Goose on the Rocks

Goose on the Rocks was the bartender for our wedding in September 2018. I wish this review was better than it is -- but honestly, I would not hire Goose on the Rocks again given our experience. Here's a list of our specific issues: 1) Communication was poor. Benson was poor at getting back to us, even when he owed us a response he had previously committed to. When planning a wedding, you I've pasted a excerpts from couple of his emails below: "Totally slipped my mind that you texted me back. Something about Apple Watches that when you get a text, and you look at it but don't have time to respond, it comes off on the phone as read. My apologies! We're at a wedding today, but I thought I send a response when I saw your email." "I'm so sorry, I was waiting on an edit to review, to then send back to you but I never received it. That's my fault for dropping that ball. I should have had your list by Friday last week but went on a short trip over the weekend." 2) Not paying attention to LARGE details. 3 days before the wedding, Benson texted me a mutli-page panic that we couldn't have a separate bar location during the cocktail hour. This had been communicated in writing at least twice from me, in the site plan from our coordinator, as well as verbally in our phone meetings. I delegated this to our coordinator and she worked it out with him, but we were busy attending to out-of-town family members. While I was flustered with the communication issues to this point, this one put me over the edge. 3) When we spoke to our friends after the wedding, the Bartender was the ONLY vendor that continually was mentioned in a negative light. A decent number of our guests complained that the margaritas weren't very strong. Based on the amount of tequilla we had purchased that was returned to us at the end of this evening, this was clearly very true. A smaller number of guests said the bartenders had bad attitudes. While I didn't visit the bar at all (people kept bringing me drinks), I have to defer to their statements. Much like Pandora's box, I like to find a ray of hope in even the bad reviews I write. In this case, my ray of hope is that since we got back close to 3/4ths of the tequila, I have enough to throw another party. Will be going with a different bartending service for it though.

The 3 most important things to a wedding are the couple (me + wife), the people (Thank you friends and fam) and the DRANK (Thank you Benson). The first 2 are set but you can finally rest in knowing that the third component to a perfect party is also now taken care of. Goose on the Rocks is THE best bartending service out there. We all know we are trying to save some cash because everything is going to your decoration and venue, Goose on the Rocks is the one to call! We all know we don’t know how much liquor to order for a 200+ people event, Goose on the Rocks is the one to call. All jokes aside, Benson and Goose on the rocks were so lovely to work with. We had a 1+ hour phone conversation (sorry I asked so many questions) before even saying we would go with their services. Then Benson continued to keep us in the loop, gave us a shopping list, made suggestions, gave us so many tips on how to save here and there. It was definitely a great experience. There were zero hiccups and all our other vendors loved working with Goose on the Rocks! 100% Recommend. Yes, we did not run out of Liquor at all! Trust this man!

My husband and I are so happy that we went with Goose on the Rocks! They made it so simple, easy, and affordable for us... which made it one less thing to worry about. Our guests loved their service and were happy with the alcohol selection. Thanks Goose on the Rocks!

We hired Goose on the Rocks for our daughter’s wedding and we couldn’t be happier! I found them on Yelp and contacted Benson about a year before the big event. He was very detailed in letting us know how he and his team operate and what we could expect from them on the day of the event. He also advised of what to expect from him in the months leading up to the wedding, and was very helpful in giving us some ideas for unique signature drinks! The entire process went very smoothly and Benson was so easy to work with. It’s obvious when you talk to him that he’s a great guy and he really takes pride in what they do. Oh, and did I mention their rates were very reasonable too?! The bar team on the day of the event were fun, yet professional and had a passion for what they do. Benson and his team are the real deal! My advice to you, stop shopping around for a bartender and call Goose on the Rocks! You won’t be sorry!

Okay, these guys are the best ever. I always try looking for the best bang for my buck so when I found Goose on the Rocks and had a consultation with Benson, I left knowing that I would be in excellent hands and my wallet wouldn't hate me. They are extremely professional, detail-oriented, and work with you to really make your wedding special for you and your guests. I would recommend them to anyone in a heartbeat, I definitely will ask them to bartender for any future events. Thanks Benson and your team!!

As a project manager by profession, I'm used to working with all sorts of vendors, but Benson and his team are on a next level. We started out with a phone consultation where Benson asked about our needs and the types of guests we'll have (light drinkers vs. heavy drinkers). This helped us identify the right amount of drinks & supplies we would need to purchase for the team. It ended up being exactly right, with not much left over to have to take home :). On the day of, they came on time, and made delicious drinks (especially the greyhounds) and made sure even to have our guests hydrated with water towards the end of the night. Even after the wedding, Benson wrote up a synopsis/summary of the night, which I thought was super thoughtful (since I was so busy throughout the night). His level of communication and attention to detail was super impressive and I was so glad I went with his team for my venue.

