Cork and Fork I had a wonderful time last night with my friends having a glass of wine and dancing to the cool tunes of the Beach Cowboys at Cork and Fork at their new location on 41st Avenue, around the corner from the Starbucks-Chipotle-Ross building complex. Cathy Bentley was the barista and she is also the very friendly and knowledgeable owner of their thriving business. They have excellent wines from prominent wineries in California. I liked the "Cheers" feel good vibe at the venue. They have big storefront windows and an outside patio. Yes, the dance floor and the patio are relatively small, so come early! I had a glass of the Hatcher, Murphys, 2022 Sauvignon Blanc. It was crisp, light to medium-body, and tasted fresh with a hint of almost green apples. As you can see on their menu they also serve craft beer and food. Something for everyone! So, on your next night out, come for the fun and enjoy the friendly atmosphere, live music, and your preference of beverage. Mine, obviously is white wine. See you on the dance floor. -Susan in Santa Cruz read more

See all

Cork and Fork is a cute wine bar with periodic live music in a fantastic part of Capitola with an outdoor fire pit patio. The best part is that they seem to have really cool regulars who are chill and welcoming. I love that vibe! Tips if you visit: - Check the website and go when there's a band. It's 'dead' when there isn't a band. - There's no entrance fee when there's a band. Yippee ki-yay! - Skip the wine flight. The pours are pretty meager. You'd get a better "bang for your buck" if you get a glass of wine that you know you'd like. - Be ready to be social (at least a little) because you may need to share a table when there's a band. - As for food, tots are tasty, but portions are tiny. - Pizzas are your best bet if you're hungry. - Skip the paninis. See photo. - Feel free to dance if the vibe takes you there! Cork and Fork is a fun place to check out. read more

See all

I loved this place I've had lots of good times here. I'm bummed that they moved from their location it was perfect where they were. Somethings always changing everytime come here. read more

When I am in Capitola, my immediate reaction is to visit Cork & Fork. It is a great place to people watch, as they provide outside seating. Not to mention, you may encounter, musicians that they have hired to entertain you too. The selections of wines are great, and the employees have always been attentive to me as well as others. read more

I love Cork and Fork I come here all the time. Cathy is awesome. She is so polite each and every one. Even with disrespected patrons, who smoke outside and get upset even when there's no smoking signs and steal other patrons seats. Cathy handles it with Grace. Love you Cathy read more

I cant say enough good things about my experience at Cork & Fork. Our party was overwhelmed with the cleanliness of the place, and the staff were very knowledgeable about what wines go good with certain dishes. As we ate, drank, and relaxed, the band was on fire & taking requests. My wife & I shared a variety of pizza's. A Truffle Parmesan cheese, and and Panini all of which were top notch~very good. The owner, Cathy came by our table to make sure her staff were taking care of us. What a wonderful young lady. Thank you Cork & Fork for making our "date night" a fun time. read more

We had a fun evening with live music here recently. The wine was great, cheese board was meh (too few crackers). Not a very welcoming experience from the owner - she's all business. But will return for more music. read more

I really don't think it has anything to do with racism. I too have experienced rudeness. Not at all felt welcome. Granted I came in just as they were opening so I allowed for that. She said to give her a few minutes. I did so with no pressure putting on her. I made comments about how it's ok no problem and yet it now 45 minutes later and she has yet to speak to me or ask what I would like. I'm a pretty understanding person and give people a lot of headway but it has not been fun or welcoming. Thank you Cathy for responding. I'm hoping I overreacted. I will certainly come in again. I have updated the stars. I do hope others will give Cork and Fork a chance. read more

