Jake’s on 6th Wine Bar
3755 Sixth Ave. (Hillcrest)
619-291-9463
Happy Hour: 4 to 7 p.m., daily
Come on Get Happy! | Dr. Ink
Comfy couches, warm lighting and a bottle of expressive Syrah from Chile were among the therapeutic creature comforts that greeted us at Jake’s on 6th Wine Bar after the razzle-frazzle of the holidays passed. Our trio needed a budget break, so we conjured up $18 for the Carabantes Syrah, which behaved like a slightly pricier wine given its soft tannins and soothing floral notes.
The Syrah is among several bottles marked down during happy hour, and without an additional corkage fee.
“We don’t ever charge corkage fees. We don’t believe in them,” said Jennifer Totah, whose parents opened the well-appointed wine bar four years ago.
Malbec, pinot noir, chardonnay and something called “sweet tea wine” are among the other bargain choices that top off at $18. The latter seems strange, although I’m told the tea wine isn’t excessively sweet and that Southerners have been concocting it ever since they started infusing tea into vodka. Although as a committed fan of distilled grapes, I left off with the notion of “maybe next time or maybe never” for trying the tea juice.
The happy hour set can also purchase wines by the glass for $2 off or dabble in the suds from an extensive craft beer selection at $1 off for drafts and bottles. Additionally, a couple bucks are saved when ordering from the abbreviated food menu, which features olive tapenade for $5, a “garden delight” panini for $7 and a small fruit and cheese board for $9.
We poked into mildly flavored hummus instead, served with sliced baguette for $4. With a bottle of fine wine running through our veins and a modest measure of carbs resting in our bellies, we came away spending just over $7 apiece.
The atmosphere at Jake’s is what every wine bar should be, with sturdy wood tables mixed among clean, upholstered furniture and evenly distributed soft lighting that compliments wood and stone-façade accents throughout. A row of windowed doors in front separates the roomy interior from a smoking-friendly patio.
In addition to daily happy hour, wines by the bottle are half off on Mondays.
RATINGS:
Drinks: 5
Both the wine and beer lists are fairly ambitious, offering labels that fall between obscure and semi-commercial.
Food: 4
The happy hour menu is limited, but it offers shareable noshes at good prices.
Value: 4
Order by the bottle, and you won’t pay more than $18. Also, no corkage fees are added.
Service: 5
Jake’s is family-owned and staffed, which means they are knowledgeable about the inventory. Customers are greeted in a welcoming manner.
Duration: 5
Two thumbs up to daily happy hour, especially in a prime Hillcrest location where guests are afforded plenty of comfort and wiggle room.
