Lawrence

Set'em Up Jacks

West Lawrence · Lawrence · American bar & grill

The Lazy List

Set'em Up Jacks is a great sports bar that has absolutely no interest in being a wine destination, and that's fine — but don't come here thirsty for anything other than beer. Order the wings, grab a pint, and leave the wine list for the person who forgot to bring cash for a cocktail.

The Basil Leaf Cafe

West Lawrence · Lawrence · Italian

The Reliable

Basil Leaf isn't a wine destination, but with half-price bottle nights on Thursdays and Sundays and markups that are genuinely fair, it's the rare neighborhood Italian where you won't resent your wine bill. Order the Chianti, get the pasta, come back on Sunday.

The Oread Hotel - Nest on Ninth

University of Kansas Campus / The Oread · Lawrence · Rooftop Bar / American

The Reliable

Nest on Ninth is a view bar with a wine list that does its job without embarrassing itself — fair prices, recognizable pours, and nothing to get excited about. Come for the rooftop, order the AIX Rosé, and don't expect more than that.

Cactus Grill Lawrence

South Lawrence · Lawrence · Tex-Mex

The Lazy List

Cactus Grill is genuinely fun for what it is — a casual Tex-Mex spot with solid food and good margaritas — but the wine list is purely ornamental. Come for the tacos, drink the cocktails, and don't overthink the wine.

Free State Brewing Company

Downtown / Massachusetts Street · Lawrence · American Brewpub

The Lazy List

Free State is a Kansas institution and one of the best craft beer experiences in the Midwest — come for the beer, stay for the burger, and leave the wine to someone else. The list is fine in the way a gas station sandwich is fine: it exists, it won't hurt you, but it's not why you're here.

The Bourgeois Pig

Downtown / 9th & Massachusetts · Lawrence · European-style café, coffee and cocktail bar

The Wild Card

The Bourgeois Pig isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — and that's what makes the wine list a pleasant surprise rather than an embarrassment. If you're in the neighborhood for coffee or cocktails and the mood strikes, the rosé is a legit pour at a fair price.

Meadowlark Wine Bar & Kitchen

Downtown / Massachusetts Street · Lawrence · Wine Bar / New American Small Plates

The Wild Card

Meadowlark is punching so far above its weight class for a college town wine bar that it almost feels unfair to the rest of Kansas. The list is small but the vision is sharp — if you're anywhere near Lawrence and care even a little about natural wine, you owe this place a visit.

Merchants Pub & Plate

Downtown / Massachusetts Street · Lawrence · New American Gastropub

The Wild Card

Merchants is a beer bar that quietly runs the best sparkling wine list in Lawrence — and with Happy Hour discounts daily and a local glass pour option from VinZant, it's genuinely worth ordering wine here. Just don't show up expecting a red with your burger.

Pane e Vino

Downtown · Lawrence · Wine Bar & Italian Bistro

The Rager

Pane e Vino is the kind of wine bar that makes you recalibrate your expectations about mid-sized college towns — 250+ labels, a sommelier on staff, half-price wine Mondays, and a BTG program that would embarrass most major-city restaurants. Yes, we'd send a friend here. We'd send ourselves here.

Wine Dive + Kitchen

Lawrence · Lawrence · American

The Wild Card

Wine Dive + Kitchen is the kind of place that makes you recalibrate your assumptions about mid-sized college towns — a legitimately curated, staff-backed wine program with range and restraint in equal measure. Send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.

Pane e Vino Wine Bar & Academy

Lawrence · Lawrence · French, Italian

The Wild Card

Pane e Vino is exactly the kind of place that earns a Wild Card badge — a wine bar and academy operating at a genuinely high level in a city where nobody would expect it. If you're passing through Lawrence or live anywhere within two hours, this is worth a dedicated trip.