You know how I feel about this issue. I did break my long standing tradition and dined at feast @ 4 east to try the dine in season menu and paid my $5 for the hostess to open my wine and bring me a glass. My wife had water which required a glass, water, ice and the effort to refill the glass and it cost her nothing. If it is the price of a wine glass that runs up the cost I will gladly drink my wine out of a water glass. I prefer restaurants like Mari Luna that drop the corkscrew off at my table and bring me a glass for free.

Yes, you could just go someplace else and just buy your bottle of wine from the restaurant, but how much would it cost you? And would you be able to find a bottle that you are willing to pay that price for? Total up the cost of the bottle of wine you purchased plus the corkage fee and compare that to the cost of a similar bottle at the other restaurant. Assuming the food and experiences are similar, you might find it cheaper to bring your own and just pay the corkage. Anybody have specific examples?.

Yeah but if you went to the restuarant to purchase the bottle, you'll probably pay atleast 3x the corkage fee ($5 fee). I think it's a bargain. Some places want to charge like $25 a bottle. If the place has a solid wine list, then I'm okay with them banning the practice of bringing my own. But if the list consist of less than 50 total bottles, I better be able to bring my own.

I really have no problems with paying a flat fee for the evening. It's not really that big of a deal. I mean, $5? C'mon...

BTW most restaurants bills are paid on the sale of booze, food costs are up and labor is always expensive, even if it is just min wage. What is $5 these days, a large fancy coffee drink at Starbucks that I barely can pronouce or the ability to have someone serve you food you don't have to clean up after along with a true wine of you choice. Also it's not just a wine glass, it could also be a decanter.

I live in Northern NJ (having recently relocated here from Baltimore) and many restaurants in my town as well as neighboring towns do NOT have liquor licenses. All the restaurants that do not have licenses, welcome people to bring in their own beverages and none of them charge corking fees. I guess that is one positive thing going for New Jersey - save money on wine at dinner but you make up for it in the ridiculous property taxes!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. consumer prices fell unexpectedly in March and recorded their first annual drop since 1955, government data showed on Wednesday, as slumping demand pushed down energy and food costs.

Wah wah wah a year ago when food prices were up

food costs are DOWN hh. read your local newspaper

how can labor be minimum wage (meaning the legal cheapest) and expensive. ?

do they give restaurant people a pamphlet with tired false facts?

smcm02, there was bound to eventually be one positive thing about living in NJ!

I don't mind the corking fee at all, pertaining to this article as they are very resonable. I don't consider myself a wine connoisseur so a $10 bottle is fine with me, at a wine and spirit shop. I've often seen these $10 wines between $30 - $40 at average restaurants. So, for me, I'm still saving quite a bit.

I understand they use glasses for water for everyone and don't charge a fee for that (well, they do, they just include it in everyone's tab).
But, only wine drinker use wine glasses with overwhelmingly few exceptions. It makes sense.

I enjoy many meals with beer. But, certain meals I really likes mine wine with and the small corking fee is a heck of a lot better than paying the HUGE mark up on wine at restaraunts.

"smcm02, there was bound to eventually be one positive thing about living in NJ!"

Really?!
What exit?

Okay factista, how bout energy prices, as far as I'm away, I only get my news from credible sources, ie the sun and Rachael Ray. To this day I don't believe they have made a solar powered commercial oven or stove. Refrigeration and heating revs up electric bills, plus that ice water with lemon that you don't see on the bill, still cost the house something. Yes certain food prices are down, but others are in high demand. Quality products are costing more. Also I'm certain that you've notice that your taxes have increased, you're not alone.

HHH, I am so sick of the "Obama is raising my taxes" thing. He lowered taxes for the lowest 90% of earners.

Now, I happen to think that was a really stupid thing to do, as I like paying for services I use. Like high speed trains. But, that is another topic entirely.

What does a restaurant's expenses have to do with charging me for providing me the same service (or less) than is being provided for free to water drinkers?

I know $5 isn't much money. I know it is cheaper than going to a restaurant and buying a bottle of wine off a wine list. I know I have a better wine selection at home than any restaurant I have been to in Baltimore and therefore I can bring a wine I really like and not settle for some generic, factory made fermented grape juice. However, it still bothers me to pay something for nothing.

A question for anyone who is regular customer at a BYOB restaurant. Is your corkage fee ever waived because the place gets to know you?

I must ask you this, what restuarants are you dining at that your personal collection is far better? I doubt if it's any of the chain steakhouse (Ruth Chris, Capital Grill, Prime Rib and etc, not Outback) and I'm certain that theres probably only a few people that could touch Wolf/Foreman winelists and the Oregon Grill. One of those being Bob Parker. Also the restaurant had to pay $ for a license for you to be able to bring and drink your stuff, why can't they try to recoup that?? Also I wasn't talking about Obama, Lissa, it was a smack towards O'Malley, who promised to take the power away from the power companies, remember?

What does a restaurant's expenses have to do with charging me for providing me the same service (or less) than is being provided for free to water drinkers?

Water drinkers don't get louder and more obnoxious as the evening progresses. We usually don't paw the waitresses, either.

This thread has me wondering if anyone has tried taking in a bottle in a paper bag and just taking surreptitious swigs from the bottle rather than asking for a glass. Bringing a screwtop bottle gets around the need for a corkscrew.

