Putnam's Pub & Cooker — Restaurant in New York

Visited Putnam's 3/26/18 for the umpteenth time because my many prior experiences have been, acceptable. The service wasnt always the best, the food was not to die for, however, it's open late. It was my back-up.

After my final visit last night, I will never return. Long story short...

No waitress to greet us at the door, essentially, the greeter serves as waitress and/ bus person. The bar is usually busy, tables were open & available. Ordered first drink with greeter, the peach cocktail was (horrible) filled with ice, tasteless and weak. Youthful waitress arrived well...that's where the issues started. She was chipper (pretense) until I asked her about the menu, including the specials. The waitress was ill equipped to speak knowledgeably about the menu.The young waitress was a new employee. When describing the dishes she knew nothing about the entire menu. The fact that she became flustered and her embrassment showed. In fact, during our brief convo she took the menu out of my hands without asking. She was flustered, she went back and forth to her manager for ??.

It became apparent to us that the waitress complained about my picky food questions. In no time flat Leslie, the hostile manager approached me (w/the earring in her eyebrow), The 2 incompetent waitresses complained that they felt uncomfortable! Wow..when did that happened?

During our brief banter with the incompetent waitress (to cover her a*s), she complained that my comment about her love for food that "she felt as thought I was calling her fat". Well, frankly, I was complimentin her, I realized she was young & inexperienced. The conversation we held was to try to get the waitress re-centered, focused on doing a good job. That was not to be. Leslie, became negative and aggressive. Any request I attempted to make (we were willing to pay with our earned money )was not recieved well. As a woman of African descent, I got the clear impression that my particular request for knowledge about the menu, a solid drink, or not closing our curtain would be well recieved. We were told we could finish our drinks, but, that we would not be served. Essentially, the misunderstanding was escalated. We decided that this was foolishness, we refused to accept the "micro aggressive RACISM". We refused to accept this defensive cover-up to ruin our nite. We offered to pay our tab and depart Putnam.

Reflection - The staff are poorly trained.

The manager is a poor-trash bully (antagonist) who cowardly walked away after she made her statement about my comment. She never heard me out.

The bar is where they make their money, that's why the tables were empty. It explains the bad food.

This restaurant offers excuses instead of determining what's important to the customer. POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.

When you are a snowflake, customer service is not the industry for you. Become culturally astute, people from different cultures live in "my" neighborhood. This is my neighborhood, and I will apprise my community about this negative antoginisic experience. I'm no country flower. I know when, I'm being minimized, devalued, treated with double standards....

Frankly, I've live in the community for over 20 years...I will be at the restaurant (like...

Came in to watch a boxing match, paid the $10 cover. Any available seats by the bar were uncomfortably being guarded by other patrons, fine... took an available seat toward the back, but was more or less made to feel like I was in the way of foot traffic. Got up, went to the front to order a drink and just stand until my friends arrived.

No service, two clueless bartenders staring at their till for seriously 5 minutes straight, dealing with presumably another gentlemen waiting for a table? Not sure. Not even busy, it's 2 hours before the main event.

Bartender finally turns, sees me, I'm about to speak, she then half grins, turns, walks away. 8 top behind me not bussed for 20 straight minutes, just sitting their filthy. Would have loved to take that when my friends arrived. Since I can't get a seat, a hello, a drink, apparently anything, I wait outside.

First set of friends arrive, they don't ask about our party, it's size, just drop "it's a 10 dollar cover" line, fine, friends happy to pay, they were well aware.

8-top by the front, still not bussed.

Finally asked if we'd like a table, tell them we have more coming, eventually ushered to a booth, too small for our entire party. Server comes, asks for drinks besides water. We confirm water, I ask for pilsner, says look at the menu. Great... or you could just take the drink order, but fine, you want to take them as a group. My friends came from a prior event, not ready to drink, would like to get some food, waiting for the rest of the group, we're here for the long haul, shouldn't be a problem to punt on ordering for a moment. TV volume is blaring, it seems clear they are setting up for the boxing match and not for a regular evening of dinner/drinks.

Server comes back, we reiterate water for my friends, pilsner for me, we're hungry and will be ordering after some water. Ten minutes later, pilsner arrives. Water hasn't. Five minutes later he comes back, anything else? Yes... water to start for the third time. He comes back and SLAMS a carafe and three glasses down and walks away.

Look... I get that you need to make your tips and a table which isn't ordering immediately might feel like bad business to you... but there is an event, it's 9PM, and we explicitly stated we'd be ordering. My friends have worked in the industry before and are super respectful. Can you extend us the courtesy of WATER? before we order enough to rack up your tip? Had you just brought it we'd have ordered instead of you dragging it out. Can you say hello? Clean you bus and clean tables? Can your hosts actually do their jobs? Take party sizes, tell them where to wait, etc? Can you show people to their seats? Can you be... in the hospitality industry for just a moment?

The rest of our friends arrived and since the waiter was rude again I just left. Don't have time to waste on that. Really really really bad look Putnam's. If you don't want to do the sports bar / big event thing, then don't. I've lived in Clinton Hill for 13 years, moved out recently a few years back. So it's easy to say I...

11/28/2019: I attend college nearby, and have also been to a Yelp Elite Event that was hosted here in 2018. I've also visited here of my own accord with friends many times.They are a little bit on the pricier side but the quality of food each time I order has always been really good. Delicious tasting and fresh.

Customer service is always really nice and accommodating to wherever I'd like to sit. Food is always delivered hot and promptly. Server always checks in an appropriate amount of time and overall I've yet to have a negative experience here. Nothing but good times, so I do recommend stopping by if you ever have the chance! Their interior is also very cozy feeling and they've got a speakeasy downstairs!!!

11/25/2020-- DURING COVID TIMES:

Mac and cheese, chips, and a soda will run you $25 before tip. So college students beware. This place has gotten even more expensive thanks to covid. Like most restaurants, they've upped their prices but this place has always been on the $$$ side for the neighborhood. Just keep that in mind so your jaw doesn't drop when you see the prices. In fairness, I'm rather small as is my stomach space, so their portion sizes are just right for someone of my 5"3 stature. For those with more ravenous appetites just an FYI, they've cut down their menu significantly for lunch. Not sure about breakfast or dinner but I imagine it might be similar.

During my most recent visit in late October it was rainy so I was grateful that limited capacity indoor dining returned. There was only one guy working, doubled up as the bartender. Told me to sit where I want and to order using the Toast app for contact-less ordering. You can scan the QR code that is taped to every table or just download it from your designated app store and search up the restaurant. I was having trouble paying for my order through the app so the waiter just took my order. I didn't get his name but he was suuuper nice. Very welcoming. This place has always had great and friendly customer service so that hasn't changed.

Overall, I do miss the rest of their menu but their food quality is still high up on the bar which is great. Unfortunately I cannot afford to visit this place as much anymore but I highly urge you if you've got the means, to please support this...