Very highly recommend Matt's service, On the Rocks! I was in a bind as at the last minute (the day or three before my event) as my caterer didn't have the proper insurance/documentation to pour at the General's Residence at Fort Mason to my great chagrin. Totally under high pressure, I began to use Yelp to call around and then I found Matt who immediately had the right documents and emailed them to me, the right attitude (friendly, expert, prepared and cool) and also consulted with me in email about what I already had and what I still needed. He not only delivered smoothly and brilliantly on the day, but he was prepared with everything he needed more than I asked him to do and even went out and secured ice because we didn't have enough. Basically, before finding Matt, I was afraid I'd have to serve mocktails. With Matt, we served cocktails and everybody was very happy! Amazing person!! I absolutely will hire him again and suggest you hire him now. read more

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We had the pleasure of working with On The Rocks for our event on the 46th floor at Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, CA, and the experience was absolutely wonderful. Everything was organized clearly and transparently from the very beginning. Communication was smooth, easy, and very straightforward. We coordinated with Matt, who was extremely professional and responsive throughout the process. The service was delivered exactly on time, and the entire setup looked beautiful. The drinks were delicious, the presentation was elegant, and the overall experience added a special atmosphere to the event. If you'd like to see how the drinks were served and presented at the event, you can watch a short video on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVfyld5gliR/ I'm truly happy we worked with On The Rocks and would highly recommend them. The team is fantastic, professional, and a real pleasure to work with. Best, TatianaSF.com read more

My friends used this company for her wedding and I remember they did I great job so I used them for mine too! They make amazing cocktails, are extremely professional and charismatic. We bought all of our own alcohol and mixers from Costco to save money and they helped us create the shopping list. The wedding was 80 people and there was never a line for a drink. I would highly recommend! read more

I work for a medium size start up (50 people) and On the Rocks is our go-to for all of our internal and external events where we like to level it up with a hired bartender. Matt and his team are very accommodating of any requests and has always worked with us to provide a great service that meets our budget needs. We ask for Brendan (the bartender) every time, and he always brings his own fun vibe. He even has gone above and beyond and helped with some event set up and clean up which is outside of what he's expected to do so I really appreciate that. Would 1000% recommend OTR! read more

Amazing and super personable bartenders at my book signing in Pacific Heights. Super friendly and professional. I highly recommend them. Matt was stellar. read more

Five stars!!! First heard of On The Rocks from Nextdoor and when I was looking for a bartender for a birthday party. I reached out and Matt was super responsive with a "can do" attitude with all my requests. I ending up booking one bartender and another person to come along to help as a server (for passed hor d'oerves and a buffet dinner service). Prior to the event, Matt helped provide a shopping list for me (or you can pay them to shop for you). (I ended up buying a lot more wine, liquor, club soda/tonic water/club soda/Pellegrino than was actually used but could have been because of my guests preferences and that it was so hot that everyone was guzzling ice water instead.) Day of, Cher and Brandon arrived on time and professionally dressed. The prepped the "bar", a 6' table, including slicing lemons/limes etc. They brought all of the equipment needed for the bar including ice buckets and set everything up to look really nice. It was unfortunately 100 degrees on the day of the party but Brandon and Cher didn't bat a lash and had great attitudes the whole time. Brandon was the bartender and lets say hanging out near him was a really popular spot. He made the prettiest peach bellinis with a sugar rim (as I requested) but it made it artsy with being just on one side of the cup kinda dripping down. I wish I had a photo. I honestly thought that the "prettiness" of the drinks was something I had compromised by not going with other bartending companies, but On The Rocks made beautiful and delicious drinks. They helped me come up with a signature drink called the Pina Vida, which was also delicious. I had specified we had guests who didn't drink alcohol (and children) but Brandon had it covered with mocktails. I just heard one of the kids was so obsessed with the mocktails that he went home, looked up how to make it and asked his mom to buy the ingredients. Cher as a server was heroic. She watched the crowd and adjusted what she was doing as needed, always being helpful. During dinner, she made sure everyone's water glass was always full and bussed dishes. And then even when all the guests were gone, Brandon and Cher cleaned up everything - linens, glassware, dishes. PHENOMENAL! I would 1000% hire them again! The only "wishlist" I'd have is if they had some custom bars they could bring instead of using a 6' folding table as their standard. (I used one of mine, covered by a tablecloth). Small detail but something I've see with other bartending companies. read more

