Athens Wine & Liquor

Overpriced, poor selection, and charges hidden fees (credit card fee, $ 1 extra for silver gift bag, etc.)

Sketchy, expensive (even by NYC standards) & rude. Avoid if at all possible.
Selection is limited.
The register is fully obscured from customer view, so no idea what they’re doing with your card if you decide to use one. Also, they don’t take AMEX

They have Very little collection & are definitely overpriced! I bought a Clos lachance chardonnay which first, had a fake cork which broke half way and got into the wine and second it tasted like a $ 2 wine. Please stay away from these guys! I wasted my money today!

In the vicinity of Port Authority, there is no more a conveniently placed liquor store than Athens. That’s about it when it comes to accolades, but I like to lead with my best foot.
If you happen to escape the front door that ensnares your ankle upon entering and exiting (which is as unforgiving and tightly sprung as the woman who works here) you’ll find yourself ensconced in the overwhelming bouquet of urine and grossly overpriced product.
I don’t hand out 1 star reviews irresponsibly, but if piss took a piss, it would smell like Athens Wine & Liquor. This is coming from a man who finds the Hackensack Bus Terminal endearing.

Tiny little store with good selection despite the size for liquors but not enough selection of wine. Upon entering, the store smells a little musty and theres a homeless guy sitting inside humming to himself. Ummm, why is the owner (a frail old lady) not putting him out? Thats bad for buisness.
She didnt ask if I needed help and barely even opened her mouth to say Thank You when I wished her Happy Holidays. Needless to say I got my cheap bottle of Cabernet and walked out. Would I return? Only if Im in desperate need for cheap liquor

The prices are insanely overpriced. Were talking $ 5-​$ 10 over normal retail prices. The icing on the cake was an old guy sitting on his luggage; humming what I can only conclude was a song about a liquor store that got stuck in the late 70’s when crime was rampant in the area. Do yourselves a favor and steer clear of this dump.

Tiny place, tiny selection. The inside is unkept and shady looking. All of that isnt’t that bad but on top of that the service is rude. I went to many liquor stores asking all kinds of logical questions and looking for recommendations and when I asked here the woman working was unhelpful and inpatient. I dont’t recommend this place at all.

A slice of old New York right by the port authority. A good selection of wine and alcohol for your trip to and from NYC. The owner is the nicest lady.
Liquor selection includes highly popular brands such as Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Jose Cuervo and Barcardi. Owner can special order many products not offered on premises.

The good news for Hells Kitchenites who live near this Athens Wine & Liquor store (No Beer! yells their street sign) is that there are 3 – 4 competitively-​priced, neighborhood-​friendly stores a short walk away :-)
I bought 2 bottles of good, inexpensive wine at one of those «nicer» competitors* today after the SUPER-​grouchy clerk** rudely & arbitrarily asked for my ID after I presented the same credit card that they had been accepting for months now. He muttered some bs like «I only work here» when I said «I’m sorry, just came from tennis so don’t have my full wallet — here’s my business card and my Parks & Rec id – and my husband and I have bought wine here all the time with the same Visa!» (And I just used the same card at our awesome, neighborhood Big Apple Meat Market a block away — no problem — sir!)
Seriously, I think he was p’d off because my purchase just made the $ 15 minimum for charges and I didn’t want to pay with cash. So maybe he thinks he’s saving the owner some vendor charge fees, but he was unnecessarily rude, random and short-​sighted in his judgement because he lost the owner a regular customer in a neighborhood and city full of tight competition.
*Here are some of the fully-​stocked, «nicer competitors» nearby:
– Manhattan Plaza Wine on 9^th Ave btw ⁴²⁄₄₃^rd Sts (best vibe)
– Odyssey Wine & Spirits on 10^th Ave/​38^th St (elegant new addition to ‘hood)
– 474 9^th Ave Store btw ³⁷⁄₃₆^th Sts (this is the better Athens)
– US Wines & Liquor on 9^th Ave btw ³⁸⁄₃₇^th Sts (will do in a pinch)
– B&G Wine on 10^th Ave/​42^nd (an old trying-​hard favorite from when we lived at Victory Apts on 10^th Ave)
** Grouchy clerk was working on Thurs, 18 July at 6:30pm

Greg F… the only question I have for you is how much did Athens Wine & Liquor pay for your review?
1. «The service is friendly.» Let’s just leave it at this… a woman approached me and said «I come here all the time and they are complete assholes.» The one thin, weathered looking woman working behind the till has the feel of a woman who would rather be getting a double root canal, while getting her left leg amputated, rather than be there serving you. If you manage to get her to smile, I’ve got a $ 100 bill with your name on it.
2. «They keep the bums outside.» Hey, anyone who wants to see if Greg F is right, spend 5 minutes in the store and count the number of times you reach for your pocket because you’re worried that the guy who smells like ass, who just walked by you and may or may not have groped you also stole your wallet.
3. «They are VERY reasonably priced.» Greg… I have bad news for you. I think that your liquor store back home is really bending you over, and not in a good way. They charged this tourist $ 31.95 for a 375 mL bottle of Absolut. If this price sounds reasonable to you, then I definitely have some stuff I’d like to sell you for a great price. I promise.
In summary, I would prefer to ask a homeless street person to share their nip before I ever set foot inside Athens Wine and Liquor again.

New York City!!! Nice hotel room, right on 42^nd street and Times Square. Lots of places, but where to get some alcohol? Ah, yes! Athens Wine and Liquor. Conveniently located on 40^th St and 8^th Ave, this is the place to find your wine and alcohol. How do I know? I’m the DUKE! at least for now :)
No beer here! How? I read the signs!!! BIG HUGE SIGN outside: NO BEER! Why? BECAUSE NO BEER. Please don’t come looking for beer: they don’t have it. Just wine and alcohol. Just like the store title says.
I loved this place: the service is friendly and they keep the bums outside where they belong.
If I’m in Times Square again, I will always visit as they have wines from all over the world and they are VERY reasonably priced.
Thank you Athens :)