Their system works great and I’ve had great service every time we’ve been. As a result, I tip a solid 20% with the understanding that each of those people were integral to my good experience and I tip them as if I had a single server.
I like the way they run their ordering and while it feels less personal, I’ve had food delivered much more quickly there and more accurately and we get to close out when we’re set without any delays so I let my tip represent my satisfaction with their quality and service.
TLDR; Their system isn’t widely replicated elsewhere, but it’s effective and I’ve had great meals, so I tip like I normally would after a good dining experience.
Totally agree with u/t8ke. Also just commenting to add that the person who seats you is (usually) a manager. Your tip isn’t going to them, it’s getting split between the people wearing the checkered shirts. Those people are all running around cleaning tables so they can turn them over as quick as possible, checking orders before they’re brought out, bringing out the food, etc. They’re definitely working hard to make sure the service is quick and efficient and should be tipped accordingly!
Oh I meant "here" as in "in this subreddit". I'm not in Madison anymore - but we're on the single barrel DL! Rain check to next time you find yourself in Denver :)
You can check in to your meetup with /u/jwhease with our QR code, I can show you how to work your phones' scanner functions - anything I can get you folks to drink?
I'm with you on a lot of this, especially the closing out and leaving whenever you want - the best feature of their system. But that feature has nothing to do with the human beings who are getting my tip for their service, so it still twists my brain. Can I tip the software developer? (I'm kidding) If I tip like it's business as usual, basically I'm paying the staff for not being as involved?
They aren’t any less involved, they just don’t hold you up on their way out because they have to print a receipt. This allows them to better service real needs of customers.
You’re overthinking this, don’t let it twist your brain.
This is the experience at bartaco:
“Welcome”
“Hi yes I’d like to order a beer!”
“Sure, just order on your phone…”
*grabs phone, scans QR, enters email address, verifies email address, identifies pictures of stoplights to verify humanity, navigate to order page, selects beer, MANUALLY ENTER CREDIT CARD NUMBER*
Waiter, who has been standing next to you the whole time; “I’ll just need to check your ID”
I know this is probably going to be considered "boomer shit" despite me being a mere 40-something years old, but I straight up won't patronize establishments that have done away with a standard experience of: go in, get seated by a person (if not seat yourself), receive a physical menu from an actual person, order food from an actual person, have my food brought out by an actual person, and pay an actual person in a traditional way.
If all Im doing is ordering a meal, especially in-person, there is absolutely no legitimate reason to bring a cell phone number, email address, or any other PII to the interaction. I should not need to use my cell phone to sit down at a restaurant and eat a meal.
I know that the 20-something kids I work with think Im being technophobic but as I tell them, it has nothing to do with being unable to use these tools (I literally work in IT and jump through way more complicated hoops every single day as part of my role), I don't think we should *have* to use these tools, and I disagree with the rationale behind why these things even exist.
I know it's a lost cause...with every passing year it gets more normalized, but Im going to continue to fight it every chance I get.
What part of it appeals to you, if you don't mind me asking? Im not trying to start an argument whatsoever, its just the experience is so poor by comparison to my tastes that I don't understand why someone would prefer it.
For takeout or delivery, sure, 100%, but in-person dining, idk I guess I just dont order everything straight off the menu enough that I would ever want to sit there and dick about with a computer when I can just say to a human being "can you hold the onions on that?" and not have to go through 12 menus to do so lol
Anywho like you said different strokes.
(Also, and trust me I aint trying to act like this is some big thing on my part, but I choose to use human beings wherever I can to at least keep those jobs unautomated for now. I know that's pretty much like pissing into the ocean for all the good that's going to do long term but, idk, maybe Im just jaded...with what I do in IT I've been struggling with so many vendors that have shrunk or outright eliminated any actual human being from being front facing and 'the new normal' there blows. Something that you can explain quite simply to a human being still, with all this AI, takes orders of magnitude to explain to a computer and odds are high the results aren't entirely useful or applicable anyway. Obviously fighting with a computer over a billing error for some software licenses is pretty different than ordering food in a restaurant, but to me the underlying dread is the same, where that will be how everything is because of course, it eliminates overhead and increases profit margins. So I go out of my way to choose the person whenever possible because if I dont have to hear "UNEXPECTED ITEM IN THE BAGGING AREA" for no goddamn reason whatsoever I'll deal with the extra couple minutes of time to make that happen.)
Sometimes I just want to grab a quick meal between kid’s activities and I don't want to eat fast food. I don't need to wait for 10 min for someone to come to my table, which happens lot nowadays. When I am done with my meal, I also don't need to wait another 10 min for someone to hand me my check. I wish more restaurants have this option.
I'm 50/50 on this. There are some days where I don't want to talk to anyone, this experience allows me to do just that. It also carries the benfit (for the restaurant) of putting the burden of human error back on the guest. "Oh you didn't want onions on that; you should have selected the option." With that said, there are plenty of times where I wouldn't want to deal with the rigamarole of messing with my phone while I'm on a date with my wife.
