This review is late. We had dinner on a Friday night a little over a month ago at the Wine Cellar. I have lived in the area for 20 years but never have made it to this restaurant until now. To be honest I had heard negative reviews recently from people that went to the Wine Cellar regularly and were formally fans. The reviews were mainly due to the attitude of the servers and the consistency of the food. Never the less we had friends over and were all tired of the normal fine dining options in San Marco so we decided to try the Wine Cellar. First off this place has a wonderful atmosphere. It was reasonably busy but the best thing you could actually hear your table's conversation without having to try. This was a great treat compared to BBs or Aix. Both good places but it is so loud always. At first we were seated and the server was joking with us and seemed to be attentive. I ordered a bottle of wine (of which they have a great selection) which was brought back immediately. Then he disappeared. We were chatting and drinking the wine but he never came back. We refilled our own glasses and waited. Well he finally came back to which one of my guests said welcome back. Then he said "oh attitude"! I can ratchet up attitude real quick if you want. Mind you with the wine alone we are into this night for almost $200.00 before we were even served bread, which by the way came a full ten minutes after we sat down. Shocked and annoyed, we sat there stunned as we got that night's specials. We started with the Calamari Fra Diavolo which was wonderful, perfectly cooked with amazing taste. We had that night's special grouper, two filets and one rum glazed filet. The fish was simple and full of flavor, the normal filets were tender and cooked spot on but the rum glazed filet was simply awful. The sauce tasted almost on the verge of being spoiled somehow. All in all I am slightly on the positive side of neutral on this place. Parts of the evening made it a wonderful experience but the waiter's comments were very off putting to start the evening. You would think in a place where it is easy to spend over $600.00 for a meal as we did with wine, that they may not want to piss off the customers to the point they may not come back. It may be possible that the server was trying to be funny with us but the inflection in his voice and his body language did not give us that impression. I would really like this place to work. It could be a wonderful quiet place in a noisy crowed downtown market. Will I go back? I will give it another try. It has so much going for it, but it will not take much at all to cross this place off the list forever if the service level is repeated or the food quality is poor.
(3)
Jeff P.
That sure was a juicy burger....wish it had some flavor! Chipotle aioli???? No I think not! Wife got the filet wrap aka lettuce, tomato, and unseasoned beef in a wrap. Also it is called the wine cellar I am curious why I was never offer a wine list? Don't bother
(2)
Paul C.
Update; Went last night after some time; and service was five stars, and on their appetiser menu the first time I ever seen it in Jax; smoked trout! I ordered a double since I yearned for it for so long, and it was presented perfectly. Their Key Lime pie is one of the best I ever eat, and defiantly made fresh on the premises. Also they have made arrangement to park very close to restaurant next door in bank parking lot.
(4)
Brian S.
Also had dinner on NYE but at our reservation time 8:00pm the restaurant wasn't even full. Yet the service was very slow and our server would awkwardly stand by the table waiting to be noticed. I understand not being intrusive but standing over someones shoulder for upwards of a minute listening to their table conversation bothered me more than politely stepping in. Anyway on to the food. VERY unmemorable. Between the four of us we had 3 different entrees and not one of us was satisfied with the food quality or temperature. The lamb shank was tough and had to be cut with a knife, flavor was bland. Ribeye steaks were something you have gotten at Sizzler...seriously I'm not being overly dramatic. Maybe 8-10oz and about 1/2 in thick. Both were ordered Med Rare and came Med Well. Last was the prosciutto beef loin with shrimp and Gorgonzola. Also ordered Med Rare and came with no pink what so ever. Shrimp and cheese was just gooey and not appetizing. We would have sent it all back but had plans for the evening and based on the already slow service just toughed it out. Wine list was OK and had two nice bottles. Probably the worst part about the night was finding out from other Open Table reviews that they charged 18% automatic gratuity for a party of 4!! Even parties of 2 got the auto bill. It was not once ever mentioned by the server. So we unknowingly tipped our server about $150 for poor service on a $350 tab. The only bright thing to come out of this was they did agree to refund my extra tip after calling and complaining. When I told the mgr about my opinion on the auto gratuity he said its on the menu and your itemized bill. I'm not in the habit of even looking at the bill and not one of us saw it on the menu. Also was told that is just their policy and he's not the owner. Well HEY WINE CELLAR OWNER....READ THIS. I'm not coming back to drop $400 bucks on dinner at your place again. Between the bad food, bad service and amateur gratuity tactics there is nothing to bring me back. Many other great choices in the San Marco/DT area more worthy of my dining money.
(1)
Cilla T.
The Wine Cellar may be considered fine dining here in JAX, but it was just mediocre. The escargot appetizer in pastry cup was delicate but not chewy, but the butter puddle was overkill. I ordered the lobster tail and filet mignon, but found the filet to be a bit tough and not as delicate as I've had in the past. Plus, I ordered rare plus but it came out more as medium. The lobster tail was adequate as long as it was dragged through the butter sauce. Service is slightly disappointing as the waiter immediately came by after a break with cigarette smell on his fingers and on his breath. Noise definitely needs to be reduced as fine dining is not meant to be shouted over. The wine by the glass menu leans HEAVILY on the California side, with only 3 non-CA options, disappointing for this CA native.
(3)
Carl G.
Went Sat. nite with a party of 4 and we all ordered off the Jacksonville Restaurant Week Price Fixed Menu ($40 per person) which included a choice of appetizer, entree and dessert. One in our party ordered the duck and raved about it. Another in our party had the sea bass and enjoyed it as well. Two of us ordered the lobster tail. The menu said it was fried, but our waiter told us the chef would broil if that was preferred. I ordered broiled and the other person ordered fried. it was delicious although the fried was not very crispy and the broiled was a bit on the salty side. We also ordered the escargot appetizer which was prepared perfectly along with the great toast points for mopping the savory cream sauce. We finished our price fix menu with poached pear in a pastry dough which was quite good as well. Our server was very attentive without invading our privacy. It was surprising that this restaurant was about half empty espcially being a Jaguar home game weekend. I would recommend the Wine Cellar.
(4)
Jeremy M.
Food is always good at Wine Cellar and service has typically been good until our most recent visit. Our server was Nick and maybe his day had peaked at bad when we arrived but he had a poor attitude which was recognized by our entire party. It diminished the experience at Wine Cellar greatly. This is the first time I've had this sort of experience there as it's usually been great. Hopefully Wine Cellar can improve this server's outlook and service quality.
(3)
Melissa H.
Not only was the staff incredibly rude but the food was poor quality for the price. I ordered the preset 3 course meal and my beef was fatty and difficult to cut, the desert was a solid piece of frozen chocolate with some sauce over the top that I could have gotten from any grocery store. When my beef came it had blue cheese all over the top, which they failed to mention in the menu, and I am lactose intolerant. When I told the waiter he proceeded to make fun of me and then brought back my meal with the blue cheese clearly brushed off the top, and finally when we got up to leave him and 2 other servers kept offering directions to the bathroom, clearly making fun of me as well. The topping on the cake is that if you order the preset 3 course meal they automatically add gratuity on top for 18% so we had no choice but to tip the horrible service. I would not recommended anyone going here!
