La Bodega Wines & Spirits

La Bodega Wines & SpiritsLa Bodega Wines & Spirits
La Bodega Wines & SpiritsLa Bodega Wines & Spirits
Store

3512 Central Ave
Riverside, California, 92506-2701
United States

(951) 683-3307 | map
labodegawine.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.47
Reviews:
31
Ratings:
45
pDev:
7.38%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 5 by SP23 from California

Dec 28, 2020
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Reviewed by mrcraft from California

4.32/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5
This is a nice beer shop in Riverside off the 91 Freeway. In terms of quantity, it's not as large as some others, but the stuff they carry is quality. After you enter, the beers, mostly on shelves are located to the left. There were some in coolers. I bought me a bottle of Council sour and Christmas Bomb!

The staff was very friendly. Nice spot. I'll be back when visiting the area again.
Jan 17, 2016
 
Rated: 4.88 by Chrismathew from California

Jan 10, 2016
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Rated by Rivcabeerlover from California

5/5  rDev +11.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Great selection and very helpful! Be prepared to spend some money because there are a lot of really great beers available.
Jan 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4.56 by Chandee from Georgia

Dec 12, 2014
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Reviewed by Brolo75 from California

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%
The best place in Riverside to find those great beers. The people are friendly, knowledgeable and there is always a fresh rotation of beers in the store. You can find all types of craft beers, drink ware, and cigars if you like them. They beat some of the other stores with their prices. The only problem, which is a good thing, is that special releases go fast, so if you come in, catch a rare beer snatch it up because it might not be there the next time. A place to visit if you are in the area.
Dec 01, 2014
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Reviewed by FutureMan91 from California

5/5  rDev +11.9%
Top notch bottle shop. Friendly staff and will guide you to good beers. Lots of sours and Belgian beers. Kim is the main beer geek on site but the staff knows generally what's crowd pleasers. Best bottle shop in ie for certain
Oct 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by GlassHound from California

Oct 05, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Bennettarr from California

Oct 02, 2014
 
Rated: 3.92 by Genaro62

Sep 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by AleHunter805 from California

Aug 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by hoppyhour from California

Aug 05, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by mjstern70 from California

Jun 16, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by dranthony2012 from California

May 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by kristougher from North Carolina

Feb 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by nealbert from California

Jan 23, 2014
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Reviewed by Rckmo10 from California

3.93/5  rDev -12.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.25
Many nice beers, with lots of bottle limits. The prices are on the higher end, but not much competition in Inland Empire distribution area. Pricing has improved from a few years ago. The staff is very helpful, however, the beer lady does not place all the beers on the shelves, she holds limited releases for her 'special customers'. Especially annoying when her emails state that there will be no holds. It is always worth stopping by when in the area, as they have a nice selection.
Dec 29, 2013
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Reviewed by chaski101 from Tennessee

4.28/5  rDev -4.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4
Great Spot with many limit 1 selections. Pro on this is you have opportunities to purchase stuff before some dbag buys it all up in 1 shot! Found some goodies, plus you can get on an emailing list and they will let you know when rare stuff is released!
Dec 19, 2013
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Reviewed by Beersnake from California

4.61/5  rDev +3.1%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75
This is my favorite shop in Riverside. Kim is incredibly knowledgeable and willing to help out. She will answer emails in a heart beat, and will always help out the faithful customers. Selection is amazing - one of the best that I have experienced in California. Kim commonly puts out special releases unannounced and hidden among the other beers. She really wants to get the beer to as many people as possible, and I appreciate it. Vibe is fine - it's a liquor store with limited space. Beer is overflowing and it would be great if they expanded the beer section. Overall, an amazing place and should definitely be visited when in the area.
Dec 06, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by paulmarquez10 from California

Nov 30, 2013
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Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California

