Gather Wine Bar

Good wine and draft beer selection. Amazing bacon cheese date app. Very friendly and cute owner!

Gather Wine Bar is one of my most favorite places to frequent. The food is always delicious and if I am not sure what I am hungry for, Kari the owner, is always very helpful in helping me decide what would hit the spot!
Kari also has been wonderful in helping me to try new wines and expand my taste. I highly recommend this wonderful wine bar!

Such a great, chill spot. enjoyed .gourmet blt and turkey mango Stilton sandos w great locally grown produce, fun wine selection and friendly knowledgable owner and staff… we will be back!

This bar caught our attention during Memorial weekend’s Strawberry Festival. It’s a beautiful historic building but what drew our foot into the store is the sign of strawberry beer. What a big lie! It’s actually just beer with floating bits of strawberries. The waitress said they used to really brew beer with real strawberry. Well, I think they can tell us whatever they want, but all I see is a glass of regular beer with a few chopped strawberries.

The service here was really great. It’s hard to find a wine bar that allows you to lounge, drink wine and work on your computer. Not to mention the wine selections (being on the central coast) are incredible and the staff is educated in what they carry. I like the Buttonwood Rosé. Try it! :-)

Just had a gourmet version of a BLT with flavorful hard cider and my date enjoyed a twist on the classic ham and cheese with a full bodied complex red wine from Happy Canyon. WOW!!! This is the place where taste buds go to have fun. I can’t wait to go back, we sat in the window seat tonight but next time will try the outdoor patio.

We really liked Gather. Our waiter was friendly, although he didn’t volunteer much information. He answered all our questions cheerfully, but since it was obvious that we had never been in before I would have preferred that he take the lead. Our wines were very good, although again, we chose our own with no suggestions from the waiter. It was almost like he didn’t want to recommend anything.
It’s a cozy atmosphere, with board games and books piled in corners. There was a musician the night be were there. He was really good, although a little loud for such a small venue.
The food’s the thing though! We split everything three ways, so we got to try lots of different dishes. Everything we had was so good – a few salads, a few flat breads, and some macaroni and cheese. The chef (owner?) could hear us oohing and ahhing, and came over to recommend some dessert. We were full and not planning on anything more to eat, but I’m so glad she changed our mind. We split some amazing chocolate thing! Yum, yum, yum. I’m definitely going back!

This was the first time I have used a Groupon. It is also the first time I’ve been to Gather. If Groupon is a way to bring new customers in the doors they didn’t show it. The waitress that we had was not very friendly and would walk away before we could answer her questions.
My wife made a reservation, which they no longer had on file when we arrived. Not a big deal since we were seated immediately. We were each given a choice of a flight of wine. The wine was fine, nothing special, but I wouldn’t expect great wines on a bargain deal. However, my wife was given the same wine twice during the flight. Oh well, we traded so she could try something else.
The deal also came with a appetizer platter. I believe it is the same platter that comes on the regular menu for $ 15 bucks. It was a handful of pretzels, some tortilla chips, and some BBQ flavored crackers. There was a very small portion of tapenade, hummus, and I think some type of crab dip. It definitely did not look like a lot of love went into this platter. It looked like everything went straight from the Costco package onto the platter. Nothing was bad but at the same time nothing made me want more.
We ordered another round before leaving. As we finished our waitress came over to make sure we understood the tax and gratuity was not included in the Groupon. I understand her taking the time to explain how the Groupon works but here comes the slimy part. Immediately after telling us that Groupons do not include tax and gratuity she brought us a bill for our drinks with gratuity included. I’ve never had anyone add gratuity to a check for two people. Especially, after explaining that gratuity isn’t included in the Groupon price. I understand this is how you make your money but that was a crass way to tell someone you think they are cheap and try to pull a fast one. I always leave 20% so she would’ve made more than the tip she charged.
Despite the sub par food, the place was nice enough that I might have returned when in the area but now that won’t be happening.

