Salt Creek Wine Bar

I’m actually sad to see that this place went out of business. This was my go to wine bar when I lived in the area and it was always a good experience. However, from what I’ve seen and heard, new owners took it over and ran it into the ground. That seems to be common in the restaurant and bar industry. Truly sad.

OUT OF BUSINESS !! Was once a nice friendly place to taste different wines but that was when the previous owners ran it After the turn over the place went downhill and is now out of business nobody to blame besides the latest owner .Last visit had to ask for 5 wines on the wine list before we found one that was available Poor service from servers and owner lead to its demise Always had to watch for poor addition when the bill came

Something was not right here. I was waiting for John Tafford from Bar Reacue to pop out. The limited selection of wines that were on their list– a majority of them were out of stock. As you looked up at the bar, it was poorly stocked. Not a lot of wine bottles available. The server suggested the shrimp po boy and the rustica pizza so we ordered both. My sister’s boyfriend said it was mediocre and the pizza was awful.
The weird part of the night was the employees or what appeared to be employees were drinking behind the bar. The one heavy set woman was cleaning glasses, made her own martini. After sitting at the bar and guzzling her dirty martini she did a no sale at the register, took out money and left.
The one bartender offered to buy our group a round of Johnny Walker shots. First problem was I think they put well alcohol in their top shelf bottles. It was not Johnny Walker. Then the shots ended up on my friends tab for $ 36. They took the money off her bill but caused a huge scene about it, something was shady last night. Will not be going back there. Dead for a Saturday night too.

A few friends from grade school gathered at Salt Creek Wine Bar to reconnect after 40 years and since we had all grown up in Brookfield (and several still live there) we landed on SCWB for the meeting spot.
The décor is eclectic — leather sofas and chairs interspersed with cane back chairs but we found seats at the end of the bar and prepared to reminisce. Our bartender, Tim was very attentive and friendly — he kept the drinks flowing and worked the large crowd at the bar effortlessly. Their wine list was fairly limited in my opinion (for a wine bar) and it seemed there were more beers and cocktails flowing than wine — I also didn’t notice if they offered flights of wine or food. I chose a nice California Pinot Noir that I enjoyed alot.
Once the music started it got too loud to talk but the band was great and played a mix of songs from the era we were celebrating that night. I remember this same spot as «Fisher’s Pharmacy» in my days growing up in Brookfield — the town hasn’t changed much since those days but Salt Creek Wine Bar is a nice addition and I would go back to enjoy a glass and some music.

A bit disappointed. I had the cheese flight with the fontina, red cheddar, and manchego as my choices. What I found to be extremely disappointing was that when the plate arrived, the bread it was paired with were basic, boring, plain halved sandwich bread slices: Cinnamon raisin, a semi stale white baguette, and a pumpernickel, with margarine. For 13 $, I expected a nice crusty bread and different tasty bread pairings with it being a wine bar that offers supposedly a good (I’d assume a homemade) pizza.
But I did enjoy the red spruce cheddar. Disappointing night, comfortable atmosphere.

I had a great time here. Nice chill place. I loved the couches and coffee tables. They had plastic patio chairs in the center tables which didn’t fit the rest of the bar décor. It makes for a great girls night or cute place to go after a dinner date for drinks. The crowd seemed older, but this could be a great place for people in their mid 20s and up. The service was great. They had a DJ playing salsa music and a small area for dancing. The dance floor was never empty. I would love to come here again.

This business is a great concept for the area. However, the service is consistently, maddeningly, ridiculously slow. The place is always understaffed. There’s usually a single person running the front of house and though he is clearly working his butt off, there’s only so much one person can do. Further, the owner seems generally unaware of/​disinterested in his customers’ frustration. Conclusion: if you choose to visit, be prepared to WAIT.
It’s sad too, because I really want to love this place. The wine section is great and the food (cheese flights especially) are good.

I had a good time last time I was there, but I went with friends to catch up and chat. There was a band playing loudly so it wasn’t the right night for us to be there. Regardless, the drinks were awesome (especially the fruity martinis) and we had a great time! I would definitely go back!

Employee seemed clueless and was unfriendly.
On the menu it states the kitchen opens at 4. Was told at 4:45 that the kitchen was not open. Would have liked some cheese or appetizers.
Glasses kinda grungy. Table was dirty. They have old (but I guess comfy) couches and seating.
Disappointed and won’t come back.

Hidden little place. Went here for a private party (they have a small room in the back). During this night there was a live band playing in the front area. The place looks like a typical wine bar but there were a few bummers throughout the night. First the place was cold… but good thing the private room got crowded that we were able to feel some heat. There were also many things on the menu that they were out of. Which was a disappointment because I was very hungry and wanted food before wine. The flat bread was probably the most decent menu item… Service was okay but I understand since we were a really big group. Overall a nice place with a big range of age in patrons… however I can’t complain about the wine… great variety (even though they were out of some).

