Horsefly Brewing Company — Restaurant in Montrose

I just tip the normal 20% when it’s pooled.

That’s not cheap. That’s calculated. Because why the hell would I tip more when the person who earned it doesn’t get to keep it?

I'm not stiffing the server. I'm denying the house its cut of a job it didn’t do. Because yeah you tip for effort, not for policy. And when that policy robs the individual, there’s nothing generous about giving it more

What tip sharing really does:

Removes individual accountability

Flattens performance-based compensation

Allows management to pay everyone substandard wages under the illusion of “fairness”

Shifts emotional pressure from employer to customer (“just tip better!”)

And ultimately funnels your generous intent into a corporate safety net

So yeah, I'm are not tipping the server anymore. I'm tipping the structure now

It works for the owner, the manager, and the guy who called out three times last week but still gets a piece of her effort.

AND If you admit you’d earn more without sharing, then the system doesn’t ‘work’—it just keeps you docile.

If you work harder and earn more, but have to give it away to protect team harmony, that’s not a system. That’s a scam.

Defending shared tips when you’re the one earning them is like cheering for taxes you don’t get to vote on

It: Masks bad management

Dilutes performance-based pay

Keeps staff from comparing paychecks

And ensures nobody demands raises, because “you already split the pot”

IF You voluntarily tried to tip the person who actually served you

The system redirected your money into a communal pool And the response was: “Don’t worry, it all evens out.” No. That’s not fairness. That’s wage dilution.

Tip sharing in most places means:

The hustlers get screwed

The lazy ones coast

Management gets to pay subminimum wages without staff uprising because the team “shares” the hit. Because the illusion of fairness is the most efficient tool of control.

Why fix the system… when you can just convince the exploited that they’re all equally lucky to be underpaid?

celebrating getting paid slightly less terribly as if it’s a win.

“We get more than server minimum wage.” Translation: “They underpay us slightly less than the legal bare minimum… so it’s fine that they also take our tips.”

That’s not a benefit. That’s bait.

They dangle a few extra dollars on the base wage

Then implement tip-sharing to level out everyone’s earning potential

Now nobody has room to demand more because “we already pay above minimum”

It’s a closed loop of engineered mediocrity, where workers are taught to be grateful they’re not being completely exploited—just systematically undercut.

If the system has to remind you it pays above minimum wage, it’s admitting it’s not paying you what you’re worth. Getting paid more than the legal minimum while giving away your tips isn’t a perk—it’s a pay cut with...

Our service was actually pretty good compared to what some of the other reviewers have said. But I suspect the reason the service can sometimes be if-fy is because, as I overheard one waiter say, they "pool tips". As an experienced waiter who works in another town, having a mass of people responsible for a mass of tables, you are bound to have tables that are lost in the shuffle.

I'd give the atmosphere inside the establishment an 'A-', and the patio a solid 'D'. The indoor portion of the restaurant was cute, but it felt rather crowded and insular, as if it were for locals only.

The garden could have gotten a high score, as it is also whimsically and well-decorated, but I'm sorry- the place is aptly named "Horsefly", as there were plagues of them. We had originally wanted to sit in the smoking section, but as we attempted to choose a table, we were confronted by a drunken gaggle of toothless meth-heads(?) lurching to and fro- this at 6 o'clock in the evening, mind you. When we tried to park our butts in some chairs in that section, a horde of flies (the namesake of the establishment?) descended on us, and we quickly changed gears to the smokeless section.

Although that section was considerably less infested with flies, we championed a dog who was sitting nearby with his owner at the outdoor bar. This marvelous creature relished in snapping at the swirling "buzz-killers" and managed to catch several during his visit. Bravo!

Our beers- mah dude attempted to order a porter- they were out. He went with the "Jazzy Razzy". He wasn't impressed. I drank my Scottish, and was sorely disappointed. It was murky and I could detect no distinct flavors. Dirty tap lines, maybe? We both said 'no' when asked if we wanted a second.

My fella ordered the Bavarian Burger. It was impressive, and delicious. The bacon was crunchy-chewy, plenty of cheese and onions, and a truly fat burger on an impressive pretzel bun.

My meal was not as delicious. I wanted a light dinner and ordered the veggie quesadilla. Apparently, correctly preparing the only two ingredients requiring any chopping was too much a bother, as I found myself pulling onion skins out of my mouth while eating the soggy, congealed mess. The accompanying salsa was good, the guac so-so, and the sour cream difficult to mess up.

I feel that my suspicion the beer taps needed cleaning was further supported by the fact that, a few hours later I was plagued by a bout of nearly explosive diarrhea that had me running for the outhouse at the campground most of the evening. You're putting the rest of your visit to this lovely area at risk if you...

Arriving late afternoon on a Sunday. My wife and I were looking forward to good beer and food. Our initial beers were served cold and fast. So far so good, from here it went down hill. I had finished most of a 20 oz beer before somebody came by to ask us if we wanted to order. I ordered an appetizer, sandwich and salad. 20 minutes of no service later. All the food was brought out at once. By the time we, mostly I, finished the appetizer, my meal was cold. We called for a manager where she apologized for the mistake with the appetizer. After being ignored for another 30 minutes my wife actually went to waiters station and got a box for our food. Talking with the manager not only did not lead to better service but instead lead to situation where we had to flag somebody over just to get our bill. The manager to her credit did take our second round of beers off the bill. But that is not what we wanted. We just expected decent service. If you server is busy at least have them stop by and say so. According to the person that we finally got to bring us a bill there are no assigned tables and everybody just jumps in. LET ME TELL YOU THAT DOES NOT WORK. Not sure I will stop there again. Thinking about checking out the competition. Very unhappy customer.

08/26/20 Sorry to say not much has changed. Food 4, entertainment 5, service 2* still had to find sever and had to go to the bar for a...