Because it's a business, either accept or not, it deals with their bottom line whether they're in the red or the black. And generally, the people that get loud and obnoxious in public, are also that way at home, the setting has little to do with it unless it's hooters or something along those lines, nothing against hooters, the service there is um...friendly

I usually wear my beer helmet. You know, the hardhat with the rack that holds 2 cans of beer and has a hose to drink through. Just get 2 empty cans and fill with your favorite beverage. I like MD 20/20.

Anyone ever take beer to a BYOB? I can bring an opener and swig out of the bottle. Seems to be the fashion these days anyway, I'm really shocked at nice places I've been to that don't bring a glass with beer any more. I don't need to cost the restaurant anything.

Seems the fees, and outrageous markups, and silly ceremony are a "wine thing" in the US. Wine drinkers are willing to pay more and act fancy. It's just booze, people.

RayRay,

Get one of these instead: The Complete Stealth Beverage System

Lissa, what a rude and false comment from someone who has never met me.

HHH, my personal selection is suited to my taste and therefore "better" than restaurant lists that are normally selected to impress with labels. . Robert Parker and I have only ever agreed one thing, that wine should not be filtered before bottling. He loves overripe, overoaked wines. I like wines that are made to go with food and not to win contests. When I taste a wine from a region that traditionally has produced easy drinking, food friendly wine and it suddenly is overpowering I review to that wine as Parkerized. My personal collection is dominated by Domaine Tempier Bandol, Robert Chevillon Red Burgundy, Michel Colin Red and White Burgundy, Chinon from several producers, J. L. Chave Red and White Hermitage, Clape Cornas and Cote du Rhone, wines from Corsica, Cahors, Domaine Fontsaine, and other southern French wines. From California the only wine I cellar is Rafanelli Zinfandel. I also normally have Barbera, Dolcetto, Chianti, and Chianti Classico around.

HHH is right that it is a business decision. Some BYOB restaurants see a corkage fee as a way to offset the expense of a license and dish washing while others chose to offer the service for free to attract customers like myself who enjoy wine with almost every meal. I will continue to frequent the BYOB places without a corkage fee.

EEL, how self-centred of you to assume I was speaking of you, or only of you. Is it not general knowledge that people who are drinking get louder and more uninhibited?

A hippo, an elephant, and a lion tamer. This is the worst circus ever. My favorite part: watching the hippo chase his tale. Facts be damned!

Now I want a big glass of malbec... my favorite...

Actually, I really want to know why people think it's okay to have our wine bottles running around without leashes, leaving corks and red spots everywhere for people to step in. Shameful.

Double points (for cross-blogging) and a doggy bag to Sean! Woof!

Mr. Puppy, this is only a side show. The full circus is much more intriguing.

sean, you need my 19-oz wine glasses. Perfect for malbec.

I don't have any problems with any restaurant that has a cork fee. From what I've seen there is a cost that goes with people bringing in there own bottle of wine. I look at it this way I won't charge anyone a cork fee. It just seems as if we are nickle and diming our customers to death. If you are coming to eat and want a bottle of wine and it makes my food better to you LMAO go for it. I love wine just bring me a glass

If I bring in my half empty, screw top bottle of Manishevitz Concord Grape I have left over from last week, will I still have to pay the full corkage fee?

RoCK, anyone who has a half empty screw top bottle of Manishevitz has a drinking problem.

I would have had more wine left over; however, Elijah left a lot of wounded soldiers on the seder table

You need a more generous pour for Elijah, RoCK.

PCB Rob'
There is a thread over on Sam Sessa's blog about the best bars in America. Brewers Art is in the lead.
Also a review of The Shamrock by John Waters.

Thanks RayRay!

I'm back now.
EL doesn't like it when we send people to other blogs.

John Waters is a trip, and I've met that woman Ma that he mentioned.

Whew. EL

PCB Rob,
I try to sneek away once in a while, but i try to get back before anybody notices that I'm gone. As for Ma ( It's actually Maw .. she has it tatooed on her arm) I've known her for years. Of course I grew up with most of the people that frequent The Shamrock. That place hasn't changed in 30 years, nor has the Holiday house. Oh and both places serve food. (Required food reference):-)

I must admit to never having taken wine to a BYOB restaurant until recently. One just opened in my neighborhood with a $3 corkage fee. Being unfamiliar with the protocol (and certainly not wanting to appear ignorant of same! ) I waited for a period of time until it became clear I would need to remove the cork myself.

Is there a protocol? I kind of expected the fee would include opening and at least two pours.

Big Mike, there's really no set protocol. Most of the time they remove the cork for you. Some places may even do the first pour but beyond that you're pretty much on your own. Just to be safe, if I don't know the place I would bring my own cork screw just in case.

I wonder if the Holiday House still has those gigantic cheesesteaks, served in a basket? Must take a whole box of steak-umms to make one.

I have read all comments, i understand we have to keep dinning out under budget so we can continue with this pleasure of being served but i also invite you all to understand costs, of course water is "free" for you, however it si not for the restaurant operators, they do it because they want you to patron their business.
$5 corage fee is not gonna kill us, or is it?
instead we are helping this mom and pop stablishments to continue operating.
Everytime i visit my favorite restaurants i also look at the place and the people who works there, i have found owners are there ALL DAY LONG 11-14 hours a day, 7 days a week, it could kill any of us. They do it because they have a dream (and they cannot afford to pay a manager) so, i truly invite you to support mom and pop places which really take care of your food, is is healthier and fresher than any chain-stablishment.