Binny’s Beverage Depot

The prices are great (very frequent sales) and the staff is so friendly and helpful. The beer selection is great, and the cost/​quality is the best in Hyde Park.
The hours are not ideal for a liquor store (they close by 7 everyday), but really that just keeps it classy. It’s always crowded inside, but for good reason.

Like all Binny’s this place has great selection and prices. It’s an «Express» so it’s a smaller store — similar wines, just fewer bottles of each.
It’s kind of tricky to park a car in the area (busy street, limited spots), so it’s best to get in-​and-​out fast, less risking a ticket if you parked (why are you looking at ME?) quasi-​legal. To that end, the woman working there the day I visited helped me find what I wanted very very quickly. Thank you!
Great selection, prices, service,…and ticket avoidance.
What more could you want!?!

For local convenience only — parking is brutal — minimal selection — express/​down market wines.
No matter the inquiry, seasoned staff inevitably steers to sales selection at the door. Recommended rot gut, when $ stated as no object.
Looking for a dry Cabernet? There’s always a sales item enthusiastically recommended for $ 10 that’s not what you asked for.

Another wonderful find; Silver, UnOaked, Chardonnay 2011; Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey Co. California. Great parings with chicken or a mild fish this is a great choice. Thanks Binny’s for another great suggestion.

Meh about sums it up. First of all, they close waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too early. And the customer service is hit or miss. There have been times that the staff has been really helpful, and other times when staff members made me feel like an idiot while asking for a recommendation, or acted like it was an INCREDIBLE inconvenience taking my money at the cash register…

I love this store for convenience and because I can count on Gregory for spot on recommendations. There is also another really cool chick who has great recommendations (I think she’s got dreadlocks.) I wish I knew her name because she’s really very helpful.
Good selection and great customer service. I so prefer them over their neighbor to the west!

I really like this Binny’s, and I think it’s the best liquor store in Hyde Park. The prices here are usually on par with, but sometimes cheaper than Kimbark down the street. For example, once I got a bottle of St. Germain at Binny’s for $ 35 whereas Kimbark was selling it for $ 42.
Very good, solid and diverse selection of both 6-​packs and individual beer bottles.
I am not sure why people are complaining about it being claustrophobic/​crowded and encountering ‘rude’ service… I’ve definitely never encountered either here.
The man with glasses (maybe a manager?) who often walks around the store helping customers is excellent at giving advice, and steering you to a product that works for you. I was recently in the store looking for some inexpensive bourbon for a cocktail, and he pointed me to a product that was not only the cheapest bourbon at the moment (on sale for $ 11/​bottle), but in his opinion, also a very good fit for the particular drink I was describing. That is good service!
The only thing I wish could be changed is their hours of operation. Almost every time I want to buy alcohol, it’s past the time they close.

Call me crazy, but I prefer Hyde Park Liquors over this place. They are such rude maniacs about your entire party having ID when they are obviously legal it’s not even funny. The store is insanely crowded and their managers office is located at the checkout station. Also, they close way too early. Isn’t the point of these places to cater to those who want to drink? I’d think staying open a bit longer than sundown in December would be required. Whatever. Sure, buy your booze and you’ll probably find your pretentious, exotic stuff here, but this place is nothing special to your average white wine and cocktails girl.

I love love love the beer selection here. They have all kinds of rare, dark and hoppy beer here. But my BIGGEST problem is it is SUPER CONGESTED!!! If I am taking time to decide which beer I want I feel like I am creating a bottleneck in that lane and hence in the entire store. That makes me feel so guilty and I dash out the door with the wrong stuff which leaves bitter taste all night long… but once again, they do have awesome collection of beer: D

Yea, Binny’s is awesome but I have the same gripe as everyone else. I mean I don’t mind the small location really, as long as they have the stock, I’m fine. But why close at 7pm. Seriously, I really think the amount of revenue in which they’d make if they were open till say 9 would offset any faulty logic they have for closing so early. I got there one time at 7:00 on the dot and got refused, that’s lame in my opinion dude. It is going the extra mile in customer service but come on man, that goes a long way, especially since we have tools like Unilocal so consumers can say how lame you really are. I just think its sad that I can go get some whole vitamins down the street at GNC while the liquor store is closed.