We stopped by for drinks before our dinner reservation, we were drawn in by the live band. At the time we did not know (Cathy) was the owner, but she was very unwelcoming with her gentleman friend, towards our group, specifically towards my husband and son. While we sat with a flight, I noticed Cathy and her gentleman friend were pacing from the hall towards the restrooms. I can clearly see there was a situation, and as my son walks passed her she just stares at him smugly. My husband returns to tell me whats happened. They went to use the restroom and while waiting their turn, the gentleman friend tells him, "restrooms are for paying customers only!". So my husband tells him we do have a table out front and returns to our group. After the uncomfortable encounter we left not wanting to support an establishment where the owner clearly didn't want our kind there! read more

Just had the best small plate pizza, scrumptious and perfect. Wish I'd taken a picture before I devoured it. Enjoyed the Pesto Chicken Pizza. Highly recommend it. Not to be missed is the amazing live music! Thank you Rio Road! read more

Cork and Fork Capitola - Rio Road playing at Cork and Fork Capitola Wine Bar - Wine Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Best place to hang out with friends in Capitola! Fun music almost every night and weekend afternoons, good wine choices, and yummy food selections made fresh. During our flood, Cathy, the owner, cancelled her vacation and rushed back to open with music and fundraisers to help out the damaged venues and community. She and her team work incredibly hard with love to create a special Capitola experience. I love having parties here but I also love that I feel comfortable showing up all by myself. It's a warm, welcoming and FUN space. Check it out! PS: My Fav is the Bree Flatbread with Cranberries and Walnuts. read more

Cork and Fork is such a charm! It is rather small and tucked away in Capitola Village, but it is the perfect place to go for an afternoon glass of wine! The owner is so thoughtful and makes an effort to establish relationships with each of her customers. This place also happens to have the best Rosè I have ever tasted! I want to say it was called Tres Chics from Paris? Cork and Fork also has delicate appetizers and finger food to complement the experience. We tried several different options, but our group voted that that Caprese skewers (below) was our favorite! The mozzarella balls were so fresh and delicious. If you want to avoid crowds and are looking for a place to relax in the early afternoon, come here! Just keep in mind the seating is rather limited read more

Cork and Fork Capitola - Caprese skewers - Wine Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Great spot! Live music and a great wine list! I asked for a wine recommendation and they had great insight! read more

Went there for drinks. Horrible experience. Felt unwelcomed. Maybe even racists towards our group. There was six of us. My husband went down first to claim some seats for us, and to order a flight first. While my sister, her husband and I were parking. When we joined him, my brother in law and nephew needed to use the restroom first before we ordered our drinks. As they stood in line, the owner, I believe (Cathy) and her gentleman friend had a staring problem. They kept looking at them. Her friend even made some rude comments. As if we weren't paying customers! After the incident, they returned to our group and told us what happened. They were both very upset. And did not want to support the establishment. So we chose to go elsewhere. My husband at the moment, was still not done with his flight, so he and I stayed behind while the rest of my group left. But before leaving, my brother in law told off Cathy's friend! Her reaction was, "Don't worry, THEY didn't plan to buy anything anyway!" I overheard her say that! And gave her the side eye! Not knowing she was the OWNER! We thought she was a customer! But from Yelp pictures, she's the owner. Pretty rude. Definitely will not support people! And I will definitely share this experience with anyone visiting Capitola. Besides the rude owner, our wine flight wasn't great at all. Restaurant is small. Has live music, but catered to a much older crowd in my opinion. Was not feeling the vibe. read more

Favorite place to visit for a glass of wine and live music. Staff are very helpful and knowledgeable. Great atmosphere for a quick drink or to hang out for a few hours on the patio. read more

Rude and unprofessional service. The staff makes you feel unwelcomed if you don't fit their clientele criteria. If I go to an establishment I don't want to feel like I don't belong and that's exactly how they make you feel. I am all about supporting small businesses. However, if that business is not being open to a diverse audience, that doesn't deserve any recognition. People be aware if you go to this place; they will stereotype you!!!! read more

In looking at my review from five years ago it appears we were right. The owner still appears to be unfriendly. The fact that she "takes on" customers that had a bad experience says it all. It's only because it's a tourist town that she's still in business. They come....they don't like...they go home. Really a shame for the village. read more

