This is a nice place with a good menu and many tasty bites for wine pairings. The staff is friendly and accommodating. They have a full bar, not just wine. When I asked for a coffee drink they happily made me a Baileys coffee with whipped cream. read more

My boyfriend and I live near San Diego and make a point to come here anytime we are even remotely close to the restaurant. From our first visit to now, we have always had an amazing experience with even better food and drinks. As a personal side note, the aesthetic and vibe of the property is beautiful. I recommend it to anyone in the area. read more

Corktree Cellars - This was the secret starter of the day which was a goat cheese pesto bruschetta. It was so fresh and delicious! - New American Near Me - Carpinteria, California

I have to give a big shout out to the manager. she was great! I booked a reservation for valentines day, and requested to bring in a 12oz bottle of sour beer, which i was told they would half the corkage fee due to the small volume. the manager greeted and seated us, we ordered a charcuterie and cheese mix plate from her. about 20 minutes later i asked a server if the manager had put the order in, the manager came back to apologize. she comped the plate and our corkage fee, she was really sincere in her apology. The charcuterie plate was excellent! the blue cheese was phenomenal when paired with the sour blackberry beer we brought. they may have given us more cheese to make up for their mistake, but i wasn't complaining! The presentation was nicely done, cheese stacked on angles with dried apricots under, mini pickles, olives, and a plethora of crackers and bread. the rosemary crusted cheese was delicious, there was a creamy cheese that was also great. We ended up ordering the ahi tuna salad, and little steak bites from the tapas menu. the steak bites were nicely seasoned, good crust, and medium rare in the middle, the butter sauce they served it with was absolutely delicious. the ahi salad i should of taken a picture of, the presentation was very nice. A zig zag smear of wasabi suace on one side, ahi fanned out next to avo that was fanned out. Next to that was a big bed of mixed greens, and wonton strips atop. the fish was perfectly seared, the sauce went great with the fish, and the sesame dressing was light but flavorful. This was the perfect valentines meal, we really enjoyed ourselves. read more

My husband and I came here for the First time this afternoon. We are in town from LA. We sat at the bar and had a great time. The bartender was amazing and the busser behind the bar was incredible! The busser was so personable , helpful and on it. We order the chicken fingers,some wine and the Cesar salad. The food and wine was wonderful. We definitely will be coming back! If you happen to be visiting make sure you stop by here! read more

Great option for an moderately upscale lunch or dinner. Delicious plates, salads and tapas. Nice ambiance, stellar staff and a great location. If you have a small group, they have a cozy heated lounge area outside you can call ahead and reserve. read more

Terrible experience! The manager guy (blond hair/always there) was inattentive, cold, not helpful, not welcoming and seemed very "irritated" that we kept "interrupting" his inappropriate and obvious flirting with 2 blonds who were rubbing his back at the bar while he giggled. He made us feel very unwelcome and his interaction with the other customers and attitude was behind unprofessional! Buzz kill! Don't come here unless crappy treatment is your deal! read more

The setting is good for a ladies lunch. The food seems fresh; the prices are not offensive and the portions are good. However, ice tea is $3.95 and no refills were offered! Salad dressings were very sweet. read more

Excellent food, great drinks and pour coupled with very good service. Cocktail and wine are a must. Also dog friendly. Would highly recommend. read more

Great variety of Tapas and some are included in happy hour prices. 5$ house Cab is nice. Diverse and enjoyable! read more

Corktree Cellars - New American Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Fun spot on the main strip in Carpinteria. Great wine selection and small / shared plates. Great for splitting a bottle of wine with some friends and grabbing some snacks. Main plates are just average otherwise this place would be 5 star. Don't miss: Lobster Mac and Cheese Wine selection read more

Not good. Stay away. Service is some of the worst in town, staff are gormless and try their best to pretend you aren't there. Fire them all?

Had dinner here a few weeks ago, and unfortunately did not enjoy the experience. Walked in and stood at the front door for about 6 min before being greeted. - minus one star Waited 10 mins. once seated before the server took our drink order. The server was not friendly. - minus one star Waited another 10-15 mins to get drinks. Two of the four drinks were incorrect... another 10 mins passed before they were corrected. - minus one star The server finally took our order, and surprisingly the food was brought out reasonably quick. I had the steak frittes, which was pretty good. - plus one star So, it started out pretty rocky with bad service, but the food and atmosphere was making up for it... but then we got the bill. Our server decided to charge us for three large bottles of Voss water ($3.75 each)- wtf? - minus one star We were never asked if we would like Voss water, and they never brought out the bottles. We each had a glass of water with ice and lemon. You don't serve Voss water on ice with lemon, and without the bottle none the less. This kind of backhanded thing really pisses me off... they were trying to get away with one here, and is exactly how you get a two star rating. I'm sorry, but with this kind of experience, I cannot recommend this place. I will give it some time, come back and see if there are any improvements. read more

