Corkage Fee for Beer?

[makomachine]

You probably couldn't afford to "frequent" a fine dining establishment like the one I work in, as our regulars are all doctors/lawyers and the like. Servers don't get their "a$$es kicked" for messing with food because you never even know it happens. The moral is simple: don't be a jerk to those who handle your food and drinks when you can't see them. Duh. We servers make our living by acting nice to people we don't really care about -- we can mess with your food and act as sweet as pie to you afterword. Tip properly, don't blame your server for things beyond their control like corkage fees, and your food will be as clean as it is delicious.

Are we done with the fast-food, teenage rebuttal discussion? Can we stay on topic? Let's start another thread if we need to have a tipping debate.

 

[motobrewer]

Most of the 5 restaurants that have employed me use "food servers" whose only job is to carry food to tables all night. It is their job to expedite hot food to your table, not the waiter. If you tipped me poorly because my food server failed me, I would be mad at the food server to be sure, but you would be punishing the wrong party...

lol! so, uh.....what do you say.....you DO here???

take drink order, take food order, b*tch at "food server", drop bill off, collect $300 / night.


j/k! for the most part, anyway....i've obviously had people other than my waiter bring out our food, but i just always assumed it was a busboy or different waiter. I didn't know places really employed people to do nothing but take food from kitchen to table. And usually the nicer the place the more consistently it's our waiter bringing out our food.

and, yes, I have waited and tended bar. also, how much of tips do you usually claim? Is it worse since credit and debit cards took over?

 

[bigbeergeek]

Indeed. No one needs to have their "a$$ kicked, or worse" on this thread!

I think this topic has been pretty well hashed out as far as the OP's question is concerned. Many/most restaurants that serve alcohol will have corkage fees for wine service, and may well have a formal/informal beer corkage fee as well. Bringing great beer to a great meal is a fine idea, but it's recommended to call any establishment first and make sure you're not going to create an awkward situation by bringing in an outside beverage.

 

[bigbeergeek]

lol! so, uh.....what do you say.....you DO here???

take drink order, take food order, b*tch at "food server", drop bill off, collect $300 / night.


j/k! for the most part, anyway....i've obviously had people other than my waiter bring out our food, but i just always assumed it was a busboy or different waiter. I didn't know places really employed people to do nothing but take food from kitchen to table. And usually the nicer the place the more consistently it's our waiter bringing out our food.

and, yes, I have waited and tended bar. also, how much of tips do you usually claim? Is it worse since credit and debit cards took over?

Man, if that's all we had to do to make $300 a night, I think we'd all quit our jobs and become servers!

 

[Airborneguy]

Most of the time, however, the blame falls on the customers themselves.

That's a piss poor attitude. I would do my best to ensure that no one I know, or even more so, anyone I could spread the word to, would not go to a restaurant where ANYTHING is blamed on the customer.

I understand you are attempting to defend yourself and your profession from a few comments that might be off base (although not all of them were), but this statement is flat wrong. I attribute some of that to you working in an expensive place. I've always found that the most expensive places are more likely to treat their customers as if they owe the restaurant something. Considering I can frequent places like yours, and do, my basis for this statement is many, many visits to places like what you are describing yours to be.

 

[eastoak]

Well said. We live/work in a country that has a tradition of tipping our servers rather than paying them hourly for their services. If I didn't make tips, I couldn't support my family. You didn't mention that some of us out there aren't above spitting in your food or rubbing it against the bottom of our shoes before serving it to you. We remember who the jerks are -- and we handle your food and drinks when no one can see us. Try to keep that in mind when out to eat.

wow.......wow. ok.

 

[makomachine]

For the record, I wasn't threatening an 'ass kicking or worse' - just stating what to expect when someone from the south finds gum from the parking lot, or saliva, in their pasta!

That said, I found where Mantels in bricktown does allow for byob with corkage fees on open table.com- but only mentions wine. I called to ask about craft beer and if it was allowed and got an apology saying they didn't know that it was out there, and that it was illegal in Oklahoma. (Even for wine). Confusion on the subject is clearly the theme here anyway...

 

[suprchunk]

LOL at OK being the South.

 

[makomachine]

LOL at OK being the South.

How about Southern Mid-west then! The US census bureau seems to agree anyway!

I have to go to the south to find cooler temperatures!

 

[Germelli1]

lol! so, uh.....what do you say.....you DO here???

BAHAHAHAHAH. Sorry that reference made me laugh so hard and it is so applicable. And wow, big beer geek, I really hope I never have meet you in person.

 

[eastoak]

BAHAHAHAHAH. Sorry that reference made me laugh so hard and it is so applicable. And wow, big beer geek, I really hope I never have meet you in person.

i have a feeling big beer geek hasn't cracked 30 yet so maybe that's why he shoots first then asks questions. it's ironic that this thread is supposed to be about corkage.... lol. i'll put a cork in it now, done with this.

 

[rockfish42]

The restaurants I frequent use the same corkage fee for beer and wine, this is solely in the SF bay area. This fee is anywhere from 5-30 dollars, interestingly the LA Times ran an article about attempting to bring a boxed wine to up scale restaurants and many were fairly receptive with a few declining to bring the box out to the table.

 

[bigbeergeek]

Yawn. Exiting this thread. Glad to be of service to some of the more confused members of the dinging-out public out there. I'm sorry so many people are raised without understanding how the service industry really works and how to behave in public. Why anyone would be upset with someone for simply explaining the way the industry really works is beyond me. Good luck and happy dining fellow brewers.

 

[toman8r]

LOL tipping threads...

A couple years ago I wanted to bring a Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme or something to the Chart House in Newport Beach, CA. We called ahead to make sure it would be okay, but were told that they did not allow beer to be brought in. Apparently them serving BMC is acceptable, but their customers bringing in a nice bottle of beer and paying the corkage fee is not.

 

[Bierliebhaber]

I think the horse is dead...but go ahead and beat it a few more times just to make sure.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

LOL I have never seen a thread about tipping that didn't contain exactly the same arguments on any forum, facebook, etc.

 

[Phunhog]

LOL tipping threads...

A couple years ago I wanted to bring a Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme or something to the Chart House in Newport Beach, CA. We called ahead to make sure it would be okay, but were told that they did not allow beer to be brought in. Apparently them serving BMC is acceptable, but their customers bringing in a nice bottle of beer and paying the corkage fee is not.

OP here..This is what I figured would happen. Nice to know though that some restaurants have no problem with corkage for beer. Guess who is going to get my business?.....

 

[Dhruv6911]

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