Streetcar

Super-knowledgeable staff with personal details and stories to add to the wines. Great music playing, and vinyl and a turntable on hand. I was looking for a relatively obscure grape--Tannat--and they had a very solid bottling of it from a small vineyard in the US. Very good experience!

The selection, service and prices for wine were fine. The beer selection is pretty small. The place is cute and obviously a small local business, but I wouldn't necessarily go back because of the limited selection - no liquor or cold beer etc. Parking available in the lot across the street.

Excellent selection of craft beer and great wines. The staff was quick to offer help when I was selecting a bottle of wine to bring to a housewarming party where the host had a VERY selective palette. A selection of chilled whites and sparkling wines are mixed in with a small grouping of craft beer in a fridge towards the back. I believe I saw a cool rewards program and info for some type of wine-by-the-case option, which I plan to check out next time I am in and not rushed! Great addition to the neighborhood.

Ok, I've been trying to like you Streetcar but yesterday was the limit. Your staff is unfriendly (except for a woman who I think it's one of the owners) and unwelcoming. I walked in yesterday to find a wine tasting. Great, I thought. However, the 2 people, one at the register, the other one standing, did not greet me nor did they say, hey, would you like to taste some wine? Since the space is small, there was a cluster of people I had to go around to get to the cold wines then back again to search for a rose in the stacks. The standing guy made no effort to help me, not even steer me to the rose being tested. When I paid, there was no human exchange, except to tell me to swipe my card again, and when I asked for a sleeve. I said thank you for the latter, but none was given to me. Those two guys I've seen them before with the same attitude. What is it? Is it because I'm an older, Hispanic woman? My partner gave up on them a long time ago and I have now reached my limit. I rather walk to the liquor store on Hyde Square with a great selection of everything or to the friendly place near Stonybrook. It is clear you do not want my business and that's ok. You are not the only game in town.

Hooray beer...and wine. The two guys that run this shop are friendly and helpful. They've made some great wine suggestions for me based off what I was going to have for dinner that night. Best beer selection in JP. If you're looking for Coors or the like, don't even bother. Come check out their weekly beer and wine tastings on Thursday and Friday respectively.

Excellent service and selections of worldwide beer and wine. My favorite place to find Croatian and Georgian wines, along with educating me on styles from places I already thought I knew I also appreciate their activism on wine importation.

Well curated selections of wine and beer. Knowledgeable staff. They also carry some vermouth, bitters, and NA beverages.

Amazing, ever changing selection of beers and wines. Staff is stellar. A little on the pricy side, but they have so many things I've never seen before! Love this place!

I can not even give this place one star. The service at this small local shop has been terrible since the day they opened. We have tried for YEARS to engage the staff and the owner with no luck. We even joined the wine club thinking that may get us any type of customer service - NOPE. We stopped shopping there about one year ago and when I say we drink a lot of wine---that is an understatement. We gave it one more chance today because JPCSMain was using them for their fundraiser. When I went to pick up our wine the staff person could not even be bothered to say Thank you. I just paid $50 for 3 bottles of wine (which I get is not a lot of money) but not even an acknowledgement of anything. We are officially DONE with Streetcar!

A beer and wine selection, and staff, that's not just above average: they set the bar! Streetcar supplied wine and beer at our wedding. They helped us to make selections, a no fuss process, considering taste, trend and value. I don't live in the neighborhood but I do go out of my way to get here to pick something up when headed to friends' for dinner. Last visit I bought two bottles that came recommended by their helpful staff, both were excellent, neither were over $20, one was under $10!

Just stopped in here. What a gem! Heather was working and she was so helpful and lovely! We just moved to the neighborhood, and she really made me feel welcome and excited to live here. She even gave my dog a big bowl of water (and some snuggles). Streetcar's selection is fabulous.! I love their front cart (with lower prices wines). Many high-heeled wine shops don't cater to budget customers, but in true JP fashion, streetcar has exclusive products but is 100% inclusive. Five star service and five star products. Six stars for the puppy love :)

AWESOME selection. Good location. Helpful staff. Small and quaint / not overwhelming like some of the bigger shops down the street. They even play vinyl while you shop.

