Big steaks, bigger bottles, predictable picks
Power & Light District · Kansas City · Upscale Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed June 6, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed 801 Chophouse Kansas City’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at 801 Chophouse lands exactly where you'd expect it to: heavy on Napa Cabs, Bordeaux heavyweights, and Champagne for the celebration crowd. It's a list built to impress corporate cards and anniversaries, not to surprise you. That's not a knock — it just means you know what you're walking into.
The list runs 400 to 600 bottles deep, anchored by the usual Napa royalty — Caymus Special Selection, Joseph Phelps Insignia, Opus One — with a respectable nod to Bordeaux via Château Lynch-Bages and supporting coverage of Burgundy and Champagne. Sonoma shows up too, with Silver Oak Alexander Valley holding down the 'slightly more accessible Cab' slot. What's missing is any real adventure: no natural wine, no interesting Southern Hemisphere picks, no deep-cut Italian to speak of. This is a greatest-hits list, executed with care.
The by-the-glass program reportedly runs 20 to 30 options, which is generous for a steakhouse and gives solo diners and mixed-preference tables real flexibility. We'd expect the pours to skew toward crowd-pleasing Cabs and Chardonnay, consistent with the bottle list's personality. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority — this feels like a static program rather than something that evolves with the seasons.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley — $120
In a list where bottles can sprint well past $300, Silver Oak Alexander Valley is the sweet spot — a recognizable, genuinely good Cab that drinks better than its steakhouse markup suggests. It's the move if you want quality without ordering off the trophy shelf.
Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac
Most tables here are ordering Napa on autopilot, which means Lynch-Bages sits underordered relative to how good it is. A classified Pauillac with more complexity and terroir than anything in the Napa heavy-hitter section — and it belongs on a table with a ribeye more than most people realize.
Opus One Napa Valley
Opus One is a great wine, but it's also the most marked-up bottle in the house at a place like this. You're paying a significant premium over retail for the prestige of ordering it in a steakhouse. The wine itself isn't the problem — the price tag in this context is.
Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley + USDA Prime Ribeye
Insignia is a Bordeaux-style Napa blend built for exactly this moment — rich, structured, with enough dark fruit and tannin to stand up to a heavily marbled prime ribeye without getting lost. It's the kind of pairing this list was designed around, and it delivers.
The Bottom Line
801 Chophouse is a well-run, properly stocked steakhouse wine program that does exactly what it promises and nothing more. Send your friends here for a celebratory bottle of Phelps or a Lynch-Bages — just don't expect to be surprised.
· Kansas City · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Kansas City isn't a wine destination, but it's not a wine disappointment either. Prices are fair, the South American focus makes thematic sense, and the VIK and Lapostolle picks show there's a ceiling here above the house pour. Come for the beef, drink the Eulila, leave happy.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Stockyards District · Kansas City · Steakhouse
A steakhouse list with a 22-pour glass section at $12 to $20 and a Bottle List that runs from 46 to 348. Start with the Emilio Moro Tempranillo at $12 or the Amigoni Urban Drover at $14, and put a glass of the Daou Cabernet next to the Kansas City Strip. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups, so confirm what is pouring.
Crossroads / Westside border (Southwest Boulevard) · Kansas City · Spanish tapas / small plates
A tapas-bar drinks sheet with glass/bottle pairs starting at 9/36 and a separate sherry-by-the-glass list. Start with the Reino de la Vina Tempranillo Reserva at 12/48 alongside the Paella Valenciana, or the Venta Morales Tempranillo at 10/40, and confirm prices because the sheet is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
River Market · Kansas City · French
A French-led list with 25 two-price wines up front and a long run of Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rhône bottles behind them. Start with the Chinon Le Garenne at 42 or the Cornas 'Granit 60' at 88, ask which number is the glass price, and confirm prices, since the page is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Country Club Plaza · Kansas City · Winery Restaurant / American
A long, bin-numbered list that mixes dry wines, sweet wines and flavored sparklers on one page, with a Cakebread Cellars wine as its priciest bottle. Start with the $12.00 Pinot Noir or the $12.75 Winemaker's Barrel Reserve, and confirm prices at the Plaza location before you go. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
North Kansas City · Kansas City · Italian-American
A glass list that fits an Italian menu: 24 wines from $8 to $13, with Barolo, Amarone and Brunello available by the bottle. Start with the $8 Capasoldo Pinot Grigio, or the $13 Banfi Chianti Riserva if you are ordering the Veal Parmigiana, and confirm current prices. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks list, not service, storage or markups.
Marina District (Golden Nugget) · Atlantic City · Upscale Steakhouse
Vic & Anthony's is a perfectly competent steakhouse wine list doing exactly what a casino steakhouse wine list is supposed to do — just don't expect fair pricing or anything off the beaten path. Order the Decoy, enjoy your steak, and pocket the difference.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Beachside/Ocean Walk · Daytona Beach · Upscale Steakhouse
Hyde Park Prime Daytona is a dependable, well-run wine program in a room that knows what it wants to be — and mostly delivers. Markups will sting, but the sommelier, the depth, and the oceanfront setting make it the right call when the occasion calls for a serious bottle and a serious steak.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Cool Springs · Franklin · Upscale Steakhouse
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.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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