It was during one of the last weeks of the LCB strike . I had been gouged $45 for a 26 year of Alberta vodka. When I got off the bus and so Granville I thought oh there used to be a government liquor store here surely the goodness serious at least a private one nearby. And so I found Jaks and it was a wonderful experience . Great selection, more like a baby LCB than a wine store or some of the other liquor Outlets just basically have a lineup of basically overly marked up pricing. I just drink something like polarize or silent Sam with low-cal cranberry juice on the Rocks but as a martini. I was able to purchase four bottles and the only markup was two bucks . Two bucks. After just paying almost $10 more for a 26 year Alberta vodka. And they actually wanted $44 for $28 bottle of Absolute Vodka. Upmarket gouging never sits well with me. So, while I still mostly by my vodka at a government store, when I want to just go out and have a lovely afternoon and bring home some wine and some vodka i zoom up from my little corner of Yale town by bus to the south Granville District and pick up my supplies . Thanks guys , you are doing a great service to us Vancouver rights and I for one I'm delighted and happy to support you. read more

Ducked into this place in the middle of the weekday looking for a specific brand of wine to bring to a friend's dinner party. Upon first impressions, this is a small boutique sized wine store (we are in South Granville after all) that tries. It's a split level, the entrance (higher) level is wine, lower level (exit) is beers. There is a little bit of everything grouped by countries. A few bottles of each brand, and looks like a good mix of mid-priced to higher priced bottles. Appreciated the fridges lined with white wine. I imagine it serves as a good last minute "grab and go." I had a few minutes to browse before I was asked if I needed help. They didn't have the bottle I was seeking but the guy spent at least 5 to 10 minutes going over some other wines he recommended, taking my budget into account and asking other questions (i.e. was I looking for a specific varietal, region, etc.) He mentioned I could bring the bottle back if we were unsatisfied with the wine but I didn't ask how that would work... I would feel sheepish to bring back an opened bottle of wine. In the end I took a bottle that was recommended, within my budget, and though I had never heard of this winery before, turned out to be a great hit at dinner. Thanks! read more

JAK's Beer, Wine & Spirits - Witty display sign outside the store. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

The staff at JAK's is very knowledgeable- particularly about wine- and I am always exploring and buying new bottles based on their recommendations. Recently, I had troubles with a delivery and I received a couple of phone calls with apologies. It was suggested to use Uber or another food delivery company as an option, which I will do in the future. Mostly, I like going to the Granville location to browse and find a new treasure to drink. None of the wine stores closer to me carry a selection of wine that is global or complex in most price points as JAXs does!! read more

Alcohol. Alcohol everywhere. Alcohol as far as the eye can see. You know it's a beautiful thing when they had a dual split-level thing going on (a section for wine, and another for beers/hard liquor). It had a vast, vast variety of alcohol as people have already mentioned. We decided to come here since we needed to load up our fridge at our place since we were visiting here and not used to the lack of alcohol presence at the nearby 7-Eleven (slight change to what I'm used to in the States). It was a convenient place to stop off at considering we had just stopped off in the area to get some Icy Hot for our friend with a backache (talk about being weary travelers); Yelp helped us to find this gem! Besides being in awe of the selection of various beers and ciders, and wines (although I did not peruse the wine section that much), the service was great. The staff, and the two cashiers at the time (a girl and a guy) were so friendly. They thought our Hawaii licenses are pretty fancy and then talked about how theirs are so plain compared to ours. We appreciated the help and the customer service (along with the great alcohol) that this place had to offer. Next time we're in town, we'll definitely stop by to visit again! read more

A last minute stop on the evening train home (aka: the bus), this liquor store was music to my tired eyes. I run for it, swing open the doors -- I'm here to conquer this liquor store *and* its 11pm closing time. Dudeman behind the counter looks up and says, "Quick! It's 10:56pm and you've got 4 minutes exactly to choose your booze and pay up, or our machines aren't gonna let your transaction go through." Oh heeeaall no. I can barely make a decision in that time on a regular day, but given that I was entirely full from a delicious dinner, and half-cut from a booze-filled day, there ain't no way I could make it. But I had instructions in text message form: "We've got people over, and are out of beer. Can you pick some up for us?" With the help of dudeman behind the counter, I did just that. AND with two minutes to spare got myself a cheapo bottle of white to enjoy with "the people" my significant other was referring to. Debit card went through not a minute too late -- 11pm rolled over just as the machine gave me the glorious, "Approved. Please remove your card." sign. Dudeman and I high-five, and I leave victorious, and hop back on that evening train. read more

Well, we know, buy your booze before you get to Whistler. It's just easier. There is the one liquor store, Nestors, that you need to drive to from the Village, which also rocks, but they have a monopoly on the place. We stopped here, because in Canada, they make you make 2 stops to get your food and your booze, which is super irritating, but it is what it is. So we go to the first one we can easily find. Well stocked, not inexpensive, but not too bad. They had pricey wine, and "bargain bottles", lots of beer selections, I got some fun ginger beers that I didn't realize had alcoholic content, so that was a bonus. But then I wasn't able to make a Moscow Mule out of them. but they were good regardless. I think they were Jamaican. Anywho....we got our drank on! read more

