Franklin

Perry's Steakhouse & Grille

· Franklin · Steakhouse

The Reliable

Perry's Franklin is a reliable steakhouse wine list — fair pricing, a genuinely large by-the-glass selection, and a few smart picks scattered among the safe choices. It's not going to excite a serious wine drinker, but it's not going to embarrass one either. Send your friend here knowing they'll drink well without getting gouged.

Char Restaurant

· Franklin · Steakhouse

The Reliable

Char is a genuinely enjoyable steakhouse with a wine list that does the job without doing much more. The room earns its keep; the wine program is still a passenger rather than a co-pilot. If you're coming here for the Prime beef and the atmosphere, you'll eat well — just don't expect the list to take you anywhere the food isn't already going. Worth a visit, but bring your own expectations in check at the wine menu.

Hawkers Asian Street Food

· Franklin · Asian Street Food

The Reliable

Hawkers Franklin is doing more with twelve bottles than most casual chains do with thirty. The white-heavy, aromatic-leaning list is clearly built with the food in mind — even if it was done at the corporate level rather than by someone in this specific kitchen. If you're eating here, lean into the Gamay or Vinho Verde and skip the impulse to order Cab. It won't change your life, but it'll make dinner better.

Bonefish Grill Franklin

· Franklin · Seafood

The Lazy List

If you're here for wine, you're at the wrong restaurant — but the pricing is honest and the Sauvignon Blanc won't ruin your dinner. Order a cocktail and save your wine energy for somewhere that cares.

Carrabba's Italian Grill Franklin

· Franklin · Italian

The Lazy List

This is a chain wine list doing exactly what chain wine lists do — keeping it safe, keeping it recognizable, and marking it up just enough to pad margins. Drink here because you're having dinner, not because you're having wine.

1799 Kitchen & Cocktails

Downtown Franklin · Franklin · Hotel Restaurant / Southern

The Reliable

1799 is a solid option when you're already staying at The Harpeth or dining for the atmosphere — the Southern food looks genuinely good and the room earns its upscale-casual reputation. But if wine is your reason for going out, Franklin has better options; this list is there to serve the food, not the other way around.

Pelato Franklin

· Franklin · Italian

The Wild Card

Pelato Franklin isn't going to make wine pilgrims drive down from Nashville, but it's doing more than the Italian-suburban average — an orange wine, some solid regional Italian whites, and a few California names that earn their spot. Come for the food, stay curious about the list.

Perry's Steakhouse & Grille – Cool Springs

Cool Springs · Franklin · Steakhouse

The Reliable

Perry's Cool Springs is a reliable night out if someone else is paying, but the wine list is doing the bare minimum — crowd-pleasing producers, steep markups, and a noticeable lack of anything that earns its price on merit alone. Stick to Social Hour if you want to drink well without the sticker shock.

Ruth's Chris Steak House – Franklin

Cool Springs · Franklin · Upscale Steakhouse

The Reliable

Ruth's Chris Franklin is a reliable wine execution at a chain price point — nobody's going home unhappy, but nobody's going home with a story either. Go on a Wednesday, hit the half-price bottle promotion, and drink better than the menu's markup would otherwise allow.

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant Franklin

Cool Springs · Franklin · Italian Chain

The Lazy List

The wine list at Olive Garden Franklin is a corporate checklist, not a wine program — the markups are steep for what you're getting, the selection hasn't taken a risk in its life, and the best move is honestly to order a cocktail or just lean hard into the breadsticks. If you're committed to wine, grab the Chianti and don't look back.

Outback Steakhouse Franklin

Cool Springs · Franklin · Steakhouse Chain

The Lazy List

Outback Franklin's wine list is competent in the way a rental car is competent — it gets you where you're going, but you're not going to talk about it later. Order the steak, consider a cocktail, and save the serious bottle for somewhere that actually cares.

Sperry's Restaurant – Cool Springs

Cool Springs · Franklin · Steakhouse, Classic American

The Reliable

Sperry's Cool Springs is a dependable steakhouse wine list that doesn't ask much of you — and doesn't ask much of itself either. Come on a Monday, grab a bottle at half price, order the ribeye, and you'll have a genuinely good night without overthinking it.

P.F. Chang's

Cool Springs · Franklin · Asian fusion / Chinese-inspired chain restaurant

The Lazy List

P.F. Chang's Cool Springs is here to feed a crowd, not to impress a wine drinker. The list is fine the way an airport moving walkway is fine — it gets you somewhere, but nobody's excited about it. If you're eating here, pick something by the glass, keep it simple, and save the serious wine for a different night.

Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill

Cool Springs · Franklin · Upscale Steakhouse, American, Seafood

The Reliable

Stoney River is doing exactly what it set out to do — give Cool Springs diners a comfortable, recognizable wine experience alongside their steaks. If you want discovery, look elsewhere; if you want a reliable Cab with your filet and zero fuss, this delivers.

Scout's Pub

Westhaven · Franklin · Modern Southern pub / American

The Reliable

Scout's Pub is a reliable neighborhood wine stop — nothing revolutionary, but well-curated enough that you won't feel stuck drinking something forgettable. Lean into the French and Portuguese picks, dodge the brand-name markups, and you'll leave satisfied.

The Honeysuckle House

Downtown Franklin · Franklin · New American

The Reliable

The Honeysuckle House is a fine enough place to drink wine with dinner in Franklin, but the list exists to impress at a glance rather than to reward anyone actually thinking about what they're drinking. Show up during happy hour, grab the Dr. L if it's available, and don't let anyone talk you into the Opus One.

etch Franklin

Cool Springs · Franklin · Globally inspired contemporary American

The Reliable

etch Franklin is a reliable, sommelier-backed wine program doing honest work in a market that doesn't demand it — respect that. Markups lean steep, but if you know where to look on this list, you'll drink well.

Gray's on Main

Downtown Franklin · Franklin · American gastropub / Southern-influenced

The Reliable

Gray's on Main isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly decent place to drink wine — fair prices, a few genuinely good producers hiding in a short list, and a happy hour that rewards the early crowd. Send your friends here for a good night out; just make sure they know to ask for the Albariño.

Red Pony Restaurant

Franklin · Franklin · Regional

The Reliable

Red Pony is exactly the kind of reliable wine program a well-run regional restaurant should have — familiar producers, fair prices, and no real landmines. It won't blow a wine geek's mind, but it'll keep a table of six happy on a Saturday night, which is honestly the harder job.

Cork & Cow

Franklin · Franklin · Southern American, Steakhouse

The Reliable

Cork & Cow won't blow your mind, but it earns its Wine Spectator credentials with a dependable, California-forward list that fits the room perfectly. Send your steak-loving friends here with confidence — just steer them away from the Caymus.

January

Franklin · Franklin · American

The Rager

January is the kind of wine list that earns its Wine Spectator badge without coasting on it — deep French and California selections in a beautifully designed room make this worth the drive out to Franklin. The markups can sting and the staff isn't leading with wine expertise, but the bones here are undeniably strong.