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Main Street Wine Cellar
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Bliss 525 is a full service restaurant, bar and private event space. Newly remodeled full bar features big screen tv's for watching games, appetizer… read more »
71 reviews for Main Street Wine Cellar
Review Highlights
"All that I can say is get the "Butta" cake."
(in 9 reviews)
"Of course, you HAVE to try the truffle popcorn."
(in 10 reviews)
"We had it with the boneless short rib sliders (yum."
(in 4 reviews)
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71 reviews in English
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Review from Christine H.
Irvine, CA
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Anyone else have trouble finding the front door? Maybe it's just because the stand with the written daily specials covered half the entrance that I walked past it once. Or twice.
Love the wine selection. We did a pre-selected flight of three cab sauvs for $21 and a self-picked flight of three wines from their "house list" for $15. Each pour comes in a mini carafe that you pour in your glass to drink.
Ask for some water since you will be parched from almost shouting at your dining companion(s) across the long table. I get it that wine flights and food take up a lot of table space, but abnormally long tables and close proximity to neighboring tables means I can hear other people's conversations more clearly than my own. At least everyone is drinking wine, so the conversations are interesting.
Service was great, and food was pretty good. -
Review from Cheri S.
Long Beach, CA
1/28/2012
Underwhelmed and mediocre at best. The food was average to poor - the tomato soup had hardly any flavor, the pork sandwich the manager claimed was "the best on the planet was OK, but came accompanied with an au jus so salty as to be inedible (tasted like it was made with canned chicken stocked which had been heavily salted).
The wine selections on the flight were OK, but what I found a major sin in a wine bar was the fact that the wines came in small carafes and you were only allowed to have one glass. No comparison tasting here, drink one, then on to the next. No kidding, I asked for more glasses and was told no. IN A WINE BAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, I went with a Groupon, which is often how I discover new places. They kinda made us feel like 2nd class citizens. The service was inattentive. I am a food writer and relatively competent about wine, at least 2 of the wines in our flight were not what was ordered.
Overall, not a great experience. -
Review from Chanel R.
Updated - 11/8/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I've been in many times since December and wanted to add a few things:
-Sunday Brunch is 10am-2pm. Small menu with basic breakfast & lunch items such as: eggs, french toast, salads, sandwiches, etc...(menu online). Tasty, but simple brunch fare at normal portions: 3.5 stars
-Tuesday: grilled cheese night
-Wednesday: buy 1 glass of house wine and get the 2nd free. It's also flight night. FYI: the flights change often.
-Thursday: taco night [very busy/pop night]
-Friday: HH ($5 specials on apps & wine) 4-7pm and 10-11pm
-Saturday: HH 10-11pm
Main Street Wine Cellar has become "the spot" (or as I call it, "our wine bar") to grab weekday drinks with nearby friends. It has a good vibe and friendly & smart service. It's a nice date spot too. I recommend it.Listed in: My Orange County Nightlife…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/29/2010
(Stop 2 on the Seal Beach with newbies bar crawl)
We walked past here and everyone [to me] was like,… Read more »
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Review from Nolan R.
Aliso Viejo, CA
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
It was just ok. Went for lunch and this one poor waiter was taking care of at least 7 tables. Had swordfish tacos, not bad. Would probably pass on this place next time.
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Review from Jessica C.
Long Beach, CA
Updated - 10/15/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This is only the 2nd time I've been into Main Street Wine. Not because it isn't a great spot (because it is!). But..usually when I think of Main st in Seal, I think "no parking' and that's that. Maybe it was luck.. but my theory may need further investigation because passing by on a Thursday night around 9, plenty of parking!
So we stopped in to wet our whistles. Glad we did, it ended up being the highlight of my day :) Easy atmosphere, great conversation, good prices. Not sure when, but we'll for sure be back.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/21/2010
The three things I remember (clearly) about Main Street Wine was my tasty glass of sweet Riesling,… Read more »
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Review from Tara H.
Huntington Beach, CA
10/19/2011
I love this wine bar and the cozy atmosphere it provides. The lighting and music are always just right to kick back and have a nice glass (or bottle) of wine after a long day. They have a great variety of reds and whites, and even give you a discount if you want to take one of your favorite bottles home with you. On the weekends they have live music that covers some of my favorite songs and gives the wine bar a fun energy.
Also, the food is AMAZING. The short rib sliders and the mushrooms with blue cheese are to die for. I love getting the market plate and sharing it with my friends with yummy meats and cheeses that go so nice. The staff is helpful, fun loving, and friendly. This is one of my go to spots when I want to have a lovely glass of wine and some good food. I highly recommend it. -
Review from Fancie L.