This was a few weeks ago, hopefully they have figured out who their target clientele are..;; we were a LARGE group of close to 25. Our friends were throwing a b-day party and she even went in the night before and told them how many people we had and they said: "hmm, not sure if we can accommodate that many". Uh? really? like you don't want a bunch of people who have jobs and are willing to spend money on fine eats at your establishment?? really??? call me confused. So, this place definitely recently opened -- it looks half decorated. It's like the space used to be a jewelry shop or something and they ripped out everything and painted everything a piss urine yellow -- I think they were trying to achieve an "aged" look... paint fail. the couches and everything were nice and I will say, the side with the booths -- yeah, I think that would have accommodated 15-20 people. So, we get there and as our group gets larger they have no where to put us but OUTSIDE. this was a few weeks ago when it was still drizzly at night so they move us outside and they didn't have the heat lamps set up yet! WTF?? at least make it a positive transition -- you know something like I know it's outside and we apologize but we have the heat lamps all set up for you and here you go. Is it me but often times in the Central Coast I encounter lack of properly staffed restaurants -- no, waiting does not make me want your food more. mm'kay? anyway, so we sit but then we had to stand b/c they had to move the heat lamps here and oh, that one is out of gas, gotta get the gas to that lamp -- it became really fucken annoying. really. We had two servers, the main one was nice and she was a good server. Another older woman was helping her and she was calling out beer names and happen to add this bit of TMI: "____ beer, who's is it? Been 20 years sober honey, don't tempt me!" UH, lady you work in a WINE BAR. HOW does that make sense?? anyway, our night was sort of annoying, but I'm sure if you go with a group of no more than 4 they are more than happy and adequate service. Plus, food is really good, great fries and sweet potato fries -- so I have to say that if I happen to be in Carp, I would likely stop in again. but like I said, the most annoying part is that our friend went in the night before and still our party wasn't really served. I hope they've figured out their target audience and their service worked out. three glasses of wine, fries, onion rings and calamari was about $50. read more

We arrived excited to see lobster Mac & cheese on menu as well as other delectable menu items! Our server Kelsey left us to eat cold fries as we patiently waited for our sauce to arrive . :(. YUCK!! The perfect proseccco was amazing! Lobster Mac & Cheese at 16$ was disappointing appetizer size, but not appetizer price. The chicken piccata was best dish!! read more

Corktree Cellars - New American Near Me - Carpinteria, California

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Stumbled across this place while looking for some food. From first appearance, the restaurant look great. We sat down and order calamari and the ahi tuna salad. The calamari was a bit over seasoned with with a dip heavy dipping sauce that over power the calamari. As for the tuna salad, the tuna was bland and the wasabi sauce appeared to be mayo base. As for the greens, they were fresh and the sauce was light and flavorful. Not sure if I'll call this restaurant a must try. You will do ok if you skip it. One thing to note: their wine selection is wide and the rosé I had was good. read more

Corktree Cellars - New American Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Oh corktree cellars, my home away from home away from home. When life in LA gets too much, I always find myself driving from the San Gabriel Valley to Carpinteria. After making that left on Linden, I make the first right, park in the free parking, and stroll into Corktree Cellars usually on a weekday morning to visit my favorite server Katie. She's the nicest sweetest most open honest person and she deserves 30% tips (nudge nudge). They've got lots of wine labels you'll have never heard of and after tasting you'll be glad you did. Their wine flights are served on cute wooden paddles with pennies over different sayings such as "love it" "like it" "put a bottle on my tab" and "not for me" - get it? Penny for your thoughts. hyuck hyuck hyuck. Truffle parmesan fries are also a fave especially during happy hour from 4pm-7pm. Sometimes they have someone playing guitar and singing. Always they have a patio for you to sit on. And the bathroom is cute with lots of cute sayings on the walls, but nothing tacky. And of course this is all in walking distance from the beach. Great ambience, friendly folks, delish drinks and food. And 30% is the new 20% tip folks! read more

Back here last night, and this place is still going strong, if not, even stronger. I had the Lobster Salad Pannini. Ever so fresh & tasty. I'm said to say I've never tried it before. We've been here well over a dozen times. Had also, a new Pinot special that balanced very well with our meal. As always, Annie is the bomb. We all should have an Annie on our staff!! read more

