Liz Hilfrank
Grabbing a drink with friends is always fun, but having a good server makes it even better. Head over to Fishbones when Lyndsey Hawthorne is behind the bar, and you’re guaranteed the full experience. All smiles all the time, Hawthorne wants to make sure you’re having as good of a time as she is. She loves her job, and she loves the island. This Week sat down with Hawthorne to learn a little more about how the Colorado native flew half way across the country for a vacation that turned into an eight-year stay.
TW: What brought you to Fishbones?
LH: The owner of The Lookout, I work at The Lookout as my main job, bought it. I wanted to work with Nicole [a long time island friend] so we came down here, and it’s on the harbor, so it’s fun.
TW: Do you live on the Vineyard year round?
LH: I do. I don’t stay the whole year usually, but I live here, it’s my home.
TW: Have you always lived here?
LH: Nope. For eight years.
TW: So where were you before that?
LH: Before that I was in Colorado.
TW: Why did you move here?
LH: I came on vacation and then I just never left!
TW: Is the bar scene in Colorado and here pretty different?
LH: Very different. Because you know, it’s the mountains, and here it’s touristy and beachy. Everything here is on the island so you can walk around and drink and get drunk. There are more cowboys where I lived. So it was a lot of Budweiser and beers. Here it’s shots and fancy drinks. I like both.
TW: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
LH: Go to the beach. We have a boat, so we go on the boat a lot.
TW: What do you like about the island?
LH: I love the community of the island. The people are just great. The beauty and my friends. It’s just a really nice island to live on, really nice people.
TW: Anything you don’t like about it?
LH: I guess always having to make the 9:30 boat; you know the last boat. That’s about it. I love the island.
TW: Where do you live on the island?
LH: Vineyard Haven.
TW: You said you’re here most of the time; do you have somewhere else you usually go?
LH: We just travel. Like last year we went to Cuba. We go to Florida quite a bit. We just travel. The year before we went to Spain. We just pick somewhere to go and take like a month off.
TW: That’s a nice lifestyle.
LH: Yeah, I try not to spend all my savings, but travel.
TW: So why do you like bartending?
LH: I like the social aspect. It’s just fun and in the summer you make a lot of money. I work at the two best places, and it’s just fun.
TW: Have you experienced any awkward situations at the bar?
LH: Yes, all the time.
TW: Any ones that stick out in the memories?
LH: I’ve given a shot to someone and they’ve thrown up all over the bar. I mean just cutting people off is just awkward. But that’s probably the worst, having someone throw up. It’s actually happened twice. They had just started but couldn’t handle their alcohol.
TW: Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to bartending?
LH: Snapping at you. Waving you down, even waving money at you. Slapping the bar. Those are all things you shouldn’t do if you want to get a drink fast.
TW: Tips to please the bartender, then?
LH: Tip well. Don’t wave, don’t slap the bar. Tip well and just be nice.
TW: Do you have a favorite memory from your experiences?
LH: I would say this year it would be thirsty Thursdays with Nicole because we just started that this year, and we’ve had so much fun doing it. We have a good crowd; they come back every week. We play really good music.
TW: You just started it up?
LH: Yeah we just started a new kind of tradition, and it started really good. That would definitely go down for this summer.
