Wine Steals

Have been here a few times after work. It is a nice place to relax and look out at the ballpark. I have never been here during a game, and I have to admit it would be cool to see what it is like then. It is a little small, but the appetizer were good and the beer cold.

Quite disappointed to learn that wine steals is no more. I used to go here for pizza and a bottle of wine frequently. I like proper and enjoy the beer experience. But don’t think I’ll be headed here much in the near future.
On the positive side of things the manager was very open and explained why they closed wine steals. I appreciated that. The staff is also super friendly and on top of their game. The 3 stars are only based on my disappointment of them closing wine steals. Otherwise this is a great spot.

located on the ground level of the Legends highrise
friday night, kinda empty. not the most happenin place to be and the friday night bartender was kind of a weirdo. he said he just started drinking wine a month ago. um so why did wine steals hire him to be the bartender on the best night? and the price tag was still on the wine bottle (16.99) but they charged 8 dollars per glass. uuummm…
the 2^nd story patio is neat for a date but really not a cool view. just whatever.
i think the only people who really like this place are the Legends residents

We celebrated a friend’s 30^th birthday there over the weekend. We reserved a section of the rooftop, that overlooks Petco Park. Good wine, food, atmosphere and server, Will. He was awesome!
We will definitely go back.

Not sure how I feel about this place yet…
My two girlfriends and I came to enjoy ourselves and the bar tender wasn’t nice at all. We ended up leaving because of him and not ordering anything.
The pizza looked good and we want to try it again but are a little hesitant considering the guy treated us like children. He acted as though we were ridiculous for coming here…
They have a nice porch and I think we will try during happy hour when its a little busier so hopefully we will get a different point of contact.

Bacon and Brussels, or Brussels and Bacon. Amazing.
Joel Gott cab for 21 bucks. really? you buy that at the store for 17.
A great spot to be outside and listen to the petco game outside. They have a good selection of beer and a fairly good vibe. I think it does get crowded on the patio during a ballgame so get there early!

Manly men need not apply. I recently took my husband Julius to Wine Steals in the East Village, and he was practically the only X chromosome in the place, making him feel a little awkward (ya think?) With women gathered around oak barrels sharing boards of flatbreads and bottles of wine, and Wine Steals’ feminine décor, the only thing missing was «The Notebook» playing on the TVs overhead to classify this as a true chick hangout. Luckily, we were right by Petco Park during a game and the Padres were on TV, otherwise Julius would’ve made an about face right out the door!
Although this was a wine bar (underscore wine), Julius ordered a beer anyway, almost in protest! But I was going to enjoy myself regardless. We had just come from a big dinner but I had decided to save dessert for Wine Steals. I was kinda disappointed and a bit surprised that the dessert menu presented to me was pretty standard. Luckily, the crème brulee that I ordered was spot on, and a good size to boot. I did feel since I was at Wine Steals (and may never return because of *someone* –cough cough Julius!!) I had to try their popular flatbread. So I got a single slice of the veggie, and the best thing about it was that it was perfectly crisp. I loved it!

So after his initial reservations about Wine Steals, Julius’ adventurous nature eventually resurfaced (thank god!) He went to browse the cases of wine, and got us a bottle of Kila Cava (I’ve been obsessed with Spanish champagne recently!) And compared to other wine bars, the bottle prices were fair as opposed to heavily marked up.
We left Wine Steals happy and tipsy — and Julius actually did enjoy the place. I guess give any manly man a few glasses of bubbly, and even a chick joint can win him over. Thank you, Kila Cava! ;)

Really enjoyed wine tasting next to the ball park, the bartender Curtis made the experience a positive one. I had a blast, would come back and would recommend. Only thing I did not love was the agonizing ten dollar parking payment to go here, for ten dollars I could have purchased additional booze but its down town, what do you expect? WineSteals was fun, not crowded at all actually and good wine selection. Order the everything board (Fruit, cheese, meat, bread, board) and drink up!

