Christopher J.
Yelp
My wife and I have been here a few times. We didn't want to judge it off just one visit because we understand there are different reasons for how things run. What we love about the shop is the cheese selection. It's solid but not always consistent. Some days the cheese case has a diverse selection, and other days the quality isn't the same. You can tell some cheeses need to be either cleaned or it seems they haven't had a delivery in weeks. You'll notice that some workers are willing to help you find what you're looking for, while others won't even acknowledge you exist.
They also have a unique selection of wines, which we appreciate. But honestly, nobody here really knows wine. Maybe one or two can help, but if you have actual questions, you're better off heading to another spot down the street.
On certain days, we've had amazing service. There's Willow, who always has a cool sense of style and a great energy about her. She recommended a bunch of cheeses to us and our favorites were the Toma and Manchengo. There's also Lisa, who works the bar during the week and is amazing, but we've never seen her on the weekends. Ralf is easy to talk to and knows a lot about cheese and wine too. They don't sell beer except at the bar, but Ralf suggested which cheeses would pair well with what they had available. He also offers us to try cheeses and showed us different ways to enjoy them.
But on the weekends, even though we get that it's busy, the attention to detail REALLY drops.
There's one worker in particular, pretty sure his name is Marquis, who we've dealt with a few times, and his attitude is complete trash. We've seen him toss things around like he's having a tantrum, and he's rude to his coworkers, which totally affects the vibe. He's always loud and obnoxiously talking negatively about something. We've also seen how he treats other customers. Sometimes when I ask questions, it feels like I'm bothering him. Like I'm being too needy and he's clearly annoyed. He really needs to grow up. I've worked retail and that's not how you treat guests. His stuck up attitude is the worst and honestly just distasteful. We avoid dealing with him altogether now. If you're going on the weekend, I'd suggest the same.
If you're ordering anything to eat at the bar, definitely pay attention to who's making your food. Most of the workers are clean and efficient, but on weekends, it's usually Marquis and this other big guy, and their hygiene is POOR. Their work station is dirty and a mess. But on other days, things seem more organized and clean. Again, inconsistency. There's a woman who works the cheese case on some weekends. Go to her. She's super helpful. Honestly, just avoid the men that exist on the weekends if you want a better experience.
If you do decide to order food, we recommend The Situation sandwich and the French Panini. Both are solid choices. Ally helped us last time and she's super helpful, especially if you need to make any changes to your order.
A few people we know have told us they love coming here, so it's not a horrible place. But we'd suggest visiting with caution. It could be great but the consistency just isn't there.
Again, it really comes down to consistency. Some days the whole team is helpful and present, and their work station reflects that. But on the weekends, you'll feel ignored and could end up having the worst experience ever. Good luck asking questions. You might not even get acknowledged.
We feel strongly about supporting small local businesses wherever we travel. Would we recommend you visit? If you're in the area, yes. But it's not worth going out of your way for, especially with how unpredictable the service can be. And here's the part that stings a little. Napa is a destination. People come from all over the world. Even the janitors at Oxbow, who may not speak perfect English, still treat you like a person. Some of the people behind the counter could learn something from that.