(1)
Carrie Neal W.
Three stars alone, just for the feel of the place. I just loved the atmosphere, the decor, the inside part of the dining room where we sat for dinner and the so-enticing outdoor patio/bar/dining area that would totally beckon me on a pretty night like the ones you find in Jacksonville this time of year!! My boss took me to dinner tonight and we had a lovely time. Granted, I'm new to the job and getting spoiled a bit, but he invited his amazingly cool Martinique-born girlfriend along and I just had the best time! Interesting conversation covering everything from the trips she takes her French students on (she's a teacher at a prestigious local private school) to her own affinity for surfing Restaurant.com for deals on Jax restos, just like I do in Atlanta!! We even talked a little "business," all three of us, but on the whole it was one of those neat get-to-know-each-other kind of meals. I enjoyed the food. Alone, I would give it three stars but Wine Cellar's overall vibe upped the rating a notch. We all got the "Creole style" crab and lobster bisque to start - it was just spicy enough and I found it interesting as it was piecey rather than bisquey like I'd expected. A good starter! My fillet was good, cooked correctly and I really enjoyed the night's special veggie of haricots vert with a sprinkling of julienned peppers and maybe squash, too, added in. My boss enjoyed one of his usual orders, as this is a favorite spot for them - a chicken breast stuffed with asparagus, prosciutto and Monterrey Jack. My new Mme of Good Conversation got the other version of their fillet, with the crispy onion strings and a different potato/vegetable side, and I think we were all well-pleased. They noted that the restaurant was not nearly as busy, even for a weeknight, as it has been in the past, so it does seem as if economy-related "concerns" are hampering the dining business in Jacksonville just like in Atlanta, but we were promptly attended to and - particularly for me being a newbie to the Jacksonville dining scene - I would definitely give them another try on a future trip to town. Gotta support the local-owned, independent establishments, no matter what town it is!!
(4)
Hilary L.
It may be tucked into an odd little corner for such a nice place [literally smashed up against the BP - the only gas station in the area - and on a somewhat non-centrally located road], but the atmosphere inside The Wine Cellar is pretty amazing. As soon as you walk in the door you completely forget the outer surroundings. Dark, cozy and intimate, its a perfect setting for the wonderful food. The cuisine is pretty standard high end dining, but very well executed. We had the Lamb Chops [$27] and the locally sourced grouper [$28.] The owner came over and chatted with us a bit [I don't know if this is standard procedure or if we got lucky] and recommended a wine that was perfect. That kind of personal touch though, is what this place is all about. Its a small place with a staff that obviously cares about creating a great experience for its clients. A great place to treat yourself or have a fancy date with your significant.
(4)
Tim H.
I tried the lunch here today. The food was top notch!! The staff are amazing as well!! Chef Jeanne was gracious enough to offer a personal tour of the front and back of the house where I saw an amazing use of space. Clean, friendly spaces and faces in every area! Can not wait to try out the dinner selections and atmosphere!!
I came here with one of the coupon deals and I was overall very impressed with the restaurant. Service was good and the food was phenomenal. I had some crab cakes to start off with and a filet mignon with scalloped potatoes as my main entree. They were both delicious!!!! I am surprised this place does not have higher raitings... Overall great food and atmosphere!
(5)
Allan F.
It's too bad that the service here does not match the food. Not only was the food service lacking but the wine service was abysmal for a restaurant that alleges to be a wine forward restaurant. Also a 18% service charge for the food, the wine and the sales tax is laughable. This place was recommended by a local, who when I related our experience, was apologetic and disappointed. The server was at first efficient but was unaware of certain aspects of the menu and had to check with the kitchen. We ordered appetizers and sparkling wine as an aperitif. We were deciding on our main course advising our server that we would order wine after we determined our choices. After we ordered he disappeared, as he would many times for the rest of the meal and had to be flagged down for us to order. When he presented the wine, at too warm a temperature, he cut the foil at the wrong part of the neck, removed the cork without checking for corkage and did not present it then stuffed it in his apron, made a condescending face when I requested that the young red be carafed and then returned with the wine poured out of sight in a brandy carafe with the top on. He removed the appetizer dishes and silverware but left the empty sparkling wine glasses not to be picked up until the end of the service. He then dropped off the main courses in a flash failing to replenish our silverware which we had to do ourselves from an empty table. When I complained to the manager he apologized but did nothing to mitigate our poor experience. I would guess that the management is clueless on fine dining service. Maybe get the food to go?
(1)
Waheed B.
Happy Hour review. It's OK--not the most attentive service and food options are limited, but it is very close to my place of employment.
(2)
Rudi F.
We had a special dinner here tonight with good friends. First, the good news -- the food was superb. I had the seafood fra diavlo. My wife had the seared mustard glazed scallops. Our honored guests had the salmon and the filet mignon. All good. Karen, our server was appropriately attentive. Second, the bad news -- the wine prices are off the wall. Our "house white" is Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc. I can pick it up for $10-12 a bottle at any local wine store. At the Wine Cellar they wanted $49 for a bottle. Now, I'm okay at 3.5x retail for a bottle of wine, but 5x? Get real!
(4)
Ryan S.
The atmosphere was nice and mellow the as me and my wife were seated in a cozy back corner of the restaurant. It was our 10th wedding anniversary and the waitress gave us a free glass of champagne to toast each other which was nice since nothing here is cheap the least expensive bottle of wine I think looked at was maybe 30-40 bucks but we went with a 70 dollar bottle or red very nice choice as the server recommended. We shared the scallop appetizer it had only 2 for the price I wouldn't have minded maybe 4 but they were good. I ordered the lamb chop not very impressed at all I don't know why but the berry sauce was just no good and the lamb for some reason reminded me of a whopper the taste at least. I wish I could have ordered the tuna or steak as next time I won't be soo adventurous in my ordering but the ambience and wine was worth it just not crazy about the food but I'll defiantly give them a second chance anyway because I've only had lamb one time before anyway.
(3)
Michelle W.
Very expensive. The wine list isn't very impressive, but it is extraordinarily expensive. Service was slow and disinterested and the server was not helpful with wine recommendations. Also, each party incurs an automatic 18% gratuity, regardless of size. This may explain the very disinterested service because they don't have to try very hard. The food was fine. We ordered a crabcake that was decent and a dinner trio with Shrimp, scallops and beef tenderloin. The tenderloin and accompanying potato were both extremely undercooked. The scallops and shrimp were good. There is just no reason to return
(2)
Katrice S.
