The stuff you want to know: extensive wine, liquor and beer selection, helpful staff. Two…read moreconvenient locations. Open late (until 11), open Sundays (noon to 6pm). But what makes Cork & Barrel my favorite wine and booze shop in town is the fact that they have two wondrous months where if you buy a case of wine, you get a 20% discount (April, you can't come soon enough. The other month is October). Not only that, but every monday is 10% off hard liquor. As you can probably gather, I am a wine lover (I prefer Italian reds), and if I can afford it, I try to buy as many cases of wine during discount months to, you know, store in my wine cellar (*eye roll* as if I'd store wine down where the cave crickets lurk).

Having recently turned 21, cork and barrel came highly recommended. I walked in, extremely…read moreintimidated. I didn't dabble much (or at all) before now in this world and it's intimidating. What really gets me about a place is how helpful the staff are. Even though their was only one guy working, he walked me through each level of vodka and helped me pick which would work best for me. He also explained how their specials work (seriously hop on those). It took a while but he was really helpful. They had lots of options, which can be really intimidating but it's a good thing when you have patient, kind staff who know what they are talking about.

It is a small store on the corner of 6th and Lawrence Avenue with a fair selection of beer, wine…read moreand spirits, fair prices, and friendly staff. However, they offer no military discount even though owned by a retired Army officer ... FUBAR! Epilogue: After posting this review the owner sent me a comment, explaining why they cannot offer military discounts rather than whining and attacking my character for posting less than (5) stellar reviews like most owners/managers would do. Turns out the Kansas ABC (Alcohol and Beverage Commission) will not allow discounts for one group if not offered to everyone else. That makes perfect sense considering the ABC is just another over regulated bureaucracy. Thanks for the message Paul! CombatCritic Upgrades Spirit Party Shop And Liquor Store To 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

From the owner: Friendly Staff and a Great Selection for our area. Come in and see us, you won't be disappointed!read more

Great little liquor store on the west side of Lawrence on your way to Clinton Lake. The owner is a…read moregreat guy and keeps the store well stocked. They have an excellent selection. It is located in a small strip mall next to a convenient store/gas station....so it is one store shop!

I generally like going to this liquor store. They've had some new hires and it's annoying being hit…read moreon constantly or being told to "smile." I also would prefer not to be asked for my ID within 10 seconds of being in the store...

This will be my go-to place for wine in Lawrence from now on. It's clean and organized inside, and…read morethey don't even carry your typical mass-produced wines--you can tell the owners have carefully curated their selection and they are very knowledgeable and helpful about the wines they have. They even carry a small selection of fancy snacks and foods that will pair well with wine. For someone who is trying to branch out and try more wines and learn more about them, this is a perfect option.

During the pandemic, I do not go into liquor stores to buy wine bottles. I prefer to call, make my…read morechoices, pay in advance, and have the wine brought out to my car. But without being able to walk around the store, I sometimes need advice and suggestions on the phone. The person I have talked with on the phone at this outstanding wine store is exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful. I call on the phone, make my choices, and pay in advance. When I arrive, I open the trunk of my car and call to say I have arrived. He brings out the order and puts the bottles into my trunk. I never even had to open the window of the car. I got out of the car only to close the trunk, after he had returned to the store. Next time I will open an account with the store, so they can retain my credit card information. That will make the procedure even easier.

Came here for wine, and there is a pretty large selection! I usually go for Italian wines, and…read morethose were a much smaller section, but even then there were several different kinds of Chianti, for example. Organization and cleanliness of the store was decent as well. But, I did ask the cashier to explain the wine point grading system to me, and he either didn't know anything about it or didn't want to explain it, because all I got is "it's really hit or miss. The owner just put those signs there." Lol.

Good selection but horrible store policies. Will only take ID if it's horizontal no matter when the…read morebirthdate was. It was my 21st birthday 2 months ago and I don't have a horizontal ID cause mine is STILL LEGAL... and they refused to take it. Ridiculous. They are just denying my money at this point.

GREAT service! Unique dishes and interesting atmosphere. Large menu with plenty of choices.read more

The ambience and the service at J Wilson's was great when my friend and I decided to have lunch…read morethere on Valentine's Day. Our server was particularly helpful and very pleasant. She earned an A+ and her tip reflected that. That said, my friend and I were both extremely upset about the lack of options for lunch. Everything on the menu was brunch and the options for that were not great. It took us quite a while to finally decide on what we would have. I had the quiche Lorraine with sweet potato fries and a salad. The sweet potato fries were OK, but the quiche was cold and I ended up eating less than half of my food. My friend ordered the blue crab benny which came with home fries. Her potatoes were cold and she also ate less than half her food because she said she didn't like it. I will accept blame for not realizing J Wilson doesn't serve lunch on weekends, but the quality of the food is on them. When I come to Lawrence, it's almost always on a Saturday, so I will not be having lunch at J Wilson's again.

Cork and Barrel is amazing! They have excellent customer service and are very knowledgeable about…read morewine and spirits. They also have a beautiful tasting room and host events regularly! I highly recommend that you visit this locally owned business.

Much better this time around! I had stopped going to Cork and Barrel for several years because I…read morehad a horrible experience once. There was no one to wait on me and I wondered about the store aimlessly looking for one product. The clerk told me she had customers and could not help me. So I never went back... until now. I was looking for a special bottle of wine for a Christmas gift. I was waited on, showed several different options and treated very respectfully. Zach was the person helping me and he could not have been nicer. He showed me different wines with different price points and made sure I was satisfied with my purchase. I was overwhelmed with his helpfulness. The cashier was also very nice and courteous. It was a pleasant experience and I was glad I came back. They have tons of parking, the building is easy to access and the store is clean and well lit. There are many different prices on things so you have a range of products from which to choose. Next time I won't take so long to go back!

Best in town. Was looking for a hard to find local whiskey. They had it. I was only visiting town…read moretoo.

Upgrading from four to five stars. This has become my go-to destination for everything adult…read morebeverage related. No, it's not the biggest store in the city, but to my mind it has become the best. Why? Three important ways: 1) Best service, never fail. Walk in the store and they ask if they can help, but they stay out of your way if you tell them you don't. Try getting help in some of the other stores? Difficult, typically. 2) Superb selection. Everything I'm looking for and more is here, and the people working here are pros. I asked today about the 200 yr. anniversary Guinness, guy doesn't blink and said they had a run on it but expect to be replenished in tomorrow's shipment. Not an unusual response, particularly the workers in the back who really seem to have it under control. 3) Consistency, see #1 and #2. I get this every time I arrive. No shortages, no folks standing around with hands in their pockets, no bored "when is my shift ending" looks on faces, etc. I can even recycle my wine corks here. I like that. And yet I can still come in and get surprised at what I can find, and that really makes me happy. The convenient parking is also a real plus, and with the laws recently changed the store has gotten larger (no need to separate out things like glassware into another internal "store" etc. Just keeps getting better so happy to revisit this review.