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W. Wolfskill : A Mid-Century Modern Delight

  • Image of a cocktail with black salt on the rim
    La Llorona, a mix of tequila, mezcal, guajillo, tamarind, apricot, clove, allspice, and lemon, garnished with a black salted rim paired nicely with the Tamarind glazed wings and provided a balanced sweetness with just a hint of that familiar tequila bite and a last minute visit from the apricot on the back end at W Wolfskills in Downtown Riverside on Nov 29, 2023 Stephen Day
  • Chicken wings in a bowl
    The Tamarind Glazed Wings, garnished with cilantro, red peppers, and a grilled lemon, bring a hint of spicy, with a sweet finish and strong teryaki backbone at W Wolfskills in Downtown Riverside on Nov 29, 2023 Stephen Day
  • A backlit bar with patrons drinking
    The backlit bar at W Wolfskills provides ambience as well as showcasing their wide selection of fine spirits on Nov, 29, 2023 Stephen Day
  • A laminated menu of drink and cocktail items from Wolfskill
    The Signature cocktails menu provides an array of flavor profiles catering to even the most discerning alcohol drinker at W Wolfskills in Downtown Riverside on Nov 29, 2023 Stephen Day
  • A laminated menu of food items from Wolfskill
    The From the Kitchen menu provides a variety of nibbler items at typical higher end bar prices at W Wolfskill in Downtown Riverside on Nov 29, 2023 Stephen Day
  • Value
  • Service
  • Food
  • Drinks

Overall Thoughts

William Wolfskill (1798-1866) pioneered the citrus industry that Riverside is known for, and this little mid-century modern gem in the heart of the downtown office neighborhood pays homage to the man, and the citrus he helped bring to the Inland Empire.

William Wolfskill (1798-1866) pioneered the citrus industry that Riverside is known for, and this little mid-century modern gem in the heart of the downtown office neighborhood pays homage to the man, and the citrus he helped bring to the Inland Empire.

The exterior of W Wolfskill bar on Main St Riverside in Downtown on Nov 29 2023
The exterior of W Wolfskill bar on Main St Riverside in Downtown on Nov 29, 2023 an icon of a camera Stephen Day

We stopped in on a Wednesday evening around 6:30pm, which used to be the first day of the week they were open, now you can enjoy W. Wolfskills starting each Tuesday of the week. The crowd was light, and the atmosphere was relaxing and comfortable for easy conversation.

It was happy hour, until 8pm, so we had to try one of the happy hour offerings, an Old Fashioned, featuring their well whiskey Evan Williams: Bottled in Bond. We also sampled a La Llorona, and since we had a designated driver, we ordered a mocktail. The Old Fashioned was on a bit hot from the Evan Williams, would definitely recommend an upgraded whiskey if you're looking for more than a quick happy hour beverage.

The La Llorona, a tequila and mezcal cocktail featuring guajillo chilis, tamarind, apricot, clove, allspice, lemon, and a black salted rim. The guajillo chili provides a nice flavor, but doesn't overpower you with heat, the lemon is the main character in this drama, but the apricot makes an appearance at the end for some nice sweetness. The clove and all spice round out the nose and provides a nice balance to the complexity.

The mocktail featured grapefruit and lemon juice, and gave a wonderful dryness, despite being non-alcoholic, and provided the sensation of enjoying a cocktail, with out the nasty side effects. Too often mocktails are just overly sweet fruity concoctions that don't really give a cocktail experience. This was not the case here and it genuinely felt like some thought and craft had gone into its creation.

What's a good happy hour without something to nosh on while you chat? We ordered the Tamarind Glazed Wings featuring fresno chilis, sesame seed, and lime making it an obvious complement to the La Llorona cocktail. We also had the Stuffed Button Mushrooms featuring creamed spinach, feta, and sundried tomatoes. The wings and the mushrooms were plenty for the three of us, and while the wings were a flavor power house, the mushrooms were a little lackluster on the flavor with the earthiness of the mushroom taking center stage.

Our servers were knowledgeable and attentive for the most part, but attention waned a bit after we received our food, and no one ever bothered to remove the empty glasses or plates, which become bothersome when you're sitting at a smaller table.

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