I had a side gig as a server at a catering hall prior to covid. When they re-opened, I asked to come back as a bartender because I had done it a couple times there and had bartending at other places here and there and it was less physical stress. I didn't account for the mental stress of not knowing how to really make drinks with 25 guests and servers, simutaneously demanding drinks. Not just rum and cokes or simple drinks I've made at hole in the walls or parties I've worked; I mean real cocktails Manhattans, Cosmos, Sidecars, every type of Martini, drinks I never made, heard, or bothered to know how they're made when I order them. Even after googling, my portions were off. I was rusty and a mess. Everyone says you don't need a class, you'll figure it out. Only true if you are ok with being wrong or work somewhere that will train you/be patient with you messing with their inventory. Since I'm not so good at knowingly serving people bad drinks, I signed up for the 3day course at 1800 Bartending. The location is convenient (right by the E, F at Union Turnpike) It is 1 Saturday class + 2 nights guest bartending, subject to scheduling. I chose the 3 day over the 8 because 1) I'm broke - There's groupons but call to book and see what they can do for you before you purchase 2) They offered to subtract the difference if I wanted to upgrade later on. I feel like I had the information I needed from my experience and all the googling I had done to understand spirits and "shaken vs stirred" and all that but I personally needed a place to practice my pour and timing and ask questions without feeling stupid. One day would be good enough to boost my confidence and gave me course material access to refer back to for the more complex drinks once I had the basics down. However, if you have little to no experience behind the bar or with spirit knowledge, take the 8 day. It's 2 weeks with 3 classes + 1 guest gig each week. They break down the cocktails by type and give you in depth info. My course was from roughly from 10-6p with an hour lunch. The classroom is set up with about 8 mock stations with faux liquor (the way that people overpour and spill, it's better that way though you can't taste if your "drink" is right) so about 16ppl max in a class. Mine had like 7. The instructor goes over your responsibility as a bartender when serving people and how to handle IDing guests, overconsumption, etc. Super important! Then for the rest of the class, he goes over 12-15 basic cocktails and techniques in sections so that you can practice. We were paired up for role playing and to help each other out and the instructor comes around to check on you. Let's talk about the instructor - Diego is awesome! Really nice, very knowledgeable, helpful and makes you comfortable. He's definitely an industry pro. He answered all our questions and gave realistic responses. Super appreciative because it enhances the experience Guest bartending was at a cute gastropub a few days later. How it works is you bring your friends, family to order drinks and let you know how you did, putting your skills to work. It's a great way to practice, an opportunity to show of your talent and business growth skills to an owner who may be hiring and just an overall vibe. I only have 2 friends and they couldnt make it but I was able to practice with some of the others students and socialize, which is kind of the most important skill for a bartender. A good drink = Tip$ A good drink + a personality = boom! you're Bill Gates I worked the following weekend -I was the only bartender, 70 guests, and for 4 hours straight they wanted blueberry martinis, margaritas, mojitos and then some. I made a lot of money and my Maitre'd said I was like a different person from the last party we worked together. Thanks 1800 Bartending read more

This place is a complete rip off. They have a Groupon out right now and according to the Groupon, it states that you get a 100% guaranteed job placement, along with a certificate and the option of taking four 4-hour or two 8-hour classes on the weekend. Its all complete bullshit. You dont get a certificate or job placement UNLESS you pay another $300. You dont get the flexible schedule option of the four 4-hour class during the week but ONLY the two 8-hour class on the weekends. Everything that they state that they are going to do on their Groupon is inaccurate. I basically just wasted $100 to learn how to mix a few drinks, which I could of totally done on Youtube for FREE. This place is not legit, they just want your money. read more

It's cool I got the basic knowledges to be bartender, now I'm a bartender and I'm doing good money more than I paid for this school, I was disappointed of this school because at the end of the course they don't give me my diploma, they sends it via email and if you want it printed it's $20. The instructor explain everything very good but the staff it's a little arrogant. I'm happy to be bartender thanks to this school, I'm just giving this feedback to make of this a better school. read more

