The Hog Wallow Pub

06/25/09

Bartender "Michelle" How to make a single girl feel Welcome!

by Mashugi at Citysearch

Hog's Wallow Pub is a the type of Pub you only dream was near you. Any age always feels welcome, as the crowd is always a well diverse mix of individuals. You can feel comfortable coming right after work in a more professional attire or wearing a t-shirt,shorts and flip-flops. No one cares but everyone is happy to see you. There are a varied of bands and a patio that has great shade with cooling mist to keep you cool on Utah's Hottest Days.

I personally have always love this hidden away pub at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon.

I have had a membership for two or three years and sometimes go infrequently. I recently went and sat at the bar alone to my pleasant surprise the Bartender "Michelle" looked at me and said "chicken pesto pizza?" with a smile. I had already received my beer from another bartender. But was TOTALLY amazed and impressed that the Bartender remember what I like to order. As I would not be classified as a "regular" at all. I can say that made an impression on me, for someone who deals with numerous individuals I did not expect that. What a way to make a person feel welcome. Thanks, for being a kickass place to hang, that even a single girl doesn't mind going there a lone for a bit of her favorite "Chicken Pesto Pizza & Beer."

• Pros: Patio, Bands, and come as you are attitude......
• Cons: None

06/19/09

Disappointed

by KK13 at Citysearch

Had heard The Hog Wallow has the best patio around. Read the reviews commenting about the lack of service, rudeness of staff, etc...but figured, you have to give the benefit of the doubt...maybe it was an off night. Hate to admit, must be a lot of off nights, versus on nights. We got our first drinks within 15 minutes of sitting down...never saw our waitress again, and we were there for an hour and a half. Had to actually go to the bar to ask to close out our tab...which only consisted of one drink each...the bartender was flat out rude. Our cc receipt was brought to us, without any comments...no apology for the rudeness, etc...not a peep!

Have to agree with previous posters...great place, great potential...needs some major personnel changes or more appropriately, attitude adjustments.

Don't think we'll be back.

• Pros: Patio
• Cons: Terrible service, rude staff

05/22/09

Great Bar, Terrible Service!!!

by riderpoet at Citysearch

I hadn't been here in about a year, and when my girlfriend and I were there a week ago, I remembered why.

How, how, how is it possible to own one of the coolest bars in Utah and yet have employees who do such a @#$%tty job of waiting on tables and pouring drinks? You would think that with the employment crunch, the owner could find some bartenders and waitresses who know how to hustle, or at least know how to appear life-like!

Our waitress was sweet and friendly, but she also seemed to be the only one handling about 15 tables. This being the case, you would think she would be ever-present, hustling back and forth. But instead, she managed to disappear for endless stretches of time. I could see other people at other tables looking around, all with that same expression on their faces that said, "Where the @#$% is she?"

As for the bar staff, in years past it seemed that the owner hired girls for their hotness, and just kept his fingers crossed that they could manage to get a stream of draft beer into one glass every five minutes.

There has definitely been a change: now, he hires average-looking girls and apparently his prime requirements for bar staff are that they:

1. Be almost unable to see customers.

2. Have zero "refill radar" with tab customers.

3. Be completely blind to $20 bills being waved at them.

4. Have no people skills and zero personality.

5. Be unable to do more than fumble slowly with one glass under a tap at a time.

HOLY @#$%, the money I could make if I owned this place! With the kind of smart, hustling, talented bar staff that I've seen in action in clubs where someone actually has a clue, and with waitresses that ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO WAIT ON TABLES, I could turn the Hog Wallow into the best @#$%ing bar in Utah!

But I guess that slow, blind, stuck-up girls have to work somewhere, and in SLC they bartend at the Hog Wallow. Maybe someday a new owner will come in and turn that place into the bar it is just crying out to be.

As it stands, though, the Hog Wallow feels like a place where the business plan is to sell as little food and as few drinks as possible, and it has felt that way for years.

• Pros: Atmosphere, live bands, patio, menu
• Cons: Almost nonexistent waitresses and rude, slow bar staff