Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    The Stem & Stein

    4.3 (61 reviews)
    ModerateWine Bars
    Closed 3:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    The Stem & Stein Photos

    Business Info

    THE STEM & STEIN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - The Stem & Stein

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Best cheese dip ever!!!!
    Matthew K.

    Great spot, friendly bartender, regulars made us feel like welcome almost immediately at the bar. They have a great pretzel appetizer, 3 smaller pretzels nice and hot, soft and salty. Which brings us to the greatest part of this establishment: THE CHEESE SAUCE!!! It is, hands down, the best cheese sauce I have ever tasted. With ground beef and some peppers to add a bit of heat it's thick and perfect. Almost like beef chip gravy, but it's cheese sauce. Ive ordered bavarian style pretzels in about 30 states, and it's rare to get a truly bad pretzel. But the mustard and cheese sauces always leave me disappointed. So much so that my standard request is to order spicy brown sandwich mustard as a fall back. This cheese sauce was so delicious I finished it with my fork and ordered more with another appetizer. That sauce alone will bring me back to this establishment many more times. They have local beers on tap, and you can buy wine by the bottle or glass. They also sell more wines in the shop which they will open for a corking fee. But go, get the cheese sauce and tell me it's not the greatest you've ever had!

    Wine flight
    L B.

    Great food, great atmosphere. The staff is very friendly, nice regulars type bar scene. Their crostini's are phenomenal.

    Excellent food!
    Ike G.

    Traveling for work and came across this wine bar. A little bit of a wait for the food, but it was worth it. Fresh, great taste and everything is available in half portion!

    Brisket sliders, chicken Gorgonzola crostini, and the remains of the double dipper
    Aly A.

    We loved our date night at Stem and Stein. Our server was so friendly and was great at answering questions. We sat in the back patio, enjoyed a glass of wine and a couple beers. They number of items on their wine and beer list is incredible. Everyone should easily be able to find something they like. We shared the double dipper appetizer and it was delicious. The house made hummus with rosemary was so flavorful and fresh, and pimento and cheese was very creamy. We also enjoyed the brisket sliders and the Gorgonzola and chicken crostinis. About server was friendly and food came out quick. My only "star deduction" was a lack of greeting and instruction when we walked in. We had no clue where to go or if we sat ourselves. The gal behind the bar kind of just looked at us and it was a tiny bit weird. We figured it out though since we're adults. We will return for sure to Stem and Stein.

    Amy T.

    My husband and I come here on and off love the atmosphere and the selection of beers and wines. They have great soup and appetizers.

    10871 County Line Rd, Madison, AL 35758, #(256) 325-3779
    Ailis O.

    This place was cool. Do NOT let the strip mall look fool you. They have neat seating in the back, and live music on the weekend. We didn't eat, but it smelled good. The wine and beer selection is very good. They regularly rotate the unique draft beers, so it's fun to taste new stuff on draft. Very good place for a first date too.

    See all

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 2
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of CA T.
    2
    135
    45

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of L B.
    11
    65
    43

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ike G.
    27
    11
    8

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Dropped in here for a nightcap after dinner. Enjoyed a great bottle of wine, listened to good live music, and had friendly service.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Pamela M.
    674
    1550
    12721

    13 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Aly A.
    1
    28
    28

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amy T.
    14
    48
    563

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ailis O.
    10
    167
    223

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    They are always kind and responsive and the food is amazing. The alcohol offered is always a wide variety and we love going here!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Desa M.
    103
    8
    25

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Panda B.
    0
    227
    36

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ashley M.
    13
    100
    39

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Excellent atmosphere. Great place to try a new wine or beer. Has music some evenings. Very good food.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Hannah C.
    201
    48
    12

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jeremy W.
    237
    18
    0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Audra P.
    13
    17
    17

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Absolutely one of the best places to go in Madison for wine, beer, apps, and live music. Love this place and the service is helpful always!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - The Stem & Stein

    Review Highlights - The Stem & Stein

    I'm giving it 5 stars because: Ally and her sister (Jess?), behind the bar, ALWAYS remember my favorite wine.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

    Read more highlights

    The Vine and Oak - Absolutely gorgeous!!!

