Fine Wine & Good Spirits

Nice little liquor shop. Obviously there is some restriction on space for liquor stores in Philadelphia, but this one carries a great selection for its size. Easy to find a nice variety of wines and bourbons (my usual purchases). On a Friday night you might wait in a little line, but the cashiers are efficient and move the line along. Rare to see anyone outside loitering around, as it’s really in the midst of a South Philly neighborhood, and not a shopping district like the stores on Chestnut or South St.
Will return again, no doubt.

Really bad customer service. They practically forced me out of the store by gun point at closing time. Of course I am exaggerating the gun metaphor, but they seemed more concerned about closing the store rather than making a sale.

I went today to get wine for dinner tonight (expecting a long line because they are closed tomorrow for thanksgiving) and I was able to check out without a line! The store was very organized and the staff was very friendly. There were multiple cashiers open. A++

I was pretty excited when the South Street liquor store opened to much fanfare following recent remodeling and renovation efforts, but it seems like they focused entirely on making the store LOOK better.
The store is spacious, well-​lit and (for the moment) clean. They also seem to carry some different selections than many of the other stores in the city. Unfortunately, the selections don’t seem to include things I want to buy other than the most basic staples. The wine selection is especially poor, and is strongly focused on low to lower mid-​range choices. I was trying to get a decent bottle to take to dinner at my boss’s house and actually had to abandon this store entirely and go to the 5^th and Spruce Wine & Spirits location — a much smaller store, but one that carries something nicer than Concha y Toro and Bella Sera.

People are tough on this place… the selection is HUGE and the store is very clean– especially for being on South Street. I never feel bothered by the employees here nor do I feel uncomfortable asking for help. The location is perfect for me too.

I agreed with one of the reviewer, you can’t really find a decent bottle of wine here. I got a bottle of white and gave me one of the worst headache afterwards. Next time I guess I’ll just walk those extra blocks to the Garces Trading Company. At least you know they don’t stock up on crappy wines.

This store recently got a little makeover and I think it’s looking pretty nice. I believe they also got a little extra space from a neighboring store or at least the renovations make the store seem larger. I recall previously having to shop down a few crowded little isles, but everything was now much more open. The store is no longer dark and dreary, and is much more well lit.
The wine seems a little more all over the place than it used to be. As I like to look at wine bottles and compare, I found that I had a lot of trouble picking a bottle with the wine scattered in different sections. Although I should really just chalk it up to a first world problem and pick out my bottle.
I wouldn’t seek out this store but its convenient if I happen to be in search of wine and spirits in the south street area.

It’s a liquor store. Lots of booze. It’s set up well and I do love the green. The employees could smile every once in a while though. Just sayin’.

I feel a little absurd writing a review for the liquor store immediately after writing about my juice cleanse, but I did buy a bottle of champagne there (which I enjoyed yesterday in Brunch Club mimosas – last hurrah before the cleanse!), so I should write a review.
I’m not super enthusiastic about a liquor store, it’s fine I guess. Bright, big aisles, lots of choices. I’m more of a beer drinker, so I don’t expect I’ll be here that often, but it’s still conveniently located. I’m sure I’ll be here again, probably for more champagne. I do so love the sparkle.

The employees could still give a poop about the customers, but that’s not something I expect to change at a state-​owned liquor store anytime soon. But I must say that this particular location was renovated fairly quickly, and is now much improved as far as appearance and flow. 2 stars lost for rude and unhelpful employees, as well as a lack of signs saying which wines are on sale. I don’t know boutchu, but I only buy my wine at single-​digit, sale prices.

The newly renovated wine and spirits on South Street is a huge improvement from the way it used to look. It feels inviting and organized when you walk in, instead of the harsh vibe it gave off before.
They have all of the chairman’s selected wine at the front of the store in one display instead of scattered throughout the store. The rest of the store is organized by regions for wine and then by type of liquor for everything else. As someone else mentioned, yes they still carry some nasty liquor and wine, but they wouldn’t stock it if people weren’t buying it… I’m not one of those people who are buying them, but I’m sure someone is.
My complaint is the way the registers are set up. The center counter of registers seems oddly placed and when two cashiers are open, they choose to make one long line and the opposite cashier calls people over instead of each register having their own line. It made it very weird because we walked up to the register that had no line and the guy practically scolded us. But other than that one cashier, every other employee I’ve had has been friendly.

They just completed renovations on this store, and it is incredible. Much larger, which allows for a tremendous selection of wine and liquor that they have never carried at this location. I particularly like the collection of Chilean and Argentine wines, in a specific section in the back of the store. Overall, you can find decent wines that range from inexpensive to moderate, with a few more expensive ones thrown in for those going to a nicer BYO (e.g. Stags’ Leap Cabernet). Very happy that this is in the neighborhood.

