No Corkage Fees

[brentbacher]

Looking for restaurants [dinner service, med. price range] in Orange County and or Long Beach that do not charge corkage Fees. the few that I know are: Houstons, Blacksheep, Cafe R&D, Pinot Providence and Gulfstream.

[heckonwheels]

Palermo's in Covina has no corkage fees but they do ask that you show a receipt (?) showing you bought it elsewhere. They do not serve any alcohol and I have no idea why they have this policy but the food is cheap and delicious.

[josephnl]

Why would they want to see a receipt? Do they think you stole the wine? What if it was given to you as a gift? What if you made the wine yourself? That policy seems really dumb!!

[heckonwheels]

They said it was because of the authorities (ABC?). I agree, it was one of the strangest things I'd heard. I just told the server that I have several bottles of wine at home and I'm not in the habit of keeping reciepts for them. She didn't say anything but did bring glasses and a corkscrew.

[batfink23]

odd conversation with Trachts, thought of some solo dining tonight. now keep in mind, I am staying across the road, and I know they are always empty or near to it.

asked about a half bottle, and was told corkage was $25.00
which is nuts, so I said that was very competitive in these times and was there any better that can be done.

I have to say I wouldn't normally name someone but seeing as its true: Nicky bluntly said in a take it or leave it tone: no, that's it.

not to mention that are running specials all over the place to get people in, and they have no 1/2 bottles on the list...

I am not sure what is sillier, this policy or letting a 20yr or so girl make such pronouncements on behalf of the restaurant.

/end rant lol

[Adsvino]

who the heck is Nicky? Nicky Tracht?

[RicRios]

Nicky Hilton?

[Adsvino]

Nicky Ikki?

[batfink23]

lol. sorry, Nicki is the name of the girl who I spoke with, and seeing as she was so keen to identify herself and her authority...

[Lmo1823]

Gingergrass in Silverlake (outside your area, I know) = no corkage fee

[vickib]

Brand new and delicious in Long Beach: At Last Cafe, on Orange, just south of Broadway. http://jmchefcatering.com/

[josephnl]

All of the Hillstone Group restaurants (Houston's, Bandera, Cafe R&D and Gulfstream) waive corkage, and many (but not all) Patina Group restaurants (including Pinot Provence) waive corkage. Otherwise, it's notable that many restaurants will waive corkage if you bring a nice bottle, and offer a taste to your server.

[scurvy]

Just called Patina about corkage and it is $30 for a regular-sized bottle.

[sentient1]

