El Alamo

[Exon123]

Reports on the poker game please.

Exon

[Elusive]

Did you ask the owner or manager on duty to change the channel to something more to your liking? They've always accomodated me when I have made requests.

It was not a big deal, just an observation. I live in Costa Rica, so I consider myself a seasoned mongerer.

[Hunt99]

In BA for the weekend. Went in last night, hoping to watch some NBA or NCAA tournament qualifiers. Couldn't quite figure out what was going on, tons of young pretty girls, who clearly had no interest in short fat white guys. After reading more this morning, I follow the free beer thing, seems like a fine idea. My only complaint is that they had no actual sports on TV, only spanish language Fox sports channel. (same as my Marriott room) Though, this seems to happen in sports bars around the world, either too busy to actually scan for live sports (it was Saturday night) or the waitresses end up running the TV's.

Did you ask the owner or manager on duty to change the channel to something more to your liking? They've always accomodated me when I have made requests.

[Geo Eye]

In BA for the weekend. Went in last night, hoping to watch some NBA or NCAA tournament qualifiers. Couldn't quite figure out what was going on, tons of young pretty girls, who clearly had no interest in short fat white guys. After reading more this morning, I follow the free beer thing, seems like a fine idea. My only complaint is that they had no actual sports on TV, only spanish language Fox sports channel. (same as my Marriott room) Though, this seems to happen in sports bars around the world, either too busy to actually scan for live sports (it was Saturday night) or the waitresses end up running the TV's.

Hey Elusive. What you should have done after the Alamo is visited Newport. There as long as you have pesos. The girls do not care if you are "short fat white guy" or not. They will fuck you for a couple of hundered peso. That is what this city is all about.

You go watch a sporting event, have a great dinner and catch a show, and later and most important you can get cheap pussy anywhere, and at anytime. All for under 100 US dollars.

[Elusive]

In BA for the weekend. Went in last night, hoping to watch some NBA or NCAA tournament qualifiers. Couldn't quite figure out what was going on, tons of young pretty girls, who clearly had no interest in short fat white guys. After reading more this morning, I follow the free beer thing, seems like a fine idea. My only complaint is that they had no actual sports on TV, only spanish language Fox sports channel. (same as my Marriott room) Though, this seems to happen in sports bars around the world, either too busy to actually scan for live sports (it was Saturday night) or the waitresses end up running the TV's.

[Thomaso276]

I know that the last thing anyone at the Alamo wants is to try to take advantage of any ex-pats or visiting mongers. As well, they give the locals great deals to encourage crowds everynight. That is a pretty rare situation here in BA where I have to make sure some clerk isn't trying to charge me 5 pesos for the 4 peso bottle of gatorade!

They could probably have charged 50 dollars for the BCS game and gotten a crowd because of the nature of the fans and the limited availability of the game down here, but they didn't. We are talking about 15 dollars - half of which got you two imported beers for 3-4 hours of entertainment. Their regular promotion cover charges the rest of the time must be a good deal because the place is jammed at night with young Argies, who could give us all lessons in being frugal and looking for the best deal.

[Hunt99]

That last post by DD made me start to genuinely dislike the Alamo now.

Now? You've been going out of your way to post lies intended to hurt El Alamo for a while now. Is the truth actually that you had a dispute over a bill, and this is your way of getting revenge?

If you want to delude yourself into believing you can watch March Madness, the NFL playoffs, or MLB baseball at Locos Para Futbol, then be my guest - go there and don't go back to El Alamo. But kindly please refrain from any further posting of false information about El Alamo, which is one place where 99% of us mongers know we will be welcomed and which is run by one of us.

For those of you arriving late to this thread, keep in mind that there is one place in Buenos Aires which carries every major US sporting event, in English, for its customers. And it certainly isn't that Argentine place which has every soccer match, in Spanish, and virtually nothing else.

[JengisKhan]

In addressing the other issue, cover charges for certain sporting events, its pure capitalism gentlemen. For the BCS championship game, there was a $50 AR cover charge, which included any two beers of the customers choice. There were a few pissed off customers who did not want to pay the $50 AR entrance fee, a total of 10 refused to pay and did not get to watch the game, while over 100 customers paid the $50 AR entrance fee, so you decide who is right. There is no way Locos para Futbol had the BCS championship game; it was not available via Directv Latin America and Locos does not have the equipment necessary to get the game, they would have to have a US cable subscription and a US residence to feed it from, which they do not. El Alamo was the only establishment to show the game and that is why they were able to charge the $50 AR entrance fee.

I thought it was 50 pesos but didn't want to start the rumor if it wasn't true. That is the biggest bunch of horseshit I have ever heard of. A 50 peso cover charge? That is pure exploitation and greed. As well as deception.

I am 100% positive that the BCS game was on at Locos para Futbol, so I don't know why people keep trying to tell me that it wasn't. I sat there and watched it along with 50 other Americans. They had it on half of their screens, while the Argentina - Ecuador soccer game was on the other half of their screens. So it seems very possible that the other "100"customers (there were definitely fewer than 100 people there when I passed by) paid the entrance fee because they were lied to by the proprietors of the Alamo, who told them that they couldn't watch the game elsewhere, and that they were the only place in town to be showing it.

That last post by DD made me start to genuinely dislike the Alamo now. I think they have a terrible attitude toward customer service, and a $50 cover charge makes me want to never go back there again. Pure Capitalism? Go to hell. If there was ever a case of an owner pissing away the goodwill of his business.

