We chatted with Angelica Russert behind the bar at Side Bar & Restaurant.
Featured in our April “Design” issue!
How long have you been working at Side Bar? For about seven years. Started as a hostess when I was 19, and then I cycled through all the positions up to bartender.
What do you enjoy most? It’s a really good time. All of my friends work here, so it’s like my social life.
Most of them have been here a long time, too? Yep! Most of the staff has been here since the beginning, and we’ve been open for eight years.
What’s kept you around for so long? Honestly, these people are like my family. They’re my best friends. It’s definitely the family aspect that keeps me here. Justin and Adam are such great owners that there’s no real need to go anywhere else. Like every year in June, we do a Side Bar Golf Outing at Applecross. You can sign up in teams of four. People either volunteer to work or play. It’s a really awesome day for us because we get to hang out as a staff.
When do you normally work? I work behind the bar on Wednesday and Saturday nights, Friday during the day for Happy Hour, and I serve Sunday brunch. I love my Friday day shift because a lot of the regulars come in, and I love my Wednesday nights because a lot of the staff comes in.
Does Side Bar have any special nights? We have Tuesday Trivia with Big Mike. It’s challenging, but a good time. Fridays and Saturdays, we have our DJs too. On Thursday nights, we serve $3 local drafts. We offer different food specials throughout the week, so people look out for those.
What’s your favorite on the menu? Our new Carne Asada Tacos. They’re soooo good. They’re steak tacos with pickled onions on top with cotija cheese. You can get two or three ,and I always get three because really, why only get two!?
To read the entire article, check out our April “Design” issue online and around the borough!
