The Eleanor (formerly Rockford)

[kevinpate]

Is there any particular radius their comp ride/driver operates within?

[Pete]

I didn't see this mentioned anywhere and the Californian in me still takes this for granted, but the bar is completely non-smoking.

[Canoe]

Hang on...you mean women actually go to such a place? But...the marketing...I just assumed it would be an abject failure based on all of the complaining.

I can confirm the precense of women.

The place had a good feel to it. If you have a large group and want a living room then you will need to get there early.

[Urbanized]

Yeah, when I've been to the place there have been at least as many women as men, if not more. Seems the concerns were overblown.

[AP]

You can act like people said it would be a failure all you want though you know that's not true. The only concern was some really objectifying marketing which was in poor taste. No one said it would be a failure.

[Urbanized]

Oh, please. The sarcasm on my part was obvious. No need to be so literal. My point is that probably 1/3 of the posts in this thread were fretting over the marketing, yet the place is NOT tacky, is jam-packed and obviously women feel quite comfortable there. The worry was overblown.

[Paseofreak]

PC or not, i know of many women (some of whom work there) that have lustfully indulged in the referenced objectification.

[jrod]

You can act like people said it would be a failure all you want though you know that's not true. The only concern was some really objectifying marketing which was in poor taste. No one said it would be a failure.

Taste is most certainly a matter of opinion.

[Pete]

The marketing has obviously worked very, very well.

The place is barely open and was absolutely raging all weekend.

Given the large number of good choices in OKC these days, that's no small accomplishment. Compare it to other openings in town, including places that have become very popular. I can't remember a place that came out of the gates so fast.

[Bullbear]

Went Saturday night. Really love the décor but I do think more shag rugs could help the sound in there. same problem Grandads had with live music is also a problem when the bar is busy it can very very loud and not in a good way. That echo sound can get annoying.
we had LIT's and wasn't impressed. I don't know how you can make a weak LIT but they managed to do so. it tasted like pure Sweet and sour mix.
for a 10.00 cocktail it should be a stout LIT.
we will go back again for drinks and try some other cocktails we were just stopping in to check things out.

[Uptowner]

My tab had some interesting tax on it. The drinks tab came to an even number, and the prices were bizarre, like 5.79 or 4.46 So I'm assuming it's tax inclusive prices but with the math done on the check instead of invisible like most bars. The tax didn't seem like the full OKC, OK 21.5% on the dollar tax either. Maybe just city/county sales? When I say most bars: I mean taverns, clubs, places whose #1 income is booze. You walk into a bar and order a $5 beer it's $5. You walk into a Louie's or order at the bar from a restaurant it's a $5 beer with a walk away price of $6.08

Which begs the question. Should the consumer be paying the tax or the provider? Obviously it gets built into the price one way or another. But I get especially frustrated to buy a bottle of wine at a restaurant and think "hmm $40 is a good price for that." WRONG it's actually $50 and am I supposed to tip on the tax? Because I tip according to my $5 beer I bought in the bar that had the tax included. Which is actually a $3.85 beer because the state of Oklahoma charges and insane 13.5% liquor tax after sales. Don't get me started on the grocery tax...

[Teo9969]

My tab had some interesting tax on it. The drinks tab came to an even number, and the prices were bizarre, like 5.79 or 4.46 So I'm assuming it's tax inclusive prices but with the math done on the check instead of invisible like most bars. The tax didn't seem like the full OKC, OK 21.5% on the dollar tax either. Maybe just city/county sales? When I say most bars: I mean taverns, clubs, places whose #1 income is booze. You walk into a bar and order a $5 beer it's $5. You walk into a Louie's or order at the bar from a restaurant it's a $5 beer with a walk away price of $6.08

Which begs the question. Should the consumer be paying the tax or the provider? Obviously it gets built into the price one way or another. But I get especially frustrated to buy a bottle of wine at a restaurant and think "hmm $40 is a good price for that." WRONG it's actually $50 and am I supposed to tip on the tax? Because I tip according to my $5 beer I bought in the bar that had the tax included. Which is actually a $3.85 beer because the state of Oklahoma charges and insane 13.5% liquor tax after sales. Don't get me started on the grocery tax...