Long Beach, CA
10/16/2011
The selection of wine was awful. Two champagnes to choose from both terrible. I know cuz champagne LOVES me. It Tasted like sunday brunch champagne too sweet and just tolerable. Even a cheap spanish cava is ten times better. Who is their sommelier
Didn't Stay for food waitress was nice decor is ok. But hard too be at a wine bar with bad choices -
Review from Juli T.
Cypress, CA
9/19/2011
Sunday brunch was a mess here. We arrived around noon to an unmanned door... and what looked to be an unmanned restaurant, really. There was a bartender, but he didn't acknowledge us. We awkwardly stood at the door for 15 minutes, wondering how we were to be seated. There was no one to take our names, nor any list to place our names anywhere.
In those 15 minutes, I chatted with the couple seated next to me, since I was awkwardly standing in the walkway in front of their table. They mentioned that they had been waiting 20 minutes for someone to even take their drink order. I took a look around the room and noticed most people didn't have any food. I also witnessed a man chasing down the bartender just to get a glass of water. My boyfriend begged for us to leave, but I can get pretty stubborn and waited awhile longer. The waiter finally camed out to us and told us the restaurant was 'closed' because they were swamped, and told us to come back in an hour. Really??? I've never seen a restaurant actually 'close' for an hour and actually tell its patrons to come back... like that would ever happen.
We headed down to El Torito for Sunday brunch. It was typical chain restaurant food... but hell, at least we got to eat. -
Review from Andy F.
Santa Monica, CA
9/27/2011
Came on a Groupon-- was treated like a cheapskate up front for that, even though i'm not.
Waitstaff seemed not busy but preoccupied. The selection of wine was just ok, not impressive, and rather expensive.
The food was good but not great and the prices were high. Overall this place looks and feels like a wine bar but is missing half a chromosome to make it a great wine bar. You know when a place is so close but not quite there? That's this place.
The crowd was ok.. some regulars and some other grouponers. -
Review from Sandy T.
7/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
The first time we tried this wine bar was right after our wedding, on Halloween night. It was empty and felt a little like a newlywed escape. I became a fan that night after an inexpensive wine flight that took me out of my comfort zone and the truffle popcorn.
We got back at least once a month now, and every time I try new wines and eat new treats. They have a couple of desserts that are standard like the Butta Cake and the wannabe Pizookie (Bjs dessert). Both are delectable and after a few tastes of wine, leave you feeling warm and happy.
The staff are always friendly regardless of how busy or empty Main Street is that night. It can get very loud in there when the band is playing and it is packed, so earplugs might come in handy on a busy night if you have sensitive hearing.
The decor, wine selection, food options and staff, have made this a staple in my weekend rotations.Listed in: Socal Wine Bars - LA/OC -…
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Review from Eirie D.
Bakersfield, CA
11/26/2011
For a establishment that looks so good walking past, the food quality needs a major facelift. I came here with a group for Sunday brunch and it was dead. There is no way the kitchen was busy. I ordered the Monte Cristo and it looked like an elementary school meal. It was small, bland, and completely unfulfilling. The menu gives you a false sense of excitement. Total let down. The rest of the food for my party was not much more exciting.
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Review from Nikki M.
9/28/2011
Oh my...where do I begin? I came to Main Street Wine Cellar after wanting to try this place for AGES. I had been doing an internship on Main Street just down the street, but had never gotten a chance to check this place out while I was working there. Well, I came in the last day to use the brunch Groupon, and this place was such a mess. I'm definitely the type to look over issues with under staffing, but there was no excuse for what was going down on this Sunday morning.
My family stood at the door for about 10-15 minutes before we wee even acknowledged. Both waiters saw us standing there and completely ignored us. If I didn't have the Groupon, I would've said screw this place and would've marched on down to Crema Cafe. But, I had already spent the money on the Groupon, and plus I REALLY wanted to like this spot. Finally, one of the two servers kind of looks over and says, "Sit wherever you want." No apology for ignoring us for the past 15 minutes. I would have been fine with that; a simple apology. We sat at the long bar in the middle of restaurant. Well we were seated for another 10 minutes before the most unfriendly server I have ever seen in my life drops off 3 menus without muttering a word to us. He comes back 5 minutes later, "You ready?" This guy has got to be the least friendly person in existence. Again, I'm one to understand stress with a crowded restaurant, or the fact that someone might be having an off day, but for God's sakes, at least say hello to make your paying customers feel like a person.