A gigantic 5 stars for Streetcar!!! Not the largest selection... but Streetcar is an excellent example in quality vs quantity. Awesome owner, ties the beers into local pubs/restaurants that carry it... an all around awesome store. Very reasonable prices- often less the a big box store down the street. Even the TShirts are well designed. Frequent this store- this place is a keeper.

How on earth did it take so long to get a wine shop into JP? We must have finally hit the yuppie critical mass! (How much longer before we get a cheese/charcuterie/specialty butcher shop?) I seriously love this store. Probably because I'm a shameless yuppie, but also because the whole place is just fantastic. Beautifully laid out, an impeccable selection of wine and craft beers, reasonable prices, and a knowledgeable staff. I've gone in on multiple occasions looking for wines specific to a meal and have never been steered wrong. Pork chops with fennel? A beautiful rose. Leg of lamb? A gorgeous Bordeaux. Thanksgiving wine for turkey and all the accroutrement? An amazing Beaujolais. The wine tastings are also great fun. Went in for the Beaujolais tasting the day after Beaujolais Day (a sacred holiday in the Kirs P. household) and had some of the best Beaujolais wines I've ever tasted. The owner was super nice and happy to answer my silly questions about the various things we were trying. And yes, while we've always had the perfectly serviceable Blanchards down the road, there's something nice about not having to sift through a rather messily put together collection of wine and keeping your fingers crossed you get something good. And it's right near Whole Foods, so it makes it super easy to get my privileged yuppie on!

I'm not a big wine guy, so I can't speak for the quality or selection of the wines offered. BUT... The beer selection is Top Notch. The store is pretty small but regardless the racks pack a punch of local brewers and national favorites. As far as the brewers in the immediate area, they carry ALL of a brewery's offerings not just their most popular labels. Which is nice because when I find a brewery I like it's nice to try all their stuff, which can be difficult unless you visit a LARGE outlet or the brewery itself. My first time visiting I got some friendly advice from the owner and picked up a bottle of Englightment Ales', out of Lowell, Day Trip which is a delicous Extra Hoppy Golden Ale. Very fruity, smooth, and dry. I also picked up a bottle of NightShift Brewing's Snow White Stout with Ethiopian Harrar Coffee brewed from JP Licks, which I'm very excited to try, so I'm gonna wrap this up. Great location, good vibe, friendly staff, and most importantly a top notch selection of beer at very competitive prices! Can't wait to go back!

Stopped by on recommendation by a friend and was not disappointed! Michael offered many suggestions for precisely what I was looking for, and all were given with a friendly and knowledgeable presence. Service and Selection were incredible and I would certainly stop by many times again. Definitely stop by if you are looking for your not-so-average and uncommon craft and import beers, wines, and liquors.

The times I've come in and required a ton of help with finding something fitting for a particular person or occasion, the staff at Streetcar have been incredibly patient, helpful and knowledgeable. Their prices are reasonable and their selection is great. I just love this place.

Really interesting beer and wine selection, great feel to the shop, excellent service from staff.

I'm going to preface this review by saying that my favorite wine store, ever, is West Side Wine on Columbus Avenue in New York City. The best wines I've ever tasted have been handpicked for me by Andy Besch, and I'm not sure any wine store or wine buying experience will ever compare. So let me be clear that I'm not comparing. Streetcar gets 5 stars because it's an awesome little place in its own right. Not in a league with West Side Wine (which, incidentally, has just changed owners), but a very special place all the same. It's got a hip, neighborly vibe, an interesting inventory with a focus on independent producers, frequent tastings, and knowledgeable and friendly owners. It's small, yes, but the selection is so well curated that you could come in blindfolded and leave happily. It's one of my very favorite places to shop. They could use a bit more cold storage and it would be great if they took Discover, but it's really, really hard to complain about such a wonderful establishment. A great addition to the neighborhood.