Last weekend, I met up with a friend to celebrate her birthday at the Wine Cellar. I have been trying to make my way out to this restaurant for years and I am so glad I finally had the opportunity to dine there. The location is very elegant, intimate, and the food wasn't too bad. Most of you already know this but for those who don't, every year Jacksonville holds a two week event called Eat Up Downtown. During this event several restaurants downtown offer amazing 3 course, prix fixe menus at one of three price points you can't beat. $15, $25, and $35. It gives visitors the opportunity to try great food at remarkable prices. Wine Cellar was one of these restaurants so we agreed it was the perfect place to try for the occasion! Here's what we had: Parmesan, Basil and Garlic Stuffed Florida Guy Shrimp: This was AMAZING! It was wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon and drizzled in classic beurre blanc. We inhaled this shrimp. I would've been happy with just a big plate of these. Blackened and Grilled Grass Fed Ribeye from Seminole Pride: It was flavorful and I loved the mashed potatoes, however, the only complaint I had was that my steak was not prepared the way I ordered it. Instead of sending it back I just took mine home and finished cooking it to my liking the next day. :) Georgia Peaches and Cream Cobbler: I have to admit that I was sooooooo disappointed with the cobbler. I was actually looking forward to this the most. The peaches were not sweet at all and the weren't very soft either. Needless to say, it was hard for me to enjoy my not so sweet dessert. The good news is that my friend was given a slice of key lime cheesecake in honor of her birthday that was delicious so all was not lost! The food was good overall and my friend and I enjoyed a night full of laughter. I will certainly give Wine Cellar another try. It'll be the perfect setting for a romantic date with my man!
(3)
Brian S.
The food here is dynamite--but the service left much to be desired. I brought a lovely lady here after work (so I was in jeans and a polo), and we appeared to be intentionally seated away from everyone else in the restaurant. No big deal, I like an intimate dinner for two. For the price I paid, the food was just good (not spectacular, like I was expecting), and the service was careless (as in our waiter probably could have cared less about us, in theory, but I am not sure how). The wine selection was very good (we selected a 2009 Artemis, if memory serves me), but we couldn't drink enough to fix the service and uninspired food. Maybe we caught them on a bad day, or maybe they think that if you are under 40 and don't 'look' like a six-figure salary (at least) then you aren't worth their time?
(2)
Erikka N.
My husband surprised me with dinner here. To be honest, I'd never heard of this place. It's a great, cozy place kinda off the beaten path. We ordered a nice bottle of wine, and I got the 3 course dinner. I had grilled sea scallops as an appetizer. Stuffed rainbow trout as my main course and tiramisu for dessert. Every course was wonderful. Wayne was our server and he was perfect.
(5)
Ashley M.
This place is so stunning!! While i did not get the full scope of the restaurant, since I stopped in when they were in between lunch and dinner service, I could just tell from the lobby bar that it must be beautiful throughout. I walked in at 2:30pm when their lunch service ended at 2pm, but they were gracious enough to serve me. Because of the off time that I arrived, the menu was limited so I went with their Angus burger and fries along with a nice glass of Malbec (i know, it was early but one glass never hurt anybody!). Needless to say it was the best burger and fries ive had in jacksonville since I moved here 6 months ago. the service was great, the decor is amazing, and the food was excellent and fairly priced. I will be going back here for dinner in the near future. there is a reason why this place has been around for decades!!!
(5)
Duane D.
Had a very nice dinner here while in JAX on business. I didn't have wine (because I was working), but the food was very good. We had great service as well. Definitely recommended.
(4)
Carl T.
A lone businessman, I walked over from my hotel for a good meal shortly after they started their dinner hours. Greeted immediately, received excellent and attentive service, and a meal that was both delicious and presented well. They lose a star for one reason only: The 18% gratuity which was included on the receipt. Understand, I even added a few bucks because the service was exceptional, but including the gratuity without prompting is presumptuous, IMO.
(4)
Rick D.
The wife and I have been here probably a half Dozen times in the last year, just the 2 of us and Close Friends & sometimes parties up to 6 and, on time constraints for events downtown and not once have we had a bad service experience. Foood is Always very good and the wine selection is an examople of what to have stocked. As you can tell by my personal title, Taste, Consitency and Service, this place never failed to succeed. It is pricey and the waiters could be a little less professional and a little more personable but that is just me, the wife likes them like this, so I am cool with it too! LOL So if you have a special occasion and want to celebrate with that special someone, check them out, and do not forget Open Table for the points. Enjoy
(4)
Celeste P.
The food and wine were quite good. The server seemed very flaky and tried to hurry us along with our order. We asked to speak to the wine steward and were told our server was it. Not very knowledgable about wine and seriously this is the wine cellar. We enjoyed our wine but felt like we did the picking not the server. A bit over priced for steak and wine. Would recommend at an average level of restaurant. To be the wine cellar even in Jacksonville should have personal trained to be much more knowledgable about wine. Might or might not revisit!
(3)
Angela H.
As always, they did not let us down. It was another amazing dinner. This is by far one of the best restaurants in Jacksonville. We had the fried lobster and salmon. It was their 40th anniversary so they were offering a 4 course meal for $40 or 40% off entrees.
(5)
John S.
First off, many of the mediocre reviews for the The Wine Cellar were in part because Yelpers were surprised at the 18% gratuity automatically added to all bills regardless of the size of the party. Knowing this ahead of time, and the fact it was clearly printed on the menu under the entrees, made it a non-issue. Also, the credit card receipt allowed for adding an additional tip commensurate with the service received. As we were in a hurry to get to a show we skipped appetizers, but selected a moderately priced wine. It was drinkable, but not one of those mid-tier finds worthy of mentioning. Given the rather high price of the bottle list I might pay a corkage fee next time. Before the entrees arrived everyone enjoyed the warm bread and creamy butter. The butter was so soft that it melted readily on the bread. We each had the spinach salad which was excellent. We enjoyed four entrees. I had the Trio of Flavors--two scallops on cream corn, three shrimp on a skewer, and medallion steak bites. They were all very good with the beef medallions being a very good cut of meat. Others enjoyed the chicken parmigiana, rum glazed steak, and a sirloin. Everyone enjoyed their entree. For dessert we had key lime pie, and the roasted banana pudding. Dessert was the only disappointing part of the meal. The key lime pie had a fantastic crust, but lacked a sufficiently tart key lime flavor. The banana pudding had a delicious pudding, but they used green bananas that weren't nearly ripe enough. An unforgivable error in the South.
(4)
Jeff W.
Lobster was amazing. Shrimp appetizer was our favorite. Service was great and timely. Good atmosphere. Key lime pie left a little to be desired.
(4)
Tira K.
Delicious prix fixe menu! Wonderful warm bread basket! Cool intimate atmosphere and friendly service. Loved the peanut butter pie.
(5)
Virginia M.
I have been coming here forever to celebrate special occasions and if I am looking for a nice fine dining experience. The food is excellent and the service is wonderful. I had the red snapper for my entree and started with the escargot and Caesar salad. For dessert, they brought us a piece of chocolate cake to celebrate our anniversary!
(5)
Kevin B.
