Latest reviews from South Plainfield

“Shockingly, this place won best bottle shop in New Jersey again for 2020!? Don’t waste your time going there. The are many other locations throughout New Jersey that are leaps and bounds above this place. Clearly the folks at Rate Beer are clueless when it comes to rating bottle shops in New Jersey. (Posted on 02/04/2021). The overall rating is extremely misleading. No way this is the best bottle shop in New Jersey for 2019. This place used to be really good about 5 or so years ago. New ownership took over and gutted the craft beer selection. Don't waste your time. If your looking for a decent craft beer store close by, try Canal's in Iselin, NJ or Jersey Fine Wines in East Brunswick, NJ. Both are just a few miles away from Oak Tree Liquors.“

gripweed57 1558 days ago

“I concur with the previous rater - I don’t get how this is rated well. This is a pretty terrible shop for beer, but decent for wine. Very limited beer selection, with mostly only stuff available in 6-packs and few if any top NJ stuff. Waste of time - do not bother stopping here.“

mcberko 2098 days ago

“I have never encountered a more overrated place. Maybe the ownership or management has changed. The ambiance is crap, the selection is mediocre, and very few beers are available as singles. What a waste of time going to this place.“

Iphonephan 2737 days ago

“How on earth is this a 98 overall rating?? Only a very OK selection, poor service.“

mcrowther 2840 days ago

“Was in the area so i stopped in since it had such a high rating. The wine section had a nice look with vine wrapped trestes. Once i got to the beer section i was far less impressed. No real effort put into it. And even though the dedicated space was a good size, the variety was rather limited. Prices seemed to file the high/low model. Service was good and knowledgeable“

demannu 3329 days ago

“Standard liquor store vibe. Staff is extremely friendly. Selection is a mixed bag. They seem to always have a few random things no one else on the area has but on the whole it seems to have fallen off over the last few years. Prices are also mixed. Most of the bombers seemed ok but a lot of the singles on the Mix 6 section were a little pricy. Overall pretty decent but not the destination it once was.“

conway 3663 days ago

“Apparently the previous owner was a craft beer junkie, but this place is not anything close to the descriptions and ratings it’s been given here. MUCH MUCH better options in the area“

jaken0ss 3765 days ago

“A smaller liquor store with a rather poor beer selection. Most of the beers were of the widely available type, regional brews. Prices seemed fair and I did find a couple beers to buy, but I was hoping for a lot more from this place based on other reviews.“

BeerandBlues2 3833 days ago

“Well after reading the reviews and seeing all the high ratings for so long I decided it was finally time to check out the Oak Tree. I headed down there on a Sunday afternoon...maybe a 40 min drive from my house. So really...I totally don’t get what the big deal is about this place, and I have no idea why it gets such high ratings other than from people who live nearby. I would not go out of my way to frequent this place...but obviously I’d shop here if I lived very close. The problem is that the selection really isn’t that great at all. There is one aisle of US craft beers and maybe a half aisle of import craft beers. Very little here was that special with a few exceptions (nice selection of Mikeller single hop series). The prices were not great...in fact to make the trip not be a total waste of my time I built 2 six packs of 12 oz singles. When they rang them up I noticed the prices varied considerably from $2.29 to $5.49 each with the high end being a 12 oz can of Oscar Blues Ten Fidy. Bottomline...I’ll pay a little extra for something special...nothing really special here. If you want to know how a craft beer store is done right...take a visit to Liquor Outlet Wine Cellars in Booton (see my review on that place). In all fairness...the people at Oak Tree were friendly to me...but for reasons I’ve mentioned I really think this place is greatly overrated as a craft beer store.“