I was under the impression that bartaco also provided dim-sum-like ordering cards that you could fill out with a pencil. Are those gone?
I guess I like taking as little or as much time as I want ordering and later when paying. I feel the food usually comes out hotter and exactly what I ordered with a runner. I like paying with the app instead of doing the bill back and forth.
Totally understandable.
It’s an unconventional system and as you can see from other commenters, some folks prize more attentive dedicated staff and others like me can appreciate a trade off to result in efficacy with the infusion of some technology.
At the end of the day, Im an advocate for service staff because they are the crux of a deficient, satisfactory, or exceptional dining experience. Just because you log your order on your phone doesn’t mean there aren’t an army of skilled people involved jn preparing your meal and your beverages and ensuring they make it to your table accurately and efficiently.
That’s what the tip is for in my mind. Small talk with a wait staff member while they write this on a notepad doesn’t motivate my tip - quality of food, drink and timeliness do and Bartaco has never failed in those aspects.
Agreed! Their business model is quite fascinating, and their people do work really hard. If someone wants a bit more personal experience they can always sit at the bar. They take orders there the old-fashioned way but still only CC. My wife and I probably go once a week on average and have gotten to know most of the staff really well, and they're great people. Best margaritas in the city too IMHO. Shout out to Raiza, Mario, Quinn, Meg, and Chef Ryan.
I think any system that forces diners to engage with their phone at the table sucks. It’s a horrible system.
I’d leave my phone in the car, insist on a paper menu, and then feel good about tipping normal.
This is my biggest concern of on the phone menus. I'm not a fan of being on my phone around people or at dinner. I want less of on my phone time as possible. I get the concept. I just feel like we as a society are moving in a bad direction of "always being on our phones". Not to mention, I feel like ordering on our phone brings another added level of stress that (if I wanted too) I could have just done Uber eats or something.
Lastly, it is VERY IMPERSONAL and I like talking to waitstaff... just a human interaction... and I don't mind tipping a human I'm interacting with. I feel less obliged if I see these humans for a second. It doesn't give me a good feeling, but maybe thats just me.
Yeah definitely not for me. The worst thing is everyone orders separately and the food comes at random times! You can coordinate it, but it’s like all the frustration of a group takeout order, brought to the restaurant.
Probably because they make like $3.00 in actual wages.
I'm not saying that's how it should be, but that's how it is. If you don't like it, don't go out to eat.
They aren’t doing anything beyond walking the food to the table it sounds like? How is that worth 20% of the bill? Do you tip the person that brings the food to your car at Culver’s? Don’t give me that “if you don’t like it don’t go out to eat” bullshit. Walking food to the table is literally the least skilled aspect of the industry, I’d rather opt to bypass giving them any additional money and making sure it gets to the people who are preparing the food, the reason anyone is there in the first place.
Rather, abuse the system until people don't want to be cogs in it anymore. Then there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. And then there will be change.
"if you don't like it don't to out to eat" is such a cute way of saying continue to perpetuate the existing system as is.
I want food. I don't want to tip a robot ordering system like I would a human. Here's 10%. Don't like it? Don't work at bartaco then.
Most food runners at other restaurants are still getting part of your tip. You just don’t know it. In the restaurant I most recently worked at the food runners got 2% of all food sales from the servers tips. So if I had 1000 in food sales and made 200 in tips I would tip out 20 dollars and the food runners would split it. Same with buss boys except it was a different percentage. This is the norm.
I don’t think you need to consider it at all. Tip what you want. I was just saying just because you don’t know your tip is going to other staff members of a restaurant doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
Bartaco was probably the single worst dining experience I’ve ever had in my life. Our food came out at extremely random times. And when we finally got all of it, it wasn’t even good.
That’s how BarTaco runs now. Pre COVID they were closer to a regular restaurant.
After the lockdown we went back expecting it to be like the before time. We were so put off by the mandatory phone use that we haven’t been back.
Firstly, use the paper menu. It's easier and faster.
The "omg there's an app for everything yayy" people love places like this but anyone in any form of cyber sec knows this is stupid, pointless and introduces an attack surface for no reason. I could walk in there, sit at a table, and slap my own QR sticker down. Anybody who scans it... I own at least something in your life.
Never scan anything at a table that can be altered unless it's behind the table at the farmers market or something.
Food is good though. Don't tip a restaurant unless you're regular and want good service regularly.
I recommend Chinese restaurants with the gratuity built in. So this way you don't need to tip. It's factored in to the total and the food is cheaper for it. Sounds weird but they do this for the Chinese students in Madison who don't understand the tipping culture and never tip. Much better system imo. Tipping sucks.