The wife and I went here on Friday 1/29/2014 for dinner before going to the symphony. Expectations were quite high as we had some friends tell us about it and when I went through OpenTable to make a reservation, they couldn't do it. I called and they said they only allowed 30 reservations a night through OpenTable. Anyway, I made the reservation and we were all set. Service: Gary was a fantastic waiter and the speed at which the food came was perfect. We ordered two of the planned menus. Appetizer: Mine was the Frito Misto which was a variety of lightly fried calamari, mushrooms, zucchini, and a couple other things. The marinara sauce had a great flavor and was probably the highlight of my meal. My wife had the Fried Brie with honey and walnuts. This was pretty bland and the filo dough had a slightly old taste to it. Main course: I ordered the Filet Mignon with a medium temp. It arrived medium rare which was fine, just not correct. It was served with snap peas, carrots, and new potatoes. The best way to describe it...good quality but lacking seasoning of any kind. My wife had the prosciutto wrapped scallops. From the pictures and Gary's description, we were expecting them to be fairly large. To our disappointment, the size was rather small and the taste again was very bland. Dessert: Chocolate Cake with Cherries and Key Lime Pie...I could have gotten better any restaurant not specializing in desserts. To sum it up, Gary stated up front that The Wine Cellar isn't really known for anything in particular. My wife and I both agree that statement could not have been more true...and the wine was on the pricey side. I doubt we will go back to this establishment unless its for a wedding or other type invitation style event. Each of our prepared menus, a bottle of $42 wine and the bill was $160. Really not worth it IMHO. PS. If you go, the noise level is very quiet so you can hear everything the other tables are talking about...so at least there was a little entertainment. :-)
(2)
Jack D.
My wife and I have eaten at some of the best restaurants in the US and Europe, but the Wine Cellar in Jacksonville, FL was a real find. We are traveling by car home from south Florida and spent the night just off of Interstate 95. The Wine Cellar was right across the street so we tried it. The food and service was spectacular. Scallops and duck were great. Would recommend this restaurant to anyone for lunch or dinner.
(5)
Dean H.
I ordered the crispy duck ... is was served limp and flacid. What is the point in cooking the skin of duck crispy then dousing it with sauce to make it soggy?
(2)
Lina M.
Came for eat up downtown. For $35 which is a good deal, the meal was only average. The single scallop appetizer was good. The entree was really bland and poorly cooked. I had rainbow trout stuffed with spinach and crab over risotto. Risotto was like rice pudding. Wayyyy too creamy and it was bland. Barely a tomato in there though they called it that. It was runny and white. The rainbow trout was dry despite it being doused in another creamy, white, bland sauce. The crab and spinach inside wasn't even hot. The tiramisu dessert had really really soggy ladyfingers and I only had two small bites. Had a bottle of Sauvignon blanc which was good. Service was also good. Food was super mediocre.
(2)
Emily V.
I came here late one night for dinner with some coworkers.This place definitely belongs to another era. The decor reminds me of what people thought steak places should look like in the 80s which makes sense since it opened in the 70s. Ambience aside, I had a very good meal. I tried the Rum Glazed Filet Mignon Topped with Crispy Onion Straws, Dauphinoise Potatoes, Vegetable du Jour. Honestly, I couldn't tell that the steak was rum-glazed, but it was very tender and cooked perfectly. We split the cheesecake and the chocolate cake and the chocolate cake (might have been a torte) was definitely better. I disagree with them adding an 18% service charge to all bills. Service should be flat out excellent if you're going to add an 18% service charge to all bills, and our service was certainly not excellent. I'm not sure our server smiled once. I tip 20% all the time anyways and would have here if that service charge wasn't added. Overall...there are probably better steak places in the area. But you could do worse.
(3)
C M.
First I want to say I love the look and feel of this place. Very quiet and a classy crowd. Came here for lunch on a sunny day and was seated near the window in the back. There's an awesome big tree in the back with a bar and some tables. For the appetizer we both had the crab and lobster bisque, which was a special of the day. Pretty hearty and not the typical seafood bisque. Maybe not as creamy? Hard to describe but it was still good and would recommend. For the entree my husband had the pecan encrusted grouper which was REALLY good. I had the shrimp and scallops which I didn't like. The broth was bland, the noodles tasted like noodles from chicken noodle soup. I pretty much ate all the shrimp and scallops and left the rest. Would not recommend and a little surprised this is a staple on their menu. For dessert we had the blueberry bread pudding which was delish. Overall a great experience and I will come back to try the rest of their menu.
(4)
TJ U.
Bad service, bad food, bad place!! I had the shrimp, Scallop, Calamari pasta dish and wanted to send it back. The only thing they did right was the wine menu.
(1)
Dana R.
I'm in Jax frequently for work and decided to stop by the Wine Cellar after work one evening to satisfy a serious craving for great seafood. I would highly suggest making an Open Table reservation via Yelp to ensure that they know you're coming in and have your table set when you arrive. I was thinking this place was going to be more Italian influenced, but I was mistaken. They serve really great pasta and wine, but I would consider the restaurant a seafood specialty restaurant versus an Italian restaurant. That being said, I had the shrimp and scallops in white wine sauce with freshly cooked veggies accompanied by a house malbec. The shrimp and pasta were wonderfully seasoned with plenty of shallots and garlic, and the wine was a perfect, smooth pairing (even though some people would think me crazy to pair a malbec with pasta). Our service was just okay considering how much we spent on dinner all together. The waiter seemed to have difficulty keeping our water glasses filled, didn't offer any suggestions about the food or specials, and had a general heir disinterest. However, the food is good enough to warrant a revisit!
(3)
Deepan M.
We went to the Wine Cellar for a nice business meeting with a pre-fixed menu. The tuna carpaccio was small but well seasoned. The steak diane was cooked medium rare with a great mushroom sauce and grilled asparagus. It was a great meal and will probably come back for a quite dinner. The menu looks great and would love to try out more of it.
Just had dinner on NYE, so I'm conditioning the review with the acknowledgement that it was a busy night. However, my distaste had nothing to do with inattentive service plus we had an early bird reservation. Our server didn't introduce himself and happened to smell like the bottom of my grandmothers ashtray. The menu was creative but the taste of the food was sad. With competitors in this price point like BBs, Orsay and Chew, you can't afford to have stale tasting food. I had the prosciutto wrapped tenderloin stuffed with shrimp and Gorgonzola, medium rare. It was delivered rare, which happens, but the veggies tasted super plain if not previously frozen and the shrimp in the stuffing wasn't done. The beef didn't taste great...in fact I would say Costco's tenderloin is better. For the price point I sure won't be returning.
(2)
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Address :1314 Prudential Dr
Jacksonville, FL, 32207
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes
Paul H.