This Wine Steals is in a great location, right next to the ballpark and a great place to meet up afterwards for drinks and a quick bite. It’s not the best wine I’ve ever had, but I see why they call it Steals… because for the price, it’s a steal! My friend and I ordered a half platter of cheese and fruit, and it was more than enough to share and then some. I was a bit disappointed at the fact that they had Swiss and Cheddar on the platter, as I expected more exotic cheeses. Other than that, the place had a nice ambience to hang out and I can see a birthday dinner being thrown here. I’m curious about the other locations they have, and will make it a point to do that.

I really enjoyed spending part of an afternoon with my husband at this particular Wine Steals! I bet it is a ton of fun during the home games as you can see the Padres play from their windows! Great wine selection and they give you pretty good servings for the amount of money that you are paying. We got a hummus plate and it took the two of to finish it off. Our server was very helpful and nice too. Obviously it wasn’t a «happy hour» and the Padres were not playing so the service was pretty quick. I highly recommend that you go to this place on an lazy Saturday and relax in their big comfy chairs while sipping on some vino or sparkling. They have great flat screens that had soccer on them too, a nice way to kick on a quiet Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Stopped by with my wife for sort of a simple date night, just the two of us and I must say, this place really allowed us to just enjoy our company. we sat at the ultra comfortable sofa at the end of the Wine Steals side of the first floor.
Our server was really friendly and kept checking on us all night. Usually, this actually kind of bugs me, because you get the feeling you are being pushed along so they can clear the space, but not in this instance… mostly because the guy was so friendly.
We ordered a nice bottle of wine and some appetizers. The wine was at a pretty good value, it was actually cheaper than most wine stores and the $ 6 corkage fee is pretty reasonable, in my opinion. The hummus was really very good, but the cheeses I thought were pretty substandard, especially since they were supposed to be the «gourmet» cheeses. You could pick up what they had at any supermarket. Still, the price was pretty reasonable, so I can’t fault them too much for it, you get what you pay for.
The menu looks pretty interesting, but we just weren’t «dinner hungry». I’d definitely like to go back, have some more food and, of course, drink some more wine.

A certain Unilocaler, (that shall remain nameless) had been promising to take me out to a wine bar and when he finally came through this is where we came.
Located next to Petco Ball Park it’s not hard to find. As long as there isn’t a Padre game being played the parking is pretty easy as well.
On my first visit we sat in the wine bar and purchased a bottle ($ 6 corkage fee). It’s a great spot to come and catch up with friends and it doesn’t seem to get too loud. The bartender was helpful with the wine selection and the pizza slices that we ordered came out rather quickly. I love the Margherita Pizza. I used to say if you’ve tried one you’ve tried them all but with Wine Steals the food they prepare here cannot be labeled ‘simple’.
This last visit I sat upstairs in the patio and watched the football game while enjoying brunch. The patio overlooks Petco Park. There are only a few good spots for TV viewing so arrive early. Oh, and on a side note there are tons of cute guys who frequent this place, especially on game days.
Brunch is served on Sundays 10 – 3 with $ 10 all you can drink Mimosas. Both lunch and breakfast options are available.
The Butternut Squash Risotto with mussels ($ 10) is incredible! Good portion size that wasn’t overwhelming.
The only draw back to sitting upstairs is that the bathrooms are located downstairs. On the positive side you burn more calories with the repeat trips. On the negative side be careful not to fall.
With the excellent staff, location and service, I do believe this is my favorite Wine Steals location!

I’m a huge fan of Wine Steals! Despite some other Unilocaler’s, I always have great service here, even on the nights where there’s only a server and bartender on the floor. Food always seem to come out quickly too… Which bring me to my next point: FOOD!
I LOVE the food here! The wraps are delish! The pizza is amazing! and you can order Proper (the pub next door’s) menu in wine steals and vice versa… AKA if your boyfriend wants to watch sports, you can sit on the Proper/​Gastropub side and still order your favorite wines and food from the Wine Steals menu! I recommend the cheese and fruit boards!
Awesome location too! Next to Petco…
Grub Grade: A
Service: A
Location:A
Yay! I’m a FAN!