I ordered an omelette that had bacon and spinach in it, my dad also ordered an omelette, and my mom ordered a hash-style thing. My mom kindly asked, "Do you guys serve mimosas or bellinis?", since there was no mention of them on the menu and our waiter didn't bother to let us know either. He responds, "Yeah mimosas." My mom lets him know we'll have 3, please. He immediately turns away and my dad almost has to yell, 3 coffees too, please. Ten more minutes goes by and we get our mimosas, but no coffee. This was honestly one of the BEST mimosas I've ever had. I think I heard our server tell another customer that they use mango-orange juice. Of course, he chatted with a regular customer, but wouldn't even make eye contact with us.
30-40 minutes later our food finally comes, my mimosa is empty almost empty - none of us were offered another one, and our coffee still hasn't come. My omelette was very tasty, with nice thick pieces of bacon. My hash browns were on the cold side, but overall the food was tasty. Which is unfortunate because the truly awful service will make me never want to have brunch here again. Well, I appeared that the owner finally arrived about the time our food did. We had to tell him about our coffee, and he was pretty on top of it. Maybe he could feel the anger from nearly every customer in the shop. After our food arrived, people who didn't have food got silver, but we didn't. The couple next to us was so appalled that they asked for the silver wear for us. They told us that they love this wine bar for dinner, but that the brunch was a complete disaster and they wouldn't be back on the weekends. They said it was such a shame, and I this gave me hope for coming back in the evening. Our coffee finally arrived half way through the meal.
I'm super bummed out that it had to turn out this way because I love wine and Seal Beach so much. The food was pretty darn good, but not enough to make up for some of the worst service imaginable. Despite this mess, I would still like to come back and give them a try in the evening, because I really want to like this place.Listed in: Main St. Seal Beach
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Review from Zach P.
7/7/2011
This review is based on Sunday brunch on the 4th of July weekend. We had a Groupon and thought this would be a good time to come in.
First off, this is one of those places that tries to cram in as many tables as possible into a small space so you are pretty much fraternizing with the table next to you.
As for the service, it just sucked. It took over 10 minutes for someone to get our waters and mimosa's over to us. I counted about 10 tables with customers and 4 people working, so the servers must of been doing to cooking too. They were not too friendly or attentive either.
The food was nothing to write home about. I had the potatoes which had bacon, cheese and onions. My wife had the breakfast tacos which were basically scrambled eggs in a tortilla. The portions were small.
The mimosas are not bottomless and the first round consisted of 90% orange juice and 10% champagne.
It just looked like that these people didn't really know how to run a restaurant. It could be a great wine bar in the evening, but as far as eating here you can definitely skip it. -
Review from Jenet M.
Long Beach, CA
11/19/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Nice place to drop in if you're hanging out in Seal Beach. Great wine selection and scrumptious food choices. Service has always been great. I will go back and I have already recommended it friends.
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Review from Sarah S.
Chicago, IL
8/25/2011
Favorite local wine bar. I like the atmosphere. Great wine, food, and service. I always get the market platter as an accompaniment- I select the cheese flight and let them surprise me with the charcuterie selection and haven't been disappointed. I celebrated my last birthday here and it was wonderful, from prep arrangements to night-of service. They brought out a butta cake for me, which came with the instructions from our server, "Happy birthday...you have to share this with your guy, OK?" But my guy stepped out to sneak a smoke so I ate the whole damn cake. That's what you get for smoking. Someone eats your half of butta cake.
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Review from EPI O.
West Sacramento, CA
9/3/2011
Came by on a Saturday early evening and you'd think a place like this would be busy but it wasn't. There were about 4 tables with people - including the bar area. That means the place was EMPTY.
Well, two of us came here with a Groupon and as we self-sat down this young blond with glasses and super nasaly voice comes over our table and sees that we have a Groupon and she loundly w/her nasaly voice says to us that reservations are required because they only take so many Groupon customers per hour, REALLY? Mind you there were only 4 tables w/customers, WTF. The other annoying thing was the nasaly blond w/nerdy glasses girl telling us that we should've made reservations, REALLY? We ordered our wine flight to just use up our Groupon (and get the hell out of dodge) which right about that time we both thought what a bad idea that had been to have purchased the darn Groupon. We were served our flights. They use these little glasses to ensure they don't pour more wine than they should.
