Denver bartender Jay (@injaywetrustdenver), in the latest installment of his wild and hilarious \u201cYo! I\u2019m a Bartender\u201d series, walked followers through what he called a \u201cbizarre\u201d service encounter. He says a customer at his restaurant rewrote the interaction in real time, then walked out mid-meal after her own dining companion refused to back her story.<\/p>\n
A couple sat down at his steak-and-seafood restaurant and ordered drinks. The woman initially told him she wanted \u201ccrab and shrimp.\u201d Jay walked her through options including a combo appetizer and an \u00e0 la carte pairing. She chose a house crab entr\u00e9e that came with one side. She also ordered a baked potato and a side of shrimp. \u201cNow we\u2019re dialed in,\u201d he recalls thinking.<\/p>\n
Jay says he asked coworkers in the kitchen how to plate the dish, then ran the food out. He admits he forgot the baked potato and the shrimp \u2014 both, he says, were sitting in the kitchen window as they spoke. Before he could apologize, the woman cut in, saying, \u201cThis isn\u2019t mine. I didn\u2019t order this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou and I had a conversation about my baked potato,\u201d Jay recalls her saying. \u201cI saw you write it down.\u201d He explained the fried potatoes garnishing the plate came with the dish, and offered to grab the missing sides in 10 seconds. \u201cNo. I\u2019ll just eat this,\u201d she said. Then, a beat later, she added, \u201cI want the shrimp.\u201d<\/p>\n
He got the shrimp and swiftly returned. She was in the bathroom. He set the plate down and went back to his other tables. When she came back, she doubled down: \u201cI don\u2019t know why you think I\u2019m in the wrong. You\u2019re the one that took the order.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jay asked if she\u2019d like a restaurant manager. When the manager arrived, she gave \u201ca totally different\u201d account of what happened. A patron seated one seat over reportedly backed Jay\u2019s version of events. So did the woman\u2019s own companion. On his way out, her companion purportedly met Jay\u2019s eyes and said one word: \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jay didn\u2019t respond to an inquiry from The Big Lead.<\/p>\n
Who was in the wrong?<\/p>\n
Restaurant workers have been describing a durable shift in customer behavior for years. The Boston Globe reports<\/a> that New England restaurant staff have begun encountering people who yell in their faces over minor inconveniences like the lack of Monday-night room service, prompting industry groups to launch \u201cPlease Be Kind\u201d campaigns.<\/p>\n