A Dollar for Ice in Your Bourbon on the Rocks? Yes, Says New Restaurant

• Of course you up charge for on the rocks. This is a ridiculous blog... this Eric guy should go work for citylink. It is amazing that the writers at newtimes need to repeat an opinionated review in three different blogs or posts in a week. This place is new give them a break. ON THE ROCKS is an industry standard, EB admit that you are wrong OR were probably drunk on the Bourbon that you ordered when you wrote this.

• I just read her review-this article ensures I'll not be stopping in Melissa's article mentioned the poor service-I've been a chef for the last 30 years and the response the sever and manager gave would have gotten both of them sacked...a buck for ice...wtf! roverone

• i bet the manager explained the rocks charge correctly. problem is, he was explaining it to a person who has been drinking bourbon on the rocks. so i wouldnt exactly trust his account of the situation. i am a bartender and theres nothing more infuriating than explaining something to a drunk person. he probably doesnt even remember driving home

• As a former bar manager, turned journalist, this a really pathetic piece of writing. If you are writing about food and beverage critiques, at least know the basics of the industry. One of those basics are 'rocks pours'. A non-rocks bourbon pour is is a smaller glass or snifter. A rocks pour is more liquor because it has to be served in a larger glass to account for the ice ( I am sure I have lost you already Barton). To fill the larger glass, as to not make it look short changed, more liquor is required, therefore justifying the $1.  I find it really hard to believe that you have never had a rocks pour charge in your life until now. Maybe you are just usually too toasted after doing 'field research' to notice.  Also, a tip from someone who is actually successful in journalism: Don't insult your readers by picking apart their grammar instead of actually having an intelligent conversation with them. Sometimes, the best of us have to put our tail between our legs and admit we didn't do proper research. 

• I wouldn't have a problem paying an extra $1 for the rocks charge if there was extra in there. However, the fact that the manager didn't give a definitive answer and didn't even know is the problem.

• He is a she. You not only have no taste, you are sexist. I was excited that such a beautiful restaurant opened near my neighborhood and without the parking hassles of downtown--but I gave this place three chances, and it failed miserably every time.

• Why not just program the POS system to print on the the bill, Long pour-Rocks $1.00 and Long pour-Neat $1.00.  Sounds simple to me.  I guess that's why I am an out of work Bar and Restaurant Manager.  Simple!!

• Actually Luckyeater, I bet you are just an old lawyer................. for one of their competitors.

• I agree and I have seen this before as well, however, a place that is named after the amount of bourbon they have, and is obviously their specialty, the price should be the price.  An order of bourbon should be primarily on the rocks or neat. servers and bartenders at an establishment like this should be able to make suggestions to pair with food and the way to drink.  When I was younger and ordered my first glass of 18 year old scotch and asked for it on the rocks, the bartender gave me a stern look, shook her head, said "no" and poured it into a snifter for me.  They are the pro's they should be making the serving suggestions, and if their suggesting it with anything other then ice, or in a glass, its wrong.

• I'm apparently a professional drinker, be it in New York, or DC where I came from, or here. I have a thing for cocktails and booze, of which the craft thing has not taken off here at all.  I've never heard of charging a dollar for ice. It's such an abrasive practice, I'd rather pay $12 and have the choice than $11 and have the $1 upcharge for it. It's chintzy. I'm glad it's getting worked out.

• I'm an operating engineer that enjoys good food, good drink, and good company. I can see that you partake in none of the above, so I'm glad that you won't be in a seat at Tap42 that could be taken by myself or another like minded individual.

• You are the epitome of douchebag. It's totally the servers fault that this ridiculous article made you feel like you were taken advantage of. You should be ashamed of yourself. You are probably the kind of person that tips $15 on a $185 check and says "you did such a nice job". That server I am sure busted their ass taking care of you for no hourly wage other than a gratuity that you were so gracious not to leave because of something that only a cheapskate penny pinching scumbag with no compassion for anything or anyone but yourself would do. Why don't you do everyone on the planet a favor, stay home and eat take out until you have a coronary. Or better yet, post a picture of your receipt or just give the servers name so that those of us reading this that are appalled by your insane actions can stop by and leave the gratuity that you should have and then some. The author of this article has struck again, what a complete and total moron you are. I'm sure you love your loyal order of brainless sheep that actually think you know what you're talking about.

