This place is okay.
Lots of different wines. An okay assortment of beer. They fall short when it comes to party accessory, and when I say that I'm including food, appetizers, etc.
I do think it's cool that you can hang out and actually taste test the wine/beer. It seems this may be the focus, and in that respect... I must say it could be very cool. But for a "I'm looking for a nice variety of wine/beer/liquor and snacks to server at my next party" hmm.. not so much.
We have a place in Cincinnati (NKY, acutally) called the Party Source. The Party Source has more wine, more beer, more liquor and a TON more food options. Party Source also has party favors (plates, napkins, special occasion doo-dads, etc.).
I was surprised and a bit disappointed with Brix. Given it's not close and also that there are many other options for beer and wine selection.. I'm certain I won't be back.
At face value, this place appears to be a really good concept (pour your own wine, eat some food sort of joint).
However, it's not what you think. First of all, it is all open seating. All the time! Wednesday afternoon - not a problem. Friday night - it's a cluster f*ck. If human beings could be trusted to wait their turn in an appropriate manner then it would work. Instead it becomes a hunt for a table, a stare down at patrons, and very unpleasant. You can't just relax and taste wine, you have to watch for a table to open. And god forbid if you have a table and want to get up for a refill of wine! People will stare you down.
I saw one server working his tail off and he was incredibly polite to people waiting. If I were to go back, I would specifically request that server. He was clearly extremely busy (because they short staff the place - because open seating) and he still took a minute to check on my party that was standing and waiting. On the flip side, the hosts seemed uninterested and while I was waiting for a table with my party they came to close out our tab, since it didn't seem like we were going to sit down. There were no tables to sit at! Â
Summary: The wine selection is mediocre, it's good for people who need to find out what they like. The mark up is extremely high.
The food is decent and tasty but nothing new.
I have been there maybe 4 or 5 times but will probably skip it unless I feel like a midday wine lunch.
If you like your wine/spirits shopping experience to be short on selection and long on pretentious West Omahans, then Brix is the place for you. The prices, selection and service aren't great, but the egos sure are!
For srs though, Brix really leaves a lot to be desired. They do have a few selections that you won't find just anywhere, but the range of products they have is nothing earth shattering. The sheer amount of emptiness in the store should be indicative of the fact they're not offering you as many choices as they could with such a cavernous retail space. The prices on some sale items were pretty good ($40 for a Macallan 12? yes, please) but on others they were considerably higher than you'll find at other stores throughout the city. The service didn't exactly make up for the shortfalls elsewhere, either. Employees brushed off or straight-up ignored customers at times, even when standing around with seemingly little else to do.
All in all, I'd describe Brix as a more expensive version of a spirits section at a good HyVee, only with a worse liquor selection, maaaaaybe a larger wine range, and a far snobbier atmosphere. Put another way: it's a wine store in West Omaha at an outdoor mall that feels the need to spell "point" with a Ye Olde English "e". What do you think it's going to be like?
So, Brix....hard to chat about it as if it's all one thing, so let's breakup the review into two: Brix Wine Bistro and Brix Retail (which also has a whole eating/drinking area). Settle in, the review is looooooong.
Brix Wine Bistro: I will give it to them, they've got the ambience thing down. Nice little conversation areas and ridiculously comfy booths (seriously, go for the booth, skip the barstools). When you first enter, you're immediately struck by what a cool concept it is to walk around the different wine stations to try the different wines. What you quickly realize, however, is that a) if you don't know anything about wine it could be a complete disaster because some of the wines are just plain badness and b) you're paying a bit more than you normally would for that novelty effect of choosing your own pours.
Service is so-so because the wine service is self-service so they're a bit short staffed. Menu is limited, but seems to have a decent selection of items. We apparently hit happy hour (on Saturday of all things), so went for teh parmesan truffle fries ($4) and flourless chocolate cake ($7). The fries were D-licious - the perfect fattiness so each fry was crispy on the outside and smooshy on the inside. I highly recommend. The flourless chocolate cake could feed six people, so be warned about the ridiculously large portion of this dense, chocolatey goodness.
Overall an OK experience. I like the ambience (and the fries) so much that I'd be willing to go back. I'd skip the novelty of self-serve tasting and just sit back with a decent glass of wine.
