Maison Harlem

On 4th April 2024, I entered the bar area, I did not find a seat at the actual bar, I sat on a bar stool located behind the actual bar. Before ordering through people at the bar, I walked over to the left side of the bar to greet the bartender that serves me most often.I asked him, did happy hour end at 4 p.m.? He said: “No, everything until 7.” I ordered a froze’; The reason the 'froze’ was ordered was because I was just told, by a trusted source, that it was happy hour.After having been told that happy hour ends at 7 p.m. I observed that we were getting close to that time. I order a 2nd froze’ this would make two drinks at what I believe is $7 per drink. After sipping a single sip from the 2nd drink, it becomes apparent that I can not drink this massive 2nd drink, I request a to-go cup as well as the check. I was given both, I immediately alerted the bartender that there was a mistake, because the check read: $34.84. “He said: no, that’s the check.” I told him that I ordered those within the parameters of happy hour.He said: “Happy hour ended at 4. I then attempted to tell him about the conversation I had with the bartender that preceded him, “he said: talk to the manager.” The manager is a black male,he said nahh the glass sizes are different.I asked him, should the general public know the different sizes of a single restaurant's glass sizes?He said: “Wait, calm down, you are about to not have to pay this check and never be allowed to come in here again.”To which I replied: Nahhh I’ll pay the check, then never come in here again.This was a question in leadership and training.Leaders are taught, when trained properly: A) understand what the customer is saying. I repeatedly asked him if I, a consumer, who doesn’t normally drink this, has the burden of knowing the difference in glass sizes based on happy hour or regular pricing.He wasn’t concerned with understanding what I was saying,he was concerned with being right, which is a TEXTbook error in leadership, particularly when dealing within the service industry. B) leaders are taught to deescalate the situation, because you never know who you are talking to. I was so appalled when he said what he said that I decided, in my head, not vocally, that I would review this place and take my time doing it, to get it exactly right. After he threatened me, I found myself in work mode, I kept saying to myself, record this if you can or hang on to every single word this guy is saying.He then placed two glasses side by side, I took a picture of it, once I did this, he went to get a senior manager. She was pleasant, very well trained in dealing with people. I explained to her, this was not an issue of paying, I would pay it regardless, this was an issue of policy. She offered things, I declined, I looked down to the check, placed the tip amount, and signed it.I looked closely at the line items described and noticed something I have never seen at this restaurant in my life.I noticed that the bartender added automatic gratuity. I informed the more senior manager. I then took all appropriate pictures and started to develop a narrative for this review.A picture of my receipt at 5:01:38 p.m. on 30th March 2024 with my normal bartender, you can clearly read that no auto gratuity was added.A picture of my receipt at 11:19:35 30th March 2024 with the bartender in question. No auto gratuity was added to the bill. A picture of my receipt on the day in question 7:13:28 p.m. 4th April 2024. Clearly showing the bartender adding $6.40 gratuity to the bill.A picture showing the glass comparison shown to me by the first male manager and his belief that a member of the public should know the difference between the two of those.A picture of the 'froze’ in the to go cup, I’m showing this, because it would be unreasonable for one to believe that this 2nd drink would have been ordered had I believed this was not on the happy hour menu.