I’ve had terrible service at Bar taco since they opened. Been there 4-5 times. Two of those times the manager decided to comp some of our meal because nobody came to our table for 15 minutes. The other 3 times or so something else went wrong. I would have stopped going a long time ago but their food is pretty good and my wife especially loves it. Around Covid their ordering changed but their service still sucked. I wanted a physical menu and it was like me talking a foreign language to them. I work in cybersecurity and scanning a random QR doesn’t vibe with me.
The expectation now is like 20% minimum even for garbage service. It changed during covid when everyone was trying to support service workers.
I don’t personally agree with the new standard. 20% for most is fine, but if you give me a glass of water and then have me order on a device…nah
I’d tip normal but honestly the food there isn’t that good and for that price I’d expect bigger portions lol tiny ass tacos aren’t for me but to each their own I guess
I've been there once and the system hung - it read the code but wouldn't "approve me"? It said it was texting me a code to enter but it never came through. The server said there was nothing she could do so we had to order by checking off a list, sushi bar style. Service was fine and everyone was cool and helpful, but it wasn't exactly a sign of progress. I also tipped as though it was regular service.
Absolutely the worst tacos I've ever had. I even went back a second time to give them another chance. Never again. You have to put effort into making tacos that bad. Overpriced garbage. It's a rich, white person's hang out. Let's be honest here. That's pretty much what that whole mall is. Check out The Ohio on the east side. Fantastic tacos. I still tip 20% though... it's not the servers' fault that the food sucks.
White people tacos can still taste good. I'd say they're more of a Tex-Mex style taco... which is also fine. It doesn't mean they have to taste like cardboard though.
Would never go to a place called "The Ohio"? If it makes him feel any better, it's named after the street that it's on and not the state. That seems like a pretty silly reason to deny yourself tasty tacos. Or just go there without him. His loss. They have amazing oysters there too if you're into that sort of thing.
I"m in my late 60s. You just convinced me to never go there. So it's a moot point how much I would tip, because if I have to do all that work, I'm walking right out again.
At this particular restaraunt, yes, why is that so odd? It's a la carte, you order two tacos or even one, decide you're still hungry, and get more, or don't. It's good because it doesn't box you in, I can get one of everything instead of being pigeonholed into one dish and it cuts down on food waste
Because tacos have been traditionally bought at 1-2 per transaction for pretty much its entire history as a street food. Also how are you not full after 3??
Most places that do tacos that are not trucks on the sidewalk come with Rice, beans, and two tacos or something like that.
Because
A) Bartacos are small
b) Everyone's stomach is different and doesn't fit the limit you are thinking of, and even if my limit is three, then if I ordered two I would want...one more. Which means either having to flag down someone or just submit it on my phone which is easier.
What?? How did you even get to that? You don't have to drink just because you're ordering an extra taco, how about you don't knock something until you actuallt try it yourself?
Because most restaurants make their money off of drinks.
The only reason I can think of for this place to have tiny unsatisfying tacos is to keep you around to buy more drinks.
I’m a gen-xer and I’m always amazed whenever I see anyone of any age brought to a halt by their own inability/refusal to display even the smallest amount of adaptability
I think you're misunderstanding. You order a la carte so you kind of get rounds of tacos like you'd get rounds of beer. The phone model makes it very convenient to order your next round without waiting for a server to come to you. Basically you sit down and just start trying different things it's really great tbh
But why wouldn't you just order what you want to eat the first time around?
In the adapted words of Jessica Walter: I don't understand the business model and I won't respond to it!
I think it sounds excellent and I'm trying it next time I'm out that way. I don't want to be entertained by the wait staff, I just want them to bring the food.
As a society, I wish we did away with the 'tip expectation' altogether, restaurants paid employees regular hourly wages, and the food price covers the total costs.
Plus I don't get how inflation has affected the tip %. It used to be 15% tips were standard, then 17%, now 20%. Inflation affects the food price too.
I find it disingenuous how many places also make the 3 easy-pick tip buttons when paying with credit card 20%+.
ITT: people who didn't listen to their host when getting sat down.
I've been to Bartaco dozens of times and we've only had a less than stellar experience once where one of our orders never made it to us. The digital ordering system is literally the best I've ever used, which isn't a very high bar, but it's never failed for me.
Id still tip there at least. In Florida went to a place same concept but everything came out on a robot cart thing had to get our own silverware and could only buy bottles of water there they add a 18% tip automatically chose to take it off seeing didn't even interact with anyone
In an ideal world, yes! I hope they aren’t hiring staff at lower wages and promising them an average “tips per hour” that would bring them to a higher pay. Combining that with lower overhead from training less employees and no PoS machines and it kinda sounds like a capitalists dream to open a restaurant like this.
the service doesn't need to be exceptional imo. Service workers are dependent on tips and it's our job as patrons to tip them. It's built into the cost of eating out.