4.21/5  rDev -5.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.75
I stopped in at La Bodega recently as I was in the area for business. It's a fairly historic looking spot with an old school vibe inside. The beer area is fairly small compared to the rest of the store, but what the have is absolute quality. They had lots of hard to find bottles and beers I had never even heard of before. They also had a lot of local breweries represented with Hangar 24, Ritual, Packinghouse, Craft, and Black Market bottles for sale. The prices were reasonable for things compared to other SoCal stores. I highly recommend a stop in here if you are in the area, and I know that I will for sure be coming back myself.
Apr 21, 2013
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Reviewed by 4kbrianb from California

4.8/5  rDev +7.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
I recently started working in the Riverside area, and have been passing by La Bodega for a few months now. 2 weeks back i stopped in for the first time... before reading all of the reviews here. Needless to say I am glad I stopped in. They have all of the bottles off to the left in their own section of greatness. No massive rare whales, but from what I hear, they are available at specific times, and upon request. Regardless, they had everything I went for and then some. Even some special releases and seasonals that I had not seen/heard of before. I didn't catch her name, but the lady who was working was a huge help. My first trip in, she dropped some recomendations and hints about a few that they don;t get often.... and my second trip in she gave me tons of recs on sours, and some other good bottles and breweries to try. Tons of local stuff, and a lot of regional options also. I am sure the selection in the rest of the store is epic, but I seriously didnt get out of the beer or glassware sections. In 2 trips I managed to drop like 200 bucks... whoops. But ya, I reccomend this place to everyone that asks. the prices seem reasonable and even below what I expected on some of the bottles I got. Most, if not all, are labaled with flavoring, styles, ratings, or at least pricing/basic info.
Jan 17, 2013
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Reviewed by DonDirkA from Arizona

4.6/5  rDev +2.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Some of the people that work here are especially helpful (I believe the woman who was awesome for me was Kim.. maybe?). She set aside some Cantillon for me to come back for and she went in the back and pulled me out some Russian River Supplication. Every time I visit Riverside I stop in here and spend waayyy too much money. But its so worth it for the rarity of some of the stuff they get in there. Well, rare to me at least being from Arizona. My last visit I dropped $180 on 12 beers. Crazy but awesome.
May 29, 2012
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Reviewed by ohtheguilt from Georgia

4.44/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
Since I was in the area for a work trip, I figured I would drop La Bodega, seeing as the reviews here were very favorable. Needless to say, I was extremely impressed. Great selection of locals and imports here (plenty of stuff that, obviously, isn't available back in Georgia). I was greeted when I walked in and took my time to peruse the selection...no pressure. After one of the ladies (probably Kim) saw that I was having difficulty deciding, she offered some help...and as always, I asked about local brews, rare beers, and unusual stuff. I was very impressed with the response and suggestions that I received considering that I am from (way) out of state. I ended up picking up a Heretic Evil Cousin and an AleSmith Decadence (one recommendation and one beer that I have wanted to try). Either way, it was a massive selection.

Anyway, I truly enjoyed my visit to La Bodega and if i ever make it back to Riverside, I will certainly stop in again.
Mar 15, 2012
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Reviewed by BdubleEdubleRUN from California

4.44/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
This is a regular stop when I'm up in that area. I can always expect to find something good that I want when I go here. Everytime I'm there, the same girl seems to be stocking beer endlessly. She is very helpful and always asks if there is something specific I am looking for. The prices here are usually very fair and they do a pretty good job of having IPA's in the coolers while the majority of the selection is on shelves. This is the place to go if you are looking for glassware, they have a ton. I saw 3 different Duvel tulips, Lost Abbey stemware and a ton of others. Very solid store that is worth a look if you are in the area.
Aug 26, 2011
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Reviewed by Siggy125 from California

