Tipping at Starbucks

Does everyone expect a tip now? It seems like more and more people are expecting a tip from me and with the economy being the way it is, I have no more money to give them. Just yesterday I went to three places where a tip was expected. The first was the hair salon to get my hair did. I've never really understood tipping the stylist. I think they get paid a pretty good hourly rate, don't they? But, what it really comes down to is fear. If I don't tip well, will they botch my haircut the next time around? Will I leave with a big chunk of hair missing from the back of my head? Will they shave the word "cheapskate" back there?

So then I go out the dinner at Centro. Some great food by the way. So here I see why we tip. The servers get paid a small hourly wage and depend on tips as part of the salary. But here's a question. Would I rather eat somewhere where I didn't have to tip and the food prices were higher? Or would I rather have the choice to tip based on how good the service was? I think I like to have the option of choosing what my server gets.

Then after dinner I had to stop and get an Iced Coffee at Starbucks. Now this is the place I don't understand tipping. The workers there don't get paid $3.25 an hour like a server. And for an Ice Coffee all they have to do is pour two liquids already made into a glass. Does this deserve a tip? No. But yet they place that little tip jar there and I feel like they give me a dirty look if I don't throw my extra change in there. But come on, you didn't do anything to deserve my hard earned money. I just paid $2.39 for my drink. Isn't that enough? The answer to this problem? Just use the drive-thru and pay with credit card. Then no extra cash or coin to give them. And no worries.

One thing I have decided from all these thoughts about tips. I think I will put a tip jar on my desk at work. Somebody has a question..... I expect a tip. Somebody needs me to solve their issue..... not getting done until I see something slipped into that tip jar. :)

Jethro's BBQ - Food Review

So people have been telling me how good Jethro's BBQ is for the last year. I have been putting off going there, but after seeing the restaurant featured on Travel Channel's Man vs Food, I decided to try it out. My wife and I split a Dinner for 2 that included 4 meats and 4 sides. Here are my thoughts on each meat we tried:

Brisket: Had a good flavor, but the meat was really fatty
Smoked Turkey: Tasted like sliced lunch meat fried up on the skillet - Not impressed
Ham: Nice cut of ham, but didn't have much flavor
Pulled Pork: The highlight of the 4 meats. Great flavor - One of the best pulled porks in town

The sides that came along with it were your normal BBQ joint sides. The mac and cheese was a nice surprise and would definitely recommend. As far as the BBQ sauces, that's another place that Jethro's got it right. Their main house sauce is one of the best I've had. So overall, there were a few hits and a few misses. I will go back again to get some of that pulled pork. They also had some giant pork tenderloins that looked tasty. One other thing to mention. The soda there costs $2.50! I find that a little pricey. Just something to think about....

Maxie's Restaurant & Lounge - Review

I have been going to Maxie's Restaurant in West Des Moines since I was a little kid. It has been a fixture on Grand Ave for the last 40 years, and there's a reason it's been in business so long. The reason..... Two words...... Maxie Burger. Yes, I would say this is the best burger in town hands down. You get a 1/2 pound burger with your choice of toppings (I suggest going with American cheese and pickles and mayo on the side) along with fries and onion rings. Now, I'm not a huge fan of onion rings, but most people will tell you that they are pretty darn good too. Since I always get the same thing there I can't say how good the rest of the food there is, but my wife gets the Filet and Lobster and has good things to say about it as well. You might also want to check our the "Maxie Special", which is a 7oz sirloin with 2 breaded shrimp, dinner salad, spaghetti and bread for only $16.29. Click here for full menu.

So definitely, the next time you want to try a Des Moines area legend, head over to Maxie's and enjoy some great food!