National Bartending School

Had a great experience here. The instructors are excellent at what they do, concerned with students progress and great to work with. I went in with no experience and feel like I could handle a shift at a moderately busy bar tonight. If there was one down side I feel like they could use an extra instructor for busy times. I would strongly recommend this school for anyone considering becoming a bartender.

Everyone here was pretty helpful. These people WANT you to succeed. It’s not some crazy bootcamp where you MUST go at certain times. It’s open all day and even late for people who work different hours. These people have been in the bartending business for a very long time and know the PROPER way to make drinks. Another perk of being in the business so long is that there are so many possibilities for jobs and they make sure to help you. People will say bartending school is a joke but I didn’t know a damn thing about bartending and now I work for three different places and do wedding and cater events. Thanks for the help guys!

When I had first looked up this school, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as bartending school, but I decided to go check it out myself.
When I had first walked up to the school, I found it to look very nice & the moment I walked in, I was helped immediately. The first instructor I had met, Lindsay, was extremely helpful. She had an answer for every single question I had & walked me through the school, showing me the ropes & informing me of everything I needed to know before signing up. There was no catch, no hidden fees, nothing that would come off as a little shady.
After deciding to enroll that day, I realized how friendly & helpful everybody was, the atmosphere was very chill & I was encouraged to take my time throughout the course. The other instructor, Phil, was at first, VERY intimidating. After getting to know him & spending my days with him at the school, I realized he is actually a very sweet guy & extremely helpful. He had always helped me with anything I went to him for.
I am now a graduate of the National Bartending School of Riverside. It only took me a total of 2 & a half weeks & I am still very happy with my decision of ever attending the school. Nate, the owner, is very friendly & gave me more useful knowledge than I ever imagined upon graduating & he has & STILL is very helpful.
I have read several reviews on this school & the way I see it. All the negative reviews are probably (most likely) just from people that either didn’t try, didn’t ask questions, or didn’t bother to be interactive. It has been an experience & I am very thankful to all the instructors there. So thank you, Lindsay, Phil & Nate! I DO recommend this school to anyone thinking about a job/​career in bartending.

I signed up for the school about a year ago. I finished, but had something come up so I didn’t do job placement. I returned a few weeks ago and refreshed. Two days later I interviewed at two places that job placement gave me. I was offered a job at one of the places! I absolutely love this school. This school is a hidden gem I wish I would have found 10 years ago. A lot of bartenders don’t think that they need bartending school, but I can tell you what a difference it made in my career. Employers actually asked if I attended a school and not an online course!

This place is really awesome. the environment is very chill and welcoming. The instructors are very knowledgeable and are willing to help you with any questions you have. I gave it 100% and now I’m reaping the benefits! Got a bartending job 1 week after i graduated! Im super excited to start this new chapter.

HORRIBLE!!!
Nothing but liars ready to take your money & run. The whole program is a complete joke & the instructing is garbage. All they do is hand you a huge list of drinks to learn & say you can practice here, big deal when the instructors are just there to act like they are all to «cool»
No tips or decent advise from the staff then if you ever do get a job somewhere you still have to relearn all of the drinks the way the bar you get hired at likes.
The work placement program is a joke it’s just them handing you a list of business that are hiring even that is outdated.
The owner try’s to act like his school has a huge reputation & in reality no one has ever heard of them.
I plan on taking them to small claims court in the future everything I was told was a complete lie.
Run the other way with your hand on your wallet so these crooks can’t get it.

This school is legit! You can go at your pace and on your own schedule. They have several full stocked bars and a realistic environment. You’ll learn all the drinks, techniques, and garnish prepping. You’ll learn how to properly pour beer, change kegs, and pair drinks with certain foods. They even teach you how to use a POS system. They got you covered with a SafeServe certificate and an awesome bar kit. Basically, they teach you everything so you can walk into your new job with confidence.
The staff is awesome and super helpful. They even post up the new drinks so you’re always updated. Even after you graduate, they are more than happy to have you back to freshen up on your speed and efficiency. They make sure the environment is positive and fun. And you can always tell who’s in the office by the music in the bars.
Now about this Nate guy… he is a beast! He matches your motivation to find a career 100%. Two days after I graduated I already had two interviews and landed both. He prepares you with a practice interview and fine tunes your resume. He even helped me find the right high heels. He’s truly passionate about his job, which is finding you a job. He keeps up with his students and finds the best bars for their personality and work ethic. What can’t he do?
They made me into the specimen I am today and I can walk into any bar knowing that I am the best. The confidence I grew in my bartending abilities is solely from this school! I paid for my bartending/​mixology classes within the first week of working.
If your interested in starting a career in bartending/​mixology, this is where you need to go.
Hoodtender out!

