Welp, I came in again finally. Last time I was in here was 2023 (I left up my last review so you could see I was a fan of this place). Had a lot of beers left over from before Covid so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I've been trying to come back here for the last 4 weeks. Came by 4 times. The first three times it was closed - during open hours. The first time they had a sign "family emergency" which is understandable. The last two times I came by during open hours and they were just closed. Not acceptable. I'm guessing other people who kept coming by during open hours only to find them close will not come back again. Today, October 31, 2025 was going to be the last time - if they were closed again I would not come back. They were open. I went in and looked at the beers. There's a lot of really dirty bottles in the fridge. I pulled a Knee Deep out and looked at the date. It said 2015. I thought maybe it was so dirty I wasn't reading it right. Pulled out another one. 2015. Pulled out some other bottles. More from 2015 and 2016. We're in 2025. This is not a typo or a gag. He's selling beers from 2015. And he's selling this at full price. 7 bucks a pop. IPAs have a shelf life. Imagine getting a bottle of Knee Deep Citra home that you paid 7 bucks for and getting the tasteless, flat, bad water you're going to have with a ten year old bottle of beer. Kept looking. Found one 4 pack that was from May of this year - that was it. That was the only one I could find of the beers I looked at that was semi-recent. Some of the stuff had no date - knowing they sell decade old beer I would not buy any of it. Then I found one four pack that was from 2014. 2014. Eleven years ago. This is not a typo. He sells beer from 2014 in 2025 as fresh, full priced beer. IPAs. Never again. This is a place called "BOTTLES" who's main deal is his craft beer. And he's selling decade old beer at full price (shouldn't be selling decade old beer at any price). I used to be a big fan of this place - now I just want to warn people - if you go here for beer - look at the dates. And if you get a chance, sort the reviews here on yelp for Bottles by stars and look at the other one star reviews. All the one star reviews are the same as mine - complaining about old beer. But these are all from 2019 and before. So this guy was doing it back then - and the beers I'm seeing here today are probably the same beers these people back in 2019, 2018, 2017 were complaining about - still in the freezer. I give Bevmo crap for selling year old beer. Imagine selling 11 year old beer at full price. Unethical and incredibly bad business. Never again. read more

What a really awesome find in El Sobrante! The name only encompasses one of its attributes - a variety of beer and wine with a bar in the back! I discovered the front is also an area for Indian groceries, lunch (Punjabi Kitchen - Tues-Thur 11a-3p), middle of the store sells traditional Indian clothes/fabric, etc. I've been looking for a place like this to get legit ingredients to make authentic Indian recipes - my next food conquest was Dal Makhini and I was able to find everything I needed and then some! There is a ton of decently priced beans, spices, some fresh produce, imported Indian products- even the spicy pickled mango my partner loves! Looks like the place is family-owned and the lady working there was helpful in pointing me to the right direction for spices. Definitely coming back to get more Indian products, try Punjabi Kitchen, and taste the variety of beers at the bar! read more

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I was told by friends who live in the area that bottles served pretty good Indian food. The butter chicken and baingan bharta were two dishes they suggested we try. Both were great, and to top it off, they provided full-size naan. I love this place and have officially named it my home-base Indian restaurant BB read more

This is certainly one of the most interesting spots I loved describing to my friends. Bottles is an Indian grocery/liquor store that sells Indian spices/grocery, that also sells Krispy Crunchy Fried Chicken at the front counter which also has a full Indian restaurant https://www.yelp.com/biz/punjabi-kitchen-el-sobrante (Punjabi Kitchen) in the back of the store that also serves micro-brews. I tried to have one giant run on sentence when I describe it. The grocery store side is just that, they have Indian spices, some fresh produces, beer/wine/bottles of the hard stuff behind the counter. Not that much super special. The people are friendly, the parking is ample. The Krispy Crunchy Fried Chicken is also, freshly fried chicken, white or dark meat, chicken strips, or hot wings, they are all hot and delicious. I only tried the Samosas and the chicken brirani from the restaurant and they were both very good. So, if you are every in the middle of San Pablo and Richmond, hungry, in need of fresh produces,want fried goodness or Indian food or a couple of micro-brews, stop by. Highly recommended. read more