Great manager, incredibly rude staff :/ I used to go here, but I rather just go further away and not support this store anymore. read more

this store is always there for me whenever I need them. The best part is they are only a block away from my house, so if you live in the hood you now exactly what I am talking about. They tend to be a little bit more on the expensive side, comparatively speaking to other liquor establishment, but their assortment of wine is and beer is why I keep coming back.. you know the further I get into this review I feel perhaps I have discovered I have a problem.. I am actually swooning over a booze stop...who knew. Anyways, the best part is they are open till 11 and always more than willing to help you if your unsure of what to buy or what brand to get.. all you have to do is ask. read more

Much like the LCBO..you were there for me when I needed you...actually you have been there on more then one occasion...I'm starting to think I may have a problem...hmmmm... Oh well..at least you are open late... read more

Most of the staff is great but the manager is just terrible!

12/10 great little liquor store but I'm writing this review in hopes of finding my modern day Romeo. My beautiful blonde friend and I, the spicy brunette, walked in on a Wednesday so we could get pitted that night. This tall gingerly man overheard our master plan and guided me towards the tequila. He called me beautiful as he scanned my $75 dollars worth of alcohol (a supportive king). So Romeo, if you're seeing this, please add me on Instagram so we can continue heating this thing up. @jacquievdm read more

Witheringly expensive! But they're right by my house... and they have really good hours (open until 11pm, 7 days a week). Guess it's the price of convenience. I'll be back and they know it. I agree with Lee that wine is definitely the emphasis here. I think if you compare bottle-to-bottle on wine, this place isn't all that much more expensive than the provincial stores, but be warned that they just don't carry many inexpensive wines. There are a handful of bottles under $20 and I haven't noticed anything under $10 at all. Beer seems to cost several dollars more here than I've seen it elsewhere, but on the other hand they have a better selection than you'd expect for the size of the shop. There are provincial stores off Broadway at Arbutus and Cambie... visit one of those if you have time and they're open. If you don't or they're not, this place'll be happy to help you out! read more

I feel like a chump shopping at private liquor stores, for several reasons. First, I think it symbolizes laziness because it much easier to hit-up your neighbourhood booze shop than hike-it over to the government liquor store to purchase your favourite potation. Second, private stores are always more expensive and have no reservations whatsoever about exploiting you for those beverages that are taking days, if not years, off your life. Third, I (perhaps unjustifiably) feel that I am supporting the right-wing and two-tier services when shopping at places like this. While it is quite a jump to compare private liquor stores with private healthcare providers, BC did used to have fair and successful control over liquor sales and distribution. There are no standards for inventory, pricing, or customer service in private stores. Now that my liberal rant has come to an end, I begrudgingly admit that the Granville Street Liquor Store has a fairly impressive selection of craft beer. I think their wine and spirits selection is on par with nearby Broadway Liquor Store or Firefly, but it is evident that the manager of this grog emporium makes an effort to carry a wide variety of rare and local beers. This store also stands apart from other private outfits due its impressive selection of single malts. Not that I would ever support a profit-driven, up-marking small business with the purchase of a $140 bottle of scotch, but Yelpers should know that they do stock some decent drams. read more

Only liquor store around open before 10 AM which is great when you need to grab something for a last minute event on the way into work.

great selection of craft beers and spirits. too bad the staff doesnt match the quality of the products. i arrived at 10:50 on a thursday night. to my dismay and a couple other angry customers the door was locked and security gate was already up. really? are you in such a rush to leave at 11:01? keep this in mind before you go and better be there at 10:30 read more

Terrible service. When a customer advises the cashier that she is purchasing a bottle of wine at an advertised price of $8.69 and the price being charged is significantly higher, you would think that the staff would tell her she is trying to purchase the wrong varietal of the brand that was on sale. Instead, the staff argues with the customer, blames Christy Clark for the high price and refuses to explain how the price was determined. Then, when the customer makes a complaint, the manager phones to tell her that it was her fault because she picked up the wrong bottle, she was confrontational (totally untrue), and, despite her saying, "but the sign says $8.69" over and over, the staff had no obligation to point out that there was a bottle of that brand at that price but she'd picked up the wrong one. Customer always wrong. Staff always right. read more

Awe man... Seriously the prices are a little but more expensive than BC liquor which suck. But at around 8pm and I get that feeling for some wine on a Sunday night, this is an option. It's not a big store but they do have a little but of everything. I'm just not happy that alcohol is the price here as it is in a third world country. How is that possible? Boooo!! read more

