11/02/09

Great experience.

by JoshMosh

I am very satisfied with the bartender training I received here and after jumping through hoops to find a reputable school, I feel confident in my ability to do the job (not that I didn't know a ton of drinks anyway).

A shout to everyone over there slingin' drinks and fillin' sinks!

You guys rock.

• Pros: Got what I expected, no less.
• Cons: Sometimes very busy.

10/26/09

Thanks to everyone! I'm w-o-r-k-i-n-g!!!!!!

by Desiree11

I went to three schools that popped up on the Internet and of the three, I chose to attend American.

Joe and Howard are great mentors and I was thrilled to get a private party from Lisa V. the Monday after I graduated (I made $35.00 an hour for a six hour party + tip jar). Everything that I was told during the class was accurate, I was relayed a treasure trove of info about the trade and I was treated very well.

In New York City, that is a lot to ask for, even from a school!

I am proud to announce my Wed. Thur. Fri. bartending position at BLT Prime.

Another great bunch of people to thank (that's for another review;)

Thanks to American Bartenders staff for doing the right thing and having genuine concern for the students that attend the school.

Keep doing what you're doing!

You are the best.

• Pros: great staff, beautiful new bars, made friends here
• Cons: I had to pay! (Only kidding)

10/26/09

An exemplary education for what you spend.

by Guiffredo

I really didn't know what to expect when I decided to go to bartending school. What I did know was that I needed a job fast and what you see on the Internet and what you see in person when you go to visit some of the schools out there is very different.

American Bartenders School was the one that I chose to pay for because it made the most sense and everything was available to be seen when I visited. I didn't feel pushed to make an immediate decision and they even gave me a bunch of information to take home. So many places I checked out were so suspicious and reluctant to give me a brochure.

Why? I still can't figure it out. One place I went, you couldn't even tell it was a school and I basically had to do cartwheels around the lobby to be noticed! The classroom at American Bartenders is not hidden from view, it was filled with about 25 students working and none of the other schools that I visited looked like that. The front lobby area had 10 or more people waiting to be seen for enrollment.On the Net, it seemed that American Bartenders received the most impressive media attention of any bartender school and had a high ranking for reliability.

I visited other schools that were obviously a rip off. What do you expect from a school that tries to suck you into the program sight unseen for such a low dollar amount? And by phone? Give me a break!

I may not have been born in the U.S., but that doesn't mean that I am stupid or should be treated differently than others. I am very aware of a hustle when I see one! I have a PHD in my country, but chose to live in the U.S. with the rest of my family.

After all the research, I was elated when I finished American Bartenders School and got a job in an Italian Restaurant in Little Italy. The restaurant is busy and turns tables every 35 minutes or so. I made $560 my first week on the job. I was thrilled! I promised I would write a review for them at the school because the staff was so nice to me and I feel I owe them compliments.

The school did everything that they said they would do. It took a few weeks for me to get a job, but I did not dedicate as much time to looking as I should have. I am studying to be a medical doctor at NYU and it is a tight schedule.

For me, no regrets.

I guess you get what you pay for.

Thanks to my Instructors and a wish you all the best.

• Pros: On-point Instructors, proactive job placement.
• Cons: None so far.

06/24/09

Disregard the Statment below

by Misterniceguii

I believe it's better to have an actual review from a person who graduated and is not overly-judgmental and takes observations and then conclude.

The price is expensive, but I'm glad I paid for it since I've made the money back. I agree when I first entered, I was a tad concerned, the place was rather sketchy looking. The teachers weren't the most classy people ever, but, come on, it's a bar, what do you expect?

The education I got there puts me above many of the other bartender's I know, some who have been working for about 15 years.

Judge people for the education they give, what you learn. I now know all the major drinks by heart, and if someone were to stop and ask me for a drink, I could tell them the exact ingredients down to the ounce. The only complaint some might have are the mnemonic devices are somewhat dirty.

They give a full course on understanding and knowing the law, how to prevent trouble, and how to be a responsible bartender. Furthermore, they teach great customer service and interview skills.

Many bars prefer to only hire from American Bartending School, which easily got me a job using their website. New York is filled with offers.

This is not a fake review, to think so is just paranoia, I'm just an 18 year old who needed money to pay off a guitar debt. I'm paying it really fast now :)

Oh and when they say slots are filling up, if they like you (from the interview) they'll take you, so take your time for your timeslot.

• Pros: Full License, job placement, and an priority advantage
• Cons: Mild immaturity, I guess

05/06/09

Oh hell no

by kellosphere

Yeah, this place was pretty skeezy. I mean, the classes looked good enough from the couple of minutes I was able to observe... But the other reviews are spot on about their pushy sales techniques. I really really disliked that. The guy who tried to get me to sign up, he first handed me a book of testimonials saying that every month they asked former students to write in and say how well they're doing... Granted, the reviewers were doing well, but the testimonials did not seem only a month old, the paper was yellowing at the edges.

After I found out how much the classes were ($900??), he arrogantly explained how he doesn't have to hide the price because the testimonials are so good. Yeah, okay, that's why you wouldn't tell me the prices over the phone and I had to travel in for this pushy interview, right?