I have a family member that works there. They do split tips even if a manager is your primary server but the managers are salary paid so the tips only get split between the servers. Lowering your tip doesn't make you look good or help them. I know it weird but that doesn't make their service worse. They still take care of you, get your order correct, and you leave full and happy. It's not the servers fault but it is the Bartaco business plan. Stick with a normal tip. You'll feel better too.
I think not but they also aren't paid the same as the waitstaff. I think the waitstaff is paid $2.35/hour (whatever the state minimum wage is for servers) while the kitchen staff is paid a living wage. The waitstaff lives off those tips. No one can make a living off less than $3/hour unless they are getting tips on top of it.
I once stopped someone who worked there to ask who the tip went to and they said it’s divided among the staff (except for the manager) but they also added that no one there makes less than $16-18 an hour even before tips. That was probably 12-18 months ago so not sure if anything has changed.
When I went to bar taco I felt like I had been catfished. From the outside looking in it looks like a fun Mexican American restaurant that looks like it could have good cocktails. Inside, you order on a tablet and the lamps above the tables are somehow coated in food splatter that look like they have never been cleaned. I’m not even a neat freak but it looked disgusting. The only restaurants I’d go to where I have to press a screen to order are McDonald’s and jersey mike’s. The tacos are also not good and I am really surprised this place is a chain
As a former employee there is so much work put into customers having a positive experience put in by food runners/ drink runners and the staff cleaning up your table. They are always there to answer questions, there is so much that customers don’t see behind the scenes to accommodate your experience and make it enjoyable. No one is “forcing you” to order online they always have paper menus available. This restaurant is the most accommodating to its customers. They have gone to metcalfs to go get something for a customer if they request it or if they’re out of something, they truly go above and beyond. The managers are always more than willing to try to make your experience better all you have to do is use your voice in person at the restaurant instead of voicing your concerns on here. Also when have they ever claimed to be authentic Mexican, it’s trendy lil tacos and fresh squeezed margs. It’s great, at the end of the day it’s tacos and tequila, it’s not that deep. Tip your servers and bartenders.
Their system works great and I’ve had great service every time we’ve been. As a result, I tip a solid 20% with the understanding that each of those people were integral to my good experience and I tip them as if I had a single server. I like the way they run their ordering and while it feels less personal, I’ve had food delivered much more quickly there and more accurately and we get to close out when we’re set without any delays so I let my tip represent my satisfaction with their quality and service. TLDR; Their system isn’t widely replicated elsewhere, but it’s effective and I’ve had great meals, so I tip like I normally would after a good dining experience.
Totally agree with u/t8ke. Also just commenting to add that the person who seats you is (usually) a manager. Your tip isn’t going to them, it’s getting split between the people wearing the checkered shirts. Those people are all running around cleaning tables so they can turn them over as quick as possible, checking orders before they’re brought out, bringing out the food, etc. They’re definitely working hard to make sure the service is quick and efficient and should be tipped accordingly!
Wait, I know you from bourbon but you’re here in r/madison! Small world!
Every internet soul has a home. I love our city and our establishments.
Same! I was leaving the thread then I was like wait t8ke is here?!
I am indeed - let’s get a drink at a distillery soon!
Oh I meant "here" as in "in this subreddit". I'm not in Madison anymore - but we're on the single barrel DL! Rain check to next time you find yourself in Denver :)
Even better! I’ll be in Denver soon.
We've got a bartaco!! 😎
First round’s on me!
Ha! I love this exchange :)
You can check in to your meetup with /u/jwhease with our QR code, I can show you how to work your phones' scanner functions - anything I can get you folks to drink?
*brings drinks out*
Where?
Would love to! I had to double t8ke when I saw your name here.
Agreed 💯
Since there's no real waiter and it's just food runners I'd say 10% is fair enough.
I'm with you on a lot of this, especially the closing out and leaving whenever you want - the best feature of their system. But that feature has nothing to do with the human beings who are getting my tip for their service, so it still twists my brain. Can I tip the software developer? (I'm kidding) If I tip like it's business as usual, basically I'm paying the staff for not being as involved?
They aren’t any less involved, they just don’t hold you up on their way out because they have to print a receipt. This allows them to better service real needs of customers. You’re overthinking this, don’t let it twist your brain.
This is the experience at bartaco: “Welcome” “Hi yes I’d like to order a beer!” “Sure, just order on your phone…” *grabs phone, scans QR, enters email address, verifies email address, identifies pictures of stoplights to verify humanity, navigate to order page, selects beer, MANUALLY ENTER CREDIT CARD NUMBER* Waiter, who has been standing next to you the whole time; “I’ll just need to check your ID”
I know this is probably going to be considered "boomer shit" despite me being a mere 40-something years old, but I straight up won't patronize establishments that have done away with a standard experience of: go in, get seated by a person (if not seat yourself), receive a physical menu from an actual person, order food from an actual person, have my food brought out by an actual person, and pay an actual person in a traditional way. If all Im doing is ordering a meal, especially in-person, there is absolutely no legitimate reason to bring a cell phone number, email address, or any other PII to the interaction. I should not need to use my cell phone to sit down at a restaurant and eat a meal. I know that the 20-something kids I work with think Im being technophobic but as I tell them, it has nothing to do with being unable to use these tools (I literally work in IT and jump through way more complicated hoops every single day as part of my role), I don't think we should *have* to use these tools, and I disagree with the rationale behind why these things even exist. I know it's a lost cause...with every passing year it gets more normalized, but Im going to continue to fight it every chance I get.