Brix Retail: Such an odd store. An OK wine selection. Not a large selection and not one of I would go out of my way for, but if in the area, a place where you can pop in and find something. On the few occasions I've been on the retail side, the staff knowledge has been lacking, so just be prepared to figure it out yourself (or purchase based on the coolest label - c'mon you know you've done that before).
Then there's the odds and ends. Some of it makes sense. Fancy tonic to go with that less than fancy gin. Lots of milk chocolate, but no dark chocolate in sight. OK...so maybe it doesn't really make sense, but you get the drift. Odds and ends of snacks and wine related gifts.
Decent cheese and cured meat selection. 'Nuf said.
The best beer selection in the western reaches of Omaha. All of it chilled. All of it ready to be consumed (in the store or not). It's just real nice to stand back and look at all of pretty bottles lined up in those coolers. Worth a stop if you're out in that neck of the woods and looking for something delicious.
Please....
Does the wine buyer know ANYTHING about wine? Or did the local corporate distributor blow smoke up their yingyang and throw a bunch of free goods to them? I've not see such a boring, soulless wine list since I was last at a Chili's or Applebee's.
I'm no chump when it comes to wine. In the last couple years we've traveled thoroughly through Napa, Sonoma, the Willamette, Red Mountain, and Walla Walla and had the distinct pleasure of imbibing on some of the finest fermented grape juice that these fine areas have to offer. I read the trade magazines and geek out over aged Semillon or declassified wines. I'm huge into the Rhone, juice from Spain, and have even been known to get down on some Burgundy if I feel like slumming it up some... but what did I find myself drinking at Brix?
Manhattans.
Granted they were very well made Manhattans, but that was my THIRD choice as the keeper of the bar didn't have the ingredients (even though they're connected to a liquor store) to make my first two choices: a Vesper or a Sazerac.
Maybe the best bottle they offered was a Pinot Noir from an area of Argentina called Patagonia, but at the price they were asking per ounce- not a chance. I know what that bottle costs. Â
Do I even need to get into the fact that it's overpriced, tacky, with horrible music and poor service. Faux class at it's finest.
This is a great stop especially on almost any given Friday early evening or Saturday Afternoon---Sampling!!
We like going to the retail side and trying out a new single bottled beer from the refrigerator. Â You can drink it there, and if you choose order some great food from the bistro! Â
Great selection, clean and friendly staff!
We've been a couple of times and love the concept of trying different wines by the pour but the food and service seemed lacking. Food was good but very pricey for the amount you get. No one had cleaned off the tables on the patio so they were covered with dirt. Felt forgotten on the patio the one time we sat out there.
Review Source:Want to try a variety of wines without buying the bottle and choose from tasty food items to have with your wine.......then check out Brix Wine Bistro.
Having just returned from 3 years in Germany and thoroughly enjoying the German, France and Italian wines available to us, we were looking for a place that we could find a diverse mix of international wines, sit, relax, chat and just enjoy the wine. Â This is the place.
We've been to Brix 4 times to include on New Years during which time they had a special program of food, wine and bands (outstanding) and the only thing that has really been a negative is the crowd  we encountered on a Friday night......we couldn't get a seat.....so we sampled our wine standing up and then went to another place for our dinner. Â
If you can eat there, it is worthwhile to try. Â The flourless chocolate cake was very tasty and the grilled pears in balsamic was good as well paired with a nice Moscato and you're golden.
I have been here before, but wanted to write a review about my visit last night. I went there because I had a Groupon that was expiring today, which seemed like a great idea, but everyone else who bought the Groupon must have had the same idea. I don't think that the management planned for such a large turnout. Service was slow and seating was difficult to get. This was an experience unlike any of the others I have had there, that's why I attribute the poor service, etc to the
Groupon.
I like Brix (bar), they have a great selection of wine that you can sample, a very nice patio, and a good selection of small plates to try with your wine. One of the appetizers I had last night was especially good. The flatbread pizza, which consisted of a flatbread crust, mozzarella, basil, tomatoes, and a balsamic drizzle was absolutely delightful! We wished we would have ordered two of those instead of one and a cheese plate. The cheese plate was lackluster. There was a little Brie, a lot of blue cheese, some other white cheese with no flavor, two small toasted pieces of walnut bread (by far the best thing on the plate with the smallest portion), and lavosh. That plate was $12 and the flatbread was $9.