Nice location, comfortable fun setting with fun live music. The owner is oddly rude, I ordered a wine flight, she seemed annoyed we were there but served us. I just thought maybe it was busy so didn't think much of it. She brought out our drinks and my flight good but wouldn't tell us what was in each glass. At first I thought maybe the rudeness was a joke, but no just didn't want to tell us what I was drinking. I was hoping to order a glass of one of the ones I liked but the owner was so rude we decided to just leave and move on. Very odd and disappointing. Maybe it was just a bad day. Update: thanks for the reply. We didn't realize how the blind flight worked and it was busy near closing so I guess we didn't pursue it too much. We will have to come try again, I did love the ambience and the flight was good. Maybe update the menu to explain how the blind flight works. read more

Sat at the bar. Ordered a bottle of Hamdog Pinot. It was amazing! The staff is very friendly. The live music was great! read more

Cork and Fork Capitola - Hamdog Pinot Noir - Wine Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

The food was amazing! We came here to dine outdoors after a surf session and it was perfectly hearty for two folks with good appetite. The corralitos sausages were so savory and juicy, we had to force ourselves to enjoy them slowly instead of devouring them. The chicken pesto panini sandwich was the most filling if you're looking for a sizeable entree. The tasty pizzas were on the smaller side, but for $10 each you can't go wrong. We tried two flavors (Caprese Popper, Nick's Weird Special) and were very happy with both. During COVID, they also have separate takeaway menus (I'm keeping one in the car for our next surf session!) read more

See all

Great place! The music is always spot on and I love the outside area and the fact that they are pet friendly!

Odd, off-putting atmosphere with rushed, tight-fisted service. The proprietor often seems bothered by customers, even when the store is empty -- and it often is. It lacks identity as a public-facing business and, perhaps worse, seems disinterested in garnering loyalty from the local community. We've tried to like this place - but can't. read more

Cork and Fork Capitola - Wine Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Last night was my first time at Cork and Fork. Upfront I want to say we had a good time. There was a live band playing cool music that we all knew. Good demographic if you're 45+ (and as it turns out, of a particular ideology). The wine selection was okay. The website made it sound like the owner seeks out local and little known wineries but all the wines our group shared were from highly recognizable mid-budget bottles I get at Safeway or Target. But it was fine. The problem for me occurred when I sat outside for a bit of air and noticed the "blue lives matter" flag suspended in the flagpole. For some this is likely not a huge deal. It is for me. To know that had I been out with a diverse group of folks they wouldn't have welcomed there was disappointing. Anyway, if that sort of thing matters to you I thought you'd like to know. read more

Always have such fun here. Cathy and her staff are friendly and engage in fun conversation. Music is fun on weekends, and Open Mic Wednesdays bring in great fun local talent as well as some musicians who come from other States as infrequent flyers. Always a a great time at Cork n Fork! read more

Unfortunately, thinks went bad many times over. I really wanted to like think place but unfortunately one of the employees weirdly kept ignoring us, brought us the wrong drinks, charged us the wrong drinks, and the straw that broke the camels back was when the same employee spilled a drink on my wife's dress... gave 2 stars cause the band was actually nice and fun. read more

my first visit today friendly staff and diverse grazing. Live music was spot on very good acoustics for the layout . Fun is key times flies and 3 hour city parking is in city lot is 50 cents an hour. Pizza stromboli type all meat was great .Overall a fun place to relax in an well organized space. diverse crowd mostly outdoors on patio. read more

I love this neighborhood hangout. Yummy wine and tasty bites. Always meet really nice people and such a comfortable atmosphere. My friends and I always say, we feel like we're at home in our own living room. Great location! Great local music! My favorite for sure! Cheers! read more

One of the best gifts of Capitola Village! A great place with great people. Good wine, good times, good food, and great music! Thanks Cathy, for brining joy! read more