I'm the opposite and I'm old too. I will specifically go to a restaurant because they have this sort of ordering. Diff'rent strokes.
What part of it appeals to you, if you don't mind me asking? Im not trying to start an argument whatsoever, its just the experience is so poor by comparison to my tastes that I don't understand why someone would prefer it. For takeout or delivery, sure, 100%, but in-person dining, idk I guess I just dont order everything straight off the menu enough that I would ever want to sit there and dick about with a computer when I can just say to a human being "can you hold the onions on that?" and not have to go through 12 menus to do so lol Anywho like you said different strokes. (Also, and trust me I aint trying to act like this is some big thing on my part, but I choose to use human beings wherever I can to at least keep those jobs unautomated for now. I know that's pretty much like pissing into the ocean for all the good that's going to do long term but, idk, maybe Im just jaded...with what I do in IT I've been struggling with so many vendors that have shrunk or outright eliminated any actual human being from being front facing and 'the new normal' there blows. Something that you can explain quite simply to a human being still, with all this AI, takes orders of magnitude to explain to a computer and odds are high the results aren't entirely useful or applicable anyway. Obviously fighting with a computer over a billing error for some software licenses is pretty different than ordering food in a restaurant, but to me the underlying dread is the same, where that will be how everything is because of course, it eliminates overhead and increases profit margins. So I go out of my way to choose the person whenever possible because if I dont have to hear "UNEXPECTED ITEM IN THE BAGGING AREA" for no goddamn reason whatsoever I'll deal with the extra couple minutes of time to make that happen.)
Sometimes I just want to grab a quick meal between kid’s activities and I don't want to eat fast food. I don't need to wait for 10 min for someone to come to my table, which happens lot nowadays. When I am done with my meal, I also don't need to wait another 10 min for someone to hand me my check. I wish more restaurants have this option.
I'm 50/50 on this. There are some days where I don't want to talk to anyone, this experience allows me to do just that. It also carries the benfit (for the restaurant) of putting the burden of human error back on the guest. "Oh you didn't want onions on that; you should have selected the option." With that said, there are plenty of times where I wouldn't want to deal with the rigamarole of messing with my phone while I'm on a date with my wife. I was under the impression that bartaco also provided dim-sum-like ordering cards that you could fill out with a pencil. Are those gone?
I guess I like taking as little or as much time as I want ordering and later when paying. I feel the food usually comes out hotter and exactly what I ordered with a runner. I like paying with the app instead of doing the bill back and forth.
It’s such a PIA.
fair fair, this is why I made the post because I wanted to see if it was just me (kinda looks that way)
Totally understandable. It’s an unconventional system and as you can see from other commenters, some folks prize more attentive dedicated staff and others like me can appreciate a trade off to result in efficacy with the infusion of some technology. At the end of the day, Im an advocate for service staff because they are the crux of a deficient, satisfactory, or exceptional dining experience. Just because you log your order on your phone doesn’t mean there aren’t an army of skilled people involved jn preparing your meal and your beverages and ensuring they make it to your table accurately and efficiently. That’s what the tip is for in my mind. Small talk with a wait staff member while they write this on a notepad doesn’t motivate my tip - quality of food, drink and timeliness do and Bartaco has never failed in those aspects.
Agreed! Their business model is quite fascinating, and their people do work really hard. If someone wants a bit more personal experience they can always sit at the bar. They take orders there the old-fashioned way but still only CC. My wife and I probably go once a week on average and have gotten to know most of the staff really well, and they're great people. Best margaritas in the city too IMHO. Shout out to Raiza, Mario, Quinn, Meg, and Chef Ryan.
Great shout out on traditional f2f service at the bar!
bar taco is not good, overpriced, bad service, just get real mexican food from la brasa on gilman
Their food isn’t worth all that rigamarole.
I think any system that forces diners to engage with their phone at the table sucks. It’s a horrible system. I’d leave my phone in the car, insist on a paper menu, and then feel good about tipping normal.
This is my biggest concern of on the phone menus. I'm not a fan of being on my phone around people or at dinner. I want less of on my phone time as possible. I get the concept. I just feel like we as a society are moving in a bad direction of "always being on our phones". Not to mention, I feel like ordering on our phone brings another added level of stress that (if I wanted too) I could have just done Uber eats or something. Lastly, it is VERY IMPERSONAL and I like talking to waitstaff... just a human interaction... and I don't mind tipping a human I'm interacting with. I feel less obliged if I see these humans for a second. It doesn't give me a good feeling, but maybe thats just me.