4.36/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Been here a few times when in the area. Great selection of brews and they seem to change it up a bit. Nice sized store and I find the staff very helpful and fairly knowledgable. My favorite part is the selection which makes it like a treasure hunt as you peruse the many shelves loaded with great stuff. Beers from all over the country, (of which they can acquire), and they support many locals too. A whole section of Belgians if you're into that sort of thing. They have some floor displays set up with the most recent releases so there's no problem finding them. Prices are reasonable as well.This is a pretty classy shop but the prices dont reflect it. When I see fellow BAs asking for advice for a place to stop when in town, this would be a spot I'd recommend.
Aug 21, 2011
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Reviewed by comfortablynumb1 from California

4.66/5  rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4
Probably the best liqour store I have encountered in the Inland Empire as far as selection of craft in concerned. They have alot of harder to find brews from DFH, Port, and Lost Abbey, as well as an extensive line up from RR. They also stock alot of brews from Ballast Point, Alesmith, Great Divide, Stone, Allagash, various local breweries, and much more...

They also have a nice selection of spirits, wines, and glassware. And the service has always been top notch in my opionin. Kim, the lady who does the ordering, will be glad to stop and talk beer with you for a while, as well as take suggestions for orders. She even emails some of the frequent customers to let them know about the new releases...

If you are in the Inland Empire area, and are looking for some west coast craft offerings, this is the place to check out...

Cheers...
Dec 30, 2010
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Reviewed by JamesMcPolin from California

5/5  rDev +11.9%
This is THE 'go to' place for craft if you live in Riverside. They have a nice selection that they constanly update and are great about getting whatever their customers want. In fact, you can talk directly to the person who does the ordering (Kim). She's very nice and will work to get whatever you ask for, especially if your not the only one asking about it. The only knock on this place is that their mark-up is a little high. But considering suppy vs. demand, they can get away with charging us a little more to aquire a single case of a rare brew. Bevmo has better prices but doesn't even try to get them for you, if they can't sell it by the forklift your out of luck, their distributors aren't interested in selling one box of bombers.
Dec 16, 2010
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Reviewed by PStevens from California

5/5  rDev +11.9%
I just moved here two months ago from about less than an hour away and am tickled to find this place. I found it by chance getting an oil change. You would never think rare and varietal findings here would be inside this quaint shop. My findings were the service was excellent, I was greeted when I walked in and asked if I needed help and was left alone. Later another employee passing by asked if I needed help also. So, you are not ignored nor harrassed here. While browsing I observed the employee stocking beer rotating the delirium! My eyes were doing a double take. Fresh makes a difference folks. I picked up about a hundy worth of fine brew and have my eye on so many other beauties when I return. Oh yes, I will return. Great prices, equal variety of all types, not lopsided all to one style. A nice kid helped me with recommendations, so far the ones I tried live up to his descriptions. I love this place! La Bodega will do you right so check them out. I was told they handle shipping also and will be sending my brother brews he can't get in Florida.
Jul 13, 2010
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Reviewed by GRG1313 from California

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%
A very high end "liquor store" with a relatively small beer area that manages to fit in one of the greatest selections of beer in Southern California. Lots of California and even some Riverside local things. Tons of American craft; lots of Belgians although most, if not all, are the standard fare. Lots of English and German. All in all a wonderful selection from all over the world.

Some items are seen nowhere else and one must review and scan the shelves with care; lots of stuff in a small space. Staff is very knowledgable and friendly.

Top notch all around. One can almost be assured that you will see at least a few beers that you've never seen before. RateBeer ratings/scores are set forth on the shelves.
Jun 24, 2010
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Reviewed by PeprSprYoFace from California

4.3/5  rDev -3.8%
This store is a regular stop of min being that it is the closest place for me to get good beer that is not regular and it is also close to my school as well. That have a pretty good selection that tends to rotate alot (almost something new every week). They have a good selection of Belgians, European beers and locals as well separated by region. I stop in every once in a while to see what they have and come home every time with at least something new. It is a good change from your average bevmo since it tends to cary the less distributed beers. They don't have a ton of beer but what they have is good. Nice staff and willing to help/order different stuff upon request but not extreemly knowledgable in the area of beer.