The wines are mostly from Spain, New Zealand and other old world wine-making areas. I noticed very few wines were from CA. The wines I had were: a Santa Barbara-Byron Chardonnay which was not that good, the other two were also whites one was a Rhone blanc blend and the other one was forgetable because I don't remember its name/varietal. Anyway, overall the wines were not good plus they were not properly chilled. This place is on a PRIME location. Too bad they don't make the most of it by treating customers better. They serve appetizers but after going through the Groupon scene with that annoying nasaly blond girl we weren't about to order something that might be pre-packaged. I also noticed they don't pour out of a bottle but out of an auto pour like beer pourers - YUCK. Anyway, we both had a HORRIBLE experience at this place. Someone had warned us about this place but since we purchase the stupid Groupon - we didn't listen. So, if you want a pleasant, high quality evening, don't come here. Don't even buy a Groupon to give to someone to visit this place because whom ever you give this to, will hate you afterwards. HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE. -
Review from Bonnie G.
2/12/2011
I love wine bars. I love wine. Heck I even like shopping for nice wine glasses. So when this place opened up a while back, I was pretty excited. Since then I've been there three times, because sometimes you need to go to a place several times before you can give the best and most truthful review.
I really enjoy the space they have here. It's open and the front window lets in light and provides nice street views. As for service, it's consistently good. I've never had to ask about a wine because I like to think I know my wines. Or, at the least, I know what I like and don't like.
So, the wine itself is fine. Nothing spectacular. I go here for a glass when I don't want to open a bottle at home or when I feel like being a bit more social. For that MSWC serves a purpose. But I've never left there feeling like "Wow, I want to buy that wine I just had." I have never tried the 15.00 big cabs they offer (3 or 4) because I can get a whole bottle of Wild Horse Cab for under 20.00. :) I'm just sayin'....
Now, as for the food, I am not a huge fan of it, mostly because it's really overpriced. Sorry, it is. I've had the cheese plate before, which was fine but teeny for the price. Last night we had the artichoke bruschetta and hummus. The first was fine (basically artichoke and a touch of goat cheese--which makes EVERYTHING taste good--atop bread. They do have quality bread here. The hummus, well, let's just say I know my hummus (perhaps as well as my wine). I want to believe that whoever made that batch forgot to add tahini! The consistency and taste was the equivalent of pureed chick peas and oil. Tahini is key to good hummus; this had none.
I'm sure I'll be back to this place at some point. The last time I was there was in early October. Every four months sounds about right. :) I hope when I return they stock up on tahini!!! -
Review from Jin N.
Los Angeles, CA
i got invited to a birthday from a friend. She kindly asked if I knew Main Street Wine Cellar.
Of course!!! (Thanks Hazel Q for giving me street cred!)
I was glad to have returned to Main Street because I had a very positive experience the first time. Now I can return and have a full experience. My friend's birthday group consisted of 20+ people. I kept assuring my friend that Main Street can handle, and of course they did. The service throughout the night, I might add was very good. Always a big thumbs up for the staff and crew at Main Street.
I kept insisting to other they needed to try the Truffle Popcorn. They laughed but when I pointed out it was only $5 bucks they ordered some. One plate became 4 plates. :)
I sampled some of others' plates while I envied others.
The Cabernet Prime Beef looked glorious. I wish I ordered that. I wasn't that hungry but it looked so good. I spied someone's Shrimp Scampi with pasta, which looked good but tasted unremarkable. The crab cake I ordered was very beautifully presented as well. No real complaints on the dish. The sliders I had were fantastic too -- bonus because they were piping hot!
I also ordered the their market plate, which combines a cheese flight and a charcuterie plate. I opted for the medium & firm flight with the manchego, cotswald cheddar and gruyere berne. All lovely cheeses. On the charcuterie I opted for the Prosciutto de Parma, Duck Prosciutto and the Serrano Ham. All were stunning cuts of meat. I must say the plate was a very generous plate of food. One of the better meat and cheese plates I've had at a wine bar. Very pleased.
Dessert was their chocolate chip cookie. Its exactly like the Pizzookie at BJ's. Individually cooked cookies topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. How can anyone say no to that???
I really enjoyed my visit to Main Street. If I lived closer I'd surely come often. If you're in Seal Beach, you're sure to win to visit a very elegant and non-pretentious wine bar.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/6/2010
What a beautiful space. Wide and spacious with a lot of beautiful light pouring in. With a lovely… Read more »
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Review from Dustin B.