I had high hopes for a wine bar in the village. Unfortunately, this place needs some serious help with staffing and their «kitchen» (if you can call it that).
We visited recently on a Friday night and sat in the back patio for some live music. The atmosphere of this place is cool. The wine list is decent.
Our server was either brand new or just working «on call» … she had no clue what was going on. The entire operation of servers was a circus-​people were getting the wrong orders, large tables were getting items one at a time, etc. We did get our wine quickly. We ordered 3 food items off the menu: a cheese plate, hummus, and a salad. NOTHING that requires actual cooking or kitchen skills.
50 minutes later, our food still hadn’t arrived. We left and just paid for our wine. On our way out, the lady working the kitchen asked if we were «the Wilsons» and had ordered the mac n cheese (hint: we weren’t). She gave us a bunch of attitude and stated she was «just getting to our order».
We went across the street to the trusty Village Grill and got some tasty food for less than our wine.
Don’t take your date to this place or go here if you’re hungry. Don’t go here unless you have 2 hours to spend and just want wine.

The SUMMARY: 3.5 stars — good chill atmosphere and good salad, overall good service, but wine selection was limited (and some wine we wanted to try on the menu was out of stock).
The DETAILS:
Food — The salad was very light (in a good way) and the flatbread pizza was better than expected. This was a good light dinner since I had too much In-​n-​Out earlier in the day. I’d order the salad again in a heartbeat — and I don’t typically order salads. We ordered the cheesecake dessert but our server completely forgot about it… she apologized though.
Wine — Tried a handful of wines in a party of two (3 pinot noirs and 2 syrahs/​blends); several wines were out of stock (at an already limited selection for a wine bar), and only one of three pinot noirs were good enough to drink — ended up getting a bottle to share.
Ambiance — Nice and cozy spot to kick back with some wine and light food; an extra point to the owners/​chef for allowing us to order food after their 9:30pm cut off time. I’ll try this spot again next time I’m in Pismo Beach (hopefully they’ll have more wine in stock).

I love Gather Wine Bar, I have been here about 5 times and really enjoyed each visit. The atmosphere is pleasing though some of the tables are a bit uncomfortable.
Excellent wine selections.
I have ordered the Bacon Wrapped Dates, yummy! A tantalizing tapas that is perfect with a glass of Pinot Noir. I have ordered the hummus which was okay, good but not great. The flatbread they serve with several of their dishes seems like it is a prefab type of product, but pleasant.
The Fromage Fort, Cheese Plate and Olive Tapenade were each tasty treats. The tapenade had a bit too much salt for my taste but then most commercial food does.
This is a fun place in the heart of the village and the food and wine is tops. I will be back very often.

We visited Gather on a Thursday night while on a road trip up from Southern California. The place is cute and cozy, inviting, although a bit too bright to be romantic and somewhat awkward seating for dinner (as opposed to just drinks). We ordered the bacon wrapped dates, the salmon spinach salad, the coq au vin chicken sandwich, the pumpkin flatbread and had flights of the fun sauv blancs and the pinot noirs to drink.
We started with the bacon wrapped dates were which delicious although pricey at 5 dates for $ 7. The flavors were great though with the sugary sweetness of the dates and salty bacon.
The coq au vin sandwich was by far the best thing we tried. The meat was was juicy and flavorful, well complemented by the brie and the pickled onions. Our only complaint was that there was a bit too much bread and not enough onions to really balance the taste. Minor complaint though.
The flat bread was dry with an overcooked crust. The mustard drizzled on top also seemed a bit weird. The salmon salad was overall decent although there could have been more of the salmon and other ingredients instead of spinach.
The flights were great deals as for $ 10 you get three fairly generous pours of 3 different wines to try. Overall though, for a wine bar, there could have been more of a selection of wine.
Note: We count 2 stars as our average so to have more leeway with the better restaurants out there. Our experience at this place was certainly better than average (we enjoyed dinner!) but the variability in food and slightly off ambiance had us settle on a 3 star rating.

There’s not a lot of things open on this street or in this city after certain hours. We found a small parking lot and walked up and down The Village and we found Gather Wine Bar open.
They serve food; small plates and such. along with all local wine, some beer on tap, and a few choice cocktails. (Not a full bar).
They have live music on Fridays. It’s a comfortable, cozy place. The owner was working behind the bar.
It was pretty cold when we went by so we didn’t check it out but, apparently they have a nice patio area, too. All and all. nice. You have to love a little place that showcases the local variety.

