The Taproom at Old Town — Restaurant in Albuquerque

Was just informed that I've been "86'd"(?) at this bar because I didn't tip them well enough the last time? All I have to say is "wow!" I thought the overweight bartender was joking as he told me this but he was being completely serious. And to top it off, they couldn't even provide me an explanation beyond just that, which I find completely baffling, as I am one to always tip everywhere I go. It is sad that a local place like this one has allowed their staff to develop such a sense of entitlement. Even further baffling, they were going to let us sit down and order until the overweight bartender had something to say. I'm just legitimately confused and would've loved a better explanation than just "you don't tip us well enough". Seems like they expect at least 30-40% tips on drinks because I know i tipped at least 20 🤣 would love to see the bar post the receipt to prove the overweight bartender's claim (LOL), but until then, this place reeks of entitlement and poor judgement. And honestly, I had never had a problem with anyone here but now that they won't let me in, it was evident that they may have never liked me to begin with 🤣 I have been nothing but respectful and cool with these folks, but can't get that in return, so that is the reason for my lengthy rant. In regards to the foods and drinks, it's pretty bearable so long as your able to withstand the entitlement and privileged staff (honest remark) 😂 but if you're going for the distillery experience, Safehouse Distillery is much more friendly and professional. I would recommend making the 5 minute drive from here to Safehouse - friendly staff, great vodka, food trucks outside and of course, no complaints about the tips. Very thankful for places like that as opposed to this stuck up hole in the wall, which apparently only adequately caters to tourists given their Old Town location. Seems as if the tourists' wallets have gotten to their heads a bit here. First place in my whole life that's "86'd" me because of...

Stopped here our first night in New Mexico and wow, talk about setting the tone for the state! We didn't catch our server's name (it happened to be his birthday that day), but he was absolutely fantastic! Friendly, attentive, and set such a chill vibe for the meal. The tavern itself is sort of rustic, and you choose where you sit. Some announcements were scrolling on the tv while we were hanging out and it made it clear to us that this was a neat community spot where cool things happen.

We kept it simple and got the mac and cheese to share, and it was so dang good! Creamy, rich, and the crispy onions on top were clearly made from scratch. The portion was perfect for the 2 of us. Our expectations weren't super high being a sort of pub food place, but the quality blew us away.

Our server was awesome, quick and genuinely kind and personable. You could tell he likes what he does, even being there on his bday. It was super chill inside, and you could tell from the other people at the bar that this is definitely a place where people are regulars and love to see the people who work there. If you are in the area, don't underestimate this place. Also keep an eye on their event calendar if you're local or visiting for a few days, it looks like they host some really fun events. This stop gave us perspective into the area and the vibe really made us think we could...

Local here…

Tried to visit Sunday around 1pm and was one of the worst service experiences in Albuquerque - and that’s saying a lot. We walked in and it was seat yourself so we walked through the front area, towards the bar where we were happy and enthusiastically greeted by a female brunette bartender. She said we could sit anywhere we’d like and she’d be right over after making and serving a drink order. We decided to sit in the patio area and began to enjoy the atmosphere…. We waited, and waited and waited when she finally emerged and brought the couple sitting across the patio from us their drinks. The bartender glanced our way and walked inside…. She came back out to bring that couple something they asked for and went back inside. We waited again and I grabbed some water from the self serve container - it was warm water with zero ice inside the container. We decided to grab menus from the other tables as the bartender came out to take the couple’s order. She went inside again and we decided it was time to go. As we walked out from the patio through the gate to the sidewalk, the bartender watched without saying a word.

Like I said, one of the worst service experiences in...