I learned about this place a few years back from a review in the Chronicle, and finally made it here to have lunch with some friends. The food was excellent (shoutout to the butter chicken and samosas, my favorites!), and so was the beer. We only had draft beer, but there was a nice selection of both beer on tap and canned/bottled beer to go. The store is great, too. I'll be back again soon. read more

Excellent food, especially for catering. We ordered through Bottles for my sister's wedding last year after a friend's recommendation. As a test run, we ordered a variety of vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes, including paneer tikka masala, saag, ctm, biriyani, and dal. Also tried a variety of fried appetizers like samosas and pakoras. The naan is so good when fresh, but just as good toasted the next day. We ended up ordering mostly veg food for that day, but have been going back for the biryani and naan since. The owner, Kamal, is accommodating and patient when it comes to making large orders and last minute changes to the order. This is definitely more than just a grocery store/beer shop. The take out is delicious and is worth a try! read more

Great Tasting Indian food tucked away inside a convenient store. I normally pick food up from here, but there is a bar and dining area hidden away behind the isles. They actually have a decent selection of beers and mock/non alcoholic beers, as well as gluten-free beers which are hard to come by. I've order from here maybe 10-15 times now and yet to have a bad experience. read more

I love their chicken tikki masala, dal makhni, and basamati rice. I've also ordered their vegetarian samosas for a Christmas party. I along with the people at the party loved them. read more

Channa masala is one of my favorite Indian dishes. I've had it at a a dozen or so places but this place makes it the best. No other place compares to it. read more

Great food. Butter chicken and chicken Biryani rice are excellent! Friendly people.

This review is long overdue! Quite an interesting spot - Indian groceries, fried chicken, clothes & really good BEER. My husband gets his haircut next door so sometimes I tag along. I've hung out here once or twice ..got a few beer and since they have free WiFi, I was able to get some work done as well. If you get hungry - their fried chicken is really good! read more

Bottles - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - El Sobrante, California

This food is not be missed. Everything is good here. The price is right and if you stay it's like Cheers with a 5 star Indian restaurant in it! read more

Straight Hidden little speakeasy in the back with food that is slapping! So good. Neighborhood secret. Come in through the back, slide onto a barstool try a bunch of beers than grab a table with your mates, pull out a bottle of whiskey and let the good times roll. read more

A new flight (plus one extra) from a January 14 visit: - Almanac LOUD! Hazy IPA. 8.3% ABV, 38 IBU. Cloudy gold; light white head. Tropical fruit nose and taste. Hopped with Mosaic, Cashmere, and Simcoe, then dry-hopped with Mosaic and Denali. - Barebottle Young Dankenstein Pale Ale/ 5.7%. Hazy gold; light white head, leaving lace. Ripe fruit nose, with a soapy note. Hop-forward, though the iBU is not stated. Hopped with Amarillo, Simcoe, and El Dorado. Despite the name, it doesn't strike me as notably dank. - Claimstake (Rancho Cordova, CA) Oh, 30 IPA. 7.0%. Clear gold; off-white halo-and-patches head. Mildly hoppy nose. Hop-forward taste: Idaho 7, Amarillo, and Centennial contribute bitterness, with a bit of cardboard in the finish, perhaps a deterioration product. - Del Cielo Mo Almighty DIPA. 8.5%. Clear bronze color; off-white halo-and-patches head. Slightly sweet malt nose and taste, with hints of honey. - Dogfish Head 120-Minute IPA, 2019. 18% ABV, 120 IBU (!). Well, first of all, this is nowhere on the IPA spectrum, even by today's loosey-goosey style definitions; it's a barleywine, and an outlier among those--how did they ever cozen the bugs into getting it up to 18% without dying, no doubt happily, in their own metabolic products? Beautiful clear copper-red; medium cream head. Surprisingly weak sweet malt nose, with honey notes, and only a little booziness. Sweet, chewy caramel malt taste, and, oh, yeah, there's thar expected ethanol. Syrupy mouth feel. The 120 IBU isn't really apparent on the tongue. read more