Brea, CA
8/27/2011 2 photos
I was with a Belgian and two French people. They are particular about wine. They liked one of the whites but not much else. I liked all the wine, especially the red I took a picture of. The Progressive Flight of cheese was rather small for $12 but they brought extra bread upon request. I don't know yet if we will be paying for it. The service has been exceptional thus far. The young staff are attentive and seem to know a thing or two about wine. I like that.
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Review from Cara C.
Updated - 3/6/2011
I hate to do this, but...I went back here again and the food was just not good. In my last review I complained about the tasteless and expensive shrimp/pasta dish and when I went back again I had more food that just fell flat.
It is expensive and you would think that for the price that they could hire a decent cook. I had their tomato soup and it was so bland that I had to drowned it in salt and pepper and pour some of my wine into it just for it to be remotely interesting. I also tried some tacos and they were super meh as well. Tiny and costly for what you get.
I'm sorry but I guess the best that I can say at this point is to just stick with the wine and share a Butta cake (which will bring me back over and over again) but forget the food unless you enjoy expensive and bland.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/24/2011
The decor is great and so is the service here. The gentleman that was there last night is pretty… Read more »
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Review from Mary R.
9/9/2010 4 photos
Things I recall about Main Street Wine Cellar:
Big open space, great light, smiling bartenders.
Empty, save for a couple of older ladies in the corner who clutched their pearls and whispered "oh dear!" before scurrying away. I may have imagined that last part, but they didn't look too pleased about a mob of rowdy people invading the premises.
We were kind of obnoxious.
A great buzz was being generated about truffle popcorn. I caught a brief glimpse but did not sample.
Time here was a warp, it felt like ten minutes, but must've been at least thirty.
Good. All good. -
Review from Nitza B.
Long Beach, CA
8/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Open, beautiful space. Popcorn is to die for, but the by-the-glass selection is limited.
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Review from patricia r.
Seal Beach, CA
11/30/2011
My boyfriend and I have been going here at least once a week for the past 5-6 months. It seems there is new management or something as we have had horrible service (other than from Marcus and the cute blonde girl - can't remember her name) and the food has gotten horrible. We were served hummus that had gone bad the other night and we both got a little sick from it. We were even denied seating at our favorite table as the new waiter told us it was for larger parties only. We won't e going back. They have lost a loyal and local client.
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Review from Ms. L.
Long Beach, CA
9/18/2011
Hubby and I had a GroupOn for Main St. Wine Cellar in Seal Beach. We had been to Main St. Wine Cellar once before, and our experience was fine. We tried to use the GroupOn a few weekends ago. That morning, I checked online for the Main St. Wine Cellar hours. They didn't have a company site (that I could find using Google), but I did locate their hours (opening 10am). We arrived at 9:55am, filled the meter for 2 hours, noticed that they probably wouldn't be opening until 10am (on-the-dot), so we took a walk to the pier. When we got back, it was 10:05am, but the doors were still closed. We topped off the meter, and waited in the car. At about 10:07/10:08am, someone walked outside, and put out a sign stating that the restaurant would be closed for a private party.
So, I wasted gas driving there, all of my quarters on filling the meter, and I'm still hungry.
Main St. Wine Cellar is completely unprofessional. One employee should have been stationed by the meters to prevent customers from wasting their quarter supply. At the very least, a sign should have been placed in front of the lot to prevent quarter-wasting. Also, Main St. Wine Cellar should develop a good, easy-to-find website to get out messages, such as "The restaurant is closed for a private party."
I filled the meter for the jerk who sat there in his brand new Mercedes waiting for me to pull out --- knowing I'd anticipated enjoying brunch at a restaurant closed for his party. (What a great GroupOn, stealing from the poor and giving to the rich. That's the point of the GroupOn company, right? I don't think so. This may sound extreme, but put yourself in my shoes. It was incredibly frustrating. And we were still hungry!)
Lastly, it is unprofessional to close an entire restaurant for a private party. Usually, private parties occur in one room in a restaurant, or during hours when the restaurant is normally closed.
I will never waste my time, gas, and quarters trying to go to this unprofessionally-managed restaurant again. -
Review from Andrea K.
Glendale, CA
8/23/2010
Delectable food and amazing service!!
WHAT: My best friend's 26th b-day par-tay at Main St Wine Cellar. We had about 20 people.
THe ORDER: Various wines....chardonnay, malbec, pinot grigiot....all good.
Truffle Popcorn...5 stars....amazing!!! So flavorful, aromatic, and crispy! Sooooooo delicious. I am a popcorn fiend, and this was hands down the best popcorn I've had. Sprikled with parmesan cheese and chopped chives... Mmmm!!
