Walking in Leucadia Liquor I overheard the lady in front of me say to her friend, "I love this…read moreplace cause of the wine and ice cream selections." Girl was not lying! The variety of wines was definitely above average, but on the ice cream front they're well ahead of most liquor stores I've ever been to. I'm probably eating more frozen treats these days than I am drinking fancy red blends, so for me this was a big positive. The guy working the counter was really friendly and helpful, and of course you can't help but be a little in awe of the awesome sign they have. It's about 50 feet tall and easy to see from a few blocks away. If you're anywhere close to this area it's pretty hard not to at least stop into this store for a look.

The thirty something dudes working the counter were rude, hostile, and paranoid. Told our friends…read moreto get out, told us he wouldn't sell to us for some reason then did anyways and inspected our ids for a ridiculous amount of time then said something like 'we were lucky we got it this time' as if he is some blessing from freaking god. He was mumbling under his breath and genuinely seemed like he was tweaking or strung out. Beyond confused as to what the issue was he was saying a bunch of rude stuff and for some reason had his little friend sitting behind the counter just staring us down. Don't come here.

We sat at the bar top and had the most amazing experience with mekala as our bartender, definitely…read morewill be back just because of her!

BIERGARDEN @ ENCINITAS…read more Parking can be a little difficult since this spot is located right on the main strip in Encinitas. There's parallel street parking throughout the area, so you might get lucky and find a spot nearby. I ended up parking on one of the side streets, which worked out perfectly. I came here on a Sunday afternoon, and it was definitely busy. We had to wait a little while for a table because several tables still needed to be cleaned before they could seat new guests. The staff was incredibly friendly, though, and we were seated as soon as they could. It did take about 15 minutes before a server was able to come over and take our order, but the restaurant was completely packed, so it's something to keep in mind if you're in a hurry. After spending the day at the beach, we were really just in the mood for drinks. I ordered the Blood Orange Margarita, which can be served with Tajín, sea salt, or no rim at all. It was really good and definitely on the stronger side, which I appreciated. My only complaint was that there was a bit too much ice, but the flavor itself was great. The atmosphere is what really makes this place stand out. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, large open windows that let in plenty of fresh air, and a fun, lively vibe that makes it a great place to relax after a beach day. Overall, I'd definitely come back for the ambiance and cocktails, just be prepared for a little wait if you visit during peak hours.

Tommy deserves a shoutout for the best holiday décor I've seen yet! The Christmas tree covered in…read moreBuzzBalls is absolutely iconic. It's festive, hilarious, and instantly puts you in a good mood. Plus, Tommy is super friendly and helpful. If you want great wine and great vibes, this is the place!

A visit to Total Wine in Encinitas for "curbside pickup" now includes a complimentary gaslighting…read moresession. I ordered a specific vintage Rioja online for curbside pickup. They swapped my order with a younger vintage and failed to mention it. No email. No, "We substituted this because we're out of stock--is that okay?" They quietly swapped it, hoping I wouldn't notice or wouldn't care. But I was buying a Rioja, not a Walmart box wine. I discovered the switch, had to leave my car, grab a shopping cart, go back inside, and find someone to help. That's when the tap dance began. The first employee pretended that vintages didn't matter. He called in the self-proclaimed expert, who introduced himself with, "I'm the wine guy. What's the problem?" As it turns out, the problem was standing right in front of me. Rather than acknowledge that substituting a vintage without informing the customer might be an issue, he spent several minutes explaining why it shouldn't matter. Eventually he landed on, "It's just a $30 bottle of wine." Actually, it was a case. Twelve bottles--$360 of wine. He asserted the two wines were equally rated when they were not. A review from home revealed the younger substitute averaged a full point lower rating (WA, WS, JD, WE, TA). As I explained that vintage and ratings represent value, he interrupted. When I politely asked not to be interrupted, he rolled his eyes, looked away, and said it was time to find a manager. Manager David was as helpful as helpful as a light bulb without electricity. He asked what the problem was. I went through the list, concluding that if he wanted to sell a younger wine with a questionable rating he should have said so and provided some kind of discount. He seemed remarkably uninterested in discussing wine ratings, vintages and economics, so I asked for a refund. That took another ten minutes on top of the twenty I had already wasted. As I left, he offered a casual, "Sorry about that," delivered with all the sincerity of an automated voicemail. Total Wine in Encinitas may be convenient, but their service, honesty and wine knowledge is not. I prefer Vintage Wines out on Miramar Rd for superior wine knowledge, service and honesty.

Great selection of high quality whiskey's. Very helpful in figuring out what to buy as a gift. The…read morestore is filled with a huge selection of everything you could possibly want.

Super cool staff here, I'm always popping in her for something or another. They have a huge…read moreselection of spirits, wine & beer. They also have a small cigar area with some decent cigars. I like that they are open late. They have some very high end wines and Mezcals.

That store is amazing! It's so big, it has everything Annie is always so helpful and happy!read more

Fantastic experience in the store this afternoon. Needed help finding some items and the staff…read morewent out of their way to help me. Will definitely be back!

I loved this wine bar!…read more It is small and intimate. It seems truly focused on wine which I appreciate. I like wine bars that are restaurant-esque as well but I appreciate this option of wine bar where the focus is really on the wine. The offerings on the menu all looked very good so I had some help at the bar on what to choose. The woman at the bar was able to choose a wine that was exactly what I wanted on the first try. I don't remember the name but it was a nice fruity and juicy chilled red. So delicious on a summer evening! I also liked that they had options for 3 oz. And 5 oz. Pours and plenty of retail bottles as well. The place filled up but wasn't packed which was nice. There are a couple parking spaces around the wine bar which is convenient! I really enjoyed my experience here and can't wait to come again.

Super pleasant experience. Cami is over the top gracious. Nice shop and place to taste. We needed a…read morequiet place to sip some wine and relax. We fortunately made a great choice, a few steps from our hotel.

So today, my wife wanted a different cocktail that involved this element called Saint Germain…read more Well, Ralph doesn't carry it so I went to 101 or they never let me down. I asked Ben who was working do they have it and he called his boss and we went all over the store to find it and we did. By the way, they have all kinds of great Kinds of liquor, they even have Cabo favorite called 43. So great service great selection and my wife is happy. End of story.

I was shocked to see the famous Royal Liquor store in Funky Leucadia was no longer there. A…read moremainstay for locals and tourists alike disappeared in a poof. In place of the iconic Royal Liquor sign is a similar sign for WineCo. The man at the counter turned out to be the same gentleman who I have seen for years, and nothing changed inside. I am happy to report that this store is packed to the brim with beer, wind and liquor. Like ~90% of the independent liquor stores in the county, 101 Wine is Caledonian staffed and owned, just the way I like my liquor stores. I trust them. The name change is due to their online wine sales business. I removed one star because the name and new sign represent the gentrification of this funky town. This is walking distance from the new high end hotel and adjacent to a recently approved high density housing project that are stripping the character out while pulling in more bread. You will still find the same products that have been available previously, but this little hometown gem just sold a little of it's soul.