When I said I'd have to check back in the next couple of days because of how pricey it was, he got even more pushy, exclaiming "Oh, you have to take them in the next 15 minutes, seats are going fast!" Oh, please, you'd take my money no matter how long I took to decide.

I think what the last straw was that in the middle of the interview, somebody called him, and he took the call, later explaining it was his ex-wife and he the proceeded to explain to me how he married her when she was 18 and he was in his 30s, and how he's now dating somebody his daughters age because he can't stand older women. Okay, seriously, if you're going to try and charm somebody to overpay for your lousy bar classes, I'd recommend not disgusting them with your sexism. Thanks.

Oh, and finally, after looking at this site, I am convinced that most of these positive reviews are fake. They are just too extreme, it's either five stars and an outstanding review with no cons, or one star with people who are upset about their tactics and their job placement.

• Pros: None.
• Cons: Oh, a good deal.

Response from this business

jacktiano– October 12, 2009 at 11:54:41 PDT

Unfortunately, you didn't talk with any of our current students or graduates about the training program. If you had, we are believe many of your comments would be different. Most graduates of American Bartenders School are extremely satisfied with their training and the job placement assistance program. No business no matter how they try can please everyone 100 percent of the time and we are no exception. However, we do make every effort to make sure every graduate of the school is well trained and job ready.

The school has been training bartenders for over 40 years and has an excellent reputation. You can check with the Better Business Bureau, Consumer Affairs or the New York State Department of Education to verify this.

03/27/09

8 Drinks in 5 Minutes

by topchef5

I choose the school because it was featured in a CBS news story on television about quick job training. I wasn't disappointed. I liked the hands on training where I learned by doing.

• Pros: Like on the job training
• Cons: none

03/24/09

Liked It A Lot

by mrrobert343

The thing I like most about the school was it was set up like a real bar with all the equipment. I like the hands on training. The drink were easy to remember because we make them so many times.

I also liked the idea that during the class they showed us how to do a bartending resume and gave us good tips on how to interview for a bartending job.

• Pros: real bar and bar equipment
• Cons: I'll miss the people I met in class

02/11/09

A LIfe Saver

by topcat2345

I went to the American Bartenders Schools because I lost my job after 20 y ears with the same company. I didn't know what to do. A friend suggested bartending because I like to talk and meet people. I took the one week class. At the end of the week I wasn't quite sure of all the drinks and the school allowed me to attend extra classes and practice at no additional charge. Lisa the job placement person gave lots of help and encouragement in finding a job. It took me almost 3 weeks to find a bartending job. I went on 8 interviews before I finally found something that fit my schedule.

I would recommend the school but I think people should know that they have to put in some effort to find a job. I like bartending and I'm glad I took the course. No regrets.

• Pros: Instructors and job placement assistance
• Cons: Longer class

01/07/09

WOW!!!! For Winners Only..

by STEPHANUS

I have to agree with some of the reviewers that the job placement was not too satisfying, but IT WAS THEIR FAULTS !!! I got through several interviews until I finally got hired at the bar uptown Manhattan called "Under the Stairs" . Too bad, that was september 10th 2001, well everybody knows what happened the next day...

Anyway, I knew NOTHING about drinks before the class, I took 40 hours program in only 1 week, yes 5 days only and all of a sudden I could make average 2-3 drinks every minute!!!

Yes, they're pushy about you signing up with them, FOR A GOOD CAUSE...Now I live in Wyoming, not only I'm bartending, but I HAVE MY OWN SUSHI RESTAURANT WITH BAR, I even trained all my servers to bartend like me. My Instructor was Howard, he was kind of mean, in a good way, so that we can learn properly how to do it out there....

Well again, this school is not for the faint hearted and definitely NOT FOR LOSERS!!!! WINNERS ONLY...

I checked several different schools before this one, and they're all slow, weak, even though they might be teaching you the same material, but not the same way, that's for sure.

Again, thanks Howard....

• Pros: value, knowledge, "winner only" education
• Cons: nothing really

12/16/08

ARE THEY KIDDING?

by Queen0FheartS

They want $1000 for a class that everyone else is charging half for. They don't even offer the TIPS program. And I didn't feel comfortable about their pushy fast talking, outrageous promises, and talking bad about other schools. They insisted I registered today, asked for my credit card, name dropped all these bars they guaranteed me jobs at. They became irate when I didn't sign up on the spot. If they would say the price on the phone I never would have wasted my time and came all the way down here. And the neighborhood is kind of scary-looking for a night class.

• Cons: WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. And they creeped me out.

Response from this business

jacktiano– October 19, 2009 at 11:38:23 PDT

This review was apparently written by someone who really didn�t visit our school and doesn�t know what they are talking about. The cost of our program is not a $1,000. It�s competitively priced with other bartending schools offering similar programs. The school is a 5 minute walk from Madison Square Garden and one of the safest areas of New York City. Lastly, the school doesn�t guarantee jobs. We do have an excellent job placement service that will help graduates find employment. We recommend that anyone interested in attending a bartending school visit the school in person.