Cork Screw

This place is a great wine bar. The atmosphere is laid back and the service is great. The wines are always changing which keeps me coming back to broaden my wine drinking horizons. Cool staff too. Highly reccomend it for an after work hang out or a date spot. Pros: Great Wine Bar; One of the last originals in Houston! Cons: wish they had a bigger menu more

The Corkscrew is definitely the best wine bar in town. It's acomfortable, no-nonsense place you can hang out with your girlfriends, coworkers or on a date, and have a great time. The wine is excellent, the staff is attentive (but not annoying) and they've recently added to their menu, kicking it up a notch. The cheese plate is my fav. Paninis are also a good bet. At any rate, my last visit, heard about Wineapalooza... a feastival the Corkscrew puts on annually. It's October 4th and will feature more than 120 wines, food and music for just $55. Count me in... Pros: This place is anything but stuffy and the wine is fab! Cons: I really don't have anything negative to say... more

This has to be one of the worsr wine bars in town or anywhere for that matter! The wine wall looks like the leftovers nobody wants at the 7elevn. Seriously, slim pickins!!! The frozen pizzas are nasty and the cheese plate is pitiful, can not even make your own selection! The only really reason to go there is not even there anymore...hot, friendly blondes. The rest of the staff seems bitter and well, not too thrilled to work there. Don't waste your time or your money! more

Great location and place, but the service was terrible. Since we were a two person table, it took them quite a bit to pay us any attention vs. the loud and more numerous table right next to us. I was really excited to go to this place since my boyfriend and I are always looking for new and cool wine bars to hang out and have a good time. Our meat and cheese platter was served on plastic plates and I've had better platters from a supermarket. Needless to say I was really disappointed with this place and would NOT recommend this place! Pros: The place is actually nice and ecclectic inside Cons: Food, service and plastic utensils! more

Wonderful service. My husband and I went there for our 13th ann. and they took SUCH good care of us! Active in causes that are close to our hearts and truly genuine people. SRMcC. more

Corkscrew is a great place to lounge for a casual and relaxed outing with friends. They have a great varietal selection of wine that's won't leave your pockets empty. And they have even extend their menu allowing for more choice of food from wine and cheese to paninis and pizzas!! It's also a great place for large groups as they have a separate wine cellar room you can reserve to the great room next door!! Pros: Ambience, parking, wine and food Cons: can get crowded more

Compared with many of the other wine bars around town this is one of my two favorites. The staff is always helpful. I found several new favorite wines for under $10 a glass and it's a generous pour. The price does not have tax added on to it which is a very annoying habit some other wine bars in town have. The cheese plates could use a little work on their presentation but not it that means raising the price. Parking is easy and the doormen have always insisted on making sure women are watched on the way to their cars when I've been there. There's several outdoor tables on the deck for smokers. Pros: Great bar to meet with friends, not a scene. Cons: no cons yet. more

Compared to other wine bars in the area, this is the best! The wines are affordable and the selection is changed and updated regularly. It always seems full but I have never had a hard time finding a table or couch. The corkscrew offers a place where people can hang out, talk, and enjoy drinks without breaking the bank. Try the truffles with a tasty Cab or Malbec. Pros: Price, Selection Cons: Parking more

This was my 5th visit in 2 years to this little place and I still feel it needs a little something to put it above the rest of the Washington Ave. venues that are popping up and down this street/area. My co-workers and I were having an impromptu together this ending week and being neighbors in the area we wanted to support a place close to our office and that we all would feel comfortable in given our diverse group. The ambiance, surroundings, interior is cozy & wonderful. The noise level does accelerate quickly with more people talking (1 word-rugs). But that I am sure is part of their appeal to alot of folks. We arrrived around 5pm with the place about 1/3 full, the bar got a little busier as another group was having a party in the other room/lounge area, so nice crowd for the end of a week. What lacked a bit for us was the customer service that the "regulars patrons/friends (just guessing)" seemed to be getting from an owner and one of two waitpersons. The young lady that did help us was as attentive, polite, and as serviceable as could be possible given the situation, but being as more people we coming in, the service did dimish a bit. Maybe a couple of more hands walking around helping out would have, but I know you can never guess what kind of crwod you will have until it happens. That being said, I congratulate them all on the Salsa music and Sangria night additions, I am sure it will be a success. I wish the Corckscrew many years in business serving wine to a much needed revitalized area/community and hope I be attending many more Salsa nights! Good Luck and please give this gem a try! Pros: Charming, near town, plenty of parking more

