So there I was, a few days before my big Halloween party the Saturday before Halloween, and the…read moreloser friend of a friend who had agreed to bartend for $30/hour gave me the Marcia Brady "Something suddenly came up" excuse and bailed. Rather than rely on 'friends' again for someone reliable, I started looking up and requesting quotes from catering and bartending companies from a third-party website. I ended up choosing a more expensive competitor, since I didn't want some low-rent schlub who didn't know how to mix even the most popular of drinks (as I read with horror in Yelp reviews of other companies), but they were all booked. Same with choice number two. Grr. Stupid Saturday night parties! I finally bit the bullet and called On the Rocks Bartending Services, which had the lowest quote. At first I thought I had misdialed, since the woman who answered merely asked, "Hello?" with some uncertainty in her voice that suggested she didn't recognize the number. I explained that I was a customer to whom her company had sent a quote for a party. She said she would have to get back to me after calling her business partner, since she was unaware they had done this. I was nervous because, you know, tick-tock, tick-tock. About an hour later, she called me back and said they had one last bartender, Miguel. Whew! I was mildly relieved, yet still nervous, since I was, indeed, getting the *last* person on their roster. Why wasn't he booked first? Or second? Or third? Was I getting the schlub who didn't even know how to mix margaritas? Would it be a disaster of biblical proportions? Since beggars can't be choosers, I gratefully booked him. Fast-forward a couple of days and several emails where I updated OtR with my drinks menu and other details, and it was the night of the party. Miguel showed up early with all his mixing supplies ready to go. He was clean-cut and smartly dressed in all black with collared shirt and tie. In showing him where everything was, he came across as totally friendly, professional, and competent. He definitely knew what hew as doing! Double-whew! I had spent two hours setting up the bar on the hardwood floors of my living room with everything he would need: booze, glasses, coolers, ice, garnishes, the whole shebang. Everything was draped and lit in Halloween style. The party started, and Miguel was a hit. I had opted to pre-pay Miguel's tips, since I would never in a million years put a tip jar out, obliging my guests to partially pay for the drinks I served them at my own party. The no-tip surcharge was a 66% increase in the per-hour rate, and it was totally worth it. Despite having already been pre-paid his tips, Miguel worked his butt off like he was still trying to earn them. He was fast and efficient, and no one really had to wait long to get their drinks. Funnily enough, our agreed-upon ending time came, and the party was still going strong. In previous parties I have thrown at my house, the party had always been winding down at this hour. I definitely attribute some of this party's longevity to Miguel's fantastic service. So. Sounds like a 5-star review, right? It essentially is. On the Rocks' "last bartender" to be booked for a popular Saturday night gig was fantastic, and I will totally request Miguel by name again for my next party. But here's the thing... After I had sent a complimentary email to OtR about the great service, I started breaking down the bar I had set up in my living room. Much to my heart-attack inducing dismay, I discovered that the hardwood flooring beneath the bar had been completely trashed. Over the course of the evening, water and booze had leaked or spilled all over the floor and seeped under the heavy ice chests, which had been repeatedly pulled out and pushed back in the normal course of mixing drinks. Unfortunately, the heavy ice chests being dragged across the wet wood resulted in a huge scraping pattern on my dark-stained floors, revealing the lighter wood underneath. Where the water had seeped between the planks, slight warping and more discoloration occurred. I take full responsibility for the damage, since I am the one who set up the bar without any floor protection whatsoever. I am the one who had set the dim lighting, which may have made seeing the spills impossible. Even if On the Rocks offered to help pay to replace the flooring, I would graciously decline. I will pay my own 'idiot tax' so I don't repeat my mistakes in the future. (And it's going to be a very painful tax.) Miguel did nothing wrong and acted in the normal course and scope of his duties. I will, though, take off a star, since dragging a heavy ice chest on a wooden floor repeatedly--even if it's a small amount--is something an experienced bartender should be wary of irrespective of how busy it gets. Still, though, it is in the neighborhood of 'innocent mistake,' and I will gladly have Miguel again and highly recommend On the Rocks.

On the Rocks rocked our party! Great attitude and very professional. Would definitely recommend and…read morehire again. Two thumbs up and a fist bump!