I went in and asked about getting wine and beer for an event for the JP Historical Society - Michael had great suggestions and the price was really affordable. The selections went over very well with the attendees. There is a really nice feel to this local shop and the service is wonderful. And let's face it, they have an historic trolley mural on the side of the building -- which is FANTASTIC!!

Great wine shop with a boutique selection that can't be found in larger package stores. Each wine tells a story and the very well educated / friendly staff are happy to help. It should also be noted that the little cart in the middle is packed with awesome deals under $15 bucks. No reason to be shy. Fancy wine doesn't have to be expensive.

I pass by this elegant-looking spot all the time, and I finally visited this evening (8/28/15 at around 8:15pm) because I wanted a white wine for tomorrow's dinner. I needed some guidance with the selections, but the lady never approached me (the only other customers were a couple). It was only when I exited (empty-handed) did she even acknowledge my existence at all.

This place has grown on me with each visit. First off you should expect to pay a little more especially for the beer. On the other hand everything is fresh and well chosen for this place. Great selection of beers that are tough to find at larger places but also have a nice array of locals like jacks abbey, nightshift, and castle island. I bought my first bottle of wine from them last month and was very happy to see prices for reds in the 15 to 20 dollar range. Nice addition to Centre st.

My boyfriend and I went in on a Saturday night looking for a bottle of wine to enjoy, no expectations and no restrictions other than price. Not only was I not greeted, helped, or checked in on, but I wasn't even offered a bag when I rang out my purchase. I was disappointed by the service, and when your store revolves around selling higher-quality, pricier, specialty wines and beers, I think every customer should be offered help. There were even two people working. Hopefully my experience was an anomaly, and this place holds itself to a higher regard than what seemed to be an overpriced, disaffected, hipster-chic establishment. There are plenty of places around to buy wine if not.

Friendly wine and beer shop. Large selection of sour beers for such a small shop, especially given that the emphasis here is on wine . Beer wise - excellent place to go for a special bomber, or single beer. Boulevard, Mystic, Idle Hands, Trillium, Pretty Things, Backlash, the Bruery, Enlightenment Ales, other smallish breweries - plus nice selection of imported Belgians among other imports. I am only occasionally a wine buyer, and I am ignorant of wine... staff here have been super helpful, patient and easygoing. Regarding Nick L's complaint - I am a middle-aged person in a messy line of work, so when I come in to this shop I usually look like a middle-aged, ill-dressed, messy person. I don't pick up on any "hipster" vibe at all. For me, I prefer to be able to wonder around for a while without being approached or hovered over. When I want help, or have a small-talky question about a product, I ask for assistance and I get help and a little pleasant conversation.

LOVE THIS PLACE! My first visit happened to be on a Friday when they were doing a wine tasting. Such a great idea and good marketing on their part, as I left with a bottle of that wine and now continually return. Staff is always super nice and helpful with recommendations. Also, they allow my dog to come in the store with me which is a major plus in my opinion!

Great place to revisit, taste, and discover beers and wines. The staff are really helpful with selecting the right bottle of deliciousness. Thursday nights are my favorite there, as they have tastings! Awesome store.

We were having dinner nearby and found this place. There was a wine tasting of over 8 German wines and we were given an informative description of each. Everyone was nice, and they have a large selection of beer in addition to wine.

Great selection of delicious and local micro-brews and nice wines! They are always guaranteed to have at least one of my favorite hefeweizens (which isn't easy; especially for places in Boston) and they have a wide variety of other libations to choose from. The staff is very knowledgeable and though they seem to have the cynical Boston edge, once you speak with them they are friendly and helpful! Good prices and convenient location!

Echoing earlier comments: staff -- from the Too-Cool-for-School JP hipster contingent -- aren't particularly welcoming or friendly. Maybe I'm too old (over 35). Definitely not going to be a regular stop.

