then they have to go find out some obscure detail like style, abv, or ibu. It is even better at the restaurant section of a brewpub. Then I ask about hop varietals. Nothing too crazy and things I would expect a person working at a BREWERY to know when talking about the beers they brew. I guess I need to lower my standards.

I think its unfair to expect the waitstaff at a bar or brew pub to know specifics like IBU, hop varieties, and even style to a certain extent. Not everyone working there is a beer person. For some people, it's just their job. Especially if you're dealing with someone on the food side of the business.

 

[Yooper]

I think its unfair to expect the waitstaff at a bar or brew pub to know specifics like IBU, hop varieties, and even style to a certain extent. Not everyone working there is a beer person. For some people, it's just their job. Especially if you're dealing with someone on the food side of the business.

I agree.

What kills me is when you ask about beer selections, and they say "We have everything!"

This happened to me in Texas, at a large nice restaurant. As we were seated, a waitress came to take drink orders. Most of those with me ordered things like iced tea, as they were having wine later with dinner. I asked, "What kind of beer to you have?". She said, "We have everything! Name it!"

I HATE that. Well, ok. This is a nice restaurant, and we're in Texas. "Do you have any St. Arnold's?" "No, we don't have that."

"Do you have any Texas brews?" "I don't know."

"Do you have any national brands, like Sierra Nevada?"

"I don't think so".

"Can you name something you do have?"

"We have everything!" (with a bit of irritation)

Me, at this point: "Awesome! I"ll have iced tea".


There were 6 of us, and our bill was over $300. We never went back.

 

[dobe12]

I think its unfair to expect the waitstaff at a bar or brew pub to know specifics like IBU, hop varieties, and even style to a certain extent. Not everyone working there is a beer person. For some people, it's just their job. Especially if you're dealing with someone on the food side of the business.

I agree. Hop varieties? Come on. If a bar is calling themselves a craft beer bar or a brewpub or whatever, I do expect the servers to at least have some knowledge of what they have on tap. As in the name of the beer, the brewery, and style. Anything outside of that is a bonus.

But I do agree completely about the beer list. It's a must at any craft bar, brewery, brewpub, etc. Put one on the table, bring it with my menu, whatever, just have one. And do NOT take it away after I order my food. I see this happens often and it bugs me. Do you really want me to have only one beer? I'm going to ask for the list again, so do us both a favor and just leave it.

One time I asked for a beer menu and the server said "Our tap list is on Beermenus.com".



My local pizza shop also has an online menu, but I'm here now, in your establishment. So why don't you tell me what you have on tap or get me a piece of paper that does!

EDIT: Oh and if you run out of something, print up a new menu, cross it off the current menu, or tell me you're out when I sit down. Just like you would if a menu item was 86'ed. If you want to be a craft beer bar, you need to treat the beer as though it were a regular menu item. Don't get my hopes up for the Flying Dog Raging ***** firkin specially dry hopped with fresh whole leaf Centennial then tell me you're out after I order it. (True story)

 

[hunter_le five]

This problem is all too common at restaurants.

It's especially sad when the restaurant in question actually HAS a decent craft beer selection, but they do nothing to advertise it (menus/chalkboards/etc), and and the servers can't be bothered to learn what they're selling. I don't expect servers to have a deep knowledge of beer, but at least learn the names, so when I ask you what you have, I don't get a non-response like "everything" (no, no you don't) or make me wait for you to go ask the bartender.

Why bother even stocking craft beers if you make no attempt to move the product? I'm not a mind reader, I don't magically know what's in your beer cooler (and apparently your servers don't either).

FWIW, we have a beer list on all of our menus, and a chalkboard for the rotating products.

 

[ingchr1]

But I do agree completely about the beer list. It's a must at any craft bar, brewery, brewpub, etc. Put one on the table, bring it with my menu, whatever, just have one. And do NOT take it away after I order my food. I see this happens often and it bugs me. Do you really want me to have only one beer? I'm going to ask for the list again, so do us both a favor and just leave it.

That's another one, if you do happen to have a list don't take it away! Are you expecting me to remember all 100 beers on it!

 

[Roadie]

You have everything?? Awesome I'll have a Pliny, SWMBO will have a Zombie Dust and my buddy will have Heady Topper!


Almost Famous Brewing Company

 

[Temptd2]

I guess we're fortunate, most menus around here have a good listing of the beers they carry.

Our fave local pub has 73 beers on tap and if you ask the servers, 9 out of 10 of them can actually carry on a decent conversation with you about the beer, including what they do or do not like about it. Half of THOSE will ask you if you want to try a taste of it, and the other half will go get you a taste (about a 2 oz. pour) if you ask for it.

AND they give a locals discount of 10% (we're in a tourist mecca here and they like to encourage the locals to show up off-season) which for us equates to about one free beer each time we eat there.

I think because we ARE a touristy area, most of the restaurants probably got tired of answering the same questions 400 times a day, so they just print the selection on the menus.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

I think if you have nothing but BMC, fine, tell me that. "What do you have?" "Bud, bud lite, etc." If you have 20+ craft beers (or even 20+ BMC) drafts or bottles I expect you to have a menu, a chalkboard, or a photographic memory. Honestly, if it takes me a half hour to get a beer I'll just ask for scotch. Ask anyone who knows me, I am NOT tough on wait staff but certain things drive me crazy. Having something on the menu still that has run out is one of them.

Also, if I ask you to recommend an IPA and you recommend an American Pale Ale, these things happen. Reccommend Guinness and I am no longer your buddy. We have fallen out of the trust tree. Your tip just plummeted from 20%... to somewhere between 15 and 20.

 

[Eddiemk4VW]

I agree with all that is being said, it has happened to me as well. When I find a place that has craft, I generally have to blend a beer to make a flavor profile.


Smoke signals

 

[gratus fermentatio]

I was in a Las Vegas bar once & asked the waitress what the imports were...
me: what sorts of imports do you have?
waitress: whaddayawant?
me: I'd like to know what imported beers you have.
waitress: I'm not going to stand here & tell you everything we have.
me: well isn't that your job?

The waitress stomped off, never having taken our order. Me & my buddy left to find a better bar with a better waitstaff. The next bar at least had a waitress who was willing to rattle off the imports, though the selection was crap.
Regards, GF.

 

[captianoats]

I agree with all of you, but there is one thing I've noticed that is different between a wine and beer selection. Beer selections, especially on tap, change constantly. Even our local brewpubs have rotating selections, wine lists tend to be more stable.

I think the best bet is to have a chalkboard with the list. I'm happy to go to the bar and read the list.


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