Thank you so much for making our party such a successful one! Made us feel more prepared and less…read morestressed. Tony was also super friendly, professional, showed up on time; and our guests all complimented on how great the drinks were. We will definitely recommend you all for future events. Thank you, Eddy

*Please note: it does not matter to me if this review affects others opinions but l'd like to at…read moreleast share my experience or whatever you want to call it. * I did some research but probably not enough and I found Bar Masters to tend my birthday party. Online they seemed great and I thought they were good and legit because they even have their own app! When I booked Bar Masters and had to leave my 50% deposit, I actually praised them via text about how easy their booking process was. What should've been a red flag is the fact that they make you pay the entire balance 4 days prior to the event. I don't like that idea especially if services have not yet been rendered but I paid anyway because I had faith in them. I also made a really cute tip jar for my bartender to use that night...didn't get to use it. On the day of the event, there was so much going on but I wasn't the least bit worried about my service with Bar Masters. I had so much confidence in them because they were supposed to be reliable. So now, the bartender does not arrive at said time frame so I have to reach out via text. I understand emergencies especially health ones (trust me) so my complaint is not for the bartender who had the emergency but rather how Bar Masters "resolved the issue ". It took them all of 20 minutes of trying to find a replacement before they reply back to me that there's no one that can help me and I'm getting my refund - they're basically telling me: "sorry for ya, goodnight". *door shut, lights off* What the hell am I supposed to do now?...the party had already started! Needless to say, my guests ended up making their own drinks (not well) which I find sad, I'm trying to have a real grown-up party here. The only thing I'm happy about is that I did not pay extra for them to provide the actual bar, ice, cups and other add-ons because I really would've had nothing. I had to text them asking when I should expect my refunds but they ignored or blocked me since they stopped responding to me. So thanks Bar Masters, for literally...nothing.

Jake brings really great energy and was such a pleasure to have bartending at my hosted event. I…read morewanted a very specific drink - a skinny, spicy margarita - and he made them SO GOOD. I am definitely recommending him to friends for other events. Thank you Jake for your vibes and skills!

We used Jake's company for our engagement party and they were 10/10. Staff was incredible! The…read moreservice was premium, great cocktails, friendly and professional. Highly recommend!

We hired Efrain and his team for our wedding of 180 guests and they were amazing!! Weeks before the…read morewedding, my husband (fiancé at the time) went shopping for all the ingredients and Efrain was very responsive with all the questions I had. I sent him so many pictures of different alcohols and ingredients, just to make sure it was what we needed and he always responded within a few minutes, which I REALLY appreciated since I was already at the store. For the cocktails, Efrain sent me a list to choose from but I was also able to add a drink that wasn't on the list. We also changed some of the cocktails we originally chose and he was happy to adjust. All of the drinks were really good!!! And everyone at the wedding LOVED Scooby Snack so I definitely recommend that one! During the wedding, a few of the groomsmen also requested different drinks that wasn't on the list we had but Efrain was happy to make it for them. My husband and I were so busy the entire time of the wedding so we didn't get to talk to him and his team but all my guests said they were wonderful. They were extremely professional and kind and their customer service is 100%. I definitely recommend hiring them for all of your events and I will definitely hire them again for future events.

DO NOT HIRE! They CANCELLED 3 days before wedding! I am a wedding planner and just 3 days before, I…read morewas told that I would need to add 2 more personnel (3 total) for a small intimate backyard wedding. When the bride did not accept, and we asked Efrain to honor his words and agreement, he simply said "no im sorry...". I have a feeling he wanted to get out of this commitment by forcing an UNREASONABLE option LAST MINUTE and now I am stuck finding a bartender with only a 3 day notice. Seriously, I've worked with so many vendors and NEVER have dealt with someone like this. I have screenshots of this terrible service, but I would rather not go there publicly. Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere! Edit: Original guest count 100, new was down to 75-85. We did the same EXACT wedding last year for the sister with ONE bartender. He mentioned might needing two bartenders total, but agreeing to the ONE. Until last minute that is. Sorry you are not able to service like other bartenders.

