Kafka Wine Co

Cutest little wine shop! When I used to go here they had a dog in the shop… total bonus points.
I love that this place is reasonably priced with a good selection. The staff was also very helpful.

I use to love this place! Anyone know what happened, they’re CLOSED.
Empty, gone, shut down :(

THE GOOD: Great space, niche wines, great new selection at a reasonable price. Management is welcoming to children. Location is convenient. Great name!
THE BAD: nothing bad that I have seen or experienced
THE UGLY: N/​A

Good selection of wines at a reasonable price. Staff is super nice.

From the outside, this place looks like it’d be expensive, but most (maybe all?) of the wines in here are under $ 15. It’s a super awesome and pleasant place, and the selection is superb. All kinds of wines from all over. W/​all the BYOBs around here, this place is that much more awesome.

Was going to a BYOB with a friend one night and needed some wine for dinner. Saw this quaint little shop at the corner and stopped in.
The staffer there was extremely helpful in helping us pick out a couple bottles of wine for dinner. The wines were also very reasonably priced.
Best part, the wines we got went perfect with dinner and were delicious.

Went here before going to HB for an awesome BYOB dinner.
Great selection! Staff is very nice and helpful! Prices are wonderful!
Get a few bottles of wine here… then go to HB. It’s a great combo!

I am without a doubt obsessed with this place. Put it this way: there are 3 – 4 other wine/​liquor stores much more conveniently located to where I live and work, but I make multiple trips here and often go out of my way to pick up a few bottles from Kafka.
Reasons why I love them so much:
1) All the bottles along the wall are priced $ 15 or under
2) Everything in the store has been taste tested and is only sold if the owner/​staff love the product
3) The staff is SO incredibly friendly
4) They have a computer system that (if you request) stores your purchase history, so when you return you can say «oh, I got this great bottle and loved it… um, what was its name?» and they KNOW it!
5) They can make new recommendations of what you might like based off your purchase history
6) If your friends know you shop here, they can come in and say «my friend Liz D. has a profile here, and I’m looking to buy her a bottle, can you recommend something?» This happened last night, and I was giddy =)
There are many more reasons, but you should just see for yourself. So worth the trip!

I was in need of a BYOB for a dinner party and made a last minute stop at Kafka. It has been a few years since I’ve been to Kafka and I’m still a big fan.
I don’t have the patience for wine shops. It’s just too much to choose from. Typically, I go into a shop with my wine Mad Libs: «I need a bottle of {color} to drink with {type of cuisine}, which will be {dominant type of flavors}, and I want to spend {dollar amount}.»
Kafka gave me a perfect bottle of wine and I was out of there in 5 minutes. Love!

I’ve reviewed many wine places because… duh, I like wine. Boys Town has a lot of great restaurants, and a lot of them are BYOB. Kafka is a great place to go into, not knowing what you’d like to buy, and get great recommendations on wine.
I’m a big fan of always trying something different and they have a nice selection and good customer service.

I’m going to echo the many other posters and shamelessly reveal that I’m no wine connoisseur. While my vocabulary does exceed «Mmm» and «bleh», I’ll almost always say «smell» over «bouquet» and «bitter» over «tannic».
Anyway, I went to the clerk and explained what I like in a wine. I asked him if he knew what I meant, and that he knew just the wine for me. Charming fellow, yes. So I bought two. This bottle was sweet, crisp, and fruity… perhaps the three things I hate most in a wine. My friend and I actually cringed when we took our first sip.
So I have mixed feelings about Kafka. On the one hand, it’s cheap, well organized, and there’s always an adorable little puppy running around. On the other hand, I felt a little scammed by the clerk. I think I’ll stick to «In Fine Spirits»

I’m not a wine expert. I can’t describe a wine any other way besides «mmmm» or «BLECH!» But I wanted to pick up some to celebrate moving to my new apartment. And Kafka was right down the street.
I like how they lay out the place. They have these large signs to let you know where the fruity wines are, the dessert wines, the more herbal tasting wines, etc. The guy behind the counter was very helpful and knowledgeable. I was able to find a bottle that I wanted quickly. And the price is definitely right!

Love this man. My boyfriend and I talked wine and traveling with him for well over an hour one day. He’s delightful and sweet and the shop has a huge variety of anything you could want. Plus, he’ll suggest delicious BYOB places in the neighborhood so you can make good use of your new purchase.
And as an added bonus, there’s an adorable dog that hangs out in the shop and tries to get you to give it treats (even though there’s a sign that says he can’t have any). Love it!

I’ve been going here since the week they opened (’03?), but I’ve recently moved dangerously close, so it’s my new go to spot for wine.
It’s a great wine shop. Their main focus is inexpensive wine. You can go here and ask for a recommendation to pair with dinner, and not have to worry about giving a price range, as the signage says «over 250 wines under $ 15» … They do have a few bottles that are «nicer» but that’s a smaller minority of their selection and they’ve conveniently placed those on a table of their own so you know ahead of time what you’re getting into.
And while the selection is mostly inexpensive wines, their wines are for the most part not crappy grocery store cheap wines you’d find at grocery stores. I’ve found quite a few bottles here that have become my new favorites du jour.
Their prices for the most part are very competitive (only the «big box» Sam’s/WDC type places might be a buck cheaper on the same bottle, if they even carry it, but much of what they carry isn’t carried in a lot of other places). They give you a case discount and also have a «pick 6» and/​or «pick 12» special where you get 6 or 12 of certain wines they choose for a certain price.
I really like how the store is organized. Whereas many wine stores organize it by the region, they organize it by characteristics. One section for crisp/​floral whites, another toasty reds, another earthy reds, etc etc. I like this because 90% of the time when I’m shopping for wine, I’m looking for a certain type of wine and this method makes more sense. I go in looking for a white to go with XYZ, I don’t necessarily need to care what region it’s from. I don’t know why more wine shops don’t do this!
Their hours are great… Open until 10 Monday-​Saturday, and 8 on Sunday in the summer (7 on Sunday in the winter). That’s at least an hour or two later than Binny’s and a lot of other places! Which on Sunday is a big deal – I drink a lot on Sunday.

