It’s a gratingly familiar scene: The crowd in front of the bar is three people deep. Thirsty patrons are jostling. Hastily-transported tequila shots are sloshing out of overfilled glasses and (yes) onto your shoes. On nights when the bar is this crowded, the pro move is to just head somewhere else. But, if and when you’re willing to brave the horde, there are a few ways to order from a crowded bar without getting pushed to the end of “the line,” and without cutting anybody else “in line,” either.
From loud dive bars to moody, upscale wine bars, the etiquette for ordering in a crowded bar remains the same. Don’t be shy — you’re just as thirsty as your peers, your equals. Even though bars don’t typically follow precise line formations, there are still dos and don’ts for ordering drinks, and proper etiquette for waiting your turn. As patience-draining as these situations can be, the most important thing to remember is that the bartender has internalized the unofficial queue in their head.
A good bartender knows who arrived at the bar first, who just rolled up, and where your particular place falls within that order. It’s a dance, and the best way to shorten your wait in this glorious tapestry is to avoid stepping on anybody’s toes. Want to get that order even faster on the next round? Tip fat. Your bartender will remember your face in the crowd when you come back for more.
Be present, and be ready to order
Now: The execution of the method. Stand up straight and look like you’re there on purpose. Have you ever stood in a crowded bar and seen a patron “trying to order a drink” who’s on their phone, not making eye contact with the server? Rookie move. Don’t let this be you. Instead, walk your immaculate posture as close as you can get to the bar without crowding other patrons. Once a window of space has opened up, place a hand on the bar’s edge to establish a point of physical contact (in the infamously crowded New York City bar industry scene, this maneuver is known as “forcing the merge”).
Then, the next and final step is catching your bartender’s eye — and if they’re good, they’ll be looking. On fast-paced, high-volume nights, industry professionals are scanning the crowd to spot patrons who are ready to order. It’s all about slinging drinks and keeping the “line” moving along, and if you don’t look ready to order yet, chances are you’re going to get skipped over for someone who does.
Word to the wise: If you’re bar-hopping with a group, and have been appointed as the chosen order-er for your friends, be sure to compress your team’s collective order as concisely and efficiently as possible. It’s not “a Rolling Rock and a shot of well whiskey, another Rolling Rock and whiskey, and then just a Rolling Rock.” It’s “three Rolling Rocks and two well whiskeys.”