I was present on 5.14 and must comment on the reviews from the guests who left concerned remarks. First, Cork and Fork is a multi-cultural gathering place. To pull the race card is cruel and inappropriate. The patio was filled with many guests, of many cultures - and normally is, including the musicians who grace the indoor scene. Secondly, I personally witnessed the people "waiting" for the restroom. And, yes, there was a person in this party who physically looked in the mailboxes - there is nothing ok about this. Not liking the wines, or not feeling the vibe of the place is one thing, to point out a "race issue" is harsh and unfounded. Clearly the reviews are meant to disparage the establishment. There is a pattern with some of the reviews, and not a positive one. read more

The food and drinks were good, cheese plate, popcorn and tater tots!! The owner/waitress? seemed very offended or perhaps surprised when we asked for share plates for our appetizers - the table was uncomfortable and surprised by her reaction and the friend with extensive food service experience quickly said "never mind" and we ate off of our napkins. It seemed strange. We won't be returning. read more

You won't be disappointed in the food, the entertainment or the owner. Great food, great wine! Catherine is the owner and you won't find a better one! read more

Cork and Fork Capitola - Wine Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Outrageously bad. Watched while the owner/waitress swiped the Musician's tip jar. Kept yelling at people to keep quite. Crap food. Don't waste your money. read more

went here for dinner with family and the service was the WORST pizza terrible and the owner cathy was very rude and no customer service !!! if you want the bestpizza in town go to pizza my heart! will never go here again!!!!!! read more

Live Music and awesome Wine with options of Pizza made to order, why would you not be here? This place is awesome! And so is Kathy:) looking forward to coming back!!!! I love the little set up here with the lights and lit up empty bottles of wine. It's a very comfortable and homey feel that helps you relax, unwind and keep the wine coming. read more

Sweet Wine Bar with lovely wines, good beer, and Bud Light. Marvelous music. Especially love Madrigal & Strange The small bites are yummy. And the lovely folks who frequent Cork & Fork are fab. Thanks, Cathy! read more

Cute little wine bistro in the heart of Capitola. This place has a large selection of local wines as well as other popular favorites' and the knowledge to recommend interesting new choices. It's a blast to explore local wines that you may never have come across otherwise, and it's even better to do it in a comfortable setting accompanied by good food. Throw in the fire pit and occasional live music and it easy to see why this is a favorite with locals. read more

Thom C you must have your venues mixed up. Cathy and her crew are scrupulously honest and fair and would NEVER steal from the musicians! The wine and beer there are the finest selections - mostly from Bay Area wineries as "giving back" is a basic tenet of Cathy's character. The offerings are fairly priced, the service is great, and the entire establishment is Covid clean. read more

Cork & Fork always seems to be just right for whatever kind of evening it is. This wine bar has its special, unique core at heart, but also has moods of its own and can morph for the evening. Very cool. Cathy has a knack for intuiting which wine I'll want, and Kelly immediately made me feel comfortable and well taken care of. I whole-heartedly recommend a visit! read more

In love with this darling little place, right out of the busy of the town and within walking distance from everything!!! The atmosphere is light and fun, the owner is a doll and so sweet & friendly! Love the menu options for food! Highly recommend that you make this a part of your afternoon or evening! read more

Cork and Fork Capitola - Wine Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Great pizza, otherwise nothing to shout about. Arrived on a Thursday night in time for Steve's Jazz Kitchen, a band which which was advertised to start playing at 7 pm, but didn't happen until 7:45. The small plates and pizzas were the stars. We had the Cheese Sampler Plate, and two different pizzas which were great. Service was very good. But a wine bar should be a place to discover great wines. Not the case here. I tried to put together flight of three wines to compare, but they didn't offer three of any single varietal to make the flight. I did try two different wines which were drinkable, but none were worth talking about. Bottom line: Cork and Fork has great potential, but needs work. read more