Burka’s Wine & Liquor Store

This is my go-​to place for any wine or liquor. They have a great selection, the prices are very reasonable and the hours are great. The staff often help me pick out bottles that my friends really enjoy.

The staff is friendly, helpful and there are snacks and other grocery items that are avail when I am in a hurry. I appreciate the wine recommendations as I am «wine 101» and I always get an EXCELLENT bottle in the exact price range that I want. I usually give some description that is akin to «Um, I had a delicious Malbec the other day and it had a blackberry finish but also was sort of peppery. Can you recommend something similar?» and I never leave disappointed! They carry a wide selection and can order the perfect wine if you need it. I find that the young lady (who is the manager by the way) is always friendly and waiting to assist as needed. She definitely knows her wine and I mistook her for a Sommelier, however, she said she is not. She certainly knows the wines that they carry, though, and I appreciate it so much. I live in the building and love having a little boutique wine/​liquor store right here!

My neighborhood liquor store. Great wine selection for such a tiny space, as someone who use to work in wine sales I am impressed and appreciate the organization. Only one request, I do wish they had a larger selection of Spanish wines since they tend to be such great values. I go here for my beer too, and they have snacks and other drinks in case you don’t want to go to the nearest Safeway (which is not very near).

I live right across the street from this fine establishment, but I promise that’s not why I keep going back.
They have a large, diverse wine selection and solid beers year-​round. My only wish is that they’d change up their beers more often (but let’s be real, it’s because I go there so often). They have great local brews — DC Brau, Flying Dog, etc. — and a decent IPA selection (thank you!) Everything is very reasonably priced and there’s always something on sale.
Since the Giant closed, they also now have some groceries (cheese, eggs, milk, butter, chips, hummus, condiments and random other things) that are great when you’re in a pinch and don’t want to hike to the Whole Foods a mile away. I’m really appreciative of this! And I know they just changed their hours so they’re open on Sundays, so I’ll probably start spending even more money here.
As for the employees, I really like the owner and the guys, but I can’t stand the woman who lurks in the wine section. She just stares at you, and the one time I actually asked her advice on a wine (I wanted to try a new Malbec) she referred me to a really crappy Bordeaux. I mean, really.
If you’re in the neighborhood and need some beer, wine, or spirits, hit this place up. Great prices, and definitely the best in the neighborhood.

Great selection, particularly for wine, and the staff is always friendly and knowledgeable. I go there to stock up on wine and my favorite Woodchuck Hard Cider (they carry Amber and Seasonal). Since Giant closing, they’ve also started to carry some snack and pantry items, such as milk, cheese, eggs, chips, dip, etc.

I like Burka’s quite a bit and I really like the folks that work there. Friendly and helpful.
The wine and liquor selection is large by my standards and the beer selection is just fine for what I need on a regular basis. I’m a bit of a beer geek and will travel elsewhere when looking for new, limited edition, or never-​heard-​of microbrews, but this always has my favorite old faithfuls like Sierra Nevada Torpedo, Bell’s Two Hearted, Dogfish 60 and 90, and now they are carrying 21^st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA. yay!

Great selection and friendly staff. What more could you want from a liquor store?

Looks like I must have been there at an off-​time — Friday around 6:45 — the staff was incredibly rude and were all standing around talking to each other, stared at my husband and I as we bought our bottle of wine and then didn’t even say thank you. Despite the lack of liquor stores in our area, we won’t be going back.

I know nothing about wine. Yet whenever I walk over here, and ask for a recommendation based on what I’m cooking, I always leave with something good. Every recommendation has tasted excellent. Plus they have a pretty good selection of beers. Yay for the local liquor store!

I stop here because it is along my commute on Wisconsin Ave. The prices are competitive with other Ward 3 liquor stores, not more not less. (This is cheaper than MD or VA stores.) The woman who is the sommelier for the wine is extremely knowledgeable, and I highly recommend her. I do not think she arrives until the afternoon; if you are looking for wine, go when she is there, as the other employees are not knowledgeable.

This place is a block from my apartment. Hell, I can see it from my window. I wouldn’t seek this place out to buy booz otherwise.
The beer selection is fine, has some decent beers. The Liquor selection is good and they almost always have my favorite Goslins Rum. Many times I have been offered wine and/​or liquor tastings. The wine tasting has persuaded me twice to buy that wine. They are helpful in selecting the right wine, and they are usually spot on.

Burka’s is great. Granted the main reason I shop there is its convenient proximity to my abode, but you really can’t ask for much more in terms of interesting selection and helpful people. The wine selection is carefully curated and they do lots of free tastings. Every time I go in there, I see the same woman– perhaps Burka herself? She is so eager to help. One evening I was in line to buy an obscure (to me at least) white wine from Eastern Europe that she clearly approved of, and she ran to the back to get me one that was already chilled– which was great, because I was taking it to a barbecue where it would be served right away. She even offered to put another one in the cooler for me «for next time.»

On a whim last night, after the rain had stopped, I rang my favorite Washingtonian and asked him if he wanted to grab dinner. He was game when I suggested Two Amys so after I dropped a friend at the Palomar I went by to fetch him. All the makings of a superb Tuesday evening were in place until we pulled up in front of Two Amys to discover that they were unpredictably closed for the evening.
We decided to explore the neighborhood while considering our next move and that’s how we ended up at Burka’s. He veered off in the direction of the old vine zins and the Argentinean wines while I went to explore the French whites. After finding a Château Grande Cassagne Costieres de Nimes Rose I circled back to find him chatting to Leonor about his wine preferences. She asked great questions and helped him choose a bottle to match his taste.
Afterward I inquired about her favorite bottle of white under $ 15 that would be perfect to drink on a patio during a warm summer night. She didn’t hesitate as she brought me over to the appropriate section and made recommendations which included anecdotal information about how each wine would go with a particular type of food.
Leonor is the type of person I always hope to encounter when I buy wine (or anything, really) — clued-​up, attentive, thoughtful in her advice.
Burka’s is nothing special to look at — in passing you might mistake it for an ordinary liquor store. In fact, though, their wine selection is extensive. Definitely worth stopping in if you find yourself in the neighborhood.