Legally, restaurants and bars are supposed to include the liquor tax in their advertised prices. This guy a few years ago (was trying to?) put together a law-suit against a plethora of establishments who did not include the liquor tax in their prices. It seems to me that many establishments do not include that liquor tax in their prices, so much so that I never assume that it's included. If you're going to spend a lot of money on alcohol, it's certainly worth asking the server if their advertised prices include the tax.

Servers/bartenders "expect" 20% on the bolded "Total" line at the end of your itemized receipt. And by expect, I realistically mean hope for, because they learn pretty quickly that tips are impossibly arbitrary.

[HangryHippo]

Legally, restaurants and bars are supposed to include the liquor tax in their advertised prices. This guy a few years ago (was trying to?) put together a law-suit against a plethora of establishments who did not include the liquor tax in their prices. It seems to me that many establishments do not include that liquor tax in their prices, so much so that I never assume that it's included. If you're going to spend a lot of money on alcohol, it's certainly worth asking the server if their advertised prices include the tax.

Servers/bartenders "expect" 20% on the bolded "Total" line at the end of your itemized receipt. And by expect, I realistically mean hope for, because they learn pretty quickly that tips are impossibly arbitrary.

Do most OKCTalkers tip on the bolded "Total" line that includes the tax?

[bradh]

Do most OKCTalkers tip on the bolded "Total" line that includes the tax?

I do

[AP]

So do I.

[shawnw]

Same

[Paseofreak]

That or at least a buck a beer.

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^
Same as all above. 20%-ish of total including tax, or a buck or two per beverage on drinks that are $5 or less each.

[catch22]

I tip on the total if I order food, if I am only ordering drinks I tip $1 per drink. Unless I am camping out by myself on a busy night and hogging real estate, I may tip up to $5 per hour rent plus $1 per drink.

[ctchandler]

With good service 20%, but with excellent service, 30%.
C. T.

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^^
Agree with that, too.

[PhiAlpha]

At the Rockford right now. This place is great! -End detailed review.

[bradh]

I tip on the total if I order food, if I am only ordering drinks I tip $1 per drink. Unless I am camping out by myself on a busy night and hogging real estate, I may tip up to $5 per hour rent plus $1 per drink.

good practice

[Uptowner]

That or at least a buck a beer.

That's where it gets weird with alcohol. It takes the same effort to pour a $4 whiskey as it does a $40 one. The same could be said for a hamburger vs. prime steak but in bars it's a bit different I think.

[Teo9969]

That's where it gets weird with alcohol. It takes the same effort to pour a $4 whiskey as it does a $40 one. The same could be said for a hamburger vs. prime steak but in bars it's a bit different I think.

Knowledge is worth something as well. Serving/Bartending is not something you can just wake and do some day at any restaurant/bar, but especially high-end restaurants/bars. It's not rocket science by any means, but neither are probably 75%+ of careers out there.

It may take the bartender the same effort to pour MacAllan 12 year as Balvenie 21 year, but it has taken that bartender a long time to be able to talk to you about both products and help you make the selection that is best for you. A server at a high-end restaurant has worked a lot of shifts over time to learn how to tell when you want service, when you want to be left alone, how to talk through a menu without ruining the ambience (imagine your average Chili's server spending 2 to 3 minutes talking tell you about features at Mickey Mantle's).

Is the physical effort the same, possibly. Maybe even less so. But it's taken years to gain the finesse to be able to deliver an experience at a high level.

Lastly…most servers/bartenders understand if a table is spending massive amounts on alcohol on any given tab, that 20% probably shouldn't be assumed. Most servers don't expect $200 on a $1000 bottle of wine. It's great when it happens, and if you're ordering a $1000 bottle of wine, you clearly need the extra $200 far less than the server, but it's your money, and if you want to be frugal and tip $100 instead of $200, it's not the end of the world.