Bringing it on! We love BYOB!
I enjoy eating in restaurants! Much as I do at home I also love to enhance my meal with a bottle of good wine! While I understand restaurants make a good portion of their profits from their alcohol sales, I don’t relish paying inflated prices and often times having to pick from a list not to my guests’ or my, liking.
It used to be I was bashful about BYOB, but not any more!
I’m also old enough to remember when BYOB usually only referred to collegiate parties, neighborhood picnics, and tailgates. Back in the day, if it was OK with a restaurant you usually hid the bottle in a crumpled up, brown paper bag, which made you look and feel like a wino straight off Skid Row!
Lucky for us times have changed and it is not all that uncommon to encounter excellent restaurants, which allow BYOB. Thankfully it certainly has seemed to increase lately, at least in my hometown of Chicago and its one more reason I love the city!
If you aren’t familiar and are visiting, etc. there are differing takes on BYOB, different ‘rules’, and of course BYOB etiquette. In our case we only BYOB wine, but I know there are spots that allow beer as well. From our personal experiences here is what we have encountered and what has made our BYOB experiences easier and more comfortable!
Call ahead! We always call ahead, even if we have read the BYOB notes in Yelp, etc. It is always best to take just a few moments and double check with the manager on duty, or the host on the phone, to make sure BYOB is still accepted.
Be thoughtful. By this I mean don’t bring anything that is already on their menu!
Don’t complain about the corkage fee. Since you called ahead, the amount shouldn’t be a shock at all, right? Sure, sometimes the corkage fees can get high, but then again you aren’t buying their wine, so they need to make up for that – and they are letting you drink your own! My feeling is if the corkage is at or under the average for a bottle of wine on their menu, I am doing just fine.
Follow the house rules on amount. Every restaurant that allows BYOB also has some rule regarding how much you can bring in with you. Again, in our experiences, we tend to see a rule of 1 bottle for two, 2 bottles for three or four, and if more in your party you need to ask!
The best news is not everyone even charges a corkage, or if they do it can be, to me, ridiculously low!
Plus there are those places that offer their own, unique take on BYOB!
Take for instance one of our very favorite restaurants, Bavette’s Steakhouse and Bar. They charge no corkage fee, if you agree to participate in their ‘caring is sharing’ idea. Rather than pay a corkage fee, you agree to simply share a glass with another patron or table! Often times when we do this, our wait staff coordinates a share back and we get to try someone else’s wine as a bonus! Wonderfully, this has resulted in several opportunities to make new acquaintances and introduce folks to a wine they may well not know. And what beats making new friends over a glass of wine?
Another of our favorites, the wonderful, and our favorite, sushi restaurant, Yuzu Chicago, only charges a $5 corkage with the understanding for a party of two you can only bring one bottle of wine or a six-pack. Larger parties can bring more. Additional they add “We respectfully decline to open bottles that are currently represented on our menu.” Makes total sense to me and this is true for many other restaurants we patronize.
And just because the restaurant doesn’t say anything about allowing BYOB don’t give up! I always call and ask, especially if I have a specific reason. For instance recently the manager of a small pizzeria, which usually doesn’t allow BYOB, gave me the go-ahead when I explained my guest that day was a visiting vintner from Napa and I wanted to bring a bottle of his wine to enjoy together. So I say never be afraid to call and ask!
And never overlook the small, local, often newer restaurants, which openly advertise and offer BYOB. We have found several of these are awaiting their liquor license, offer wonderful food, and are really into BYOB as a way to broaden their appeal.
I even splurged and bought what is now my favorite BYOB satchel after seeing one of my favorite vintners using this style for such occasions! You might want to check it out for yourself!
Cheers!