Vault Martini Bar & Grill

If you were to go by looks alone, this would be the most Casey-appropriate environment in the Inland Empire. Red-painted walls lit by dim bulbs, a well-apportioned back bar featuring some decent whiskey and gin, bartenders dressed in vintage clothing. A bricked-in back patio with dangling christmas lights, music piped in, ashtrays, and a thin rail to hold your drink as you move around and socialize. Its exactly the sort of place that I'm happy to go to, happy to spend time in, and happy to be seen in.

Tragically, the ambiance is the only part of the Vault that would draw me back, as both of the drinks I had were unremarkable. My Negroni (8$) lacked the refreshing balance that I would normally expect from this venerable cocktail. Despite being made with Hendricks, the herbaceous, savory notes of this excellent gin were never able to stand up to the bitter flavor of the Campari, which aparently got lead billing, as opposed to the equal role it was supposed to play with sweet vermouth. A well gin Martini (7$) was decent, made with Krista Gin and stirred not shaken at my request (fuck you James Bond!), while I loved that they gave me three olives, the flavor of the gin didn't come across as a component of the flavor profile. From what those around me were ordering, It seems that this bar specializes more in flavored Martinis, Long Island Iced Teas, and Irish Car Bombs, none of which I'm interested in.

Overall: A totally bitchin' ambiance is not nearly matched by underwhelming cocktails, 2.5 stars.

Extras:

Close to Omnitrans 8, 9, 15, 19.

Live music most nights.

The Bartenders have some SERIOUS flair.

Credit Cards Accepted

Limited selection of Beers on Tap available.

Nice strong drinks, awesome bartenders that are friendly, sexy ;), and cool (seriously these bartenders got some swag going on!!!) Kick back location!

I am more fond of this place now that they have extended to the next suite over. Before there just wasn't enough room. I like the look of the place, and I LOVE the alleys that you can hang out in. The music is always waaaaaay too loud (and I'm partially deaf, so yeah, it's loud). I usually only get beer or gin and tonics which are always delicious, but you have to wait FOREVER to get your drinks. There are three bathrooms now, so that is great. For a while when there was just the two, the doors didn't lock, so I've had people walk in on me (always a wonderfully awkward experience). Sometimes they have live music (not creepy DJ's) and that's cool. I think I mainly enjoy my experiences at the Vault because of the wonderful people I go with. It's definitely worth a try though!