On 9/14/13, my daughter and I signed up for the 2 day 16 hour Bartending course, at the Kew Gardens location. I must start by saying that the instructor and the course was great. However, their reliability is not. Upon completion of the course the certificates were not ready. The instructor indicated that the students should call the following week to inquire about the certificates. I followed up as instructed. I continuously called, however to no avail. It has been 2 yrs. and we are still waiting for our certificates. I recently called again. On two separate occasions, I spoke to Scott and John, both politely provided excuses and stated that they would follow up with they manager. Oh... one more issue that should be addressed, the ice machine and other items used for class practice are not adequately clean ! Well.... I am still waiting. I will continue to follow up in writing. read more

I took the course in August 2014. The instructor I had was good however when I went to guest bartend with the manhattan instructor at a bar downtown, it wasn't a great hands on experience. The manhattan instructor came in with his students and let them get first priority despite there being a list when the queens students arrived. He seemed to be nicer to the Spanish chicks and white guys-that's what I personally experienced. Anyway back to the queens instructor-I cannot remember his name but he was good and knowledgeable. I was told to sign up for their site youbartend.com for placement however now it just goes to their site with little jobs that are months old. Ive called several times about the flair class which is included in the 40 hour course however there still has not been one to my knowledge. All in all, my experience was okay but I think they should help more with job placement esp since its All Star weekend and emails about upcoming flair classes. Luckily I just did it in case I need it whereas the bar I work at never asked for one. read more

Bought the 16 hour course through Living Social... and had to pay the difference for a 40 hour course. Their location is very nice and clean. The instructors are very informative - unfortunately, they do not give you the printed certificate. It is emailed to us, which is great - but sometimes a printed one would be great. read more

I found 1-800-Bartend on Groupon. It was the perfect affordable and easy choice. It was 1/3 of the time and price I saw elsewhere. I loved that the classroom was set up like a bar with all of the actual tools we would need. My instructor Diego was very good. He was funny and explained everything clearly. The course even included a textbook. It was great to get some hands on experience. They even offer you actual experience behind a real bar in the city. I would definitely recommend this bartending school. read more

This place is awesome! I am a waitress and wanted to try the bartending industry. I took the 16 hours course for an introduction and loved it. It's divided in two days and the 8 hours go by very fast. You get all the basic information to get started in the bartending industry on a very fun and interesting way. Our instructor was Ricardo Carranza and he nailed it. It is obvious he likes his job and knows how to transmit it. He knows a lot about coktails and its recipes, and about how to deal with the job, clients, interviews, etc. I wasn't really planning on getting the official certificate but I finished the course so happy and satisfied that I will do the 40 hours complete course soon. Even if you're not planning on working as a bartender is a very fun activity to do! read more

I kept look at this school for a year... thanks god that i chose to got the class with awesome teacher, Tasha!! The couse include everything that u need to know if u would like to be a professional!! read more

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If i could give them a 0 i would. I made a down payment of $200 in order to reserve my seat and a few weeks later an additional $150 to pay off the entire class confident i would start classes. However my circumstances changed and was no longer able to take the classes (didnt even take not 1 class) and when i called for a refund i got a complete run around. I spoke with Nick and Brian several times about a refund and they told me they needed me to send a certified letter stating the reasons why i want a refund to which i complied and since then i havent been able to get ahold of either of them. Supposedly Brian is the one who handles the refund process and when i finally spoke with him he told me that he was unable to do it at that time and to call back. Ive been back and forth calling and no answers. luckily i was able to dispute the charges with my credit card and now im just waiting for that to go through. These people are terrible with their refund process and poor, poor customer service. i would NOT recommend this place to anyone as it seems its all about the money. read more

I purchased a 3 class deal from Groupon. First class, we practiced behind a bar and the next 2 were going to be practice at an actual bar. However, I traveled to queens after work for the second class and the bartender was a no show. Didn't go back, searched Craigslist and found a job that needed no experience, saying I had a certificate was a plus. read more

The school is the most convenient getting to. Let me tell you my teacher Mr. Hugo is the best. Watching this dude mix up the drinks is awesome. He shoots you some pointers and gets involved with the students when struggling. His lessons are great and you will learn a lot for Mr. Hugo and I'm sure as well the team at 1800bartender. Thanks for all your help. Jim read more

