J Riley Distillery/Restaurant — Restaurant in Redlands

I walked in here and they had a GIANT yellow “don’t tread on me” flag. This signaled to me that they are not welcoming to all and they did not want my money, so I left. Bad vibes! Bye!

FYI the restaurant/brewery across the parking lot is more welcoming to all and is family friendly. This new development in Redlands is super cute, much like the Sprouts center which compliments the city’s citrus heritage, this JR establishment however, is not peace, love and family vibes… it instead opts to be a weirdly divisive bar food place that does not speak to the core values of Redlands & IE neighbors and families.

PS: adding to my original comment as the restaurant replied trying to gaslight me, claiming I do not understand history… JR, I have a Master’s degree in history with focused studies in semiotics, I know history of the past and it’s appropriated use and context of the present; specifically it’s use by extreme right groups, racists, gun enthusiasts, and violent groups that do not gather around ideas of simply eating pretzels or making environments safe, inclusive, neighborly or family-focused.I am also familiar with the coded excuse of “read the history”… the point is the context of anti-democratic violent groups who have changed the meaning of the original pre-American era symbol. Maybe JR is one of the few that use the flag without knowing the bummer of these groups appropriating it? Either way, it is not a welcoming signal to patrons who are aware of the complete arc of history that determines what it means today.

I encourage all to read up on what the contemporary use of this flag means, it’s even on Wikipedia and there are many easily accessible sources that discuss the degradation / change of its original meaning and even new legal case studies that address it as a symbol of intolerance and hostility.

For example, In 2016 there was a government ruling that the presence of the flag can be considered racist and racist harassment. This is also an EEO issue for workplace hostility — this is why it does not simply point to its historical context and is far from any symbol of hospitality or inclusivity.

My source for this is the article “Government Ruling: Wearing ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ Gadsden Flag Can Be Racist & ‘Racial Harassment’” by the Editorial Staff at American Military News .Com

I share this also because I care very deeply about our diverse communities in the Inland Empire, I have pride for being from this family oriented area. Business owners who are community stewards should listen and think twice if they are doing something that is not inclusive of all community members, what is the goal of having a restaurant with racist decor? Also why have decor that scares customers away? It’s simply not good for neighborhoods and it’s not good...

I came here with the wife and kids for a simple dinner and some drinks. We parked across the street and walked in through the corner of Eureka and Oriental Avenue. This entrance was a little confusing as you walk-in through the back of the facility. For someone who is new to the place, it can get pretty confusing. My first thought was, "oh, you sit yourself." Quickly we figured out we were on the wrong side. We walked across the restaurant (to the front) to find the hostess.

Our waitress for the afternoon was Amelia and she did a wonderful job. She explained the different drinks to us and also recommended a couple. I ordered the “Black Irish Mule.” This drink had a nice flavor of berries to it, with a taste of whiskey. It was very refreshing for a hot summer afternoon. The second drink I ordered was much stronger than the first. The “Outdoorsman” is black pepper infused 1775 whiskey, with honey-Thyme syrup, cardamom & house aromatic blend bitters. The best part of the drink is the outdoor smell!!! The waiter comes over, puts a top over the drink, and smokes the drink. It’s quite a seen and it gives the whiskey a smoky taste.

For appetizer we ordered the elote capeado. It’s tempura sweet corn, cotija cheese, chipotle Mayo and cilantro. It did not disappoint!!! I had never tasted anything like it. It was a very unique way to prepare corn. Finally, for the main dish I ordered “The Porker.” It’s a sandwich with drenched house bourbon BBQ pulled pork. It was decent, but I was expecting more flavor out of it.

JR distillery gave my family and I a warm welcome. Although this might appear as an adult only place, there were at least three other families as well, enjoying the great ambiance JR distillery...

What a wonderful surprise J Riley's was. Our friend Jeremy brought us to Redlands for a night on the town and this was our first stop for dinner and drinks. I love all of the wood and exposed beams. They had live music starting outside as we were finishing up. Our server was great and we received our food and drinks very quickly. Below is a run down of our favorite dishes and drinks.

Tunacado - Everything about this dish was marvelous. The texture of the tempura fried avocado, freshness of the tuna and that spicy Japanese mayo. Don't let the spice scare you away it's not much heat at all. Even the watermelon radish was a great addition to this dish. The sizing was perfect and could easily be a meal for one or appetizer for two. Plating of this meal is as beautiful.

Giant pretzel - Enough for four people easily. Great presentation and beer cheese was just amazing. We also had a large sausage with this that was great especially with the peach bourbon mustard.

The Porker - I ordered this without the bun and was really surprised how much I liked it. I'm from North Carolina so our bar b que sauce is vinegar based which I prefer. The sauce on this was very good, not too sweet and it wasn't poured on more like tossed which I appreciated so I could taste the flavor in the braided pork.

Side garden salad - Very tasty dressing (champagne vinaigrette) and paired with the porker it was more than enough food.

Penicillin - I had a sip of my friends and wow the whiskey forward cocktail was delightful and maybe a little dangerous as it hides that strong alcohol...