PRBeer 4040 days ago

“Prices are reasonable, employees were friendly and offered help, selection of US craft was a bit run-of-the-mill when I stopped in, but still solid. Import selection looked pretty decent. Worth a stop if in the area.“

ekoerper 4112 days ago

“2/17/20: Don't go by my old rating, this place isn't good anymore and should definitely not be the best place in NJ 6 or more years after the last time it was good. Ratebeer's worthless awards reminded be to update this place. The craft beer selection is totally gone there days, and now it's basically a store with a below average-to-worse selection, I'm probably still being too generous. (Ambiance 2 / Service: 6 / Selection: 5 / Overall: 7 / Value: 5) 11/27/12: Just made my first trip to Oak Tree, and I was pretty impressed. Warehouse liquor store feel. 2 Main beers Isles. A nice American beer isle with a pretty good selection. It looked a little picked over today. The foreign section was even nicer looking, with quite a few offerings available. It was pretty empty, and I didn’t ask for much help, and I wasn’t really offered any either. Prices were fine, but nothing special. This one is definitely one of the top stores in the state. (Ambiance: 3 / Service: 6 / Selection: 13 / Overall: 16 / Value: 6)“

ben4321 4179 days ago

“A decent warehouse full of beer and liquor. Much better than anything I’ve seen in the area. They had a great selection of Belgian and other imported beer that I’d never heard of so that was nice. One of the employees looked like he didn’t trust me as he kept watching me from the end of every isle I walked down. When checked out I asked the guy behind the counter if he could recommend a good beer bar in the area and he said there was one in a hotel but he couldn’t remember the name. It was a nice place anyway.“

LinusStick 4222 days ago

“Definitely sought out this place based on its reputation and while it might be a bit overrated it is a nice beer store. The ambience is that of a warehouse. I’m from the South so I go to Total Wines and I thought it was very similar to those... but with a little more dirt and a much better selection. Nice selection of foreign and American beers. The mead and cider selection is very nice and I’m sure I’ve ever seen that much sake in one store. The staff I dealt with were very nice. Prices were solid. Parking is fine. The only complaint I have is that I found a few VERY old beers on the shelf. One IPA was marked drink by March 2011.... 17 months ago! That being said, its worth going out of your way for this one.“

Drake 4261 days ago

“Awesome place to shop for beer. great selection of American micros and tons of nice import beers. Friendly staff that know their beer. mixed 3 6 packs to get a lot of different tasters. will definitely go back when driving by.“

lalu 4464 days ago

“14 TAP Growler Station, 64oz growler@ $9.99 & $10.99(beer only), collection of Micro brews and Seasonals , rotating beers, worth visiting & great service.“

smaryada 4541 days ago

“Well, Oaktree is jus tdown the street from my mother in laws house and I go there every time we visit. Bit of a warehouse feel to it but I am buying beer, not a romantic weekend! The guys and ladies there have been great adn very helpful. Very talkative which I like as well. The selection is fantastic, do they have everything, no, But most everything available in NJ. the prices seem to be very fair. Overall, it is one of my favorite beer stores probably second favorite in the US.“

thepeter 4550 days ago

“A nice and friendly atmosphere. A large selection of imports along the entire back wall. A very good selection of domestics hard to find micros. Staff seems very helpful and depending on who you speak with knowledgeable about the brews. Value wise a bit pricier on some more widely available brews but not too bad. Overall a very good place to by beer. 07/11/13 Selection of beer seems to have gone down, mostly have domestic beers you can get at other places. Single bottle shelves seem to be empty not as full as before, Seems they have cut there selection of imports in half. Although they still have a good selection of Belgium.“

SamP01 4616 days ago

“great foreign selection which i thought was actually better than the domestics. definately a fair amount of both. really enjoy seeing the singles section. pretty great place but a bit of a drive for myself.“

someviking 4797 days ago

“Fairly small bottle shop in the middle of northern NJ, but it holds some nice surprises. Probably the best selection in the area for any type of craft beer including some pretty hard to find imports such as rarer mikkeller. Service is adequate but you usually have to ask for help if you need any, but they are very knowledgeable. Prices are a tad high but its to be expected considering the selection and location.“

Dfonorow 4887 days ago

“Top notch selection, great staff, great atmosphere. A little expensive but not too far out of acceptable range , especially with their top tier selection.“

