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Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden Receipt Calls for Burger with Spit: Report

(Photo: Yelp)

June 18, 2018 By Tara Law

A customer celebrating Father’s Day at the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden yesterday got a nasty surprise when he looked at his receipt.

Curtis Mays of Seacliff, Long Island had just finished his meal at the 29-19 24th Ave. restaurant when he noticed upon–receiving the check–that he was paying for a well-done burger with cheddar, mayo— and a glob of spit, abc7NY reported. 

Mays had enjoyed an ordinary meal with his granddaughter and daughter at the Beer Garden before he noticed the message. 

Mays quickly called over his waitress, who denied writing the note. 

The manager fired the waitress and offered Mays a refund for the meal, but Mays was still horrified.

“He was saying, ‘How can we compensate you?'” Mays told abc7NY. “I was like, ‘How can you compensate somebody for spitting on your food? I ate this already.’”

Bohemian Hall’s manager told the news outlet that he doubted the chef had actually spat in the burger, but that he understood Mays’ concern.

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48 Comments

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gghj

Summer is here and some will forget and go back by or after July4th. They have their “central euro” supporters that might return. However I am not sure if it will be enough to keep them around. They need to act fast and offer an apology and explanation, fire more staff and offer something that will bring people back (like a July 4th party with free beer and hot dogs). Just my opinion.

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harriet

I live near this location and ever since this story aired I can actually open my kitchen window and not have to hear the drunk crowds and smell all the weed. Finding a parking space was a breeze last night. living here hasn’t been this peaceful and pleasant in a very long time.

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Jim

CLOSE THIS PLACE DOWN!

We can not rest until all mean receipts in the entire world are made illegal.

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Ali G.

I remember when this place used to be nice 15 years ago. Now , just like Astoria, it ain’t what it used to be. A fun and quiet family oriented neighborhood.
Thanks for moving in and ruining our Astoria.
#losers

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Jenastoriat

Sadly. But the managers could choose to run the place differently too, and they’ve been here a long time.

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Daniel

I had my card skimmed here about 5 years ago. Was out of pocket about $700. Fortunately the bank investigated and found in my favor. I’ve been back, reluctantly, but always pay cash now and encourage my friends to do likewise. I’d make the same recommendation to anyone reading this. I appreciate I’m just anonymous person on the internet from your perspective but believe me its easier to pay cash than to live with the consequences if skim your card too.

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Vicky

I will continue to support this place and I hope everyone else does. It could of been a misprint as so many have pointed out. The last thing we need is for it to go out of business. We all know the lot is big enough for a high rise or even worse hotel!! Its one of the few places i feel safe walking my dog in that area at night because security tends to stand outside!.

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Christ

You are an idiot and a perfect example of a problem person who moved to New York. If you want to feel safe, move to a gated community. That’s one hell of a sentence to misprint.

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Bad Girls

“Well, it’s time to leave the tip. Think you know what I’m gonna do…We still tip 20% because being a server is hard, and you don’t know what’s going on in her day today.” #SNL

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Judy

This place also had some controversy on June 16 when they kicked out a family. People started claiming online that the bar is no longer family-friendly, alleging that staff “intimidated and bullied” the family in question. With social media, places have to be very careful and think about how they address certain issues and resolve them. The public is quick to judge and a couple of stories could ruin your reputation.

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Nonofyourbusiness

Relax this isn’t national news… Angry waitress writes inappropriate ticket.. Big deal…. Happens all the time… Nobody spit in his food…

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claire

According to the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden FB post “The employee involved in the incident was suspended pending the outcome.” I guess she was not fired immediately.

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angel

There is literally nothing presented in the story to support that take. Next time don’t spit in someone’s food and put it on the receipt!

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ed

I am sure it was just a joke. Perhaps the person that wrote it is a comedian and moonlights as a waitress.

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Ellen

Its a dirty looking place anyway! Just looking at it from the outside gives me the creeps.

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bill

We could only wish the rest of the establishments in Astoria actually cleaned the sidewalk and shoveled snow as good as this place does. I walk by this place daily and they are pretty good at keeping the outside clean and tidy and dog poop free. I guess they need to work on there service staff manners.