This review is late. We had dinner on a Friday night a little over a month ago at the Wine Cellar. I have lived in the area for 20 years but never have made it to this restaurant until now. To be honest I had heard negative reviews recently from people that went to the Wine Cellar regularly and were formally fans. The reviews were mainly due to the attitude of the servers and the consistency of the food. Never the less we had friends over and were all tired of the normal fine dining options in San Marco so we decided to try the Wine Cellar. First off this place has a wonderful atmosphere. It was reasonably busy but the best thing you could actually hear your table's conversation without having to try. This was a great treat compared to BBs or Aix. Both good places but it is so loud always. At first we were seated and the server was joking with us and seemed to be attentive. I ordered a bottle of wine (of which they have a great selection) which was brought back immediately. Then he disappeared. We were chatting and drinking the wine but he never came back. We refilled our own glasses and waited. Well he finally came back to which one of my guests said welcome back. Then he said "oh attitude"! I can ratchet up attitude real quick if you want. Mind you with the wine alone we are into this night for almost $200.00 before we were even served bread, which by the way came a full ten minutes after we sat down. Shocked and annoyed, we sat there stunned as we got that night's specials. We started with the Calamari Fra Diavolo which was wonderful, perfectly cooked with amazing taste. We had that night's special grouper, two filets and one rum glazed filet. The fish was simple and full of flavor, the normal filets were tender and cooked spot on but the rum glazed filet was simply awful. The sauce tasted almost on the verge of being spoiled somehow. All in all I am slightly on the positive side of neutral on this place. Parts of the evening made it a wonderful experience but the waiter's comments were very off putting to start the evening. You would think in a place where it is easy to spend over $600.00 for a meal as we did with wine, that they may not want to piss off the customers to the point they may not come back. It may be possible that the server was trying to be funny with us but the inflection in his voice and his body language did not give us that impression. I would really like this place to work. It could be a wonderful quiet place in a noisy crowed downtown market. Will I go back? I will give it another try. It has so much going for it, but it will not take much at all to cross this place off the list forever if the service level is repeated or the food quality is poor.
(3)Jeff P.
That sure was a juicy burger....wish it had some flavor! Chipotle aioli???? No I think not! Wife got the filet wrap aka lettuce, tomato, and unseasoned beef in a wrap. Also it is called the wine cellar I am curious why I was never offer a wine list? Don't bother
(2)Paul C.
Update; Went last night after some time; and service was five stars, and on their appetiser menu the first time I ever seen it in Jax; smoked trout! I ordered a double since I yearned for it for so long, and it was presented perfectly. Their Key Lime pie is one of the best I ever eat, and defiantly made fresh on the premises. Also they have made arrangement to park very close to restaurant next door in bank parking lot.
(4)Brian S.
Also had dinner on NYE but at our reservation time 8:00pm the restaurant wasn't even full. Yet the service was very slow and our server would awkwardly stand by the table waiting to be noticed. I understand not being intrusive but standing over someones shoulder for upwards of a minute listening to their table conversation bothered me more than politely stepping in. Anyway on to the food. VERY unmemorable. Between the four of us we had 3 different entrees and not one of us was satisfied with the food quality or temperature. The lamb shank was tough and had to be cut with a knife, flavor was bland. Ribeye steaks were something you have gotten at Sizzler...seriously I'm not being overly dramatic. Maybe 8-10oz and about 1/2 in thick. Both were ordered Med Rare and came Med Well. Last was the prosciutto beef loin with shrimp and Gorgonzola. Also ordered Med Rare and came with no pink what so ever. Shrimp and cheese was just gooey and not appetizing. We would have sent it all back but had plans for the evening and based on the already slow service just toughed it out. Wine list was OK and had two nice bottles. Probably the worst part about the night was finding out from other Open Table reviews that they charged 18% automatic gratuity for a party of 4!! Even parties of 2 got the auto bill. It was not once ever mentioned by the server. So we unknowingly tipped our server about $150 for poor service on a $350 tab. The only bright thing to come out of this was they did agree to refund my extra tip after calling and complaining. When I told the mgr about my opinion on the auto gratuity he said its on the menu and your itemized bill. I'm not in the habit of even looking at the bill and not one of us saw it on the menu. Also was told that is just their policy and he's not the owner. Well HEY WINE CELLAR OWNER....READ THIS. I'm not coming back to drop $400 bucks on dinner at your place again. Between the bad food, bad service and amateur gratuity tactics there is nothing to bring me back. Many other great choices in the San Marco/DT area more worthy of my dining money.
(1)Cilla T.
The Wine Cellar may be considered fine dining here in JAX, but it was just mediocre. The escargot appetizer in pastry cup was delicate but not chewy, but the butter puddle was overkill. I ordered the lobster tail and filet mignon, but found the filet to be a bit tough and not as delicate as I've had in the past. Plus, I ordered rare plus but it came out more as medium. The lobster tail was adequate as long as it was dragged through the butter sauce. Service is slightly disappointing as the waiter immediately came by after a break with cigarette smell on his fingers and on his breath. Noise definitely needs to be reduced as fine dining is not meant to be shouted over. The wine by the glass menu leans HEAVILY on the California side, with only 3 non-CA options, disappointing for this CA native.
(3)Carl G.
Went Sat. nite with a party of 4 and we all ordered off the Jacksonville Restaurant Week Price Fixed Menu ($40 per person) which included a choice of appetizer, entree and dessert. One in our party ordered the duck and raved about it. Another in our party had the sea bass and enjoyed it as well. Two of us ordered the lobster tail. The menu said it was fried, but our waiter told us the chef would broil if that was preferred. I ordered broiled and the other person ordered fried. it was delicious although the fried was not very crispy and the broiled was a bit on the salty side. We also ordered the escargot appetizer which was prepared perfectly along with the great toast points for mopping the savory cream sauce. We finished our price fix menu with poached pear in a pastry dough which was quite good as well. Our server was very attentive without invading our privacy. It was surprising that this restaurant was about half empty espcially being a Jaguar home game weekend. I would recommend the Wine Cellar.
(4)Jeremy M.
Food is always good at Wine Cellar and service has typically been good until our most recent visit. Our server was Nick and maybe his day had peaked at bad when we arrived but he had a poor attitude which was recognized by our entire party. It diminished the experience at Wine Cellar greatly. This is the first time I've had this sort of experience there as it's usually been great. Hopefully Wine Cellar can improve this server's outlook and service quality.
(3)Melissa H.
Not only was the staff incredibly rude but the food was poor quality for the price. I ordered the preset 3 course meal and my beef was fatty and difficult to cut, the desert was a solid piece of frozen chocolate with some sauce over the top that I could have gotten from any grocery store. When my beef came it had blue cheese all over the top, which they failed to mention in the menu, and I am lactose intolerant. When I told the waiter he proceeded to make fun of me and then brought back my meal with the blue cheese clearly brushed off the top, and finally when we got up to leave him and 2 other servers kept offering directions to the bathroom, clearly making fun of me as well. The topping on the cake is that if you order the preset 3 course meal they automatically add gratuity on top for 18% so we had no choice but to tip the horrible service. I would not recommended anyone going here!
(1)Carrie Neal W.