Update: ever since they have been getting in more limited release beers it seems their beer prices have gone up a lot. They wanted $20 for Abyss when bevmo had it for $12:99. And all of thie limited beer seem to have at least $5 more than everyone else tacked on to them. They also had Utopia for $250 when most places had them for about $180. I have started to buy from them when I can't find the beer somewhere else.
Feb 02, 2010
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Reviewed by DanielDavis421 from California

4.15/5  rDev -7.2%
I stop in the store pretty often, it is a bit pricey and when you get a professional opinion on certain beers it seems as though they push the most exspensive ones on you, the prices are a bit higher then most places such as a stone pale ale costs around 5 dollars for a 22oz, I would understand if it were the double bastard or something but that is not the case.

The staff seems to know their stuff but it seems like any beer you ask about "sells well", and they encourage you to buy it, maybe it is just me but it feels like they are more like car sales man! aside from that the selection is by far better then anywhere else in a 20 mile radius.

another issue I had was that they dont have enough cold beer, GREAT selection but almost anything you will be looking for is going to be warm, I only saw really common beers in the cooler in witch I could go anywhere else to buy, things like sierra nevada, Stone IPA, Rouge dead guy, just all together easy beers to find around here.

I love the selection for a small shop, but the staff can seem a bit pushy and I felt that they were always standing behind me to try and compare what I was selecting to something along the same lines but a bit more pricey, but I will be stopping in today to get my holiday favs. so I cant say to many bad things about it, plus it is the only place within distance that I can grab my favorite beers at! another good thing is their holiday hours! cant beat it!
Dec 24, 2009
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Reviewed by vacax from California

4.15/5  rDev -7.2%
I have heard of La Bodega from my friends in the Inland Empire, and stopped in today as a diversion on the way home from Palm Springs.

All of the beer is right in the front of the store in a small wing to the left. I like how there is a nice little beer section, but I also noticed this section of the store was about five degrees warmer than the rest of the store with the wine in it. There was a cooler with Pliny and Blind Pig and a few selections (props for sticking locals like Krash and Hangar 24 in the cooler) but it was only about one door wide. One mentionable item was a list they had posted in the beer section of rare and barrel aged beers they had available.

As far as service goes, the only employees I noticed were behind the registers, so they were not on the floor asking if I needed help. They did make a comment that the Nogne-O Sahti I had selected looked good.

Despite the relatively small beer area, the selection was impressive. Good selections of Belgian, German, Scandinavian and a few up and coming Japanese breweries I was excited to see. Unfortunately I didn't find any Belgian sours, but they had an expansive American craft selection with some nice items such as Bruery Papier, Russian River Temptation, Port Older Viscosity, and the entire New Belgium Lips of Faith series (La Folia, Biere de Mars, Transatlantique Kriek, and Le Fleur Misseur). I was actually most pleased with their support of local beer including relatively unknown Krash Brewing, to Hangar 24, The Bruery (had a case of the brand new bottles of Hottenroth), and Mission.

Prices were slightly more than average. The more a beer costs, the more they marked it up. For instance, Temptation ran $26 vs. $21 in a store close to me.
Sep 02, 2009
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Reviewed by crazeguy from California

4.35/5  rDev -2.7%
The store has a nice feel to it with friendly staff. If you're not paying enough attention, you'll miss the beer section to the left of the entryway. At first it can look a little disappointing but upon closer inspection you'll see a ton of gems scattered through out. Also, don't miss the refrigerator section. My haul literally double after I saw that.The parking is located in the back of the store, with a decent sized lot monitored by cameras.
Overall the store seems to focus on quality more than quantity. This store made my day and I'm looking forward to going back.
Mar 31, 2009
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Reviewed by DoubleJ from Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -10.5%
La Bodega is clean and well organized on the inside, making the search for good beer a little easier. They sell a good collection of glassware to go along with the artisan beer, whether it's German, English, Belgian, or American you're getting. Interesting selection of beer, here they had Echigo, Wells, Fullers, Delirium, Russian River, The Bruery, Sam Adams Hallertau Pilsner, Allagash, of plenty more. Prices were a little higher than your typical store, and the service was warm and friendly. If you happen to be in the Inland Empire, this is the store you want.
Dec 27, 2008
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Reviewed by Avryle from Vermont