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Not Ellen

What an idiotic comment. I’m assuming you’ve never been in there. It’s an institution and a place that is clean and family friendly (especially on nice, warm weekend days…obviously not at night). It’s a terrible, isolated incident, and yes, a bad look for the establishment. But don’t make crap up based on one story. Walk in and look before making judgement….like an intelligent adult.

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Ann

This story made it to national news! It’s an interesting story because even though everyone assumes stuff like this happens it is jarring to see explicit instructions to do so actually printed on the receipt (both for its shock value and its stupidity).

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Matthew T Donnelly

Being that the man was with his grandaughter is it possible that the waitress meant ”split it in two”?

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Ernie

I doubt it. He claimed he ate the burger himself before reading the receipt when he was interviewed on tv. No follow up question though as to how juicy the burger was.

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LIC Neighbor

Crazy This is common practice in restaurants. You don’t know what your eating is some places. NYC Department of Health and Immigration and Customs Enforcement where are you???

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Denise

What does ICE have anything to do…LOOK at the title NYC DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH and your idiot ICE people. It has to do with HEALTH they both come under the same job. Spitting in someones food is not healthy and the Department of Health will tell you that.

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anon

can someone please show me in the article where it says what race was of anybody involved in this? many people state racism … i dis not see anything mentioning race… did i miss something….

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deb

The customer (a black male) was interviewed on tv about the matter. The waitress was not. He said that the waitress was polite when she took the order and could not understand why that was written on his receipt. Racism exists everywhere so you never know.

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Astoria Resident

Queens county is the most diversified county in NYC. I highly doubt anyone spit on this guys burger because he’s black. Relax yourself.

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Jenastoriat

Really? You must not have lived in this neighborhood too long. I know of landlords who have turned away renters because of their color. Illegal, but done anyway.

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beth

Exactly! If this was that case and it was something biased or racists the media would of reported it already because it would make for a better story. I am sure they looked into it already.

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Astorianborn

We actually went there yesterday and I had a plastic container in my bag with just a bone I saved for my dog (we were dining at a steak house right before) and the bouncer made me throw it because I was not supposed to bring food in. It was just a bone and he saw it, we just left immediately and we went at Sparrows tavern across the street. Wow! I wish I knew this had happened with this mans food. I’d go in holding a Big Mac

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Tom Cruze

So let’s recap. They follow the law (yeah, they can get fined for a bone) to avoid a fine, you criticize them and then go to a police that doesn’t care about a potential fine. Gotcha…hey, call the news!

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becky

The chef should of reported her to the boss when he read the order. There just might be a racial discrimination/harassment element to this incident. I will never eat here again!

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Phil MaCrackin

Yeah let’s just jump to the race card. You are part of the problem with dumb comments like this

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derrick

Truly disgusting! The customer did the right thing by calling the news! To think, the waitress probably thought he was not going to do anything about it and a news van shows up! If you do not like the way the neighborhood and your customers have changed then perhaps you should no longer work here!

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Linda

Wtf! I will never eat at this place ever again. Not clear of it was the cook or waitress and she denied writing it.
Nasty shit hole!

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tawani

She walked away when he confronted her about it. Someone who did not do it would of stuck around and not taken the blame. Unless we hear from the waitress one can assume she wrote it up like that. Imagine the physical and psychological pain the customer is experiencing because of this incident. IMO, this place needs to take a page from Starbucks’ and have racial bias training.

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Jane Rex

I’m glad she got fired. Hope she never works in the food industry again. I do not believe the chef knew anything. The customer will always have a concern and will never trust a restaurant again.

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zeb

I heard what the costumer actually received was a kitchen ticket that someone failed to take off the plate and not a customer receipt. Which would mean the chef or chefs read it. I’m sure things like this happen often but no customer gets it in writing. Many neighbors of mine here in Astoria found it funny.

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I Love Spit In Food

“Many neighbors of mine here in Astoria found it funny.”

And this is where this discussion thread should end. There is no hope and no reason for this discussion to continue.

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