william alexander wine studio

I was pleasantly surprised to find a wine bar in Lockport. It's in an old bank building that has good character. They had live music playing on the Saturday night we were there, which was fun. The staff was very friendly and we had a nice time chatting with the bartender. They even allowed us to do a flight for a mere $10, when it wasn't even an option listed on the menu. There are some shortfalls, in my opinion. First, for a wine bar, the wine list is pretty small. The prices are very reasonable, however, which fits the location better than a very upscale wine list would. In back by the bathrooms there appears to be a thrift shop of sorts. It's a little unusual and none of the merchandise was appealing to me, I think it makes the space feel disjointed and confusing. I think this is a nice place to go for an adult night out if you are in the area. We'll be back.

I have been there a few times, enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere enough to ask friends to join us for the wine tasting, Regulars had been telling me about the wine tasting and not being very adventurous as far as trying new wines felt this was a great opportunity. While waiting for our wine tasting we were seated in a nice little room right off the main room which was very nice for conversation. There was a band playing a little louder than than I had experienced on previous visits. When it was our turn to go for our tasting I was surprised they were seating our party of 7 at the bar. We were told by the wine host that the music was loud and he was not going to repeat himself and that we needed to shut up -- yes he said shut up. My friends were also told to not eat from their plate of cheese and crackers. During the tasting I apparently did the unthinkable and asked for a glass of water and was treated very rude with some muttering about ruining the flavor of the wine or something like that. At one point I leaned over and asked my friend sitting next to me what wine was being served and what did he say about the wine (because I could not hear him over the band & he was 5 people away from me) my friend was uncertain because he couldn't hear him either. I then asked the wine host, "Excuse me I couldn't hear what you said about this wine" and his response was "if you would be quite and listen you would have heard". Really? At that point I was ready to walk away. Foolish me for not finding the owner right then and even more foolish paying $20 to be treated so rudely.

William Alexander Wine Studio is the sort of place to which you can bring your family, a date or a business client and enjoy yourself. WAWS has an extensive wine cellar, offers tasty snacks and live music, and has a variety of interesting antiques for purchase. I particularly enjoy the "Sunday Sessions," which are an open mike opportunity for musicians to get before an audience and entertain.All of the staff are courteous and do their best to make you feel welcome. They are also quick to ask anyone who is behaving in a classless manner to leave. This policy is a welcome change from some bars where inebriated behavior seems to be tolerated, even when other customers are being annoyed.Another reviewer (CowaCook) wrote an extensively critical piece about this place, with comments such as "Way too expensive for such limited selections, dim decor and offensive service" and "The 'ambiance' is dark but not in a romantic kind of way. Rather dimly lit to hide layers of dust and dirt and crawlers!" Such commentary is completely false. I've been in WAWS a number of times and have never seen anything to indicate that there is a cleanliness problem. In fact, as bars go, it is much cleaner than average. I suspect CowaCook may have been one of the classless people ejected for drunkeness and rude behavior.My opinion is that WAWS will live up to your expectations. I recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice evening out.

Seriously wish we could award ZERO stars to William Alexander. Hoping to save others from this DIVE pretending to be something it's not with this honest review. We're compelled to share our comments to prevent others from being fooled as were we by other glowing (inaccurate) reviews (Yelp). Our experience was terrible, from start to finish, in every way imaginable. We all felt like we'd just been slapped in the face when our check arrived. Way too expensive for such limited selections, dim decor and offensive service. Would never recommend this place to anyone. The "ambiance" is dark but not in a romantic kind of way. Rather dimly lit to hide layers of dust and dirt and crawlers! The wait staff and bartender were sneering and short with us for no apparent reason. Definitely NO warm fuzzies here... The "decor" is literally junk which litters the entire place. The "live music" was actually annoying and plain bad. The "food" was microwaved fast food. Our mixed drinks were obviously watered down. The "fresh cheese & fruit plate" we got looked like it had already been picked over - as in someone else's leftovers - seriously! Another reviewer cited 'chatchkis" which are actually nothing but junk being touted as "antiques" - actually nothing more than musty smelling Junk, and it's everywhere...cobwebs galore. We can't imagine what their dark backroom kitchen must look like. Servers appear with food from a hole-in-the-wall dark hallway. Another (probably paid or related) reviewer cited this joint as a "hidden gem" - only if you're blind, or dead, or have lost your sense of smell and taste, or just don't get out much. Life is short and money is precious these days. Our group looks for and appreciates "quality" everywhere we go - it's a habit worth practicing and receiving and which we take pleasure in paying for. If you're seeking a fun, quality evening, you'd be wise to take your business elsewhere. There is nothing here worth experiencing or paying for. Plenty of far better places in Lockport, which is a great town to visit.You've been warned: Go Elsewhere!

Live music on the weekends, beer, wine, friendly atmosphere, antiques, collectables, food -- don't miss it.