Great beer selection in the bar in the back, the food is great and the bartender/server is so friendly. Love coming to this neighborhood spot with friends who also live in the area. I haven't checked out their groceries but I'm glad there's an international grocery here for ingredients you can't find in the conventional store. read more

OK, OK, OK, alright, I'll do it. I'll let the cat out of the bag. Bottles is my secret go-to spot for quality craft brews in bottles (naturally, that is the name of the place) & cans. It even feels like a super secret spot when you walk in because the whole front of house is Indian grocery. Seriously. But press on towards the back & you will be rewarded with craft beer that's handled respectfully & properly. Now, that last part is key. Oh sure, there's a large chain of liquor stores that doesn't just sell Beverages but also More. & that particular chain of liquor stores is a fine place to get liquors & a decent place to get wines. But they keep far too much of their craft beer selection out on shelves at room temperature while devoting far too much of their cooler space to garbage macro swill. At Bottles, there's a lot of quality craft brew good stuff. & all that good stuff is always kept in coolers. That way, it's much, much, much, much more likely to taste like it's supposed to. Leave a really hoppy DIPA out for as little as 2 weeks at room temperature & then compare it to the same DIPA that's been kept cold, your taste buds will get what I mean. There's also a 1/2 dozen taps, in the back across from the coolers, with a good rotating selection helmed by a pretty cool staff. I'm a local beerfly & I sometimes run into the Bottles guys at local breweries so I know how much they love quality craft brews too. So, for anyone reading this, the secret is out. You're welcome. read more

A beer tasting sounded like it would be interesting, even though I don't care much for beer. I wanted to try and taste why people like beer. We tasted 4 different local beers on tap and a 10 ounce beer of our choice. I leaned some interesting beer facts. The pourer was pleasant. I could taste the difference between the various beers. It was a nice stop to go on a Saturday. The experience was 4 stars. I still don't like beer; I am not taking that into consideration on my rating. read more

Bottles is in the middle of a commercial space, the front is an indian grocery. the back is a fashion store, india i presume. bar wasn't open prelunch. only beers in fridge available. brew: "3 flowers Ipa", marin brewing co. 5.99 -very hoppy, from 3 llowers used. 6.5 % on draught: -craft beer pricing in line with whole foods if not higher. -lots of crafts, most known to me, few surprises. -bar not open, didn't peruse offerings. read more

Bottles isn't the same Bottles as I remembered it. When I used to frequent this place it used to be a wine and liqueur store. It was large, spacious, and clean. Now it's basically an Indian convenient store that happens to have a liqueur license (Not like it's a bad thing). Currently, the front of the store sells consumable items while the back looks like a storage area and a small bar area. You can see that the area isn't frequented often by the dead insect bodies on the bar (gnats) and there's only room to seat three people. They still have about 8 different types of beers on tap but the vibe just isn't there anymore. When I like to taste beer I like to talk to the bartender and talk about the nomenclature to everything about processing it. On the bright side, they do sell samosas for $1 on your way out. read more

We love this place! Amazing beer and now they serve the most delicious Indian good in the back. Great vibes from the family who owns it. Local Hang spot. We love to come here to watch whatever game is on and enjoy high quality beer. So happy this is in our neighborhood! read more