I was here with some friends for one of our friend's birthday, so we had a fairly good size group. Despite the size of the group our service was excellent and the waitress was willing to break up the bill for us. The food was good, but wasn't great. Had I been reviewing this on the food alone, I would have only given it three stars. My partner and I shared the Half and Half as an appetizer. It was a cheese and meat plate. I chose the cheese, so even if I didn't like them (I did), it would be unfair to judge them on that. They do have a good cheese selection and someone else in the group let the waitress pick his cheeses and his were very good. The meats on the plater weren't as good as the cheeses. They seemed to be something you could get at most grocery stores. For my main I had the Steak Frittes which was over cooked. It came with fries and an arugula salad. I don't like arugula and the fries were nothing special. What was great about this place was the wine selection and the atmosphere. Living in the Central Coast I would expect more places to have a wine selection like Corktree Cellars. They have wines from here in California and all over the world. The atmosphere was great. There is a nice quiet and relaxed setting where you can sit and enjoy a nice glass, or two, or three, of wine. I'd definitely recommend this as someplace to try a few different wines and have some appetizers. read more

We ventured out to Carpenteria today from Port Hueneme and went here for lunch. This place is so adorable inside and out! (Patio) the food and service was equally amazing! So good - I had the cellar house salad and my husband had the chicken panini. He said it was the best he's ever had. My salad was absolutely delicious. We will be coming back here ASAP! Yum! read more

Corktree Cellars - New American Near Me - Carpinteria, California

I ordered the BEST PANINI EVER here at Corktree! You must order the Brie and Arugula Panini w/added chicken! I cant stop thinking about this panini! Beautiful to sit outside on a pretty day... Erika was my waitress...very helpful and friendly! Also the manager (did not get her name) was very kind/warm!! read more

Corktree Cellars - Brie and Arugula Panni w/House Salad w/added chicken! OMG! THIS IS AN AMAZING PANINI! Must order this when you visit Corktree! - New American Near Me - Carpinteria, California

I had an excellent Friday night dinner here with a bunch of ladies this past weekend. There was a sidewalk sale earlier in the day so the restaurant was really busy. The great thing about this place is...it closes at 10 pm. You laugh but remember, this is a small town! We ended up on the couch in the middle of the restaurant, and actually ate our food there and chatted up with another friendly group. I tried the Veggie burger, Calamari and Truffle fries and am happy to say all were excellent, as excellent as appetizers can get. The fried stuff was crispy and light and I got a generous portion of lovely green salad with my burger. I bought a bottle of white from their wine collection, tried a few glasses myself. Will definitely come back to this restaurant if I'm ever in Carp again. read more

My favorite place. Everything I've had here I loved, the truffle fries, to the lobster mac n cheese, simple burger to the steak with chimichurri, steam clams.... all outstanding. The wine list amazes me and anytime I have a question (which is always) or request to taste one the host/hostess are always happy to help. read more

Cool wine bar located in the heart of Carpenteria. Indoor/outdoor seating available and there looked to be a very extensive wine and food menu. Because we were camping later that evening, we decided to just have a glass of their happy hour house Sangria and Red Wine. Both were tasty and reasonably priced...service was pretty good and the atmosphere was very nice. Give this a try if you are in the area. read more

We loved this place! We came here for night one of our mini-moon (aka Honeymoon) and here's what we loved: 1. The wine selection. The process of picking it off the wall was great and the price was fine. 2. The service was top notch. 3. The outdoor seating was really nice and peaceful after days of wedding chaos. 4. The food was great. The bacon wrapped sausage and lobster Mac N Cheese were my favs. So cool spot, definitely our best meal over the 2-3 days we were in the area! read more

Two stars, at best. I and a friend had dinner there. We live in Carpinteria. I had the beet burger with a Caesar side. The burger was OK at best. The Caesar salad was tasteless. I didn't eat it. The fries were good but the sauces on the side were not good. The only sauce with any taste was the ketchup ( most likely Heinz). My friend had the same reaction. This is the third time going there and the last for sure. read more

Consistent service after all of the years :) Reservations recommended for weekend evenings. Great wine selection and even better food. We love Jessie's salad with blackened salmon and some Artichoke dip to start us off read more

