06/25/09

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

by Mashugi

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

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

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

09/07/08

Hmm..

by e_r_i_k_a

Always go when Remedy Motel plays since they are my favorite band. I wish they would start playing somewhere else (or just playing at all lately). The atmosphere would be a lot better if they didn't allow smoking. I realize it is a bar and generally don't mind the smoke much, but there is NO ventilation in this place. The bar staff is pretty rude. I had Jordan spray beer all over me one night and couldn't even apologize.. he just looked away. They need servers also when they have busy nights!! Then you would have to push and shove for 20+ minutes to order a drink.

• Pros: Outdoor patio, good music, door guys are pretty nice
• Cons: No ventilation, rude bar staff, lack of servers..

08/13/08

Catch Soggy Bone at Hog Wallow!

by bigbartg

If you are looking to get away from the downtown bar scene for a taste of local SLC living Hog Wallow is a great place. If you don't want to fight the crowds, go in around 7pm and get your seat. Music starts around 9:30 on most nights. My friends love going there to see Soggy Bone, a local alt reggae band making their rounds on the SLC music scene. Look them up and check them out at Hog Wallow for an unforgettable night of music and drinks! The patio is another great reason to visit the Wallow. Order drinks in advance to avoid long waits. Check out Soggy Bone at soggybonedotcom or on myspace.

• Pros: best patio, chill local bands, Soggy Bone jams monthly, pool
• Cons: slow drink service

06/11/08

Cool Patio

by uhno

For my first time to this establishment, I did not like it and I also had a run in with the squirly little bouncer named Jeff. Make sure you ask before you attempt to leave and reenter and make sure you have a good excuse lined up (even thought it is none of their business). I've been told that a getting a cell phone or car keys are good excuses to give the bouncer for consideration for "re-entry". There is the rule of no "re-entry" between the bouncers, but there might be consideration. I think you need to flirt in order for this to happen and it's funny-the bouncer will not give you an excuse as to why there is no "re-entry".

The patio is really nice, but the service is a nightmare. Is it possible to know what you want to eat if you've never be to this place and have not seen a menu? Well when you get a server who has a bad attitude from the beginning, brings 4 plates and 3 napkins for a party of eight you know you're being treating like a piece of gum stuck to someones shoe; inconvenient. The band was great and it seemed like the patrons generally have a good time, but the employees do not.

• Pros: outdoor patio
• Cons: Service and bouncers

06/08/08

Unbelievable! Worst Bar EVER!

by lanza1011

This is the second time I've given the Hog Wallow a chance after my first, bad experience as I thought it might have just been a bad night. Shame on me! The door guys were absolute JERKS, especially the little guy, Jeff, who thinks he's tough. We are nice people who tip well and are respectful, but something about these people made me want to throw an elbow in their faces. The service is HORRIBLE and nothing that is asked for ever gets delivered. Everyone is rude and they have this attitude like they don't need you or your money in there. I went inside & politely asked, after sitting outside for 15-20 minutes and not seeing any wait staff, if there was a waiter on duty & I got snapped at by all the bartenders. We ended up mostly (not the entire night to be fair) serving ourselves that evening. We had a table of 8 and got 1 water, 4 plates and 4 napkins. No refills on my watery cup of coffee either (it was cold out on the patio). The waitress comes over to take our order and acts all put out by it. Gee I don't know what we'd like, we don't have any menus! So we asked for menus and she brings us 2 for a table of 8! OH by the way, forget getting anything to eat after 9pm on a weekend, the kitchen is CLOSED! WTF is up with that?!?! Tough guy Jeff got lippy as sh** with my sweet sister when she asked if she could go out and come back in (she had to get something out of our car because we were leaving) and that's when I wanted to just lay his a** OUT! That's a no, by the way. No reentry. He was a real a-hole about it. I'm sure none of them have ever heard the term "you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar." Note to Jeff (and other nasty staff), backhand yourselves...HARD...because I and anyone else I know will NOT be back to your establishment to do it ourselves but it's what you deserve for being a punk to everyone.

12/05/07

great patio hard to get a drink

by 2hot

its got the best outside patio in utah very romantic beer flows freely at the hog and so does its patrons. scott does a great job keeping you supplied never and empty glass here here!! they make a descent pizza for the money live music with a local flare if thats what you like way to country for this city girl

• Pros: best Patio
• Cons: poor service fellow customers not my style

08/26/07

Always an adventure ...

by sfc2007

If you like music and you like a relaxing place to go, this is it. Hidden in Old Mill area, it's a bit out of the way, but definitely a Utah tradition. It will be crowded if you go on the weekend, and you are likely to run into a strange combination of patrons ... everything from college students to grandpa types. Too bad there's only one fireplace. It could be pretty romantic but the place is always so jammin' you cannot have a decent conversation. Also - the women's bathrooms are decent for a place of this size and type. The outside patio has its own special ambiance.

• Pros: music
• Cons: waitresses

08/23/07

Avoid jerks at the door

by granitelocal

This is a membership required bar, which I have paid even though I have not been there for several months. I walked up on a Wednesday night at eleven pm and saw no one at the door. There was live music, which is why I came. As I started to walk in a guy that had been talking a woman at my left said something to me. I said, "What?"

"Are you going to pay the cover?" He was right in my face. This little guy. I walked to the right to comply with the cover charge and pay $4.00 cover. This little guy, was right in my face and I said, "You know you have really bad breath (he did, it smelt of beer and dead beer. It was really disgusting).

He said, "I don't like your attitude, you are out of here." I said, "What?"

I left, but I stood outside at about 20 yards unbelieving what this little guy had just done.

I saw one of his friend walk up and he gave a big hug to and let walk in, no ID check.

The chick that he was talking to walked up and he bragged about how he kicked me out because I said he stunk.

This place is disgusting. What you expect in Utah. They can't get real people to run the bars so they get jerks like this.