Overall I'd give the place 4 stars on a normal day/night and 3 stars for the visit last night!
This so works for me. Had a large crowd and no two tastes alike. Took them here so they could each have their own choice of wine. Four were newbies and thought coolest thing since sliced bread. Yes it's a little pricey for the size of your drink and you could do better with a bottle price, but here they can sample what they want and go back  if they want to. Good nibblers also to keep things right.
Review Source:The first time I came to Brix was with my boyfriend. Â It was packed, and since I'm not one for crowds, it wasn't my most pleasant experience; however, I didn't let my first experience become my last.
I've been to Brix a total of five times now, and each time I've been there, it's only gotten better and better...
The last time I was in the store, I was helped by a young man named Brad. Â The person who is usually dedicated for the beers had gone home early for the evening, and, unfortunately, I was shopping for beer as a gift for my boyfriend...and, well, since I'm not a beer-drinker, I needed all the help I could get.
I knew what he liked, and I knew what he's tried, but that was no help in deciding the direction I wanted to take my gift...So, I asked an associate, and she redirected me to Brad. Â When I explained to him my situation, he immediately responded with the utmost helpfulness. Â :)
To make a longer story short, I walked out of Brix with 10 twelve ounce bottles and three 25 ounce bottles. Â For Christmas, my guy got to try a Pick Six (I picked mostly ambers because he likes those) and Lucky Bucket's Certified Evil. Â He also got Abita's Andygator, Delirium Tremors, and Abt 12, and a gift certificate for $20 - in case I got stuff he didn't like.
I can guarantee that I would not have spent as much money if it weren't for Brad's assistance. Â I would highly recommend visiting Brix for any of your adult beverage needs. Â :) Â (Plus, there's cheese, olives, and cured meats, too!)
Stopped by Brix today to check out their restaurant for the first time. Â Maybe I was just being a little blonde but I couldn't find the door to the restaurant! FYI - it has a separate entrance from the store. I also wasn't expecting the self-serve pour system and am kind of on the fence about it. While it's nice to have several options to taste, the price per ounce did seem a bit exorbitant in several instances. Â But, hey, it's nearly Xmas, the ambiance was nice, I was in good company, and I wasn't there to get loaded(!), so no harm, no foul. In addition to the wine we had some very nice hummus sprinkled w/delicious olives and feta paired with chips and an order of crusty french bread w/roasted garlic - all very tasty. Â As for service, Taylor was helping us and did a good job of taking care of us without being overbearing.
After a couple hours relaxing and visiting in the restaurant we wandered next door to find a bottle we sampled in the restaurant. Â We were promptly greeted by an associate who later revealed himself as the store's owner. He was very knowledgeable and helpful, walking us around the store to the products we were looking for, discussing different wines and wineries, and giving us a few suggestions. His demeanor was very Napa/Sonoma, very friendly and not at all snobby, very excited about the product, wanting to share what he knows and help people become more comfortable with wine - it's obvious he has a passion for what he's doing. Â
Overall, it was a great experience and was exactly what I was looking for today. They have a decent wine selection including many wineries you won't find at the grocery store - I hope to see their inventory expand to include a few more locally hard to find labels.
Not sure what to think. Cool market. Diverse amount of beer but no Magic Hat. Â Lots of wines. Restaurant was a rip off. Waiter knew nothing. Food avg and overpriced. Great date place if you want to impress. Brought my wife and we thought ehhh! Good idea if you want to make tons of money on single glasses of wine.
Review Source:I'm not sure what to make of the wine bar. Â It isn't your typical bar, that's for sure. Â When you walk in, it has the feel of a coffee shop or maybe a Borders. Â It's kept fairly well lit inside and the decor is kind of sterile. Â It's nicely decorated but the atmosphere wasn't warm and inviting at all. Â In some ways, it reminds me of something designed by Franklin Lloyd Wright. Â The outdoor seating area looked nice and maybe I'll try that next time. Â I will say that they have a nice variety of wine and they even offer some small plate menu. Â Unfortunately, the beer menu leaves a lot to be desired. Â The selection is quite small and most of the beer, I hadn't heard of. Â Overall, it's nice change of pace once you get used to the atmosphere.
