American Bartenders School

Found a special for a class on livingsocial. Within the short amount of time I learned a lot about the different drinks, the instructor was brief but clear about explaining everything. When he then allowed us to make drinks my cousin and I made like 6 different drinks and displayed it like a school project! :) GREAT TIME! more

Me and 3 of my friends took the Groupon special class. It was fun getting behind the bar and making some drinks. Wow! Bartending is lots of work. Didn't make it home till late. We all went out and tired all the drinks we learned at the school. My head still hurts from the hang over. more

Not very impressive. Read a book and dye your own colored water and you'll learn more! more

The program was great! From the teacher, the easy to remember drink lessons, to affordable payment options, down to the helpful job placement director. Now I have a great job to pay my way through school! more

My friend and I took the class together. I found a job and he didn't. The difference was that I took seriously everything that they told me to do when looking for a job and he didn't. He's still living at home sponging off his mom My advice to anyone thinking about bartending school is to take what your instructor tells you seriously. Any job where you can make a couple of hundred dollars a shift is really good money and you have to do some work to find one. more

I was worried that I wouldn't be able to remember all the drinks but Howard our instructor was great at keeping things simple and easy to understand. I thought the school and the class was great. I can't say enough good things about it. more

Their representative is really pushy and arrogant. The instructor looks mean and sounds like a drill sargent. If seats are filling up so fast why feel the need to push me to sign up? Didn't feel comfortable at all. more

I thought the school was good. It was set up like a real bar. I wanted to learn more about wines but the course emphasis is on learning how to make cocktails. Pros: Like on the job training Cons: Would like more wine training more

I signed up at the school in Montclair, New Jersey way back in 1990. The instructor I had was great and willing to teach slow and steady so we could really learn. It took me the two weeks to learn all I needed to know to get started and they found me a job within the next few weeks after completing the course. They also gave us a chance to do private parties while we were in school or shortly after completing. I got a gig in a bowling alley and bar-tended there for four years then moved up to the New York City Scene which was very busy to say the least. I made anywhere from seventy five to three hundred a day which to me was fabulas. I moved around to other bars and enjoyed the experience for the next few years and even gave back to the school by becoming an instructor for four years part time, nights. In total I bar-tended for private parties, bars, eateries, and even did fund raisers on the USS Intrepid, a museum docked in New York Harbor. I served the likes of Dangerfield, Letterman, and even Tom Cruise. I recommend the school and no other holds a candle. They teach the right way and the people that own the system, are great people. Thanks Jack Tiano for the time of my life which is still going. . Pros: Learn at your own pace Cons: no Cons more

I wanted to be a bartender because I like the fast pace, talking to lots of people while make some good money. I recommended the school to several of my friends. Pros: Fun Class Cons: Don't use real liquor more

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).\r A shout to everyone over there slingin' drinks and fillin' sinks! \r You guys rock.\r Pros: Got what I expected, no less. Cons: Sometimes very busy. more

I went to three schools that popped up on the Internet and of the three, I chose to attend American.\r 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.\r In New York City, that is a lot to ask for, even from a school!\r I am proud to announce my Wed. Thur. Fri. bartending position at BLT Prime.\r Another great bunch of people to thank (that's for another review;)\r Thanks to American Bartenders staff for doing the right thing and having genuine concern for the students that attend the school.\r Keep doing what you're doing!\r You are the best. Pros: great staff, beautiful new bars, made friends here Cons: I had to pay! (Only kidding) more

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.\r 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.\r 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.\r 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!\r 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.\r 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.\r 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.\r For me, no regrets.\r I guess you get what you pay for.\r Thanks to my Instructors and a wish you all the best. Pros: On-point Instructors, proactive job placement. Cons: None so far. more

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 more

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. more

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 more

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 more

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. \r \r 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 more

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...\r 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!!!\r 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....\r Well again, this school is not for the faint hearted and definitely NOT FOR LOSERS!!!! WINNERS ONLY...\r 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.\r Again, thanks Howard....\r Pros: value, knowledge, ""winner only"" education Cons: nothing really more

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.\r \r Cons: WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. And they creeped me out. more