Cork’s and Stubby’s

Not from the area and stopped for a quick lunch while out for work. Great food and atmosphere! Very quick and friendly service. Got a mushroom and Swiss burger and tater tots. My co-​worker got a Reuben and maple fries… Which were sweet potato fries with lots of sugar and maple. No complaints! Would definitely go back again!

This is a review for the Stubby’s portion, not Corks.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by a nice, friendly young lady who promptly seated us. The booth we sat in was the last one towards the back of the building. The entire area back there had a terrible smell, almost smelled like urine. Our server came over to the table in a reasonable time and took our drink orders. Then we waited, and waited, for almost 10 minutes. When our drinks were finally brought to us, our server apologized and even commented on how long they took. Keep in mind, the bar wasn’t full, nor was the restaurant. No excuses for those drinks taking that long. We placed an appetizer order (potato bombs) along with our dinner orders. We waited almost 20 minutes for the appetizer to be brought out, only to discover that they were way over cooked and hard as a rock. We sent them back and asked for them to be taken off the check. Shortly after, our dinners arrived. I can’t comment on the others, but mine was not good. I ordered the cheese steak sandwich. It was very bland, no seasoning. The meat was definitely over cooked and very rubbery. The only good part of this night was our server. He did a good job. I will not be returning here ever again, unless major things change around there.

This is my go to restaurant for local comfort food. Great atmosphere and food is always good. The menu has a wide variety and provides from lighter dishes to hearty meals. The fresh cut chips make for an amazing appetizer.

This used to be a great place to eat but now the service and food are terrible. Not sure why the owner has lost interest but clearly he has lost touch. With 2 great places to eat on the same block, this place will be closed in the near future in my opinion.

Very disappointed in how this restaurant handles business. We arrived 4:30 doors locked, open at 4pm (emp went out of smoke), Feb 13 so they said pre-​Valentine so they’d be BUSY! We ordered beer off their huge list-​they didn’t have those, ordered appetizers-​they didn’t have those, ordered steaks only had 1left, ordered something else-didn’t have!!! Thing is we were only customers in the place!!! 5:30 a couple others showed up. This was a double birthday celebration that wasn’t so happy!
Food was good when we finally got something but not what we really wanted! We should of eaten our ap & left! Kept asking if we get discount or comp desert for all the disappointment??? Nope!
Will never waste our time again & prices are way higher on Cork side.

We come here at least twice a month. Always great service and great drink specials. The steak Philly and seafood linguine are my faves!

Stopped by on a Saturday night and I’ll have to say I like this place! The Stubby side is more like a neighborhood bar and was pretty busy and loud, the Corks side was more upscale looking (they had little slices of cucumber in the water!) and quiet. We went with the Corks side since it was not busy and seemed like a more intimate space great for conversing with your date. Our waiter was friendly, attentive, and informative, giving some great suggestions for what to eat, and it was interesting to learn he had grown up in New Zealand.
For the food we started with the Reuben Egg Rolls. Nothing spectacular, but they were good. Probably would have been a better presentation if they had cut the two rolls in half at an angle on a plate instead of serving two thick rolls in one of those Asian carryout containers that then get thrown away. On a higher note, I was really happy with the Elk Burger and rosemary fries. The burger was cooked perfectly and everything tasted great! My dining companion got this chicken dish in a lemon sauce with a heaping mound of mashed potatoes. They seemed to really like their dish as well.
We shut the place down since we were there for four hours and were the last customers to leave, (they had to unlock the door for us to get out), but all of the staff were friendly and had no qualms about us enjoying our time there while they cleaned up. Oh and at one point we did move to the Stubby side where they were playing 90’s music which I enjoyed trying to remember the lyrics to. Some side notes: you can find parking along the street or I think there is a lot around the corner. Also, be careful when you go to their website because my computer warned me that the site was hacked and a threat to visit the menu, (although that could have just been my computer hinting at me to stop eating out).
Overall I would definitely recommend this place and if I ever happen to be in the area again I would likely stop by to try more of their offerings!

We are new to the area and still trying everything. This restaurant has a gluten free menu which was needed for a visiting relative. We made reservations for Saturday night which weren’t needed, as nobody was there. My husband and I had the Guinness soup and it was very good. He had the meatloaf special which was 4 large pieces of meatloaf and a mountain of mashed potatoes. He thought it was just ok, nothing special. I had the beef brisket which was served in a bowl on top of mashed potatoes and covered with julienned vegetables. Great flavor and large portion. For the gluten free dinner, the filet mignon was good. I am not certain the red skin potatoes were gluten free as I am sure they were cooked in grease that had other items cooked in it.
The restaurant has a nice atmosphere, an extensive beer and wine list and a great menu. Service was very good and food was good. Can’t figure out why nobody was there. We will be back.

I had real high expectations during my second visit. Ordered the ELK burger. came with a long blond hair embedded in my burger (EEEK!). Wait staff was apologetic and I was told [and I quote] «The Owner will take care of this — We are so sorry». I got a replacement burger. No one took care of anything. I was charged fill price for the burger and I guess the hair. It will be my last visit!!!

Just went there Friday night. Worst dinning experience we have ever had! My girlfriend found a small worm (insect) in her vegetables!!! The waiter and the manager could have cared less!!! Needless to say we will never go back again! BEWARE!!!

I’m in town from Miami FL and was just blown away by the bison ribeye and the rosemary goatcheese macaroni! I will def be back!