The South Street Wine & Spirits Store is newly remodeled and better organized making it faster and easier to discover they offer the same depressingly low quality wine and booze as they did before.
Don’t believe me? Drink up any of these and when you’re done vomiting we’ll have a conversation.
Nuvo Esprit de Paris Peach Cobbler Sparkling Liqueur
Fulton’s Harvest Pumpkin Pie Crème Liqueur
Arbor Mist Strawberry White Zinfandel
Pinnacle Whipped Imitation Whipped Cream Flavored Vodka
Seagram’s Escapades Convenience-​Pack Coolers in Wild Berries and Strawberry Daiquiri
Sutter Home Pink Moscato «A Rose Wine»
Plus the usual, incredibly crap:
Clos Du Bois
Fetzer
Mondavi
Turning Leaf
Barefoot
Why can’t I find a single decent white wine in the store?
Why does your cooler offer me nothing better than Korbel? Have you ever endured a Korbel headache? Do you even drink?
Guys, go ahead and congratulate yourselves on the new vinyl wood-​tone flooring (in two ugly shades!), a paint job in colors so clashing only a blind person would choose them, and light fixtures that (finally!) don’t flicker like a prison strobe. But I eagerly await the day Pennsylvania opens wine sales to people who actually know good from bad. Because yours are the worst.

Wow. This place is completely different post-​renovations. Gone are the flickering florescent lights and scratched plexiglass… The wine/​liquor racks are clean and organized! The staff is helpful! The space is laid out intuitively! Well done Wine and Spirits store 5119, you are the best state store from 5000 — 6000 that I’ve ever been to!
They probably have more bottles of wine ranging from $ 8-​$ 19 here than anywhere else I’ve ever been. Very helpful for those who just want something for dinner.

After reading the terrible reviews on Unilocal,I was afraid to check this place out. But I’m a classy dame and I needed a mid-​priced bottle of vodka to pregame for brunch, so I gave it a shot anyway. I was pleasantly surprised! (Note: I didn’t check out the wine selection, so what Dan F. mentioned may be true. It looked as though they had a lot more than that, though.)
Anyway, I was expecting something horrific. Maybe they’ve taken their terrible reviews into consideration and made some changes, because everyone who worked there was really friendly and polite. They even ASKED HOW I WAS DOING! There was a decent selection of liquor, and the vodka I got was on SALE. Awesome! The store was crowded, but the employees kept things moving quickly. I would definitely go here again.

I’ve been coming here pretty frequently within the past few months because there is usually a parking spot out front so I can just pop in on my drive home from work.
The first time I was struck by how rude the employees were. I thought maybe it was a one time thing, but on subsequent visits it’s only gotten worse.
The last time I went in, I was the only person in the store, and by that I mean there were no patrons or employees within sight. I stood by the register for what felt like 5 minutes before a woman walked out of the back and started straightening shelves about 3 feet from me. I asked her if any of the registers were open, and without saying a word she huffed and puffed over to one and motioned me over. She did not speak a single word during the whole transaction — even when I asked her «How’s your day going?» and thanked her. Wow.
Service is really going downhill. I have worked in the service industry and I know it is important to put on a smile even if you are having the worse day ever. I felt really unwelcome in this store … very disappointing.

This review has been a long time coming and while you won’t find me with many bones to pick, I’ve got it out for the PLCB. I could dive into the many many shortcomings of this state-​run system of ours, but alas, I keep this on the local level.
When you walk into this South Street store, you’re met with unhelpful, disgruntled employees. They have little, if any, input on the liquor selection offered and you’re more likely to walk away with a bottle based on the label art than the actual contents inside. Why not train your staff on the difference between a Merlot and Pinot Noir? Or Bourbon and Scotch?
Let’s look at beer. If you walk into The Foodery or any other specialty beer store, you’ll find a staff willing and eager to give you their picks. Given they’ve got the time, any beer store employee knows something about the product they’re selling. Not the case with wine and spirits.
So, allow me to offer some advice:
1) Hire staff that cares about their job. Pretty basic, but clearly overlooked.
2) Offer a more interesting, esoteric selection. I know there’s more to Australian Shiraz than Yellow Tail.
3) Jack Daniels is not bourbon, please don’t try to convince me otherwise.
4) Arm your staff with product knowledge! Do they not have a voice? Do they not bleed?
5) Have them smile and say «hello.»
Seriously PA. Get it together.