Bismarck's Big Night Out, Done Properly
North Bismarck · Bismarck · Steakhouse & Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 15, 2026
RagingWine reviewed 40 Steak + Seafood’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at 40 Steak + Seafood reads like a greatest hits album for American steakhouse wine — Duckhorn, Silver Oak, Rombauer, Jordan all accounted for. It's a list built for confidence, not discovery: you know every name on here, and that's exactly the point. No surprises, no landmines.
This is a California Cabernet party with a few other guests awkwardly standing by the door. Napa and Sonoma dominate from top to bottom, with Duckhorn, Stags' Leap Artemis, and Rombauer handling the heavy lifting on the red side. There's a nod to Pinot Noir via Goldeneye Anderson Valley and Migration Sonoma Coast — both solid Duckhorn family picks — and the Paraduxx Proprietary Red Blend gives the list a little texture. What's missing is anything from outside the West Coast: no Malbec, no Rhône, no Italian, no Spanish. If you didn't grow up on California wine, you're going to feel like the only vegetarian at a BBQ.
Twenty-one by-the-glass options is genuinely strong for Bismarck, and the price range of $7–$15 keeps things accessible. The glass program mirrors the bottle list — California-forward, crowd-pleasing, no big swings — but having this many pours means you can actually explore the list without committing to a full bottle. We'd like to see the pours rotate more often, but for a North Dakota steakhouse, this is doing real work.
Jordan Cabernet Alexander Valley CA — $61
Jordan retails around $40–$45, so the markup stings a little less than some others on this list. It's a classic, food-friendly Cabernet with enough elegance to hold its own next to a ribeye without bulldozing it. In the context of a $35+ steak dinner, this is the bottle that makes the math feel okay.
Goldeneye Pinot Noir Anderson Valley CA
Everyone at the table is ordering Cabernet — fine, fair, correct — but if you're having seafood or just want something with a little more lift, Goldeneye is the answer. Anderson Valley Pinot Noir punches above its weight, and Goldeneye is one of the better producers working that appellation. Most people walk right past it on a steakhouse list. Don't.
Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque Champagne
At $150 a bottle, you're paying a serious premium for the iconic art nouveau bottle and the occasion — not the Champagne itself. Belle Epoque retails around $55–$65. That's a steep markup even by steakhouse standards, and it's almost certainly been sitting in a less-than-ideal storage situation. Pop it somewhere else and save the moment.
Stags' Leap Artemis Cabernet Napa Valley CA + Cowboy Ribeye
Artemis is the accessible entry point into the Stags' Leap Winery portfolio — ripe dark fruit, structured tannins, enough acidity to cut through the fat on a bone-in ribeye. The Cowboy Ribeye is exactly the big, beefy centerpiece this wine was built to sit next to. Classic call, and it works every time.
✔️ The Bottom Line
40 Steak + Seafood is doing exactly what a North Bismarck steakhouse should do with wine — safe, recognizable, and reasonably well-stocked — but don't come here looking for adventure or value. Come for the ribeye, pick Jordan or Goldeneye, and call it a win.
North Bismarck · Bismarck · Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi
Kobe's is a fun night out for the hibachi show and the sushi — just don't expect the wine list to be part of that fun. Order a Japanese beer, grab the house pour if you need wine, and save the serious drinking for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Bismarck · Bismarck · Seafood
The wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a national chain — minimal effort, minimal reward. The $5 pours keep it from being a total write-off, but you're not coming to Red Lobster Bismarck for the wine, and nobody expects you to.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Bismarck · Fine Dining Bar
For Bismarck, Pirogue Grille is doing respectable work — familiar producers, reasonable variety, and a glass program that won't leave you stranded. Just go in knowing the markups are steep, pick your battles, and let the 'J' Pinot or Sokol Blosser do the heavy lifting.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Northwest Bismarck · Bismarck · Pub / Bar Food
Old Town Tavern is a solid neighborhood pub that happens to have wine on the menu — emphasis on 'happens to.' Come for the steak dinner and the patio, order a beer or a cocktail, and treat the $5 Coastal Vines as a convenience, not a destination.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Bismarck · Bismarck · Italian Chain
Olive Garden Bismarck is a fine place to eat breadsticks and catch up with family. It is not a fine place to drink wine — the list is predictable, the markups are punishing, and nobody here is losing sleep over the cellar. Order the Riesling or the Chianti Classico, skip everything else, and save the serious bottle for a different night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Bismarck · Upscale American Fine Dining
Pirogue Grille is doing the right things for Bismarck — a real wine list, proper glassware, and enough by-the-glass options to keep a table happy. The markups trend steep and the list plays it safe, but if you want a serious bottle with a serious steak in the middle of North Dakota, this is where you go.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North McAllen · McAllen · Steakhouse & Seafood
Prime is a dependable spot for a steak-and-Cab dinner in McAllen — the wine list won't excite you, but it won't embarrass you either. If you go in knowing what you want, you'll leave satisfied; just don't come here hoping to discover something new.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Tacoma / Hilltop · Tacoma · Steakhouse & Seafood
Stanley & Seafort's isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't need to be — it's a classic Pacific Northwest steakhouse with a comfortable, crowd-pleasing list and one of the best Monday night deals in Tacoma. Come for the view, order the Pinot, and if you can swing a Monday reservation, that half-price bottle program makes the whole experience considerably easier to love.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown Greenville · Greenville · Steakhouse & Seafood
Larkin's on the River is a reliable spot if you want a crowd-pleasing California Cab with your steak and don't mind paying a premium for the Falls Park backdrop. Don't come expecting the wine list to surprise you — come for the river view and order the Jordan.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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