I began wedding planning a little over a year ago and Goose on the Rocks was one of the very first vendors that I booked without question (about 10 months in advance!). Benson was extremely responsive to e-mail and text and provided a very reasonable package for me to work with. Benson is always open to feedback and I never felt pressured to do anything I did not feel comfortable with doing. I had a particularly stressful time wedding planning with date, time and guest count changes and Benson was reasonably cautious but at the same time very accommodating and considerate of our situation. Luckily, everything worked out thanks to Benson and his team. On our wedding day, his team was prompt, professional, friendly and courteous. Our guests had nothing but good things to say! My mother was very impressed with how fast they pumped out drinks despite a huge line forming during cocktail hour. My husband and I are so incredibly happy with the service GOTR provided we are already looking into future events where we can work with them again! Thank you Benson and the GOTR team!

I had the pleasure of working with Benson and Goose on the Rocks for our wedding recently. We were referred to them through our friends who had used them previously and figured they had done a fine job at that wedding. Our friends for the most part are heavy liquor drinkers and being budget-minded we weren't looking for people advertising themselves as master mixologists for a premium. What I found from the start though was that Benson was very communicative and easy to work with. I didn't need to worry about him not getting back to me or following through on anything. He was very upfront about his services and standards from the get go, detail oriented, and helped guide our decisions with a good deal of flexibility. We had to provide our own alcohol which is something my wife and I absolutely wanted to do. It allowed us to look for good deals and save, and get exactly what we wanted: a crap-ton of Jameson, Grey Goose vodka, and some tequila in addition to varieties of all Ballast Point beer (top notch beer only!). We also had to provide ice, chasers, etc... so be prepared! This saves you money but best to plan transporting all of that accordingly. Benson provide timely reminders on areas we should be on top of, and based of our menu offered a lot of feedback and drew up a shopping list of what and how much we would need to buy. On the day of the wedding we got to meet his team who all seemed super friendly and professional. All of the drinks I received were delicious, and they were even nice enough to bring my wife and me some cocktails during our reception. Very nice and thoughtful! Something I really liked was that Benson reached out to us a couple of days after the wedding to say thanks and to recap his team's experience and some feedback, which I really liked. I give these guys high recommendations, and to the entire Goose on the Rocks team, thank you!

Benson and the Entire GOTR team did an amazing job providing service for my wedding. Obviously, the bar is a key aspect when planning a wedding and of course never planning a wedding before things can get stressful when deciding between vendors. However, that was not the case here. The moment we were contacted by Benson we knew this is who we wanted to go with and we did not regret that decision. The service was great from beginning to end, there was constant communication throughout the weeks leading up to our big day. As a matter of fact, the GOTR team had worked an event at the venue where our wedding would be a couple weeks prior, and Benson was able to provide feedback on things that he thought would work best, such as bar location, and additional needs for he and his team. Again the service was exceptional and we would definitely recommend GOTR and definitely work with them again.

Goose on the Rocks provided the bartending services for our wedding this past weekend and we couldn't have asked for more. My husband (!!!) works as a bartender, so we had ideas for what cocktails we wanted to serve, but Benson gave us guidance on how to tweak them to ensure smooth service for 115 guests. The shopping list that he provided was also very helpful in determining quantities. We ended up buying more than he suggested because we didn't want to risk running out, but his numbers were spot on and we now have enough left over booze for the next ten years. We will definitely use Goose on the Rocks next time we have a big party. Thanks again!

Benson and his team are extremely professional, thorough, and easy to work with! Our communication with Benson went very smooth. He's very efficient, quick, and does leave any detail out! His projections of supplies needed vs guest count is reasonably accurate and he even gave recommendations on sources that offered the most value. Come game day, Benson and his staff arrive on time and had everything prepped for the reception. They even had nice signs posted which displayed their specialized offerings and gave a nice shout-out to the bride and groom. During the reception, they were extremely friendly and courteous to all our guests with the utmost professionalism. All in all, I believe they are the best value in the Socal area and I would recommend them for ANY event. You won't find better service, quality, and hospitality for the money, I promise you this.

I am a wedding coordinator who recently had the privilege to work with Benson and his team. Not only are they very professional and easy to work with, but they handled a large wedding of 200 guests with ease! They kept the party going and the guests happy, throughout the entire night. I would look forward to work with them again and highly recommend their services!

Thank you to Benson and the Goose on the Rocks team for a fantastic job at Jennylin and Ritchels Wedding. They made the process leading up to the big event simple and stress free. Their attention to detail was impeccable. They were setup on time and very customer focused throughout the entire night. There was never a long line as they were very efficient. They were a wonderful hire and give them a rating of 10/10. Keep up the great work Goose on the Rocks team! We will hire you for our next event.

Had a wonderful working experience with Benson's team at Goose on the Rocks, for my wedding in April 2016! We worked with Benson to create a custom cocktail menu and he provided a complete shopping list for our convenience when purchasing items for our bar. The setup was gorgeous and the drinks and service was fantastic. Can't recommend him enough!