Tavern on Main — Restaurant in El Segundo

Went there for a friends 21st. A friend ordered but didn’t leave a tip, he’s a broke college student. Both bartenders profiled my friend for not tipping. Some of our party were not drinking and the manager proceeded to card all of us as retaliation. We were all of age and they proceeded to retaliate and profile us. This is predatory and ridiculous.

TLDR: They will prey over you on a busy Saturday night and retaliate if they do not like your party.

Answer from the response from the owner:

Your dismissive response only further highlights the unprofessionalism of your establishment. Let's address your points:

"Following the Law": Yes, we understand that the legal drinking age is 21. However, all members of our party were of legal age and were not attempting to break any laws. The issue arises when your staff excessively carded us as retaliation for a lack of tip from one individual. This behavior is not only unnecessary but also hostile and unwelcoming.

"Financial Consideration": Tipping is a discretionary practice, not a mandatory one. While it's customary to tip for good service, it's not appropriate for your staff to retaliate against an entire group because one person didn't tip. Suggesting that broke college students should show consideration for the financial struggles of your staff is tone-deaf and irrelevant to the situation at hand.

"Protecting the Establishment": We understand the importance of protecting your liquor license, but there are better ways to address concerns about underage drinking than profiling and retaliating against customers. Your staff's behavior only served to create a negative experience for us and reflects poorly on your establishment.

Your response fails to address the legitimate concerns raised in my review. Instead of justifying the unprofessional behavior of your staff, I suggest you take this feedback seriously and work towards creating a more welcoming environment for all customers. Never forget, tips are a bonus...

My experience @ The Tavern on Main was so lala.. there are lots of screens with different sports. That's great! But I have to tell you that the service right at the bar was not so nice. We ordered some food but were not offered a glass of water (a few others at the bar and the tables have been asked). For Americans, a standard. The barkeeper had a bad day, I think. His mood was down, which is ok, didn't show any fun at being a barkeeper, but for us, being there for the first time it leaves something behind...

I wasn't happy about the food and pricing either. I ordered the Philly Devil Sandwhich Sub. Like the name says it, it should be THE Sandwich in this sportsbar. I ordered it without beef and without pork, but with the vegan steak. The vegan steak was ok. It says there is American cheese and "more cheese" on it. Everybody would expect a lot of cheese. It wasn't the case. 1 slice of cheese on top of each of the half sandwhiches. That's it... It has a special sauce on it, cool, I saw something orange like a thousand island dressing, but there was not much on it. Couldn't taste any special sauce either.

When you get the check, I kinda thought 'okay' putting 2 things off the sandwhich, and adding 1 thing would at least equal the pricing. Not at The Tavern. Paid extra 3 USD for it. Also, for my buddy. Ordered a Vegan Cheesesteak. But for vegan cheese, you had to pay extra. Common. 😀

Disappointed. Overall. The football game was fun, everything...

Other than the general manager storming around behind the bar THE ENTIRE TIME we were there, making surly remarks to the other wait staff (who were absolutely a joy to interact with btw), and being a general bummer with his energy, this place was on point so I'll still give it 5 stars overall. But Xavier needs to seriously re-evaluate his priorities when it comes to the vibe he puts out into the world. Regardless of what goes on in the managerial portion of food/drink service, there is ZERO reason for me as a patron sitting at the bar trying to enjoy my Friday night would need to wonder what the heck must be going so terribly wrong that the gm needs to be out front looking like an absolute curmudgeon while the rest of staff were utterly wonderful and had the most charming demeanor. Xavier, do better! The rest of experience was fantastic, from the great happy hour drinks and bites to the friendly and interactive bartenders, we will definitely consider coming back here, but only if the general manager can manage to at least keep his unpleasant attitude behind closed doors instead of clouding the atmosphere with his muttering...