The Inlet Bar -- A Customer's Perspective…read more
I don't normally write negative reviews. In fact, I've visited The Inlet Bar multiple times and have deliberately avoided writing one because, overall, I genuinely like this establishment. There are great bartenders here, a good atmosphere, and it's a place I want to enjoy coming to.
Unfortunately, there is one recurring issue that has reached the point where I finally feel I need to say something.
Every time I come here and see that Terry is bartending, I immediately feel like I'm walking on eggshells.
Tonight was a perfect example.
Before arriving, I used TouchTunes to play "Welcome Back, Kotter," something I sometimes do a few minutes before I walk into a place. The moment I walked through the door, instead of being welcomed, I was immediately reprimanded by Terry for playing music before I arrived.
She told me that I had played ten songs and wasn't giving anyone else an opportunity to use the jukebox. I had actually played seven. More importantly, nobody played anything afterward.
I ultimately spent approximately $30 on music tonight. As a paying customer, I'm now genuinely wondering: Am I welcome to spend money on the jukebox here, or am I doing something wrong by doing so?
That's the problem. A customer shouldn't have to wonder whether they're going to get in trouble for spending money and enjoying themselves.
Throughout the evening, there were also several times when I needed another drink but hesitated to get Terry's attention because I didn't know how she would react. So instead of relaxing, I found myself wondering whether I should say something or simply sit there and wait until she noticed me.
That's not how anyone should feel at a neighborhood bar.
I'm not an impatient or demanding customer. I'm perfectly capable of waiting when a bartender is busy. I understand that bartending is difficult work and that customers can sometimes be difficult as well. But there is a difference between being busy and making a customer feel unwelcome.
From my very first interactions with Terry, I've had the distinct impression that she simply doesn't like me. The strange part is that she doesn't really know me. She doesn't know where I'm from, what I do, or what kind of person I am.
And apparently, I'm not alone in feeling this way.
I've personally spoken with seven people I know from Johnny Longboats who have told me they no longer come here specifically because of their experiences with Terry. These are people who actually liked this bar and would otherwise continue coming here.
That should matter to an owner.
I want to be very clear about something: I am not telling people to avoid The Inlet Bar. Quite the opposite.
Would I recommend coming here? Absolutely.
There are good people here, good bartenders, and this can be a great place to spend an evening.
But if Terry is bartending, based on my repeated experiences, I would personally choose somewhere else.
People don't go to a bar to feel criticized, belittled, uncomfortable, or as though they need to watch everything they say and do. We go to relax. We go to have a drink, listen to some music, laugh with friends, meet people, and forget about the stresses of the day for a little while.
We want to be treated with the same basic respect that we give the people serving us.
That's really all I'm asking for.
I hope the owner doesn't read this simply as an angry customer complaining about an employee. I hope they see it for what I'm trying to communicate: I like your establishment. I want to come here. Other people I know want to come here. But one person's interactions with customers are making some of us feel unwelcome.
That's unfortunate because it is completely fixable.
A neighborhood bar should be somewhere you look forward to walking into -- not somewhere you wonder, before opening the door, whether you're going to have to walk on eggshells once you're inside.
