Scofflaw Judge Sneaks Martini

June 16, 2015

in Diner Stories

A federal judge walks into a restaurant with a martini… Wait, that’s not a joke, that happened the other night. Not only is it a violation of my liquor license, it’s just gauche.

I’m a manager and tried to unobtrusively and politely pull the drink without causing a scene, all while explaining that it was a violation of our liquor license and I couldn’t allow this guest to keep the martini he had dumped into his wine glass. This is the email we got:

“We had a very nice dinner Wednesday night celebrating our 36th anniversary. But I thought you would like to know that the manager was extremely rude to us. We exited the limo and our best man had not finished his martini. So he carried it into the restaurant. The hostess said she would have to speak to the manager. He stormed over to the table and scooped up the drink with nary a word. Our friend was no ordinary scofflaw but a federal judge who has just lost his wife. Most restaurants allow wine to be brought in. I think this could have been handled in a more gracious fashion. As I said, we did not allow it to tarnish our evening. Thought you would want to know.”

In reality this “judge” was trying to hide his martini on the floor. If anyone should know better, you’d think it was him, except for his sense of entitlement.

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

reader June 17, 2015 at 9:37 am

Sounds like another "case of the entitled customer" — he can't do what he wants so he pulls the "do you know who I am" story. I doubt the truth of the customer's story.

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RedHead0186 June 18, 2015 at 12:31 pm

I don't see what him being a federal judge has to do with anything, other than trying to pull rank. Sure, some (I wouldn't say most, though it could depend on what city this was) allow wine in, but one should ask first and if it's not, then it's not, and that's the law. Entitled, for sure.

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Amber May 9, 2016 at 11:40 am

Even if they allow you to bring in your own wine, it likely has to remain corked until inside the restaurant, where they uncork for you. There are open liquor laws and walking into a restaurant with a drink in hand would violate all open liquor laws. Unless this was Vegas, walking around with an open drink is illegal.

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Gregg - admin May 9, 2016 at 3:35 pm

Open containers are also allowed on the streets of New Orleans and in the Historic District of Savannah.

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