Before I started my bartending school, of course I had to figure out and did research on which School I wanted to go to…
Specially when it come to driving, time and money$$…
I had to pick from severals, I chose this school because of
1. 90% to 99% Job Placement, even tho it’s state they don’t guarantee the job, common sense !- your likely to get a job vs other school won’t even try to help you after graduating.
2. Learn how to make 200+ drinks
And a lot more !!
Other bartending school would only teach you just the basic and that’s it …
I started school, everyone come and go as you please, do it at your own paste, staff is here is Awesome! Megan, Brian, Corey and Phil — thanks guys ! Staff is here to help you any questions you may have and will help teach you, People here in school is awesome !! Everybody here is willing to help one another, it’s like one big family … Great environment …
Total of 3 weeks I finally graduated! Yaay! Feel awesome to accomplish!!! Very exited !!
My mentor who is the owner & in charge of Job placement (Nate Smiley) — will help you land a job, and I can honestly say he will HELP you because 1 week later after graduating, I’ve landed a job at this new dining place in Riverside called The Castle !! Awesome ! Not only that– but 2 other students who I attend school with and also graduated 1 week before me has also landed a job at the same place !!! Now were gonna be working with each other. Its like we never left each other :))
With that being said ‚
Btw this school was an hour drive from where I live, I truly recommend this school to everyone who is seeking to attend bartending school, well worth the money$ spent and drive forsure !!
Thank you Riverside Bartending School !! You guys rock!

The staff is great, I had fun learning the drinks and the tests were not hard to pass if you took time to study. However I would not recomment this school if you are looking to get a job through job placement. My friend and I started at the same time, and neither one of us got a job through job placement. He gives you a long list of bars, in which most of the bars are closed, and expects you to drive around wasting time and gas going to 60 places before he will help you further. This is a complete waste of time because as soon as you walk into these restaurants and bars, the employees are never helpful and do not allow you to speak to managers. The list of bars he gives you is out-​dated. The first 10 places I went to were closed down. Really annoying. At least check to make sure the places you are sending people are still in business !
Successful job placement requires spending time looking for places who are actually hiring and then sending your students there. Not have you running around like a chicken with your head cut off, going to all these restaurants that are not hiring. And he did not tell my friend and I that all of the restaurants hire within. Meaning you have to be a food server with them for a few months before you can even apply to be a bartender. The school is awesome but the job placement assistance sucks.

I actually decided on this school based on the reviews I found online. So now that I’ve graduated, I had to write one of my own!
The staff is awesome. The curriculum explains just about everything you can think of and some more that you wouldn’t have. And now for what you’re probably really most concerned about… Finding a job!
It’s been two weeks since I’ve graduated and now thanks to Nate (the owner)… I landed a bartending position not far from my pad.
5 stars for them. I’d recommend it for my own brother, so I can wholeheartedly recommend it to y’all.

I first started thinking about bartending school several months ago and contacted a few schools. After hearing what Riverside Bartending School offered I decided to go with them. I think I made a great decision because the staff was extremely helpful and patient with me. I was a complete novice and I do not drink much alcohol so an understanding staff was critical for me to succeed. The staff had me up to speed in no time and helped me overcome any obstacles. I only wanted to work part time and the owner of the school helped me reach my goals through his very thorough job placement services. This is not a scam type of vocational school, it’s the real deal! I wish I could put more than five stars. Thank you to Phil, Elvis, Nate and the rest of the crew! I am really enjoying the extra cash and meeting new folks as I tend bar.

Good school, and fun too. I graduated in a little over 2 weeks. The school called me with a local «lead» on a bartending job, and I got hired the first place I interviewed at. They teach your all you will need to know and how to be fast and efficient.

