We had our first visit today and it will not be the last! After visiting a sports bar for a game, we came here for a drink and eats. It did not disappoint. Had 4 different drinks, the pork skin nachos and the gettin' figgy with it chicken sandwich. Both were equally delicious. We will be back soon. May I suggest live music on that awesome patio! Glacier Blue from Moreno Valley would be a great vibe! read more

J Riley Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Redlands, California

This was our second time dining here, we had a pleasurable experience the first time and wanted to return. We made a reservation and despite this, we were walked to a table outside in the cold where it was no more than 60 degrees. I understand that some like to dine outside when heat lamps are provided, but none were offered nor available. I had looked around and saw no heating lamps nearby, so I had asked the hostess, who brashly replied as if to convey, oh well we don't have any. All the while, we can clearly see a large private party just across the patio all warm and toasty under a multitude of heat lamps; of course at the expense of the rest of us smaller parties. Inside, most of the tables were catering to large parties, and only a limited hand full for the rest of us were available. The only alternative seating we were offered was a 2-top table for our party of 4. I understand the need for large parties at the holiday time, but it comes at the expense of smaller parties such as ours who suffer. It are these small parties who keep their doors open and their workers employed, I just hope they take notice and consideration for this. read more

I have driven by this place for 3 years; in fact, I've parked in their shared lot and gone over to Escape Brewing many times and always wondered if I should take a step inside. I am so glad I finally did! It's such a great establishment and I feel like I've let myself down by not coming here sooner. It's got a very chill vibe, great food, and perfect selection of spirits and craft beers. What it doesn't seem to have is a lot of foot traffic. Each of the recent times I've visited, the place has been almost empty. Once in the middle of the day on a Saturday and once around 8pm on a Thursday. A place this awesome should be PACKED! It's a perfect place for both families and friends to get a delicious bite to eat and a refreshing drink. Do not make the mistake I made and wait 3 years to eat here. read more

This place is a gem! Amazing atmosphere and the bartenders were awesome. We tried many of their signature whiskey and bourbon cocktails and they didn't disappoint. Definitely high quality cocktails made with love and specialty ingredients. The food is also really delicious. We both had the J Riley Burger. And best part, they can lettuce wrap the burgers and offer a salad as a side. Healthy options and quality drinks, yes please! We will definitely be back soon! The *only negative..... don't substitute their rye in a cocktail (even though it's delicious). It was a $9 up charge we weren't told about until we got the bill. $21 for a rye old fashioned is a little much! The $12 one is just as good. read more

J Riley Distillery - Smoked whiskey cocktail - Distilleries Near Me - Redlands, California

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Drinks are great, menu is tired. Needs a good steak, fresh fish, and pasta other than mac 'n cheese.

My nephews new favorite lunch during our lunch dates. He loves the burgers and they have varieties of small bites and great entrees. Great atmosphere and walking distance from downtown Redlands. I do recommend it and don't forget to check their calendar as they often have events as well. read more

Food was great, drinks were delicious. Staff was very friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, a very drunk group starting harassing me and my girl friend as we entered the bathroom. They were banging on our door yelling at us to hurry the F up. We were each in our bathroom for less than 2 min. As we exit, we have a male cussing us out and trying to fight us females as we're exiting the bathroom. I will never return here. Staff seemed embarrassed about the situation, but I don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on dinner and drinks with my coworkers to only get verbally assaulted and threatened on our way out. I thought this would be a nice place to enjoy a nice evening, but no. If you want to get into a fight at the end of the night, and be harassed as you walk to your car by men, this is the place. Update: I messaged the restaurant to advise of the incident and they just left me on read. Real professional... read more

This has got to be the best new restaurant in Redlands. I am so glad a colleague planned a farewell get-together at J. Riley because it is easy to miss when you drive past Eureka and Oriental. With no visible signage, I had trouble identifying the restaurant, but once I figured it out (it's next to Escape Craft Brewery and across the street from Look Cinemas), I was in for a nice surprise. I didn't try any of the drinks, but for a place where whiskey is king, I am surprised the owner put so much care into the food. The menu is not large, but everything from the pretzel (better than what I had in Munich--is this possible??) to the sandwiches and burgers has been tasty. Even their veggie burger (sometimes iffy when done in house) was amazing and much better than the usual Impossible burger. I have been back once already with friends, and everybody enjoyed the food. Yet to eat something I didn't like, I will go back again when the next opportunity arise. read more

Very busy (and noisy) Friday night, but such great service! Everyone who took care of us was cheerful and professional. And the food was delicious. read more

Omg best time ever!!! Me and fiancé came into J.Riley's for some late night drinks. Meeting Bubba was the best thing ever!! We will make sure that every time we come we sit in bubba's section. He made us laugh so hard and he is just a pleasure to be around. Can't wait till next time!!! read more

