Roanoke

Stellina is a cocktail bar that happens to have a thoughtful four-bottle wine list, which is more than most cocktail bars can say. If you're there for the vibe and the pizza, the wine program will take care of you just fine — don't show up expecting a deep cellar.

Tokyo is a hibachi restaurant that happens to have wine, not the other way around — and that's fine, but don't make the wine the reason you come. Stick to the sake options, keep your glass price low, and enjoy the show.

TGI Friday's Roanoke is a fine place to grab a beer or a Jack and Coke, but the wine program is a corporate afterthought with steep markups on bottom-shelf bottles. Order a cocktail, save the wine for somewhere that gives a damn.

Shakers isn't a wine destination — it's a reliable neighborhood spot where the wine program does its job without drama. If you're here for ribs and a casual pour, you'll leave satisfied; just don't show up expecting discovery.

Abuelo's wine list exists to check a box, not to enhance your dinner — stick to the cocktails and revisit this list never. If someone at your table insists on wine, go Joel Gott and call it a night.

The markups are honest and the Mollydooker pour is a genuine saving grace, but this list exists to check a corporate box, not to help you drink well. Order the Mollydooker with your steak, skip any bottle over $40, and keep your expectations calibrated to the Bloomin' Onion energy of the room.

The Pine Room is a great spot for a drink and a burger in a handsome historic room, but the wine list is an afterthought in a state with a legitimate wine culture worth showcasing. Order a cocktail or ask for whatever's on tap, and don't make a trip here specifically for the wine.

On the Rise is a genuinely charming spot for baked goods and brunch, but its wine program is an afterthought with three options and zero depth. Order the bread, skip the wine list, and grab a coffee instead.

Hollywood's is a genuinely charming neighborhood spot, and the wine list is exactly what it needs to be for a casual lunch crowd — cheap, safe, and inoffensive. Don't come here for the wine; come here for the soup, and order the Riesling if you want something in your glass.

Well Hung Vineyard Roanoke is a genuinely fun, no-pretense stop for anyone curious about what Virginia wine is doing right now — the branding is a lot, but the pours back it up. Send a friend here if they think Virginia wine is a punchline; they'll leave thinking otherwise.

Fortunato is doing something genuinely unexpected in Roanoke — stocking a wine list that would turn heads in a bigger city. Markups trend steep, which holds it back from Rager territory, but if you care about Italian wine, this is absolutely worth a visit.

Sidecar is a genuinely surprising wine program tucked inside a European pub, and the low-end glass pours are real value — but the prestige tier leans on markups that sting. Come for the Grüner and the sausages; treat the Champagne list as aspirational décor.

Rockfish is the kind of wine list that makes you genuinely happy you didn't just order a beer. For a neighborhood bistro in Roanoke, this program has no business being this good — and that's exactly why you should go.

Frankie Rowland's isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's a serious steakhouse with a serious enough wine program to back up the beef. The California focus is narrow but well-executed, and having a knowledgeable staffer in Aniket Rajguru on the floor makes a real difference. Send your Cab-loving friends here without hesitation.