Great selection, but why oh why do you close so early? 7pm? That’s key ‘getting home and grabbing a bottle of wine on the way’ time!

Binny’s is the best place I’ve found to buy wine and beer in Hyde Park. For such a small store, it has a very good selection. The staff are friendly and helpful. Ask the «wine guy» for recommendations in any price range and you won’t be disappointed!

This place is great. Friendly and helpful staff, good prices, and they have the best absinthe selection of anywhere I’ve been to in the States. Awesome.

Binny’s Beverage Depot…
First, can I just say, Binny’s in Hyde Park is small because it’s an express, also explains why it closes at 7 and 6 on Sundays. I went in here today, and it had my Moscato that I love so much, so I’m happy. I don’t know why, but I was under the impression that this place was going to be cheap, not the case. Even though I did only spend $ 27 on two bottles of Moscato.
If you’re an alki, go for it. It’s small, but as mentioned above, it is an express. I love that Hyde Park has great items for us.

I’ve been increasingly dissatisfied with Binny’s. Like the cougar passing for 25, they have a great selection and often cheap prices. Unfortunately, 1 out of 5 beers I’ve had recently has been skunked. I’ve decided to stop going after obnoxious and condescending treatment from an employee, as well as the aforementioned problems of beer quality.
Thankfully, Binny’s isn’t the only liquor store in Hyde Park, and for hard to find items the bounty of the South Loop is a but a bus ride away!

One word describes this place: Claustrophobic.
I’m in Hyde Park a lot, so this Binny’s is in a great, convenient location. Alas, it is far too small and far too densely packed with booze, employees and people.
Hard for me to concentrate on making a good selection when everyone is squeezing past one another and/​or trying not to knock down bottles or trip over boxes in the middle of the floor.
On the (sur)plus side, there’s a great selection here and they have very good sale specials.
On another note, I can’t understand the usefulness of a wine shop that closes at 7 p. m…

I’m not too much of a wine dude so I can’t really comment on their wine selection. But they have a great beer aisle, with great selections anywhere from 12-​packs of Corona on sale to some great high-​end stuff: Trappists, St. Bernardus abt 12, some good French ciders, pretty much everything Unibroue has, etc. There are also a ton of imported six packs from not just the Americas and Europe, but Asia and Africa as well, and a good representation of microbreweries. You can find good variety in any style… ales, lagers, wheats, porters, barley wines, etc. The prices are competitive (probably slightly lower) with other liquor shops in the area. The selection of spirits is above average, though they’re not big on selling by the handle (college parties are almost always supplied by kimbark liquors down the street). The staff here are also helpful and knowledgeable.
For what would normally be a 4-​star review, I deduct one star for closing early (7 pm) and having a stupid carding policy (friends of mine who are under 21 aren’t even allowed in the store).

Binny’s makes me feel like a kid in a candy store.
They’ve got a good staff, they have a discount program, and best of all, they’ve got Templeton Rye. Mmm… my only knocks on the place are the lack of parking and that this particular location isn’t that large.

Love Binny’s in Hyde Park, the only place to buy wine, spirits and beer in Hyde Park. The staff are extremely helpful, Russ the manager, and the inimitable Gregory are always around for generally very accurate wine descriptions and suggestions. They have great wine tastings, look after their regular customers extremely well and come highly recommended. The only downfall is their size (and thus range), which doesn’t compete with the gargantuan Sam’s downtown.

The best liquor store in Hyde park. Great selection of wines, they carry my favorite Sancerre. Staff is very helpful. They even have a great rewards program.