Overall I LOVE this program. I originally signed up over a year ago, but had some major setbacks due to transportation and moving around a lot. Luckily I kept my receipt, i thought they would’ve forgotten me because it had been so long since the last time I attended, but the staff remembered me and every time i went back they made me feel right at home. It’s a very laid back environment and i love the fact that it’s work at your own pace! I met some really nice people there who helped me get to school the days i didn’t have a ride and every one was always very supportive of me completing the course. People who were almost finished had no problem helping me with any questions i had. So far i’ve completed all of the lessons and i can’t wait until i pass my final pour! I just got my best friend signed up and i’m going to help her through the course, she’s really excited (as she should be)! I highly recommend this school to anybody who is interested in becoming a bartender, the staff here is amazing! Made some great friends and i am SUPER excited to graduate! Even graduates come back into school just to stop by and say hi, they all have jobs and seem to be doing much better for themselves. Just wanna give a shout out to Nate and Elvis, you guys are awesome and i thank you for helping me get through this course! i know i’ve been on and off for a while, but i’m almost done and it’s all thanks to your motivation! You were the ones who kept me going! Thanks again! You guys rock!!! :)

I’m rating the school based on the customer service skills of the staff member who answers the phone. (He is not the manager, who is very friendly) But an advice to management is to train your call handlers with a positive tone of voice and customer respect at all times. This guy, Travis? Austin? couldn’t make out his name clearly, was so rude! Hung up on me, when I inquired about their class schedule. Didn’t even take the time to put me on hold so he could verify what class was being taught. If the class schedule is not going to be posted online. the school should at least respond to student’s inquires about the class schedule. I didn’t pay tuition money, to be treated so rudely. I am also not a fan of wasting gas, driving all the way to the school to find out the the lesson for that day has been cancelled, changed, repeated… whatever. How archaic is the system to require students to drive all the way to the school just to pick up a paper handout schedule? This is the 21^st century, age of email and internet, and sustainability = eliminate paper waste.
It’s a relatively simple task to have a schedule tacked up by the receptionist phone and answer the damn inquiry a student makes, no matter how repetitive. How do you teach customer service at the bar, if you can’t address inquiries about the school adequately?
I’ve only been to the school once for sign up and one lesson, so I can’t judge the curriculum per se. But this rude receptionist is tainting my opinion of the staff there. This is the 3^rd rude phone encounter with this guy.
Update:
issue resolved. Management took the time to address a change in policy. They now send you an email as a google doc. if you are a registered student. Thank you Nate for taking time to make positive changes and address issues right away.

National Bartending School is pretty much amazing. Scratch that it’s totally amazing. I was bummed and unemployed, pretty pissed at life, until one day my girlfriend suggested we try bartending school. We called a few places and then I spoke with Nate, who gave me a complete run down of the school and how it can help. The course was great, and really informative.
Nate, Elvis, Phil and Chris are all really cool instructors who demand the best from you but help you get to the level they see you achieving. Its a very relaxed atmosphere so there is no need to worry about anxiety. It’s at your own speed which is really helpful too.
And they help you get a job! pretty cool imo. I say this now as a server and a bartender at a local restaurant!

Have to say this school is beyond amazing. The staff and the people you meet make your experience here so enjoyable that you forget that you’re doing any labor. Not only is it fun, but they make it really easy on you. NBS uses learning methods that are practical & super effective. Repetition & association are two ways that the brain learns best & both of those methods are used at NBS. Actually going behind the bar & practicing pouring drinks is extremely effective as well. Any questions you may have are answered by a readily available & dope ass staff. These guys go beyond just teaching you ingredients. They teach you real life bartending situations & how to deal with them — realistically! It’s always entertaining hearing their own personal stories they’ve experienced on the job as well (& they have MANY). It reminds you of all the good times & $$ you’re working hard towards. Once you’re graduated they’ll make sure your resume looks great & help you land a job ASAP. I finished bartending school & got a job about a week or two afterwards. So now I can experience my own stories :]

I just attended the National Bartending school in Riverside and I have to say this place is so great! The enrollment team helped me get into the program with ease. They are so helpful and have an open door for when ever I have any questions. The classes are not only fun but also gave me a taste of what it’s like to be behind a bar. I’m a hands on learner, so it’s really neat to be able to go behind the bar when ever I can to practice mixing drinks. I am so excited to have gone to school here because the owner Nate has worked extra hard for me with job placement and I have had success getting into a bartending job straight out of the program! It only took me 4 weeks to finish and could have taken less time if I had gone everyday. I met some really fun people there and got a job out of it! So I went from unemployed to employed in 4 weeks making money to use today and able to pay my bills! That’s why I give it 5 stars. They seriously help you get a job! My boss now says he’s so glad I had training and know how to pour drinks because the last person he hired didn’t know a quarter of the drinks I can make. Woohoo! now I look like a pro :)