Otto’s Wine and Spirits Oakland

Let’s make this simple. It’s a liquor store for goodness sake.
+
Lots of beer to choose from
Good representation of Wisconsin products in all booze departments
Bike rack outside
Parking is convenient if there are spots still left. Otherwise you have to park on the street.
-
Low amount of the beer is refrigerated
You have to ask for limited edition stuff. Oftentimes it behind the counter. They do bottle limits for rare beers (as all good shops should do).

My go-​to place for ALL THAT IS beer, liquor, and wine. I live about four blocks away from Otto’s, which is basically the main reason but they also have a really good selection of beers and wines. Killer selection and I find that they are usually cheaper than say a Pick-​n-​Save or Kensington Liquor in Shorewood.
Otto’s does an decent job at organization, which is good because you can be in and out in less than a minute and dodge the craziness that is 9:00 rush to the nearest liquor store.
Oh, and they I.D. Ever time. I get the same cashier every time, the dude with the beard. He’s cool. Always friendly staff.
Gets my approval of best liquor store in MKE.

I’m here so often they know me (but still ID me every time!), which is probably not something to brag about with Wisconsin’s binge-​drinking record, but this is my favorite liquor store in the city.
Their prices are unbeatable and their selection is fantastic. They have parking, helpful employees, and a convenient location. Within the past month or so, they’ve done some reorganizing and it’s a fantastic improvement.
Even if I’m not even on this side of town, I’ll usually make the trip over here because it’s so worth it.

For the most part, Ottos takes care of a diverse range of tastes. They have cheap beer when the moment calls for a 30-​pack of Red Dawg. They have local beer for cheaper than the rest of the neighborhood too. They stock an impressive amount of wine and spirits, and have a good amount of deals. Plus, it’s convenient and close. Good in all categories

Love this place! They have everything you could possibly think of, and if they don’t (I requested a micro brew) they will order it. Their prices are competitive and I think lower then any other place on the area. They also have great staff. I love going in and chatting to the man with the long beard and the lady that works Sunday morning/​afternoon.

Good prices, great selection. Not always the most helpful, but still an institution.

This is my go-​to spot for a great beer selection and reasonable prices. The covered parking is nice when it is raining or snowing outside.

Unfriendly staff makes everyone feel like an underage thief. We get your trying to add to your eye sore collection of underage/​fake ids but should focus of customer service.

Oh Otto’s, we have a history don’t we? I used to live close and your convenience and relatively low prices (UWM standard mark-​up) made for a good thing! I liked us… I did. Sadly, your store no longer does it for me… The staff here tends to treat me like an underage thief. I am neither. I only wander your aisles because the layout does not make sense… not because I am searching for a break in your lingering gaze to hustle some booze. I am sorry that when I intended to purchase a bottle of wine for a girls night in that I had no idea my friend’s drivers license had just expired (& due to the month+ wait for the new dmv version) that NEITHER of us would be able to purchase alcohol despite having multiple forms of ID verifying both our ages… I understand the need for precautions but outright denial of service is insulting. You’re not the only good deal in town Otto’s and while you remain in a mentality of adventatious freshman booze-​mongering, I have moved on.

I thought this was place was okay.
I bought several items that were on sale and did not ring up with the lower price, so I would watch all the prices as they ring them up!

Otto’s in one of the Milwaukee area’s great liquor stores. Now that says a lot right there, doesn’t it?
Otto’s has a great selection of both beer and liquor. Not as extensive as some of the others but you won’t have an issue finding several items to match your interests. This was the go-​to shop when I was an undergrad at UWM and it still is today. If you go here late on a Friday or Saturday the beer section will be crowded and there will be a line. Wine selection is good, with a range from table on up. If you have something particular in mind you may not find it but if you keep your options open you won’t be disappointed.
Service is typically very good and friendly. You don’t see a lot of people on the floor helping out as you will at Discount or Consumer but if you ask a question you’ll get an answer. If you are under 40 there’s a decent chance you’ll be carded. These folks are pros when it comes to fake IDs and they have the trophies to prove it.