Ok, let me begin with the fact that my Yelp reviews are usually given with a totally objective opinion. As I sit here now drinking a brew from Porter Brewing, this review may be a BIT biased...lol Located at Plaza Sobrante between Railey's and Walgreens, this place establishment recently opened. Liquor stores can dime a dozen but when the OPENING banner caught my eye, I thought this wasn't one of them. The Lagunitas banner (one of my favorite brewers) drew me into the store. At most liquor stores the clerks just sit or stand waiting for you to bring your purchase to the register. I was promptly greeted as I entered the store, "Harry" walked back with me to show me their inventory. I'm not an alcoholic, but I spent all the cash that I had on hand. All of the staff are true Micro Brew enthusiasts! They are passionate about their inventory and the craft. Bottles' staff are knowledgeable, and cater to the customer. Every time that I go, my knowledge is increased as well as my pallet for various brews. Their inventory is expanding, but they still have a lot of good things. They also have a few unique ales, IPA's and brews that are hard to find. Every time that I go I buy something that I know and like as well as something new. I could go on and on with praises, but it is best to go and see yourself. They have your run of the mill beers if that is your preference, as well as wines, liquors, distilled spirits, and other nonalcoholic beverages. They are expanding the inventory to include items that pair well with the beverages that are sold there. When I walk into the store there is no pressure to buy, but I always leave with a smile (^_^)! They just opened, but have a lot of good things in mind as they continue to grow. Yelp only allows a 5 star rating, but I give them ****** six! read more

Bottles - Bottles with OPENING banner - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - El Sobrante, California

This store is just amazing. So many of the Belgian beers I've tried and loved and could not find again are here. Witness the list of beers I purchased on my first visit: Cantillon Classic Gueueze New Belgium Lips of Faith Prickly Passion Saison New Belgium Lips of Faith Fresh Hop IPA Ommegang Aphrodite (grains of paradise) Ommegang Seduction (chocolate) The Bruery Mischief The Bruery Autumn Malt (yams, molasses, maple syrup) I had a great conversation with Harpeet about the plans they have for upcoming activities at the store. They already have $5 beer and wine tastings on Fridays and Saturdays. I can't wait to try one! If you love beer, you will not be disappointed. read more

All the other reviews are correct. Nice selection and good service and refrigerated beers I was sorry to see today they decided to display come beer on uncooled wood shelves) but you will pay a premium. I picked up a small bottle of a special Russian River barrel aged beer expecting to see maybe a 7-8 dollar sticker. $13.99 shocked me. I will be visiting Russian River soon and will award another star if the price is anywhere near $10 for the same amount of liquid. Even my favorite, Arrogant Bastard, can be acquired cheaper from hole in the wall J&L market in tiny Crockett . Unless Bottles starts some kind of a discount club for drunkards, I will not be buying too much from here. I would like to see micro brew beers on their Redplum coupons I get in the paper for Bottles rather than seeing Bud Light and Corona discounts. What is up with that? Update. I Visited Russian River Brewery the 19th of August. While you can get a glass of the $13.99 beer for $4.75, they do sell the bottles for $12 so I stand corrected and you have four stars read more

The people who work there are down to earth and have pointed me towards some excellent beers, which i will list according to festivities. :) My favorite beer they sell their is ... ugh... i kinda dont wanna tell neone because people have been snatching it up before me and forcing me to go to bevHO at a higher price... but ok Imma give in cuz i love beer drinkers. Feeling Like a Good TASTY beer? MIDAS TOUCH 4-pk with the purple box. made outta saffron and some other stuff. impeccable taste. When Bottles sells out of this stuff I am forced to go to BevHo and pay 20% more. :( Celebration beer? Get the Allagash, the long neck bottle. It only has 2 glasses of beer in each bottle, but with that one or two it will make you feel awesome. afternoon drinking: blue star wheat beer. damn this stuff is pretty good! We have tried 11 other beer , 14 in total, i have uploaded a picture of what we tried, and most of them were awesome =0) b.t.w. some of the beers are more expensive here, some are actually less in price, but this place accommodates well when you want a particular brand. read more

Bottles - 14 beers tried at bottles, 100 more to go . - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - El Sobrante, California

My favorite spot! Good beer selection and great food. The butter chicken with the veggie samosas are delicious. Don't forget a mango lassi.

