Folklore Records+Drinks+Food — Restaurant in Napa

Another bar for the tourists.

I saw advertising for this new place a few months ago and was super excited for it. I was expecting a bookstore-esk vibe; someplace cozy and chill to get some coffee, read a book, look at some cool Records, buy a cocktail, etc. But when I walked in, it felt cold and sterile. There was no warmth. There was a huge bar in the corner with no menu listed- you have to go up and ask for a menu. Which, by the way, means you have to stand at the edge of the bar for 10 minutes because there is no designated place to order, unless you're sitting at the bar. Once I was able to get a menu and figure out what I wanted I spent another 10 minutes waiting by the edge of the bar waiting to place my order- and I'd like to point out that even though all of the 7 or 8 seats at the bar were full, all of the people there already had their orders so it wasnt like they were super busy. Once I give the waiter my order she tells me they don't have mocha. So they can't even make the coffee I wanted. She explained its bevauee they just opened and werent able to get all the supplies they wanted- which to me just seems like poor planning. Id expect a newly opened restuarant/place to have all the supplies they need to operate and sell all the items on their menu. I ended up just ordering a chocolate croissant which was nothing special and boring, and honestly had one little piece of chocolate and the rest was just dry croissant. I had to wait another 10 minutes for her to bring it to me while it sat on the window ledge. It was supposed to be warm but by the time the waiter brought it to me it was cold. Everyone sitting at the tables were ignored while the two people serving at the bar only paid attention to the people sitting there. The staff just felt rude and only seemed to care about the people ordering alcohol.

The interior itself was make of concrete which again, felt sterile and boring.

I really thought this would be a cool, hangout place for locals but it really is just a giant bar that happens to sell Records and an overpriced turkey sandwich for $17. Staff were not attentive to the needs of people outside the bar area. The food I ordered was cold. Overall not a good place...

I've been a customer here multiple times and have always really enjoyed my visits. Their whiskey selection is top-notch, and on one occasion, I was even offered a complimentary chocolate chip cookie. I've dined at the bar before, and DJ, one of the staff members, has always been outstanding.

Recently, I stopped by again to browse and briefly used the restroom. While I was still looking around, the owner approached me and, rather abruptly, assumed that my friends and I were only there to use the restroom and leave. She reminded me that their restrooms aren't public, even though I was clearly still browsing and had every intention of making a purchase.

I explained that I've been a customer before and that I know DJ. She kept questioning me, repeating "Are you sure?" as if I was making it up. Then she suggested that I go and greet DJ as if she was calling my bluff. So I did just that. I greeted DJ, and he shook my hand, clearly recognizing me from previous visits.

The whole interaction felt really unprofessional and off-putting by the owner/manager It's unfortunate to feel so unwelcome in a place I've genuinely enjoyed in the past. I wanted to keep browsing and purchase something, but after that I just left. I'm now second-guessing whether I want to return, especially after being treated as if I didn't belong.

Update My friends and made it our effort to first browse her selection. The owner politely said “excuse me” as she needed to get by us while we were browsing. So to say that we only showed up to use the restroom is not accurate. After a few minutes of browsing, we headed to the restroom and after, our intent was to continue browsing. People from my friend group were new to this establishment so that’s why they waiting for me. And when I headed back out, that’s when the owner confronted us with her assumptions. This situation could’ve have been avoided if the owner just asked us questions or even welcomed us, instead of assuming we were there to treat her establishment as...

I want to love this place, but as of right now, it's not the case. I'm invested in both the bar and record side of this establishment but each time I've come in, the record shop has felt more like a half-baked novelty than a functioning record store.

Staff has been either inattentive or completely nonexistent on the record side. If I were to choose a record store to visit, I would rather venture to one with a consistently maintained sorting system and staff who are knowledgeable enough about the stock to sufficiently assist me. That would not be this one. Along with that, every time I've been, the music has blared so loud that I can't hear the people I'm trying to speak to, and I can't focus on the records if I'm trying to explore them.

The establishment is quite uninhabitable once the music gets that loud. Although I have tried to tolerate it, I quickly reach my limit and am forced to exit before being able to thoroughly search the records. I don't quite see the volume's point, as there's no room for an honest dance floor.

As for food, I've had nothing more than an overpriced bowl of perhaps 20 pieces of popcorn, so I'm not too knowledgeable on that front. Take other people's advice there.

I hope to see improvements in the future. If you're looking for a quality record store, though, I'd skip this one for the time being. It's novel, but...