A lovely little wine shop tucked away with a fascinating array of bottles arranged by country and…read moretype. A real Risk game of territory competing for your eyeline and tastebuds. A wineshop that's analogous to stumbling into a dusty bookstore where you wander around for what catches your feels. Very nice and helpful staff too! And if you, trusty reader, would like a rec, go for a Sauvignon Blanc and try something funky and weird! ($12 and $18 for the two bottles I got)

I just talked to someone at the store. Steve is out of town, but I talked to his substitute on the…read morephone. Their COVID-19 hours are Wed. through Sat. 11am-5pm. No special rules, just the usual social distancing, etc. UPDATE 2020-04-20 I got an email sent out by Steve's in-store substitute saying they are open on Tuesday too, 11am-5pm. Also, you can call ahead for curbside pickup.

I just came to this store, and no one could help me. It's very understaffed. I put some liquor in…read moremy cart, but couldn't find the Dos Equis beer. At the front there was one woman cashier with a VERY LONG LINE, and another busy doing something else. I asked her if they had Dos Equis. She said, "I don't know" & told me look in the imported beer aisle where I just looked. I asked if someone could help me and she said, "No, there's only two of us here & we're both busy. " I looked again. No Dos Equis. Even if there had been some, there wouldn't be anyone to help me lift the box into my cart I have a shoulder injury and can't do it by myself. I left my cart full of booze & let the store, disgusted. This is not the fault of employees; it's the fault of management for keeping their store understaffed.

This place has taken care of my liquid needs time and time again. The whole staff does their part…read moreand focuses on good customer service. I love that! Will keep coming back. And thanks Krystyna for always finding my much sought after allocated bottles. Cheers!

Knowledgeable team. Well curated selection. Fun rotation of classes and events. Great wine bar…read morespace in the evenings. LOVE THIS SHOP!

They have a great selection and a knowledgeable, engaged staff. They're my go-to in the east bay.read more

This place continues to be the best. They have great selection of both wine and liquor. Staff are…read moreknowledgeable and give excellent recommendations.

I wish I could give more than 5 stars. I live in the area, and find myself in here too often. Alan,…read moreRoger, Ben, and Berto all go above and beyond. They're friendly, funny, and knowledgable. When I walk by the store with my daughter, she asks to go in so we can "see my friends". On top of the service and people - the selection is outstanding. Beautifully curated - with stuff it's hard to find in other stores. Whether you're looking for an affordable bottle of wine to bring to a party, the perfect bottle for a special occasion, or just something to pair with dinner for the evening - they never miss. They are the Steph Curry of bottle shops. 30 Stars.

I have been purchasing wines from Kermit Lynch for probably 3 decades, or longer. I spent 3 years…read morein France in my youth and did the "vendange" (grape harvest) back in the day where we pick the grapes by hand and stomped them in huge barrels with our feet. We were paid with room and board plus 2 bottles of their wine/day. Anyway, I'm quite familiar with many French wines and appreciate a wine shop that knows their wines. Kermit Lynch is knowledgeable but their wines are not cheap, but European wines are not cheap in general. Having said that, there is a glut of European wines on the market these days from decreased demand, which should drive down their prices. In any case, there is a wide assortment of wines and the help is friendly and can assist you if you have any questions.

One of the best things about living in the Bay Area is the abundance of hyper-focused, specialty…read moreretailers who have a deep history that connects to other neighboring hyper-focused specialty shops. I know that may sound vague, but allow me to explain...Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant is a perfect example for this point. On the one hand, stepping into Kermit Lynch's shop at San Pablo and Cedar in Berkeley might seem underwhelming. It's a windowless, brick-lined room that feels like a basement (or wine cellar). Wines are either showcased in racks, or more commonly stacked in their crates or in boxes on the floor. The wines here are not local Napa, Sonoma, Anderson Valley, or Central Coast labels, but the majority of wines are sourced from France and Italy. You might find the labels confusing or not initially know what grape varietal you have in front of you. So you might have several reactions. One might be, "Kermit Lynch doesn't sell the wine I like." But another might be, "Holy shit! This is gonna be an adventure!" I'm always in the latter category. I've been a fan of Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant since moving to the East Bay in 2001. They weaned me from my California-centric wine mentality and introduced me to the regions of French wines that I always thought were old, stuffy, boring, too expensive, or too confusing. They did this through their amazing staff who made the Old World of wines more approachable and understandable through outstanding service and explanations as well as having options that would appeal to my price point. Often this was through options that include the Kermit Lynch label of super reasonably priced wines like their Cote du Rhône. Sure, you can still find wines here that are pricey. But the real lesson I learned at Kermit Lynch was that great, new adventures don't have to break the bank. And as to that connection to neighboring specialty shops I mentioned earlier, Kermit Lynch in the literal next door neighbor to Acme Bread. Both of these establishments laid the groundwork for modern foodie culture. And these shops are down the street from Cheeseboard Collective. Which is up the street from Monterey Market and Fish Market. Which is close to Tokyo Fish Market. Which isn't far from Berkeley Bowl. It's this ecosystem of outstanding, deep history, hyper-focused excellence that Kermit Lynch helped create and why I will remain a loyal customer.

** The following review reflects my experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. **…read more I don't booze it up or buy lottery tickets ad nauseam, so I'm likely not a candidate for a frequency discount card if they offer one here. However, this prominently located Pic N Pac may be in the running for landmark status in El Cerrito because it is at the right juncture in Jamie W.'s and my weekend walking path where we need to wet our whistles before reigniting our momentum for the upward journey. Relatively uncrowded with maskless people or overstocked merchandise, this liquor store is where we buy our Coke Zeros at an appropriate social distance, of course. They follow the right rules here ("No Mask, No Service") for a customer base that may not be on their best behavior. RELATED - Exploring El Cerrito? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2VyCP18

These guys are scammers, just trying to see what they can get away with . I've been there maybe 3…read moretimes over the last 3 years and they always charge at least double what any other place will charge for any given item. Today was the last time I'll ever go there after being charged $23 for a $13 bottle of wine . And then the audacity to charge for a plastic bag No idea how these dudes are still in business. Dont go here unless you enjoy filling the pockets of dishonest people.