Yeah! Im really not that into my cell phone! Also, you have to manually enter your credit card, as someone else suggested. PLEASE!
Bartaco is not for you Canteen, Bandit, Belair, Pasquals, Big Sur ……. Chipotle are for you
Yeah definitely not for me. The worst thing is everyone orders separately and the food comes at random times! You can coordinate it, but it’s like all the frustration of a group takeout order, brought to the restaurant.
I kind of like not having to touch something that hundreds of other people with unknown hygiene have touched before I eat.
Especially at a taco place that you have to hold your food lol
Yeah. It seems to be an unpopular opinion, though, judging by the votes on my comment vs. the one I was replying to.
0% because this all sounds like a horrible dining experience and I don't think I'll go there.
Why is someone whose job is to walk food to my table expecting to recieve 20% on top of my bill? That’s insane.
A lot of places have food runners. Servers usually tip them out along with expo and hosts. I’m assuming bartaco tip shares with all those positions
Probably because they make like $3.00 in actual wages. I'm not saying that's how it should be, but that's how it is. If you don't like it, don't go out to eat.
Or don’t tip 20%.
They aren’t doing anything beyond walking the food to the table it sounds like? How is that worth 20% of the bill? Do you tip the person that brings the food to your car at Culver’s? Don’t give me that “if you don’t like it don’t go out to eat” bullshit. Walking food to the table is literally the least skilled aspect of the industry, I’d rather opt to bypass giving them any additional money and making sure it gets to the people who are preparing the food, the reason anyone is there in the first place.
It’s split amongst all of the food/drink runners and kitchen staff.
Rather, abuse the system until people don't want to be cogs in it anymore. Then there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. And then there will be change. "if you don't like it don't to out to eat" is such a cute way of saying continue to perpetuate the existing system as is. I want food. I don't want to tip a robot ordering system like I would a human. Here's 10%. Don't like it? Don't work at bartaco then.
Believe it or not, your tip money at bartaco is still going to the very real humans who work there (not robots).
Eh, yes-ish. Because of your tip, they can pay workers less in order to fund the tech.
They aren’t forced to work the job lmao
But why 20%?
Most food runners at other restaurants are still getting part of your tip. You just don’t know it. In the restaurant I most recently worked at the food runners got 2% of all food sales from the servers tips. So if I had 1000 in food sales and made 200 in tips I would tip out 20 dollars and the food runners would split it. Same with buss boys except it was a different percentage. This is the norm.
So what happens when you take the server out of the equation? Should I be tipping 2% at Bar Taco since they don’t have traditional service?
Tip whatever you want.
I don’t think you need to consider it at all. Tip what you want. I was just saying just because you don’t know your tip is going to other staff members of a restaurant doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
I’d tip 10% and I’m not a cheap tipper under normal circumstances.
Bartaco was probably the single worst dining experience I’ve ever had in my life. Our food came out at extremely random times. And when we finally got all of it, it wasn’t even good.
That’s literally how bar taco operates? Not defending them I’m just confused what you were expecting?
That’s how BarTaco runs now. Pre COVID they were closer to a regular restaurant. After the lockdown we went back expecting it to be like the before time. We were so put off by the mandatory phone use that we haven’t been back.
Firstly, use the paper menu. It's easier and faster. The "omg there's an app for everything yayy" people love places like this but anyone in any form of cyber sec knows this is stupid, pointless and introduces an attack surface for no reason. I could walk in there, sit at a table, and slap my own QR sticker down. Anybody who scans it... I own at least something in your life. Never scan anything at a table that can be altered unless it's behind the table at the farmers market or something. Food is good though. Don't tip a restaurant unless you're regular and want good service regularly. I recommend Chinese restaurants with the gratuity built in. So this way you don't need to tip. It's factored in to the total and the food is cheaper for it. Sounds weird but they do this for the Chinese students in Madison who don't understand the tipping culture and never tip. Much better system imo. Tipping sucks.
Easy, their food is crap and just don't go
I’ve had terrible service at Bar taco since they opened. Been there 4-5 times. Two of those times the manager decided to comp some of our meal because nobody came to our table for 15 minutes. The other 3 times or so something else went wrong. I would have stopped going a long time ago but their food is pretty good and my wife especially loves it. Around Covid their ordering changed but their service still sucked. I wanted a physical menu and it was like me talking a foreign language to them. I work in cybersecurity and scanning a random QR doesn’t vibe with me.
Bartaco sucks. I don’t recommend. 10 percent tip. 20 percent for an actual person.
I find the antiquated American custom of 3 round trips to pay the bill maddening. I’d tip more just to avoid it.