Three stars alone, just for the feel of the place. I just loved the atmosphere, the decor, the inside part of the dining room where we sat for dinner and the so-enticing outdoor patio/bar/dining area that would totally beckon me on a pretty night like the ones you find in Jacksonville this time of year!! My boss took me to dinner tonight and we had a lovely time. Granted, I'm new to the job and getting spoiled a bit, but he invited his amazingly cool Martinique-born girlfriend along and I just had the best time! Interesting conversation covering everything from the trips she takes her French students on (she's a teacher at a prestigious local private school) to her own affinity for surfing Restaurant.com for deals on Jax restos, just like I do in Atlanta!! We even talked a little "business," all three of us, but on the whole it was one of those neat get-to-know-each-other kind of meals. I enjoyed the food. Alone, I would give it three stars but Wine Cellar's overall vibe upped the rating a notch. We all got the "Creole style" crab and lobster bisque to start - it was just spicy enough and I found it interesting as it was piecey rather than bisquey like I'd expected. A good starter! My fillet was good, cooked correctly and I really enjoyed the night's special veggie of haricots vert with a sprinkling of julienned peppers and maybe squash, too, added in. My boss enjoyed one of his usual orders, as this is a favorite spot for them - a chicken breast stuffed with asparagus, prosciutto and Monterrey Jack. My new Mme of Good Conversation got the other version of their fillet, with the crispy onion strings and a different potato/vegetable side, and I think we were all well-pleased. They noted that the restaurant was not nearly as busy, even for a weeknight, as it has been in the past, so it does seem as if economy-related "concerns" are hampering the dining business in Jacksonville just like in Atlanta, but we were promptly attended to and - particularly for me being a newbie to the Jacksonville dining scene - I would definitely give them another try on a future trip to town. Gotta support the local-owned, independent establishments, no matter what town it is!!
(4)Hilary L.
It may be tucked into an odd little corner for such a nice place [literally smashed up against the BP - the only gas station in the area - and on a somewhat non-centrally located road], but the atmosphere inside The Wine Cellar is pretty amazing. As soon as you walk in the door you completely forget the outer surroundings. Dark, cozy and intimate, its a perfect setting for the wonderful food. The cuisine is pretty standard high end dining, but very well executed. We had the Lamb Chops [$27] and the locally sourced grouper [$28.] The owner came over and chatted with us a bit [I don't know if this is standard procedure or if we got lucky] and recommended a wine that was perfect. That kind of personal touch though, is what this place is all about. Its a small place with a staff that obviously cares about creating a great experience for its clients. A great place to treat yourself or have a fancy date with your significant.
(4)Tim H.
I tried the lunch here today. The food was top notch!! The staff are amazing as well!! Chef Jeanne was gracious enough to offer a personal tour of the front and back of the house where I saw an amazing use of space. Clean, friendly spaces and faces in every area! Can not wait to try out the dinner selections and atmosphere!!
(5)Abbey M.
Beautiful presentation. Quaint and romantic décor. Excellent service. Portions are not huge by any means but I like to savor the taste of my food. Not the most quiet of restaurants but an enjoyable overall experience.
(4)Michelle B.
I came here with one of the coupon deals and I was overall very impressed with the restaurant. Service was good and the food was phenomenal. I had some crab cakes to start off with and a filet mignon with scalloped potatoes as my main entree. They were both delicious!!!! I am surprised this place does not have higher raitings... Overall great food and atmosphere!
(5)Allan F.
It's too bad that the service here does not match the food. Not only was the food service lacking but the wine service was abysmal for a restaurant that alleges to be a wine forward restaurant. Also a 18% service charge for the food, the wine and the sales tax is laughable. This place was recommended by a local, who when I related our experience, was apologetic and disappointed. The server was at first efficient but was unaware of certain aspects of the menu and had to check with the kitchen. We ordered appetizers and sparkling wine as an aperitif. We were deciding on our main course advising our server that we would order wine after we determined our choices. After we ordered he disappeared, as he would many times for the rest of the meal and had to be flagged down for us to order. When he presented the wine, at too warm a temperature, he cut the foil at the wrong part of the neck, removed the cork without checking for corkage and did not present it then stuffed it in his apron, made a condescending face when I requested that the young red be carafed and then returned with the wine poured out of sight in a brandy carafe with the top on. He removed the appetizer dishes and silverware but left the empty sparkling wine glasses not to be picked up until the end of the service. He then dropped off the main courses in a flash failing to replenish our silverware which we had to do ourselves from an empty table. When I complained to the manager he apologized but did nothing to mitigate our poor experience. I would guess that the management is clueless on fine dining service. Maybe get the food to go?
(1)Waheed B.
Happy Hour review. It's OK--not the most attentive service and food options are limited, but it is very close to my place of employment.
(2)Rudi F.
We had a special dinner here tonight with good friends. First, the good news -- the food was superb. I had the seafood fra diavlo. My wife had the seared mustard glazed scallops. Our honored guests had the salmon and the filet mignon. All good. Karen, our server was appropriately attentive. Second, the bad news -- the wine prices are off the wall. Our "house white" is Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc. I can pick it up for $10-12 a bottle at any local wine store. At the Wine Cellar they wanted $49 for a bottle. Now, I'm okay at 3.5x retail for a bottle of wine, but 5x? Get real!
(4)Ryan S.
The atmosphere was nice and mellow the as me and my wife were seated in a cozy back corner of the restaurant. It was our 10th wedding anniversary and the waitress gave us a free glass of champagne to toast each other which was nice since nothing here is cheap the least expensive bottle of wine I think looked at was maybe 30-40 bucks but we went with a 70 dollar bottle or red very nice choice as the server recommended. We shared the scallop appetizer it had only 2 for the price I wouldn't have minded maybe 4 but they were good. I ordered the lamb chop not very impressed at all I don't know why but the berry sauce was just no good and the lamb for some reason reminded me of a whopper the taste at least. I wish I could have ordered the tuna or steak as next time I won't be soo adventurous in my ordering but the ambience and wine was worth it just not crazy about the food but I'll defiantly give them a second chance anyway because I've only had lamb one time before anyway.
(3)Michelle W.
Very expensive. The wine list isn't very impressive, but it is extraordinarily expensive. Service was slow and disinterested and the server was not helpful with wine recommendations. Also, each party incurs an automatic 18% gratuity, regardless of size. This may explain the very disinterested service because they don't have to try very hard. The food was fine. We ordered a crabcake that was decent and a dinner trio with Shrimp, scallops and beef tenderloin. The tenderloin and accompanying potato were both extremely undercooked. The scallops and shrimp were good. There is just no reason to return
(2)Katrice S.
Last weekend, I met up with a friend to celebrate her birthday at the Wine Cellar. I have been trying to make my way out to this restaurant for years and I am so glad I finally had the opportunity to dine there. The location is very elegant, intimate, and the food wasn't too bad. Most of you already know this but for those who don't, every year Jacksonville holds a two week event called Eat Up Downtown. During this event several restaurants downtown offer amazing 3 course, prix fixe menus at one of three price points you can't beat. $15, $25, and $35. It gives visitors the opportunity to try great food at remarkable prices. Wine Cellar was one of these restaurants so we agreed it was the perfect place to try for the occasion! Here's what we had: Parmesan, Basil and Garlic Stuffed Florida Guy Shrimp: This was AMAZING! It was wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon and drizzled in classic beurre blanc. We inhaled this shrimp. I would've been happy with just a big plate of these. Blackened and Grilled Grass Fed Ribeye from Seminole Pride: It was flavorful and I loved the mashed potatoes, however, the only complaint I had was that my steak was not prepared the way I ordered it. Instead of sending it back I just took mine home and finished cooking it to my liking the next day. :) Georgia Peaches and Cream Cobbler: I have to admit that I was sooooooo disappointed with the cobbler. I was actually looking forward to this the most. The peaches were not sweet at all and the weren't very soft either. Needless to say, it was hard for me to enjoy my not so sweet dessert. The good news is that my friend was given a slice of key lime cheesecake in honor of her birthday that was delicious so all was not lost! The food was good overall and my friend and I enjoyed a night full of laughter. I will certainly give Wine Cellar another try. It'll be the perfect setting for a romantic date with my man!
