3500 Winehaus

I've been here three or four times, and have had very different experiences depending on who is working.  Overall though, I don't think I'll be back.  

There are a lot of nice things about this place - there's plenty of comfy seating, and the menu is actually pretty diverse for a place that focuses on wine first and food second.  I've had the cheese plate, a couple of apps, and sandwiches on various trips, and each time the meals have been solid.

On the other hand, there's a lot about this place that rubs me the wrong way. Picking a mid-priced bottle of wine can be tricky for the non-expert.  The last time I went I chose a bottle, and the waitress said "We don't have that one.  they had to rebottle it or something because it was messed up.  I'll give you a couple of minutes to find something else."  Maybe I'm overly fussy, but I thought it was weak she didn't suggest something similar off the menu to try.  I always feel a little adrift when picking from a wine menu and the help of an expert can go a long way in making me feel comfortable.  

At 10:40 (I checked) someone who was not our waitress (manager or owner I think) brought over our check and said "we close at 11."  Okay fine.  Sort of tacky, but the dude has places to be I guess.  So we sat there and finished our wine and chatted and at 10:50 (I checked again) the guy is flipping off some of the rows of lights and sweeping etc., basically letting us know we needed to get the hell out of there.   Now, I get that you want to get home, and it's annoying when you've just got one table between you and freedom, but we're paying customers, and it you close at 11, shoo us out at 11 if you have to.  I work in a job where if somebody shows up at 8, and we close at 8, I put on my biggest smile and invite them into the store and try to make some money.  

Lastly, I thought it was lame the owner had a boo-hoo note scotch-taped inside all of the menus about how he had to charge $1 extra for anyone to use a credit card because the evil CC companies were charging him too much.  If you need to make more money, train your servers to suggest specials, or dessert, or *gasp* WINE.  There are a million ways to make an extra buck per customer that don't involve a gauche note in the menu.  

My verdict:  Good food, good wine selection, but at times very shaky service and management.  I'll spend my leisure dollars elsewhere.

3500 Winehaus is a cute wine bar in south city. I really want this place to succeed but I have to agree with Steven B. and others when I say it does have some ways to go before a 5 star review.

First, this may be just a personal preference, being a wine bar is no excuse to have a shitty beer selection. I mean, really shitty. Like strawberry hefieweizen bad. I selected this place for a work happy hour that included some IT men. No surprise, they aren't big wine drinkers. Again, I realize that it is a wine bar, but think of a great wine bars like Sasha's; they have a limited but excellent selection of beers along with the great wine.

Second, the service is just okay. The staff is either way over the top in their presentation or just frazzled and confused.

The Winehaus experience isn't all bad. The patio(s) are awesome. The best in Lindenwood Park by far. The light bites are nice and the decor is lovely. I will definitely return in the future. If this place was a gangly preteen, it won't be that long before Winehaus returns from summer camp a heartthrob.

This place is a great place to grab a glass (or bottle) of wine with friends.  It's also a romantic spot to take the wife to before dinner.  They do also offer food, but this review will focus on the wine/atmosphere.

Walking in you have several different selections you can make before you even think about your wine choices.  What am I referring to?  There is a couch with a couple of chair immediately inside to your right.  If that's not your style, there are several seats at the bar.  If you're there with a group they have several indoor tables.  In the mood for a night on the patio?  Well you can choose the front one, which is enclosed from the wrath of mother nature, or sit out back next to the warmth of a fire pit.  All are great options!  

I do feel it is worth noting that when sitting out on the back patio we have had slow service a couple of times, which is honestly the only reason I don't make this 5-stars.  We've never been in a hurry though and just gives us more time to enjoy the wine.  

Best of all, for the dog lovers out there, they do welcome dogs on their back patio! While we always bring our own water dish, just in case, they have always provided us with a water bowl.  Plus they usually bring our little guy a treat as well.

Ok so realizing most people don't care about bringing fido to a wine bar...I will move along to the important stuff, the wine selection.  3500 Winehaus has a variety of options to select from.  They have about 15-20 different wines you can select by the glass, or you can opt to select a bottle.  

If you do go the bottle route they do have options for just about every price point.  Starting out at the $20-range and heading on upwards with their "reserve" listings like Camus at $90.  The bottles are broken down into convenient categories such as "bold, spicy reds" or "earthy whites," with a generous description of each wine they offer.

One of the things that I feel 3500 Winehaus does a good job of is ensuring they offer wines from a large variety of growing regions.  Whether it's France, Italy, California, and even the less heralded regions like New Zealand and South America.  

So there you have it...a nice, neighborhood wine bar that is practically around the corner from us, that is dog friendly?  Yeah, we're sold!