McClain Cellars — Restaurant in Laguna Beach

I write to bring to your attention an unfortunate incident on November 11th, 2023, 1PM Pacific Time, when a group of friends and I visited Mcclain's Cellar and Winery. The specific reason for this written complaint stems from the unsatisfactory service we received - particularly from one of your waitstaff, Christine, bill handled by someone else.

We were a group of 14 people who ordered the Red Flight, however, despite our clear order, three members of our party did not receive their drink order, their last drinks. When we politely informed Christine of the discrepancy, rather than taking responsibility and ensuring prompt remediation, she reacted in a highly combative and confrontational manner.

Furthermore, upon the presentation of the bill, we noticed that we were charged for more drinks than we ordered, she claimed one of the guest left without paying. We again approached Christine for an explanation and rectification of the bill; however, her response remained noncooperative and argumentative. The guest in question did pay, and even left an 7 dollar tip, IN CASH.

Such an incident is highly disappointing and unexpected, particularly considering the otherwise reputedly high standards of Mcclain's Cellar and Winery. We are ardent fans of your winery and often bring guests to enjoy your product range, although this incident has caused us to reconsider our preference.

I trust that the management will treat this complaint with seriousness, take the necessary remedial actions, and ensure that no visitors have to experience such poor service in the future. Please consider providing appropriate customer service training to your staff, especially in dealing with complaints and mistakes they may have made.

I look forward to hearing your response on this matter and seeing appropriate measures be implemented to prevent a similar unpleasant occurrence. Thank you for your attention to this matter and I kindly request that you send your acknowledgment that this letter has been received and is being...

GO!! I had heard a few months ago that a tasting room from the Central Coast was opening out in the canyon, and was really excited to check it out! I had imagined a tasting room like you find in Los Olivos- I was NOT disappointed! First, the energy, and vibe of the staff really made the whole experience!! Jason, the owner, greeted everyone who walked in with a big smile and so much enthusiasm for his product! He was such a great host and his spirit definitely trickled down through his staff! Even his darling daughter who happened to be there was so excited for us to taste their garlic truffle popcorn- which was AMAZING! Second (and maybe most importantly?), the wine is REALLY GOOD!! I pretty much tasted everything and I loved all of it. They have a great Central Coast Pinot Noir and their whites are also fantastic (as well as their heavier reds). The space itself is beautiful. You can immediately get the vibe from the signage out front- refined and fun at the same time. They have standing room up at the tasting bar, but then they have a loungy couch area if you want to sit and chat. McClain's does not serve food, but have a decent selection of cheese and meats to build your own snack. They also fun options for fruit spreads, flavored popcorn (Their own brand) and olive oils. We had fun making our own "platter' and I highly suggest you try the Mango fire spread with the brie and sopressata! As well as the garlic truffle popcorn! They have live music on the patio area (I believe Thurs-Sun) which is fun. It is DF (Dog Friendly) on the patio area but I don't recommend coming in with your dog when they have live music as the space is limited and it can be a little loud next to the musician. I say go now and check it out soon because summer...

We used to love this place. We met the owners when they were in the building process & loved their passion for good wine & good people. So much so that we became wine club members when they opened. But unfortunately it has gone way downhill. The last several visits to the tasting room have been very disappointing. The staff hasn’t been attentive & we miss the friendly personable servers they used to have.

But none of that is what has moved me to leave a review. I have to leave a review because of how I was treated when I informed them I needed to cancel my wine club membership. I let them know that I needed to cancel due to a medical diagnosis that significantly limited my wine drinking. The email response was cold & disrespectful, quoting a bunch of terms & conditions. When I let the employee know it was such, she left me a voicemail asking to speak about it. So I gave her a chance & called her back. I was met with “I’m so sorry” followed immediately by “I am just following my training” In other words - NOT SORRY! She was even more disrespectful on the phone than in the email.

All in all, extremely disappointed at how this place has...