    The Vine and Oak

    (8 reviews)

    The Vine and Oak brings two of my favorite drinks together in a stylish, historical site that is an…read moreunapologetic as their offerings. Nestled in historic Madison, V&O offers some of the most unique wines and whiskey/bourbon offerings in the region. There's a typical bar area with TVs showing sports, but surrounding the bar are plush, lounge chairs and couches that feel more intimate and inviting for groups. Selection of libations is a great start, but without passionate and knowledgeable 'tenders the experience feels... incomplete. V&O doesn't disappoint here either as everyone is well-versed and opinionated in what they are serving. It's the perfect place to let a few hours bleed away and forget what is going on in the world; maybe have an intelligent sparring session about tastes in the 'brown drink' or adult grape juice... You can spend an entire night here or end up here at the end of the night for a night cap... I don't think you can wrong either way. It's becoming one of my favorite places for wine and whiskey/bourbon... but tread carefully; there are so many things to try you may find it hard to walk out to a ride home. However, you won't regret the time spent within the walls of this gem... I can't promise the same for the next day

    Seriously super impressed with this new wine bar and lounge in Madison! You can find it downtown…read morenear Lanier House, the little tearoom. This place opened recently and offers a huge selection of wines (from Germany, France, California, New Zealand, and more), several varieties of bourbon, and a craft cocktail menu. They also have charcuterie boards and a shop with wine- and alcohol-themed memorabilia that are really quite cute -- think tumblers, candles, and other great gifts. There are televisions playing softly in the room with the bar but there's also a more intimate room; I think it'd be a nice place to gather with friends. I was told there'd be wine tasting nights starting soon! The bartender, Teylor, was exceptional! She put me right at ease, spoke knowledgeably about each cocktail and wine option, and had a good sense of humor. She worked efficiently among the patrons and was very attentive and polite. Shout-out to Teylor! The vibe was really great too - the other guests were friendly and sociable without being overbearing and I enjoyed my visit while having a drink. I ordered the Monte Sano Sunset, which is a rum drink with fruity elements to include orange and pineapple juice as well as a squeeze of lime. It wasn't overly sweet and didn't upset my stomach as similar drinks often do. It was a pleasure to watch Teylor make my beautiful drink as well as what others ordered; there was even fire involved with one particular beverage! I enjoyed my drink and heard rave things from the other guests about each and every drink that was served. Although this bar is rather far away for me, I look forward to bringing friends from out of town to this special new place.

    Valentina's Pizzeria & Wine Bar

    Valentina's Pizzeria & Wine Bar

    (246 reviews)

    $$

    This is not just pizza. This is Italy on a plate…read more If you've ever been to Italy -- or dreamed about it -- Valentina's Pizza delivers the real thing. The dough is imported from Italy, and you can taste the difference in every bite -- light, flavorful, and perfectly executed. Start with the bruschetta -- fresh, vibrant, and beautifully balanced. The burrata, imported directly from Italy, is absolute perfection: rich, creamy, and unforgettable. The Valentina salad ties it all together -- crisp, bright, and crafted to complement the meal instead of competing with it. The pizza is flawless. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. This is the kind of place you go to slow down, share food, and enjoy the moment. Hands down the best pizza I've ever had. Madison is lucky to have a place like this. If you haven't been yet, go. You'll be back.

    Very busy place on a Friday. First time here and came with our neighbors who are frequent guests…read more This is probably the best pizza I've had in years. Great service with full bar. Bright open area with two side areas that could used to host private parties. We had the Valentina's Special which was incredible. Sausage and cherry tomatoes with a healthy drizzle of balsamic vinegar which made it. Also did a custom white pie which was equally excellent. There are lots of options on the menu and I can't wait to come back and check them out. You have got to eat here. I'm going to become a regular.

    Charlie Foster’s Espresso Wine Bar

    Charlie Foster’s Espresso Wine Bar

    (44 reviews)

    $

    This place has changed since I first reviewed it, so might as well write an update…read more I have not come here for alcohol, but they do seem to have a fair variety of wines for sale, as well as weekly wine tastings. I am glad they have different coffee drinks nowadays, including espresso tonics, which have become my favorite for summertime. The food menu is small, but covers the basics. The space is nice and open, and I am glad they removed the red tint from the windows, makes it feel more relaxing now.