4.35/5  rDev -2.7%
La Bodega has been a Riverside landmark for years & I make a point of stopping in whenever I go "home." They carry lots of west coast brewers including Ale Smith, Lost Abbey, Stone & Russian River, along with a pretty decent selection of Belgians. The prices aren't bad on the "rarer" brews though you can probably pay less for six packs of many micro-brews at Ralph's or Vons. However, the staff here is very helpful and will special order if possible.

LB also carries a large selection of hard alcohol and wine with tequila being their forte.
Mar 01, 2008
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Reviewed by Floydster from California

4.05/5  rDev -9.4%
Located on Central Avenue across from the new Riverside Plaza (Chipotle, Active, Islands, etc.)

Looks like a normal liquor store from the outside but actually has some good stuff

Had cool specialty glassware from Stone commemorating their Double Bastard Ale and Imperial Russian Stout

Beer standouts were Trappistes Rochefort, 4 different Lost Abbeys, lots of Stone, Thelenious Monk, Anderson Valley bombers, and Russian River Damnation

Guy was helpful in trying to locate the new Pyramid Imperial Hefeweizen and other Russian River bottles

Prices are a little high, about 1 or 2 bucks more than usual for most 22 ouncers

Will be going back because close to my apartment
Sep 09, 2007
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Reviewed by Greenfloyd from California

4/5  rDev -10.5%
This is an incredible all around liquor store, and the beer selection is pretty decent to boot. As you walk in, the left side of the store has a little beer cove..three walls, about six feet long, with five or six shelves filled with beers that are harder to come by in most of Riverside County. Plenty of great imports- Orkney’s SkullSplitter, several good English brews, a decent amount of Belgians (including a few hard to find saisons) etc. There is a nice domestic craft section as well, and you can usually count on them to have the latest seasonal brews, especially the Samuel Adams lines (triple bock, chocolate bock, etc). The cold beer doors have a great selection for that quick cold beer fix as well. Well worth the trip.
Feb 04, 2007
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Reviewed by Phocion from Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev -7.2%
I took a couple extra credits at RCC this Spring, and one day driving home from school I noticed this place, so I decided to stop. Since then I've made it a point to stop by every time I'm in Riverside. Although the place seems to be geared more towards wine, they had an excellent selection of both imports and local micros. They had an entire section dedicated to Belgians, and I picked up a few Rochefort 10's last time I was in. I also noticed the last time a fairly impressive selection of British imports, and I made sure to stock up on some Fuller's and Samuel Smiths as well. Their local selection is large, but nothing out of the ordinary. However, like someone else mentioned in another review, because of the fairly light traffic it's a good place to find some of the annual Stone releases after they've sold out elsewhere.
May 31, 2006
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Reviewed by PuckLSHS from Iowa

4/5  rDev -10.5%
La Bodega is a great place to stock up on stuff that might be unavailable at other places. Since they don't have the same amount of traffic, they tend to have the Stone releases way past the dates that everyone else is out of it. La Bodega is a favorite of mine if I am in the area. I wouldn't go out of my way to go there though...long drive and it's not that amazing.

They have a decent belgian selection, but La Bodega is much more geared to American Craft Beer (see Hopjack13's list) and the standard English/Irish stuff.

Also, was able to find the 3L Stone Double and Oak-Aged Arrogant there for a little more than other locations. Also, was able to get the Sam Adams Triple Bock and some Rogue Ceramics that were not available at the places closer to LA that have more beer traffic.
Apr 23, 2006
La Bodega Wines & Spirits in Riverside, CA
Place rating: 4.47 out of 5 with 45 ratings