DISCLAIMER: I am making my review solely on the beer side of things. I’ve never been a wine person, and liquor and I had a nasty falling out years ago (I got to keep my liver in the divorce, thankfully), so I really can’t speak to those aspects of Otto’s.
With the explosion of interest in craft beer, a benefit is that you can find a few decent selections pretty much anywhere you go, including your local Pick ‘N Save. So why go elsewhere? Well, for the special stuff. You know, the Bourbon County Stouts, the Central Waters specialties, the Hopslam, and the like. The stuff that the chains won’t keep. What’s helpful is that Otto’s usually has what I’m looking for even when all the other craft beer vendors around the city are sold out. They have competitive pricing and a very decent selection. On their beer selection, there’s a good amount to chose from without being overwhelming, and the lack of stock means that the beer is always fresh (or at least I’ve found it that way). And the staff is always very helpful to make a recommendation if you’re looking to stray from the beaten path.
If it was possible, I’d take off half a star for their parking situation. While they have a dedicated parking lot (a plus on the East Side), the spots are *very* cramped and near pillars, which always makes me afraid I’m going to hit my door on them getting in and out.
I’d totally make Otto’s my go-​to shop if it wasn’t a bit out of the way for me. But don’t worry, I’ll be back!

I visited Otto’s in many a snowstorm when I had to walk through ice and snow drifts to grab a good bottle of vino. They have excellent choices in stock, as well as tons of beer choices (most popular here, my guess would be…) convenient parking and close to UWM. Makes it a good liquor stop for the East Side.

I love the electronic doors. They’re so OLD!
Once your eyes adjust (see Joe vs the Volcano), it’s all good. Easy to navigate. Good selection of whatever gets distributed to MKE. Save a few bucks on the staples.
Helpful/​friendly staff, in general. (I especially enjoy the older, mannerful gentleman.)
I’ll dock a star for the inevitable fender-​bender, in the «parking lot». When it becomes kitsch, I’ll add it back.

This liquor store has a huge selection. You can probably find anything you need here. I could have used some more signage because I wasn’t sure where everything was. On a bumpin’ Saturday night, though, they have plenty of staff and they knew exactly which direction to point me and other customers.
I like that they have a covered parking lot but it’s cramped and the spaces are terrifyingly small.

Let me be honest… this place is getting 5 STARS because I drove all over Glendale & Shorewood looking for Ciroc Coconut & they were the only place to have it… score!
Besides that… they have an incredible selection of liquor, beer & wine. I couldn’t believe all the choices I had at a place that’s considered a college liquor store. Otto’s go all out — they had everything I needed that night and in the future as well.
Otto’s has found another loyal customer in me for sure. The people who worked in their were very friendly and made it a warm environment — I know not what you expect at your neighborhood liquor store haha.

I just love Otto’s. Everything from their wonderful selection at fair prices (including my favorite and a somewhat-​hard-​to-​find Wittekerke) to the awesome guy with the long grey beard (who is always smiling with his eyes). The employees overall have great knowledge of their stock and if they can’t help you, they will find someone who can.
My only complaint (which as you can see by my rating is not big at all) is the parking. I know they do the best they can but that parking garage sucks… I’m over it, it is the east side.

Awesome selection. Super duper comprehensive. Huge wine selection, killer beer choices, any type of liquor you could want. Anything, really. Some weird eau de vie? Fernet Branca? Bear Republic and Rogue beers and Silver Oak Cellars’ wines? Ruffino Chianti Classico? Wait! Arg!
does. not. compute.
It’s strange. I mean, for being near a college, their selection is amazingly amazing. But they’re oft thought of as a college liquor store. But they’re doing it right.
Though,
Otto’s is not organized terribly well. In fact, it’s kind of confusing. I think its proximity to UWM means that Otto’s makes a killing off of cheap beer and cheap booze, but they also stock awesome. I like it, don’t get me wrong. My brain just doesn’t know how to make sense of it all.
Does. Not. Compute. (… in a good way.)

I love this liquor store, it has an awesome selection of pretty much any type of liquor you could ever want. This is also the cheapest liquor store on the east side and near the UWM campus area. I just bought a 12 pack of 16oz cans for less than $ 10… You cannot beat that. Another favorite thing about this place is that it has covered parking, when you can find a spot, so you don’t get rained, hailed, or snowed on or what have you… Wine selection? EXTENSIVE they have a massive selection of wines and hard liquor, even more so than their beer selection! This is the place to go when your not feeling lazy or on a rainy day to get what I like to call «a fancy beer». The staff is REALLY nice (most of the time) and are generally really enthusiastic about helping you. Yeah as Ari S. said their Sunday hours are a bit strange but that isn’t a huge dealio.

This place is a very impressive liquor store. They have a fabulous selection, great specials, discount bins, and great service.
The beer selection is very impressive. You can buy by the case etc or they have a selection where you can pick individual bottles to make a six pack.
The hours are typical except for Sundays, that sucks because they are only open till 6.