Pleasant visit, wine sampling $ 10 on Saturdays
I love this place. Better seating, better atmosphere than the Point Loma branch. And you don’t have to worry about the constant airplanes taking off from here. Decent views of Petco park as well. Very chill and relaxing place to drink some fine vino. The server was very nice and patient with me; she is licensed sommelier (or something similar) and she taught me a few things.
I went with a glass of Thomas Fogarty white wine. Had a hint of ginger and smelled like pineapples. Deeelish… the ginger was not lingering like my other ginger wine called Pear Valley Muscat Canelli, Paso Robles 2009, but this one liked.
They also have happy hour everyday from 4−7pm. Great deals on wine by the glass and half off on starters.
And since it was Saturday, I took advantage of their $ 10 wine sampling of 10 – 15 different wines from 4−6pm. It’s a pretty cool deal. At less than $ 1 per ounce, you get your money’s worth. I was already super buzzed at Sample #7 so I called it the day after that one.
I also scored a meat, bread and apple platter for free. Apparently they made an extra one and no one claimed it, so the bar lady gave it to me. win!!!
End of Review
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I don’t want to bore you with the 7 samples I took, but if you want to read on, please do so. Im just taking these notes for future visits.
Rose Tavel — white, pink Domaine de la Modoree 2008, nice, crisp.
Tercos Torrentes 2009, Mendoza Argentina — white, nice, smelled like vanilla.
Wine Steals Pinot Noir Santa Lucia highlands, 2008 — red, oh oh smelled like vanilla again.
Isenhower, The Last Straw 2007, Columbia Valley, Washington blend from 2007.
Fallbrook winery, 33 degrees N, 2007, rich Bordeaux blend.
Joel Gott 815, cabernet sauvignon, 2008 — dry, bitter, smells good, but too dry for my tastebud.
Sofa King Bueno, Chronic Cellars, Paso Robles 2009, petite sirah, syrah, tempranillo, grenache, mourvdere and tannat — decent. Cool looking label, had to take a picture of it.

I came here after a few successful trips to the Wine Steals in Hillcrest, which is wonderful. This one… not so much.
But before I go any further, I will say the male servers are incredibly nice and quick to get our pizza on the table. They’re also charming and cute, so ladies if you want some eye candy for your next Wine Wednesday, you know where to go.
Aywho, the selection here was so-​so compared to the other wine places I’ve been and the tables were awkwardly low to the ground, which made sitting in a dress something of an ordeal.
Other than that, it has a good view of Petco and a big screen showing some World Cup games right now.

I had a great experience at the new location of Wine Steals. It is a little difficult to find, as it’s tucked away next to the ballpark. My friend and I walked past it once before we noticed the sign announcing its grand opening. We went for a colleague’s small work celebration, and the seating area was set up nicely with several trays of very good cheeses, bread and meats.
As is true at the other Wine Steals locations, the service is helpful and friendly. I felt that the wine staff here went beyond what was expected. They suggested several wines, and we both got a glass of very drinkable cabernet for $ 4 each (it was happy hour).
The reason I rejoice about this location is because I was lucky enough to come when they had Pliny the Elder by the bottle. Pliny is a fantastic beer, and very difficult to find in San Diego. The only other place I’ve seen it is Toronado in North Park. Unfortunately I couldn’t take it with me (it’s illegal to take any wine/​beer off the premises within two hours before a ballgame and one hour after), but the staff was nice enough to hold two bottles for me, and I came back to pick them up the next day.
The atmosphere is a little more upscale and business-​like compared to their other locations, it being in East Village and all. I’m excited to come back and try the food at Proper, the gastropub connected to the wine bar. Solid 4 stars.

