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    J Riley Distillery

    4.3 (528 reviews)
    ModerateDistilleries
    Closed 4:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Recommended Reviews - J Riley Distillery

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    Lunch J.Riley Burger sliders.
    Stefanie C.

    Had lunch and drinks here on a Thursday afternoon. Burgers were great, along with delicious cocktails. I tried their whiskey sour and a whiskey mule--both were spirit forward and great tasting. Much appreciated! The sliders I had were also very good. Service was on point as well. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Overall a very nice location for good cocktails and food.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    BLT w/ Sweet Potato Fries
    Roger C.

    Dined December 2025. Had not been here for a while and heard they had updated their menu. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place still has a great distillery vibe with great woodwork and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating with a huge bar![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] SERVICE: Tonight was good. We were a little worried as we only saw one server handling the entire dining room and it did take a little while to place our order, but she did a nice job and handled the room well. Also we were not in a hurry so appreciated the time to relax. FOOD: New menu is good. I like the new variety of options. I tried their BLT and the wife and daughter had the grilled cheese and tomato soup. My BLT was BOMB. The grilled cheese has been upgraded with a thicker better bread, but the cheese seems to still be an American cheese (which is great if that's how you like it) my wife prefers cheddar. Still tasted great. They had a lot of great weekday specials and their happy hour looks good too. We will need to come back to try some more food :)

    Sandra M.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]Had a great time attending a party on the patio.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was great. Food was tasty . The drinks were great as well

    Candied bacon BLT & Garlic Parmesan fries I believe.
    John H.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]Outstanding ambiance, amazing service, drinks were incredible!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] TVs everywhere, food was not only delicious but, beautifully curated and plated!! Definitely have to go back on their Whiskey and Cigar nights and when they have a live band!!

    Just drinks for Happy hour
    Nastashya S.

    Been coming here for a while, Honestly love this place. Family friendly and pet friendly. Clean environment. Encountered some good and bad severs. Some have a little attitude and are very rude. My favorite is the giant pretzel when it's fresh. So on their happy hour 9 at 9pm menu, they have food items on the side which looks like it's happy hour items but it's not included it's only drinks and which sucks. Need to change it. False advertising. Drinks are pretty good. Love the smoked blueberry margarita!

    Anahit S.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]Went for just drinks, the place was calm and quiet.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The bartender was very knowledgeable and we got most of the bourbons they distill in house. Definitely try a few as they are all unique and have great flavor and depth!

    Lexi Z.

    The drinks were great! I ordered the loaded fries, but was disappointed with both the taste and presentation. That said, I'd definitely come back just for the drinks.

    Menu
    Anna H.

    Food was excellent. We also loved the vibe. Lots of patriotic flags and open air for dining. Our waitress was very attentive. The pretzel was awesome as an appetizer and we loved the turkey club. I mentioned we were going to share it and they actually put our meal on two plates and separated the sides without me asking - we were really impressed with that. Drinks are good and they have *the good ranch dressing.* they have outdoor and indoor seating and good music playing (not awful loud either so you don't need to scream to talk to one another.) we will be back to try more!

    Great vibe! Love being able to come here no matter the time of day and be able to be sat immediately, especially by friendly staff.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great vibe![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Love being able to be sat immediately, any time of day, especially by friendly staff

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]As a whiskey lover first look open spacious and servers are very welcoming.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]But once I sat down at the bar Zack was very welcoming making it easy for us to pick from the menu as he had his honest opinion. And I went with the lavender bees knees 100/10... we also went with the whiskey flight great way to learn the different whiskeys

    Inside
    Zack S.

    Ooh! Found a Whiskey Sour that ranks among my top 3! And, found the biggest pretzel I've ever had and the fact it came with sausage made it a no brainer. The sausage wasn't just a side. It almost shamed the pretzel. But the pretzel and dipping sauces held their own too. My wife, Gwen, had a jackfruit Greek salad with chicken and she looooved it. She also had a penicillin and really liked that too. Services and atmosphere were both great! Restrooms were clean which is a good sign! Server was friendly and checked in periodically at the right times but we never felt rushed. Overall, a 5! We'll be back and we look forward to trying out some other offerings! If you're a whiskey fan, this is a distillery so there's a bit to explore on that end!

    Hannah S.

