Sioux Falls

This is a lobby bar wine list at a business hotel — it was never trying to be more than that, and it isn't. Grab a beer or a cocktail, save the wine for dinner somewhere in town.

This is a wine list for people who aren't thinking about wine, and that's fine — the Holiday Inn City Centre isn't trying to be a wine destination. Order the Ste. Michelle Riesling, skip everything else, and save the real drinking for somewhere else in Sioux Falls.

Morrie's is a reliable steakhouse wine list in a city where that already puts it near the top of the pack — the Coravin program shows genuine ambition, but the core list plays it too safe to earn anything beyond a confident recommendation for a special-occasion dinner. Come for the Tomahawk, drink the Zinfandel, skip the house Chardonnay.

Spezia is a reliable dinner option in Sioux Falls if you want a recognizable bottle with a nice steak and no surprises. Just don't expect the wine list to challenge you — it's here to comfort, not to excite.

CRAVE is the rare hotel restaurant wine list that clears the bar rather than crawling under it — the by-the-glass selection is better than the room deserves, even if the markups could use some recalibration. Send a friend here for wine? Sure, as long as they're not expecting to geek out.

Mama's Ladas is a great little spot for enchiladas — the wine list just isn't why you're here, and it doesn't try to be. Order the sangria, enjoy your meal, and save the serious wine for somewhere else.

Red Lobster's wine list is chain-restaurant boilerplate — it exists so the menu can say 'wine' and nothing more. Order a cocktail, drink water, or bring a flask: the food can be fun, but the wine program is completely on autopilot.

Bonefish Grill Sioux Falls is a perfectly fine place to have a glass of wine with dinner — just don't confuse 'fine' with 'interesting.' If you're here for the fish, the wine list will serve you; if you're here for the wine, you've taken a wrong turn.

Outback Sioux Falls isn't a wine destination — it's a steakhouse where wine is an afterthought with a markup to match. Order the Kangaroo Court or the Alamos, enjoy your Bloomin' Onion, and keep your expectations grounded.

Texas Roadhouse is a perfectly solid place to eat a steak in Sioux Falls — but the wine list is pure filler, stocked with brands you'd find at a gas station and priced like they're doing you a favor. Order a cold beer, a margarita, or just accept the Woodbridge and move on.

Johnny Carino's wine program exists to sell you something while you wait for your pasta, not to make you think about what you're drinking. Come for the lasagna, order water, and if it's Wednesday — maybe grab a bottle of Coppola at half price and call it a win.

Grille 26 isn't going to win any awards for adventurous wine buying, but the Sunday half-price bottle program makes it legitimately worth planning around. Come on a Sunday, order the Kung Fu Girl or the Ste. Michelle, and enjoy it for what it is.

Minervas is a dependable night out — great steaks, classic room, wine list that won't embarrass anyone but won't impress them either. If you're in Sioux Falls and want beef and a bottle without much drama, this works. Just don't come expecting discovery.

The Market is the kind of wine bar that has no business being this good for its market — and that's a compliment. If you're in Sioux Falls and you care about what's in your glass, this is your spot.

Maribella is the kind of wine program that Sioux Falls didn't know it needed — a real Italian-focused list backed by actual staff expertise and a Wine Spectator credential earned, not inherited. We'd send a friend here without hesitation, especially if they let one of those five sommeliers steer the table.

Minerva's wine list is exactly what a long-running steakhouse institution should be: dependable, Cab-forward, and good enough for the occasion. Just don't expect discovery — come here to drink well, not to explore.

R Wine Bar is the best wine program you didn't know existed in South Dakota, and that's exactly what makes it worth the detour. A sommelier on staff, grower Champagne, single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, and an active events calendar — this place is doing the work.

R Wine Bar is the kind of place that has no business being this good for its zip code — and that's a genuine compliment. We'd send a friend here without hesitation, especially if they think South Dakota and serious wine can't coexist.

Parker's Bistro is the best wine program in Sioux Falls you'd actually want to drink from — not adventurous, but honest, fairly priced, and well-suited to its excellent seasonal American kitchen. Send a friend here for a celebration and tell them to order the Jordan.

Brix is doing something genuinely rare for South Dakota — running a legitimate, sommelier-led wine program that earned national recognition in its first year. The list is California-safe rather than adventurous, and the markups reflect the market, but if you want a real wine experience in Sioux Falls, this is the only game in town worth playing.

Harvester Kitchen is the best wine list in Sioux Falls, and it would hold its own in most major cities — the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence is not a fluke. Markups skew steep on the prestige pours, but if you navigate toward the mid-tier options, this is a genuinely rewarding list worth building a dinner around.