• He used "good food" in the same sentence as "chicken wings". I've had the mahi club several times, which was amazing.. Had the prohibition burger on Monday which was excellent, and I've sampled some of the meals of the people who usually accompany me to Tap42.. No disappointments here. I'm not going to compare it to Capital Grille, but I'm not spending $200 on a meal for two at Tap. Why are people so quick to knock something? How about giving some suggestions to the management if you don't like something instead of being passive-aggressive and bashing them in a stupid online public forum...

• Actually, Sara, I'm just an old lawyer in town who enjoys good food, and no one who knows anything about food would call the slop at Tap 42 "good." It's atrocious. In my three visits, I've had undercooked chicken wings, a dry and overcooked chicken sandwich, and a burger with a "black bean stew" that could have passed for vomit. My dinner companions were just as appalled--both by the food and the pathetic service.

• Luckyeater,  if you think the food at Tap is "horrific"    then you are either a competitor who is jealous and trying to bash them ,  or you have absolutely no idea what good food is,  or both !!     I live in ft lauderdale and go there all the time with my friends. They are doing very well for a reason,   cause its not located in the slums of Himarshee or along snotty Las Olas. Everyone I know who has been there absolutely loves the food,   loves the beer,   loves the ambiance,  its by far the best around---you people are so obvious in your attacks

• I was conveniently at J Alexanders last night and decided to order a makers on the rocks just to see how they did it over there. There was no bourbon menu period and the bartender never said anything. I got my bill and there was a dollar sign next to the item on the bill. I asked the bartender how much their rocks charge was and he said $1.50. You're completely wrong and you're an idiot. I have a picture of the receipt as well. If you would like to post that in the article as well I'll gladly send it to you

• The same thing happened to me at Samba's on Las Olas - the waitress' attitude was similar to what you got at Taps; a Mgr wasn't available. Are the 2 restaurants owned by the same person/group?.  Result:  the waitress dissn't get a tip, i've never been back and tell everyone I can to watch for 'shady' charges at Samba's.or better still - go someplace else which wants your business.

• If the Tap 42 employees, who worked so diligently to fill the comments field, would work as hard at making decent food and giving at least average service, then this new restaurant might stand a chance. But as soon as the newness wears off, everyone in town is going to forget about this place because the food is horrific and the service even worse.

• Alas, the days of expense counts at New Times are long past, @facebook-1528442325:disqus. Wait, did we ever get expense accounts?

• Thanks for the clarification, @4edca45341c6394ffb38745111acf072:disqus. And I think you've made the right call adjusting the charge. I live near Tap 42 and love the space. As I said in the piece, it's the prettiest new restaurant around -- inside and out. With bugs like this worked out, I hope you can have a great future in the neighborhood. Cheers.

• So, wait, @18871cd7fba6c2e6158c1dcab8e712f9:disqus, am I a dumb bunch of idiots or just a moron?

• The housing market sucks, @33ca66c9b9434a2daed4d7b11230adc3:disqus, but fortunately, no, I haven't been reduced to rock living yet.

• We split up the check, @47f8cd59e97694aa92e23b9e13699535:disqus. And I'm not sure what constitutes a "real" bourbon drinker, but for you, I'll keep drinking and see what happens.

• That is how most POS systems ring it up when you order on the rocks. It shows ice on the bill. However, the manager and server should have told you about the upcharge and should have known what the upcharge is for.

• Unfortunately, @5f389f8fea19d106fd05853baff9fe07:disqus, I frequent too many bars in the "are."

• Every bar, eh? I've lived in Florida now for 20 years and never been charged for a rocks pour. I'm curious, though, can you name a few examples?

• Please see my response above, @7e58dab0c0df5a294efe43bdc969761b:disqus. And as for the facts, the bill says they charge you for the ice, and that's an undisputed fact. The manager says it's maybe because they give you extra liquor. He wasn't sure, though, so who knows if that's a fact or not?

• Thanks for your enlightened reply, ogryanlee, but the point is still that restaurant, grocery store, car repair man, or anyone shouldn't be tacking on an extra charge at the end without telling you. Even a moron knows that.

• Archimedes (via his principle) begs to differ. Order your drink neat and ask for a side glass of ice. Do your own test.