BubberJ 4888 days ago

“Wow. I was driving through new jersey and I thought that I would take a short trip off I-95 to see what this place was like. I was very impressed with the selection. They had a lot of great micro-brews that are difficult to find. The prices were decent, and they had plenty of singles. The staff was very friendly, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about their beer selection. While checking out, one of the people working there gave me a free glass because I bought around 20 beers. Not just any glass, but a very nice Trappist glass. Overall, I would definitely recommend checking this place out, even if you have to drive a little out of your way.“

scottw86 4910 days ago

“Wonderful bottle shop. they have a great selection of domestic and international brews. lots of different styles and various hard to acquire beers. The staff is knowledgeable for the most part. the owner is always willing to take a second to chat. they always help you get something they don’t have in stock. glad i work 10 min from this place. prob the best bottle shop in NJ“

fbm115 4924 days ago

“Wow.Everything you could want and more. All kinds of beer that stretches for about 75 feet. And then you go around a corner and more beer is there. A tremendous selection of Belgians, Christmas, American Craft Brews. I spent about 10 minutes in the place while working but could have spent hours wondering around the isles.“

keepersj12 4924 days ago

“Review based upon online order- Ordered last Tuesday, had it corrected Thursday (Out of stock on an item, had to sub- very quick response by them), shipped Friday, arrived today (following Tuesday)! Packed tighter than a brick &@$* house, perfect condition. The website itself can be a little tricky- could use a "new" section as previously mentioned, as well as perhaps somewhere you could check the status of your order- hence the ambiance score. Selection- holy mother of God! If you can’t find it here, chances are you’re not going to find it on another site! Fantastic prices on alot of items, and even some prices are lower than what I can get here locally! Overall- I will be placing another order from them as soon as time and cashflow permits, as well as a visit in person- in my "someday" category. I just want to see how much beer they actually have crammed in there!“

mmmbeer 4949 days ago

“Been here once, and what can I say? Wow... the Holy Land for beer lovers. I was utterly amazed by how many beers were available here. Spent almost $100 on singles and 750ml bottles. There was one younger gentleman working that day that helped me out and even gave me a free pint glass to take home. Easily the BEST place to go if you want to peruse a vast selection of micro brews. Outstanding!“

TheVikingWL 4989 days ago

“I was traveling to my house in PA and decided to make a side trip on my way there, and boy am I glad I did. The selection of beers is probably the best that I have seen. Great selection of craft beer in singles, six-packs and bombers. The back wall is a vast array of imported beers plus a small section of sakes. Better-than-average selection of meads as well. I spent $300 in short order, and felt like I could have easily spent more if I didn’t put a stop to it. The store is well lit, well organized, with prices prominently displayed. Despite the fact that this was more than just a bit out of the way for me, I will definitely be back.“

beerbill 5037 days ago

“Great place. I happened to stop by because I was in the area and I’m glad I did. I starting talking to Dan about beers and he ended up showing me the secret stash of beers he had. They were some beauties and I ended up buying some of them. Selection is top notch and if it’s out there, he can get it. I scored a Capt Lawrence Nor’ Easter. Slam Dunk!“

halfonit 5048 days ago

“Based on web store. Excellent web store. Excellent selection. Order filled with no exceptions. Beers I really wanted. Shipped almost immediately. Well packed. Will be back with another order.“