J Riley Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Redlands, California

We have been wanting to visit J. Riley for a long time now, we never made it to their old location but today we visited their new location. We called to make a reservation, they told us 1.5-2 hours. We got a text 30 minutes later that our table is ready. When we arrived we were seated quickly and the staff was friendly. Our server took her break right as we were served our first round of drinks. So potentially this is why when our food arrived our new server did not provided utensils or napkins. This was the biggest issue of the evening as we were eating with two children and all the menu items are messy. In a good way. Everything tasted great, we had the giant pretzel to start. For entrees we chose the J.Riley burger and the Nashville chicken sandwich. We also got the kids chicken tenders. Everything was great, and messy. If I was to make any suggestions, offer more napkins or use less sauce on the burgers. We only ordered old fashioned to drink and definitely enjoyed them. Maybe a little heavy on the bitters but still very enjoyable. For dessert we went with the banana chocolate brownie . It was good. Again, messy and no additional napkins To finish off the night I picked up a bootleggers box to-go. All in all we love what they are doing here. We will be back. read more

J Riley Distillery - Bootlegger box - Distilleries Near Me - Redlands, California

Had their happy hour potato tacos. They were very tasty. Although the place was packed, service was really good. Would definitely come again. read more

J Riley Distillery - Potato Tacos - Distilleries Near Me - Redlands, California

Came in with my wife while in town for vacation and the food was amazing. But what really made our visit a memorable experience was Tyler and his cocktail knowledge introducing us to some drinks we've never heard of or tried before. Very friendly and well rounded bartender. Thank you, Tyler and the crew working this last weekend really made our visit to Redlands memorable for my wife and I. read more

Good food and good service. Very happy with kids menu as well. Would definitely come back

Great food, drinks, atmosphere and service! We've been there 4 times now! Love this place!! read more

J Riley's was a great experience for me and my boyfriend. We didn't know what to expect because we came on St. Patrick's Day, but we were sat immediately (at 6pm!) Although it was noisy with the live music, the ambience was very friendly and welcoming. The drinks were great! Our only concern was that they didn't have a huge selection of beer, but we assumed that had to do with the holiday. We each ordered two drinks and then shared 2 appetizers. The giant pretzel and lobster Mac were both delicious. The reason why we decided on 4 stars instead of 5 was because it was a bit pricy in our opinion, and they didn't have too many beer options. The price was not unreasonable, but on the higher end of what we were expecting. Overall our experience was great, if you're looking for a place similar to a BJs but locally owned and a more lively crowd, this is definitely the spot to go! read more

We came for Mother's Day brunch and noticed there were no reviews for breakfast foods so I wanted to come and leave some photos with a nice review! We loved our breakfast, the food was delicious and the pricing was very fair for the amount of food received. Surprisingly our favorite thing was the side of pancakes you can order! My husband ordered the side for himself and we all had a few bites because we thought they were SO good. The only complaint we had was that our food was slightly cold when it finally came out to us. I know they're newer to serving breakfast so I'm wondering if they're still figuring out timing on meals. Can't wait to go back and try more! read more

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The restaurant itself is nice. Lots of space and an open air patio. No booths. The bar is small. Menu is limited beyond cocktails. The whiskey sours were OK, but not traditional. read more

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First off, I love this place. The servers are great. Drinks are great. Food is always really delicious. However....in the last few months we've seen a decline in many areas. One is food quality. We used to love their desserts. Lately they feel a bit food-service like. Not fresh prepped. Same with some of their other food options, like the Mac and Cheese. Another thing is portion size. It used to be just right. In the last month, the portion sizes do not match the price. In fact, prices have gone up considerably, which I understand, but they have also made most of the brunch entrees single items. My favorite potatoes are now an add on, as are proteins. The breakfast Sammie is now close to $20 or more when you add potatoes and sausage. We still love the place, as they are an actual local owned establishment and we'll continue to visit, but with all the new players in town they need to be careful not to lose their regulars. Based on all the empty seats the last two times we've eaten there, it might be too late. read more

Nice place to have some cocktails and food. We appreciated the 80s music being played at a reasonable volume, allowing for a nice atmosphereto have a conversation. My wife got the pretzel, which we both liked a lot and would order again. I got the fish and chips, I didn't like the fish and would not get it again. My wife tried the Bananna cocktail recommend by the server but she didn't like it, I enjoyed my beer. Not a bad spot, we will likely be back. read more

Food, service and ambience are great at this place. Will definitely be coming back. If you enjoy a good Old Fashioned... This is the place!

