Tapped Patience at Tap 42

By Melissa McCart Wed., Jan. 11 2012 at 1:53 PM

As a former high school teacher, I often think of a restaurant a little like a school. The chef is the principal or a president, and the servers are kinda like students. Their tasks might be to know the cuisine, to promote the priorities of the restaurant, and to make people feel welcome. It's a more complicated dance than you'd think.

When we criticize servers, it can be an equivalent of calling students inept in a teacherless classroom. If a school did not have teachers, no one would be surprised if students could not perform tasks well or did not learn a subject. People need constant reinforcement whether they're 15 or 50. And it's not the principal's realm to teach English and Math while she's running the school.

That is why the general manager's job is so important.
They establish systems to ensure good service. They swoop in when a server is in the weeds. They navigate tricky customers. They smooth things over. They see servers leaning against the bar twirling their hair, their back to a customer's face, and they correct it.

Sure, servers have to pull their own weight. But there's no incentive to do so if there's no reward. If no one's in charge, it's tough for the ranks to pull together a cohesive front.

I was reminded of this when I was slapped by lax service eight of my nine visits to Tap 42.I really like Tap 42. The issue I have is that on the whole, staff is not trained to be attentive to detail. It's a teacherless classroom. I hope that it changes soon. More on that in this week's review.

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Tap 42

1411 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL

Category: Music

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Tap 42

We Recommend

Cheesepop18

tap 42 is a piece of dirt with under cooked food,under taught staff,crappy outside the last couple times i was their the back porch/dinning area was dirty from one end to the next. crap inthe back parking lot the front as well. step up your game tap42 be for your restaurant turns in to a parking garage for Broward hospital

Pissed off Lady

I went there last Wednesday night for ladies night and the bartender had no idea it was ladies night. WTF. Then after she asked her manager if it was, we asked her was the deal covered. She still didn't know and had to go back and ask her manager. Come on. Get it together, Tap 42.

KJAM

I went there last Saturday night. It was packed and we had a large 11 person table. Seating took shorter than the hostess told us, which was a nice surprise. While waiting we got beers at the bar without much of an issue. The beer selection was excellent, but the beers were not the coldest. At the table our server was good, but he seemed a little overwhelmed with all his tables. He did his best and the food was okay for a Gastropub. The burgers were above average. I will say the place is very well decorated and a lot of thought went into the design. I hope the best for them.

Ron

I agree----give them more time. These people had the balls to open in a slow part of town--and create jobs. Whats the F****ING rush---ya cant give em 3 months ?? really??

Aaron

the way restaurants in the area are open one minute and gone the next means that there has to be a sense of urgency. if you have a bad experience at a place, you tell 20 people, if you have a great experience you may share it with a couple of people. a top notch place has to have their act together food and service wise i would say within 3 weeks of opening. the public is very fickle, the economy sucks, and most people wont give it another shot if they blew it once. Melissa tried the place multiple times and the situation hasnt improved, time to look at a change in leadership-

Customer

TAP 42 IS New give them a break. How many times do you have to repeat your review. The place has mad potential...

Melissamccart

This isn't repeating the debut. It's taking blame off servers. It disturbs me when they get the rap when a restaurant's systems aren't in place.

I like Tap 42, too. Hopefully they'll smooth things out. The industry standard is to give a place six weeks to iron out kinks. That's what we did here.

We wouldn't give a pass to a newspaper or a website that's half finished with misspellings and wrong info. Same holds for restaurants.

TED ANTHONY INSERRA

starting friday the 13th ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh....i will be moving to the FOH (Front Of House)(FROM THE b.o.h.), to help on the floor, everyone come by and i guarntee good service and some good schmoozing, it will be fun, see me at TAP 42!!

Herb

Tap42 is what happens when people with no cle decide to open a restaurant. Good bye 1 million dollars.

Maryanne

i have been to tap quite a few times and i dont understand what you people are bitchin about. ya'll sound like competitors who are out to bash them cause they are the hot ticket in town. guess ur just jealous of success

ChazDelray

I was blown away by the service at the new Kapow Noodle Bar in Boca last night. Tap should send some there to see how it's done. From hostess to water boy to wait staff and a floor mgr, I was personally welcomed and addressed by atleast 4 or 5 staffers. And they were packed too.

Melissa McCart

Glad you liked it. I'm a big fan of Kapow. Good to hear they're packed.

Guest

Sucks to see a good idea and good food shooting themselves in the face with bad service. Have some pride, people! Remember, we have choices.

ted anthony inserra

i love this place!!

Melissamccart

I know, Ted. I asked if you were working on three different occasions and was told, "I don't know. What does he look like," varieties, and never got a confirmation either way.

ted anthony inserra

this is 1 place where , with so many new people, and i am only a few nights a week, the FOH & BOH do not inter-mingle very much, they stay out of the kitchen...only the food runners!