We cruzed in for an after work detox and made the most of this small and eclectic wine bar in the village of Arroyo Grande. We sat in what used to be a display window of the turn of the century mercantile store. Great brick, vintage lights, and shelving, but with a light vibe.
The wine servers were very knowledgeable about the wines, and I had a delicious Sauvignon Blanc with a cheese and fruit plate. The wine was reasonable, the planche a bit pricey for the selectioni, but I was spoiled in France. The carmelized onion and pita was probably tastier.
After a relaxing and fruitful conversation, it was time to depart, but not without a glance at the firepit out back and a promise to myself to return!

My wife and I had a wonderful afternoon date here (after we caught the early showing of Harry Potter — which was a treat as well since parents of a toddler don’t get out to the movies much). The food and wine were fantastic as was our hostess (the owner) who was very nice and attentive. We had the hummus (the best we’ve ever had — and we’ve had a lot of good hummus at good restaurants), the bacon wrapped dates (to die for — seriously), and the prosciutto fontina pizza (yummy).
My wife really enjoyed her wine flight (whites). I’m more of a beer guy so my tastes will have to be gratified elsewhere.
Also the place has a very nice ambiance and our window bench seat was comfy and intimate with a great view of the goings on outside (car show).

My wife and I love it here! It’s a great place to go for a nice night out and we like that we are virtually guaranteed to meet up with some friends as they happen to stop by. Kari (the owner) is great and makes you feel right at home — she’s very accessible and has a great sense of humor.
When we first started going to Gather, we didn’t realize that in addition to wine, they actually have a full menu. The food is really tasty and constantly changing — their chef makes everything from fresh local ingredients. You can even attend one of their monthly «Sunday Suppers» where menu items are previewed and critiqued for the upcoming months.
There is almost always live music and if you are looking to just relax, there is a nice outdoor patio complete with fire-​pit and heaters.
I have nothing but good things to say…

Big fan of this neighborhood wine lounge. It’s adorable on the inside with lots of seating options, eclectic décor & furnishings & an awesome staff. The outside is perfect for warm summer days or evenings when the firepit is lighted.
I was there during the Strawberry Festival & had the Pismo Beach Brewing Co’s pale ale w/​strawberries… yum!
This place will certainly be a go-​to for any that live in the area. Downtown Arroyo Grande so parking might be tough, but it’s worth it to hang out here. I’m sure the food is just as good.

Grab a date or your friends and go gather! Here’s why…
What I like:
+atmosphere, tall ceilings, cozy spaces to gather, warm feeling
+great for conversation
+excellent tapas (small bites) food at excellent prices (nothing over 6 dollars if i recall correctly)
We had olive tapanades, homemade truffle pizzas and an apple dessert paired with cheese, yum!
+wonderful wines from local vineyards seem to be selected for quality
+outdoor patio with fire rings
+lots of free parking behind gather
+ live music often
+clean bathroom
+stay a while feel
+nice yet welcoming easy going kinda place, feel like I could wear jeans or get dressed up to come here and both would be welcome, kinda cool that way
What I’d add
+maybe some umbrellas on the patio, but that’s it
Ill be back!

Gather Wine Bar quickly became my favourite place to hang out after work or on a weekend night — practically anytime I’m wanting a great place to hang out and a great glass of wine it’s off to Gather I go.
The owner, Kari is what makes the place. She did do a great job setting up the ambiance of the interior and making the exterior feel welcoming, but her smile and welcoming attitude really make you feel like Norm from Cheers the second she remembers your name.
Her wine changes out each month and she’s always ready to suggest a new wine to help you expand your palate. If you mention that you like a certain wine, she’ll help you find a different one you might like (she’s always been right for me!)
From the newbie wine drinker to those who fancy themselves a «wine person», Gather Wine Bar is the perfect place for you!

WOW!!! What a great, refreshing place to gather in the village of Arroyo Grande! Kari Ziegler opened this wonderfully modern yet relaxed wine bar that focuses on pouring local wine by the glass. Kari mixes great atmosphere, wine and snacks to create a welcoming place to meet friends for relaxed conversation and great music.
***UPDATE***
I had my 40^th birthday party at Gather on a Saturday night. What a wonderful place to have a party! Kari and her staff know how to do events right!