On The Rocks - Pina Vida - Bartenders Near Me - San Francisco, California

I hired On the rocks for bartending for my husband's 40th birthday party. I contacted 3-4 vendors on Yelp and thought Matt's responses were most inline with what we were looking for. We designed a custom menu with 4 speciality drinks and Matt provided us with wonderful suggestions. We had a varied and colorful menu! On the day, Joey arrived 90 mins before start time to prep. He made the bar look so pretty. Once the party started, Joey was super attentive and made the most delicious drinks. No one ever had to wait for more than 1-2 minutes and Joey was chatting and keeping people entertained. He knews people's "regulars" . He also went above and beyond and even helped throw trash and clean tables. We would hire Joey again in a heartbeat and 100% recommend On the rocks! read more

On The Rocks did a great job at my wedding--folks were very pleased with the service. We purchased our own supplies with advice and a detailed shopping list from Matt. All in all would hire again--thanks On the Rocks! read more

We've used On The Rocks for two small gatherings at our home and each time got an extremely friendly and skilled bartender! The owner was very communicative and the bartenders were prompt with setup and helped with cleanup. Great experience. read more

Matt came highly recommended by a hotel. Huge disappointment. Guests said after our wedding, "The music was great. The service was terrible." No one wants to tell the bride anything negative about her reception. That is how bad it was. I hired On The Rocks for bartending and asked Matt for recommendations ten months in advance, for a catering service company to handle the table setting and food service since a restaurant was dropping off the food. He said, "Oh we can do that part too. No problem!" He charged $4,980 for staff and linens/glassware/plates for a reception with 100 people. Matt was great when we first talked. Once he had our deposit, he turned into an arrogant bully. He delivered sloppy/mediocre service, did not care about our reception and did not keep his word on many things. During my walk through, I asked if arriving at 4 p.m. with three people (including him) was sufficient time to set all the tables and get the bar and buffet ready for a reception that started at 5:15. He reluctantly agreed to come at 3:30 instead, which still was not enough time given the skeleton crew. The venue manager asked, "Will coming at 3:30 give you enough time?" Matt replied, "That is as early as we are coming without charging her more." By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late to find another company and I am sure Matt would not have refunded my $2,500 deposit. So, I hired a friend to come help with the table setting. If I had not done this, there is no way the tables would have been set by the time the guests arrived. I asked Matt, "Will you be one of the people here from 3:30 to 9:30?" He said "Yes." On the day of our wedding, he showed up for 15 minutes and then left. His staff had no supervision the entire reception. Here is what went right with On the Rocks: the servers did a great job of filling guests' wine glasses during dinner. Brendan was a great bartender and delightful and received many compliments. The staff did a great job cleaning up after the event. Here is what went wrong. This is not the staff's fault. They were overwhelmed with 3 people trying to provide service for 100 guests and they had no supervision. * Matt did not show up for the first walk through and his excuse was ridiculous. The walk through was scheduled two months in advance. We confirmed the week before and again the day before. On the day of the walk-through, I stood there with the groom, the DJ and the venue manager waiting for Matt. After 15 minutes, I texted Matt to ask where he was. He wrote back and said he had an issue come up. I said, "So does that mean you're not coming?" He wrote "That's correct." Not even an apology. * I had to insist we reschedule the walk-through. Matt said it wasn't really necessary. * The linen order was wrong even though I triple confirmed it with Matt in person and via email. The friend I hired to help set tables asked Matt to see the final order a week before the wedding and she caught the errors. It was not her responsibility to do this. The color was wrong and the order did not have enough linens to include the cake table and buffet. Matt did not even check the linen order. * I bought candles for the tables. None of the candles were lit on guest tables when I arrived for the reception. The candles were only lit the cake table. * My standards were low for the tables. I had no preference on glassware, utensils, plates, etc. I wanted cream linens and I wanted the votives I bought to be lit. Not a lot to ask. Matt ordered dark brown linens and the candles were not lit. * The cake slices were tiny. We ended up throwing away an entire half sheet cake and another round cake and meanwhile our guests got miniscule pieces. * The food was cold for many of the guests. The sternos must have gone out and no one from On The Rocks re-lit or replaced them. * There was only one person serving passed appetizers to 100 people and she was clearly overwhelmed. * On The Rocks staff did not come speak to the groom or me even once during the entire reception. The DJ brought the groom and me drinks. Why is the DJ getting our drinks? Because Matt did not have enough staff there. * The friend I hired to help set the tables met me at the venue the day before so I could give her the place cards and table numbers. Matt should have been the one meeting me there since his company was responsible for setting the tables. I emailed Matt the night before the wedding with final updates on things like place cards and buffet signs. He never responded. It appears Matt worked hard years ago to build his reputation now is coasting on it. His priority is his profit margins: charge as much as possible and give as little as possible. Upsetting. We cannot get our wedding day back. I would love to have our wedding day back and have everyone get hot food and great service, and a decent sized piece of cake and for the candles to be lit on the tables. That is not a lot to ask, especially for the price we paid. read more