[Daddy Rulz]

Mongers-

The $15 AR male / $5 female CONSUMPTION charge begins at 9pm and is designed to achieve two objectives. First, it is to protect the integrity of the FREE beer promotion, which runs from 10-1030, 12-1230, and 3-330, and includes free unlimited draft beer (Quilmes) during those periods. Second, it keeps street bums from coming inside and taking up space without buying anything, or just buying a cafe con leche or a gaseosa, etc. This is only in effect during peak hours, if you come to El Alamo during the day or early evening there is no consumption charges.

I kinda started all of this I think. Wanted to thank everybody for clearing it up. Obviously Peter can do as He wishes with his bar because, well, it's his bar. I hope the door staff has been clued into the fact that it's a consumption charge as that was the root cause of me leaving. I know that now but another person may not. Just tell them it's good for anything when they pay it, except for some of the bomboms at the bar.

[Fretta]

But snotty, self-righteous, "you can't go anywhere else" rationalizations of "pure capitalism" don't make me want to be a customer then next time I'm in town.

Mongers-

The $15 AR male / $5 female CONSUMPTION charge begins at 9pm and is designed to achieve two objectives. First, it is to protect the integrity of the FREE beer promotion, which runs from 10-1030, 12-1230, and 3-330, and includes free unlimited draft beer (Quilmes) during those periods. Second, it keeps street bums from coming inside and taking up space without buying anything, or just buying a cafe con leche or a gaseosa, etc. This is only in effect during peak hours, if you come to El Alamo during the day or early evening there is no consumption charges.

In addressing the other issue, cover charges for certain sporting events, its pure capitalism gentlemen. For the BCS championship game, there was a $50 AR cover charge, which included any two beers of the customers choice. There were a few pissed off customers who did not want to pay the $50 AR entrance fee, a total of 10 refused to pay and did not get to watch the game, while over 100 customers paid the $50 AR entrance fee, so you decide who is right. There is no way Locos para Futbol had the BCS championship game; it was not available via Directv Latin America and Locos does not have the equipment necessary to get the game, they would have to have a US cable subscription and a US residence to feed it from, which they do not. El Alamo was the only establishment to show the game and that is why they were able to charge the $50 AR entrance fee.

Suerte,

Dirk Diggler

[Rock Harders]

Mongers-

The $15 AR male / $5 female CONSUMPTION charge begins at 9pm and is designed to achieve two objectives. First, it is to protect the integrity of the FREE beer promotion, which runs from 10-1030, 12-1230, and 3-330, and includes free unlimited draft beer (Quilmes) during those periods. Second, it keeps street bums from coming inside and taking up space without buying anything, or just buying a cafe con leche or a gaseosa, etc. This is only in effect during peak hours, if you come to El Alamo during the day or early evening there is no consumption charges.

In addressing the other issue, cover charges for certain sporting events, its pure capitalism gentlemen. For the BCS championship game, there was a $50 AR cover charge, which included any two beers of the customers choice. There were a few pissed off customers who did not want to pay the $50 AR entrance fee, a total of 10 refused to pay and did not get to watch the game, while over 100 customers paid the $50 AR entrance fee, so you decide who is right. There is no way Locos para Futbol had the BCS championship game; it was not available via Directv Latin America and Locos does not have the equipment necessary to get the game, they would have to have a US cable subscription and a US residence to feed it from, which they do not. El Alamo was the only establishment to show the game and that is why they were able to charge the $50 AR entrance fee.

Suerte,

Dirk Diggler

[Jackson]

Greetings everyone,

I keep waiting for Peter or a forum member who works in El Alamo to chime in here to tell the full story, but until then here's what I know about the situation:

Since Peter first opened El Alamo he's been searching for the bar's most profitable demographic group.

First it is was to be a slightly upscale bar and restaurant for the upper-middle class Portenos living in the neighborhood. Nothing.

Then he started marketing the bar as an expat hangout, but other than during American sporting events the volume of business just wasn't there.

Finally, a few months ago he decided to start marketing to the local college students. Bingo! Since then the bar has been PACKED almost every night, especially after midnight through to the early morning hours. However, to deal with the phenomenon noted by Moore, Peter was compelled to institute a minimum consumption charge that has been mistakenly described here as a cover charge, which it is not. Nevertheless, I can tell you that Peter and the staff still welcome the expats, as one can observe on any Saturday and Sunday afternoon, and during which there is no "minimum consumption charge".

Thanks,

Jackson

[MiddleAgeGuy]

I did go here once and it was probably not so busy a night, Sunday? Still, I got the impression that the place could very easily become a N. American expat hang-out for those with little cash to spend. Those who may like to get out of their hostel or the 100 sq ft apartment they are living in and be able to nurse a beer for 4 hours while watching some home grown sports.

From that perspective, I can see the owner wanting to ensure a minimum charge as it is the least offensive way to discourage the patrons wanting a 5 peso beer over 4 hours.

MAG

[JengisKhan]

No cover there though I can understand why one would want to charge it. Argentines, especially teenie boppers, are notorious for coming in big loud groups and consuming one beer (or coffee) the whole night shared between several people. Shamrock and many other legit venues sometimes charge some kind of cover (often a ticket which gets you a drink or two) for that reason.

And I have no problem when such places waive the cover because they know I'm a regular and / or an American and therefore not a waste of revenue space. That's actually one of the few sensible moves I consistently see such businesses make.

I agree. If the Alamo can get people to pay a cover, it makes sense that they do. It will mean that I won't be coming there very often, except when I am going there to watch Cal vs. USC, or some other sporting event that I can't see anywhere else. But obviously thats not a problem for them or they wouldn't be doing it.

[Hound]

Signs last night posted throughout re the Superbowl: 30p cover (not minimum)--- or--- 50p includes 2 beers, bottle or draft, and a dinner.