It’s one thing if a bartender buys you a drink because he enjoys your sterling wit.
It’s another if he does it because he forgot about your order for 20 minutes as he tended to a dozen other customers.
It was busy at the Gallagher’s Steak House bar, but it didn’t have to be manic. The bartender was flying solo with one bar-back, and there were people lining the bar, a few groups in the lounge and orders coming in from the steakhouse.
The guy was quick to take our simple order. Then he nearly lost it, tripping over the bar-back, pouring heady beers, forgetting orders, mixing pour-intensive martinis, cursing under his breath. We talked for 10 minutes before realizing the gaffe. We looked up, trying to telegraph the lack of drinks, but he wasn’t making eye contact with any of the faces on him, many of whom were eager to make the curtain at the Denver Center.
Gallagher’s (1480 Arapahoe St., 303-825-6555) isn’t the most attractive bar. It’s always seemed like an unfortunate plague of a restaurant, lying in wait for those who don’t know better with its proximity to Larimer Square and the Denver Center. But surely it can’t be a total blight.
After 15 minutes of waiting for two drinks, I reconsidered. There weren’t even that many people at the bar now. The bartender still insisted on shoe-gazing – and avoiding our glare and the feisty firecracker couple in their 50s next to us.
The gentleman did the honorable thing. He saw people were getting served in the center of the bar regardless of how long they had waited. He went over and ordered his Grey Goose martinis and – bang. Suddenly the genius bartender looked over to the corner of the bar where the gent had been sitting with his lady, where we were perched, and he said something to the gent and looked back down.
He sneaked their martinis in before I could say we were leaving and not to worry about our drinks – like he was worrying – but then he came over with, “Sorry, folks, these are on me – my mind’s going to mush,” and with that, he splashed the drinks down and was off again.
Funky: Get bad service? Eat all their gourmet nuts!
Skunky: Get bad service? Don’t even tempt fate.
