My parents were in town on Wednesday, and when we found ourselves with an hour to kill before dinner, we figured the best place to hang out was at a bar.  And when you work for a deal site like Postabon, clearly I had to find a place for drinks that wouldn’t break the bank.

The Deal: Postabon member Mookman shared that Uncle Jack’s Steakhouses offer a free wine tasting from 5-7 pm on Wednesdays at their Manhattan locations, with complimentary cheese and fruit pairings.  This deal is valid only at the bar.  If you are in Queens, you can check out this deal in Bayside from 6-8 pm. 

Is It Truly a Deal?:  In a span of 45 minutes, my parents and I received 3 glasses of Shiraz and 3 glasses of Chardonnay, plus a fruit and cheese platter. At a steakhouse, you figure glasses of wine would have been at least $10 each, plus $10 for the food, so we got $70 worth of food and drinks for free.  Of course, we tipped $20, so it was a savings of at least $50.

Pros:  The drinks were flowing the moment we sat at the bar, and as soon as one glass of vino was finished, another glass was immediately poured.  The bartender also brought out our snacks without us even asking.  There was plenty of food too, with a selection of granny smith apples, dried cranberries, walnuts, olives, goat cheese and muenster cheese.  This platter was perfect for 3 people and went nicely with the wine selection.  

Cons:  Uncle Jack’s advertises this deal on the website, but no where outside the restaurant or even inside at the bar did it mention this deal.  In fact, when I walked in, I verified with the maitre’d that this deal did exist.  So keep in mind, you have to be comfortable asking for your freebies or no one will offer the deal to you.  Looking around at the bar, no one was drinking wine, so it was clear this deal is a bit of a hidden gem.  

Our 2 Cents:  Wine Wednesday at Uncle Jack’s is worth checking out, especially if you are in the neighborhood.  As long as you are comfortable asking for the deal, head in from 5-7 and get ready for a few drinks and snacks.  Some promotions are changing at the restaurant, as they just ended their “Ladies and Gents night”, so we recommend you check the website before heading over.