A great, cozy low key place to hang out and enjoy a wide variety of wines, and a better class of appetizers than the usual neighborhood pub fare.
The atmosphere is warm & there are sofas, as well as table & bar space for a variety of options in dining or hanging out.
Live entertainment on the jazzy side, when Ive been in there. A natural fit with the overall feel of the place.
A super alternative to the typical sports bars with tvs blaring. So glad this place is near my home.

I do like this place, but I will re-​do my review when I return again. The service was just painfully slow. The bar tender was the only person waiting on people. There was no waitress. There must have been 10 tables with people sitting at them and a few at the bar. After 45 minutes, I got to order my appetizer, and I had to go up to the bar to get him. It took another 40 minutes for the cheese plate to come. The woman next to me was upset because her pizza flatbread took one hour and twenty minutes to come out. The music was excellent, just hire a waitress and/​or have backups if someone calls in sick. She told me the owner was cooking. I wanted to pay my check, so again, I had to go up to the bar and tell him I wanted my check. One of the s l o w e s t service I’ve ever experienced.

I love this place! The ambiance and décor is relaxing and service is always attentive. This is my favors place to meet the girls out for drinks and conversation. My only complaint is that sometimes the music is too loud for conversation.

I’m kind of up in the air about this place. Parts of it were nice but parts of it were just okay. The location is good, right on the corner near the strip of bars in Brookfield. It’s nice looking and got a bunch of seats with a stage in the back of the space.
I didn’t order any cheese plates or small plates but they looked good on the menu. Two of my friends ordered flatbreads, which I did not like. The one was dry and had almost no flavor to it at all. We were in the back room for a party, it’s pretty small especially for the number of people we had. The waitress was really good and on top of everything.
The wine selection is pretty good, lot of different flavors and kinds of wine. Lot of wines made from berries and other things, I’m not a fan of those kinds of wines. I had a California grape wine that was really good.
There was a band playing, honestly I couldn’t tell you if they were any good or not. Being in the back room we couldn’t really hear them but they were loud. It was definitely an older crowd there, probably 50+
Which is fine, they need somewhere to go as well.
I thought it was good but not great. I might go back, not sure.

Friendly, knowledgable staff. They can make recommendations for you if you need. Lots of red and white wine options and varying price points. They have cheese pairings and a small bistro-​type menu. I had a chicken sandwich, which was good, but took forever to be served. The place was empty too, so I didn’t get the delay.
Has comfy couches and a bar– relaxed place. Lots of live music acts on the weekends.

I really don’t like the service here mainly from the bartender woman, and I feel like I am being «b-s’ed» every time I have a question. Their deals, «specials» are not special at all.

I would describe this place as a really rustic and rough-​hewn wine bar, feeling more of a homey neighborhood beer hangout. Fun, friendly clientele and servers, and good live blues. Was at the bar, enjoyed a nice cheese plate, but it was really skimpy, and a couple glasses of decent wine.

This place has been awesome in the past because of its excellent cheese plates, various assortments of olives, pickled cocktail vegetables, and a great variety of wines, independent beers, and coctails… but my experience tonight was a DISASTER. The waiter (bald guy), that has been there for a few years, was disinterested from the start. He brought us menus and water to satisfy us for about 10 long minutes before we were able to place a drink or food order. Three beverages took well over 5 minutes to prepare and bring to the table. When our food order came out, 30 minutes later, it was a complete joke: 5 pieces of cheese (so small a mouse wouldnt find it in a trap), three random pieces of borderline stale bread, a giant blob of mustard, 5 crackers, wilted olives, and some other items that were completely out of character. THE REAL KICKER was the American bacon that was passed off as pancetta and prosciutto… REALLY? Meanwhile, once we had made the decision to go, one person from our party saw our waiter and the chef having a smoke outside. It took an extra 10 minutes to finally get our check. Some memorable scenarios also included:
The waiter explaining that they could not turn the lights up for us to see our food because, «the lights will burn out.»
The waiter taking my glass before I was finished, and THEN asking if I was finished. Ask first, snatch later.
AWFUL DINING EXPERIENCE. Maybe the weekends are still okay… I’m afraid to find out…

My wife and I are occasional patrons. Solid wine list, good recommendations, nice Appetizers, good service, and live music. Evening events are listed on their website.
Oh yeah and close to our house. What’s not to like?

Wow! is about all I can say. Went there for the first time tonight. Had a martini and a champagne flight, the cheese flight and the charcuterie (pork three ways) plate. What a bargain! The cheese and meat plates would have costs at least double in downtown Chicago. Not only a great value, but also very high quality. I will definitely be back and it will be difficult for me to try the rest of the menu considering how awesome the cheese and meat plates were. Oh yeah, and the drinks were great too!
FYI, reading other reviews, it sounds like the best time to go here is when it’s not busy to get better service. We were the only ones not sitting at the bar and the service was excellent.