    The staff here are about as hospitable and welcoming as a middle school teacher holding after…read moreschool detention. Sorority sister and I came to Charlie Foster's to get a glass of vino after dinner at El Caz. The majority of wine cellars/wine shoppes/wine centric places are extremely friendly, not tethered to a chair, and very engaging because, it's wine after all, and most wine lovers love nothing more than talking about wines! Rather than look over a wine list, I just asked for a glass of pinot grigio. The young man gave me the saddest pour I have seen in my life, again, in the requisite plastic purple Solo cup, and guess what this regrettable purchase cost me? $12.00. For a little more than double that cost, at about $26.00 I can get an entire bottle of Italian pinot grigio at Nick's ristorante, which is 4 *full* glasses!!!! Originally, I wanted to see what kinds of wines they had for sale; however, after this very transactional and impersonal interaction, I was ready to leave. I would suggest that management/owners train their personnel on wines and have them attend actual wine tastings with a sommelier and learn a few talking points about the various types and vineyards they represent. Staff should mingle with patrons to see what the person is interested in (would they like a dry white wine bottle to drink inside, a purple cup "to go," or several bottles for an upcoming event) and encourage things both that the customer prefers or is just outside the customer's comfort zone and peaks the patron's interest. I would also suggest they select staff who actually have a personality.

    Athens Alehouse & Cellar - Menu

    Athens Alehouse & Cellar

    (15 reviews)

    I came here for lunch after exploring Isom's Orchard over fall break with my parents. This was a…read morethird choice after we struck out at Ramona J's (closed for fall break) and Dairy Delite (only had hot dogs and mom and I didn't want a hot dog that day). This restaurant is located on the square downtown. There's a seating area in front that's really cute, with swings and such. The inside is really nice and comfortable and vibey, plus very spacious! It has at least a loft and seems like it would be a great place to have a drink and listen to some music. It was quiet for lunch on a Thursday, with maybe two other parties aside from us dining. We didn't see any staff for a while, but one of the fellow diners encouraged us to sit anywhere. Eventually, Jaycee came out and quickly got us set up. She was professional and pleasant. It seemed like she was the only person working but our experience didn't suffer because of it. The menu has apparently been recently expanded. It has sandwiches and other bar food, as well as stir fries. We were all in the mood for burgers, so my parents split a burger and fries and I got my own. It's a two patty smash burger and comes with cheese; you can add additional toppings for a small extra cost. I kept it to cheese and ketchup. I think my parents added onions and mustard and maybe something else. They liked their burger better than I liked mine. Mine was very overcooked and dry, so overcooked it had an unpleasantly charbroiled/burnt flavor and crisp. The fries were okay but unremarkable, kind of like a middle of the road McDonald's French fry experience. The food wasn't bad really, but I wouldn't return for a burger. Overall, seems more like an alehouse (as the name suggests). It would definitely be a good spot to meet with friends and enjoy a drink.

    Athens Alehouse has upped their ambiance game! Not that there was anything wrong with their…read moreprevious location around the corner - it just felt cramped and their "patio" area out front was tiny. Although I did not read their new dining menu, at a glance it was really extensive compared to their previous location's dining options. Back to the interior. The ceilings are really pretty and honor the historic nature of the new location. Also, it is very very spacious! The ceilings are high, and there is a second-floor loft I did not explore; however, it appeared to be very spacious! The General Manager who was working yesterday said they have a third floor that is not finished yet. The light fixtures were lovely, and the front porch is completely covered and has a variety of seating options including individual swings! The patio has several hard-topped tables with lacquered tops that overly numerous beer bottle caps. They were really cute! So yeah, the patio would be a nice place to hang out, except I'm 99 percent sure it faces east so the sun could be a problem. The bar was a nice size and indoors featured less in quantity, but similar taps that dispensed both wine by the ounce and beers. I think there were four taps and I don't know the system to get a drink from the taps, it's probably a credit card bracelet driven system. The previous location had displays of both beers and wines (both with chilled options in coolers) from which to select for "to go" purchases. This iteration of the alehouse doesn't have any displays like this. They do sell bottles of wine through the bartender and the General Manager told me you can order bottles of wine through their website at a discount. This would be a nice place for a book club to meet, or any sizeable family gathering and it seemed like I saw some games, patio-styled games for children. The G.M., Fallon, was very accommodating, friendly, and greeted me immediately. The service was 1000 percent better at this location than the previous one. The wines I bought were very overpriced. I was quoted $32.00 for a bottle of Chardonnay and was actually billed $36.00, and their Vinho Verde is highway robbery at $24.00 - when other wine shops and Publix sell a similar Vinho Verde for $10.00-$12.00. Also, do know their per glass (of wine) prices were less expensive than their bottled prices. This doesn't even make sense. Clearly, they have changed their focus to providing more of an "in house" experience.