• I think its sad that such a cool, great place is being hammered about a dollar upcharge. I worked in the industry and the upcharge was standard procedure. Give these guys a break ---they just opened !!  

• And by the way to use the word CHEATED . First of all your on the Cuff. NT is picking up the TAB. I think you lost a lot of credability with your readers. And all you have to do is look at your comments on this story to see. I could imagine what you would have wrote if it come out of your pocket.

• As the General Manager at Tap42, I need to clarify the ice situation. We DO NOT charge for ice--the charge said ROCKS $$ which is a$1 upcharge price when a customer orders a drink on the rocks--this gives the customer an extra ounce of liquor in the rocks glass making it 4 ounces of liquor instead of 3 ounces. This is standard practice in most bars. But since there has been some confusion over this, we are now going to pour 3 ounces and keep the price the same if it is ordered neat or on the rocks--hopefully that will alleviate any misunderstandings. We appreciate all the positive feedback from everyone--we are a new restaurant/bar that opened in a slow part of town and we are trying very hard to work out any problems that exist--but it takes time. Thanks for your patience !!!

• Eric , You had it cumming. A rocks pour is always 1/2 ounce to an ounce more hence the up charge.  Standard in the industry. Perhaps the way the  POS system (and it looks like Micros) was progamed made it to upear you were being charged for ice.What I think made matters worst was the managers lack of knowledge to convey this to your party.I can't beleive that would make a headline as opposed to the food and service or atmosphere. I read the comments and said allright cut him some slack.But it was a dig where there shouldn't have been and I think thats why all ITBers are insulting you ( uncalled for ) Plus the story was vague was it a nice pour ? Was the ranch ordered w/ your wings ? was it 2oz or 4 oz of ranch, did you even order wings. I hate to say it but that was some sloopy writting on behalf of what ticked you off. I only hope you read this and you could message me on FB.

• I personally have never seen a charge for on the rocks... especially not being on the menu its a pretty subpar move. Also I have been to Tap 42 and like their atmosphere, but the food needs to be reexamined. Not too appetizing...

• I think Mike Linder makes a good point. The normal price of a drink at a place like Tap 42 ought to be for a drink served neat, because who would order a $15 bourbon with coke. If there really is additional liquor in a drink on the rocks rather than a drink served neat, then that extra charge is fine. I sill doubt that there is though, but that is a factual question. I guess reasonable people can differ on this issue, but all the name calling in this thread is a litte off-putting.

• It is a bigger pour its an extra half ounce.... a 4 count with a pour spout is a standard shot glass and a 6 is the rocks pour

• To the people calling the write an idiot, yes, most bars charge more for a rocks poor as opposed to a mixed drink.  However, a place like this, ordering whiskey or bourbon "neat" would be the norm.  There should be no difference between the amount served in a neat vs rocks poor.  If Tap 42 is serving their bourbons with coke, or other mixtures as the norm, it is a place I would never step foot in.  (even putting ice in a good bourbon that's made from anything other then the same water the bourbon came from should be highly frowned upon).

• What dumb bunch of idiots wrote this article? If you are going to critique a restaurant, learn how a restaurant works. More pour for rocks = a larger charge. Thats the way you ring it up in any service system because you need to account for the extra alcohol.  Was this your first time drinking? I don't understand. O wait, I do. You're a moron. 

• and the article says "our" server but the receipt says 1 guest.. so really what you're saying is that the guy that was with you that ordered wings was the one whose ranch and ice got put on your tab accidentally at the end when you asked to separate. Not to mention they were probably slam packed and took it right off the tab when you immediately bitched about it. 

• Do you live under a "ROCK" Eric?  This is the case anywhere.  You get more liquor, hence, you pay more.  Some tightwads try to order margaritas or other mixed drinks with no ice, hopeing to get more liquor for you money, since "rocks" takes up space in the glass.  When a drink is order on the rocks, it is a larger class with more liqour.  DUH! Stupid article.

• Your math suggests that tap 42 should be charging $2.25 for a rocks pour instead of a dollar. Whats the issue here? Sounds like you are complaining about a hidden discount that only real bourbon drinkers know about.

