A Steakhouse List That Actually Earns Its Stripes
Back Bay · Boston · American Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 25, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Abe & Louie's’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Five hundred fifteen bottles is not a wine list — it's a commitment. Abe & Louie's opens with a cellar-deep statement, and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence on their homepage makes clear they know it. The breadth here is genuinely impressive for a Boston steakhouse, spanning far beyond the expected Napa Cab parade.
The list leans hard into California — Caymus Special Selection, Darioush, Dominus, Plumpjack — and if that's your wheelhouse, you're going to be very happy. But there's real range underneath the headline names: Spain, Italy, Germany, South America, Australia, and South Africa all show up with enough depth to suggest someone is actually curating this, not just filling slots. The Napa focus can feel heavy if you're hunting for something more esoteric, but the international spread keeps things interesting for those willing to look past the first few pages.
Thirty-nine by-the-glass options is an unusually generous pour program for a steakhouse of this size — most places half-heartedly offer a dozen. The $13–$35 range means you can start light and finish serious without committing to a full bottle. We'd love to see more rotation or a stated seasonal program, but the sheer volume gives you real flexibility.
2018 Plumpjack, Oakville, Napa Valley — $200+
Plumpjack punches above its weight in a lineup that includes Dominus and Darioush — it's often the most approachable and food-friendly of the heavy Napa hitters on this list, and in a steakhouse context, that drinkability on opening is worth something.
2019 Ink Grade, Napa Valley
Most tables at Abe & Louie's are going straight to Caymus or Dominus on name recognition alone. Ink Grade is a smaller-production Napa producer that doesn't get the same spotlight — worth asking your server about it before defaulting to the obvious.
2017 Caymus Special Selection, Napa Valley
Look, Caymus is fine. But you are absolutely paying a steakhouse premium on top of an already-inflated market price for a wine that is extremely easy to find at retail. You can do better with the same money on this very list.
2016 Dominus, Napa Valley + Prime Bone-In Ribeye
Dominus is a Bordeaux-style blend built for patience and red meat. The structure and dark fruit hold their own against the fat and char of a bone-in ribeye without overwhelming it — this is exactly the pairing this wine was designed for.
The Bottom Line
Abe & Louie's has the bones of a serious wine program — deep cellar, knowledgeable staff, real range across regions — held back mainly by steakhouse-standard markups and a specials program that feels like it was set in 2019 and left alone. Send a friend here for wine? Yes, with the caveat that they should budget accordingly and explore past the Napa headliners.
· Boston · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão is here to sell you a meat experience, and the wine list is an afterthought that exists to support that mission — not elevate it. Stick to the Zuccardi Malbec or the Garzón Albariño and spend your energy on the food.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Boston · Steakhouse
STK Boston has the square footage, the lighting, and the noise level of a place that should have a serious wine program — instead it has 142 labels of stuff you've already tried. Order a cocktail, or pick the most interesting bottle you can find and move on.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Seaport District · Boston · Greek
Trade is doing something genuinely rare in Boston: taking Greek wine seriously and giving diners the tools to explore it without a lecture. If you're eating anywhere near the Seaport and curious about what's actually in your glass, this is the move.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Financial District · Boston · American Steakhouse
The Vermilion Club isn't trying to reinvent the steakhouse wine list, and it doesn't need to — the California depth is real, the execution is consistent, and it delivers exactly what a power-lunch crowd in the Financial District wants. Just know what you're walking into: this is Cab country, the markups are steakhouse-standard steep, and adventurous wine drinkers should calibrate expectations accordingly.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Post Office Square · Boston · Cuban
Mariel earns its Wine Spectator credential by being genuinely thoughtful about a list that could have easily phoned it in. If you're in Boston's Financial District and want something more interesting than another steakhouse Cab Franc, this is exactly the kind of wild card worth having in your back pocket.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Back Bay · Boston · Seafood
Atlantic Fish is a reliable, well-run wine program in a room that takes its seafood seriously — Greg Bergeron keeps the white Burgundy and Italian whites sharp and the BTG list honest. Markups will sting on the big bottles, but if you navigate toward the value end of the list, you'll drink very well.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Fort Worth · American Steakhouse
Del Frisco's Grille Fort Worth has a wine list the same way an airport newsstand has a wine section — technically true, practically limiting. Order the Tokaji for dessert, drink cocktails with dinner, and don't expect anyone to help you navigate the difference.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Carson · Carson City · American Steakhouse
Glen Eagles is a comfortable, classic Carson City steakhouse with a wine list that's essentially coasting — one strong Port section surrounded by a whole lot of nothing. Come for the prime rib, order a Port after, and don't expect much more from the wine side of the menu.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
San Marcos · San Marcos · American Steakhouse
Outback San Marcos won't embarrass you if you order a glass with dinner, but you're not here for the wine list and nobody pretends otherwise. Stick to the Riesling or the Malbec and spend your energy on the steak.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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