We hired On the Rocks for my wife's birthday party at our home. Matt was very easy to work with and answered every question we had. They provided specialty cocktails that matched our theme. Cher (our bartender) arrived on time with all items needed and was both professional and fun! read more

On The Rocks - Bartenders Near Me - San Francisco, California

We hired On The Rocks Bartending for our Halloween Party yesterday at our condo complex here in SF. Our bartendar Brandon was a ROCK STAR. Friendly, personable, engaged really well with our residents. He offered a variety of mixed drinks plus some 'special menu' cocktails for the occasion. We also had a set-up of wine, champagne, and non-alholic drinks in various ice chests. Brandon checked on them periodically to make sure they were replenished as needed. I highly recommend On The Rocks for your next gathering. I hope to use them at future events at our condo complex. read more

Can't recommend these guys enough! Have used them for a number of events. Professional, handsome, and always great with the guests.

Joey and Olivia bartended my birthday event and they were incredibly gracious, accommodating, and professional. We discussed the mix of those attending, and their likely tastes, the menu and given the warm weather, drinks that were refreshing and paired well with the food (Mediterranean). We came up with some delicious fruit/vegetable-infused waters in dispensers, a couple of red and white wines, some beer options, and Aperol and Elderberry (Hugo) spritzers. They even arranged for the ice delivery. All the drinks were a hit! Sparkling water, prosecco and champagne were arranged for a toast. Wow! They set-up both an indoor and outdoor area, waited on orders and helped with the clean-up throughout and after the party. All with smiles and friendly faces. I couldn't have been happier. I didn't worry about a thing in the drinks department. All this, AND Joey was able to accommodate my budget. Next party I have, I will definitely hire them. Others attending were asking for their card, so I was not the only one impressed. read more

I was beyond happy and thrilled with the work that David provided for our small wedding. Even though the wedding was going to be super small and intimate, David still wanted to go above and beyond to make it the best day ever. He was so easy to work with leading up to the event and had the best attitude the day of. He was fun, lively and was so helpful. 10/10 would use David and his services again and would highly recommend! Thank you for helping to make our day the best! read more

I hired On The Rocks Bartending for my boyfriend's 30th surprise party, and I got an immediate response from Matt after I put in an inquiry. We went over pricing, and he gave me a supply list with everything I needed (which was spot on). The booking process was quick and easy. Matt actually ended up bartending the event, and he was incredible! All my guests raved about him, and he kept the whole experience fun while facilitating the drinks! Thank you for everything Matt! You were awesome! read more