Charcuterie.....5 stars. Great selection of meats and cheeses. We had Proscuitto de parma (very tender), Coppa ham, Finocchiona salami, Brie charmant, Cotswalk cheddar, and a blue. Yummmmm...also loved the artisan breads, which were toasted to perfection!!
Pulled pork sliders.....3 stars....definitely my least favorite thing I tried, but still juicy. The bun was DELICIOUS....soft, chexy, moist, desne....perfection!
Sauteed Wild Mushroom Panini.....5 stars.....this was perfect...the flavors, the textures....the way all these factors complemented one another rocked my socks.
Oh, and if you're a pickle lover (like me) definitely eat all the pickled peppers on the plates.....they are AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!
THE SERVICE....5 stars. Couldn't have asked for more!!!
OVERALL: I love the ambience, the people, the style...all-in-all, my kinda place :) And it's not overpriced, like many wine-based spots!
I DEF RECOMMEND TO ALL YELPERS!!
xo-
andreaListed in: Drunk and Debaucherous
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Review from Lisa S.
9/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
The popcorn was delicious. At first I was skeptical, because who wants to pay that much for popcorn?! You can buy it at your local Albertsons, for Pete's sake! The birthday girl ordered some for the table, and i was proven wrong. I could have eaten three entire bowls, all by myself! The popcorn was buttery/oily, salty, cheesy, and flavorful. I wish I had some right now!
The plate of meats, cheeses, and veggies were alright. You can't really go wrong with bread, meat, and cheese. I thought the duck was especially interesting. The pickled vegetables were pretty good too.
The sliders were very tasty, and I loved the sweet Hawaiian bread rolls. There wasn't much meat in them, however, so they're not much of a meal. The cross-cross cut fry chips were addictive.
The swordfish tacos were alright. They didn't have all that much flavor, but they had a slight bite to them.
i tried two kinds of wine -- a mixed white blend and the Riesling. The blend was smooth, but it lacked flavor. The Riesling was much nicer, and I ended up having two glasses of that.
Service was a little slow, and half our order went missing until we asked for it. They seemed to only have two people working the floor, we had a big group, and the place was crowded, so I wasn't all that upset. Regardless, I had a glass of wine in front of me, so things didn't seem all too bad. The boyfriend thought otherwise, but this isn't his review. :)
The music was entertaining, and the guy even walked around to each table singing songs. He also sang happy birthday to our group, which was nice.
I'd come here again for the popcorn at the very least. :) -
Review from Shawna P.
Seal Beach, CA
10/10/2010
I enjoyed my vino here. Great place to get saucy and share some small plates.
Got the caprese salad with avocado and roasted red peppers. It was delicious. I really like that combo. I am thinking about making this dish for entertaining.
I shared the El cubano panini. Very yummy. You can not go wrong with carbs and specialty meats, cheese and gourmet mustard.
YUM! -
Review from Hazel Q.
3/29/2009 2 Check-ins Here
Things I appreciate about a wine place:
-Good food
-Cheap prices
-Non-pretentiousness from the staff
Main Street Wine Cellar has various degrees of all three. Good food? Yeah - definitely here. You know I have the palate of a six-year-old...and any place that serves a good grilled cheese and tomato soup has won me over. And it's true, amongst the duck/fig/brie sandwiches, they serve a good old fashioned grilled cheese. Soooo delish.
Cheap? Well...not horribly overpriced, but good enough. $12 for soup & sandwich, $15 for a flight of three wines. A bit overpriced, but I can deal.
Non pretentiousness? Mostly. Although, maybe I should start going to wine joints with a giant "WINE IDIOT" stamp on my forehead. Because, when I ask how this wine is and you tell me it's like a Pinot Grigio but stronger...I'll just smile and nod, even though I have no fucking clue what you're talking about. But, even so...they were nice enough. But it does seem for a wine bar, this is what they're lacking in a bit
Overall, a great place with loads of room for groups for bday parties and such. I'll definitely be paying them another visit...as soon as I figure out what a stronger pinot grigio is... -
Review from Michael H.
Huntington Beach, CA
4/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cool, hip spot in Seal that has great wine and good food. Love to come here when I'm in the mood for something out of the ordinary. Great desserts too!
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Review from Q N.
Long Beach, CA
6/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
This is a nice place in a nice area, with people. Johnny and his sidekick are pretty awesome. They are friendly, pleasant, and really accommodating. They do everything in the place and make a conscious effort to chit chat and build regular clientele.
