When I go out to eat I love to enjoy a nice bottle of wine with my dinner, however the prices can be outrageous. With markups at restaurants usually being 200-300%, our dinner budget while dining out always seems to go through the roof!
In the recent past, we have discovered some restaurants that we regularly frequent that have no corkage fees and I must say they have become some of our regular restaurants we go to even when we are sick of the food there. This may sound funny, but leaving the restaurant with a check half the amount of what we normally spend when exorbitant amounts of money are usually put forth for wine feels so much better.:)
A restaurant chain that offers free corkage is Patina Group. This restaurant chain has restaurants throughout the east & west coast, but I am fortunately located in the West Coast where there are ten different restaurants from this restaurant group that offer free corkage.
We are Disneyland premium annual passholders and we regularly enjoy participating in what we call adult Disney with our friends.
Adult Disney for us consists of each couple bringing two bottles of wine to either Catal or the UVA Bar & lounging and eating appetizers and dinner for a few hours while the sun goes down, so that when we enter the park, the kiddies are gone, the lines are short, and we can walk around the park with a nice “buzz on.”
*Tip in Laguna Beach; if you purchase a bottle of wine at the Laguna Canyon Winery inquire about their list of restaurants that have no corkage fees for when you bring their bottles of wine into the restaurant. There are about ten different choices and the Laguna Canyon Winery has some delicious wines as well as a free tasting of their wines for each bottle purchased…
More restaurants located in Orange County, CA that have no corkage fees
| Restaurants | Locations |
| Scott’s Seafood (no corkage Sundays only) | Costa Mesa |
| Roman Cucina (Wednesdays only & entrée purchase required) | Laguna Hills, Fullerton, Costa Mesa, Sunset Beach |
| Memphis Cafe (no corkage Sunday thru Thursday with entrée purchase) | Santa Ana, Costa Mesa |
| Melting Pot (no corkage if they don’t carry the wine) | Irvine |
| Alley Restaurant & Bar (no corkage ever if wine not on house wine list) | Newport Beach |
| Jack Shrimp (no corkage fee ever) (closed down) | Newport Beach |
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Your Adult Disney days sound like a blast!
Oh yes they are Ann! Do you have a pass? We should make it a group event:-)
I think this will become a big trend as people already have to think twice about going out to eat and then having to buy two glass of wine for the price of a bottle doesn’t encourage going out.
Yes, Yvonne! It can get pricy!:-)
The corkage fees sure add up! You provide such a great service!
For sure! Thank you so much for the comment:-)
I’m so glad I don’t drink!! no extra charges for me!!
🙂
This is great advice, especially to those who love their wine. The markup at restaurants can be HUGE.
Yes!! Thank you for your comment Deanna!:-)
I don’t think there are NO cork fee places over in NY.. At least i haven’t ran into any.
Robert…yes there are…look in my article…all of Patina group is no corkage…you have a Patina group on Rockefeller center!
What is a “corkage fee”?
It is when people brig their own bottle of wine into a restaurant and the restaurant charges u to open it. This article provides restaurants that don’t charge you.:-)
Wouldn’t dream of taking alcohol into a restaurant here in the UK. Not sure if any of them charge corkage, venues that host events such as weddings, charge corkage if you don’t have the alcohol though.
Very interesting Jacqui. Here in the US many people bring their own wine to dinner because it is the bottle they like or they simply do not want to pay wine markup fees, but the problem is some corkage fees are so high, it makes more sense to buy their wine or go to the no corkage restaurants I listed.:)
It’s amazing how much money I have saved being able to enjoy life without drinking. I have enjoyed some of the restaurants you have listed here, for their food, that is 🙂
I am sure that definitely would save money Loretta. Thank you for your comment. There are definitely several fabulous restaurants on this list.:)
You make Disney Sound so appetizing all over again as an adult… 2 wine bottles… mmmhmm haha I feel like a kid all over again, yet also an adult. What like a wonderful time. I am planning a trip in my head now after your post, to one day be able to follow your advice Ty 🙂
Awesome!! I am glad to hear my article made you feel that way! I truly LOVE doing adult Disney:) You definitely must make a trip to Disneyland and to the fabulous restaurants in Downtown that offer no corkage! Patina Group rocks! Thanks for the comment!
Great tips. I love a great bottle of wine with my meal.
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed! Me too!! 🙂
It is fun to bring your own wine to a restaurant. Nice tip on asking the winery for referrals to restaurants that offer no corkage fees. Now I know the term for this. Thanks!
Thanks for the comment Mary, no problem:) Glad I could help! 🙂
great post!
Thanks Nick. 🙂
This is just starting to come in in some of our provinces in Canada. In my province the liquor laws don’t allow it . Pity. I will look for it when we travel.
Wow..very interesting…I never knew that some places dont allow it.thanks for sharing!
We took advantage of the no corkage fees at Patina Group (downtown Disney) several times back when they advertised it. It was great. Once the servers had no idea what we were talking about and had to keep getting the manager we started tapering off. (This was mainly at Tortilla Joe’s). Are you still having luck with no corkage fees with them? Mimi’s used to offer $1 corkage but the last time we tried it they increased it to $5, which still isn’t bad if you have a good inexpensive bottle to bring. Pretty much the price of two soda’s. 🙂
Hello Chantal! Thanks so much for your comment! We love taking advantage of no corkage in downtown disney..it is usually at Catal, Uva & Naples cuz when we go to Tortilla Jo’s we r all about the margs:) Thanks for the tip abour Mimi’s! I did not know that:) Have a fabulous day!