Nice spot. Went for a cigar event on the patio. Drinks and food were both very good and prices were just right. Must try the pretzel if you go. I will definitely go back. read more

Had a great time here. My first time and it didn't disappoint. The drinks and food are great. The entertainment was excellent. And the atmosphere was amazing! read more

This was our first time here and I was not very impressed. My husband surprised me with a date to see the dueling pianist. I was so excited for I had never been to a show like this before. We were seated at a community table, which I did not mind. It took the waitress forever to even get to us. The neighboring waitress asked us twice if our waitress had been to our table yet. After a few more minutes another couple had been seated with us. Eventually our waitress Amanda finally decided to show up. She took our order and then was on her way. When another person came back with our drinks they forgot the lemon that we asked for. After a while food was starting to be served at our table. The couple that came about 20 minutes after us got their food first and we of course were still waiting for ours. I do have to say that the Boogie Burger and fries that my husband ordered was absolutely delicious! My husband did make a request for no onions and yes onions came on the burger. He also asked for ketchup and mustard on the side. The ketchup came, but the mustard did not. Unfortunately, the Spicy Chicken Sandwich and salad that I ordered was horrible. The spiciness was on point but there was no flavor. The salad was suppose to have Ranch dressing but instead I got a very diluted water down version of Ranch. Again, no flavor! I would never order this again from there. We also ordered wine and beer. My wine came out in a drink glass because they ran out of wine glasses. Later that night we had ordered more beers and Amanda our waitress totally forgot about them. Last complaint... the gender neutral bathrooms. Absolutely disgusting!!! Not suitable for a woman. They were not clean and there was not any toilet seat covers. For me the only thing that saved the evening was the piano show. read more

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J Riley is such a nice bar, which brings a new clean atmosphere and country vibe together. It's still within walking distance of Downtown Redlands but avoids all the real hustle and bustle of that downtown craziness, if you're trying to have a more "quiet" night. The staff is friendly and the food is good. I only explored the menu lightly, but saw they had some vegan options if you're into that. The drinks were good - nice and stiff. No watered down stuff here. Side note: they don't have TVs to avoid having the "Sports Bar" vibe. They sometimes have live bands, and close earlier than the other DTR bars to avoid the unnecessary crazies (drunks) from trickling in. Highly recommended. read more

Jrileys has a great vibe very friendly staff. I've been wanting to come here since they opened and maybe it's because it's down the street from me being so close thinking I guess I can go when I want. We'll I should have came sooner! I started with the Hopomatic draft which if your looking for a beer with bite this is the one. Too much bite for me though but it was good! My daughter ordered the mango cart and my wife had a lemon drop all looked and were very good! We ordered the giant pretzel that comes with the beer sausage the cheese was really good but the pretzel was the star crispy crunchy exterior nice soft pillowy center with that cheese pure heaven! For entrees I had the Get figgy with it grilled chicken sandwich with a fig spread was phenomenal. My wife ordered the wedge salad which was more like half a head salad not knocking it was fresh and crisp very good. My daughter had the Jriley Burger with the bourbon bbq sauce and crispy shallots accompanied with the battered onion rings was not bad but she ordered it medium well should have been medium rare! We will be back. I have to try their fish and chips next! read more

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We were super excited to take some friends out for brunch today at J Riley's. Turned out to be a horrible experience. I'm understanding to the fact that there's a shortage of servers, however we did not go during rush hour. We witnessed the servers attended everyone but us. It took about 20 min to get a round of waters and over 40 to get our food. Our server only ever checked in after we were done eating. We were in need of condiments, water refills, and napkins. Since our server never checked in with us, we asked nearby waitresses for assistance and they all rolled their eyes. read more

Been here a few times..The food is always delicious as well as the drinks. But todays experience an given economic environment i very much dislike when the bartender cannot make i contact or say hi when approached, so rude never checked on us never offered a napkin after receiving our meal, with no napkins..never refilled my water or asked to, which i drank quickly as i like to stay hydrated.. all an all it was a horrible experience because of the bar staff member whom maybe just working the bar fir the tips, i had to wave down his counterparts for everything( napkins,boxes, water,bill)but whoever reads this long review, please start tipping based on service an not just on the social peer pressure placed on us by them slighting the lil kiosk with automated tip values. read more

I came in here over the weekend with family celebrating a birthday. I had no idea this distillery was even here especially since I had been to Escape Brewery across the way before and not noticed. Our party was here for a good 4 hours on Thanksgiving weekend. The bartender told me it was quiet for a Saturday night which didn't bother me as I don't enjoy loud crowds. I had a classic old fashioned and also tried their drink called the maid. Both were excellent and well crafted. I definitely want to come back to not only try more signature cocktails, but also learn more about the distilling process and their history. My one and only complaint was the seats at the long bar upon entering where my group sat. The hard metal stools made out of ground down brake rotors really rearranged my prostrate after sitting on them for a couple hours. They were so uncomfortable most of our party just stood majority of the time. I can tell they're low maintenance and rugged, but I am pretty sure it would have felt better sitting on the floor or on a bed of jagged rocks. I won't hold it against them and I will definitely be back to try more drinks. Keep up the great work! read more