Service was terrible! Menu changed and food wasn’t great. Our waitress was snooty. Now I know why no one was there…

My mother and I hosted an bridal shower at Cork’s Wine Bar and it was a terrible experience. After multiple changes with the event planner (clearly Cork’s was having a staffing issue) we had to reach out to Cork’s and confirm all of the details multiple times.
When we arrived at the restaurant no one was there to let us in. Eventually a janitor who was not expecting us opened the door and we discovered that nothing was set up as promised. We had 1 hour to set up and lots to do. The tables were dirty, we had to clean off clutter from the bar, and the windows and front door had finger prints– nothing had been done from the night before. My mom and I were in heels and were scrubbing the tables, cleaning windows, and rearranging tables and chairs, and were putting linens on the tables. When our server arrived, he was apologetic and tried to assist us as best he could. We were overwhelmed with the amount of work that needed to be done, even though the Cork’s event planner had reassured us that this would all be taken care of for us and all we would need to do is place our centerpieces on the tables and be done.
Half way through the meal, the future bride came up to my mother and told her that the food bins were empty (we had a buffet). We had to tell the staff to fill up the food, since we ordered more than enough for everyone. When we had time to reflect on the event, we also noticed that the bread we had ordered was missing. My mother was very embarrassed since she has worked so hard to plan this meal. Guests were commenting that we had run out of food but actually it just needed to be refilled from the kitchen.
We asked to speak to the owner or the event planner so we could voice our concerns and discovered that the event planner was out of town and the owner was no where to be found. We later discovered after the event that the owner was there, although he did not identify himself at any point. We tried for days to contact the owner following the event and received no response. Eventually he did contact my mother but with little resolution. We were made to feel like our wedding shower was not important to the event planner or the owner of Cork’s. It was a very special day in the life of my sister and unfortunately my mother and I were so overwhelmed with this experience we could not enjoy ourselves.
Cork’s Wine Bar & Bistro was a big disappointment.

Corks is such a beautiful place to have dinner. What Paul has done to remodel has been outstanding. My favorite item on the menu is the Mac n cheese.
My only complaint is that the food always seems a bit salty for my taste. Having high BP, that is a big no no for me. So we can’t eat here as often as I would like.
That being said, it’s great place for a glass of wine or trying new craft beers and simply enjoying the atmosphere.

Great food and service. Menu has nice variety and wine list is well priced. Our server Gina was attentive but not intrusive. Thank you for a fun evening.

i must say i was skeptical at first however the sandwich I ate was excellent. i recommend sitting outside amidst the douche bags going by revving their motorcycle exhaust pipes. YOU FOLKS, ARE DOUCHE BAGS.

We ate dinner at Stubby’s for the first time this week — we really like to support local business, but the food here was not impressive and we won’t be returning. My vegetables were SWIMMING in oil — I could barely eat them. The salad was mostly toppings with hardly any lettuce. My husband said his burger was decent but I was not impressed with his wimpy looking potato chips. With sandwich prices like that, a better side should be offered.
The menu is very cheese and meat-​driven and there are really zero remotely healthy options for vegetarians or anyone looking to stay relatively healthy while dining out. We were meeting people who had selected this for our dinner plans — this is not a restaurant we would normally eat at, and I was reminded why.

Stopped here on ⁹⁄₂₈ for a wedding rehearsal dinner.
Our party had the upstairs dining room to ourselves, which was lovely. I loved the atmosphere of this place. It definitely have the vintage-​feel and is very casual and romantic.
Our wedding party chose the chicken marsala with green beans and red potatoes, as well as a beef stir fry and a pasta with their homemade red sauce.
I caught a great glimpse of the downstairs dining area when we walked in; I fell in love with it. Dim lights, chandeliers adorning the bar that were made of glass bottles, and every employee had a shining smile on their face.
I will definitely be back to try the bar-​side instead of the private-​party side :)

The food is good here. The above negative review by Tamara Z. should be considered lightly. I’ve eaten here 4 times and it was always good.
Now the 4 stars come almost entirely from the beer selection.
Great Divide, Stone Brewery, Breckenridge… yes please!
So many great beers compared to most of the bars in Amherst.

All Happines depends on a fullest belly and most satisfied palette
Mary S. Dallas–
Corks would be best described as a new wine-​focused restaurant located in the heart of old historic downtown Amherst. Once an occupied Hardware store now took on the life of an upsclae restaruant with an appealing wine list serving «pristine product, simply prepared,» an approach Lorain County has longed for.
The front patio is featuring two old cast-​iron pillars inside from the property’s historic residence which were discovered during renovation. Classic Old World bar backed by a wooden frame harbroing wine bottles, tall ceilings, charming lighting fixtures made of vintage wine bottles and a cozy fire place located in the back. Strong architectural lines dominate the space, which is comforting, airy and exciting
The entrees were simple and straight forward yet eclectic in presentation. I was oh so impressed. The staff synchronized well together like musicians and instruments… like conductors of fine orchestras. hands-​on with personal attention.
Crawfish pierogies, Mac and Cheese paired with Ohio City Pasta! Hello taste of Cleveland with out the longsum drive back and fourth from Amherst.
Please inform the Chef his pan seared chicken was out of this World, I had a similar dish at the «Mansion on Turtle Creek» a restaruant that George and Laura Bush frequent– Corks blew them out of the park! My Gosh those truffle infused grits «Baby Come Back»