(3)Brian S.
The food here is dynamite--but the service left much to be desired. I brought a lovely lady here after work (so I was in jeans and a polo), and we appeared to be intentionally seated away from everyone else in the restaurant. No big deal, I like an intimate dinner for two. For the price I paid, the food was just good (not spectacular, like I was expecting), and the service was careless (as in our waiter probably could have cared less about us, in theory, but I am not sure how). The wine selection was very good (we selected a 2009 Artemis, if memory serves me), but we couldn't drink enough to fix the service and uninspired food. Maybe we caught them on a bad day, or maybe they think that if you are under 40 and don't 'look' like a six-figure salary (at least) then you aren't worth their time?
(2)Erikka N.
My husband surprised me with dinner here. To be honest, I'd never heard of this place. It's a great, cozy place kinda off the beaten path. We ordered a nice bottle of wine, and I got the 3 course dinner. I had grilled sea scallops as an appetizer. Stuffed rainbow trout as my main course and tiramisu for dessert. Every course was wonderful. Wayne was our server and he was perfect.
(5)Ashley M.
This place is so stunning!! While i did not get the full scope of the restaurant, since I stopped in when they were in between lunch and dinner service, I could just tell from the lobby bar that it must be beautiful throughout. I walked in at 2:30pm when their lunch service ended at 2pm, but they were gracious enough to serve me. Because of the off time that I arrived, the menu was limited so I went with their Angus burger and fries along with a nice glass of Malbec (i know, it was early but one glass never hurt anybody!). Needless to say it was the best burger and fries ive had in jacksonville since I moved here 6 months ago. the service was great, the decor is amazing, and the food was excellent and fairly priced. I will be going back here for dinner in the near future. there is a reason why this place has been around for decades!!!
(5)Duane D.
Had a very nice dinner here while in JAX on business. I didn't have wine (because I was working), but the food was very good. We had great service as well. Definitely recommended.
(4)Carl T.
A lone businessman, I walked over from my hotel for a good meal shortly after they started their dinner hours. Greeted immediately, received excellent and attentive service, and a meal that was both delicious and presented well. They lose a star for one reason only: The 18% gratuity which was included on the receipt. Understand, I even added a few bucks because the service was exceptional, but including the gratuity without prompting is presumptuous, IMO.
(4)Rick D.
The wife and I have been here probably a half Dozen times in the last year, just the 2 of us and Close Friends & sometimes parties up to 6 and, on time constraints for events downtown and not once have we had a bad service experience. Foood is Always very good and the wine selection is an examople of what to have stocked. As you can tell by my personal title, Taste, Consitency and Service, this place never failed to succeed. It is pricey and the waiters could be a little less professional and a little more personable but that is just me, the wife likes them like this, so I am cool with it too! LOL So if you have a special occasion and want to celebrate with that special someone, check them out, and do not forget Open Table for the points. Enjoy
(4)Celeste P.
The food and wine were quite good. The server seemed very flaky and tried to hurry us along with our order. We asked to speak to the wine steward and were told our server was it. Not very knowledgable about wine and seriously this is the wine cellar. We enjoyed our wine but felt like we did the picking not the server. A bit over priced for steak and wine. Would recommend at an average level of restaurant. To be the wine cellar even in Jacksonville should have personal trained to be much more knowledgable about wine. Might or might not revisit!
(3)Angela H.
As always, they did not let us down. It was another amazing dinner. This is by far one of the best restaurants in Jacksonville. We had the fried lobster and salmon. It was their 40th anniversary so they were offering a 4 course meal for $40 or 40% off entrees.
(5)John S.
First off, many of the mediocre reviews for the The Wine Cellar were in part because Yelpers were surprised at the 18% gratuity automatically added to all bills regardless of the size of the party. Knowing this ahead of time, and the fact it was clearly printed on the menu under the entrees, made it a non-issue. Also, the credit card receipt allowed for adding an additional tip commensurate with the service received. As we were in a hurry to get to a show we skipped appetizers, but selected a moderately priced wine. It was drinkable, but not one of those mid-tier finds worthy of mentioning. Given the rather high price of the bottle list I might pay a corkage fee next time. Before the entrees arrived everyone enjoyed the warm bread and creamy butter. The butter was so soft that it melted readily on the bread. We each had the spinach salad which was excellent. We enjoyed four entrees. I had the Trio of Flavors--two scallops on cream corn, three shrimp on a skewer, and medallion steak bites. They were all very good with the beef medallions being a very good cut of meat. Others enjoyed the chicken parmigiana, rum glazed steak, and a sirloin. Everyone enjoyed their entree. For dessert we had key lime pie, and the roasted banana pudding. Dessert was the only disappointing part of the meal. The key lime pie had a fantastic crust, but lacked a sufficiently tart key lime flavor. The banana pudding had a delicious pudding, but they used green bananas that weren't nearly ripe enough. An unforgivable error in the South.
(4)Jeff W.
Lobster was amazing. Shrimp appetizer was our favorite. Service was great and timely. Good atmosphere. Key lime pie left a little to be desired.
(4)Tira K.
Delicious prix fixe menu! Wonderful warm bread basket! Cool intimate atmosphere and friendly service. Loved the peanut butter pie.
(5)Virginia M.
I have been coming here forever to celebrate special occasions and if I am looking for a nice fine dining experience. The food is excellent and the service is wonderful. I had the red snapper for my entree and started with the escargot and Caesar salad. For dessert, they brought us a piece of chocolate cake to celebrate our anniversary!
(5)Kevin B.
The wife and I went here on Friday 1/29/2014 for dinner before going to the symphony. Expectations were quite high as we had some friends tell us about it and when I went through OpenTable to make a reservation, they couldn't do it. I called and they said they only allowed 30 reservations a night through OpenTable. Anyway, I made the reservation and we were all set. Service: Gary was a fantastic waiter and the speed at which the food came was perfect. We ordered two of the planned menus. Appetizer: Mine was the Frito Misto which was a variety of lightly fried calamari, mushrooms, zucchini, and a couple other things. The marinara sauce had a great flavor and was probably the highlight of my meal. My wife had the Fried Brie with honey and walnuts. This was pretty bland and the filo dough had a slightly old taste to it. Main course: I ordered the Filet Mignon with a medium temp. It arrived medium rare which was fine, just not correct. It was served with snap peas, carrots, and new potatoes. The best way to describe it...good quality but lacking seasoning of any kind. My wife had the prosciutto wrapped scallops. From the pictures and Gary's description, we were expecting them to be fairly large. To our disappointment, the size was rather small and the taste again was very bland. Dessert: Chocolate Cake with Cherries and Key Lime Pie...I could have gotten better any restaurant not specializing in desserts. To sum it up, Gary stated up front that The Wine Cellar isn't really known for anything in particular. My wife and I both agree that statement could not have been more true...and the wine was on the pricey side. I doubt we will go back to this establishment unless its for a wedding or other type invitation style event. Each of our prepared menus, a bottle of $42 wine and the bill was $160. Really not worth it IMHO. PS. If you go, the noise level is very quiet so you can hear everything the other tables are talking about...so at least there was a little entertainment. :-)
(2)Jack D.