We've been here a few times to do wine flights and basically chill out. I really like how open it is and the fresh breeze blowing through the place. Not to mention, it's also a great people watching spot.
Last time, we ordered the market platter of charcuterie and cheeses. We got to choose our own mix, which is pretty cool. Get the duck and humbolt fog cheese. They're pretty tasty. It comes with toasted craisin bread and sourdough. We liked the pickled vegetables so much that we ordered a plate of it. They make it in house, which is impressive on its own merit. It was pretty big: red, green, and yellow bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, beets, pickles, and onions. I also had the chicken and vegetable soup, which was good too.
I will definitely be back for more food, wine, and the friendly atmosphere. -
Review from Colin D.
Long Beach, CA
7/17/2010
Went on a Wednesday night after work for a little wine and apps. Tried a 2 for 1 wine flight - we tried 3 half glasses of both red and white (6 half glasses total). Got a cheese and meat flight to go with it.
Food was pretty good and so was the service. So-so on the wine but we're not exactly connoisseurs. Nice atmosphere. -
Review from J W.
Newport Beach, CA
5/22/2011
This place is awesome! We had a great dinner here - enjoyed a wine flight, shared the artichoke crustini, and I had the grilled cheese and soup - sooo good. Great service and on Sat nights they have live music. Can't wait to go back.
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Review from Sarah D.
Huntington Beach, CA
6/17/2011
I hosted a networking event for Young Professionals in Energy her back in April. The staff was great and they really accommodated our group. The truffle popcorn was delicious and the variety of wine was excellent. If you go on Tuesday they have a grilled cheese special, this isn't your mother's kraft cheese. They have artisan cheese and bread it's your favorite childhood meal all grown up.
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Review from Lois M.
4/27/2009
Made a second visit over the weekend. The first time, we would have given it an overall 3- star (mostly due to wine flights and service). That was about a month ago. The second visit clearly shows that the place has hit its stride. Here are the plus and minus - although the plus clearly makes up for minus:
1. Tends to be rather loud. It's a combination of the physical layout, and the "beer crowd". This group lounges around the middle table and pour over into the side tables - sometimes sloshing beer on the patrons. We overheard one group sitting by us commenting on this, and indicating they probably won't be back. Minus 2-stars
2. Wine list won't qualify for any Wine Spectator awards at this time. Very limited - lacks depth and variety. Nothing particularly unusual. While owner appears knowledgeable, the servers are 'okay'. Definitely hired the servers to appeal to beer crowd (see above). Minus 2-stars
3. Food? Outstanding. The cheese selections are varied, the charcuterie well balanced, and they have a great house pickle. The cranberry bread served with the cheese is a nice contrast to many of the selections. "Justin" is the chef, and despite his youth, is doing some very interesting things - fennel sausage with house-made mustard, braised short-rib sliders, etc. Would like to see more variety - but, this is a wine bar, so maybe more finger-type food. Lack of seafood samplers - would love to see some house-smoked fish. Plus 5-star.
4. Surprising selections at very reasonable prices. Despite my earlier comment about lack of depth and variety, there are some hidden gems and surprises on the list - and at a bargain rate. The tastings scheduled here look interesting and prices are reasonable. Plus 5-star.
Overall, a wonderful addition to the Seal Beach dining scene. -
Review from anne s.
Huntington Beach, CA
8/29/2010 3 photos
Yay! I am most definitely a fan, Main Street needed a place like this and I am happy to see they are doing well. I almost hesitate to write this because in a way we feel like it is our (and a few others) little secret.
Sometimes the local wine bars take a while to really get noticed but Main Street Wine Cellar is very hard to miss. Fantastic location especially when the sun is going down with a great view of main street. The open windows and paris bistro type decor just add to the ambiance. Throw in a little live music on a early Saturday evening and you have a wonderful place for a romantic date or group of friends. Plus I love a place you can always find a table at - hopefully that lasts.
Now onto the wine. Wow. I have done enough wine tastings to know sometimes they aren't that great. I love that here you can customize your tasting with all red, all white or a mix of both from 20+ choices.
I went for the preset Cali Coast Pinot Noir Tasting and it was fantastic. So much I noted 2 out of the 3 wines to buy for home. We also had the market platter which was a selection of 3 cheeses (choosing from 5 different cheese flights) and 3 meats (choosing from a list of 10 or so). They add in two different types of crustini, fruit, marinated veggies, and some sort of a chutney and stone ground mustard. Yum Yum. They have lots more food to choose from if wanted.