On The Rocks - Bartenders Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I would give 10 stars if I could! Wow, Matt and his team of 5 staff members helped service our wedding in Stinson Beach in October 2019 and I couldn't have asked for a better or more kind group of people to help on our wedding day. We got married at an Airbnb and had to service everything ourselves, which made the planning process very stressful. Matt was very responsive from the beginning and was always willing to hop on a call to sort out details. His prices are fair and everyone worked very well with our coordinator, caterer, and florist. He provided a shopping list for not only alcohol, but other bartending supplies we didn't think of (such as cups, mixers, etc.) and assured us they knew what they were doing and would be able to handle an event like ours (and they DID)! Our wedding was held completely outdoors (without a plan B) and we had an unexpected rain shower that afternoon. We had to delay the ceremony by an hour, and the team was able and willing to go above and beyond to make everything work and keep the bride and groom stress-free. The bartenders were awesome, and actually moved the bar for us to make it more accessible to guests as the night went on. The tasks we had the service members help us with included: -Ceremony/Cocktail Hour/Dinner set up -Bussing tables -End of night breakdown -Tending to fire pits -Checking on bathrooms for toilet paper/paper towel refill and light cleaning -Dance floor spill clean up We did plenty of due diligence for bartenders in the area, and OTR was the clear winner. I couldn't recommend OnTheRocks any higher, and would strongly urge anyone who has a special event to work with Matt & Co. Thank you all again for giving us our dream, stress free day! Mia & Matt read more

Mat was awesome! He was on time, very friendly and warm and he was collaborative and flexible. All the guests loved him. He made some excellent drinks and was an indispensable part of our party's success. We highly recommend his service and look forward to having him host our next event. read more

The guy I had used for years had moved away, and I needed a replacement. Unfortunately, it coincided with my engagement party and I was very nervous about picking the wrong team to go with given the occasion. After much research, I reached out to a number of bartenders. Matt stood out from the beginning which made it easy to hire him. At the night of the event, he was on time, professional, and knew what he was doing. We had the event at our new home which was vacant with everything rented- so for example, when we realized we didn't have a garbage bin for the bar, Matt was quick to think of a solution & let me worry about other things. He was so amazing that a few times during the event, he would find me and bring me a fresh drink. What an amazing guy who is paying attention. We had about 50 people at the party and there was never a line or anything as Matt knew his drinks and was quick. I have recommended him to several friends and colleagues. I hope he doesn't get too busy for my next event! This review is way overdue as to time but he deserves it. Don't waste time and risk hiring anyone else (unless Matt retires or moves away!). Thank you Matt for doing a great job. read more

I am pleased to share my extraordinary experience with On The Rocks Bartending & Serving. From the first contact with David, the founder, until the end of the night with Nonda, I was taken care of. During my 50th birthday party, I needed someone to replenish food and drinks on the buffet. Nonda, the co-founder, went above and beyond to make sure my wife and I were supported. He arrived to help set up and didn't leave until we were all packed up and ready to go. He made sure we had everything we needed during the event. We look forward to working with them during future parties. read more

Had a great experience with on the rocks for my 40th birthday this past weekend. Matt was super easy to work with and very responsive to emails. It was really easy to set up our contract and payments, and he helped me pick out what drinks to serve, and provided me a shopping list. They provided glassware and ice, which were affordable helpful add ons to the package I chose. His guys came on time and set everything up, and they were SO FUN! I think my guests enjoyed interacting with them, super friendly crew. It goes a long way having nice bartenders who serve up delicious drinks. Thanks On the Rocks for taking my event to the next level! read more

Matt bartended our wedding in our backyard and was absolutely incredible. He was so organized throughout the entire process and responded to every message within minutes. His drinks were delicious, he found me throughout the night the refill my drink no matter where I was, and paid attention to what everyone needed. He was so professional, and even had his assistant make a run to the liquor store halfway through the night to top up things that were running out! We are so grateful to Matt and would highly recommend him to anyone. read more