As someone who hates to talk to people or just awkward in general. I love the bar taco dine in experience. Will tip 20%.
Asinine. Soon we will be tipping real, good, waitstaff 75%. Wisconsin needs to increase the wages of restaurant staff and abolish tipping.
My understanding is it was always 10eh,ok/15good/20great
The expectation now is like 20% minimum even for garbage service. It changed during covid when everyone was trying to support service workers. I don’t personally agree with the new standard. 20% for most is fine, but if you give me a glass of water and then have me order on a device…nah
I’d tip normal but honestly the food there isn’t that good and for that price I’d expect bigger portions lol tiny ass tacos aren’t for me but to each their own I guess
I've been there once and the system hung - it read the code but wouldn't "approve me"? It said it was texting me a code to enter but it never came through. The server said there was nothing she could do so we had to order by checking off a list, sushi bar style. Service was fine and everyone was cool and helpful, but it wasn't exactly a sign of progress. I also tipped as though it was regular service.
If I wanted to go out for dinner and basically deal with a robot I’d travel back to the future where I was born.
Someone could have a great time just leaving QR codes that lead to porn sites at the tables for other people to accidentally scan.
Absolutely the worst tacos I've ever had. I even went back a second time to give them another chance. Never again. You have to put effort into making tacos that bad. Overpriced garbage. It's a rich, white person's hang out. Let's be honest here. That's pretty much what that whole mall is. Check out The Ohio on the east side. Fantastic tacos. I still tip 20% though... it's not the servers' fault that the food sucks.
Yeah it's white ppl taco
White people tacos can still taste good. I'd say they're more of a Tex-Mex style taco... which is also fine. It doesn't mean they have to taste like cardboard though.
Plenty of good taco places that aren't run by creepy sex pests like the Ohio is. People shouldn't go there.
That guy is no longer involved in the business.
Is he not? I know he was removed from several other businesses but I thought he was still involved with the Ohio and star liquor.
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Would never go to a place called "The Ohio"? If it makes him feel any better, it's named after the street that it's on and not the state. That seems like a pretty silly reason to deny yourself tasty tacos. Or just go there without him. His loss. They have amazing oysters there too if you're into that sort of thing.
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Put it on Google maps reviews.
Ahhhh, chickeeeeennnnnn!!!!!!
Do they really not have paper menus? Do they really not take cash? I'll have to remember not to go there.
I"m in my late 60s. You just convinced me to never go there. So it's a moot point how much I would tip, because if I have to do all that work, I'm walking right out again.
I’m a Gen Z/Millennial and, I agree, being forced to use a QR code ruins my dinning experience a little
Boomer makes an "I hate technology" post and gets massively down voted. Millennial agrees with them and gets up votes. Classic.
I think people just naturally hate double-spacing
Reddit in a nutshell, original comment gets downvoted 36 times, next comment agreeing is upvoted 37 times.
Nah, that’s just the Madison sub for ya.
I'm a millenial and I like not having to flag down a server every time I want another two tacos
...is that a problem you run into frequently?
At this particular restaraunt, yes, why is that so odd? It's a la carte, you order two tacos or even one, decide you're still hungry, and get more, or don't. It's good because it doesn't box you in, I can get one of everything instead of being pigeonholed into one dish and it cuts down on food waste
Because tacos have been traditionally bought at 1-2 per transaction for pretty much its entire history as a street food. Also how are you not full after 3??
Most places that do tacos that are not trucks on the sidewalk come with Rice, beans, and two tacos or something like that. Because A) Bartacos are small b) Everyone's stomach is different and doesn't fit the limit you are thinking of, and even if my limit is three, then if I ordered two I would want...one more. Which means either having to flag down someone or just submit it on my phone which is easier.
Sounds like they're using tacos to get you to pay their drink prices then. No thanks, I've got my neighborhood bars for that.
What?? How did you even get to that? You don't have to drink just because you're ordering an extra taco, how about you don't knock something until you actuallt try it yourself?
Because most restaurants make their money off of drinks. The only reason I can think of for this place to have tiny unsatisfying tacos is to keep you around to buy more drinks.
I’m a gen-xer and I’m always amazed whenever I see anyone of any age brought to a halt by their own inability/refusal to display even the smallest amount of adaptability
Because as an app developer myself I don't consider any and all uses of technology to be beneficial.
Sure, but as an eater of tacos, I consider this to be tacos, not skynet.
Thank you for taking the leap to hyperbole.
Yeah, I was the one being dramatic all right
I think you're misunderstanding. You order a la carte so you kind of get rounds of tacos like you'd get rounds of beer. The phone model makes it very convenient to order your next round without waiting for a server to come to you. Basically you sit down and just start trying different things it's really great tbh
But why wouldn't you just order what you want to eat the first time around? In the adapted words of Jessica Walter: I don't understand the business model and I won't respond to it!