•  Hey Eric, why don't you write an article about how the guys that own Tap42 had a pizza shop previously and this is their first venture into the bar business.. You could talk about what an unbelievable job they did totally gutting the old Brownie's and making it nice. You could talk about the cool things in the bar, perhaps all the wood on the east wall that the owners stripped from houses being demolished up north and put to use in a pretty neat way... You could talk about the menu, which I personally have not been disappointed by as of yet..You could say that you've noticed a huge improvement since they opened and how it is nice to have a local bar like them around with ample parking that is out of the way of the mess downtown... You could mention their half off happy hour specials..    No, you'd rather bash a cool place that has hit the ground running because you're trying to make some kind of unexperienced or should I say uneducated point about something that everyone that has been in the bar business for more than 5 minutes knows and understands already. ps. Bourbon and scotch drinkers drink their liquor neat, and anyone that is going to pay $11 for a drink probably understands the $1 upcharge and does not care about it anyway. 

• Not sure if Eric Burton has ever frequented another bar in the are or the world and ordered a Rocks Drink in his life but it is common practice to either up charge the cost of the beverage itself or charge a nominal amount and call it ROCKS.  I know this for a fact as my favorite beverage is Kettle One on the ROCKS and have been drinking it for years all over the world. 

• dumb,dumb,dumb!!! Every bar charges extra for a rocks pour! This article is useless,try doing some research before you write something next time. oh and go ahead and hit the like button on this eric.

• More importantly, Tap 42 does not train it's staff on any of the beers or bourbons they have. I asked the bartender and server I had how much they had to study to learn all the intricacies of their drink menus and try both responded with "none, they taught us nothing about the beer or bourbon". The food is average, our server was very rude, I see no benefit to going back to Tap42.

• these people are idiots! u dont pay for the ice... u pay for the extra pour... before you write and article.... why dont u find out the facts. 

• The dollar is for the extra liquor that comes in the bigger glass, not the ice... Think before you write, moron.

• From my experience working in restaurants, the rocks charge is not for the "rocks". Its because you get a bigger pour than if you asked for a bourbon and coke. I would bet that if you had asked for it neat, the same charge would apply. Typically 1 1/2 ounces for a mixed drink or 2 ounces for rocks and neat pours.

• Naturally, I am not a fan of undisclosed fees. I agree with you in that regard. Everything that costs money should be on a menu of some kind. Just to take the curse off. As an aside, I've worked and been to restaurants that will simply raise the price of the drink rather than have a separate charge for rocks. Usually named the same thing, but in the computer, there are different priced versions. It a way for places to get away with the charge without making a big deal about it to customers. So would you rather know? Or not know? While I totally believe in disclosure, which way is... the right way?

• I've been drinking bourbon on the rocks for longer than I should admit, and this is the first I've heard of it. But more than anything, it's about telling the customer in advance. It's going to leave them with a bad taste to have a surprise on the bill, whether it's for ice or ranch dressing.

• While working in a restaurant in Pompano, I actually inquired the same to a manager, who gave me the same answer. I never had a guest complaint about it, but I had overheard some complaining to other employees. I asked about the pour as well, and was shown the different glasses a "neat" drink verses a drink "on the rocks" are served in. There is about half an ounce difference in the rocks glass when poured, maybe more depending on how much your bartender likes you. Granted, bartenders are more apt to leaving out the charge so they can up their tip. Waitstaff and servers, on the other hand, need to place the order correctly in order to get the correct drink made. (Unless they are buddy-buddy with the bartenders. Which is another story for another time). I've never been to Tap 42 so I can't say I know the goods (or nongoods) they offer. However, a charge for rocks is not new.

• Hilarious how they charged you for someone else's ice too. This place is not going to last. As soon as everyone realizes how bad the food is and how overpriced the drinks are, everyone will go back to Rok Brgr, which really can't be beat.

• I would guess the ice would actually decrease the pour, rather than the opposite.

• Why do I have a feeling that you get the exact same amount of bourbon whether it is on the rocks or not? You guys should do a test, somehow accounting for ice melting if possible.  If it is not more then the should be held accountable for what seems like a very poor business practice.

• I am skeptical that a drink on the rocks is actually a bigger pour and $1 for ice is ludicrous. The reasonableness of $1 for ranch dressing depends on the situation however.

TotalComments: 55