Have been coming to Corkscrew for quite sometime. I don't even live in this part of town, but guess what, have car, will travel. I am always looking for a good wine bar and Corkscrew is GREAT! You have the friendly. cozy atmosphere to be able to get together with friends for good conversation and good wine. Then you also have the room in the back for a more cozy. quaint, date atmosphere. Last Thursday night, SalsaPooloza! WOW! you guys were awesome! I think you should have this kind of venue atleast once a month. The weather was perfect for the outdoor sitting and we all had a blast! The staff was going at it 100 miles per second. You can tell they were working hard and we were all satisfied. Great appetizers, great wine and oh yeah, how can I forget the Sangria! Wow! That was awesome! Great job to all who were involved in making SalsaPooloza such a success and making everyday at Corkscrew a great place to stop in and unwind! T Pros: Great ambience more

I love wine, but maybe I'm not a wine-bar person because the customers and employees all just seem to have this snobby yuppie aura to them like you're going to the library of congress or something. It's just wine guys...crushed grapes...not splitting atoms there. Also, it's not a big place so if you talk, the whole place can hear you and while that's not a problem on weekends, during the week it just seems like not that private of a place for a date. Overall though, I think the wine selection was decent and priced fair..and by fair I mean at least double what you'd find the wine in retail, but I get that you're paying for the atmosphere and what not, but you can have a tab of a couple of hundred bucks for a few friends drinking if you're not paying attention so it's not an everyday place unless you're made of money. I guess if wine bars are your cup of tea, this isn't a bad place... Pros: Decent selection Cons: snobby yuppies/hippies mostly as customers more

Note: Myself and friends visit many wine venues around town and Corkscrew (after several visits) is one of our least favorite. I started to get suspicious about their reviews after looking a littler closer at some of them. I find it amazing that most of the reviews describe the "events" about the place, like the reviewer isn't really a customer but a salesman. Kinda funny, also how there are 6 reviews in one day. (See October 2006). Interesting coincidences? The following are some comments about direct experiences to ofset the other suspiciously friendly reviews: 1)The first time we went there, the service was decent but it was extremely loud. The most recent visit the service was bad and it was once again, extremely loud. 2)I'm tired of being asked for money by bums every time I go here. And the parking is minimal/dark. 3) The atomosphere is decent, but the chairs/tables are uncomfortable & small (they have beautiful wood bar though) 4)One of the supposed owners is high on himself it seems while the other seems nice. Not sure who is who. "Slick" seems like the proper description for the know-it-all. 5)Prices/Inventory seem to fluctuate too much. Not sure why, maybe there is a legitimate excuse. 6) The truffels are awesome, but the other food is just Ok. **Overall, we just don't look forward to going here 'cause of the noise, uncomfortable chairs, and inconsistency. Given the number of wine options in Houston, this is our least favorite. There are better atmospheres, seating, parking, "bumless" locations, etc.. for the price. Pros: No major Pros other than a nice looking bar Cons: Bums in Parking Lot, Noise, uncomfortable seating, inconsistency more

This is one of my favorite places. Doyle and Andrew are always great. They make you feel like family. They have a great wine selection. Chocolates are great, pizzas and other food need improvement. I used to love to order from other restaurants to have delivered so I could enjoy great wine and other dinner choices. Pros: Staff Cons: food more