Heres a partial list from a robert parker board thread

This first post updated to include updates as of *11/09/07*

2117 - West LA $10
Admiral Risty's in PV $12
Allegrini - Silverlake $0.00
Amuse Café $1 per person glass fee
Angeli Caffe $10 per bottle
Angelini Osteria $ 20 - waived for each bottle purchased off
AOC $25 per bottle, waived if 2nd bottle purchased
Asia de Cuba $40
Avenue - Manhattan Bch $20;
Balboa $20 per bottle (corkage is waived if a bottle is also bought) Sunday's their whole list is half price!
Barnacles Bar & Grill - Southbay $0.00
Benihana's, Torrance, Not Allowed
bistro de la gare, south pasadena, $10 byo glasses as theirs are small
Blair's $15.00
Bluewater Grill - Southbay $10.00
Blue Pacific $8;
Brass Cap, $25
Brentwood, $25
Briganti, south pasadena: $15
Buono Sera - Redondo $15
Buona Vita - Southbay $0
Cafe Bizou $2
Cafe La Fornaretta (San Marino) $10
Cafe Mimi -$15
Cafe Piew - $0
Campanile $20 per bottle
Capo - $25
Chart House - Malibu $20
Chez Jay, Santa Monica - $10
Chez Melange - Southbay; $15, $0 Tuesdays
Chinois On Main $20 per 750ml
Cicada, downtown LA, $15 (cannot be on their list)
Ciudad $13 per bottle
Cobras & Matadors - $0 if bottle bought next door??, otherwise $15, but byo glasses as theirs are very small
Craft - $35
Creme de la Crepe - Southbay $0.00
Cucina Bene, $10
CUT, Beverly Hills, $35
Dan Tana $24 per bottle
Fioretta Trattoria--BYOB is not allowed for groups smaller than 12
Fraiche $15 1st bottle, $25 2nd bottle
Frito Misto - Southbay $3
Gio Cucina Napoletana, Encino $8
Giorgio Baldi - Pac. Palisades Per Pete, BYOB not allowed
Girasole on Larchmont has no corkage fee.
Grace $15 per bottle provided it's not on the wine list; otherwise not allowed (no per table limit on personal cellar bottles if call in advance to let them know how many)
Guelaguetza $4 per bottle
Hatfield's $20-25 range per Walter's failing memory
Hotel Bel Air $40
Houston's, all locs: $0.00
Il Capriccio - Los Feliz $5.00
Il Grano - West L.A $30
Il Moro $15
Jackson's Village Bistro - Southbay $7.00
James Beach,Venice, $12/btl (cannot be on their list)
JAR ...$20 2 bottles limit
Jiraffe - Santa Monica $20 per bottle
Joe's ($20)
Joe Greensleeves - Redlands - $12
Josie - Santa Monica FREE on Mondays, 2 bottle max.. $20 per bottle, waived if 2nd bottle purchased;
Kings for Fish $10
La Botte, - Santa Monica No BYOB allowed
La Buca $10.00
La Cachette $25 per bottle; $1 on Sundays
La Sosta - Hermosa Bch, $25
La Terza $25
Lawry's $10 per bottle
Lilly's - Venice $20
Literati 2 - Brentwood $15
Little Door - $35 per bottle; $70 per magnum
L'Opera Ristorante -Long Beach $15
L'Orangerie CLOSED $25 per bottle, provided it's not on the wine list; otherwise
Lucques $16.
Marcello's, San Pedro $15
Madame Matissee - Silverlake $0.00 (BYO stems)
Maple Drive $15 per bottle (waived if second bottle is bought)
Marouche $8.00
Mastro's $25 per bottle
Melisse - Santa Monica $30 per bottle, waived if 2nd bottle purchased
Melting Pot (Pasadena, LA, OC) $15
Metro Cafe - Culver City $0.00
Mortons $25 per bottle.
Mr. Chow's $25 per bottle
Musso & Franks $3.50 per person (no matter how many bottles)
Opaline CLOSED $12 per bottle
Opus $20
Orso $12 per bottle
Osteria Mozza, on Highland, $20
Parkway Grill $20 per bottle
Patina $30 per bottle; $60 mag
Petros, Manhattan Beach $15
Piccolo Paradiso - Beverly Hills $15
Pinot Chain (Pinot Bistro, Pinot Café, Pinot Hollywood (but *not* in Disney Hall) – $0.00
Pizza Mozza on Melrose, $ 25 waived for every btl. Purchased
Pizzicoto $8 per bottle
Polo Club, Beverly Hills Hotel $50
Prego $12 per bottle
Providence $0 Mondays, $20 other nights
Restaurant 2117 – $10
Rock 'N Fish - Southbay $12 if not on list
Rustic Canyon Wine Bar, Santa Monica - $25/bottle; max 2 btls
Sasabune (sushi) - Brentwood $15
Sona $30 per 750 ml, limited to 1 bottle per 2 guests; if wine is on wine list, not allowed
Sor Tino - Brentwood $8
Spago $25 per 750ml
Sushi Central, Culver City, $0
Sushi Nozawa: "We don't do that" (Shocker...)
Table 8 - $0 on Mondays
Tangerine $10 per bottle
Tanino, Westwood, $20
Taylors $10 per bottle
Terra, Malibu, $12
Teru Sushi, Studio City $8
The Copper Room - San Pedro $10
The Grill $15 per bottle
the Crepe Vine, Oldtown Pasadena, $8
The Ivy - Not allowed
The Kitchen - $3.00
The Press - Claremont - $8
Totoraku Teriyaki House on Pico - $0
Traxx, Union Station, $15
Turner New Zealand - So. Coast Plaza $15
Tutti Mangia - Claremont - $10
Upstairs 2, West LA - $15 nice stems
Valentino $30 per bottle
Vert $14 per bottle
Violet, Santa Monica $12
Water Grill $20 per bottle
Yujean Kang (Pasadena) $10
Z Sushi $10
Zelo Cornmeal Crust Pizza, Arcadia, $8.00

Lastly, not a corkage "policy" per se, but for:
Santa Monica & environs: a list of restaurants with $0.00 corkage if the wine is purchased at one local wine shop... see post #29 below
__________________
for more go to http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/s...

[Adsvino]

Tons of closed places on this list, call first.

[janetms383]

Mimi's only charges $1. These days, that very reasonable

[Local]

try links below listings of no-corkage or sorta no-corkage fees. Looks like Lasher's in L.B. is a sorta...Memphis and Melting Pot various OC locations.

http://www.localwineevents.com/Long-Beach-Wine/BYOB-restaurants.html

http://www.localwineevents.com/Orange...

[patz]

Memphis has a no-corkage night once a week, the other nights it's around $5-10

[Adsvino]

Are they still open?

[RicRios]

OC/LB outside my area, but same principle applies: as the economy continues downslope, more and more restaurants are waving corkage. Or at least that's my experience. Only caveat: you need to ask. More often than not they'll waive it.