I bought 40hrs class for $99 when I have a coupon, but they said they don't have this kind class anymore,and only can do that change the class to 16hrs and need me pay $275 MORE!!So I just want to ask my $99 back,I called them many many many time,and can't get the fee back.They have so many reasons,just ask me to pay more money,and don't want to return my money! At the end ,I did not get my money back, even did not take the class!! read more

Smelly, disgusting, and half-assed. They don't start on time. Instructors don't pay attention to students. Just a total mess

I bought a groupon for the 16hr certification and flair course. I had a horrible, unprofessional, experience. 1. Scheduling was a nightmare. Their online scheduling system is only for their 40 course and they won't do groupon scheduling over the phone. You have to go into the physical location just to schedule. By the time I was able to get in, I couldn't get into the course (which is only offered once a month) and had to be put on a waitinglist. I finally got in, thanks to the one helpful employee that works at this business. One good thing, however, is that someone always answers the phone during their business hours, even if they can't help you, they always answer. 2. Even though the groupon deal I bought included a flair course, I was told they no longer had this course, and I was not offered any kind of compensation for their misleading advertising for the amount I already paid. 3. Apparently they offer "free refresher courses" to previous 40hr students. Sounds great, right? Not if you are taking their 16hr class. What that means is that their trainings can get incredibly over crowded. The first day of my class their was over 20 people crammed into the small space, which meant less time behind the bar and not enough chairs. 4. The place is absolutely disgusting and filthy. The ice machine had SO MUCH mold in it that I felt uncomfortable being ask to handle the ice it produced. The whole place smells like must and mold. Many of the glasses and bottles had mold on them or in them. Even though you don't consume anything, the whole place should not be covered in and smell like mold. You are supposed to be training future bartenders, you should follow health department protocols just to make sure that the bartenders know them. Dirty rags, dirty tools, dirty ice, dirty glasses, yuck! They also seemed low on any kind of cleaning supplies. Very few rags, no paper towels, no sanitizer handy. One nasty detail: I actually got mold ON MY SHIRT from leaning into the ice machine. After that I just kept reusing ice to avoid having to get new ice, which also affected how my drinks were coming out. 5. Everything is supposed to be dyed the correct color so that drinks look the right way. Everything out of the gun was clear and whenever one of the bottles became empty, the instructor (to avoid getting off her phone for a minute, I would imagine) told us to just fill it up with water. By the end of the class all the drinks were clear which was confusing and make it difficult to keep track of what you were doing. 6. The class was supposed to be 16hrs long, but it was really only about 8-9hrs long. Each day the instructor began 30 minutes late, she ended 10 minutes early for an hour long lunch, started 15 minutes later after lunch, and "let us" leave an hour to two hours early each day. 7. While my instructor seemed knowledgeable, I found her very lazy and unprofessional. She lectured for about 1 hour each day in total. These lectures were great. However, the rest of the time she sat on her phone while we practiced and got notes from each other. She did not walk around and make sure each of us was doing it correctly. You had to get up and go over to her if you had a question. Occasionally she would call out drinks from her seat. She was eating strawberries and other food during class. She also spent the first day of class primarily talking to her coworker who was the receptionist. The second day she spent mostly on her phone(sometimes actually talking on the phone) or on facebook on the computer. I came out of it learning basically nothing. I don't know if I was making the drinks correctly because the instructor never actually watched me, or anyone else, make a drink. She would only come over to you if you specifically asked her to come over. I did this the first time, when we were learning to pour shots, but after stopped. I shouldn't have to walk over to a teacher and ask her to do her job. 8. They were weirdly stingy about the class books. Even though they were simple paper pamphlets, they made a huge deal when some people forgot theirs at home. 9. They basically lied about a "bartending certification" being real in the same way a CPR or Food Protection certification is. They make it sound like you need one to work, or like it is regulated in some way, even though it is not. I knew this going into the course, but alot of the people mentioned they were just here for their "certificate." I don't know if the Manhattan location is better, but avoid this location if you can. My instructor was unprofessional, the space is small and cramped (it can only accommodate 8-12 people but they let 20 plus in). The space is sickeningly filthy. You will not get the amount of hours promised. read more