    Research Park Wine Merchants - Great food and wine! How can you go wrong?

    Research Park Wine Merchants

    (7 reviews)

    The owner served us all night. She was so kind and very knowledgeable on which wines she thought we…read morewould like. She was so helpful and really tried to make our experience great. We also ate the pizza, and it was all homemade and incredible! I definitely recommend this place if you love wine and good pizza!

    I finally made it to RPWM and was sadly underwhelmed. Judging by the exterior photo here and the…read moreGoogle reviews I expected a warm friendly place stocked with at least some very reasonably priced wines, and extra friendly knowledgeable service. It was dark in there, I mean "turn your cell phone flashlight on to see" dark! I'd been in this store when it was a consignment clothes shop many times over the years and I complimented the super petite lady who was helping me on the makeover from retail clothes to retail wine. Inside is a bar that seats maybe 6. I don't recall a TV or any additional tables but then again it was dark. So dark I thought they were closedwhen I approached the door. There was a group of three sitting at the bar. It was absolutely pouring down rain on this Wednesday evening and I really wanted to make my purchase and pop. For additional background, I just got my hair done and my stylist recommended this shop saying he had been several times: once with his Mom and one other time and really liked their pizza, remarking the "wines are a little pricey." I know exactly what I'm looking for and they really didn't have a giant selection of Pinot grigos and certainly not in terms of varied price points. I asked for an unoaked anything and she had nothing in that category either. Hmmmmm. She pointed out some nice wines ranging from ~18-22$ and up. This is more than I usually spend. I inquired about the (very standard in almost all area wine stores and universally standard really) 10% discount and she texted her boss and he/she said "no." I thought not offering that was weird, but I just said, "okay." Weird because it is so standard and weird that the young lady working there didn't know their policies. Then the boss (he/she) said "yes" to the discount. Interesting shift. She was kind enough to carry the case to my trunk in the pouring rain with someone helping her. I never saw a food menu. The patrons were not eating. Maybe I'm the Christmas Prude; however, I just don't enjoy hearing the F bomb dropped loudly in others' conversations. Pretty sure I heard a worse explitive, too. Maybe too much "ho ho ho" went into the patron's wines? Who knows. And I wasn't offered a taste of any of the wines prior to purchasing them. Nor did the clerk offer to order ANY of the wines I was looking for which another sophomoric move. Isn't the idea to have repeat customers? Another fairly standard practice in wine stores. I can't speak to the food, and pizza and flatbreads are not my personal go to items food wise. If you're looking for a wine bar in this area, I would recommend the Church Street wine store in Providence. If you are looking for what appeared to be an extensive selection of champagne (but zero prosecco options) this would likely be a good place for that. Since the couple who own it are really highly lauded for their personalities and wine knowledge and friendliness on Google reviews, maybe I just picked the wrong evening to stop in. Honestly I don't see myself going back, I can get a nice unoaked chard at Target a block away for $20.00 and a decent champagne at Target for around $50. Oh, and the parking lot is super tight in this strip mall. Especially if you park on the west end like I did to have my car loaded. It's tough to navigate just a standard sedan in and out of there.

    The Stem & Stein - wine_bars - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...