We went here quite a while back (at least a few years?) and were excited when we both agreed to end up here again for lunch. FOOD & DRINK: I enjoyed a Alma Rosa Pino Blanc (because they were out of my preference to try their pinot gris) and the hubby had an IPA. We ate the Lobster Melt with truffle fries and the pulled pork sandwich with the plain "famous fries." Decent food, but really it was about the wine/beer. SERVICE: Our server was not super attentive, but friendly enough. AMBIANCE/LOCATION: you know anything about Carp, its a small town and on Linden Ave, there are not a ton of places to eat. That said, it is not too prissy and fairly casual so the vibe is pretty relaxed. This spot has a darker inside (we've had tastings inside before) and a cute outside patio. Unfortunately, tree stuff kept falling in our drinks b/c we chose to sit outside... but this wasn't the end of the world. If PRICES: Our lunch cost us a little less than $60, which is a bit higher for Carp... but not ridiculous for other locations. Bottom Line - I would def still return. read more

This place has to be the best in Carpinteria and one of the best restaurants in Santa Barbara. Amazing! The ambiance is nice, but not overly formal. If you like wine, being greeted by rows and rows of bottles on the wall is a nice welcoming. I sit at the bar and get the ahi salad usually when I eat there. The staff is welcoming, the other patrons are friendly and happy, and the food is delicious. Great wine and dessert selection as well. read more

A group of us ate here after our friend could not stop raving about their food - it definitely lived up it's recommendation. Where do I start? The Lobster Mac & Cheese was so thick and flavorful, the Pizza was crunchy and delicious but the Three Pigs was probably the best thing we ordered, in my opinion. We washed everything down with local brews and left full and happy. I am used to well prepared meals in SF and was so pleased to find a really well rounded menu with prices that didn't break my budget. My advice for this place is to go with a nice group and order as many different things as possible and share. That way, you wont agonize over what to order - as there are a lot of things that will catch your eye! read more

Such a great happy hour! Really beautiful little spot with a gorgeous outdoor patio set away from the main drag, giving a nice touch of privacy. The wine was good and how can you argue with $5 a glass? Then we got pizza and truffle fries and everything was amazing! Even the other patrons were nice, recommending where to visit in town and letting us say hi to their adorable doggies. Great classy/casual feel, you could have it either way depending on what you're looking for. I just wish I could have tried the lobster mac n cheese... next time! read more

Just an excellent bistro, serving great food with a comprehensive and interesting wine list. The service in the dining room is a little uneven, so you'll mostly find me at the bar for dinner and wine. Bar service is always near-perfect and if the inimitable Annie is working, it will be spot-on and delightful. I recommend the flights of wine, as they're a great value and you get a nice little education to go along with your drinking. The charceuterie plate with cheese is very good, and frankly enough for a meal for two when you pair it up with some bread. That said, the entrees are good, they have a great burger, and the warm, freshly made donuts with dipping sauces for dessert (with a nod to Tom Douglas) are worth heading over for, no matter where you had dinner. You're going to be in Carp, you're going to be hungry, and you're going to want to wash your day at the beach down with some wine and some great food. You're going to go here. Enjoy. read more

We just had dinner here. My fiancé and I work opposite shifts at work. So when the stars finally align and we get a date night. We go all out! We were on a weekend beach trip with the family and left the little kids with the older kid. We had originally planned to go to Santa Barbara which is customary for us. But after reading reviews we decided to try this place out, seeing as we always stay in the Carp. We were disappointed. HUGE pet peeve: being rushed. We go out to get away and relax and just enjoy! We ordered a bottle of wine and some beer along with the $25 (most expensive) cheese platter. The pairings where just ok. They added Granny smith apples, cocktail sweet pickles, and dried apricots... Which did not go with anything, and trust me we tried! We weren't 10 minutes in and the waitress asked if we were going to be "ordering any entrees or anything". We had planned on it but due to being rushed we decided on the lobster Mac N Cheese (which was bomb!!!!) they brought the Mac n cheese before our cheese platter was done. I get they were busy but we wanted to relax and *gasp* enjoy our meal. We decided to end our meal early after not being attended to for 20 minutes after we ordered the lobster Mac n cheese. We dropped $100 on the meal. So we were not that "cheap couple" to be rushed away. We were planning to order some entrees and soups but were too rushed to enjoy it. We may be a cowboy couple but we know how to partake. Next time we are in town we will just make the drive to Santa Barbara like usual. I give two stats because of the lobster Mac n cheese, to die for!!! read more

Went here after a long week on business travel. My co-workers and I tried several of the appetisers; they were all incredible. The Lobster Mac and Cheese was unlike anything I've had before. I've never been a huge Mac and cheese can but this is not to be missed. There's loads of good wine on the menu and the service was super friendly, fast, and awesome. Highly, highly recommend! read more