I really like 1800Bartend, My instructor was Ricardo and you can tell he knows his drinks and wants to be there to teach. he's patient with the students ( even though "there's no such thing as dumb questions" there were dumb questions asked ) some lessons are shorter than the others but i like it because it gives us more time to practice. Also, every Thursdays, there is student bar tending night where you bartend at a real bar that Ricardo & Mike runs by Soho on Lafayette St. It's a nice lounge and you get to go make drinks with real alcohol for customers (your friends that you bring) and Mike, Ricardo or the bar back is ALWAYS around to help you if you can't remember recipes, need help looking for bottles, or not being able to reach for top shelf drinks. I really like the school and everyone in it. read more

After handing in my final project and thesis for MBA, I wanted to do something fun. I had always wanted to do a bartending class and took the opportunity last weekend. The class was great! Instruction was fun and informative. I am really impressed with how fast the instructors teach technique. I walked out ready to get right into the action! This going to be a great summer! read more

Just stopped in to pick up my book today. Starting class on Monday. Place was really nice. The lady at the front desk was friendly. Really nice place. Would make it 5 stars but the doorbell wasn't working. Had to call to get let upstairs. Other than that I would recommend this school. Can't wait to start class. read more

Terrible customer service! They cancelled the class without notifying us. Then they said for a refund we had to write a letter and it would take 30 days to refund us. Really? You cancel, you automatically refund, immediately. Why should we have to do anything? read more

I decided to go with 1800 bartend and pay for a new course. I previously earned my license with another school in manhattan. The two week course was great I was able to reatin a lot of the recipes and I loved volunteering for the beerfest event at the armory. However I am not too happy with the lack of job assistance. I created my profile as instructed and more than a month later I have yet to hear back. I am still looking for work although I have tried to market my services for private events to keep the material fresh in my mind. If i could just get the job assistance that was promised they would get 5 stars from me. read more

Learned a lot more than I thought possible. Instructor was impressive. Wish there was more experience with coffee and champagne, but absolutely no other complaints :) read more

Great place to get your Bartending License! They take you through step by step with each and every drink. Always willing to answer any extra questions you might have about something. Also willing to be flexible with teaching hours if you are busy. Best of all, probably one of the cheapest bartending school in the city right off the train station. Don't miss out class with Professor Dan! Lol read more

I signed up for the 40hr course put down a $200 deposit while registering over the phone. Two days later I got into an accident and was not going to be able to afford the $400 course. I asked for a refund via email that day and got no response. The same evening, I called and they said their refund dept. was not in, try again Monday. I waited two weeks called again, they said the manager wasn't in and would call me...never did. THEN they said they'd refund me 30days from when the class starts. It's a SIMPLE CLICK OF A BUTTON. I called my credit card company and they are looking into it now. THEY JUST WANT YOUR MONEY-SCAM-DONT DO IT! read more

Awful. Not worth your time or money. I traveled three hours to go to this class after reading good reviews. When I arrived half of the class were told only after calling them that they decided to move the location which we then had to pay to get to in the rain. Completely disorganized! We started and hour late. Had a 2hr "lunch break" learned only three drink recipes which they had different ones then the ones written on our paper. I have bartended I was only taken this course as a refresher you are better off using empty liqueur bottles and practicing pouring at home and watching youtube for recipes! We were all livid! Don't Do the Groupon!!! Find a legit school. Such a waste of my time!!! Very Unhappy with this prganization I even emailed them and they never responded with an apology. read more

