Cork Soakers Wine Bar

My friends, husband and I come here a lot. Maybe its because its minutes away from our home. I love that there is a «Wine bar» in EaDo. For a while, there were minimum places to go to. You know, there are days that you don’t want to go to a bar for beer but just to relax with a glass of wine. Well, this is the place to do so. The décor of this place is nice. On beautiful days where it’s not to hot nor to cold, you can sit outside on their decent size patio and talk with friends.
If you are in the EaDo area and feel like a glass of wine, you should stop by at this place.

As long as Sunday brunch is concerned, we were disappointed. Limited items and stale bakery items. Only thing I enjoyed were ambience, hospitality and interior.

I haven’t tried the food here, so when I do I’ll give a supplemental review. I enjoyed the ambiance, music, and drink specials here. The servers were really nice and gave recommendations. I went during a large promotional event for Air Alliance, so the fact they were so friendly and quick even though there were dozens of people demanding their free drinks within a few seconds was pretty impressive. I did hear people griping that they didn’t get a choice with their drink, but the promotion was for their choice… I heard people get mad at not getting a free Saint Arnolds… really?
Anyway, I’ll definitely return, it seemed like a great low key place!

Love this place! Great interior and good selection. Try the brunch on Sunday mornings. Great tree shaded patio. FYI good place to pick up a bottle of wine and walk down to Huynh Restaurant a block down.

I came here for the Unilocal Houston/​Alliance Houston pub crawl. The pub crawl stated there would be St Arnold’s beer at each bar. We walked in, and the owner only had bud light for a beer available (despite a full list on the chalkboard). She raised her hands and rudely said, «I’m a wine bar; I don’t do beer.» I also asked for Woodchuck Amber, but they were out. One of the rules to get our ticket stamped was that we had to buy something. Even though the place was out of beer, the manager refused to stamp our cards, wanting us to buy wine. What would the manager care, since the card was for a free pint glass (no cost to the bar)?
There is a reason why I keep calling this place «cork suckers.» Since the manager is so rude, I won’t return.

Nice wine bar with a casual atmosphere. There are a few comfy couches, plenty of seating, and a separate, more private area for larger groups. It feels like a wine cellar. They also have some board games and a giant Jenga game. Little patio on the side, too.
Downsides: parking. Beware, this is not like the rest of downtown where you can hope to score a free street parking spot after hours and walk a couple of blocks. This is East downtown, near other bars, and the street parking seemed really limited on a Friday night when Warehouse Live was hosting a concert and the new soccer stadium had a game. If you’re really lucky, you can find a spot in the lot in front of their establishment. Also, some guys on the street just south of the block the bar is on kept getting upset and yelling at us to move when we were drove along that street looking for parking.

Great little wine bar! It is Wednesday night and I felt like a glass of wine. Corksoakers is right down the street so I thought I would give it a try. What an absolute great little wine bar. Very nice atmosphere and the bartender was very friendly. Also Wednesday is half off a bottle of wine. What Luck! They didn’t have much of a crowd though. Why don’t more ppl come to this great place? I’ll definitely be back.

I’m in love with Wine Bars, and this one is a solid one. Simple classy wine bar where I can grab a drink, sit back and relax. The décor is not outlandish. They have a decent sized patio if the weather is bearable in Houston.

I was hoping to give this place another shot after a bad experience when they first opened their doors. Sadly the service was just as awful even under new management.
We had scheduled a large group of local residents to a Sunday brunch and mimosas and as we all arrived at the scheduled time we noticed that they were still preparing for our arrival. I would have been willing to overlook this, however, I ended up waiting 30 minutes for a mimosa. Rumor has it they didn’t have any champagne, huh, I thought that would have been a given.
Secondly we started ordering them by the pitchers instead of by the glass since the bartender was under duress not knowing how many glasses she had poured or given out. We thought this would help her keep tabs since after all they are large pitchers. We agreed upon what I thought was a rather steep price but we were already there and willing to succumb. The food spread was actually decent! I came across a couple of egg shells in the egg salad but at least I knew they were using real eggs!
When it came time for payment we were individually responsible for our brunch meals and all chipped in together for pitchers. Unfortunately, there was no record keeping of how many pitchers had been given out to us and we then obviously had a discrepancy in the number. We were told we had covered all of our costs until we went to leave and then told we still owed money.
I would have to say that I hope it was a learning experience for the staff, however, I myself will not be going back. $ 40 for a brunch and a couple of mimosas, I’d rather go to Pappadeaux or Hugo’s for that price.