(This review is only for Proper, the gastropub that is connected to Wine Steals. But the Unilocal entries are a little mixed up.)
Overpriced, mostly average food. Pretty weak service. But an absolutely excellent setting upstairs, practically inside Petco Park. The really nice atmosphere *almost* makes up for the lack of quality elsewhere. But quality is always something they can improve upon, and I definitely hope they do.
The happy hour levels prices a bit, so I recommend that for drinks. But if you’re hungry, there are many better food options in Petco Park’s immediate vicinity, both high– and low-​end (like… Soleil/​Altitude at the Marriott, McCormick & Schmick’s in the Omni, the Tin Fish, anything in the Hard Rock Hotel… and many more as you move farther into Gaslamp).
Also — I heard you can buy a bottle at Wine Steals downstairs and open it upstairs at Proper for a $ 6 corkage fee. This opens up your options a lot, and might even save you some money if you can find the right bottle.

This Wine Steals is a nice addition to East Village and conveniently located next to Petco Park. Went here for a glass of vino before we met up with some friends at Fleetwood. I’ve now been to all four Wine Steals locations and I would probably find myself back here if I want a chill night with friends, it’s the closest one for me to hit up from home and I’d rather not deal with parking for the one in Hillcrest since it’s horrific.
It wasn’t a game night, but parking is a pain in this part of town. Fortunately, I scored rock star parking a block up, but beware of the wackiness of the traffic all around if it’s game day.
I want to check out Proper Gastropub next door next time, they share the same entrance to Wine Steals and it looked pretty coolio.
Overall, the wine was good, but I didn’t try the meat and cheese boards this time since I wasn’t hungry. I’m familiar with all the snacky-​snacks they serve. The girl sitting a seat away from me at the bar said «OH SH_​T!» when her enormous salad came out. Awesome.

It’s practically within the ballpark so I suppose you need to expect the ridiculous prices ($ 6 20oz/​/​blue moon, $ 9 glass of wine $ 12 cheeseburger with bacon). You cannot beat the view and this is why you got here here, bottom line.
The staff failed my «Basic Service Level Test» in that I was not provided with a coaster for my beer. I had to ask for one. Flat out, I don’t understand, how establishments can miss this basic service point, but I would say that 75% of places in SD don’t get it. I guess I’m on a mission to bring it to light.

The upstairs patio is the spot — if you can find it. It’s a little strange that there’s no easily identifiable set of stairs to get you there, and you have to feel like you’re walking into the staff only areas. Hopefully they have a remedy in the works for this — a red carpet leading the way perhaps? Some «Proper» signage? Some décor to cover up the industrial feel of the stairs and hallway?
Once you make it up there, it’s worth it. Views look out onto Park at the Park and into the ball field. I can only imagine how busy this place would be on a game night. Nice big bar, dark modern patio furniture, happy hour til 7pm, heat lamps galore, super helpful bartender, what’s not to like?
Well I didn’t like that I was there at approximately 7:11pm so I missed the happy hour. Half off would have been nice. My mistake. Will have to come back at the appropriate time.
Most of the menu is heavily fried, but I ordered the mussels which were pretty tasty. Boyfriend had the requisite fish n chips. I ordered a Snake Bite, and was going for the English version (cider and lager) but was given the Irish version (cider and guiness). The bartender happily made me a new drink after the misunderstanding, and left the guiness concoction for my boyfriend to drink for free if he wanted it. Thumbs up for smoothly handling a little mishap!
Next time I might do as the server suggested — buy a bottle of wine at Wine Steals downstairs and drink it up there for discounted corkage ($ 6 instead of $ 15).
Overall I agree with other reviews that this place has tons of potential. I would only come back for happy hour, since I found my tiny serving of mussels and all the drinks to be a bit overpriced (not a shocker in this location though). Plus nothing else on the menu really intrigued me, though I’m not a huge fan of overly fried food any meat in pie form so it could just be me.
I like it but I secretly wish that the upstairs patio was either fully incorporated with the Wine Steals side or Shakespeares transported to Petco.

This is probably the the most coolest wine bar I’ve ever been to. Mind you I’m not a big wine drinker, however, this place gets four stars!
**Great ambiance
**Great Service
**Price point-​extremely affordable.
**Wine — excellent selection
We ordered 2 types of red. (I can’t recall, but very pleasant to my pallet.)
Food — Missed out on the food, kitchen was closed when we got there.
Overall this place is a great place to chill out and you totally get your money’s worth…