So there we [The Event Heroes] were, sitting in a small lounge area eating our [vendor] dinner and down sat Matt [which we found out later on]. I did not recognized him at first, but my Boss [Adam] did, and it turns out he was the main [rental] bartender that poured us our wine. My Boss and I were another pair of vendors that was working at a small wedding in Mill Valley, CA at a community center there. Across from our mirror booth (aka photobooth) area, was the bar (which was actually a reception/front desk). Matt was very personable and charismatic. I have to say, with a bartender like him, people are more likely to approach the bar more. Though I did not interact with him as much as my Boss did most of the drink ordering for me, but I did enjoyed approaching the bar as infrequent as I did. Perhaps that is the reason why I kept on clearing and bringing empty glasses and cups to the bar that was left in our area. Cutie German guy. Did not see a ring on his finger, SO where are all the single ladies at? Verdict: Should myself, or if I know somebody, who requires a bar set-up and bartender, I would definitely go with On The Rocks! 5 Stars! (Thanks Matt!) read more

We hired On The Rocks Bartending for our Halloween party and I can't begin to say enough good things about them. Matt gave me a shopping list based on the estimated number of people for an open bar with some signature Halloween cocktails. I don't drink hard alcohol, so I'm a little clueless. I actually called Matt from BevMo to ask a clarifying question, and then proceeded to repeatedly text him with other questions from BevMo. He was very patient, informative, and had a solid sense of humor when it came to my ridiculousness! Brandon was the bartender for our event. He was incredibly nice and friendly. He arrived early and couldn't have been more helpful. He even helped me string up some last minute Halloween light decor items. AND he wore an awesome Halloween costume! Loved it! He had his bar set up and quickly and helped us set up with the self-serve wine and non-alcoholic beverage area. He manned the open bar area, and during moments of down time, kept our self-serve area well stocked, refilled with ice, etc. He was terrific about his own clean up too. I highly recommend On The Rocks Bartending if you want a bartending company that is super responsive, attentive, helpful, and will make your event a HUGE SUCCESS! We will definitely hire them again. read more

Met Brandon at an event recently, professional, friendly with open smile- was a beautiful small event - would use On The Rocks Bartending and am recommending to colleagues for future events. read more

Wow! This company exceeded my expectations. It was one of the best decisions we made. I hired On The Rocks Bartending for my daughter's engagement party at my house. Matt was super helpful with the process of booking. He also sent me a shopping list. Adam, our bartender, did an amazing job! He had a great personality. He was friendly and courteous and made great drinks. My guests were very impressed. I will use On The Rocks Bartending services again. Can't wait to have another party! Thank you, Matt! read more

On The Rocks - Bartenders Near Me - San Francisco, California

Don't know that I will add more that hasn't been said in all of the other stellar reviews, but Matt and On the Rocks provided bartending services for our Sangeet (pre-Indian-wedding event) in Petaluma in September 2022 and did an amazing job. Unlike other bartending companies that provide a bland all-you-can drink package, Matt was willing to work with us to let me do the purchasing of the alcohol so that we could procure exactly what we wanted for our event. He helped provide purchasing estimates, and we worked together to come up with three specialty cocktails. Despite having a large crowd (130 people), there were never any lines, and he worked seamlessly with our catering folks to make everything flow without a hitch. Overall have nothing but great things to say! read more

Matt was so great in helping plan our Happy Hour. There were many changes in time, and I only gave 30 minutes for set-up. But Krista did beautifully in setting up, making drinks, and providing good vibes for everyone. Will use again! read more

I had a very successful event, and Matt / Nonda were a huge reason behind that! I contacted Matt 2 days before my event asking if he could bartend a work social - providing all supplies, alcohol, and a specialty drink. Matt and Nonda arrived on time, set everything up and cleaned everything up, and were so friendly to work with! Matt also works with local vendors (different wineries/brewers) to use them for events, which I love. I would recommend OTR to anyone that needs bartending for an event. Great with communication and great/professional guys. read more

My apologies for not writing this sooner. I threw a party for my husband, in celebration of his 50th B-day and what better than to have dedicated bar tenders at the party. I had no idea where to start, so I contacted a friend of mine who does catering and he said, put an ad on Craigslist... yeah, Craigslist... I made sure to mention that it would be a very diverse crowd, gay/lesbian/straight and a rainbow of ethnic backgrounds. Oh, and that the party would be in Oakland. Out of approximately 10 submissions, Davids email from "On The Rocks Bartending" was the best of the lot and he even sent a link to his yelp site. After reading through all the glowing reviews, I offered the gig to them. And, man... am I happy I did. Our emails and phone conversations before the party were extremely professional and very helpful. A week before the party I send him a firm count, he sent back a suggested shopping list and it was that easy. On their way over, he even called to ask if there was anything he could pick up on the way over... HOW COOL IS THAT? VERY COOL! They arrived early and jumped right in getting things in order. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE loved these guys. He made excellent suggestions for drinks to serve and came up with a special for the b-day boy using St. Germain Liqueur, and kept Bellini's flowing all night. I would absolutely hire them again. read more