Excellent wine selection and very informative staff. It's always nice to go here instead of a bigger Liquor store! You will leave with something new and delicious

They have a large selection of beer and wine which are priced moderately to pricey. The beer selection caters to the microbrew enthusiast with beers from the Maine Beer Co. and Mayflower Brewery to name a couple. They have a unique selection of wines that you don't find at your standard liquor store and start at around $10/bottle. I think it may have been the owner who helped me pick out a couple bottles of white wine under $15 that I have already gone back and bought again. I am so happy they opened in JP!

Amazing selection of off-the-beaten-track wines, and the owners have a stunning knack for finding bottles with character in the 10-15 dollar range. Looking forward to trying some of the higher end offerings for the holidays.

Best wine store in town! Tons of affordable different wines in the 10-20 dollar range from a wide variety of producers and distributors. Most of the selections you see here you won't be seeing at any other store in town. The beer selection is pretty great too if you are into that sort of thing, all sorts of small producers, unusual Belgian & German beers as well as several local microbreweries. The owner is very knowledgeable, very friendly, and quite handsome. He gives great recommendations, too.

Streetcar's great. We're seriously hoping they stick around for awhile. As other folks have pointed out here, the selection's very nice; they have a solid selection of microbrews and saisons to go with the wines. They even have a few refrigerators in case you need something ASAP. The staff are helpful. They're not the most outgoing group, but on the plus side, they do a nice job of not hovering-- it's a small space but you don't feel like they're looking over your shoulder. That said, don't be afraid to pipe up if you want some guidance; they know their stuff and the reserve isn't snobbery (unlike some wine stores I've been to).

Amazing place ~ great service and great selection of wine & beer. The people who work there are so kind and helpful :) They have a great selection of locally brewed beer!

My husband and I live nearby and go here a few times a week. They have great wine and beer. The prices vary, but you can easily find a great Italian and French wine from $11-13. We like supporting this local store.

We were recently visited the Boston area and happily stopped in at Streetcar. Loved the atmosphere and selections. The owner was most helpful when we wanted to pick out some wines for gifts for friends. Prices were affordable and fair! We look forward to stopping in and shopping every time we visit Jamaica Plain.

This store is probably the best store in town for wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beer. The owner and his assistant Dave are always friendly and helpful and their advice is always spot on. I try to go here every time I'm in Jamaica Plain. Tons of great Belgian and German beers you won't find anywhere else in Boston!

This place is great and fills a much needed void in JP. We've got bars and your usual liquor stores. But if you you're looking for hard-to-find craft beers, this is your place. The owner is very knowledgeable and caters his recommendations to what you tell him you like in a beer. He also frequently does tastings so you get to try new beers that way also. The wine selection is limited, but the owner has carefully chosen what is there, which includes a lot of affordable, good wines. Streetcar is a much welcome addition to JP.

I really want to like this store since it has a nice selection and is local, but I have been in several times and found that the staff is not particularly friendly. Several of my friends have had the same experience. It's too bad since I like to support local businesses, but part of the local movement is a sense of community and neighborhood, which Streetcar does not embody.

This is a great little shop. Every time I have visited I have received a great recommendation for wine. The staff are friendly and helpful. I wish they were located closer to my house!

I was thrilled when I read that a wine and beer shop was opening in the heart of JP, and I wasn't disappointed when it opened. It has a great selection of beers, including two of my favorites. I will always go there first for what I need.

What a surprise! Stopped by there tonight, only because the snow banks left over from the Blizzard 2013 storm and the traffic made driving any distance very difficult. I described the kind of chardonnay I like and a recommendation was made for Domaine de la Patience. And the nice guy that assisted me had a second favorable recommendation as well. The wine choice was perfect. How did they know? I almost never like the recommendatons of wine store personnel. They apparently know what they are doing. I will go back. Thank you, very much.