One of the best things about Kafka is how unassuming it is: unlike some other wine shops (who shall remain nameless), there is no air of pretentiousness; Kafka is simply a place that sells good wine.
While I enjoy wine, I’m no wine expert. Luckily, the employees at Kafka make me look like I am because of their helpful tips about wine pairings. For example, when recently attending a New Orleans inspired dinner party in boystown, I borrowed the following statement from a Kafka employee, «The tartness of the wine is meant to cut right through the spice of the meal». Next thing I know, I’m the hit of the table conversation because of my alleged knowledge. Granted, I was soon discovered to be nothing more than a phony, but once again, Kafka came to the rescue: we ran out of wine and I, having saved so much money on my first bottle, decided to buy an extra bottle to last the rest of the evening. I was popular once again.
And what did I learn from this little experience? Next time, I go to Kafka, I need to ask the employee for more lines to use at dinner parties. Its a good thing I have a place like Kafka in my neighborhood.

Wine has a certain aura; a snooty aura. Come on, admit it — wine intimidates you on a certain level.
Not at Kafka!
Bottles call out to you with signs and pictures announcing things such as «Take me home!», «Let’s stay in and order pizza!», and «Our favorite Pinot Noir!». You can’t help but wander the store reading them all and smiling — the people in the pictures are people just like you. See, you are a wine drinker, indeed!
Still unconvinced? They have more than just wine here — a center island features champagne and other spirits.
The people behind the counter couldn’t have been nicer, either. I’d feel completely comfortable asking them anything about which beverage would best serve my needs.

Let me set the scene!
Late with a group of friends to a house warming party. forgot a gift. Drove by Kafka, parked illegally, ran in asked for two bottles of really cool, reasonably priced red wine, that’s hot right now!
Recommended two Spanish wines, with high ratings, awesome art work on the label. under $ 10 each.
Was in and out in all of 5 minutes!
Kafka you do good work!
I’ll be back!

And the winner for best «late-night-I-need-cheap-tasty-wine,-plastic-cups-and-opened-bottle-for-a-byob-improv show-​in-​seven-​minutes» store is…
Kafka Wine Company!
And to be quite honest, they would probably win for best «I-am-going-to-a-trendy-dinner-party-and-need-a-bottle-of-wine-and-astute-description-to-convince-people-I’m-cultured-without-breaking-the-bank» store and best «dawdle-​around-​for-​a-​half-​hour-​and-​plan-​a wine-​cellar-​I-​may-​never-​own-​while-​laughing-​with-​the-​friendly-​clerk» store as well.
But my situation was the first.
And it was perfect.
You might be drawn into this store because it shares its name with our fiction-​writing Czech friend, Franz, and that makes you feel cool. But it is actually the last name of the owner, so don’t get ahead of yourself. Instead, take in this corner wine shop’s clean white walls, shining wood floor, and row-​after-​enticing-​row of hand-​selected wines and then feel cool. Really cool. Just over five years old, this trendy wine shop is great for the casual and cultured wine drinker alike. The knowledgeable, witty, and downright delightful staff (Alexander, in particular) will make you a match you’ll feel great about. Ours happened to be a 2008 Campos Reales Tempranillo for $ 7.99 — a berry-​noted number that International Wine Cellar gave 88 points. (And we drank it in plastic cups at the Playground theatre watching improvised Tarantino. Classy, right?)
Oh yeah, and their website says that 90% of their goods are under $ 15.
Now those are numbers you can count on.
Go recessionista and head to Kafka. The best «damn-​tasty-​wine» store in Lakeview.
(I think I finally nailed that superlative.)

I hate to do it. Considering the great reviews for this place I may be tarred and feathered. I love wine and I love wine stores! but I also love great customer service and a helping hand when obviously needed. I had never been in Kafka and I stopped by last night to get my BYOB treat. I walked in and found a small but cozy little wine store. I wasn’t greeted or anything like that (unless you count the cute little dog running around).
I wasn’t sure what my meal would be so I didn’t know what I would want to drink. I walked circles around this place for about 10 minutes and no one ever asked if I needed help. I got a few awkward looks that made me feel like I was simply taking up space. I suppose if you catch them on a good day or happen to be a regular then you’re OK but if you wander in off the street be prepared for a not so warm welcome.

«I might as well open the window and kiss the night air.» –Franz Kafka
…and after I return, I shall drink a glass of this inexpensive (yet lovely) sparkling wine I picked up in Boystown. –Colleen C
I get very overwhelmed at Binny’s. Kafka is the like the JV Binny’s…well stocked, well priced, well informed. Kind aesthetics, well laid out and organized. Small enough to be manageable. In ‘n out, bottles in tow!
I mean really, it’s a cheap wine store in some classy digs. No more feeling like a cheap ass at Binny’s when you buy the $ 10 bottle. I mean hell’s bells… if you are going BYOB, you just want some cheap vino, sans judgment.
So head to Kafka, pick up your frugal fancy and be on your way to a neighborhood restaurant or to curl up at home with your cat. Whatever floats your boat… this place has the remedy.
Muah. Kiss the night air, sip inexpensive bubbly… the world makes sense.