The Good: This place has potential. Its a cool looking building and the staff is very nice and knowledgeable. The location, is easy to get to and close to everything downtown. Regular looking, non-pretentious , people hang out here. The Bad: The Wine selection is not top notch. While the prices are fair, the overall quality of wine is poor and sporadic. The Bar appears to be mismanaged and the inventory is constantly in an ebb and flow. Sometimes its good. Sometimes not too good. So if you're willing to take a chance and won't be disappointed if the wine list for the day is poor, you might have fun. But if you're going with the expectation of finding top notch wine in the $40-$75 wine, you might be out of luck. Definitely you are unlikely to find the same bottle twice. Is that a supplier problem or a management issue? M more

The service is great, never below a 1/4 of glass. The truffles were great, the frida is AMAZING! The staff is beyond friendly, not only on wine service even offered to get us into the drake without waiting the line. Also, the staff knows how to polietly refill a glass without interuptting convo, that is VERY rare to find someone whom can do that; and it is probably one of my favorite aspects of this establishment. They even wait for a lull in the tables convo before jumping in to ask if everythign is ok or if you need anything. A++ Service. So when the mood/ ambiance is set it stays until you leave. Wish I lived closer and could go every night after dinner. Once you go it will quickly move to the top of your list of Houston Fav's. Pros: huge variety, Great staff... more

Nice building with good atmosphere, great selection, and knowledgeable staff. However, due to the accoustics and blaring music, it's not a place for a quiet conversation unless you sit outside with the smokers. The $5 corking fee on bottles irked me a little as I usually associate that with BYOB resturants. Still, it's worth a try if the weather is nice. Pros: Nice building Cons: Blaring music, poor accustics, $5 corking fee more

Corkscrew has recently become one of my favorite hangouts! Definitely a classier alternative to your local bar. Doyle and Andy, the owners, always make time to get to know the customers, and that says a lot about the place. Clientel is totally random; a good place to people-watch with friends ;) Large selection of wine for any budget (best to split a bottle) and AMAZING FOOD. You've got to try the gorgonzola pizza...absolutely the best. I think they recently started having live music on Mondays and Wednesdays (don't quote me on that...I might have my days mixed up) in the dark room, which always brings in a crowd. I LOVE this place! Pros: Helpful staff, not "in your face" more

Reminds me of Cheers except it is wine. A totally relaxing atmosphere with attractive and helpful staff. Pros: Atmosphere and staff Cons: The wine wasn't free. more

Each of my experiences at The Corkscrew has been great. Browse for one of your favorite bottles in their great selection or take the recommendations of the friendly, happy and knowledgable staff....it's obvious the owners take care of their employees. The truffles alone are worth a visit and I really like the atmosphere Corkscrew provides. Pros: staff/waiter Mike; will open any bottle if you commit to two glasses more

What to Expect: Corkscrew is easily the coziest wine bar in town. The staff is upbeat, friendly and fun. The bottle selection is a joy to browse. Yes, you do see some of the "usual suspects" that you might find at the Spec*'s downtown or some of the upscale supermarkets in the city, but there are always new surprises, you just have to know what you're looking for or trust the recommendations of the staff (especially Mike, who's never steered me wrong). The prices are very good for a bar setting. The by the glass list changes nightly, but the off-the-list list is where you'll find the real surprises. Pizzas and sandwiches are served very casually, but are all the more enjoyable for that - quality ingredients without pretense, good tasting food taking priority over good looking food. Steak night (Tuesday) rocks - delicious, generous steaks cooked to order at an extremely reasonable price. The Truffles are a delight (the Frieda is legendary, and rightly so). Special events (speed dating, wine tastings, classes and festivals) sell out quickly for a reason--they're loads of fun, and there's no better place for party than here. For non-wine drinkers, there are usually 3-4 beers to choose from and water. The patrons run the gamut, from singles on their way home from the gym to university students out partying after exams to the after-theater crowd. What Not to Expect: Verticals of Cake-bread, top vintage Champagne, a plethora of aged ports, or other rare, highly allocated wine (although some of these *do* pop up from time to time!), duck liver, Kobe beef burgers, etc. The place is extremely down-to-earth, so if you're going out to a wine bar with the goal of being doted over, the staff and patrons that know and love what the Corkscrew is all about would rather you take your business elsewhere. Pros: Ambience, Staff, Neighborhood more