Big steaks, solid pours, no surprises
Downtown · Kansas City · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 27, 2026
RagingWine reviewed A. 801 Chophouse’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 arrives the way the room looks — dark, serious, and dressed for the occasion. It's an award-winning list built to complement a bone-in ribeye, and it doesn't pretend to be anything else. You're not here to discover an obscure Jura producer; you're here to drink well with a very large piece of beef.
The list leans hard into California Cabernet territory, which makes sense when your menu is anchored by USDA Prime dry-aged cuts. You'll find familiar, crowd-pleasing names like Daou and Justin sitting alongside more interesting callouts — Fontanafredda Barolo is a legitimate nod to old-world red meat drinking, and L'Ecole No. 41 Merlot shows someone was paying attention when they built this list. Oregon gets a seat at the table via Adelsheim Pinot Noir, and Argentina checks in with Catena Malbec. It's not a list that takes many risks, but it covers its bases competently and then some.
Eighteen-plus options by the glass is generous for a steakhouse, and the price range — $14 to $55 a pour — tells you they're not holding back on the top shelf. That's a real program, not an afterthought. We'd love to see more rotation or a defined seasonal selection, but what's here gives you legitimate choices before you've even opened the bottle list.
Adelsheim Pinot Noir — $14
At the entry point of the by-the-glass range, Adelsheim is a reliably well-made Willamette Valley Pinot from one of Oregon's most consistent producers. It's the move if you're not going full red-meat mode and want something that actually has some nuance to it.
Fontanafredda Barolo
Most tables here are going straight for California Cab, which means this Barolo is sitting quietly while everyone else grabs the obvious choice. Fontanafredda is a storied Piedmontese producer, and Barolo's tannic structure and dried cherry depth is actually a killer match for a dry-aged steak — arguably better than your average Napa Cab at this price point.
Rombauer Chardonnay
Rombauer is a perfectly fine wine that has been marked up aggressively at every white-tablecloth restaurant in America for the past two decades. You're paying for the name recognition here, not the juice. If you want Chardonnay, you can do better elsewhere on this list.
L'Ecole No. 41 Merlot + Bone-in Ribeye
Washington Merlot at this level has a dark fruit depth and structured tannin that holds up to the fat and char of a bone-in ribeye without the sometimes overpowering oak bomb you get from heavier Cabs. L'Ecole is the kind of wine that makes the steak taste better and vice versa — that's the whole point.
The Bottom Line
801 Chophouse does exactly what a downtown steakhouse wine list should do — it gives you enough range to drink well, a sommelier who knows the list, and proper glassware to match. The markups sting, but you knew that when you sat down in a room with white tablecloths and a dry-age program.
Kansas City · Kansas City · Italian
Osteria Il Centro punches well above its neighborhood bistro billing — this is a serious Italian wine list in a city that doesn't always get serious Italian wine lists. The markup stings and there's no sommelier to guide you through the depth, but if you know what you want or ask the right questions, you'll eat and drink very well here.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Crossroads / Westside border (Southwest Boulevard) · Kansas City · Spanish tapas / small plates
La Bodega is the Wild Card Kansas City didn't know it needed — a genuinely Spain-focused wine list with fair pricing and a half-price Monday that should be on everyone's weekly calendar. Send your friends here, especially on a Wednesday when the paella and a Rioja Reserva are waiting.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Columbus Park / Downtown Fringe · Kansas City · Classic Italian-American
Garozzo's is a Kansas City institution, and the wine list knows its lane — Italian classics, middle-of-the-road pricing, and zero pretension. Send a friend here for the Spiedini and a Chianti; just don't send them expecting to discover anything new.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Brookside / East Brookside · Kansas City · Seafood-focused American / Oyster Bar
Earl's Premier is a wild card in the best possible way: a thoughtfully curated, seafood-focused wine list hiding in a Kansas City neighborhood spot. Send your oyster-loving friends here and tell them to start with bubbles.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Country Club Plaza · Kansas City · Seafood / Oyster Bar
Jax KC isn't trying to be a wine destination and doesn't need to be — but the list is smarter than the room might suggest, with a few genuine standouts that reward paying attention. Send a friend here for oysters and Sancerre, and tell them to skip the markups on anything California.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Freight House / Crossroads · Kansas City · Italian
Lidia's is a reliable Italian wine destination with a focused list and real sommelier knowledge behind it — the markups sting on the entry-level bottles, but Wednesday half-price wine night changes the math entirely. If you're going any other night, aim high on the list where the value is better.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
· Atlanta · Steakhouse
Il Premio is a steakhouse that took its wine list seriously enough to skip the obvious plays, and the result is one of the more interesting Italian-focused lists in Atlanta right now. It's compact, priced fairly across the board, and built for exploration — whether you're going glass by glass through the Italian regions or just need a solid bottle of Chianti Classico at $72 to make a steak dinner feel right. We'd send a friend here specifically for the wine.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Steakhouse
Stark's is the rare steakhouse that treats wine as something other than an afterthought or a cash grab. The list is compact but genuinely considered, markups are fair across the board, and the full bottle-to-glass availability is a policy every restaurant should copy. If you're eating in Healdsburg and want to drink well without overpaying, this is a legitimate stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Albany · Albany · Steakhouse
Order by the glass and explore: the posted menu gives you Riesling, Chablis, Cahors and Rioja without a bottle commitment. Pentimento at $16 is our price-conscious red starting point. Check the current list before ordering; the complete cellar, service and storage haven't been independently verified.
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