Highly recommend this place if you are out for the evening and want a pre-dinner stop but it is hard to leave so you can stay too..... -
Review from Cindy P.
2/19/2010
I love main street in seal beach, and there are always so many reasons to make a trip out here. Fortunately, I have found another reason: Main Street Wine Cellar.
Smile. Happy. mMmMm.
I love the combination of good wine and yummy desserts. After dinner on a Friday night, T.C.N & I decided to have a night out with just the two of us. I have seen Main Street Wine Cellar during my many trips on main street, but never had the opportunity to stop in. Today, we made a trip out specifically to have a taste of Main Street Wine Cellar. What a brilliant choice!
Live Jazz and music? Awesome!
Good selection of wine? "Cool! I'll have the Riesling under ports please!"
Food Options? Great! I'll back for a full experience next time.
Desserts? "Butta" Cake!!!!!
First and foremost, their "Butta" Cake with ice cream and raspberry sauce with black berry garish was deliciously amazing - Not to mention that it went superb with my dessert wine! Thumbs up all the way! I really think that it was made to order because it came out hot and crispy on the outside and was melt-in-your-mouth softness on the inside. We definitely had a pleasant experience here. The live music was so much fun - the man playing the trumpet even came over and sat with us while he played.
We simply loved everything about it. This is probably one of the best non-pretentious, but classy, wine bars that I've been to. I also noticed that they have daily specials, flights, and happy hours. With so many more reasons to return, it is only a matter of time before it actually happens. Thumbs up!Listed in: Thirst Quenchers!, A Glass of Wine is a Glass of…
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Review from Christina S.
Costa Mesa, CA
Updated - 10/26/2009
Came her again Saturday night and Sunday night! Yikes!! Note to self. If you are coming on a Saturday night phone in and book a reservation. We waited some time before finally grabbing a table on Saturday night. Which was a bummer but oh well. We learned our lesson. Also, they had a DJ playing on Saturday night. So, if you want a quiet dinner where you can hear each other talk then I would come during the week night as we did last Thursday. Food however was excellent! As always. This time we tried the dessert. All that I can say is get the "Butta" cake. It is like a soft, warm moist pound cake slash Creme Brulee. Yes, the top layer of the cake has that crust where they caramelize the sugar as they do with Creme Brulee. It's heaven in your mouth! It will make you say eff that diet and eat me!!
So, after telling all of our friends at Sunday brunch just how good this place/dessert was we came last night just for dessert and wine! I love Sunday's!!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/24/2009
First time to this quaint little area in Seal Beach recently originally to go to an artist closing… Read more »
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Review from Sidney S.
3/16/2010
Friendliest wine bar on the planet? Not quite, our young server frankly looked like he would rather be anywhere than serving wine and apps to people half his age. At least it is not McDonald's pal, crack a smile and be glad you weren't born in Somalia or Sierra Leone.
Having said that, the owner was cool and we did enjoy the tasty if a bit overpriced lunch we had here. The cheese selections are well thought out and we also enjoyed the bruschetta and BBQ pork sliders. The wines, for a wine bar, were just not distinctive enough for an oenophile. I would have liked to have seen a more diverse selection.
The tab for our flights and food, even with a decent tip for the sullen server, came to $90.00...a nice neighborhood wine bar but not world class enough to make the trip if you do not live in Seal Beach. -
Review from Zilda B.
Chicago, IL
2/27/2009
We were very suprised about how delicious the food was---start to finish! The husband and I went here for V-Day but ordered off the regular menu. Started w/ a cheese and meat dish and... wowwwww. We probably could have ordered another. Our entree consisted of a pot roast and chicken dish (forgot the names), but good Lord was I in heaven! I never thought I would have such a euphoric culinary experience, lol... especially in Southern California. We're definitely coming here again. And I would recommend this place to EVERYONE.
If Main Street Wine Celler were a prince, he defintely would have swept me off my feet! Haha. LOVE THIS PLACE!
...one more thing to add. The interior is gorgeous. Definitely sets the right mood... romantic and intimate. -
Review from meg r.
12/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
nice little place. pretty, and slick looking.
things were priced reasonably enough, the staff was *awesome* and they had a good looking menu. i also just like places that look pretty.
We had to leave before we had been here nearly long enough, but they totally hooked me up with a to-go cup for our double-decker booze tour. I thought that was awesome of them. So glad for events involving alcohol.Listed in: OC Bar-Hopping