bhensonb 5057 days ago

“Oh my god I just made my first pilgrimage to this beer mecca and spent $500 like it was nothing! The staff was extremely friendly and full of beer knowledge. The quality of the stock was exceptional on all fronts. Ample US Micro’s, Belgians, Germans, Dutch, etc. Huge singles section and even a macro section. The amount of floor space given to beer at this store is obscene for New Jersey! It took me 1 hour to cover everything and 30 minutes to have everything wrung up at the cash register! Some of my score included: DFH Palo Santo Marron Boon Fraimboise Boon Kriek Brooklyn Monster 2007 Cantillon Iris 2004 Cantillon St. Lamvinus Philadelphia Walt Wit De Ranke Kriek Drie Fonteinen Geuze Boulder GABF 25th Anniversary Ale De Glazen Torren Jan De Lichte Founders Rubaeus Founders Breakfast Stout Founders Crummugen Founders Harvest Ale Green Flash Double Stout Christoffel Robertus Leipziger Gose Gales Prize Old Ale 96 Gales Prize Old Ale 98 Gales Prize Old Ale 99 Dieu du Ciel Rosee dHibiscus Mikkeller Black Mikkeller Black Hole Foret Organic Saison Sam Adams Imperial Pilsner Southern Tier Oat Southern Tier Phin & Matts Southern Tier Creme Brulee Southern Tier Krampus Unibroue Ephemere Apple Unibroue Ephemere Raspberry Unibroue 15 Unibroue Terrible Boulder Cold Hop Avery White Rascal Witches Brew Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca Mikkeller Not Just Another Wit Unreal Experience... Reviewed on: 11-16-2008“

koopa 5093 days ago

“Very solid beer store. Big selection of American micros, Belgians, and Scandinavian beers. Most were available in singles. Organized by region, with a small selection available cold including a few growlers from Climax. A small selection of meads, cider and sake as well. A must stop if you are in the area.“

frylock 5106 days ago

“I’m changing my review/rating given that this place is nowhere near the same place it was 6-8 years ago. They used to be the go-to store in the area for craft beer. Now, it’s not much more than an average liquor store. New owners. Different management. My original score: 100. Beer stores don’t get much better than this. If the beer distributes to NJ, you’ll likely find it here. I’ve bought probably close to 800 different beers at this place in the past decade and I haven’t even made a dent in their rotating selection. They also have some rare hard to find stuff from time to time. The staff is very knowledgeable and have given me most of my beer glass collection for free after chatting with them and purchasing beer over the years. If you’re in the area, definitely check it out.“

jtclockwork 5122 days ago

“Purchase beer through their website, arrived in 3 days, 100% intact. Selection was amazing, including some retired Italian sours, wide range of decent domestic stuff. Definitely makes me want to visit them in person, and sift through their nooks and crannies.“

Travlr 5130 days ago

“I have found the beer mecca of New Jersey when if comes to beer stops. The selection is the best I have found in the State. The employees know their stuff. They offer a ton of singles to make your own 6-pack. Their import section blows others away. You may not find everything here. But for one stop, this is the best.“

Chalsk 5177 days ago

“Note: This is an online rating. Website was easy to use and navigate. Could have used some different search features and maybe a "just arrived" section. Easy check out and fast delivery. Excellent packaging, very durable. The prices seemed fine but shipping always kills any great value. Again, a very pleasant shopping experience and I would use their on line store again.“

brentfeesh 5200 days ago

“best beer selection in NJ and surrounding states!! super organized with a very helpful and knowledgeable staff!! Awesome!!“

gon8888 5281 days ago

“Take trips to this place when i have some extra time and money. Definitely a great selection and helpful staff. If you live close you are lucky.“

vtafro 5334 days ago

“Probably the best beer store in New-Jersey, that’s what I was told and after visiting it I concur. Beer, beer and more beer. All the cool new releases seem to make their way to Oak Tree. If a beer is limited release and only make it to a few stores Oak Tree will be one of them. When I was there I talked to three staff and they were all on ratebeer or beeradvocate. Don’t be afraid to say that you are on ratebeer. Actually make sure that you tell them. You see, they have stuff in a small room that they don’t put on the shelves. When they realized I was on ratebeer they let me in the little room and let me picked a few things (for instance: Captain Lawrence SFTO Bourbon). Not worth listing breweries available there. If a beer is sold in New-Jersey it is at Oak Tree. The only downside is that the turnaround seems to be rather quick and new cool stuff may sold-out there before other less popular beer stores.“