This should be called a wine shop as they have a small but good wine selection and some beer and a bit of liquor. They have a great layout for refrigerated white wine, it's sort of by area and/or price point so you may see something from South Africa right beside the New Zealand Sav Blanc you where looking for, be adventurous leave with something you didn't drop by for. Also I don't think it's called the Granville "Island" Liquors Store, no Island in there. read more

Excellent customer service here. I've been trying to find a specific import beer which Google somehow directed me to this store. They had some beers from the same brewer, but not the one I wanted. The Manager was very helpful and even called the beer rep to see if it was available as a special order and he placed an order on his next buy for me. Exceeded my expectations read more

Unfortunately I'm going to have to change my review from 5 to 1 star. I have been a very happy customer for 4 years, long before the store was even bought by Jak's, but today I was treated pretty much like a criminal by Anna, one of the cashiers, and her manager for trying to exchange a bottle of wine following their own policy. They were both extremely rude and unprofessional. Not only did they speak in their own language between themselves the entire time, right in front of us, but they also suggested I had found the receipt on the street and was just trying to cash in the money simply because I didn't have the wine bottle (which is exactly what the guy who served me and suggested the wine told me to do when he said "if you're not happy with it just bring it back, you don't even need to bring the bottle.") anymore as I had just done recycling the previous night. My husband and I felt completely humiliated and will sadly not be returning to that location. If you do have to go to that store, ask for Andrea or Luiz. Andrea is basically the only guy who really knows what he's talking about when it comes to wine. His recommendations have always been spot on. And Luiz knows everything about beer. From now on we'll be taking our business to BC liquor store. Customer service is not their forte, but they have much better prices. We were willing to pay more at Jak's for their customer service which has always been amazing, but today they proved their new staff (Anna has only been a cashier there for a couple of months and has already shown she's not a people's person, really) is absolutely rude and unprofessional. read more

Sure the prices can be more than than BC liquor stores, that is too be expected though. Its a convenience booze store after all. Staff are always pleasant and cheery I find, no issue there. Good selection of wine and craft beer. I like the tub of iced beer cans at the check out. Save the Harp lager for me please. Tip - the staff allowed me to park my bike inside the store once when I forget my lock (take that bike thief creeps!) Cheers. read more

2014 New Year's Resolution ... never shop at a private liquor store again! I did award 1 star for being open Sunday, which saves me going downtown to the Bute/Alberni government store. Price wise - this is one of the worst of the "privates." I expect to pay a little more anytime a business extends their business hours/days, but the gouge here is just a tad too extreme for me. Over $6 mark-up on a 26oz jug of vodka? C'mon! For the most part - the staff are friendly, and the place looks ok, but that's not enough for me. I'm not a cheap person, nor do I mind a little "price-war-slap-in-the-face" from time to time, but this is more like a punch in the gut! The prices are offensive, and I'm done! Cheers! read more

Great selection and super helpful staff. I always end up super happy with whatever I buy when I get a recommendation. A lot of people have mentioned it's expensive but I actually find it noticeable cheaper than Broadway Liquor store, which is the other one in the area. read more

This is specifically about the Dunbar location. A couple times a week after working we stop at Jak's for a couple cold beers to drink in the truck. I thought it would be easy to just bring the empty cans back in on the next stop. I brought 4 empties back and put them on the counter before walking over to the cooler, before I even got there while serving another customer the douche at the register barks at me "are they washed out". I answered no but they are dry. My turn at the register and he says they can't take them if they aren't washed out, no big deal so I say do you have a garbage can then. His reply was "you can probably find one somewhere". Needless to say after paying way too much for 2 beers I left with a "fuck you and I'm not coming back here again." read more

good location, good selection, but oh man can they be rude here. i've been denied service here probably 3-4 times now because my (totally valid) driver's license is expired. that's fine, and since they've become more consistent about it it's probably a managerial focus, which is great. but wow, there is no need to be so rude about it. i've had a few interactions like this with one particular female employee (australian?) and i just don't see the need to be so rude. Deadpan stare, cold demeanour, vindictive/"gotcha" attitude when turning me away, the whole nine yards. Hello, I'm visibly of age and obviously not out to scam anybody, I just forgot my passport today - because most places accept my DL no problem! i've had the same thing happen next door at the Marquis, and what a difference! The employee there was nice, smiling, apologetic.. actual customer service instead of acting like a bouncer or cop! I've had service jobs where I had to do similar things and always made a point of communicating it so that the customer still feels welcome. I get so nervous going in this liquor store now that i'm not sure i'll be back....even though I live nearby. Basically: understand the rule, understand the reason for it, but this level of customer service should be unacceptable, especially at a place of this price range. read more

This store says it is a local neighbourhood wine store, but I bought a bottle of 2008 Vin de Pays D'Oc and opened it up several days later and it was terrible. It was spoiled somewhere. I do not keep receipts of my wine purchases, so when I took it back, they refused to give me my money or a credit or an exchange. The clerk took the screw cap off and said it was definitely bad wine, but no receipt, no exchange. Any other store I have bought wine at would take it back, but not these guys. Poor customer service. read more