If you're wondering whether to hire Evan, stop reading reviews and just book him before someone…read moreelse does. I reached out less than a week before my event and Evan responded almost immediately and even took my call early in the morning. From the very first conversation, he was professional, responsive, and genuinely interested in helping make our event a success. I was completely upfront about having a tight budget, and instead of trying to upsell me, Evan worked with me to create a package that fit comfortably within it. What really impressed me was that he didn't sacrifice quality just because my budget was smaller. He still helped create custom cocktails for our event and made us feel like VIP clients. One of the biggest perks? Unlike many bartending services that only provide the bartender and leave you responsible for buying all the alcohol, Evan provided a complete alcohol and service quote. Because he purchases alcohol through his business, he was able to get it at prices that were actually better than what I could have purchased myself. That alone saved me time, money, and a giant headache. And somehow, with just a few spirits, juices, and garnishes (about three of each), he created a menu with multiple delicious drink options. It felt like cocktail magic. I'm still convinced he has a secret bartender wizard license hidden somewhere. On the day of the event, Evan arrived hours early to make sure everything was set up and ready to go. Throughout the party he was engaging, friendly, and interactive with our guests. People weren't just getting drinks--they were getting an experience. Several guests commented on how great he was and how much they enjoyed talking with him. Finding someone who is professional, affordable, organized, talented, and genuinely fun to have at your event isn't easy. Evan checked every single box. We couldn't have been happier and will absolutely be hiring him again for future events. If you're on the fence, consider this your sign. Hire Evan. Your guests (and your stress level) will thank you.

Evan was absolutely amazing! He bartended our 40-year high school reunion with an 80's theme and…read moredid a fantastic job. He was friendly, professional, attentive, and kept everything running smoothly throughout the night. The signature drinks he came up with for our 80's theme were amazing and such a fun addition to the night! Everyone loved them! I couldn't have asked for a better bartender for such a special event. I highly recommend him for any party or special occasion. Thank you for helping make our reunion such a memorable night!

We hired Laura for our daughter's birthday party. Laura was extremely communicative, polite and had…read moregreat suggestions. Laura designed a lovely menu which included the party's theme. She arrived on time, was very sweet and easy to work with, and her drinks were a hit! I will hire Laura again for my events and refer her as well. ***A well deserved 5/5***

We hired Fresita Bartending for a grad party and she was amazing! The bar setup looked great, the…read moredrinks were awesome, and she was so helpful throughout the entire event. She was friendly, professional, and made sure everyone was taken care of. Her pricing was honest and fair. Everything went smoothly from start to finish, and our guests had nothing but good things to say. I never really write reviews but I definitely recommend Fresita Bartending!

Hired them as a corporate partner for our many offices throughout the US. They bartend our socials…read moreand openings and every time has been perfect. I did speak with the owner about the reviews below and he explained it's a competitor trying to hurt the business. Such a shame people go to that level of petty. By the Hour Bartending is incredible and I'll continue to refer colleagues, family and friends.

I hired By The Hour Bartending for a 90s-themed birthday party and had an amazing…read moreexperience--Johnny Goodluck was our bartender and he was incredible! He arrived right on time, was super friendly, and even dressed for the theme. He nailed every drink from the custom menu I created and made fun birthday shots for the party that everyone loved. He also stayed on top of cleanup throughout the night, which made a huge difference and took a lot of stress off me as the host. 10/10 experience -- I would absolutely hire Johnny again for future events and highly recommend him to anyone looking for a reliable and talented bartender.

The owner is very nice and answered all of our questions very fast. However, we were sent two…read morebartenders that were not professional and on our invoice we only had one bartender listed. I hired them for my wedding and they showed up an hour late so they couldn't even set up properly. The bar area looked like a mess. They were supposed to be there from 2:30pm-9:30pm and got there at about 3:30pm. They said that they were going to leave at 9:30pm but I lost an hour of service because they were late and when I mentioned that they said they'd stay for a little longer. When they got here they dropped their lemons on the street and left them there. One of the bartenders took two lemons off the tree from the property because they dropped theirs. I didn't get all the garnishes that were included in the invoice. I didn't get a menu as promised in the invoice. They didn't provide enough water and didn't label the mocktail. They left the area they were in an absolute mess and didn't bother cleaning up. They didn't bring metal buckets as it said on the invoice but did bring a cooler. One of the bartenders was slightly rude. They also dumped ice in the plants throughout the property instead of discarding it in the sink.

Just a guest where this service was used and all I can recommend is using gloves while prepping…read morefruit and using proper tools to pass fruit for garnishing. Beyond that service was okay and friendly