I came for Artful Sips last night and had a bad experience:
My friend and I walk in, he has a groupon however I didnt but was willing to still pay the $ 35. We both had RSVP earlier in the week. I’ve heard raves about painting and wine so I thought I’d give it a shot.
We walk in, not even given any instruction on what to do we just follow a group of people. As I’m putting paint on my paint the instructor insists that I dont need that much paint. Seriously, it was only a couple dabs. There was also a limited supply of paint brushes and not enough easels assembled. As the instructor has already started, were still patiently waiting for the gentleman to assemble our easels. Since there was not enough big paint brushes we had to wait for a couple people to finish theirs. We’re already at least 20 mins behind. We couldnt hear the instructor at all. Luckily I was around other people who have attended a similar class and they instructed me what to do. This was bascially a sefl taught class because the instructor obviously didnt.
About the actually wine bar its really nice. The interior is decorated tastefully and its a nice place to go with a group of friends just to relax. This is the 2^nd time I’ve been there that they ran out of meat and cheese. Its good but definately not worth it. They charge $ 8 a person for salami and 3 different kinds of cheese
I may consider going back since its near my house however for Artful Sips I highly recommend NOT doing it.
This is a wine bar and it should remain a wine bar.

I was in love the minute I walked in the bar. So perfectly set up and decorated. It looks and feels exactly like a wine cellar. Plenty of seating, but it doesn’t feel cramped.
Prices are reasonable, but know that their happy hour deals aren’t really much of a deal. We ordered a $ 8 glass and I loved the wine. My companion received a really small pour and had to ask for more (which was unfortunate); luckily the bar tender complied and didn’t seem to mind.
I wasn’t there on a special event night, but I heard they have a painting class on Wednesdays that is excellent.
I will absolutely return.

I have to start out by saying that this review is for their Wednesday night feature– Artful Sips, and not so much the bar itself (which I actually really liked).
Way back in early Fall, my girlfriends and I bought a Groupon-​style deal online for this paint party at Cork Soakers for just $ 17 (1 glass of wine included). Just like with most online daily deals, we forgot about it right up until the expiration date started quickly approaching. When the 5 of us finally coordinated a night that worked for all of us, we made the reservation and the employee told us to get there by 6:15.
I was coming straight from work and like any good Unilocaler, I checked the menu online ahead of time. It said they had a cheese platter and a meat platter. Ok, not ideal, but better than nothing, right? So I arrive slightly early with just enough time to order some food but it turns out they weren’t offering any food that night and I had to go next door to the market and order a sandwich. I walked next door, ordered my sandwich, realized I left my card with the bartender to keep the tab open, walked back to Cork Soakers, got my card, walked back to the market… and I think you know the rest. So I bring the boxed up sandwich back with me to the wine bar and something about it feels strange. Bringing food from another restaurant into a bar to eat? Just wrong. By this point I’m ready to enjoy my wine and get on with the painting.
All my girlfriends (and I) had done one of these group painting/​wine parties before, so we all thought we knew what to expect. My first experience had been great and i was really looking forward to giving it another shot. As soon as we sat down we all noticed a computer printout of a Van Gogh sitting right in front of our canvases. Wait– THIS is what we’re painting tonight? A real authentic Van Gogh?! What about a simple flower, or a piece of fruit, or even just some squares? Those all would have been significantly less intimidating than the idea of recreating a freakin’ VAN GOGH!
I’m always the optimist though, and I still thought there was a way I could work through this with enough step-​by-​step instructions. I decided to ignore the fact that my friends and I were sitting practically shoulder-​to-​shoulder and had to keep our paint plates on our laps. I also smiled through the 15 minute process of selecting our own paints and dealing with almost-​empt paint tubes. And the initial instruction of painting the canvas half blue/​half green seemed fine until we were all instructed to blow it dry and I ended up waiting in line for 10 minutes when the entire class was trying to use the exact same hair dryer.
The rest of the class went downhill from there. We were all expecting group instructions but instead, she just expected us to do the whole thing on our own. She walked by here and there and offered a few tips, but I needed a lot more help than what she was giving. At one point, my girls and I collectively «gave up» and admitted that we would not be proud of the finished product. I think if I had a house with a guest bathroom, I would possibly consider hanging it in there. But it’s definitely not living room worthy art. Mine is actually still sitting in my car…

I read the reviews and still decided to give this place a chance on Friday night before the Astro’s game… hey, to sit and drink wine and be shuttled to the game for free was a great motivator.
Well, I wish I had listened, we got there around 4:30 and there was literally NOBODY in there, no staff, no patrons, nothing but the wine. We crossed over to Lucky’s to see if this place was going to open up and we were pretty much ignored in there too, so we just left and ended up at another bar for food and drinks.
Thanks for ruining my evening guys, I’m not really sure why you’re still open if this is how you run a business.
Anybody who’s reading this, don’t chance it, just don’t go…

Cork Soakers is great– atmosphere is nice but not stuffy like many wine bars. Also, it’s well– lit, you don’t feel like you’re sitting in the dark, which is nice.