Glouglouburp 5366 days ago

“Best retail store around!“

quierocerveza 5371 days ago

“Ok, it’s legendary for a reason--the place is designed for the serious beer connoisseur, and it has an amazing, amazing selection of many many things you cannot find anywhere else in NJ/NYC/possibly the East Coast. But for all the beers that somewhere else has, Oak Tree loses on price [they compete on the macros and the Polish imports, but for the connoisseur, they price as if they know they have a captive audience). Service is inconsistent (nice, friendly, but didn’t know the policy on sixers)... A touch overrated“

ectuohy27 5379 days ago

“widest selection of beer i have found anywhere in new jersey. Very knowlegeable employees who are actual beer fans. Good service spent over $100 on different beers and got a few pint glasses for free. Great place too find a beer that you been having trouble. Negatives were you couldn’t tell who was an employee and who wasn’t( no uniform or name tag) prices were avg too high not too many bargains. All of the most popular seasonal or special craft beers were out of stock probably because everyone goes there. overall the best beer store around.“

ouknowo 5437 days ago

“Stopped in on my way home from New York to Philly. After living in PA my whole life, any place you can buy bottles is excellent in my book. Even better when you have a selection like this! I easily walked the aisles 3 times before I grabbed a cart and picked up what I wanted. If I walked with a cart through the first time I’d have bought half the store.“

jmm635 5485 days ago

“There liquor selection is nothing great and the prices are slightly high. You come here for the beer selection and you will find yourself here again. The selection is second to none in NY and NJ area. The service is impeccable they have made some unforgettable recommendations like olfabrikken porter, nogne imperial stout, captain lawrence noreaster, and alvine podge imperial stout. I cannot get out of this store without spending $300. The emloyees almost always throw in a beer glass which keeps me coming back. If you live with in 20 miles it well worth the trip.“

kennydiaz 5496 days ago

“Sweet, sweet, sweet place. Any drive up to and hour and a half is warranted. Selection overall and single selection are the main factors that set this place apart. One forty feet long, seven feet high aisle packed with american craft goodness. One forty feet long, seven feet high aisle packed with many hard to find and obscure import rareities. Plus two seven feet high end caps full of what the store seperates for you as the "best of" sections. When the cashiers know there stuff, you know you are in the right place. I believe the main beer guy is Jay. He is very helpful, patient and knowledgeable. Stop by whenever you get a chance to treat yourself. For those not from the area, the neighborhood is your average Jersey highway, commercial type place, nothing bad but not special at all.“

41cubs 5536 days ago

“This place is seriously great. The oustide looks like any other large liquor store but inside it is beer paradise! The singles are a great selection and reasonably priced the imports are phenomenal with a ton of great Belgian, German, Italian and English beers, plus beers from around the world. The staff is very knowledgeble and really helps you out and they have a great email list that will let you know about some raretites when they are in even if they aren’t out. It is worth a trip from pretty much any where.“

LokiLovelace 5581 days ago

“pretty awsome store. top notch. things are aranged a bit quirky but if you talk to the right guy (i think its the owner) he realy knows his stuff. Some of the prices are a bit high but he is selling some rare stuff so its ok. Worth a visit“

fizzban 5611 days ago

“They have such a selection of beer and wine, that when I go there it makes my head spin!!!!! I just wish they had a bigger selection of cigars, MAN....that would be THE ULTIMATE!!!!“

Jetfan69 5641 days ago

“Went there today and was greeted at the door. Then within 5 minutes Scott asks me if I need help. He spent 45 minutes with me directly. He knew everything and help me make some great choices. Some other guy there was helpful too but didn’t catch his name. I dropped $120 and felt great about it:) They have amazing selection, organization and service. Best I have been to.“

level4 5730 days ago

“It’s where The PubScout buys his beer!“

pubscout 5752 days ago

“Finally made it here after meaning to take a stop off for months. Insane selection of foriegn beers. Great singles selection too. Prices were just ok. You can find better prices at a few local shore liquor stores. But nobody competes with their foreign beer selection. When it comes to craft domestics they are great but not over the top like they are with the international beers. Jay the manager ( i think) is very helpful and knowledgeable. Definitly worth a trip.“

cryfreedmb 5773 days ago