Dropped in on a Sunday afternoon for appetizers and drinks. The staff was very friendly and helpful, particularly the waitress from Indiana. We had the Half and Half plate (charcuterie with cheese), the portions were very generous and priced right. They offer wine flights that let you sample 3 wines...we had a couple, the "Night in White Satin" and "Hailing a Cab...". We sat inside where they have a very nice bar with screens, while the rest of the room is divided in 2 parts, the main dining area and a smaller area with more casual seating arrangements. They have a small patio area as well which is off to the side of the restaurant, has about 6 tables or so. They have a nice menu, I would definitely go again and order a meal next time. I highly recommend the Corktree - I hope my next visit is as pleasant. read more

I came in for the happy hour and ended up with, A glass of a viognier (blend) wine, and parmesan truffle fries it was right on the money. Little less parmesan and more truffle next time though- that's just me! Loved my stay, will come back. read more

Corktree Cellars is outstanding on all levels- from an excellent wine selection to their innovative menu and helpful, friendly customer service. I simply adore their polenta and shrimp starter, flawless choice of flavored french fries, and of course the expertly-done Steak Frites, but you can't go wrong with much on the menu- it's like a playground for your taste buds. Add in their outdoor patio for enjoying the beautiful Carpinteria weather, and what's not to love! Definitely put the Corktree atop your list of Carp eateries next time you're through. read more

The reviews looked good, the location was great and we were not disappointed. We decided to have a smorgasbord of items, soups, salads, tapas and of course flights of wine. There can be a few reasons why making a decision off a menu can be tough, but this time it was due to the bevy of good choices. Looking for a good place to eat? Stop looking, this could be the choice! read more

We were so close to giving it 5 stars until we had dessert. We had the brownie a la mode, and that's basically all it was. It tasted like an out of the box made brownie that was over done and the ice cream was so so. However, everything else we had was delicious! The spinach-feta bites, the artichoke dip, and the caprese salad were all excellent! We liked trying the different wines and getting to choose our favorite one. Very good service, very friendly, good food, and decent prices. read more

They have made lots of improvement! First, the bored unhappy staff seems to be gone, and they also expanded their drink selections. They are busier and happier now, and it's reflected in the freshness of the food. With more clientele, the kitchen also stepped up its game. Good save!! read more

I struggled to come up with a rating. Part of me wanted 5... part of me wanted 2. I'll explain my thinking to why I settled on 3... but let me say this... you should definitely try it and just keep in mind what I learned from my experience and act accordingly. I think my next visit will pop up the rating a bit. First off, the sign they had outside sold me... it was one of those chalkboard signs that read something like, "All you need is love. And wine. We have both... and lobster mac and cheese". That is a chalkboard from my own heart I'll tell you that. So my family and I visited. The staff was very nice right away. Very accommodating. I was SO psyched to order a flight. And impressed by their flight options... they had 6 flights to choose from (3 white and 3 red)! I explained what I liked and they suggested "The Other Red Flight". The first wine was okay. Not great, not bad. But the other two were TERRIBLE! Like... awful. Two different varietals of wet dog. I asked to switch out those two with two from the Cab flight. They did so and it was like night and day! In fact, I'm definitely going to be purchasing a few bottles of the Robert Hall Cabernet Sauvignon! It was unreal. They're bottle prices weren't bad either (for take out), but this meal wasn't cheap so I couldn't swing it on this particular day. Lesson 1: Stay away from "The Other Red Flight" and go with the cabs! My wife and son both enjoyed their meals. My wife's tacos she said were delicious, but I think they were overpriced for what she got. She seemed satisfied, but if it were me I would have been let down. As for me... I broke one of my personal rules: Never order lobster in California. I am from new England, and LOVE lobster. This seemed like a really legit place and I'm a sucker for lobster bisque wherever I am. So I ordered the lobster bisque and the lobster roll. The lobster bisque was DELICIOUS!!! It was that California orange instead of the traditional pink and it didn't have any lobster in it... so it was really like lobster flavored soup, but still... it was tasty! The roll wasn't a traditional lobster roll at all. I can't remember well enough to describe the differences. They were clearly trying to do a new take on it. However it was very tasty and a decent size. One of my complaints with many lobster rolls is that they are expensive and you get a glorified slider. However the size on this was great for the value. If it ended here... I would have given this place a 4 or higher. However... I'll spare you the details... but what it did to me that night... well... it brought it down quite a bit. But who's fault was that for ordering lobster in CA? Lesson 2: Don't EVER order lobster in CA. So if you avoid both rules, I think you could have a wonderful time here with friends. It is pricey, but it has nice ambience and at least some excellent wine. read more