Review Source:I came to Brix on Memorial Day. It's a very nice space and a great addition to Omaha. Coming from Lincoln, we really don't have any stores like it. Omaha has other stores that are direct competitors, including Whole Foods and other beer and specialty stores, so I can see why some of the Omahans are not impressed.
The beer selection was very nice. I left with four beers that I can't find in Lincoln. The wine selection looks well-organized, though I didn't peruse much. The cheese selection was small, but decent with a wide variety of cheese represented, though there wasn't really anything I couldn't find elsewhere.
Overall, I will definitely shop here again the next time I am in town. Worth a browse. Next time I'll check out their grappa and whisky selection.
Prices seemed okay. The beer prices were the same that I pay in Lincoln, but obviously things are more pricey than they'd be at Hy-vee or a grocery store.
I was here last night for a private event. Â So, first - the private event was very well done. Â The space they have for this kind of thing is amazing. Â The bartenders they had were very friendly and knowledgeable. Â If I could afford such a thing, this would be a great place to host an event. Â But yeah, that's not happening. Â
So, on to the store - it's a great space in general. It's spacious and just has a great feel to it. Â But, from what I could tell, it's also a bit over priced. Â I love wine tasting, but I'm not sure this is the setting I'd do it in with a group of girlfriends. However, it looks like they'll be having wine tasting classes and events, so something like that might pull me back to the west side to check one out - assuming the prices are reasonable.
Brix really has some things going for it, but is lacking in others. Â I really like the space, they have a fantastic selection of beers, and it's a nice place to sit and taste some wine and cheese and relax a bit in the middle of a day of shopping. Â However, their selection of liquor is really spotty--deep in some areas, and kind of pitiful in others. Â They also don't have nearly as many wines as they could have, and in general their wine stock is really just kind of confusing. Â Also, it's hard to find service at times.
Review Source:My rating is based on my one recent experience there, but I plan on being back at some point to expand on my limited experience.
That said, here's what I suspect this place has going for it:
- great, great, great beer selection. relative to where they are (west o shopping center, Omaha)
- large space
- decent selection of: cheeses, olives, and misc. related snacks
- dining/drinking-in is very affordable
What this place doesn't have going for it:
- wine selection is really unimpressive -- not a ton of variety, neither in grape nor in value. their discount wine section is an absolute joke (crappy wines, still overpriced)
-struggling with identity, is it a grocery store? a lounge? a bar?
Dropped in over the grand opening weekend hoping to be impressed. In the end, I wasn't. Here is why.
The wine selection is good, but so is Hy-Vee Liquor, Whole Foods, and several other stores around the area. And most of them are multipurpose stores... That said, the layout is very spacious and the categories are well marked. One thing that I will be interested to go back and see was a special wine cellar area that looks to carry some high end labels. For a special bottle, I can see a special trip to Brix. Otherwise, you will get just as good of selection elsewhere.
Liquor Section was better than average. Brix carries all the standard brands along with some additional craft distillers which as of late, is turning into quite a "hip" thing to do. Prices were very competitive with stores around the area.
For being such a large store, the beer section gets the shaft. Stuck back in the corner in a space that looked to be "left over" there is two long banks of coolers along with some warm beer across the aisle. Was there a lot of beer? Yes. The selection was better than average. On the other hand, so are the other stores in the immediate area. And those stores seem to be a bit less intimidating when it comes to selection. Â I must have missed the "map" of the beer cooler because it seemed a bit confusing.
Wine tasting: They did have a tasting area set up, but again, without clear direction on what the cost or process was to taste, I avoided it. For those who are a bit more "adventurous," there were several bar seats and even some comfy chairs to sit in and enjoy your wine.
Extras: Artisan cheese and meats are available for purchase as well. A nice touch. There was a good selection of cheese and meats that were all priced very reasonably.
All in all, the store was nice, spacious, and had a good selection. Unfortunately, so do many of the other full grocery stores in the area, along with several specialty stores. I think they will have their work cut out for them.
Will I go back? If I happen to be in the area and need some wine or spirits. I won't go out of my way to stop though.
Chin Chin!
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