Hodge Wine & Liquor

I don’t like the customer service. They carry my favorite wine, so I stop in at least 1 – 2 times a month. Every time I go in, I feel like I am being followed. It happened to me today and every single time that I go there, and for those who have experienced this it makes you really uncomfortable. I was barely around the corner, heading directly to my wine choice, and he was out from behind the counter following/​watching me that I almost bumped into him when I was headed back. He started being extra chatty at checkout, so I think that he knew what he had done. People in customer service need to be mindful of what they are doing. People have a right to shop/​browse in peace no matter who you are. Not that it matters, but I dress conservatively by style so I was not in baggy jeans or ripped clothing. Even though they are one of the few places to stock my wine and I would have been a repeat customer, I won’t be frequenting this store anymore.

I am only giving one star because its required to write the review. The staff is unprofessional, rude, and made us feel like they expected us to steal! Then they refused to sell anything to us because I have an out of state ID!!!
I went into Hodge Liquor yesterday with my sister. We had no idea what kind of drinks we were going to make and decided to check out the inventory prior to deciding. While searching recipes, a man who presumably works there, in jeans and a tshirt, comes over and asks if we need anything, we told him that we were finding a recipe to use and were not ready to choose yet. Once we found our recipe, we began searching for the right items. This goes on for a few minutes because the vodka section is not very neat and makes it difficult for someone of my height to see what is and isn’t in stock. While searching for that, another man, again in jeans and random tshirt, approaches us. There is no one else in the store, we are barely even making noise, mostly just trying to actually find what we need and he made both of us feel like they assumed we were attempting to steal. I was wearing a small, fitted zip up hoodie with no purse and my sister had a small fitted pullover with her skinny purse in view of the mirrors or employees. There was nowhere to even attempt to hide merchandise on either of us! The second man asks if we need anything, so I told him I was looking for vanilla vodka and he showed me where it was because I couldn’t even see the one I was searching for on their shelves. We had the other two bottles with us, handed them to him, by choice, to carry so he didn’t think we were trying anything untoward. He brings them to the counter where a woman and the other man were standing. My sister, at this point, went to search for a personal bottle of something while I waited at the register. The woman grumpily informs us that we need to show her our IDs, so I give her mine while watching to see what my sister is choosing. She then asks me if I have anything else on me with my name on it, so I showed her my bank card. I has nothing else aside from money due to the fact that I was walking down elmwood and did not wish to carry a purse on a warm day. She then gives me a weird look and asks what the address is on my ID. Now, I have a NC license from before I was 21. The ID is completely able to be read and even has me in the picture in my military uniform. I just forgot the address on my ID since I haven’t lived there for a couple years and I don’t read my ID daily so I ended up giving her an old address from NC. I pointed out to her that I am even in my uniform on the ID and she states, in a very rude tone, that she has the right to refuse service to whomever if she wishes to do so and that she doesn’t know that states IDs so she won’t sell anything to us.
I was and am still livid. I am a veteran who just moved to the elmwood area and this is how I get treated? I am 25 and have been able to buy alcohol for years with my ID, yet this grumpy, unkempt, uninformed woman with an attitude to match her size decides that I am not worthy?!?
So I found the same bottles at a store down the street, near Allen, at a more inexpensive price. In no way would I tell anyone to go to this place filled with rude employees. They may as well save their money for better pricing and a cleanlier atmosphere down the street.

A really friendly store, and staff. They usually have exactly what I’m looking for, or at least, a similar recommendation; and they were fantastic at getting me special orders (a few, within a day). I plan ahead, now; so that if they don’t have whatever craving I have (due to space limitations) I can still get it from them, instead of the big stores.

«You’ve already won me over in spite of me.»
–Alanis Morisette
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Being fairly picky about wine & liquor stores, I never would have guessed from the outside looking in, that this would become my favorite in Buffalo. Over time, it has won me over in spite of pickiness. My hometown of Annapolis, Maryland is replete with locally owned wine & liquor stores that offer a wide and tasteful selection that carries the fingerprints of the owner. When I moved to Virginia years back, I was faced with state-​run ABC stores which carry only the products prescribed by the state. You walk in and each store has the same sterile feel with rows of too neatly organized bottles. You’re shopping at a liquor store but it feels like a pharmacy.
When I finally moved to Buffalo, I encountered a landscape that fell somewhere in between Maryland and Virginia. While not state-​run, I walked into stores like Premier and others which felt similar to those Virginia ABC stores. You may hail Premier as magnanimous for its unbeatably large selection but may I provide a rebuttal that basically says, I don’t give a rat’s tail. I’m not walking into a place that feels like a pharmacy. Alcohol may serve as medicine to all of us at certain times but I would rather shop at a place that treats it as a respected and tasteful art meant to be enjoyed with good friends and family.
All of this leads me to Hodge Wine & Liquor which has been family-​operated since December 6^th, 1933. This also happens to be the day the Prohibition was repealed. Walking in, the place is very unassuming. You’re not really sure where to find things at first and you have to wander around. Need to find a bottle of a certain red within a certain price range, one of the staff will be happy to walk you over and personally discuss some different options. Often, I’ll walk up to the counter with a bottle of white wine and one the workers immediately hops over to their white wine fridges and fishes out an already-​chilled bottle of the same wine. Another time I went in looking for a bourbon that I didn’t think they would have. I started to ask if I could order it. One of the staff immediately took back the bourbon shelves and showed me where to find it. Time and time again, I have been won over with repeated positive experiences. The customer service has been as personal and tasteful as the selection of wine and liquor you’ll find here.
While «Premier Pharmacy» may lure you with its’ large selection, Hodge represents what a local liquor should be: friendly, knowledgeable staff and a small but solid selection of every wine and liquor one could ask for. Head down to Hodge and stop walking the pharmacy aisles to buy your booze.

Nifty selection and consistently great service!

Hodge Wine & Liquor is right around the corner for me, so it is my usual place to stop for adult beverages. The first thing I noticed upon my first visit was their good selection of Spanish wines which happens to be my favorite and a section that seems to be underrepresented in a lot of stores. The 2^nd thing I noted was their limited supply of local and regional wines. So if that’s what I want, I go elsewhere.
The staff in this store is amazing; always friendly and super helpful. So unless I’m looking for a specific local favorite, this is my liquor store of choice.