Okay let me first say that I hate dishonesty within businesses. Keep it real because all I'm going to do is Google anything that may have sound fishy and do extensive research on it. Okay well let's fast forward, I have extensive waitressing experience and wanted to get some info on attending bartending school. I called many schools, spoke to many people and wanted to know prices etc. DO YOUR research!!!!! NYS does NOT REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE THE ATAP CERTIFICATION. NYS bars will appreciate it and recommend it because it's cheaper for them in reference to insurance reasons but it is definitely not required. I called 1800bartend and the guy ( can't remember his name) stated that it was mandatory to have ATAP certification, and that 1800bartend was the only school available that offered that program and wanted to charge 275$ for a 16hour class lmao what fool would actually believe that. I asked him if they offered the 40hr class he said no you only needed the 16hr in order to get certified. Bullshit again!! You need th 40hr class. I'm not saying you need bartending liscense to get a job I'm saying if u have no fucking idea what your doing, and your not getting promoted in your restaurant as a bartender then go to bartending school learn the basics and it will be easier to get a job. He also proceeded to say I won't get a job anywhere in the city without the ATAP CERTIFICATION. YEA OKAY!!! By the way the ATAP CERTIFICATION IS ONLY $16.00 you can get certified online or on the premises of any bartending school that offers it. And second of all I won't pay 275 for a 16hr certification If I have to pay an extra 20$ for my certification just to have it emailed to me lmao this place is money hungry, and clearly does not give the correct information... I respect companies who are actually making money and don't need to lie to people just to make money. I will definitely spread the word to as much people to not waste their time and money... Thanks for pissing me off 1800bartend school I genuinely wanted to attend but when you start off with lies it sounds like bullshit... read more

DO NOT GO HERE! This place is seriously a joke...and they call themselves the #1 Bartending school in NYC?! Absolutely not. I would never recommend paying the high prices these schools charge just to get a "certification" to bartend- you do not NEED it to get a job. I only considered doing this when I saw the $99 deal through Groupon for the weekend classes (even that is too much $). Well...first of all- they made me have to come into their Manhattan location JUST TO SIGN UP. They told me that this was because of paperwork and that I would receive a "workbook" after signing up. I paid for the commute into Manhattan & spent all this extra time and when I get there the receptionist is doing everything on the computer....And the "workbook" is actually a pamphlet containing the "lesson plan" and ADVERTISEMENTS! I should have taken that as a sign that it was a sham... (They could have booked me through the phone & emailed the other information which wasn't even necessary) Oh not to mention that I went in the beginning of June to sign up and they told me they weren't available until August 3rd & 4th. (Someone told me they told her the same exact thing and she went in April) So the biggest JOKE of it all is I show up Saturday August 3rd after waiting all summer to do this- and THE INSTRUCTOR NEVER SHOWED UP! There were about 16-20 of us that waited around for about 2 hrs trying to figure out what happened, what to do, and sharing past experiences with this place. One person got a hold of someone on the 1800 phone number- who was supposed to call the instructor and find out what happened. After 2 hours of waiting and multiple phone calls...no one ever showed up...and we never found out what happened. The person on the phone just said to come back for the Sunday class and then they would reschedule for the missed Saturday class. If this place was real and as professional as they claim to be there would have been a back up instructor available to come in to teach the class if something happened to the original one...along with having the manager show up to deal with the situation and come up with solutions with the 20 people in person that just spent time and money on coming all the way into Manhattan to take the stupid unnecessary class. I only came from Queens, I felt terrible for the people who came from Staten Island and New Jersey! STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE read more

I purchased a groupon for the 16 hour weekend course. First, the classes were all booked up for a month prior. Since I wanted to take the course and wasn't on any time limit, I decided to book the class. The month pass and I show up for the class. When I show up, there were about a dozen students already waiting outside for the instructor. An hour later, there was still no instructor, and the crowd of students waiting had doubled. Several people started to call customer service to no avail. Ultimately, after three hours of waiting, we find out that they were unable to find an instructor. I called them the following Monday asking for a refund since I did not want anymore association with such an unreliable business, and after twenty minutes of going back and forth on the phone, I ask to speak to a manager. The girl puts me on hold, and a few minutes later, she tells me that she will send me a refund check in the mail and abruptly hangs up. That phone call took place in August and it is now October. My final impression of them is they see their groupon customers as negligible, which goes to show that they don't care about furthering their company and promoting a positive public opinion for the sake of greed. read more