    FUN FACTS ABOUT J RILEY DISTILLERY: 1. It's POPPING! If you want to bring your friends to a space with ample outdoor or indoor seating, games on, quick service and a multitude of drink and food options, then this is the place. 2. Drinks are SOLID! I had a Whiskey Sour that was perfectly balanced. 3. The BURGER had me going OMMMMG. It had this BBQ sauce that rocked my world. 4. The CHICKEN SANDWICH was a BEAST. Crispy, juicy and just enough heat. 5. You will have a GOOOOOOD time here.

    Amazing food & drinks!

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    Review Insights

    Photo of Sofia M.
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    4 years ago

    Delicious cocktails and food, excellent atmosphere and friendly service. Try the chicharrón nachos!

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    Jason R.

    Thank you for the 5-star review!

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    2 years ago

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    Photo of Jenero J.
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    5 years ago

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    Jason R.

    Thank you, Jenero!

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    Photo of Sabrina S.
    191
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    5 years ago

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    Jason R.

    Thank you, Sabrina! We look forward to seeing you again soon.

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    3 years ago

    Always good atmosphere. Great drinks and great food. Got the Brie chicken sandwich, very good!

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    Jason R.

    Thank you, Amy!

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    10 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    Jason R.

    Thank you, Jacob!

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    Photo of Liz L.
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    4 years ago

    Great service, drinks, and food. We had the pretzel and the fig chicken sandwich, so yummy!!!!

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    Jason R.

    Thank you for the 5-star review!

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    4 years ago

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    Jason R.

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    5 years ago

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    Jason R.

    Thank you, Mindy! We look forward to serving you again soon!

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    5 years ago

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    Jason R.

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    Jason R.

    Thank you! We appreciate your great review.

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    2 years ago

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    Jason R.

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    Jason R.

    Thank you, Loly!

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Jason R.

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    4 years ago

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    Jason R.

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    4 years ago

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    Jason R.

    Thank you so much, Melanie! We look forward to serving you again soon.

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    8 years ago

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    Jason R.

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    Jason R.

    Thank you, Brittany!

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    5 years ago

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    Jason R.

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    4 years ago

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    Page 7 of 14

    Ask the Community - J Riley Distillery

    Is this 21 and over?

    Hi Albert, We are not a 21 and over establishment and are family friendly.

    By chance, do you have any used whiskey barrels for sale? TYIA :)

    Is it allowed to smoke a cigar while enjoying the drinks and atmosphere?

    Hi Karrie, If you're referring to our upcoming Sept 23 cigar night, yes, you may inhale and imbibe… 

    Can you bring your dog?

    Yes, you may bring your dog, also feel free to bring some food for yourself and hangout for a while. We'll you supply the cocktails for you and fill our dog bowl with water for your traveling canine to imbibe as needed.

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    Drift Distillery

    Drift Distillery

    4.6
    (221 reviews)
    50.0 mi
    $$

    Please, don't make the same mistake I did. I walked past Drift Distillery almost every morning for…read moretwo years, paying very little attention, because I no longer drink alcohol. I assumed that their focus was on whisky, and certainly not on food. But then, one day, I passed by in the evening, when Drift was actually open. I saw a lot of people inside, so I thought I would check it out. The moment I walked inside and smelled that wonderful smoky flavor, I had a feeling my assumption was very wrong. I checked out the menu, which had me at brisket, and I committed to eating there as soon as possible. As soon as possible was the next day. I tried the brisket, which was fantastic! It was moist and tender without being fatty. And, it had a great smoky flavor. I went back to Drift four times that week, including twice in one day. Everything I have tried has been great - the pulled pork, beef rib (absolutely amazing) and turkey. I haven't tried the chicken or pork ribs yet, but I plan to very soon. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that the bbq baked beans are among, if not the best, I have ever eaten. Service at Drift has always been really friendly. The environment is casual and fun (at times a little too noisy for me, but I'm pretty old and have a little trouble hearing conversation in noisy environments). I'm so glad I looked past my initial perception of Drift and gave it a try. It has become one of my favorite restaurants in San Clemente.

    We went back and the food is still amazing and they got rid of the waitress with the attitude. Our…read moreserver was a super nice guy. Only negative comment is still their traditional BBQ sauce isn't great, it's a fruity sweet flavor. I wish they had a "normal" BBQ sauce. They do have a spicy BBQ sauce option if you ask.

    Photos
    Bacon Chicken Sandwich
    Bacon Chicken Sandwich
    Folds of Honor Whiskey; a portion of the profit goes to military and first responders that have been disabled.
    Folds of Honor Whiskey; a portion of the profit goes to military and first responders that have been disabled.
    Bar area

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    Bar area

    J Riley Distillery - distilleries - Updated August 2026

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