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I work at Stanford School of Medicine and like always our faculty wanted a last minute happy hour!! can't blame them doctors have limited time slots to unwind lol. I was a nervous wreck as hiring a bartender a week before the event date, let a lone one that is willing to do a Mixology class had me biting my nails. I quickly thought of Thumbtack and I found David!! we quickly got in touch and he was super accommodating, fast with his responses, and was able to quickly quote me and we booked. Booking was super easy and our faculty have not stopped talking about how much fun they had. I love that David made me look good HAHA no, but really, he did a great job setting up/tearing down, with the Mixology class (our faculty love tequila and they loved every cocktail he made), service was great as well!! so much so that our faculty requested I forward them David's info so they can book n The Rocks Bartending & Serving for their private events. Great job!! when our department is ready to have in person parties we will definitely reach out again. read more

We've used On the Rocks for 2- events, both went seamlessly due in large part to the professionalism and polite charm of the team. David helped at both events and he always makes certain that details are well thought-out in advance. David has a welcoming, friendly demeanor and obviously enjoys what he's doing. I would not hesitate to use On the Rocks for future events. read more

We've used On the Rocks twice now and they have been amazing! Great service, delicious drinks... would highly recommend.

My firm hired On The Rocks to bartend at our in office cookie decorating party.Steve was terrific - affable, professional, and made very tasty drinks - everything we wanted. He also kept a tidy workstation and left it spotless, (which I appreciated because it was my desk.) It makes such a difference to an event when there are real bartenders. Steve's menu of holiday drinks was spot on with something for every person at the party. It was a lucky day when we heard about On The Rocks - our go to bartenders from now on. read more

On The Rocks was a GREAT! We used them to bartend for night before our wedding. From the minute I requested a quote, Matt was incredibly responsive and helpful in answering any questions I had. We did a simple menu - just beer and wine. We bought all of the alcohol ourselves (from Costco), and then Matt just showed up to the event on the night of and handled the rest. He was so friendly and easy to work with. Even had multiple people after the party comment on how great a bartender he was! Just chatting people up and helping people have a good time, all while being incredibly professional. Thanks for all the help, Matt! read more

I have hired On The Rocks for several of my work happy hours, and have been a guest at other events with On The Rocks. Every time On The Rocks is involved, I am blown away by their friendly service and professionalism. They are prepared, make great drinks, and have helped make several of my own events a great success. I would strongly recommend On The Rocks for any drinking event! read more

They were great! Leading up to the event they helped us plan a cocktail menu with a shopping list. Day of they were on time, professional and clean. Made our event a little more exciting and fun. read more

I'm surprised that there hasn't been a more recent review for these guys, my only guess is that people want to keep them a secret! From the start of our communication, Matt was easy to work with, taking the time to understand the needs of our event. Although there was no theme for this party, I appreciated that he asked if he should wear certain colors, haha. After we talked about the size and type of crowd, Matt helped us with coming up with a shopping list based on the drinks we wanted to serve. Once he arrived, he took care of everything from setup to serving to cleaning. He was friendly and easy to work with, I never had to worry about the bar during the evening. I would certainly think of these guys again next time we need a bartender! read more

Matt was a great addition to our Recent Hotel Tour. He was quick with communication, on time and had the bar set up and broken down in no time. Professional and friendly. Easy to work with. We will hire him again for future events. Highly recommend if looking for a dependable and professional bar tender. read more

On The Rocks did an amazing job at our wedding! Super friendly bartenders made sure everyone had a great time and no one was ever thirsty! They really helped make our special day a big success! read more