 Kate Krader (@kkrader on Twitter) is Food & Wine's restaurant editor. When she tells us where to find our culinary heart's desire, we listen up. A few weeks ago I was sitting at a bar when they announced last call. Service stopped. Twenty minutes later, two bartenders I know came rolling in. “Oh, man, the bar is closed,” I said. “Last call doesn’t apply to bartenders,” my friend replied. Sure enough, the guy behind the bar sprang into action for them. Lynnette Marrero: The wrong way is snapping your fingers, yelling or any other disruptive activity. The people who stand out are the ones who look ready to order, and have their card out ready to start their tab. Ivy Mix: Smile and try to make eye contact. Do not whistle or wave your hands over your head like a lunatic. The calm person who looks nice and smiles is surely going to get better service than that impatient anxious guy who just needs his drink! Caitlin Laman: Be nice. We are likely overworked and under-slept. Additionally, anyone that makes me laugh heartily gets serious points. Mix: Just be nice and accommodating. And—talk to us! In the age of the smartphone, it’s become a rather lonely job, where people at the bar just stare into their LCD screens. If anybody starts chatting—about anything—at my bar, to me, it makes my day. What’s the best thing to order in a fancy bar so you don’t sound like an idiot? Laman: A daiquiri or gimlet if you want something citrusy and slightly refreshing. An old-fashioned, Manhattan or Negroni if you want something boozy and slow-sipping. These are great, go-to classic cocktails that bartenders love to make. But don’t be afraid to order beer or wine at a cocktail bar. Relax, and drink what you want. What’s the best thing to order in a dive bar, besides beer? Marrero: I order a gin and soda with extra limes (or lemons, during the lime crisis). What do you do if you don’t like your drink? Laman: I may get some flack from my peers here, but you shouldn’t drink it. In San Francisco, you pay anywhere from $9 to $13 for a cocktail; in New York City, up to $20. You should enjoy your drink. That said, don’t just blindly order. Ask us what we think you’ll like—that’s what we’re here for. We want you to come back and hang with us (provided you were nice); you’re less likely to do that if you’re paying for a cocktail that you don’t want to drink. More from Food & Wine: Previously: © 2011 American Express Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved. 
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Learned a lot about this. I will try to follow. But I dont know how I behave when I am drunk too much.. hahaha..
Stupid article!!!
Be ready to order and pay!!!!!!!!!
If the bartender is male and you are a beautiful female you will be attended to first……….everyone else will wait!
If the bartender is female and you are an attractive and polite male you will be attended to first………everyone else will wait!!!
And that's the truth!!!!!!!
Her answers were way off! How do you get the bartenders attention? Put your money in the air. Big misconception, bartenders don't want to be your friend but they might be your buddy. Dive bar is not a good term, most neighborhood bars are frequented by regulars who take care of their bartenders. Jason hit it on the head, don't flirt and TIP!!!
All of their answers were WRONG. New York. Tip. NEVER ask what they like (or worse "What's good?"). TIP a LOT. Do not waste their time and yours flirting/trying to make them laugh. TIP A LOT. A DAQUIRI? Order 2 ingredient drinks MAX (Vodka Soda, Gin and Tonic, Rum and Coke). TIP A LOT.
You're a bartender. In New York. And you want tips.
I'll order what I like, and tip according to the service rendered. Sorry but I'm the customer and the bartender is there to serve me, not the other way around. Don't like that? I'll take my money elsewhere.
"I'll take my money elsewhere"
And that's just exactly what you'll need to do with a slightly arrogant attitude like you have. You'll spend more money AND time in covercharge/parking/fuel than simply waiting and knowing precisely what you want...
Yeah...if I'm going to tip a LOT, then I am going to ask for the drink of my choosing even if it exceeds 2 ingredients. I certainly would be aware of situations where the bartender might have a line wrapped around the bar, but if it's just me in line or maybe one or two people behind me, then a multi-ingredient cocktail is not out of the question or unreasonable. What do you want, a $10 tip for throwing a shot of vodka in with a glass of cranberry juice? Get over it already.
Sot and a beer in a dive bar. Depending the selection, maybe a vodka on the rocks with a piece of lemon.
Manhattan where you think they could make a good one.
Asking a bartender what I should drink is counter intuitive. Shows them you're a dummy.
So how do you get "treated like a bartender" and served after last call? I thought that was the point of the article...
Gin-n-juice.
Nice read, thank you. The dive bars I've been to serve draft beer and simple shots.
Common misconception: dive bar = hole in the wall. Such is not the case.
I would include hole-in-the-wall bars as a part of the dive bar category. From urban dictionary: A well-worn, unglamorous bar, often serving a cheap, simple selection of drinks to a regular clientele.
Gin & soda and a white wine spritzer in a "dive" bar? I'd bet $200 neither of these two have ever been in a real dive bar.
Any of the "dive" bars around me are no place to order wine. It's tough to find a dive without an open bottle collecting dust for a few weeks. You don't want 'that' glass of wine.
IF YOU ORDER A DAQUIRI AT ANY BAR YOU ARE A JERK. #BARTENDERLAW101
I go to a "dive" bar. My local VFW. Finest kind of people there. Don't order anything fancy. Most patrons drink beer. Me I like Bourbon and 7 $2.5. Beer on tap is $2, bottle (no cans) beer $2.5, Top shelf $3.25 to $6 depending. My VFW has a local liqueur license so the public is welcome. It is truly a place where "Everybody knows your name."
White wine spritzer or gin in a dive bar? I think my definition of dive bar and their definitions are two different things. Any dive bar I've been to, either of those things would get you at best a very quizzical look, and at worst get you laughed out of the place...