My wife and I have eaten at some of the best restaurants in the US and Europe, but the Wine Cellar in Jacksonville, FL was a real find. We are traveling by car home from south Florida and spent the night just off of Interstate 95. The Wine Cellar was right across the street so we tried it. The food and service was spectacular. Scallops and duck were great. Would recommend this restaurant to anyone for lunch or dinner.
(5)Dean H.
I ordered the crispy duck ... is was served limp and flacid. What is the point in cooking the skin of duck crispy then dousing it with sauce to make it soggy?
(2)Lina M.
Came for eat up downtown. For $35 which is a good deal, the meal was only average. The single scallop appetizer was good. The entree was really bland and poorly cooked. I had rainbow trout stuffed with spinach and crab over risotto. Risotto was like rice pudding. Wayyyy too creamy and it was bland. Barely a tomato in there though they called it that. It was runny and white. The rainbow trout was dry despite it being doused in another creamy, white, bland sauce. The crab and spinach inside wasn't even hot. The tiramisu dessert had really really soggy ladyfingers and I only had two small bites. Had a bottle of Sauvignon blanc which was good. Service was also good. Food was super mediocre.
(2)Emily V.
I came here late one night for dinner with some coworkers.This place definitely belongs to another era. The decor reminds me of what people thought steak places should look like in the 80s which makes sense since it opened in the 70s. Ambience aside, I had a very good meal. I tried the Rum Glazed Filet Mignon Topped with Crispy Onion Straws, Dauphinoise Potatoes, Vegetable du Jour. Honestly, I couldn't tell that the steak was rum-glazed, but it was very tender and cooked perfectly. We split the cheesecake and the chocolate cake and the chocolate cake (might have been a torte) was definitely better. I disagree with them adding an 18% service charge to all bills. Service should be flat out excellent if you're going to add an 18% service charge to all bills, and our service was certainly not excellent. I'm not sure our server smiled once. I tip 20% all the time anyways and would have here if that service charge wasn't added. Overall...there are probably better steak places in the area. But you could do worse.
(3)C M.
First I want to say I love the look and feel of this place. Very quiet and a classy crowd. Came here for lunch on a sunny day and was seated near the window in the back. There's an awesome big tree in the back with a bar and some tables. For the appetizer we both had the crab and lobster bisque, which was a special of the day. Pretty hearty and not the typical seafood bisque. Maybe not as creamy? Hard to describe but it was still good and would recommend. For the entree my husband had the pecan encrusted grouper which was REALLY good. I had the shrimp and scallops which I didn't like. The broth was bland, the noodles tasted like noodles from chicken noodle soup. I pretty much ate all the shrimp and scallops and left the rest. Would not recommend and a little surprised this is a staple on their menu. For dessert we had the blueberry bread pudding which was delish. Overall a great experience and I will come back to try the rest of their menu.
(4)TJ U.
Bad service, bad food, bad place!! I had the shrimp, Scallop, Calamari pasta dish and wanted to send it back. The only thing they did right was the wine menu.
(1)Dana R.
I'm in Jax frequently for work and decided to stop by the Wine Cellar after work one evening to satisfy a serious craving for great seafood. I would highly suggest making an Open Table reservation via Yelp to ensure that they know you're coming in and have your table set when you arrive. I was thinking this place was going to be more Italian influenced, but I was mistaken. They serve really great pasta and wine, but I would consider the restaurant a seafood specialty restaurant versus an Italian restaurant. That being said, I had the shrimp and scallops in white wine sauce with freshly cooked veggies accompanied by a house malbec. The shrimp and pasta were wonderfully seasoned with plenty of shallots and garlic, and the wine was a perfect, smooth pairing (even though some people would think me crazy to pair a malbec with pasta). Our service was just okay considering how much we spent on dinner all together. The waiter seemed to have difficulty keeping our water glasses filled, didn't offer any suggestions about the food or specials, and had a general heir disinterest. However, the food is good enough to warrant a revisit!
(3)Deepan M.
We went to the Wine Cellar for a nice business meeting with a pre-fixed menu. The tuna carpaccio was small but well seasoned. The steak diane was cooked medium rare with a great mushroom sauce and grilled asparagus. It was a great meal and will probably come back for a quite dinner. The menu looks great and would love to try out more of it.
(5)Robin P.
I have been going to the Wine Cellar since it opened in the early 70's and always love it. My husband proposed to me there in 2002. My friend invited me to join her family to celebrate her son's birthday, so of course I said yes. Unfortunately, it's just not as good as it use to be. Greg was our server. He was very nice, but not a top notch waiter I expect in a fine dining establishment. We had to wait 10 minutes before our drink order was taken. We had to request the pepper mill after our salads were served and again for our entrees. He was good at refilling our water glasses, but not on the wine. As for the food, I started with the Escargot sautéed in butter, garlic, shallots and chives served in saffron cream sauce with grilled ciabatta crostini for my appetizer. It wasn't what envisioned. The escargot were swimming in a shallow dish of sauce, the crostinis were charred. Just so-so. My Caesar salad was good, but like I mentioned earlier, I had to request fresh ground pepper. My main course was the Chicken Piccata. It was tasty, but my husband's homemade Chicken Piccata is as good, if not better. My friends all ordered from the Prix Fixe menu, which is really the way to go, 3 courses for $32. They seemed happy with what they got. But, the thing I am so unhappy about, is an automatic 18% gratuity added to our bill. When Greg brought us our checks, he watched us calculating the tip, and never said a word about there already being one added to our checks. I didn't know about it, until I came online to review the restaurant and read others' reviews that mentioned it. I pulled my check out and there it was. For my $103.79 check which included the tax, an 18% gratuity of $17.46 was added, totaling $121.25. I added a $25.00 tip on the credit card receipt I was given, never looking at the complete chit. Shame on me...I will be calling the restaurant today, in the hope the situation is rectified. Will I go back to the Wine Cellar? Most likely, it is a local institution and I love the atmosphere.
(3)David C.
Just had dinner on NYE, so I'm conditioning the review with the acknowledgement that it was a busy night. However, my distaste had nothing to do with inattentive service plus we had an early bird reservation. Our server didn't introduce himself and happened to smell like the bottom of my grandmothers ashtray. The menu was creative but the taste of the food was sad. With competitors in this price point like BBs, Orsay and Chew, you can't afford to have stale tasting food. I had the prosciutto wrapped tenderloin stuffed with shrimp and Gorgonzola, medium rare. It was delivered rare, which happens, but the veggies tasted super plain if not previously frozen and the shrimp in the stuffing wasn't done. The beef didn't taste great...in fact I would say Costco's tenderloin is better. For the price point I sure won't be returning.
(2)