Server Says: Tiffany Nguyen of Sassy’s Red House

A barbecue place in a Razorback country, Sassy’s Red House in Fayetteville is undoubtedly the site of many firsts: first time watching the Hogs on TV, first time celebrating a college degree, first stop during a 21st birthday celebration and more. 

 

For server, bartender and scheduling manager Tiffany Nguyen, who joined the restaurant about three years ago, it was her first food service gig.

 

“I was at the end of my high school career at a previous job, looking to get out of the environment,” she said. “A friend of mine had just gotten hired at Sassy’s, which was my in to the job.”

 

 

One of her biggest responsibilities, which she took on a little more than a year ago, is making the schedule for the front-of-house staff, which includes those who interact directly with customers, such as servers, bartenders and hosts.

 

“Taking this position has put me in a higher position for the front-of-house members to communicate and feel heard,” she said.

 

Although Sassy’s offers a range of barbecue, including ribs, brisket, chicken and pork, Nguyen said her favorite is the turkey.

 

 

“I would say our turkey is the underdog,” she said, adding that she enjoys the meat on its own or as part of the turkey bacon ranch, turkey club wrap or T.L.T.R., which is short for turkey, lettuce, tomatoes and ranch.

 

She said her go-to side dish is the loaded baked potato casserole, but another side has captured her heart, as well.

 

“Our sweet potato tots are actually the reason I enjoy sweet potatoes now,” she said.

 

For those who do not enjoy turkey, she recommended the wings.

 

 

“We have so many amazing homemade sauces that are amazing with the in-house smoked wings,” she said. “I also always throw in the appetizer or fried mushrooms if anyone is interested in getting an app. We do spears of mushrooms, which is something I really do not see.”

 

While she said she has met many regulars she enjoys, especially since she began bartending this year, working at the restaurant full-time while taking a full load of classes is far from easy.

 

“It is very draining and a lot more work than you assume,” she said of working as a server. “I never understood until I started. It teaches you a lot of patience, in a way. As a server-bartender, you are socializing hours on end, and that is a lot on an individual, especially, like, a college student who is in classes and [has] a social life, as well.”

 

 

Graduation weekend is hectic for most restaurants in college towns, and Nguyen recalled working doubles Friday through Sunday for her first graduation weekend as a server.

 

“By Sunday, I was not burnt out but feeling very disillusioned, as people say,” she said. “We were pretty busy, and I was just trying to make sure all the tables I had were taken care of. I had a table tell me that I am an amazing server and to never let anyone second-guess it. All the personal compliments that tables have taken the time to let me know genuinely helps me get through some of those longer, rough days.”

 

When she is not working or studying, she said she enjoys spending time with the people she loves. Her main goal in life is to provide for her family, she added, and she hopes to be successful enough to support her parents during their retirement years.

 

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