Awesome service and hospitality of the hosts! Loved the Dank Row Craft - excellent brew. Will definitely come for more... read more

Bottles - Interior of the place - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - El Sobrante, California

Conveniently located near Gurdwara. Good selection of groceries. There samosa aren't good not fresh. Some times sketchy folks stand in front. read more

Just happened upon this place while looking for some other place, that I can't remember. This spot still stands out to me just because they offer so many different beverages. I imagine that this place is what Bev Mo still wishes it still wants to be. I went in just to get the old man some weird beer (which I'm sure he'd probably turn his nose up to, and ask for a Bud Light). But, this is the ONLY place where I can find my most favorite soda... Bundaberg - Lemon Lime & Bitters. Just check it out, and I'm sure you'll find your new favorite beverage. read more

It is a nice liquor store. I love the title of the store, "Bottles". They have an Indian buffet in the back of the store. The employees are very nice. I bought my lotto tickets there. I took a picture of the tiny bottles of liquor. read more

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Sooo Good !!!! From the fried to the slow cook dishes everything has a delicious mix of spices and textures that made me feel like Remi the little chef from Ratatouille.... fireworks !!!!! Delicious read more

super good good and great beer selection. nice folks, chill spot in the back. we'll be back again and again.

Ugh, where to start. This place is exactly what's wrong with craft beer amd the hype around it. They illegally sell grey market beer for a huge mark up. They even tried to sell me growlers of alpine nelson ipa for $50! WTF, not only is that totally classless to drive down to alpine and buy a bunch of growlers just tp resell them, its also straight up illegal by California law. Now, I'm not stupid, I know they have another shop amd another bar which does sometimes have alpine. Thing is they can't sell growlers of it from.there, amd the got specifically told.me they were on a road trip tp get growlers amd they would have a bunch of limited stuff for sale if you ask. Place is just shady, put prices on your bottles instead of just making them up.at the register. Stop selling locals for more than any of the shops in Oakland or the city. Just be honest and don't sell grey beer just for a quick buck. Also, to be perfectly honest, the selection was not that great. Good, but not even close to on par with healthy spirits, city beer, beer revolution, etc. In fact I would choose a whole foods over this place 9 out of 10 days. Not to mention they are much cheaper. A specific mikkeller stout I picked up at the whole for $11.99 was $16.99 here, no thanks guys. Only reason for two starts is that Harpeets mom is very nice. read more

Most of the beers on the shelves are dead corpse. I would avoid at all cost. Collecting dust you'll see. Only thing maybe fresh is the tap on hidden bar behind read more

This is one of the best beer shops I have ever been to. I found vintage beer bottles that I haven't seen for years. They have a full selection of all good west coast craft bottles, and due to the fact this place is under the radar, you will find bottles of specialty Russian River, 21st Amendment, Deschutes, the Bruery that will still be here that aren't anywhere else. What kicks this place up a notch is the personal touch and care from the family of owners. They know their beer, and if they don't have it, they'll try to get it for you. They drive around the west coast and pick up the best stuff all the time. I love it. This place deserves the 5 stars. read more

This place is located in El Sobrante. It serves all types of alcohol. The cool thing is there is a place where you enjoy a drink. Just wine or beer, no hard alcohol permitted to sell. They have wine and beer tasting different days of the week. The price is typical I suppose. Depending on what day you come in you will have workers there that aren't quite privy of the products in the store to sell. It would be a poor idea to ask about wines, imported beers, or exotic liqueurs. However I bet they can tell you the price. lol Depending on the clerk I suppose, can affect your experience of this establishment. Overall, great concept yet poor execution. Potential for improvement. read more