Happy medium.
Decently priced wines (quite a number for $ 7), lots of little niches to entertain your friends, the owners are very nice and laid back, and Lucky’s delivers food.
I was here recently with a gaggle of Unilocalers, enjoying an early Friday night, watching the psuedo-​hipsters walking into Warehouse live across the street. In between sips of wine, we laughed at little kittens in skinny jeans. All attempting to dress «80s» and failing miserably. It was amusing for all of two minutes.
The menu is not overwhelming, but they do have a few options of the types of wines they offer. I was slightly disappointed that there weren’t any Torrentes or Viogners, but I persevered and enjoyed a nice medium Riesling for a majority of the evening.
The owners are very affable. They’ve created something analogous to a neighborhood wine bar. Knowledgeable, without the pretension.
I’m not a bar food eater, because it’s usually gross in a fatty, grease pool sort of way. Lucky’s has some way above average fare. I know some people (clears throat and looks at a few key Unilocalers) who laud the merits of bar x’s pizza… that they heat up in a toaster oven. This is not that sort of bar pizza. Lucky’s is worth the calories/​fat/​carbs.

An earlier reviewer commented that she was frustrated because she was dressed casually and got carded. That’s a shame that she’s in such a hurry to look old enough that no one can mistake you for under 30. ;)
The overall ambience is very cool for a wine bar. Someone commented that it had the vibe of a hunting lodge with the exposed wood. Instead, I thought the wood, in a medium tone, along with the lighting and the open spaces reminded me of a California Mission/​Hacienda style you find in wine country with a little Texas edge. I thought it was pretty cool.
The wine list was fairly extensive and they had offerings in a number of price ranges. Sparkling, a good selection of whites and reds beyond the mainstream (cliched?) California cab/​merlot/​pinot (thanks Sideways) and chardonnay. Albarino, some Oregon wines… I was happy.
The mark-​up was in line with what (nationally) dining establishments customarily do – not a true bargain but better than most places in Houston who are into a different kind of «soaking».
The downsides are the parking – people are illegally using the lot – and if the place is full, the acoustics would be on the deafening side. I like to have a good conversation when I sip my wine. I think they could also improve the place by putting some seating on the side patio.
The food was kind of weird – they bring it in from the bar next door (and you can get typical bar food fare from them). Their website says they also have the standard wine bar cheese and charcuterie offerings, but I didn’t ask. I was just happy with the wine.
A solid 4-​star experience. It’s one of the better wine bars in town.

This is an A+ establishment. I used to work at a wine bar here in Houston until it closed down and I’ve been on a search for a good wine bar with quality selections, good prices, and a laid back atmosphere… I FINALLY found all of that at Corksoakers. Friendly staff and a great place to hang. I’m a fan.

Nice Place, very relaxing inside. I can totally see us hanging out with friends there. We went there on Wednesday night for an art class, and we had a blast. It is 35 dollar including a glass of wine, they also provide all the art supplies.
We are very excited more places like this are opening at EADO.
Servies was above average, friendly server, but thre is one server, or one of the owner/​manager that did not acknolowdge us the whole time we were there, which give us an unwelcome vibe. Make us wonder if this place welcome different diversity and culture or not. Beside that eveything is great.
Btw, the art instructor is Marie Valdez, and she is amazing, you definitly need to go check out her art at the place too!
Tips:
1. Great happy hour, 50% off wine 5−7pm
2. Introduction art class every Wednesday, highly recommend. Its 35 dollar with a glass of wine and you dont even need to bring your art supply.

Since it’s so close to the ballpark, here is why despite the fantastic name, corksoakers struck out for me:
strike one: For a place that was empty, faces the fratastic Lucky’s, and has a hand stapled wine menu, the wine is pretty expensive. Almost no glasses fall below 13 bones and a lot of them are $ 20.00. That alone is a deterrent to come back and try more wines.
strike two: When I walked up to the door, I immediately assumed the place was closed and locked. The door was impossible to open. Had I not KNOWN my friends were inside and had the owner not been outside to tell me the door is finicky, I would have left. A bad door is bad for business.
strike three: Despite being the only three people in the place, the waitress brought the wrong bottle of wine. I’ll say those were my three strikes and this place is out.

Now I’m not sure who this «orange head» is that got the FTR on this place, but I doubt she was an actual patron of the establishment.
I joined a group of ladies here for an evening out and could not be more pleased with the service we had! The wine was awesome, the décor is simple yet refined and the atmosphere is comfortable. This is not your pretentious wine bar with stuffy suits and snobby connoisseurs. In in all seriousness, the name itself comes from a SNL sketch! So feel free to come and enjoy a glass of pinot on the patio or inside.
Also, the bathrooms are über clean which is hard to find in the Warehouse district… so live it up!