Awesome vibe! Personable and great staff. Food is delicious. They have live music 3 times a week and the owner himself, Jason, came to chat with us. Highly recommend! One of my new go to spots in Redlands. Photo with Bubba our bartender read more

J Riley Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Redlands, California

The hubs and I FINALLY got to venture out to J. Riley's new location. We were fans of their original location and happy to report, we are now fans of their new location as well! We visited during the week after lunch hours and enjoyed a late lunch on their outdoor patio. The weather was perfect for an outdoor setting! Now, it should be known, we are very familiar with their cocktails and J. Riley never disappoints ;) We ordered some of our favorites, Penicillin (whiskey base) & Strawberry Sunset (vodka base). Delicious as we remembered. For an appetizer, we ordered their Tunacado which is packed with so much flavor! I highly recommend! For our main course, I ordered their Spicy Chicken (sandwich) with a garden salad in replace of fries and I'm so glad I did. The garden salad was fresh made of, what I believe is butter lettuce, (it definitely wasn't the usual ice berg, that's for sure) cherry tomatoes, slices of cucumber & tossed in a champagne vinegarette. Absolutely delicious! Now onto the sandwich. Layered on a soft bun smeared with a honey citrus mayo, pickles, and thinly sliced lettuce, the chicken was dipped in an airy/crispy batter, leaving the chicken tender & moist (yes I said it haha) To me and the hubs, the chicken wasn't that spicy, but to be fair, we do love spice, so our spice tolerance is probably higher ;) but still :: chef's kiss:: The hubs ordered the signature J. Riley Burger served on a soft bun, angus beef, bourbon bbq sauce, candied bacon, cheddar cheese and crispy shallots. Fire!! Overall, if you can't already tell, we really enjoyed every bit of J. Riley's new location and the food! Great drinks, excellent food, friendly and efficient staff, and simply a great local business to support and visit for any occasion. read more

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Great spot to get together with friends for drinks and food. It's veteran-owned so that's a cool plus. The food is good and there's plenty of seating indoors and out. read more

Great drinks and absolutely appetizing small finger foods. Went here on a Friday night and it was lively. Despite the full range of staff our service was a bit far from perfect. Our server could be seen chatting and standing idling as we tried to flag her attention. Had to often request other section staff to help. Waited 15 mins for the check, 15 mins to pay the check, etc. overall probably a great place just had a terrible experience. read more

If you come you have to order their whiskey. We had the Old Fashion, the Manhattan, Penicillin, and Side Car. all are spot on. A bit pricey, but so worth the quality. They do offer other drinks in case you come with someone who doesn't like whiskey. It's not crowded which is good for me during COVID. I hope after COVID it's packed! read more

J Riley Distillery - Manhattan - Distilleries Near Me - Redlands, California

First off.... This place can get busy! Know that the only way you can make a reservation is by calling them. No reservations via a website or open table. Somewhat old school in that area. With that being said, the service was great. The servers and the bartenders were very attentive, especially being that it was very busy when I went. Food was much better than I would have expected being that this is a distillery. Unsure if they actually make whiskey at this location but nevertheless, a MUST visit. read more

A group of us went on a Thursday. Not a full house. Our waitress left much to be desired. It took her way to long to take our order, over 30 minutes. She never came back to see if we needed anything else during the time we were eating. We had asked for a take home container, took 30 minutes to get that. We had a late arrival, took 20 mins to get a burger, and 30 mins to get a beer. One of the girls needed to cash out and couldn't unless we all paid our tab. She had not taken our orders individually, but put them all together. Also the menu you see on line is not what you get. So be prepared. Not the best experience. read more

The food is great but the service is garbage. You have wait staff standing around while the hostess sets up a large party and no one helps. When I let them know we aren't with that party and ask if we can get sat I get a snarky comment, "well the hostess is setting up a large party and it will be a minute." You're not that busy you can't say hi when someone walks through the door or sit someone. read more

Food is good but not great,, so good enough, service was friendly and prices are fair. Outdoor seating is nice.

Bubba is the best, we're definitely coming back for him every weekend. We want to see him here soon very day! He's the sexiest short, white hairy white man I've ever met. read more

J Riley Distillery - Bubba - Distilleries Near Me - Redlands, California

As I write this the owner is having a sample fest with my group. Amazing presentation. Very engaging and great personality. Will be back for sure. Coming back to edit this, he made us custom drinks with his own brand of White Whiskey. Best bar ever. Thanks for the root beer Mr. Riley. Love that beard !!! read more