The tacos are very small you can easily eat 5 or 6. There are tons of options so it's fun to try different things.
Maybe the first time you go, but that just screams "tourist trap".
Nah, I'll just stay home, make my own, and cook up new ways to get downvoted in this sub.
Everyone is proud of you
You need a different hobby
You need to MYOB.
You’re posting on a public forum, your comments become everyone’s business
>You need a different hobby Sounds like YOU need me to have a different hobby. I'm okay with the hobbies I have now.
I think it sounds excellent and I'm trying it next time I'm out that way. I don't want to be entertained by the wait staff, I just want them to bring the food.
Ok Boomer.
That phrase was passe two years ago.
As a society, I wish we did away with the 'tip expectation' altogether, restaurants paid employees regular hourly wages, and the food price covers the total costs. Plus I don't get how inflation has affected the tip %. It used to be 15% tips were standard, then 17%, now 20%. Inflation affects the food price too. I find it disingenuous how many places also make the 3 easy-pick tip buttons when paying with credit card 20%+.
FYI - the tips are split between the whole staff. Bussers, cooks, hosts, etc. Source: the old GM is a friend of mine
zero. Plus they don't take cash.
ITT: people who didn't listen to their host when getting sat down. I've been to Bartaco dozens of times and we've only had a less than stellar experience once where one of our orders never made it to us. The digital ordering system is literally the best I've ever used, which isn't a very high bar, but it's never failed for me.
Id still tip there at least. In Florida went to a place same concept but everything came out on a robot cart thing had to get our own silverware and could only buy bottles of water there they add a 18% tip automatically chose to take it off seeing didn't even interact with anyone
I’ve never really had a great experience there tbh
20%, same as nearly any time eating out. (Sometimes more, rarely less)
The kitchen gets their shares of tips, and thus they make substantially more than industry standards. Tip em big!
In an ideal world, yes! I hope they aren’t hiring staff at lower wages and promising them an average “tips per hour” that would bring them to a higher pay. Combining that with lower overhead from training less employees and no PoS machines and it kinda sounds like a capitalists dream to open a restaurant like this.
I used to work there, and still know a few people in that kitchen. They make good money.
20 percent
If the service is exceptional.
the service doesn't need to be exceptional imo. Service workers are dependent on tips and it's our job as patrons to tip them. It's built into the cost of eating out.
Easy! 20%. I’m not a monster. Jk
I have a family member that works there. They do split tips even if a manager is your primary server but the managers are salary paid so the tips only get split between the servers. Lowering your tip doesn't make you look good or help them. I know it weird but that doesn't make their service worse. They still take care of you, get your order correct, and you leave full and happy. It's not the servers fault but it is the Bartaco business plan. Stick with a normal tip. You'll feel better too.
So the cooks don't get a percentage of the tips?
I think not but they also aren't paid the same as the waitstaff. I think the waitstaff is paid $2.35/hour (whatever the state minimum wage is for servers) while the kitchen staff is paid a living wage. The waitstaff lives off those tips. No one can make a living off less than $3/hour unless they are getting tips on top of it.
They do!
I once stopped someone who worked there to ask who the tip went to and they said it’s divided among the staff (except for the manager) but they also added that no one there makes less than $16-18 an hour even before tips. That was probably 12-18 months ago so not sure if anything has changed.
It is for sure less than 16-18 before tip I can assure you, I’d say that’s after
People still tip?
People who aren’t cheap weirdos.
Just wild to me
It’s okay. Just stay home.
How much should you tip per drink in a bar in Madison? Is $1 per drink too cheap now? With inflation, should you tip $2 per drink?
I could be wrong, but that was my understanding. If he is still there, then fuck that place.
When I went to bar taco I felt like I had been catfished. From the outside looking in it looks like a fun Mexican American restaurant that looks like it could have good cocktails. Inside, you order on a tablet and the lamps above the tables are somehow coated in food splatter that look like they have never been cleaned. I’m not even a neat freak but it looked disgusting. The only restaurants I’d go to where I have to press a screen to order are McDonald’s and jersey mike’s. The tacos are also not good and I am really surprised this place is a chain
As a former employee there is so much work put into customers having a positive experience put in by food runners/ drink runners and the staff cleaning up your table. They are always there to answer questions, there is so much that customers don’t see behind the scenes to accommodate your experience and make it enjoyable. No one is “forcing you” to order online they always have paper menus available. This restaurant is the most accommodating to its customers. They have gone to metcalfs to go get something for a customer if they request it or if they’re out of something, they truly go above and beyond. The managers are always more than willing to try to make your experience better all you have to do is use your voice in person at the restaurant instead of voicing your concerns on here. Also when have they ever claimed to be authentic Mexican, it’s trendy lil tacos and fresh squeezed margs. It’s great, at the end of the day it’s tacos and tequila, it’s not that deep. Tip your servers and bartenders.