Wow. I don't get blown away by the vibe in places so often, but here its 100% pure awesome. Extremely friendly and cool people run this place, and the locals that enjoy it are also super laid back and friendly. As you walk through what on the surface looks like a typical east bay mini mart, you find yourself suddenly immersed in what is one of the coolest mini tap rooms in the bay area. Amazing selection of fresh local (and not so local) beers. Grapefruit Sculpin on Tap?!!?! YES PLEASE! Want some seasonal, local Faction- Blitzen? They got it.. Beyond their amazing bottle selection which rivals much bigger stores, they also have a selection of Fresh Indian Sweets (Burfi, Ladu, Etc.) which for me made this place a double score! Combined with knowledgeable staff that has a passion for beer and good humor, and you have a pure winner. Yup.. 100% Pure awesome indeed. read more

These guys are not messing around. This is one hell of a bottle shop. If you want crap go somewhere else, everything they carry is unique and also well kept! Unlike City Beer SF, ALL the beer is kept cold! This is huge for me. For the East Bay this shop is killing it. I love Beer Rev too if I'm in the Oakland area but for me its simply not as convenient as Bottles location. By the time I sit in traffic to Oakland I could of tasted a new beer I've never had before and be home sipping Allagash Interlude from the comfort of my own home. This store is actively participating in beer education. I love it. The employees are all great to talk to! Harpreet, Diego, and Dhillon have a wealth of beer knowledge! And a hell of a palette! Its not like when you go to bevmo which is like asking Bevis and Butthead whats good (uhhhhh huh huh). You can learn something here! the Beer tastings are great. I've sampled a spectrum of beers there ON TAP : super fresh Sculpin Fathom and Dorado, Rare Barrel selections, Stone Enjoy By, Goose Island Imperial Stout, Bruery Humulus, Altamont Left Coast Session, Double Jack, Evil Twin, Evil Cousin, and many many more. All stellar. The best part of the tastings are the beer stories that come with them and hanging out with other local crafties They really have something for everyone. Oh your a Barrel aged guy - no problem. A Belgian dude - right this way. Sour man - step on up. Hophead - where would you like to go today? If you are in El Sobrante and you like great beer - you HAVE to stop in and check it out. Not to mention the killer selection of wine, tequila (Don Julio Real - what!), and bourbon. I'm so excited they moved into the neighborhood! Plaza Sobrante is really kicking right now with some great food and now Bottles. read more

Not much to add to others. Good vibes, craft beer, good northern India and Madras curry cooking . Captures ambience of El Sobrante..the Leftovers in Spanish... with fluorescent lights and bag of rice on end of bench. But cheerful with good service which the neighborhood is less reliable for. As good neighbors we will return --and we offer our gratitude. read more

Wow! Pleasant surprise! I found this place through Living Social, so we went and tried their beer tasting deal. They have some really novel and good beers. We started off with a beer called 61 IPA, which has grape juice in it. Really good! Unfortunately, you can't buy it by the bottle. Then we tried two IPAs that were refreshing and sour and also kind of fruity. Then I had Serpent Stout, which is really dark and strong and has a kind of coffee flavor. I loved it. Finally, I had another stout which was sweeter. Not as good, but nice to try. The deal only comes with three beer tastings, but if you have two people you can try more (two of the beers were restricted from the tasting, but I got one of them because I traded my full cup for another taste cup). They have six beers on tap, and he says they change two of them twice a week, so don't count on having the same flavors as me, but I'm sure there will be different beers that are just as intriguing. read more

Bottles is a spirit store, but not like any other. You can actually buy a bottle of wine AND SIT AT THE BAR AND DRINK IT! How cool is that?! They don't have the best selection or variety of wine, so don't go looking for Napa quality Vino. Dillan is the cashier/bartender who is there when I go, and he's a cool cat. Not stuffy, not too lackadaisical. My biggest complaint was that I left almost a full bottle of wine because I had a wax appointment across the street at Glam& Glow, and they seemed all too happy to make a double profit by selling the rest by the glass. All in All it's A-OK read more